Today was our last ‘normal’ day of Plus3 🙁 . After more Vietnamese lessons, we were able to try on our Ao Dais. This is the first time I’ve ever worn an outfit that was entirely fitted just for me and it was a surreal experience. As a taller girl, I almost never have sleeves that reach my hands and pants that are the correct length and I cannot thank the seamstresses enough for all their hard work.
At the Consulate visit, I learned a lot more about how the US interacts with the economics of Vietnam. We were able to have a sit down discussion with an American who works at the Consulate and learn about her experience. I did not realize that government workers not in the military still went on ‘tour’ or that these types of programs have rigid tests and ranking systems. At the Consulate, those in the economics department essentially do a lot of research and observation and report back to DC. Annie, the woman we spoke with, mentioned how she enjoys working in Southeast Asian countries because of their rapid development. In fact, it was mentioned that Vietnam wants to become a high income country by 2045. I am unsure whether this is an achievable goal. It was mentioned that Vietnam still has a young enough population to continue to advance as an economy. After going to the terminal and seeing how efficiently items can be transported in and out of the country and visiting companies like Dan On with added employee benefits, I am hopeful that Vietnam may be able to progress. Just existing in the city, it is also impressive how many people speak English, which I assume may be an advantage when trying to produce more high value work since many Vietnamese companies are multinational. However, as we’ve seen again and again with global pandemics, unpredictable (and corrupt) governments, and advances in tech like AI, nothing is ever predictable in our ever changing world.
At the market, I learned that I am horrible at bargaining. I don’t love confronting people in an unfamiliar environment and I am scared to argue with strangers, but with the help of my UEF friends (aka they spoke to the merchants in all Vietnamese while I stood awkwardly behind) I was able to do a bit of haggling. I was almost scammed with the Tiger Beer I got for my dad, but Ally and Reva stood up for me and got it to a more reasonable price. Ironically, I also got a fake purse (sorry Annie) and the UEF students got it from 1,600,000 to 600,000 (quite the achievement if you ask me). Overall, it was a different experience, but I’m not sure if I’m cut out for the bargaining life.
We ended our evening with a scenic boat tour that provided beautiful views as the sunset.
