IM Venture May 18th-28th 2016 by Tuongvan Le

IM Venture 2016 May 18th-28th Into the Wild 1

WELCOME TO IM VENTURE Congratulations on your acceptance to IM Venture Class of 2016! IM Venture is a travel project that aims to bring together a diverse group of youths around the world to travel on an educational trip across Vietnam. IM Venture will take a group of 20 students from different backgrounds on a 10day trip from Ho Chi Minh City in Southern Vietnam to the capital Hanoi in the North. Throughout the trip, we will hold group activities, deep talk discussions, team bonding activities, educational seminars, and fireside chats to facilitate an ongoing conversation among the group members. Participants will discover Vietnamese culture, history, and people or re-discover their identity as Vietnamese, explore the hidden charms of this beautiful country and thereby develop an appreciation and sense of attachment to this beloved S-country.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome Message Home An IM Venture Journey Meet IM Venture family Trip Itineraries Getting ready Program Highlights Coffee chat speakers Special Thanks Diary

--------------------------------------------------Up to date, IM Venture has organized 5 trips, engaged over 100 youths in trip across Vietnam, operated 4 summer projects across Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Hue. It has impacted over 2000 Vietnamese youths throughout the past 2 years. This year marks IM Ventureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3rd year. This year we welcome 100+ new members to the Class of 2016. These members have exemplified excellent commitment to learn, admirable excitement to gain new experience, and respectable enthusiasm to contribute to the collaborative effort of making our trips across Vietnam the best experience for everyone. We are proud of you and hope that you will leverage these special experiences, valuable lessons, and lasting friendships from IM Venture to help you travel far in the your next journey in life.

Welcome Message Welcome IM Venture Class of 2016! It has been a wild ride since June 2014. Since launched, IM Venture has undergone some major transformations, grown at an ambitious scale, and created lasting impact, thanks to the valuable lasting contributions of our past IM Venture participants, our big daddies (anh Shi and anh Loc), and our one and only special camera man (anh Zen). IM Venture has taken diverse groups of young, energetic, capable, highly potential, and talented Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese youths across our beloved Vietnam in 5 trips in the past 2 years. These trips have brought the first time experiences for some participants, surprised others with the lasting and solid friendships that they could build in such a short amount of time, allowed some to recognize their weaknesses or discover their hidden strengths, empowered others to walk out of their comfort zone and continue to challenge themselves, and transmitted a greater sense of belonging and clearer sense of place in the cities and landmarks across Vietnam. IM Venture, beyond being a travel experience across Vietnam, is more importantly a transformative and educational experience for the next generation of Vietnamese youths who are curious to learn and never stop looking for novel experiences to open their world perspectives and to grow themselves personally and professional. An IM Venture experience puts heavy emphasis on reflection and personal growth. An important phase of growing up and moving forward is to habitually look back and reflect on your personal experience, strengths, weaknesses, failures, past mistakes, and become able to derive valuable takeaways from these past experiences. Self- reflection, hence, fosters greater self-awareness, which nurtures the ongoing process of personal development. Throughout an IM Venture journey, you will be able to meet people from all over the world and across Vietnam, see and hear stories of people from different walks of life, engage in novel activities, develop new perspectives, and cultivate a greater sense of belonging and attachment to the places and people that you encounter throughout this short but incomparably meaningful trip. An IM Venture experience lies in the eyes of the travelers. Create and customize your own IM Venture experience. We hope that you will embark in this journey with your full attention, energy, and excitement to engage, participate, and contribute. We hope that you, as well as your fellow travelers, will together create a special and memorable 2-week trip across Vietnam so that a month, a year, or 10 years later, you will look back at this experience with vivid memories, blended with a deep sense of nostalgia and appreciation for the people, the places, and the moments you had an opportunity to meet, witness, and embrace in this 2-week- long transformative and unique journey across Most sincerely, Nguyen Minh Duc & Tuongvan Le

Home IM Venture has cultivated in me a deeper sense of appreciation for my motherland, Vietnam. The people I have traveled with, worked with, and met throughout my years of attachment with IM Venture have been my endless source of inspiration and I would like to dedicate this piece of writing to you and all members of IM Venture family. Thank you so much for everything you have done and will be doing in the future to contribute to this project. IM Venture has been another home for me and I’m proud to be a member of this beloved and precious family.

Home Perhaps being 21 doesn’t change anything that is happening in my life, who I am at this stage, what I am doing, and how I define myself or interact with others. However, it does serve as a mark - a mark for me to pause, to reflect, and to think about the past. As a I turned 21, one of the concepts that I have been thinking about is.... home. I never know what the definite answer is to respond with when people ask me “Where is home for you?” Home can be Hue, Vietnam, where I built up childhood memories that I am always fond of recollecting; Jacksonville, Florida, where I struggled but then grew up tremendously in a compressed period of time to lead a “normal” life; Cambridge, Massachusetts where I have built monumental experience and friendships that have challenged and expanded my perspectives, stretched my knowledge of the world, and shaped my future trajectories in visible and invisible ways. Yet, I guess the most instinctive and most frequent response I have used to answer this question is “Vietnam.” Vietnam is one of the places where I call home. It is where I find comfort and familiarity, where I feel belonged, and is definitely the first place I think of going to when I think about holidays. Each time I return to Vietnam, I feel like I’m coming home. ...Coming home always goes with leaving home and saying goodbye to the beautiful memories I have built with people I have known for years or people I simply have just met by chance and yet have gotten so close to in such a short amount of time. Each time I leave, I carry with me physical and mental photographs of these memories, and a feeling of nostalgia blended with appreciation and sadness. I carry with me a greater bond to the place that I leave

….Coming home is creating nostalgia because it reminds me of my childhood memories, of my favorite street vendors to stop by on my way back from school, of the troubles I ran into for misbehaving, of the river where I kicked out so many pairs of new shoes while playing “catch” with my neighbors. Coming home reminds me ….Coming home is also hard. It is hard because once I have left Vietnam, I inevitably have set myself apart as someone else who is not truly and 100% Vietnamese culturally. I have also set expectations for others to think that I will be different when I return. When I return, people expect me to be more American, to act and think more like Americans, and to fit in with the images of American culture portrayed on social media. It is unavoidable to find that people can tell me apart by the way I dress, the tone I speak, and the mix of English words I use here and there when I talk to others. When I come home, people no longer see me the way I see myself, but they see me in the eyes of their own expectations. ...Coming home makes me feel conscious and amazed by how quickly and how much I have changed, even just within several months. My parents and friends preserve the last version of me the last time I see them and remind me of what I told them and what I was been thinking of the last time I was back home. They preserve a screenshot of my last self in their memories, and remind me of who I was several months or couple years ago. Then, at times, I feel distant from my previous self, and start questioning the silly thoughts and comments that I have made, to then also sometimes find myself appreciating how much I have grown or changed within just a short amount of time.

behind, and an even stronger connection to the people that I have met and spent time with. Time only goes forward. But I’m glad that I have memories to look back and to appreciate. Time has molded me so that each time I come home again, I will find a different me, with different ambitions, different goals, and different interests. Yet, one thing stays constant, and that is the sense of nostalgia, the sense of amazement at how much I have changed, and the sense of appreciation for the people I have spent time with and experience I have come across that I take away with me in photos and in memories each time I come home.

“Quê hương là cây khế ngọt Con nên vun đắp mỗi ngày. Quê hương là đường đi học Con nên giữ gìn sạch sẽ. Quê hương là con diều biếc Con thả ở xa dây điện. Quê hương là con đò nhỏ Con đi đừng xả trên sông. Quê hương là cầu tre nhỏ Có tiền con nên xây lên to. Quê hương là đêm trăng tỏ Môi trường trong lành ít bụi. Quê hương mỗi người chỉ một Như là chỉ một Mẹ thôi...” Missing home, 4.11.16 Tuongvan Le IM Venture Founder

An IM Venture Journey IM Venture takes a group of 20 students from diverse backgrounds on a 2-week-long thematic trip from Ho Chi Minh City in Southern Vietnam to the capital Hanoi in the North. Throughout the trip, we will hold group activities, student-led seminars, personal reflection activities, experience sharing conversations, and fireside chats to facilitate an ongoing conversation and mutual learning among the group members. Participants will discover and re-discover their identity and culture, explore the hidden charms of Vietnam and thereby develop an appreciation for the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, traditions, folk cultures, and people. This happens as students learn about and understand each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life stories. Participants will find in IM Venture valuable friendships, a combined liberal arts and experiential learning opportunity, uniquely integrated in a travelling experience that will constantly expose and challenge students to adapt to novel experiences.Â

MISSION

Fostering personal and professional development through travelling and mutual exchange in knowledge, experiences, and skills.

CULTURE

An IM Venture experience is an educational and transformative one. We select students who are curious to learn, humble to listen, willing to share, and enthusiastic to contribute. We embrace people from different backgrounds, with unique experiences and perspectives to make valuable contributions.

IM VENTURE SUMMER PROJECTS 2016

Summer projects have been the highlights of every summer for fellow IM Venture participants. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great opportunity to meet other IM Venture family members, acquire valuable leadership and team work skills, and continue this valuable exchange in experience, skills, and knowledge among IM Venturers. It has been super inspiring to see what IM Venture team members can put together in such a short amount of time. We have seen tremendous growth and life-changing transformations among some of our team members and are excited to welcome back these projects while look forward to seeing the growth and transformations of these projects as we pass this on to the next generation of IM Venture leaders and organizing team members - IM Venture Class of 2016. Please sign up and participate if you can and learn details on how to get involved on our fan page or through our trip leaders. Below are 3 summer projects that we have in plan right now for the summer. Follow our fan page for more info and opportunities.

“LA UNCHIN G Y O U R D RE A M S ” C OF F E E CH AT SE R I E S Location: Ha Noi, TPHCM Người ta viết hàng hàng câu chữ cho tuổi đời hai mươi. Vùng vẫy. Khát khao. Thúc giục. Thất bại. Vấp ngã. Vài câu hỏi cuộc đời ít nhất cũng một lần tự vấn: là ai, muốn và lựa chọn gì. Nhưng rồi, thật nhiều lần câu trả lời vẫn mơ hồ, để lại cơn khủng hoảng của tuổi trẻ. Người ta thường ví cuộc đời là những con đường. Và hạnh phúc nằm trên mỗi chuyến đi. Nhưng cuộc đời là vô biên con đường. Chúng nhập nhằng vào nhau, đôi khi cần tỉnh trí mới nhận ra hết được. Nó cần bạn dũng cảm chọn lấy cho mình một hướng, và bước đi. Có nhất thiết phải chọn đại lộ bằng phẳng, ngào ngạt hoa hồng không? Có cần phải biết chắc cuối phố này là một kho báu khổng lồ mới chọn lối ấy để tiến không? Hay bạn sẽ chọn điều mới mẻ, tự viết riêng một con đường? Hãy cùng IM Venture và “Launching your dreams” lắng nghe những chia sẻ từ những câu chuyện có thật của các Vlogger và tác giả ... trong hành trình “Trưởng thành và xây dựng ý thức bản thân” hay “Tôi ước tôi biết trước tuổi hai mốt”. Những lời khuyên bổ ích, truyền cảm hứng sau mỗi buổi trò chuyện thân mật cùng các khách mời sẽ tiếp lửa thêm cho hành trình theo đuổi giấc mơ của bạn.

Gia tài của tuổi trẻ là hành trình góp nhặt những trải nghiệm, câu chuyện. Mơ hồ trong những chuyến đi chính là nỗi nhớ về góc phố, con đường đã qua. Hà Nội, là phố Phan Đình Phùng rợp bóng mát, là buổi sáng ở Đinh, cà phê trứng ở Giảng. Hay là Đinh Lễ, Hàng Bông, buổi tối ở Tạ Hiện. Hãy viết tiếp hành trình của mình bằng những trải nghiệm, câu chuyện mới ở Hà Nội 36 phố phường cùng Viet Venture. Mô phỏng lại IM Venture Trip, Viet Venture sẽ cho bạn cơ hội khám phá những ngóc ngách, những câu chuyện kiến tạo nên Hà Nội mà bạn chưa được biết và gặp gỡ những người bạn mới. Viet Venture chào đón các bạn trẻ từ 16 tuổi trở lên. Hành trang bạn cần chuẩn bị duy nhất chính là niềm đam mê khám phá Hà Nội. 10

V I ET VE N TU R E H AN OI Location: Ha Noi

VIET V ENT U R E SA I G ON Location: TPHCM Vội vã đi qua những ngày tháng đang sống…” rồi thi thoảng chúng mình dừng lại, ngồi kể những câu chuyện xưa mà chưa cũ. Như là một buổi chiều mùa hè nào đó, ngồi lặng lẽ bên người bạn vong niên. Huyên thuyên dăm câu chuyện về Sài Gòn những ngày tháng cũ. Về những kí ức phố xá Sài Gòn. Về những quán cà phê tên/không tên đầy ánh sáng. “Con đường có lá me bay…” Nguyễn Du hay ồn ã lúc tan tầm ở Đồng Khởi. Sài Gòn, tưởng quen đó, mà lạ đó. Hay là để bắt đầu mùa hè này, như buổi chiều êm ru trong kí ức, Viet Venture sẽ cùng bạn kể những câu chuyện “Sài Gòn xưa và nay”. Viet Venture 2016 dành cho các bạn trong độ tuổi từ 15-22 tại TPHCM. Chuyến hành trình được thực hiện theo mô hình The Amazing Race, với 8 đội: mỗi đội gồm 4 thành viên và 1 giám sát. Cuộc đua, câu đố, thử thách cân não, những câu chuyện chưa được kể ở Sài Gòn: quán cafe “vợt” 40 năm tuổi ở Phan Đình Phùng, người viết thuê cuối cùng ở Bưu điện thành phố và vô vàn những bí mật khác của Sài Gòn. Tất cả đang đợi bạn mùa hè này.

IM Venture in social media Website: http://contactimventure.wix.com/about Past publications: https://issuu.com/imventure Youtube: tinyurl.com/imvyoutube Facebook Page: tinyurl.com/imventure

IM Venture Family || May 18th - 28th IM Venture Big Daddies

CEO of Oriental Sky Travel

CEO & Founder of AZ Design

Featured on TripAdvisor, Good Morning America for his biking tours and special tours in Son Doong Cave

Chief Operations and Logistical Manager for IM Venture Trips

Designer and Professional Photographer and Videomaker for IM Venture and Oriental Sky Travel

Enthusiastic biker, winner of Tu Lan Race Charity Campaign Fluent in English, Vietnamese, Thai

Behind-the-scene expert in tourism & business management Travelling enthusiast Fluent in English, Vietnamese

Activities & Interest: Modelling, Dancing, Video Production, Photography

May 18th-28th Trip Leaders

School: Tufts University, class of 2020 (That means I get 3 extra years of high school!! How cool is that?) Hobbies: veteran procrastinator, I switch between making tons of money, watching TV shows, playing video games and listening to hip hop music. I also occasionally work out to convince myself I’m not a potato couch. I also like Mexican, Italian and Indian food. My favorite quote is: “Everything is a spectrum” NGUYEN MINH DUC School: Harvard University Class of 2017 Major: Joint degree in Stats & CS, secondary in Econ & Chinese Activities & Interests: Eat, sleep, and IM Venture. Besides that, I also organized lots of conferences throughout college, it’s a good opportunity for getting free swags :D I design for fun, love building things, attempt (but still fail) to learn how to dance, make pottery, and enjoy outdoor biking/walking. Pretty addicted to coffee, tea, and cool internal designs. Love spontaneity and am unfortunately very clumsy (like I would crash into the wall or trip downstairs on a weekly basis)

LE NGOC TUONG VAN

Favorite quote: “When you say no to something, you say yes to something better”

May 18th-28th Trip Participants

HOONG TRUONG VY - 19 School: gap year Hobbies: I like horror stuffs, listen to music, share with other peopel, doing handmade, motivate and inspire other people. Favorite quote: “everything is temporary. So if things are going good, enjoy it because it wont last forever. If things are going bad. Dont worry, it wont last forever either”

May 18th-28th Trip Participants

NGUYEN THE THIEN - 19 School: Messiah College, Class of 2018 Interests: Social science subjects, Film/Game/Comic/Song with inspiring or touching contents, Give speeches, Make inspirational videos, Debate, Dancing Extracurricular Activities: VP of Organizations @ Messiah College Student Government Association, Toastmasters @ Toastmasters International Favorite Quote: “When you were born you were crying and everyone else was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone else is crying.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

TRAN HOAI AN - 19 School: University of Alberta, Canada, class of 2018 Hobbies: traveling, listening to music pretty much whenever I have free time, reading books, cooking and hmmmm, chit chat with my beloveds Extracurricular activities: VP Internal and VP Finance of the Vietnamese student union in Edmonton Favorite quote: “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so” – William Shakespeare

HUY QUANG BUI - 22 School: King’s College London, 3rd year Hobbies/Interests: Workout, Bowling, Films, Music, Gaming, Technology and Organic stuffs. I can, and love playing sports but I usually suck lol so if we are going to play teamsports in our trip, I apologize in advance to anyone who is unfortunate enough to be my future teammate. Extracurricular Activities: KCL Tech Society, KCL Video Gaming and eSports Society and KCL Vietnamese Society Favourtie Quote: Err... none. Never really pay much attention to this. Maybe you guys can help me find one after the trip :D Additional Info I would like you to know: I may sound like a nerd but trust me, I’m not. It’s just I love computer gamimg.. and technology.. and I’m bad at most sports.. okay I’m a huge nerd ;-;

NGUYEN BAO CHAU – 20 School: Denison University, class of 2017 Major: Economics and Political Science Hobbies: I like tea, TV series (especially period shows like Mad Men or The Americans - I have a thing for old stuffs). Same with music - oldies like The Beatles, Queen or Simon & Garfunkel. But I love it when people blast music in the room or on road trips - whatever kinds of music since it creates a really good atmosphere and encourage people to talk to each other. My favorite quote is from the TV series Mad Men - “People tell we who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we expect them to be.” A little bit cynical, but it does put things into perspective. TRINH MINH DUY – 22 School: Indiana University, class of 2015 Major: Finance and Technology Management Hobbies: outdoor activities such as camping, bonfires, beaches, hiking and indoor stuff like music, video games Favorite quote: “Better to not know which moment may be your last. Every morsel of your entire being alive to the infinite mystery of it all” by the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow

NGUYEN TIEU PHUONG – 16 Trường lớp: 11 Anh 2 trường chuyên Lê Quý Đôn Vũng Tàu. About me: Nói sơ qua bản thân thì em là chicken-holic, thích ăn tất cả mọi thứ làm từ thịt gà, ăn liên tục cũng không biết ngán và em là người hảo ngọt. Em thích đọc sách, chỉ trừ thể loại ngôn tình ra thì cái gì em cũng đọc được. Em cũng thích xem phim nữa, xem phim Mỹ nhiều, nhưng mà vẫn xem phim Hàn (vì trai Hàn đẹp lắm, khakha). Thích làm bánh, nghe nhạc, chụp ảnh. Quan sát và đánh giá luôn là khả năng em đánh giá cao ở bản thân mình. Có lẽ vậy mà đôi lúc em ít nói. Và “im lặng không có nghĩa là im lặng”. Mỗi con người đều có một vẻ đẹp riêng của mình. Tham gia IM Venture chắc chắn sẽ là cơ hội để em mở rộng tầm nhìn, kiến thức, được đi nhiều nơi, gặp nhiều người, lắng nghe nhiều câu chuyện, ngắm nhìn nhiều vẻ đẹp hơn, để lăn xả và trưởng thành. VU TRONG NGHIA – 20 School: Innova Junior College, class of 2015 Major: A-level Hobbies: Martial art, classical suit, classical hairstyle, movies, EDM, Game of Thrones. Sport, lots of sporting, and gymming, and of course martial art Favorite quote: “I drink and I know things”

May18th-28th 18th-28thTrip Tr May NGUYEN PHUONG THAO – 20 School: Randolph College, Senior Major: Gender Studies Extracurricular activities/Hobbies: Organizing Events Favorite quote: “Life is good now”

NGUYEN NHAT MINH – 21 School: Aalto University School of Business, just graduated. Yay \m/ Hobbies: watching movies, listening to old music, read different stuff without intent, Dota, FPS games. Favorite Quote: The investor of today does not profit from yesterday’s growth - Warren Buffett.

DUONG HAI LINH – 20 School: Denison University, class of 2019 Major: Psychology and Women’s Studies double major Hobbies: other than daily social norms breaking activities, I enjoy a good cup of coffee (or maybe 5), watching movies, reading books and wasting time on Tumblr. Extracurricular activities: I am vice president in Asian Culture Club at my school and also a core member in Denison Feminists

PHUNG TUAN HOANG – 20 School: National University of Singapore, class of 2020 Major: computer engineering Hobbies: video games used to be my main hobby but I became fed up and felt guilty of being lazy so I started hitting the gym and learning tennis from a friend. I listen to any songs that are catchy (including Vietnamese, Korean, US UK whatever). I watch all sorts of movies (except horror), but particularly like scifi (time travelling and stuffs) and LOTR. Apart from all those I like tinkering around with laptops and phones Extracurricular Activities: Venture scouts Favorite quote: “You. Shall. Not. Pass” – Gandalf the Grey

rip Participants p Participants HA PHAM BICH TRAM – 19 School: Le Quy Don High Specialized School ‘15, currently taking a gap-year Hobbies/Interests: Watching sunshine (it’s really interesting, you can imagine many things from physics to epics), going along the beach - listening to the waves, reading books (especially science books), listening to music, feeding pets (from KOI to dogs, cats), watching TED every morning, learning about ancient Vietnam - and my biggest passion: Biology and Cosmology. Drawing crazy pictures :)) I love Bigbang, DB5K and Suju. Some people don’t like Hallyu, but everything has it own beauty - find it and you’ll understand. My favourite director is Dolan Extracurricular Activities: I took part in a group helping autistic and Down syndrome kids in Da Nang. I also worked at Tinh Truc Gia a week before I went to HCMC. Now, I’m a help for a disabled in TOM event and preparing for my own project). Special Education: I’m a leader of PASSION CAT, which celebrates live streaming lessons every week for students. Favourite Quote: “Before becoming a star, it’s a powerful atom” - I created it :’) NGUYEN DINH HUNG – 20 School: University of Wisconsin Madison, sophomore. Hobbies: During my free time, I would love to play basketball and hang out with friends. At times, I can be an extremely outgoing person but sometimes I tend to withdraw into my own world. Oh, and I am a simple person: When I see a pretty girl on facebook, I press like. My favourite quote: “If something is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse”

TRAN VIET ANH – 19 School: Wabash College Class of 2018 Major: Economics and Music. Hobbies: I love listening to and making music, traveling, talking to people and sharing new experiences. Extracurricular: This summer is the second time I travel with IM Venture and I hope it’ll be an awesome experience like last year - also I’m an organizing team member of VietAbroader Career Conference 2016 in Hanoi. My favorite quote is “Live in Day-Tight Compartments” (Dale Carnegie) because I believe that instead of thinking too much about the past or worrying too much about the future, each person should live “today” to the fullest.

TRIP ITINERARIES

Destination: Sài Gòn – Đồng Nai – bán đảo Sơn Trà –VQG Bạch Mã – hồ Truồi – Phong Nha – Hà Nội – Hua Tạt – Mộc Châu Duration: 11 days 10nights Period: 2016

BRIEF ITINERARY: Day 1: Saigon - Arrival Day 2: Saigon – Dong Nai - camping Day 3: Dong Nai – Saigon - Danang Day 4: Danang – Son Tra peninsula – Bach Ma National park Day 5: Bach Ma Day 6: Bach Ma – Truoi lake – Hue - Phong Nha National park Day 7: Phong Nha villages cycling Day 8: Phong Nha – Dark cave – Dong Hoi - Hanoi Day 9: Hanoi – Hua Tat – Son La Day 10: Hua Tạt – Moc Châu - Hanoi Day 11: Hanoi - Departure

Detailed Itineraries Ngày 1: Saigon - Arrival (D) Welcome to Saigon. Check-in hotel. Welcome dinner. Accommodation: Hoang Hai Long hotel or similar Meal: Dinner

Ngày 2: Saigon – Dong Nai (B/L/D) After breakfast, leave Saigon for Saigon for Dong Nai. You will be cycling into the jungle and exploring the nature of Vinh Cuu. BBQ dinner and night by the lake or homestay. Accommodation: Kingfisher homestay/camping Meal: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Ngày 3: Dong Nai – Saigon - Danang (B/L) Visit the villages around before heading back to Saigon for boarding the flight to Danang. Check in the hotel in Danang. Discover Danang by night. Dinner is on your own account. Accommodation: Saigon Tourane hotel or similar Meal: Breakfast / Lunch

Ngày 4: Danang – Son Tra peninsula – Bach Ma National park (B/L/D) Breakfast, check out the hotel. Driving along the beach of Danang to Son Tra peninsula – where the Monkey Mountain located. You will have chance to see the monkey and the rare RED-SHANKED DOUCS while enjoying the fresh air along the coast of this beautiful peninsula. Transfer to Bach Ma via Hai Van pass which Jeremy Clarkson of TOPGEAR BBC praised as «a deserted ribbon of perfection — one of the best coastal roads in the world! On arrival to Bach Ma N.P, check-in the villa. Take an easy walk up to the summit at the height of 1.450m to enjoy the sunset. Night at the villa. Accommodation: Phong Lan or Kim Giao villa Meal: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Ngày 5: Bach Ma N.P exploration (B/L/D) Don’t miss the sunrise today. After breakfast, you will be spending a full-day to explore the nature of Bach Ma. You will have chance to meet the langurs or the birds in the park by the famous ‘birdman’, who can skillfully imitate the bird’s song and sing with them. Trekking along the trails to Ngu Ho (Five Lakes), relaxing and swimming in the jungle. Picnic lunch is served in VC’s style. Later, continue the trek through the forest to Do Quyen – Rhododendron waterfalls (at a height of 300 meters ) and return to the villa for dinner. In the evening, join the camp-fire and discover the sounds of Mother Nature by night. Accommodation: Phong Lan or Kim Giao villa Meal: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Ngày 6: Bach Ma – Truoi Lake – Hue – Phong Nha (B/L/D) Leave Bach Ma in the morning to Truoi lake, where you are hopping on the local boat to experience the way local people fishing in the jungle. After the picnic lunch in the jungle, drive to Hue for the train to Dong Hoi. From here, drive to check in the Chay Lap homestay – at the doorstep of Phong Nha Ke Bang National park. Dinner and night at the homestay. Accommodation: Chay Lap homestay Meal: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Ngày 7: Phong Nha village cycling (B/L/D) After breakfast, you will be cycling into the villages to Bong Lai valley, experiencing the local life. Visit and lunch with organic foods at the farm of a veteran couple before cycling crossing the river to the Wild-boar farm, where you are about to meet the Wild-boar man and learn how he trains the Wild boar. Back the homestay for joining hand cooking dinner with host. Night at Chay Lap homestay. Accommodation: Chay Lap homestay Meal: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Ngày 8: Phong Nha – Dark cave – Dong Hoi - Hanoi (B/L/D) This morning, we travel deep into the jungle of Phong Nha Ke Bang National park - one of the World’s largest karst systems- homed to hundred caves. Its an adventure day out as you will be ziplining, kayking and mudbathing at Dark cave. Picnic lunch by the Chay river before driving to the city for boarding the night train to Hanoi. Games on the train. Accommodation: sleeper cabin on the train Meal: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Ngày 9: Hanoi – Hua Tat (B/L/D) Arrive capital Hanoi in early morning. Breakfast with Hanoi speciality Pho at local restaurant. Depart for Hua Tat, a small village of Blue Hmong Minority. Night at the stilt-house at the homestay of a very nice Hmong family. Gala Dinner. Accommodation: Hua Tat homestay Meal: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Ngày 10: Hua Tat - Hanoi (B/L) Drive to visit the Tea plantation of Moc Chau and learn how to make tea. Lunch at Mai Chau. Back to Hanoi for the night at hotel. Dinner is on your own account. Accommodation: Hong Ha hotel or similar Meal: Breakfast / Lunch.

Ngày 11: Hanoi – Departure (B) Free until time to be transferred to the airport for your flight home. End the adventure. We will be reunion soon.

GETTING READY IMPORTANT NOTICE ID CARD/BIRTH CERTIFICATE • Give a copy of your birth certificate, passport or ID card to Your IM Venture’s leaders before the trip. MEDICATION • All medication must be reported on your medical form before the trip. Give the medical form to your trip leaders or anh Shi • Bring enough medication for the whole trip, ensuring that written instructions are provided and that all medication is clearly labeled. VALUABLES • Do not bring valuable items as they will not be needed. You will are responsible for looking after your own belongings. DEPOSITS • Please bring the rest of payment for the trip $350 as a check or cash to be paid on the first day of the trip or you can also pay using the same methods (bank transfer or Paypal) prior to the trip to complete the rest of your payment for IM Venture.

PACKING LIST What to bring TOP PRIORITY

- CMND/Passport (travelling document required for flight/train) - If you don’t have these let us know ASAP - The rest of the payment $350 (in checks or cash) for the trip - Cash for personal expenses/purchases, T-shirt/program booklet purchase, extra snacks, drinks, souvenirs - 2-3 million VND recommended - Nice formal wear (or casual nice dresses) for GALA Dinner - Show and tell item or wear your favorite T-shirt (to be presented on the first day) IMPORTANT ITEMS: - Walking/Hiking shoes (closed toe) - Laptops and chargers (for seminar if needed) - Calf length socks - Flip flops / sandals for beach & pool - Casual, modest, sporty clothing for day-use - Sunscreen (SPF 50+, waterproof ) - Sunglasses - Hat for the sun (that won’t blow away) - Insect repellent - Re-usable water bottle (not a weak plastic one) - Underwears - Swimsuit (optional) - Small journal / journal app for reflection time - Pen and/or pencil - Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste) in ziplock bag - Deodorant (please don’t forget!) - Camera & charger, extra memory card - Phone & charger - Portable charger - Headphones/Ear phones/ Earplugs - Mini First Aid kit (band aids, antibiotic cream) – the leaders do have those but if you know how to get them, take some! - Light jacket for mountains (Bach Ma // Hua Tat) RECOMMENDED: - Small flashlight / headlamp (not your phone!) - Rain poncho - Musical instruments (if you play any, such as guitar, ukulele) - Cards (highly recommended) - Portable speaker (to play music for fun) - Travel pillows

- Anything else that you think would be fun to bring!

RULES & EXPECTATIONS

IMV trips are considered as educational time. Students are expected to follow all the rules and behave respectfully. Misbehavior will not be tolerated. Parents will be informed of any problems. In extreme cases, students will be sent home at their own/ parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cost.

* Students are fully liable for their actions if any trip rules have been broken. * Check your rooms on arrival to see if anything is broken or damaged. Report anything

you see to a leader before you get settled in the room. If anything is found broken or damaged upon checkout, you will be asked to pay for it.

* Respect other guests and hotel staff. Keep your voice low late at night * You are responsible for food costs beyond provided meals. * Take care of your money. If you lose it, IMV leaders will not give you extra money. * Do not wander off from the group at any time or leave the hotel premises without

permission. IMV leaders should always know where you are.

* Follow the itinerary and be on time. * Remain in your room/at the hotel at night. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wander outside without permission * Please do not use hotel phones. If you need to make a call, see the trip leaders. You

will be responsible to pay phone charges if you use the hotel phones.

* Students should not order, consume or carry alcohol. Students may bring electronic

devices, such as iPads and mp3 players. However, students are responsible for any devices they bring.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Which activities are on the plate for May trip this year? Take a sneak peek at these activities brought to you by May trip leaders with love <3 During the trip, everyone will have the chance to participate in the following activities: 1. JOURNALING Self-awareness and self-reflection allow participants to personally develop themselves, become aware of their strengths and limitations, and motivate them to learn from their peers. Throughout the entire trip, there will be group discussions every night for at least 45 minutes, when everyone gets together to talk about his/her day and engages in deep discussion topics. After each discussion, every member must spend 15 minutes in complete silence to journal/record their favorite memories, moments, or lessons that they have learned on that day. Whatever they want to write about, it’s up to them. Writing journal is one of the key secrets to happiness and practicing self-reflection is a key ingredient in accelerating personal growth. 2. WRITING A TRIP’S GUINNESS BOOK Into the Wild is an amazing journey to explore the wildlife of Vietnam. It’s one of the rare opportunities for you to be as close to the nature as much as possible. You will get to experience the smell the fresh air in the countryside, see the sunrise for the first time in your life at 4 am on top of a mountain that makes you feel like you are standing on top of the world, wake up seeing the clouds floating outside of your window, or dance around the camp fire at midnight with some amazing new friends that you have made. IM Venture brings the first-time experiences for a lot of people, whether it is their first time being far away from family, traveling across Vietnam for an extended amount of time with people that they have never met before, experiencing a camp fire, learning how to roast marshmallow, dancing and singing around people, or writing journal to jot down their thoughts and memories on a daily basis. These first time experiences are worth treasuring and remembering in our trip’s first Guinness book ever being made at IM Venture. 3. SECRET MISSION 2 secret agents will be assigned to practice and leverage their observational skills to help 2 trip leaders accomplish a secret mission, to be announced at the end of the trip. 4. GOSSIP AND WISH LIST Part of growing up is learning how to gossip about your friends and knowing what you want. Two participants will be appointed to lead this activity. During breakfast, every member is asked to anonymously write down at least 1 thing on the gossip list and 1 thing on the wish list. Gossip is the list of things participants may observe during the

trip, or things they want to confess to someone else. Wish list is a list of what participants wish to see others do, would like to see happening at the trip, or any other wishes that our trip participants can think of. This list will be read on the road and shared during free time on the bus as we move across Vietnam. 5. SECRET BUDDY Don’t you always want to have a secret admirer, caretaker, or nice friend who always has your back and cares about you? At the beginning of the trip, each member will be assigned to be a secret buddy for one random member. His or her mission is to secretly take care of this person without letting him or her know. Participants can also prepare gifts or surprises and write notes for their friends, as long as they do not reveal their role. By the end of the trip, people will have the chance to guess who their secret buddies are and receive a small gift from each other. Of course, participants have to try their best to understand their friends in order to give the best gifts. This has been a long tradition for IM Venture since the first trip in 2014 but at this iteration in May, we’re adding a new twist to this activity: We are going to reveal one hint every day for each person to guess who his or her secret buddy is. Of course, our hints will be general enough and to spice up the activity, we might be telling you truths or lies. Whoever guesses correctly will receive special gifts (these can be phone cases, nice water bottle, moleskins, or other free swags that Van has hoarded from conferences that she just organized this past year lol) 6. STUDENT-LED SEMINARS Student-led seminars creates a collaborative environment that encourage students to share, discuss, debate, or build on each other’s ideas to enhance their understanding and learn about their peers’ perspectives. Student-led classroom creates a dynamic and exciting learning environment for peers to share knowledge, absorb novel ideas, inspire others, become inspired, and fully engage. Peers discuss, raise questions, and put forth opposing or supporting ideas to facilitate the flow of knowledge. Through these open and candid discussions, students are empowered to reinforce their ideas, modify or solidify perspectives, and deepen their understanding and comprehension of their existing knowledge. More instructions will come from your trip leader on how to sign up for a seminar topic and how to create a seminar on your own to be presented during the trip. 7. EXTREME MAKEOVER ALBUM At the very first day of the trip, all members will have the chance to present themselves in a photoshoot session. They will choose their own outfit, makeup or decoration so as to show their identity in a photograph. By the end of the trip, we will organize another photoshoot. This time it is to check how the trip has transformed everyone after 10 days. A collage of the two photograph sessions will be put together in a final “Extreme IM Venture Makeover Album” to be shown after the trip.

8. GRAND GALA This is the final gala at the end of the trip, put together by all IM Venture trip participants. 2 people will be appointed to become MCs and coordinate all the performances. People are asked to take part in at least one performance - whether it is dancing, singing, magic trick, storytelling, making poetry, or something else. Pleasant surprises, outrageous laughs, and tears of joy, of mixed emotions, of appreciation, and of happiness are to be expected. 9. CIRCLE OF APPRECIATION By the end of the trip, everyone will have a chance to deeply reflect about what they have experienced so far. People will sit in a circle and take turn to talk about what they have learned and appreciated from one another throughout the trip. This activity is meant to reinforce everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory of what they have been through during the trip and to reflect on their key takeaways from this short but meaningful trip packed with activities, new lessons, interesting experiences, and valuable friendships to carry with them for their next journey in life.

Coffee chat speakers IM Venture is also an educational experience. Our trip participants will have an opportunity to meet and chat with very successful entrepreneurs, celebrities, or professionals in Vietnam who will be sharing their wisdom and life advice with our participants. Past speakers have included anh But Chi, anh Toan Shinoda, Eddie Thai (Forbes 30 under 30), Chi Ha Cao (Harvard Business School graduate), anh Hieu (Forbes 30 under 30), chi Van Tran (Vlogger), etc. Who are we bringing this year? Let it be a surprise brought to you by your trip leaders :D

Special Thanks

Special Than

Our trips in 2016 couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been possible without these people and their valuable contribution to IM Venture: <3 IM Venture Class of 2014 and 2015 for being involved in the recruitment team, for working laboriously at night to read hundreds of applications and interview hundreds of candidates <3 Oriental Sky Travel for its generous support and assistance in the planning process of our trip <3 Our trip leaders who have been working super hard to bring the best experiences for everyone on their trip * This program booklet was designed by chi Nhan + Tuong Van

moment of the day List things that have pushed you...your favorite overcoming moments

Word up...What favorite advice have you been given?

moment of the day

Things to write about - What favorite topics do you usually think of and get your thoughts going?

What are your â&#x20AC;&#x153;me timeâ&#x20AC;? favorites?

moment of the day Sense of place - what do you love about where you live?

Where would we find you chilling?

moment of the day