Day 4
One thing that continues to stand out to me in Vietnam is transportation. Cars have around a 300% tax on them, so not many people own them. Instead, there are about 7 million motorbikes in a country of 14 million people.
Earlier in the day, we visited an art workshop where they created lacquer paintings using paint, duck eggshells, and mother of pearl. The company only hires disabled workers. However, disability in Vietnam seems to be viewed very differently than in the United States. Most of the workers we met had physical disabilities that affected mobility, and our guide explained that without programs like this many disabled people struggle to find employment and may resort to selling lottery tickets on the street. The way the word “handicap” was used throughout the tour felt somewhat harsh to me, but I think that was more a result of translation than genuine insensitivity. It also made me realize how much accessibility and corporate work opportunities in the U.S. can reduce the impact physical disability has on employment opportunities.
The artwork itself was incredibly detailed. Each painting required 22 layers of varnish to complete. At one point, I sat down next to an artist to try the eggshell technique myself. During the five minutes I worked on a tiny corner, she practically completed an entire section while simultaneously helping me. It definitely requires an unbelievable amount of patience and precision. I also got a little lacquer on my finger, and it stayed sticky for the next thirty minutes, which honestly made me wonder how healthy it is to work with daily.
In the store afterward, some of us became curious about wages. We learned that average pay can be as low as the equivalent of around $0.68 USD per hour. Initially, I assumed the lower cost of living would balance this out. However, it turned out to be equivalent to earning about $4 USD an hour while still paying American prices. Minimum wage workers in Vietnam are worse off financially than minimum wage workers in the United States, especially because the government does not provide many of the benefits and support systems that make low wages survivable in America.
On the drive to the Cu Chi tunnels, I noticed how mixed economic classes seemed to be. One extremely modern and expensive looking house would be located directly next to a much poorer home. Im the US, our wealth distribution is usually more concentrated and visibly noticeable.
Our guide, Tuan, gave us a brief history lesson about the Vietnam War during the drive. One statistic that really stayed with me was that approximately 3 million Vietnamese people died compared to around 58,000 Americans. He simply stated, “No one won.” I realized that there has not been a war fought on U.S. soil since the Civil War. It is easy to take for granted the privilege of not living with war physically surrounding you.
I was honestly surprised that I actually went into the tunnels. It also did not help my anxiety when Mickey asked me right before entering, “Are you scared of spiders?” Still, I could not help but admire how incredibly intricate and intelligent the tunnel systems were. The Vietnamese designed ventilation systems, hidden entrances, and even 400-meter smoke tunnels that dispersed cooking smoke far away from the actual source to avoid detection. One thing I found especially interesting was that the soldiers wore rubber sandals with reversed tread patterns so footprints appeared to move in the opposite direction.
At the trap door display, I was genuinely in tears. The traps were extremely violent and disturbing to look at up close. What also hit me emotionally was learning that many soldiers drafted into the war were only 19 years old, the same age as many students on our trip. At one point I noticed all of us smiling and taking group photos despite standing in a place connected to so much suffering. It felt strange to think about how differently we would probably behave in war museums connected to conflicts closer to home.
Before leaving for Vietnam, I visited my grandfather, who was drafted for the war. Hearing his stories beforehand compared to actually standing in these places myself has been a completely different experience. War changes entire lives, while political leaders just view soldiers as statistics on a page. It is sad to think that students as young as the Pitt and UEF students on this trip could have once been forced to hate each other for reasons built largely through propaganda. After spending time here, it is obvious how similar we actually are.
Some other smaller things I noticed today were the watermelon with large seeds, which I realized I haven’t seen in years in the GMO U.S. seedless watermelons. Hannah informed us that the water dripping from the trees in the forest was actually cicada pee. We also experienced our first bathrooms without toilet paper inside the stalls since it was instead located outside near the sinks. Tuan explained that it takes seven rubber trees to produce one liter of latex. Some students shot AK-47s, which were unbelievably loud, and we learned that old ammunition boxes inside the tunnels were repurposed as portable toilets.
