Oh, hi there! Welcome back to my blog. If this is the first post you are reading, stop and read the previous ones or you'll probably be super lost.
Before I regale my tales of the first few days spent here in Ho Chi Minh City, let me finish my ravishing review of Emirates Airlines in the following gallery. Enjoy!
Before I regale my tales of the first few days spent here in Ho Chi Minh City, let me finish my ravishing review of Emirates Airlines in the following gallery. Enjoy!
Okay, let's continue our talk about Vietnam.
So the last few days have been a blur, but I'll try to recall events the best I can.
We arrived at the Ho Chi Minh Airport around 8PM local time, breezed through customs, and waited a solid half hour for all of our bags. My bag was easily recognizable due to the 30+ fruit roll ups stored in the visible exterior storage compartment on my massive duffel. The 10 of us (Eva and Alexa got in from Korea a few hours prior) rode in an awesome bus to the CET guesthouse which is right in downtown HCMC (abbreviation for Ho Chi Minh City). When we got there, our program coordinator, Vu, who is the best human I know, greeted us, gave us our keys, and told us to get some sleep.
I probably should've heeded his advice, but the excitement of being in this bustling metropolis got the better of me. Jason, Nikhila, Kayla, Jason, Jared, and I went to explore the area near our guesthouse while the others went beddy-bye. We found a really pretty street a few blocks down that had these gorgeous lights that stretched for miles. On this street is the American Consulate which we later found out is the most secure location in all of Saigon, it occupies about a square mile smack dab in the middle of the busiest part of the city. We then ended up at a beer garden with these beautiful bottle lanterns and enjoyed a few Budweisers because when in Vietnam....drink American beer.
Also, this beer garden had a designated vomit sink in the bathroom which I though was just hilarious. See it below
So the last few days have been a blur, but I'll try to recall events the best I can.
We arrived at the Ho Chi Minh Airport around 8PM local time, breezed through customs, and waited a solid half hour for all of our bags. My bag was easily recognizable due to the 30+ fruit roll ups stored in the visible exterior storage compartment on my massive duffel. The 10 of us (Eva and Alexa got in from Korea a few hours prior) rode in an awesome bus to the CET guesthouse which is right in downtown HCMC (abbreviation for Ho Chi Minh City). When we got there, our program coordinator, Vu, who is the best human I know, greeted us, gave us our keys, and told us to get some sleep.
I probably should've heeded his advice, but the excitement of being in this bustling metropolis got the better of me. Jason, Nikhila, Kayla, Jason, Jared, and I went to explore the area near our guesthouse while the others went beddy-bye. We found a really pretty street a few blocks down that had these gorgeous lights that stretched for miles. On this street is the American Consulate which we later found out is the most secure location in all of Saigon, it occupies about a square mile smack dab in the middle of the busiest part of the city. We then ended up at a beer garden with these beautiful bottle lanterns and enjoyed a few Budweisers because when in Vietnam....drink American beer.
Also, this beer garden had a designated vomit sink in the bathroom which I though was just hilarious. See it below
The next morning, we all met up downstairs and met An, the CET program assistant, along with several Vietnamese Buddies who attend a nearby University. We just walked around a bit and learned a fair bit about the culture here.
First off, everyone rides motorbikes. It's honestly insane. People can fit 2,3,4 even 5 people on a bike and just ride. They sometimes go into oncoming traffic or on the sidewalks, and you really have to be constantly vigilant if you don't want to be road kill. When crossing the streets, you just need to walk and pray and hope nobody hits you. I think our group is getting the hang of it.
The language is also super interesting and incredibly difficult to grasp. Vietnamese uses a Romanized alphabet like ours, except it is also tonal. When the French were in control here, they only were able to use Roman letters in official documents, and since the majority of people were illiterate during the 19th and early 20th centuries, it just kinda stuck.
*I'm sitting in a coffee shop now actually trying to teach myself some Vietnamese. I'm made some progress in the past day, but the only thing I really have down is cam on (thank you), and xin lõi (sorry, excuse me)*
This morning, we went on a scavenger hunt throughout District 1 with our Vietnamese buddies. I paired up with my roommate Jared and Minh. We dominated the competition and took photos with strangers, inside a bank with an unhappy clerk, with a bride and groom, in a fruit market, and in front of an 19th century French cathedral (religion really isn't big here anymore, but Buddhism and Catholicism have the most adherents).
On another note, we had a meeting with the CET program director, Dr. Cristophe Robert, today about the program in general and what we will be doing. I think the meeting helped keep me grounded a little bit. I've been riding this adventure high where spontaneity coupled with a rich, vibrant culture and superfluous free-time have yielded a semi-euphoric state of freedom which I think I've been longing for. However, it's important to remind myself that this isn't a travel program, it's a service learning program.
I've been wondering how much of an impact our group can actually have on the community in Quang Tri. There are systemic problems in the region and Vietnam as a whole which we can't solve, and I'm scared that I'll end up viewing the experience in retrospect as trivial or even futile. Dr. Robert put some of my concerns to rest. The Duke Engage Program has been partnering with Quang Tri for the past 5 summers, and he said that the continual support of the program ensures that some of the issues (poor public health, lack of upward mobility, etc.) are alleviated over time. Additionally, he dismissed the "savior complex" which many volunteers in foreign countries seem to have contracted. We can't expect to fix everything, and, in fact, we shouldn't. Vietnam isn't broken, and certain norms and standards we have in the States don't apply here. I will just give my best effort everyday and hope the people around me take something positive away from our interactions.
Sorry, I know this is super long and my thoughts are very sporadic. I'm very, VERY, hyper from all the coffee I've been drinking. I'll try to cut down on it a bit. I'm going to try to write more organized posts from now on. Thanks for reading. More to come.
First off, everyone rides motorbikes. It's honestly insane. People can fit 2,3,4 even 5 people on a bike and just ride. They sometimes go into oncoming traffic or on the sidewalks, and you really have to be constantly vigilant if you don't want to be road kill. When crossing the streets, you just need to walk and pray and hope nobody hits you. I think our group is getting the hang of it.
The language is also super interesting and incredibly difficult to grasp. Vietnamese uses a Romanized alphabet like ours, except it is also tonal. When the French were in control here, they only were able to use Roman letters in official documents, and since the majority of people were illiterate during the 19th and early 20th centuries, it just kinda stuck.
*I'm sitting in a coffee shop now actually trying to teach myself some Vietnamese. I'm made some progress in the past day, but the only thing I really have down is cam on (thank you), and xin lõi (sorry, excuse me)*
This morning, we went on a scavenger hunt throughout District 1 with our Vietnamese buddies. I paired up with my roommate Jared and Minh. We dominated the competition and took photos with strangers, inside a bank with an unhappy clerk, with a bride and groom, in a fruit market, and in front of an 19th century French cathedral (religion really isn't big here anymore, but Buddhism and Catholicism have the most adherents).
On another note, we had a meeting with the CET program director, Dr. Cristophe Robert, today about the program in general and what we will be doing. I think the meeting helped keep me grounded a little bit. I've been riding this adventure high where spontaneity coupled with a rich, vibrant culture and superfluous free-time have yielded a semi-euphoric state of freedom which I think I've been longing for. However, it's important to remind myself that this isn't a travel program, it's a service learning program.
I've been wondering how much of an impact our group can actually have on the community in Quang Tri. There are systemic problems in the region and Vietnam as a whole which we can't solve, and I'm scared that I'll end up viewing the experience in retrospect as trivial or even futile. Dr. Robert put some of my concerns to rest. The Duke Engage Program has been partnering with Quang Tri for the past 5 summers, and he said that the continual support of the program ensures that some of the issues (poor public health, lack of upward mobility, etc.) are alleviated over time. Additionally, he dismissed the "savior complex" which many volunteers in foreign countries seem to have contracted. We can't expect to fix everything, and, in fact, we shouldn't. Vietnam isn't broken, and certain norms and standards we have in the States don't apply here. I will just give my best effort everyday and hope the people around me take something positive away from our interactions.
Sorry, I know this is super long and my thoughts are very sporadic. I'm very, VERY, hyper from all the coffee I've been drinking. I'll try to cut down on it a bit. I'm going to try to write more organized posts from now on. Thanks for reading. More to come.