Day 3: Dien Quang & Bò Né
My favorite section of Dien Quang was the lighting museum, which they said was the first lighting museum in Vietnam. It was set up like an Ikea showroom, with different rooms displaying how lighting changes the atmosphere of a space. They also demonstrated their own version of Alexa called “Mika,” which could adjust room lighting and moods through voice commands.
One demonstration that stood out to me involved mannequins wearing identical clothing under different lighting conditions. One setup used dimmer lighting and awkward angles that cast shadows across the room. Even though the background and clothes themselves were objectively nice, everything looked dull and lifeless. The second mannequin was displayed under brighter white lighting from a fuller angle, and suddenly both the clothes and the room looked significantly more vibrant and appealing. It was interesting to realize how much perception can be manipulated by one factor as simple as lighting placement.
They did a similar presentation with food displays to show how lighting can make meals look more appetizing but I could only focus on how realistic the fake food looked. I genuinely thought there were bottles of milk and raw meat sitting out on display. That was probably just heat induced delirium.
Oddly enough, the part of the visit that interested me most was the Q&A session because of the translator. As someone very interested in literature and language, watching live translation happen in real time was fascinating. Last year, I wrote a six page paper analyzing translations of only the first paragraph of Kafka’s Metamorphosis. It is one of the most translated novels and I looked at how different word choices and connotations can completely alter how readers interpret an entire text. In that sense, translators almost become authors themselves because the connotation of words are subjective. Their own interpretation shapes how meaning is communicated.
Because of that, I could understand why the translator told us during our break that she was nervous and unsure if she had done well. That is an incredible amount of pressure, especially considering how quickly she had to process and repeat long responses between languages. Watching her work honestly made me appreciate language learning much more. After getting back to my room that night, I opened Duolingo for the first time in a while because I realized how much I take language opportunities for granted. I have studied Spanish for most of my life, but since coming to college I have neglected it. This experience made me want to take our second Vietnamese language class more seriously and reminded me how valuable communication across cultures really is.
Yesterday ended up being a fairly short day for me because I accidentally fell asleep at 7:30 p.m., but lunch was definitely another highlight. We tried bò né, which I learned means “dodging beef” because the hot skillet causes oil to jump everywhere while you eat. Since steak and eggs is already one of my favorite American meals, I was excited to try it. Unfortunately, I have a very limited palate and was slightly terrified of the pâté. The only exposure I have previously had to pâté was feeding Fancy Feast to my cats, Tootie and Millie, who themselves also do not enjoy pâté and strongly prefer chunks. Thankfully, the appetizers were excellent, especially the pumpkin purée soup, french fries, and spicy shrimp pasta.
