Today was a very interesting day, with a lecture all about Buddhism in the morning and a visit to a Buddhist temple immediately after. Then, we were able to eat at an amazing Vietnamese food court that had more food options than I ever knew could exist. Later, we went to VinaCapital and were able to talk to three executives from both VinaCapital and the VinaCapital Foundation. Finally, we rounded out the day with a trip to the Ben Thanh Market to buy souvenirs and such.
Going into VinaCapital, I had no idea what the company was and what they did, because even with the pre-departure presentation on it, it was hard to grasp how exactly the foundation and the investment parts of the company worked and how they were related. After listening to the presenters talk about the company, though, I now grasp that the foundation provides health and education programs for the children of Vietnam in order to empower them and grow a middle class. The investment part of VinaCapital, though, provides the majority of the funds for the foundation. After understanding this, I now see now how Vina Capital aids in the development of Vietnam. By providing programs to help the Vietnamese youth, VinaCapital is investing in the future of Vietnam, not just the now. This is really important to note because any company who wants to aid in the development of a country must not just boost the economy in the present, but must look at how the country will survive and thrive in future generations.
After VinaCapital, going to the Ben Thanh Market was very overwhelming. I walked into the market with a mission and a list of things to buy, yet I still somehow was stressed as I walked through the hundreds of stores of the exact same products. I eventually was able to stop at a couple of different shops and buy the things I needed, but not without a challenge, as these shopkeepers are scary with how they bargain. Walking away was just not an option for them (I literally walked across the market at one point with some woman clinging on to me to have me buy her product!). In the end, though, I was able to negotiate to get reasonable prices and come out alive.
