Xin chào! Today was as knowledge-rich as it was hot! We started with a quick breakfast before boarding the bus to UEF. At UEF, we learned about the ability for companies to stay resilient in the face of adversary in the market. The lecture was interesting and interactive, and I had a lot of fun with the Kahoot!
After that, we snacked on delicious Vietnamese mooncakes. They came in an assortment of flavors and colors; some having bright colors depicting their flavor (purple mooncakes were taro flavored—my personal favorite) and others having marble fillings. They were sweet, chewy, and a beautiful treat. We also dipped the brown cakes in a coconut sauce that elevated the taste so much.
Following our little snack break, we had a class on the Vietnamese language. To say the language is hard is a huge understatement. The tonal shifts between letters and words are hugely important, and I could tell by the way the UEF students talked to one another. It was very hard for me to judge my own level of pronunciation due to my lack of familiarity with Vietnamese media and language, but learning the words and sounds alongside classmates made for a fun experience. Our EUF friends also helped us sound out words and sentences a lot, big props to them for being patient while we butchered their mother tongues!
For our first site visit for the trip, we visited Park Hyatt Saigon, which is actual the company my group has a presentation on (we payed extra close attention!). Walking off the bus to see the grand building, I could tell a lot was invested into the hotel; it was high-end. Inside, huge dangling chandeliers and designed chairs drew me in. The atmosphere was expensive, but not over-the-top. We then listened to an employee go over information on the origins of the company, how it came to Vietnam, and their general practices and offerings.
During the actual tour of the hotel, the staff went over some sustainability initiatives, the focus of our visit to Vietnam. Hyatt employs a food waste system through Lumitics, showing their dedication to leaving a smaller environmental footprint. They also opt for reusable materials in their amenities such as reusable towels instead of paper and eliminating the one-time-use plastic containers for shower supplies and instead having wall-mounted, refillable dispensers. These practices lead me to think Hyatt is a green company not just to appeal to consumers, but because they genuinely care about their environment.
Today was a day full of learning, which is always welcome and embraced, even in new countries. All the information talked about in Hyatt will be very handy later, alongside the basic Vietnamese phrases learned in class!