Today we got to meet the students form University of Economics and Finance that we heard so much about from last years students. It was amazing how hospitable they were and it definitely caught me off guard. The people I met were amazing and it was incredibly fun getting to know them, doing the icebreakers, and dancing with them.
We got to explore Ho Chi Minh City today. There is a clear difference in architecture between Ho Chi Minh City and anywhere in the United States. The buildings are so unique from one another and it feels like their squeezed together, which gives a more cozy feel. One thing that really stood out to me on the city tour was the post office. It was really cool being able to go inside and look at all the souvenirs and seeing the giant picture of Ho Chi Minh. I personally enjoyed the chubby monk figurines they sold, I’ll probably get one for myself later now that I have the right currency.
One sign of globalization I noticed was that there is a lot more English around Ho Chi Minh City than I expected. I thought that everything was going to be strictly Vietnamese, but it’s clear that they want to accommodate for their English speaking visitors as well. Also, I noticed that they integrated a lot of international businesses such as McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Starbucks.
At the end of the day we had a welcome dinner on a boat! The welcome dinner was the first time I had a Vietnamese multi-course meal in a long long time. It was nice being familiar with most of the foods and I even got to teach some of my friends how to eat the food as well. In the culture smart book we read before the trip, we were told that the chicken that they serve most likely includes everything including the bones, gizzard, and feet. But I was pleasantly surprised that the chicken they served at dinner was pure meat, and that there wasn’t a sharp bone waiting inside the chicken when I bit into it.