From getting locked out of our room in Nordenberg Hall to 30 hours of traveling ending in being stopped at the border, I am so incredibly relieved and excited to finally be in Vietnam! My first day in Vietnam has already completely differed from any of my past global experiences!
As written in the Culture Smart book, Vietnamese people have much pride over their country. On the bus city tour, I sat next to a third year student from UEF. She spoke about the city with immense patriotism, one that I can not by any means relate to. She referred to Ho Chi Minh only as “Uncle Ho ” with a sense of personal familial respect. Throughout the trip, she pointed out countless buildings that were a symbol of Ho Chi Minh City pride and strength. It was apparent that she was delighted to be talking about her country. Furthermore, the book also states that Vietnamese people will go as far as to stretch themselves thin to be a good host. In accordance, I have never felt more appreciated and honored as a guest. Each person I have interacted with is incredibly welcoming. UEF has put forth great efforts to warmly welcome us. This is especially apparent when it comes to food, which seems to be endless. The behaviors of our hosts when serving food shows that they wish for us to adopt the same appreciation for their culture which is so driven by food. I find their love for Vietnam to be incredibly contagious!
On another note, the city displays many signs of rapid development. Globalization is very apparent by observing the architecture. We drove past both old French colonial structures and modern skyscrapers. The architecture is incredibly telling about Vietnam’s previous history but also future aspirations. There were many luxurious hotels and attractions for tourists, showing how Vietnam makes attempts to become a more major tourist destination and attract foreign investment to boost local economic development. The city is becoming increasingly more modern as the city strives to grow its importance in the global economy.
I am so grateful to be here and cannot wait to see what the next two weeks will have in store for me! This will forever be an unforgettable experience!
