Day 5

We had our second culture class this morning. We learned a little bit more about the Vietnamese culture and some of their different beliefs customs. One thing we had learned was the yin and the yang which is a very important concept in Vietnamese culture. They represent two opposite forces that must work together to form harmony. For example, the woman (yin) and man (yang) come together to create harmony. Numbers are also significant and they each hold their own meaning. The odd numbers are preferable but only up to ten. For example, giving someone 9 roses is good because 9 represents forever. But 10 is not acceptable because it is a yin number and those are not good. I found this pretty strange actually. I can’t really understand how important a number can be, but it’s been their tradition for ages. There were a lot of interesting facts about our culture that I never knew about.

We then had our language class. Today we learned how to ask someone how they’re doing which is “ban co khoe khong” and how to reply. We also learned a few adjectives such as delicious (ngon), beautiful (dep), sleepy (buon ngu) and a few others. It was pretty interesting watching everyone try to pronounce the “ng” sound. The sound comes from the back of your throat so it’s pretty difficult to get the right sound. I’m actually surprised that I can pronounce many of these words correctly. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken a lot of Vietnamese, but it’s coming back quickly.

After our lunch at the canteen, we went over to ASCENX to meet with Tuan Bach who founded the company back in 2004. I was very excited to be able to meet with a CEO who had created their own company from the ground up. He was originally born in Vietnam then fled the country during the war to America. He grew up in America, but then decided to do business in Vietnam after he graduated. He gave us a little introduction about what they do, how he started the company and also about his own life. He told us about his childhood as well as his journey to America. His family was originally from Hanoi but fled to the south after communism arrived. Though his family was one of the most prominent and wealthy in Vietnam, communism stripped away their fortune and left them in poverty. He fled to America on a boat when he was around 9 years old and grew up in the US. I thought his story was very interesting. My family also fled during the war so his story was very similar to what my parents went through. Even after all the stories I’ve heard from my family about the war, it’s still hard to imagine what they all went through. I really admire how he was able to take his unfortunate past and create an amazing success story out of it. He was also very nice to us. He invited us to coffee at Highland’s which was a very generous offer. He seemed very enthused to be able to talk to us, and I really appreciated how hospitable he was towards us.

We went out to Dominos today with the Vietnamese students. After a few days of Vietnamese food, we all got to have some of the greasy and unhealthy American food we all are used to.

It’s the weekend already. These past few days went by so quickly. I’m looking forward to our tour of the city tomorrow and we’re also visiting a market where we all get to put our haggling skills to use. I’m pretty excited. Most importantly, we get to sleep in for another hour. Finally. 

Day 4

Today, we spent the entire day at UEF. I was pretty happy that we didn’t have a company visit. They’re informative but it can be a little tiring, so I’m glad we got a break from that today. We had our first culture class this morning. I thought it was very interesting to learn the history of Vietnam and a little more about their culture. Something interesting that he told us was about this huge turtle that lives in a lake up in Hanoi. The Vietnamese believe that this turtle gave the king a golden sword that would kill some Chinese king or ruler to end the oppression. Since it actually happened, the Vietnamese are now in debt to this mystical turtle. But recently, after all the pollution in the water, they believe that the relative of that turtle is injured and they are completely upset about it. I found that pretty interesting (and a little amusing). It’s sort of the Vietnamese version of the Loch Ness monster. No one in America could ever believe in something like that.

We then had our language class which I always enjoy. Today, we learned the different tones and accents on letters. I found that pretty difficult to remember. They have a, e, ê, o, ô, o’, y, u and u’ as their vowels and on top of that, there are five different accent marks you can put on them. Most of the language lessons have been really easy for me so far because I already understand quite a bit Vietnamese, but I never learned how to read or write in Vietnamese. We also learned how to address people. For example, if it is a young man, we say “anh” but if it’s an old man, we say “ong”. You have to refer to them by the correct name to show 

respect. In English, we don’t have to address anyone in a specific way. Hi pretty much suffices for everyone.

Afterwards, we went to the cultural exchange with the UEF students. We basically just play different games with the students and get to know them a little more. We all divided up into teams. There were two Pitt students and bunch of UEF students in each group. Reggie and I were in the same group. Our team name was Team Hercules which was hilarious because all the Vietnamese students thought Reggie was as big as Hercules. We did a bunch of activities with them. In one activity, we had to imitate a dance and perform in front of the group after 10 or 15 minutes of practicing. The dance wasn’t too bad but for something with no rhythm like me, it was nearly impossible.  It honestly took me 10 minutes to get the first two moves down because my body can’t really register what my brain is telling it to do. There’s a reason why I’m not a dancer or will ever be one. But our team pulled it together and we managed to do the steps. We totally should have won because we were the group that had the most accurate steps…but whatever. I’m not bitter. Another activity was the pig chase. I was not too thrilled about that one. I felt really bad that I didn’t participate but that pig was squealing like crazy. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I mean, I’m a vegetarian for a reason.  But one of the Vietnamese students went in my place and he completely tackled that poor pig. He was clearly in it to win. But according to Brice, they offered the pig to us to take back to America. I would’ve snuck him on the plane. He was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Pigs are my favorite animal, so I’ve wanted one as a pet for as long as I can remember. But it’s okay. I will own a pig eventually.

At the end, we all exchanged gifts. The Pitt students all got a cup with really cool designs on it and a Vietnam magnet. Afterwards, we all were told to gather in a circle and sing a song together. And believe it or not, it was ‘As long as you love me’ by Backstreet Boys. It was a very interesting choice. Not exactly what I was expecting. But I love BSB so I loved it. Which reminds me: I’m pretty sure that everywhere we’ve been they have BSB music playing in the background. I’ve been to the co-op a few times and they would play BSB back to back. Same with the canteen. Either they have an obsession for 90’s pop or they think that’s what we Americans want to listen to. Anyways, back to the cultural exchange. At the end, they played the Macarena and chicken dance which was so awesome. Then, they started playing pop and techno so everyone just started dancing. Well, technically, it was mostly the Pitt guys dancing and everyone gathering around them either cheering them on or just confused about their dancing. Clubbing should be very interesting.

Oh and we were given these boxes of snacks, fruit and soda for our groups which was a lifesaver because I really missed having junk food. As an American, there is only a certain amount of time away from unhealthy, processed food I can take. I went to the co-op yesterday and bought $3 pringles knock-offs. I think I’ve reached that point.

I’m so exhausted but we have dinner with the UEF students in about 15 minutes. This trip has been so much fun but very tiring. They really need to build in a nap time somewhere in this schedule. It would be very much appreciated. I’m sure we all need it.

We just got back from dinner and hanging out with the Vietnamese students. They took us to a pho place for dinner tonight. I think this was the first time I actually felt really full this entire trip. I didn’t get to eat pho, but I got other noodles that were vegetarian. The food there was so good. Then afterwards, the students offered to take us on a tour of the city on their bikes. It was such a great experience. It was probably one of the most fun activities I’ve done here. I was riding with this one Vietnamese girl (I feel bad that I can not remember her name for the life of me). She was pointing out some of the prominent buildings in the city, and showing me some of the places she likes to go. I’m glad that I got to know her a lot better because she is incredibly nice. I got us lost (of course) after telling her to go down the wrong path. We fell a little behind, so I saw a group make a right turn so I told her to go down that road. We ended up in a shady alleyway and had to turn around. We eventually got back to the hotel, but it was quite interesting. It was so much fun, but it was probably not the safest thing I’ve ever done. I couldn’t count all the times I thought we were going to crash. It’s definitely a lot different than what I’m used to. Drivers on the road have to yield to people who are merging and everyone is constantly cutting off someone. I was surprised how there’s absolutely no road rage here even with all the insanity going on.

Tomorrow we’re back to the company visits and heading to ASCENX. I really just want a day to sleep and relax. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Going from my usual 9 hours of sleep to 4 or 5 is not easy. Alright, well this was a painfully long post. Goodnight Vietnam.

Day 3

Today, we went to visit the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park. We met with one of their marketing officers who gave us a brief presentation about the company’s background. What they basically do is rent out their land to companies who build their factories or facilities there. We were then given a bus tour throughout the park. We were able to see the different tenants which included Kimberly-Clark and William-Sonoma. Our next visit was at II-VI Corporation which is also a tenant at VSIP. They produce many different types of glass products used for various purposes such as optics or tattooing. David Baker, the chief engineer, gave us a tour of their production facilities and to see some of the steps in producing the glass.

Instead of our usual language class, we went back to UEF and received a short lecture about how to do business in Vietnam. He talked about all the economics of Vietnam and its background. I really wish I could remember more of what he said but that was one lecture that did not stick with me.

Today was a very short day so we were finished around 3 which gives us a lot of time to relax before we go out with the Vietnamese students later tonight. I’m lounging poolside while typing this and all I want to know is where is the sun that we were promised. I was hoping to get a nice tan before heading back to the states but it seems like we brought the Pittsburgh weather with us because it’s been cloudy and rainy since we’ve arrived. However, Vietnam hasn’t disappointed us with their humidity. 

Day 2

We started our day by heading back over to UEF. First, we were given a lecture about some of the economic developments of Vietnam. He mentioned that they were looking to fix the traffic and flooding issues in the city. Also, they are hoping to regulate the amount of street vendors because they take up so much sidewalk space that pedestrians are not even able to walk on it. Although I had a difficult time understanding his broken English, I still learned a lot about the new developments and plans for future change in Vietnam.

Afterwards, we had our second language class. In one lesson, we learned how to count from 1 to a million which I think is pretty impressive. Also, since we’re going to Ben Thanh market later this week, we learned a few phrases to say when trying to bargain with sellers. We learned how to ask for prices and bargain to get a lower price. 

Next, we went to our first company visit at Phu My Hung. The south Saigon area is completely different from the rest of Ho Chi Minh City. It’s very upscale which contrasts with the lower middle class that consumes most of the city. After only a half an hour drive, it seemed like we were in a completely different city. At Phu My Hung, we were given a small presentation about the company’s background and their work over the years. They are behind all the new renovations that transformed the area into what it is today. In the early 1990’s, they started this huge project to renovate the area because of the expanding population. From the photos we saw, they transformed the area completely which used to be a marshland. However, even after all this time, they are far from being complete. We saw a model of the area (picture below) that showed all new renovations they made as well as the ones planned for the future. All the ones that are in white are complete and the ones in brown are still in the planning process.

Next, we drove around the area to see the different projects that Phu My Hung has completed such as the international school, the Crescent mall and a few residencies. I was really surprised that some of the houses were worth over $2 million US dollars which shows the contrast between the wealthy and the poor in this city. Something also surprising was that the drivers in that area actually followed some safety rules of the road which was something I thought I would never see in Vietnam.

Tonight was the first night we went out with the Vietnamese students. We went to another traditional Vietnamese restaurant. The food was new to me, but it was really good. We were given these large pancakes that were shaped like a taco and had different fillings inside. We then had to tear it apart and wrap it in lettuce. Of course, none of us knew how to eat it at first and like always, the Vietnamese students had to do it for us. I never thought that I would have to depend on someone else to cut up my food for me. It’s shameful. I’m so glad that they’re all really helpful and patient because I’m sure it’s very frustrating for them that we’re completely clueless about everything. Afterwards, we all went to get ice cream. Apparently the ice cream at the shop is imported straight from Switzerland. It was worth it because that was some good ice cream. After the meal and the ice cream, I only spent around $6 US dollars or 120,000 dong. If only food was this cheap back home.

Day 1

Today was our official first day in Vietnam! We were fresh off the plane with only a few hours of sleep so it was very difficult to wake up this morning, but nonetheless I had to drag myself out of bed at 8 a.m. We all had breakfast in the hotel before leaving for UEF. It was definitely nothing like breakfast in America. Most of the food was very strange so all I could eat was bread and pineapples with some orange juice. I need to get used to the food here quickly or I’m probably not going to eat much for the next two weeks.

Around 9, we all loaded on the bus to drive over to UEF which was a very interesting ride. I thought traffic in Pittsburgh was bad, but it is nothing compared to traffic in Ho Chi Minh City. The roads were completely packed with motorbikes. Clearly, there are no rules of the road. The bikes loop in between large vans to get through and merge whenever they wish. Not only that, we saw drivers carrying huge poles while driving or had large objects strapped to the back of the bike. I guess they’re making up for their lack of cars. Safety violations are obviously non-existent in Vietnam.

When we arrived at UEF, I was surprised to see the news people who came to film us and the large banners that said “Welcome Plus3”. I didn’t expect our arrival to be such a big deal. Everyone was very nice and welcomed us to their school. We all got a chance to meet some of the Vietnamese students. I met a girl named Thanh who is 22-years old and a junior majoring in finance. I was very surprised at how much older these students are. All the students were close to fluent in English. I did not expect them to know so much English. We were welcomed with an interesting puppet show to their traditional Vietnamese music and then serenaded by a group of guys singing “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction. Not exactly what I was expecting, but it was very entertaining.

Next, we went to our first Vietnamese language class. We learned some basic phrases such as “my name is…”, “how much is this”, “thank you”, etc. The Vietnamese students were also there to help us learn. The teacher was really nice and repeated things many times so we remembered it; however, it was very awkward being forced to speak into a microphone and recorded by the film crew from the news station. But I thought it was a lot of fun, and I’m excited to be able to learn more Vietnamese these upcoming weeks.

Afterwards, we got an hour to rest before our trip to the US Consulate. The bus dropped us off across the street from the building, and we all miraculously survived our first road crossing. ‘Yield for pedestrians’ is obviously not something many drivers consider. Once we got inside the building, we were given a small presentation by three American diplomats that are stationed here. They gave us an overview of the Vietnamese politics, safety precautions in the city, etc. We then were able to tour the place and take the traditional Plus3 group photo in from of the memorial plaque. It was raining pretty badly during our trip, so it wasn’t has enjoyable as it could’ve been, but I thought it was really interesting to be able to learn more about the country’s history and politics.

I was completely exhausted after our visit to the US Consulate, but we had a welcome dinner at 7. We went to a place called Wrap & Roll which is a very traditional Vietnamese restaurant according to Tran. I forgot to mention that Tran is our Vietnamese guide. She will be traveling around with us for the next two weeks and help us adapt to the culture. Anyways, back to our welcome dinner. We were given so much more food than I had expected. There were many different types of food for us to sample. It seemed endless. The food was pretty strange. We spent most of our time poking at the food and guessing what was in it. They had their traditional spring rolls, squid, jellyfish, you name it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t eat much of it either because there was meat in it or it just didn’t suit my taste. I can already tell being a vegetarian in Vietnam is almost impossible. Surviving these next few weeks will definitely be a challenge. I guess I’ll be losing the freshmen 15 quicker than I expected.

Finally, we are back in the hotel and can relax. It was definitely a long day. It doesn’t help that I’m not adjusting to the time change too well. I’m hoping that’ll change soon. Tomorrow, we are going on our first company visit to Phu My Hung which I'm looking forward to.

And finally, my first blog is complete. Night Vietnam.