Paul's blog

Take Me to Zen Yen

By Aliza Goldberg

The young Vietnamese boy sat patiently at the Yen River’s edge, his hands resting lightly on the bamboo oars tied to the thin, red, metal rowboat. He looked up at us, wrinkles forming on his forehead as he raised his eyebrows, and waited until we had boisterously situated ourselves in his boat. Without a word, he began to back up his boat into the water and steer us out into the wide expanse of vegetation. No introduction, no complaints. Strong black coffee, the smell of burning incense, the startling clash of a metal gong, the gleam of gilded wood and lacquer statues, seven hundred and sixty two slick stone steps, the squeaks of bats, the dank wonder of an underground niche, and the tickling sensation of sweat trickling down our spines had energized us and we hardly noticed the thin boy, tan like the twigs floating aimlessly in the ripples.

He wore a maroon fake Dolce & Gabbana shirt with a white flap on the left shoulder and another white flap on the right breast. His uneven brown hair was carefully combed over his dark brown eyes, which gazed at us four American teenagers uneasily and with a hint of envy. Meanwhile, we joked around with our school friends in the other rowboats, taking pictures and splashing water. And then suddenly, all the boats were gone. That’s when we finally saw the boy struggling to fight the current.

The five of us were totally alone--no sounds but that of the oars dipping into the glittering water, nothing to see but mountains soft with tufts of green trees, tall grasses and pink lotus flowers, and the reflection of the grey and white clouds in the water. The river was ours. The silence was a peaceful break from the smoggy chaos of honking motorcycles that defined our new home, Hanoi.

His name was Trung. This was his first time rowing tourists from the Perfume Pagoda. He was sorry he was taking so long.

I was sorry he was our age, yet had dropped out of school to take us from one unfamiliar shoreline to another. I was sorry his arm muscles did not have enough strength to continue rhythmically circling the oars. I was sorry I could not help him.

He would stretch a tired smile whenever we did something silly to amuse him, like singing Santigold or daintily dangling slices of bread in front of his face for him to bite. Otherwise he wore a light-lipped grim line of a mouth, eyes squinting in pain.

Middle aged women in conical hats streamlined past our rowboat, laughing and teasing our faithful Charon.

He was sorry he was taking so long. I was sorry I could not help him.

As we inched along, I felt something puff up and expand under the bottom of my right ribcage. A sense of relief and satisfaction perhaps, or elation. After three weeks in Vietnam my regrets and hesitations had splintered and were being carried away by the river’s current. It occurred to me that we might never be reunited with the other Americans waiting patiently for us at the shore, that if the clouds decided to burst and send down rain our rowboat would fill up within minutes. But these thoughts did not worry me. I knew I would be all right. And I knew Trung would not be.

About Aliza

"I have spent a year studying in Viterbo, Italy and a semester studying in Hanoi, Vietnam. In the fall of 2010 I will attend Barnard College of Columbia University and try to study as many languages as I am allowed without becoming a language major." Read more travel writing from Aliza at www.alizid.blogspot.com and see see her video below:



Please read author Kristin White's blog post below outlining her new gap year planning book, and then follow link at bottom of blog to her site.

I am the author of a new book called “The Complete Guide to the Gap Year: The Best Things to Do Between High School and College.” As an educational consultant, I work with students who are applying to colleges and private schools and other educational options, but I found that helping students craft an exciting gap year program was my favorite part of the job. I ended up writing this book because there are so few good books out on the gap year. There are some that are focused on British students, on backpackers and travelers, or for parents, but there really wasn’t a comprehensive directory of structured programs, or a book that included chapters about the college admissions implications of the gap year. I spent a year researching and writing the book and I found a few facts which might be new or interesting information for you.

Two New England based student gap year programs, Dynamy Internship Year and Thinking Beyond Borders have teamed up to sponsor the 2009-2010 USA Gap Year Fairs. (See schedule below) Last year, 12 fairs attracted nearly 2,000 students, parents and education professionals across the country. The sponsors have added more fairs to connect students and parents across the country with the plethora of private companies and educational non-profits offering "gap years" for young adults who are delaying college entrance.

New gap year novel aimed at young adults

The article, Mind The Gap by Kayte Korwitts, appeared in Chicago's North Shore Magazine yesterday. It highlights the current 'gap year' trend amongst some high school graduates, and briefly reviews Cliare Zulkey's young adult novel An Off Year, an account of an acutely self-conscious and hyper-intelligent 18-year-old who arrives at a small liberal-arts college only to turn around and go home.

Click on Main Title Above to Read Entire Blog Post

Applications for gap year options on the rise

Need information on the benefits of sending your student on a gap year before starting college, and easy planning steps?

Check out Mind the Gap: Taking a Year Off Before College by Julie Levine, of Enroutegapyear.com, a student gap year adviser in Missoula, MT.

The New York Times Business section recently published Delaying College for a Year Could Have Benefits, an article by Jonathan Glater which argues that NOW is an ideal time to take a year out, because college funds are scarce. Read the article, then return to our Gap Year Options database to find specifics on a range of volunteer service,volunteer travel, study abroad, internships, and more!

Listen to Planet Gap Year interview the 2009 Gap Year Fairs Sponsor, Greg Cappello of Dynamy Internship Year. Discover why students and parents across the U.S. are jumping at the opportunity to attend these events.



Planet Gap Year interviews students and parents at the 2009 Denver Gap Year Fair about the 'gap year' concept, and reasons for taking a year out before committing to college.

Planet Gap Year's video productions arm visited Denver's Sherman Events Complex last Wednesday evening to find out first hand what the "gap year" buzz is all about.

Attending a Gap Year Fair may open your eyes to post-high school opportunities for self-exploration and personal growth, and is likely to lead to clearer direction and motivation for college studies and for your life!

What is a gap year?: In case you didn't know, a "gap year" provides a post-high-school opportunity for exploration and growth leading to clearer direction and motivation for college studies and for life beyond!

Wednesday night at the Sherman Event Center in Denver, over 125 parents and students turned out at Denver's first ever gap year fair to meet representatives from 22 U.S. and international gap year organizations offering post-high school opportunities for self-exploration and personal growth. Educational organizations providing travel, cultural immersion, directed study, service projects, internships opportunities and more jumped at this opportunity to exhibit at the fair and answer questions from curious parents and students eager to jump on the gap year band wagon.