Fingers to Keys.

Who are you calling fat?

Hanoi, Vietnam – It was like having the weight of Hanoi’s looming humidity lifted when I finally got down to my mandate for the full day.

It’s not that I'm unappreciative of having the opportunity to see the city and to let some of the jet lag seep from my body, but I am here for a purpose. And time, frankly, is short.

So, it was with fingers a-flurry I filled the screen with pixels, preparing a draft of my work plan for the next few weeks and crafting a series of interview questions for Mr. Vinh so that I can begin to understand the College’s strategic direction, current marketing initiatives and potential opportunities.

While the unemployment rate in Hanoi is only two per cent, a significant majority of the population is underemployed and not working in their fields of study, which has led to needs for re-training. Colleges, however, suffer from an inferior reputation to universities, regardless of whether they provide direct leads to jobs.

It’s similar to many traditional views in Canada that have only recently begun to shift.

If felt good to work. The two-hour lunches with a leisurely trip to the café, however, still take a little getting used to.

But not as much as those drowned in rice wine.