This weekend was a vacation away from our classes and company visits in which we spent one day at the Vung Tau beach and the next touring the Cu Chi tunnels.
As a New Jersey Shore regular, the beach stunned me in its outstanding beauty. I will struggle to enjoy the typical beaches I attend after feeling the warmth of the South China Sea waters. Additionally, we had a traditional Vietnamese lunch for people living on the coastline, like tiger prawns and stingray. I came into the trip believing I would be more familiar with the food; however, it is so interesting to learn how food differs across regions and the origins behind dishes. We were incredibly privileged to stay at a luxurious hotel with a private beach and swimming pool. Although I am very grateful, I am also very curious to see how a typical beach day looks like for the average person visiting Vung Tau. I am curious to know how beach activities compare between Vietnam and America, especially when considering the opposing beauty standards of Vietnamese people wanting to appear paler.
The Cu Chi tunnels was absolutely fascinating to see in person. My father told me stories of becoming anxious crawling through the very tight tunnels of Cu Chi; however, it is incredibly different to experience it in person. Shockingly, the tunnels were made twice as big for tourists. Even though, once we reached the 45-meter-long tunnel, I found myself feeling trapped, tired, and short of breath just halfway through. Although I can never truly understand, being in the tunnels, it put in perspective for me how those during the war must’ve felt. I had no formal education about Vietnam and its history, so I am very grateful to see all the ways the Vietnamese were technical and smart during the war. During my time in Vietnam, what I enjoy most is learning topics from the Vietnamese point of view, which is something unique I would have never obtained otherwise.
After the visit to the Cu Chi tunnels, we visited a factory where those disabled by Agent Orange worked on purely hand-made, beautiful Vietnamese artwork made of materials like eggshells and mother of pearl. Our tour guide pushed us to interact with the workers and try to make some of the artwork with the traditional techniques used; however, many of us were very uncomfortable by this. Many of us felt guilty in a way by being there; however, I think it was important to see in-person, how those affect by Agent Orange live today in Vietnam. It also comes to show that Americans are more sensitive to subjects alike to this then the Vietnamese.
Experiences I have gathered from not just this weekend but my entirety of my time being here were incredibly meaningful in a way I would not be able to gain elsewise.
