To start off day 2, we went back to the UEF school and had a lecture and class. The lecture had a lot of information about keeping the economic system sustainable. We also got to do any activity where we came up with a developmental idea that is strong in the United States. But not so much in Vietnam. We had to state how we can make this addition successful and sustainable. My group decided on the idea of a pet daycare. Our idea ended up winning out of all the other which was cool.
After the lecture, we got these weird treats. They looked like little brownie bites, but they were not brownies. They apparently said one of the flavors was pigskin which I was not a fan of. In generally, I would not think I would try this snack again, but I was very glad to try such a creation.
After our lecture, we had a class about the Vietnam language. It was very confusing and the only thing I could remember was Xin Chao. Learning a new language is not a strong suit of mine. But it was very cool to bond with the students as they would teach us the words. A few of the students taught me a few words that weren’t taught up front. They told me to say a phrase to one of the girls and I ended up saying they were beautiful. They very appreciated it.
After lunch, we headed to our main part of the day. The Park Hyatt Saigon tour. The main thing that resonated with me the most is when the woman speaker said all the name tags only list their names and not the role. This creates their environment to everyone is the same. This really stuck with me. The luxury area around was also very nice which I think plays a big part in the success of their brand. They are able to make all their customers feels special and appreciated which creates lots of loyalty and popularity.
Going through the tour we saw lots of luxury spots. Such as the restaurant that had the biggest wine cellar in Vietnam, the outdoor pool on the 3rd floor with a huge garden you walk into, and an expensive bakery. But which was really unique was a room specific for their expensive chocolate. It was little pieces of chocolate displayed in a glass box with fancy lights around
Day 2 was another day with unique sightings. But today went like I am getting used to the culture and their people. I’m excited for the adventures in the next day!