As the last day of real classes and immersion, I was starting to feel the melancholy that comes with knowing that you are about to leave a place that holds so much emotion and memory of a trip that fostered new relationships and connections. I feel like the reason that this trip holds so much weight for me is because the thought that all of us students probably would have never met had it not been for this trip is just really sentimental. I’m really grateful for all of the moments that I was able to experience because of this trip, and I have never been so culturally immersed in a new place like this before.
In terms of the visit to the consulate, I felt like there was a lot of information and thought that was being shared between us and the representative. She was really knowledgeable on the economic state of Vietnam, and was very willing to answer any questions that we might have had, even if it wasn’t exactly related to the economy.
The consulate itself too was very nice, and it was interesting to see how many students from Vietnam would be interested in studying abroad / going to college in America at one point. I think that this visit was insightful not only of the economic state of Vietnam, but also an older American’s perspective on Vietnamese culture and history.
In addition to this visit, we also had the opportunity to connect with Vietnamese culture through designing rice hats that were provided to us. I had seen these hats a lot at home, but I had never felt the need to buy one until I was in Vietnam. Seeing the Vietnamese people using the rice hats during the Mekong Delta trip really allowed me to understand how practical and useful the hat is for farmers. I feel like the hat has become a staple of what most Americans envision when they think of Southeast Asian countries, but I feel like none of them really understand the use of the hat until you see it for yourself.
Using this thought, when we were learning about the hats uses and its connection to Vietnamese farm life, I wanted to use the hat as a way for me to connect with my own culture. Thus, I painted a lotus flower, my middle name and last name in Japanese, and a bunch of stars all over the rice hat. I really do feel like the rice hat is a great representation of myself and my culture, which is something that I am very proud of.
Lastly, the final part of the day included going to the Banh Thanh market to practice Vietnamese, and bargain with the people that work there for good prices on goods. At first, I would say that I’m pretty sure that I was ripped off, and paid way too much for the item that I wanted. I tried my best to negotiate through the language barriers and difficulties, but in the end, I don’t think that my first purchase at the marketplace was a success. However, after the first failure, I was feeling more inspired, and felt like I could try again with 4 pairs of earrings that I thought were pretty. It took a lot of back and forth, and I started to understand the strategy that it took to get what you wanted at the price you thought it was worth. Additionally, I would say that the market is honestly developed with the customer having the higher power in the dynamic, as if you didn’t like the price of something at one stall, the odds were high that you could find the same thing somewhere else for a price that was suitable for you. I think if you play your cards right and give enough information on what you want, it becomes very simple for you to get what you want.
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Lastly, the final activity that we participated in was the Waterbus trip across the Saigon river. I would say that this experience really made me appreciate the landscape and architecture of Ho Chi Minh City, as from the waterfront, you are able to see all of the tall and beautiful buildings that exist within a tiny space, and the part where we were able to go under the bridge was the coolest part, because you just saw the city’s beautiful landscape just emerging from view. It was honestly one of the coolest experiences I had on the trip, as in that moment, I felt such a deep appreciation for this beautiful city, and the sights that it has allowed for me to see.
