Day 1: First Impressions and Culture Shocks

The most eye opening parts of the day all occurred within conversations with UEF students. During the bus tour, I spoke with Travis. He explained aspects of Vietnamese culture such as the “work hard, play hard” lifestyle among young people. He described how many young adults smoke and drink despite legal age restrictions, yet still wake up early and continue working every day. He also explained that outside of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, there are far fewer economic opportunities. If someone wants financial success, they often feel pressure to move to one of those two major cities. Travis grew up in Ho Chi Minh City and plans to stay there permanently. I explained that in the United States it is much more common for people to leave the place where they grew up, and in some ways staying in your hometown is even frowned upon.

We also bonded over the fact that globally, many people in our generation feel that achieving the same level of financial stability as older generations may be impossible, especially when it comes to buying real estate. Travis explained the absurd housing prices in Ho Chi Minh City, which immediately reminded me of similar situations in U.S. cities like New York and Los Angelos.

I asked Travis if he thought the city had distinct areas of poverty and wealth; he said it did not. However, I observed that it did. In center city, luxury global brands like Chanel, Hermès, Gucci, and Rolex lined the streets. The buildings were made with marble, gold, and detailed architecture. However, as we moved farther from the center, there were visibly poorer areas with broken down buildings, litter, stray dogs, and people camping along sidewalks. This felt very consistent with many Western cities where wealth is also concentrated into specific areas.

Later, I spoke with Sunny while we walked through the streets. She explained that the names the students introduced themselves with were not their actual Vietnamese names, but chosen English names. I asked if this was standard practice, and she explained that many Asian professionals adopt English names for business purposes because they are easier for Westerners to pronounce and remember. She said this very casually, but I could not stop thinking about the impact that could have on someone’s identity and sense of self. It turned out that Travis is actually named Lao and Sunny’s name is Zhe. Having to adapt something as personal as your name in order to succeed professionally felt very similar to assimilation.

I also noticed accommodations for Americans constantly throughout the day. Every student spoke excellent English, knew conversions into imperial units, restaurants provided forks alongside chopsticks, and bottled water was available everywhere. Vietnam’s tourism economy likely contributes to this, but it was still interesting to watch the stereotype of “entitled Americans” unintentionally play out as we were catered to at every turn.

At dinner, I sat with two Vietnamese students, one from North Vietnam and one from South Vietnam. When we began discussing regional differences in the United States, like Wawa versus Sheetz or Southern accents, they started comparing traditions between the North and South of Vietnam. The southern student explained that northern families are often considered more traditional. She said that if her northern grandparents had been sitting with us, she would not have been allowed to slouch in her chair and would have needed to wait for the elders to begin eating first. However, the northern student quickly explained that Vietnamese culture is becoming less traditional among younger generations. She described how many families are now busier and no longer have time to sit down together every night, so meals have become more casual and flexible in the North. There is now a distinction between the remaining traditional northern elders and the progressive northern youth.

This connected directly to another thing that surprised me. In the Culture Smart book, Vietnamese coffee culture was described as slow and social, where people sit and enjoy coffee together. However, the students I spoke with explained that in a busy city like Ho Chi Minh City, many people now grab coffee on the go just like Americans do. Earlier that morning I had tried very bitter robusta coffee at a café, and the students laughed while explaining how common quick coffee runs have become among young professionals.

Another moment that stood out happened after the welcome ceremony while we were standing on the 15th floor of the UEF building overlooking the city. One student pointed out an empty lot where a building had recently been demolished. A UEF student explained that a new UEF building would likely be constructed there. When one of my classmates asked if the university owned the land, the student said that the government owns all land in Vietnam and the conversation became awkwardly quiet after that. It reminded me that Vietnam’s communist system is part of everyday life in ways I do not fully understand yet. Since this is what many people here have always known, I am curious to learn more about how younger generations in Vietnam view their government and economic system. Do they feel restricted by their system or do they feel that they are able to prosper under the rules they were raised, educated, and employed?

I also learned about Vietnamese superstitions and compliments. One student explained a Vietnamese phrase that essentially means “knock on wood.” They use it because giving a compliment can sometimes unintentionally bring bad luck afterward. I thought it was interesting because American culture has an almost identical superstition with the phrase “knock on wood.” They also described traditions involving throwing rice or salt outside the house to remove negative energy. Even across completely different cultures, people still create similar superstitions to feel control over uncertain outcomes.

As it turns out, there actually was toilet paper in the bathrooms. The heat was much more bearable than I expected. Exchanging money at the airport was surprisingly easier than exchanging it later at the bank, which required a passport, at least $100 USD for exchange, and multiple signatures. Lastly, the motorbike traffic is incredibly intense, and it honestly feels like it is only a matter of time before one of us accidentally gets clipped trying to cross the street. I am excited to see what else I observe in the coming days!