Reflections: the Greatest Joy Is the Personal Interactions

by Jim Lewis, recently retired Senior Account Representative at Oracle and Short-Term Professional Team Volunteer

Fall 2024 journey to Hanoi, Vietnam was one of the highlights of my year! It enabled me to witness and to participate in REI’s mission of “building people to build nations,” to experience its model of leveraging the experience and skills of professionals, from a wide variety of disciplines, to share what they have learned in their careers and in life to help others who are eager to learn.  The whole experience was uniquely wonderful. Here is why…

Planning and Preparations

REI’s USA and in-country leadership at HQ set expectations and kept our teaching team well informed. Their responses to questions were rapid and informative. 

Travel

Although travel was long, it was a joyful experience as I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of my fellow REI business team members, Andrew Clark and Brian Jones.

The REI Business Team to Vietnam with Ms Lien in the middle

Day-to-day experience in Hanoi

This exceeded my expectations. Ms Lien, director of the REI office in Hanoi, and her in-country team cheerfully and skillfully ran the operation with precision. Our accommodations and meals very good.  Each appointment, whether at a university or at one of the hospitals, was well prepped and always on time. This made it so we could focus on our roles as instructors and as consultants, free from the logistics that often take significant time.

Jim teaching at the university in Hanoi

Special highlights

Doing some sightseeing in Hanoi between appointments was informative and enjoyable. There is still much for us to see and learn about Hanoi as well as the rest of Vietnam. But the greatest joy of the trip was the personal interactions with students, faculty, and staff at the universities and hospitals. They were eager to learn, demonstrated their appreciation, and were very personable. . . even laughed at my jokes!  I loved it. . .

Only regret

Due to business commitments back home, Andrew, Brian, and I were not able to participate in the second week of the trip, which was held in Ho Chi Minh City.  Hopefully, we will the next time . . .