Today was an amazing second day in Vietnam! First, we went to UEF to learn about the rural planning and development of the Mekong Delta River. We were taught about climate change, rice cultivation, aquaculture, and the sustainability of this region. We wrote about how our major can help us brainstorm ideas on how to protect the Mekong Delta from the effects of climate change. Afterward, we learned the very basics of Vietnamese in a language class taught by one of the faculty members at UEF. Then we went to get lunch and I got chicken and rice which was so yummy! I learned a lot at UEF today and am excited to continue to learn the Vietnamese language in the coming days!
The second part of our day consisted of touring a construction, interior design, and architectural company known as TTT Corporation. This experience was really awesome as we got to see how all of the products were made from start to finish including gluing the wood, painting, glazing, and building! Part of their sustainability initiative was making and selling products that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOC) which are chemicals that have a lower toxicity level, being safer for the user and the environment. I found it very interesting how many employees were wearing open-toed shoes while handling heavy and somewhat dangerous products. It is very different than how factories work in the United States as I feel that the rules are much stricter back home. Either way, it was interesting to see how there were so many little jobs and tasks that equally contributed to a beautiful end product. I thoroughly enjoyed both the lessons at UEF and the tour today as it really opened my eyes to factory work in Vietnam as well as sustainability initiatives taking place within the country.
