Day 10: Áo Dài, Vietnamese Language Practice @ Ben Thanh, U.S. Consulate, and Waterbus Tour

This morning we learned more Vietnamese language. They still use the English alphabet except for the letters F, J, and W. We were all initially intimidated by the accents, but logically it actually makes more sense that one letter with one accent creates a single sound. In English, each vowel looks exactly the same but can make multiple sounds. It only seems confusing because we aren’t accustomed to it.

We learned useful market phrases such as “how much,” “too expensive,” and “discount please” so that we could haggle later in the day. Then we tried on our traditional Vietnamese outfits, áo dài, which were custom tailored for us and that we will wear tomorrow for our final presentations. They were surprisingly comfortable and very beautiful. Eimapi, a UEF student, told me that girls are required to wear them throughout school before college as part of their uniform, and she explained that they become very hot during the day.

Afterward, we painted rice hats, which are worn by both men and women who work outside. They are multifunctional and can be used as hats, buckets to remove water from boats, baskets to carry items, and more. It reminded me of a thneed from The Lorax when Tuan was listed all its functions. On mine I painted a traditional flower often associated with Vietnam, the lotus flower. Interestingly, Vietnam does not officially have a national flower because many people believe it should be the lotus, but that is already claimed by India.

We had pizza for lunch, which was a fun change from the traditional food. I could not believe how many pizzas were ordered for our group, but good thing we were able to finish them later on the bus.

Later, we visited the U.S. Consulate. I initially thought the consulate and embassy were the same thing. It turns out embassies are always located in capital cities, so the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam is in Hanoi. However, because Ho Chi Minh City is such a major center for business and tourism, the consulate here handles far more responsibilities than most. Their work includes issuing passports, providing small emergency loans to Americans who lose their money, checking on Americans who are hospitalized or imprisoned, and helping Vietnamese students access information about studying in the United States.

Currently, the education segment is working hard to bring American experts and exchange students into Vietnam rather than sending Vietnamese students abroad. They explained that Vietnam already has the infrastructure with around 400 universities, so bringing scholars into the country is a better long term investment because the knowledge remains within Vietnam rather than becoming concentrated elsewhere.

The woman who spoke to us works in the economic segment of the consulate. She explained that her role is one of the more hands on positions and includes many site visits to local companies, especially regarding intellectual property issues. The consulate does not directly stop IP violations, but they create reports that are sent to Washington D.C., which later influence tariffs, trade policy, and watch lists. Other countries do not always treat intellectual property the same way the United States does, so these reports help shape future policy decisions. I listened carefully while simultaneously wearing my newly purchased fake Hermès earrings and necklace from the market.

She also explained that the team contains more local Vietnamese employees than Americans because local workers provide important regional understanding and connections. American employees apply for two year placements by ranking around sixty possible locations they could be assigned to. Since Americans rotate so frequently, the consulate relies heavily on local employees for continuity. Although she had only been there for six months, she explained that the employee with the fewest years among the local staff had already worked there for thirteen years.

She also discussed the small political segment, which focuses on human rights issues such as trafficking and labor laws. Again, the consulate itself does not directly create policy. Instead, their reports and observations provide Washington with information about what is actually occurring inside other countries.

We also learned about the “Five Eyes,” the intelligence alliance between the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. She explained that these countries work very closely together and often influence one another’s policy decisions. The consulate also works with other U.S. consulates around the world because many crimes and regulatory issues follow similar patterns across countries.

I was surprised to learn that many positions at the consulate do not require language fluency. Some employees receive language training, but many primarily work in English despite living in a non English speaking country. She explained that although she completed an eight month Vietnamese course required for her role, she mostly learned technical economic vocabulary. She joked that asked to order food, she would be useless.

She also explained that most people in Ho Chi Minh City speak strong English and recognize that Americans generally have poor Vietnamese pronunciation. Before we can even attempt speaking Vietnamese, many people immediately switch to English for us. We noticed this same pattern earlier at the market. Even though the point of our visit was to practice Vietnamese, most sellers saw us and immediately spoke English instead. The night before leaving for the trip, we had discussed how Americans are often perceived as entitled, and it is difficult not to feel entitled when people constantly accommodate you like that.

After the presentation, I was speaking with the presenter about people she may know in Washington D.C. when the UEF photographer suddenly started taking pictures of us. I initially thought it made the interaction awkward, but she reassured me that photos are constantly being taken. In America, having a professional photographer interrupt a private conversation feels very unusual unless you are a celebrity. Clearly, the culture around photography in Vietnam is very different because she was completely unfazed. Honestly, I think we have taken more photos on this trip than I have in my entire life.

I remembered the joke Professor Minh made earlier in the week when we posed for our fifth group photo before 9 a.m.: “Smile! Us Asians love our photos!” I think the pictures have been fun because they capture the memories while also giving us a tiny glimpse into what paparazzi must feel like.

The water bus tour afterward was also very cool. We stopped around five times to pick up and drop off more people. I think the main purpose is tourism because of the fancy lights and scenery, but technically it could function as legitimate transportation because of the stops and efficient speed.