S4.C9. Raising Explorers on Liberation Day

Ba Tia, Bac Giang on 30 Apr 2025

By Linh Vu, Cloudy & Cozy

in collaboration with Bac Ninh Children's English Club

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A. A Gathering on April 30th - Vietnam Liberation Day

But this year felt different. Why?

Because this year marked 50 years since Liberation—
A golden milestone of resilience, memory, and pride.

And because we chose not just to remember—but to move.
To gather. To grow.

35 parents, 58 children, 4 facilitators.
7 pick-up points from 3 cities: Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hanoi
2 big buses. 3 family cars.
All roads leading to one place: Ba Tia Waterfall.

Not just for a trip.
But for an Experiment Day—Where we learn through doing, bond through curiosity, and honor freedom by raising explorers.

As always, we had a plan.
Not to follow blindly—but to hold lightly.
A plan gives us structure,
But freedom? That comes from letting go when the moment calls for it.

Even before we began, turbulence took the lead.

Originally, the path pointed to Khe Ro. But nature had its own script—A recent jungle fire closed the route, halting our entry until further notice from the authorities.

So, we adapted. Ba Tia Waterfall became our new destination. A shift, not a setback.

Mrs. Phuong and her family stepped up without hesitation— Taking an early trip to scout the road, Check the terrain, And quietly set the stage for all of us to arrive ready, safe, and excited.

Because when the ground changes,
It’s not the plan we hold onto—
It’s the spirit behind it.

We just follow that spirit, with a strong belief that It’s gonna be another cool camping day! :)

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B. Rain, Delays, and the Road We Chose Anyway

The Morning Hustle

The morning greeted us with a soft drizzle—gentle, quiet, almost hesitant.
We woke up early, hearts already racing with the unknowns ahead.

A small car pulled up to pick us—the car.
The one that only confirmed late the night before,
leaving me tossing in bed, wondering:
What if it doesn’t come at all? What if we’re left behind?

I stared at the guy from the car office.
His status light glowed green—still online.
I didn’t message.
Didn’t rush.
It was the holiday season. He had a hundred others to handle.
I let go—and trusted.
And somehow, he delivered.

When we arrived, I turned to Richard:
“Tell me about the foreigners joining today. Names? How are they?”

He yawned and answered flatly,
“There’s no one. I didn’t see any.”

I froze.
There were supposed to be three.

Turns out, two never showed up,
And the third arrived at Richard’s house in the dead of night—long past the hour of introductions.

“Omg,” I thought. But then—shift.

No time for panic. No space for doubt.
We’re here for the kids. We’ll make it work.

I walked over to Cloudy and Cozy, mid-bite into breakfast,
and calmly shared the new plan.
“Let’s be more proactive—set the vibe, build the English-speaking zone ourselves.”

They nodded, no hesitation.
We split up, boarding the buses—
ready to lead from wherever we stood.

Because that’s the kind of day it was.
Messy in the making.
Beautiful in the becoming.

Rush Outside, Rhythm Within

We had planned a few simple activities for the bus ride—after all, it was over two hours of winding roads and waiting minds.

I stepped onto the bus alone, scanning the faces.
New. All of them.
Except one—Linh.

She was from the last trip.
A quiet presence then, a familiar comfort now.
Her group had already traveled 30 minutes just to reach the pickup point.
Now, together, we would gather more families along the way.

I slid into the seat beside her and struck up a conversation,
grateful for the thread of continuity.

All around us, excitement buzzed.
Children and parents alike were glued to the TV screen—
watching the Liberation Day ceremony unfold live.

Marching soldiers.
Helicopter crews unfurling the Vietnamese flag midair.
The thunder of ceremonial cannons.

A nation remembering.
A bus moving forward.
And inside, a new story quietly taking shape.

There was one thing we didn’t know—
the other bus was heading in the wrong direction.

While we settled in, watching history on screen and bonding in soft conversation,
somewhere on a parallel road,
another journey was unfolding—
unaware, off-course, and headed toward a detour we hadn’t planned for.

Because in every good story,
there’s always that one twist…
you don’t see coming.

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C. Upon Arrival

There was one plan we were confident about—
let the kids burn their energy.
Run by the stream, splash in the water, climb the trail to the waterfall…

The goal?
Wear them out just enough so they'd naturally gather,
calm and grounded, ready to sit and settle.

But what we didn’t expect…
was that the more they moved, the more they came alive.
Not tired— just more thrilled, more curious, more unstoppable.

Turns out, we didn’t drain their energy.
We unlocked it.

The stream welcomed us with crystal-clear water—
refreshing and cool, a rare gift at the start of summer.
No moss. No slippery stones.
Just clean rock and playful current.

The kids moved like they belonged there—
climbing, jumping, zigzagging across nature’s playground.
Up and down. In and out.
Free to explore. Free to lead.

Then, we entered the jungle.

But it wasn’t the jungle we imagined.
The trail was narrow, and sometimes steep.
All around us, fallen trees from the last storm—
massive trunks split, roots upturned like open ribs.

We could see the destruction.
We could feel the pain.
Nature doesn’t hide its scars.

But what surprised us most—
was who held steady.

The little ones?
Wide-eyed, determined, fearless.
Climbing like adventurers on a mission.

The older kids?
Some started to complain—
about the heat, the incline, the endless path.

It was a reminder:
Courage doesn’t always grow with age.
Sometimes, it shows up where you least expect it—
small feet, muddy shoes, eyes lit with wonder.

Finally—lunch.
We made our way down the trail, legs sore, stomachs growling,
hungry like we hadn’t eaten in days.
The moment we sat down, it wasn’t just a meal—it was a celebration.
Every bite tasted earned. Every laugh felt fuller.

The afternoon rolled in with renewed energy.
Mr. Felix stepped in, leading a game that sparked instant joy,
drawing everyone back into motion.

Then, we split into smaller groups—
organized by age, guided by curiosity.
Some sat in circles, crafting ideas.
Others ran, shouted, climbed, collaborated.
The forest echoed not with birds—but with the sound of kids being alive.

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D. Some Fun Observations & Key Learnings

(to be continued)

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E. What’s Next?

As part of building the Super Parent Community to raise Global Thinkers, parents are invited to join the conversation—ask questions, share stories, and gain insights from our team of psychologists, behavioral researchers, educators, and fellow parents. The goal is to empower you to support your child with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.

• Newsletter - Super Parents: https://theeduwhiz.substack.com/s/super-parents-zone

• Facebook Group - Super Parents Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/944250397572189

Meanwhile, The Learning Space—an international community for young minds to nurture curiosity and push for the application of knowledge—is open for children to join. It offers a dynamic, peer-to-peer learning environment where they can grow, engage, and sharpen their critical thinking skills on their journey to becoming Global Citizens

• The Learning Space: https://team4fd.substack.com/s/the-expo

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