This morning after I ate breakfast, I had some extra time before we had to leave for UEF. So, I went to try coconut coffee for the first time, and it was one of the best drinks I have ever had. I will be getting it every morning from now on until we leave. When I got back, it was time to go to UEF for culture class, where we learned about the Buddhist religion and its impact on Vietnamese culture. I think that some of the Buddhist beliefs are outdated, such as the belief that wives have to obey their husbands. However, I also think that some of their values can have benefits to people who follow them. Two of the views that I think are easier to follow and can benefit people are: right effort and right speech.
After our lesson, we went to the NgocHoang pagoda. Here, we were able to see the beautiful architecture, and experience first hand some of the culture along with the Buddhist religion. I really liked looking at the bright red and gold architecture of the pagoda, along with the intricate statues and plants scattered around. The whole area was very pretty, and there was a small fountain with the biggest fish I’ve ever seen in it. Afterwards, we had lunch, then we went to the Reunification palace, which was very interesting except there was no A/C, so I was a little distracted by the heat.
Next, we went to the war remnants museum. If I had to describe the museum in one word, I would describe it as intense. It was very interesting to see the war from a new perspective, and I learned a lot. A lot of the photos were very jarring and the whole experience was eye opening. One statistic that stood out the most to me was that only 85 grams of dioxin, the chemical in agent orange that is so harmful, can kill a whole city. 86% of areas sprayed were sprayed twice, and 11% were sprayed more than ten times by the U.S military.
The combination of visiting the Cu Chi tunnels and the museum really reinforced my opinion of Vietnamese people as very hard working and resilient. Walking through the tunnels for even just 50 meters had me sweating and my legs sore. In addition, in the section of the museum about people affected by agent orange, there were many moving stories about resilient people. The one that stood out to me the most was about a woman who became an artist despite being born without arms. The pictures that were displayed in the museum of her were really inspiring, and reinforces my opinion of the Vietnamese people.
Vietnam has a very long and interesting history, full of culture and resilience. I remember reading in the culture smart book that the Vietnamese people have adopted a ‘Younger brother’ mentality, and I think being here has also shown me that. Vietnam has been defending their independence for so long, and all the countries that have been here have left their mark in different ways, from food to architecture to language, but Vietnam has still kept its own unique identity. The resilience that I saw displayed in the museum today really made me think about the long history of this country and really respect its people and culture.
