One of the most interesting things I noticed during the tour of Ho Chi Minh City was the street vendors. It was very different than what I’m used to because there were so many of them, but they were also very informal. I’m used to big booths or stands, but some of these vendors just had a chair and baskets of fruits on the floor with basically no equipment or even a listed price. It was super cool seeing firsthand the difference in how business can be conducted across borders. I also noticed that there was a surprising number of people who would take their shoes off while sitting on the street, which I feel like I don’t see a lot of in America. Another shocking thing was the number of people wearing sweatshirts. I was expecting people to be wearing long sleeves, but it was very surprising to see people wearing such heavy clothes in boiling temperatures. It was cool to see how weather and culture affect specific industries like fashion throughout different cultures.

Also, while exploring, I was looking at some of the companies that were inside many of the large skyscrapers, and I saw a lot of notable finance companies like PwC and Deutsche Bank. Other familiar global companies that were easier to recognize were staples like McDonald’s and Popeyes, of which I saw multiple restaurants throughout the city. While walking on the sidewalk, I would see countless bikes lined up, of which I saw many foreign brands like Honda. The foreign influence and globalization have a substantial impact on both Vietnam’s economy and culture.

For lunch and dinner there wasn’t much that surprised me. The only thing that I never heard of was the dessert we had at lunch: the lychee jelly/tofu soup. I thought it was pretty good. It was nice to get out of my comfort zone and try something brand new. I also had octopus for the first time and am looking to continue broadening my horizon over the following days!

Maybe my interpretation of the Culture Smart book was incorrect, but I was under the impression that Vietnam was pseudo-communist. However, I saw communist flags lining every road. It was interesting to see considering Vietnam’s shift towards a capitalist style economy. I haven’t had any other experience that differs from what the book described so far.