Today was the first day in the city and it was different from America more so than I thought. For starters with the breakfast there was rice and dumplings while I would never have had that for breakfast otherwise. While they had ‘american breakfast’ the inclusion of asian dishes and fruits made it feel more local and genuine which I appreciated alongside it being delicious. 

When we left the hotel for lunch I started to notice the local vendors for food and the street culture which is different from what I’m used to. The lunch was not surprising for me but what struck me was afterwards when we walked to get coffee and I saw people eating Pho on the street and the amount of different businesses there were. While the atmosphere was paced with culture I noticed some restaurants and retail stores advertising in English was a signal of globalization. So while the culture was strong I noticed an appeal to tourism as well. 

The UEF welcome visit and interaction with the students was the highlight of my day. The students were welcoming and we engaged in conversation that went beyond surface level greetings. I really enjoyed the leis we received. We noticed similarities in our systems: similar majors, four-year programs and lectures. However, there was a difference in the structures, one student mentioned their school ( alongside most businesses in Vietnam ) being government owned. This stuck with me as it could have led to different curriculums but we are still learning similar things – what was important to me was the comment about most businesses being government owned as well. 

On the hop-on hop-off bus, I subconsciously noticed brands  I recognized: Gucci and Louis Vuitton, seven eleven. This made me realize I recognized very few businesses. I realized Ho Chi Minh still has a visibly active economy just rather than being built around corporations or big retail the way American cities are, it’s focused on independent shops. Not signally as a less developed one, just a different one.