Oh my goodness, I’m actually sobbing at the fact that this is our last blog post. 10 days goes by way too quickly. All the days have blurred together but I know each of them was so unique and incredible. Today was an… interesting wrap up of our professional experience here in Vietnam. We visited the Cat Lai terminal, a shipping port in Ho Chi Minh City. It was mind blowing to see the magnitude of these imports and exports and to learn more about how they actually work because, up to this point, importing and exporting has just been a concept to me. But it was cool to see the physical process of it and the scale at which the port operates. Much like Coherent, visiting the port made me absolutely sure that I do not want to work in any kind of shipping industry like that. It was a really unique experience and I’m glad I was able to learn about it but that kind of labor intensive, nearly dangerous, and extreme attention to detail work is just not for me. Food, however, is very much something I’m interested in and lunch today was so amazing, of course. We had a few different kinds of pizza and pasta and it was so delicious. Vietnamese food is one of the healthiest in the world and I think that influences other styles of food that we’ve eaten in Vietnam because all of the ingredients have seemed so naturally healthy, unlike food found in the U.S..
Speaking of the U.S., we started our afternoon with a visit to the American Center or the American Consulate, which is something I never thought I’d say. We had the opportunity to hear about the Vietnamese economy with a very well educated and intelligent gentleman whose name I’m blanking on (sorry!). A lot of our discussion was regarding the recent tariffs put in place by the U.S. government, and I was kind of embarrassed for my country to see the effect that American governmental actions are having on reliant countries. The U.S. and Vietnam have major trade agreements and a lot of companies and industries are going to be hurt by these tariffs, which has the potential to cause a decline in the booming Vietnamese economy. For example, a decrease in imports and exports to/from the U.S. will decrease the amount of cargo passing through the Cat Lai terminal, which will decrease the productivity and profit of the port, which will continue to trickle down the economy and eventually affect a lot of people. Not to mention the direct effect that industries reducing or completely removing manufacturing in Vietnam would have on communities here. While ships to the U.S. don’t directly come and go from this port, the materials that factories import through the terminal will still be affected, and overall productivity will be lowered because of the significant overall loss. I’m glad that I’m more informed as I come back to the states so I’m aware of the issues affecting other countries like Vietnam and so that I can monitor changes as they occur within our government.
On a completely different topic because I honestly cannot think of a way to connect these subjects, after the consulate we visited the Ben Thanh market, which is an insane tourist shopping place. The aisles and walkways were so small to begin with and then they were packed with people so walking room was minimal. Bargaining is a huge thing, especially in this specific market. Shop owners ask at least 50% more than what the item is valued at so we had to work hard to get good deals on souvenirs and gifts. I probably still got ripped off some but everything is cheap compared to U.S. prices, so honestly I don’t feel too bad about it. I’m thankful that I had the UEF students to help me converse with the shop owners and to estimate the item value for me, they were a huge help. It was still nerve wracking and really overwhelming, though, because stores in the U.S. are designed to give customers lots of walking and viewing space, and I think I’ve only really seen people try to haggle for a lower price for things like cars or random things on facebook marketplace.
This trip experience cannot be put into words. It was one of, if not the, most incredible thing I’ve ever done. I’m so thankful that I had this opportunity and for all of the amazing things I learned from my peers, UEF students, professors, companies, the country, and myself. I’m going to miss the people and definitely the food. I’d say I’m not going to miss sweating constantly but I’m not really getting out of the heat by going back to Texas. But, as much as I’m going to miss it, I’m ready to go home. Thank you for this amazing experience!!!!
