First, we visited the Cat Lai Terminal, which is the largest and most modern container terminal in Vietnam. The company has three pillars of services: Port operations, logistics services, and shipping/sea services. According to our presentation today, the terminal holds a 57% market share nationwide. The operations of the port are clearly very intricate. While visiting, it is seemingly chaotic; I am fascinated on how a company can keep these operations organized and pay attention to the details of inspection when they handle 81 containers per hour. I found their E-Port system to be most interesting. In the presentation, we were able to view the website in which customers can pay and track their shipments online. This system allowed them to operate effectively through the COVID times; however, it still benefits them greatly today. It is interesting to see how COVID affects companies to adopt practices that has caused long-term benefits.

Later in the day, we visited the Banh Thanh Markets which is filled to the brim with little vendors selling knock off items and souvenirs catered towards tourists. The markets are unique to an American experience because there is rarely a fixed price, and the customer can bargain. I have always loved to bargain and was extremely excited to visit the markets from day one. Some found the workers to be pushy and rude; however, some also found me to be even more rude with my bargaining style. I found it very rewarding to get a 700,000 đồng item down to 160,000 as I practically fought with the worker in the crowded, buzzing markets. It is fascinating to see the techniques of the shop owners as well. They are clearly experienced in knowing what to say to certain customers to make them pay more. They would create a sense of guilt by talking about the uniqueness of the product or how their salary relies on these purchases. By the end, I started to learn the specific techniques that help to lower a price. For example, I walked away from many people who gave me an unattractive price, even when I wanted the item, and they always called me back to match my price. I feel like I have even grown overall as a businesswoman.