After a fun night of karaoke with the UEF Vietnamese students, I woke up to the sounds of the busy streets, ready to start day four. (Seriously, I can’t believe how many people think it’s okay to honk before 7 a.m.)

The lecture this morning was a more in-depth synopsis of the very long and detailed history of Vietnam. Having a better understanding of how the country evolved, it was an easy transition into the cultural portion of the lecture. We talked a lot about the traditional dress, áo dài, which we all got personally fitted for – woot, woot! It turns out that there are a lot of meanings behind the color. When we met with the tailor a few days ago I chose red, which I now know is reserved for older, married women – but it’s a power color, so what can I say?

Lunch was at the strangest restaurant-market-food court ever. We walked in on the bottom floor to an endless amount of options and counters. I placed my order (a chicken salad, I needed a little taste of home) and made my way upstairs. I don’t think I have mentioned yet how tall and skinny all of the buildings are here. Every floor of every building is utilized. However, despite the stairs, they employed a rather efficient form of delivery. The dozens of counters downstairs “walkie-talkied” to servers upstairs to locate and deliver the food to the correct customers. I don’t think I would enjoy searching for numbers on tables all day, but it seemed to work for them. I ordered a coconut to drink, along with a peach tea as a safety net. It turns out that I prefer artificial coconut flavor over the natural stuff, but hey, when in Rome – or ‘Nam should I say? Plus, the tea was incredible, so it all worked out.

We then walked to our site visit for the day, which was conveniently located just down the street, in yet another high rise building. As an aspiring investment banker/stock market trader, I was excited to see the inner-workings of VinaCapital, a leading investment management and real estate development firm in Vietnam. When I stepped off the elevator on the 17th floor, it instantly felt right. I knew it was my kind of environment. The office was beautiful, and so was the view. I can only dream of working in a setting like that one day.

We heard from a representative from VinaCapital and also the VinaCapital Foundation. The man from VinaCapital gave a very insightful analysis of the current and future economic state of Vietnam. He touched on many of the aspects we have studied leading up to the trip, such as the low wages, imports/exports, and infrastructure problems in Vietnam. His thoughts offered a rather unique perspective, as an American having worked all around the globe in many different markets.

This company focuses on Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). Investors from other companies put funds into VinaCapital, which are then invested in various projects and opportunities throughout Vietnam. The firm is then able to produce high returns for both itself and the investors, making everyone (the firm, the country, the people, tourists, and the investors) better off. VinaCapital plays a critical role in Vietnam, as the country relies heavily on these foreign investments.

The VinaCapital Foundation is a non-profit charity that is dedicated to improving the lives of the youth in Vietnam. They provide many different services such as congenital heart defect surgery, pop-up clinics, cochlear implants, home renovations, and educational scholarships for minority girls. The foundation puts a lot of emphasis on follow-up care as well. The issues they support are all major issues in this country, particularly in the rural areas where there is no access to healthcare or a clean way of life.

The foundation relies heavily on volunteers and fundraising, but 40% of their income is subsidized by VinaCapital. It was very touching to see not only the statistics of how many lives they have saved, but also to see a major financial firm giving back to the community in general. Business can sometimes be seen as cold, corrupt, and ruthless, but VinaCapital and the VinaCapital Foundation dedicate themselves to investing in the people. To me, this is another glaring sign of globalization and development in Vietnam.

Now, as I sit in my hotel room reflecting on my day, listening to the rain drip on the balcony outside (gotta love the rainy season!), finally almost calm after having a near-death gecko-running-across-the-wall-above-my bed experience, I’m ready for another authentic Vietnamese night on the town. At this point I think it goes without saying that today was yet another extraordinary day. So, that’s all for now. Tạm biệt!

P.S. Keep your fingers crossed that the gecko somehow magically manages to get out of the room without touching me or any of my stuff, or there may not be another blog post!