Today was our last day of activities in Vietnam, and we began with the Cat Lai Terminal site visit. I have never visited a domestic or international shipping port, so I was incredibly impressed by the scale of operations and procedures within the terminal. I was particularly interested in how the port was able to grow during pandemic operations. We were told that their port management system and electronic delivery procedures were developed pre-pandemic, but helped them manage the stress of operations during such a unique time. Using their self-designed systems, they were able to see considerable growth during the pandemic and onwards. This reminded me heavily of the job of an industrial engineer, which is mostly to design operations to be more efficient and effective. Although this is not the field of engineering I am interested in, it is still relevant to my overall career path and I found it very fulfilling. The true scale of the port would make planning and managing systems to control operations incredibly challenging, so I was very impressed with the work done at the Cat Lai Terminal.

Next, we visited the Ben Thanh Market to purchase souvenirs from our trip. This was one of the most unique experiences I have had on the trip. This shopping experience was like nothing I have ever done in my life. The vendors were incredibly determined to sell their products and bargaining was a must. Some of the vendors were quite kind and patient, while others were a bit too touchy and urgent. However, I am very happy with what I was able to purchase and I see the chaos of the experience as an invaluable memory. Our last day of activities was a great time and I cannot believe tomorrow is our last day. I will miss Vietnam so much.