Month 3: Notes from Secret Shores by An Tran

If the first two months were about settling in, then month 3 was about watching something come together. The final weeks of Grade 12 carry a particular energy, a mix of exhaustion, late-night edits, and the looming shadow of graduation. I watched my students pour themselves into the final stages of their research manuscripts with such focus. Data was checked and checked again. Sentences revised and rebuilt. Edits marked and questioned. These are students writing scientific manuscripts in the final weeks of senior high, and the rigour they brought to it is rare; I really admired them for it. We had this shared ambition to produce the best manuscripts possible, and they really lived up to it.

Then came the presentations. Adriane and I were tasked with giving a talk on how to prepare and execute this part of the assignment. I’ll be honest, I was nervous for them because the students had less than a week to prepare, while juggling exams, and graduation prep. Public speaking isn’t easy for even the most seasoned researchers, let alone students. What I witnessed was composed and articulate. I’m incredibly proud of them.

Me sharing the art of presentation and watching the students giving it their best shot

Between the intensity of those final weeks, Bohol kept pulling me outward. I set out at 3am to catch sunrise from the peak of Alicia Panoramic Park, a spot that still feels like a well-kept local secret and afterwards rewarded ourselves with lunch on the beaches in Anda. There’s a quietness to the east of the island that the tourist trail hasn’t touched yet, and I’ve become a little obsessed with finding it. Away from the well-worn shores of Panglao, there are secret shores that don’t appear on any shortlist, water so clear it’s like glass, and actual silence.

The views at Alicia Panoramic Park and possibly the best beach in all of Bohol

The social dynamic shifted this month too, especially in how I’ve come to know the teachers around me. The first two months were full of warm hellos and polite exchanges, typical of the surface-level friendliness of being new somewhere. Month 3 brought something deeper. Longer conversations, inside jokes, and seeing the playful and generous sides of people I’d only just started to know. Their hospitality isn’t performative; it’s just who they are. This has really made my time teaching at CVIF something to look forward to.

Sunday lunch with CVIF teachers and pictorial day with Sir Prince and Ma’am Ella.

Month 3 also cemented a rhythm to life outside of school that I’ve really embraced. I’ve taken up running, which, let’s be real, my friends back home can’t quite believe. Turns out the secret to not hating it is a coastline at golden hour and a really good playlist! I’ve also started a painting project with Sir Chris, which is a first for me. I recently visited Loboc River and it’s become my inspiration, so the goal is to finish a canvas before the fellowship ends. No promises, but I’m trying!

Chasing sunset on my running route and chasing the Loboc River on canvas with Sir Chris.

The end of the month brings Holy Week and a pause from classes, so I’m trading these shores for the mountains of Northern Vietnam! Month 4 will have plenty to cover – remote adventures, and the final graduation ceremonies still to come.

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