The past two weeks in Vietnam have honestly been incredible. From meeting countless new friends, both Vietnamese and American, to breathtaking sights and deliciously unique eats, there is so much to miss about the trip. Visiting several large companies gave us great insight into Vietnam’s economy and it’s role in the larger world economy, while…
Tag: Braden Hurst
Day 11-Gloating about Boating
Today had another early start, as we had to drive quite far this morning in order to get to the Mekong Delta. Once we arrived, we embarked on our boat tour, filing into an adequately sized, roofed boat. As we were getting on the boats, I felt a little nervous, as it was rocking quite…
(Day 10) Today was Crate!
Today began with yet another early morning, as we had to make the hour drive to the Cat Lai terminal in order to arrive at 9:00. My first impression of the port was that it was massive, teeming with large cranes, barges, and crates as far as I could see. It was interesting to learn…
Day 9: An Emotional Rollercoaster
Today was quite the journey, filled with many visits, classes, and some quality cuisine. The day began with a class on Buddhism, and I felt very enlightening by the knowledge we obtained. It was interesting to draw comparisons between it and other religions, as the basic tenents of losing selfish desires in order to be…
II-VI and Chopsticks
We woke up bright and early this morning to head over to the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park, located on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. As we arrived at the park, it was immediately evident to me that it was a more developed area than its surroundings, as evidenced by the cranes making high…
Tunnel Vision (Day 7)
Being somewhat of a history nerd, I’ve always had a great interest in geopolitical affairs throughout history, particularly within the cold war, meaning that the Vietnam War has always intrigued me. It fascinates me just how passionate people were about ideologies, and that these belief systems seemed to matter more than human lives. This is…
Day 6: Too Pink to Think
Today provided us with some much needed relaxation, as we were able to travel to the Vung Tao province, wherein we got to go see a giant statue of Jesus and spend much of the day at a beach resort. As you probably can tell from the title, I may have spent too much time…
Day 5: Made it Back Home (Sort of)
Today’s journey took somewhat of a different route, both literally and figuratively, as we began by touring the US consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Although I would not consider myself homesick, it did feel nice to know that I would get to set foot on American soil, albeit for a short period of time….
Getting Invested in Vietnam (Day 4)
Today began with more interesting classes at UEF, learning more about Vietnamese history as well as enhancing our ability to speak and understand the language. Learning Vietnamese has proven to be quite difficult thus far, but the Vietnamese students have been working diligently to help us pick up words, little by little. This was followed…
Glass Egg Digital Media: Making a Yolk out of the Competition
Today started with more classes at UEF, as we learned much about the history of Vietnam, particularly in how it affected the development of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and furthered our Vietnamese skills in a later language class. These were followed by a surprise trip to a Vietnamese McDonald’s, which was quite upscale, and…
Ho Chi Minh City: A Developing Masterpiece (Day 2)
At the University of Economics and Finance, a school filled with possibly the coolest and most enthusiastic students ever, we have had the opportunity to attend several interesting lectures thus far. Today, along with our daily Vietnamese language lesson, we had a guest lecturer describe the Mekong Delta in detail, as well as the challenges…
Day 1: Touring, Cruising and Eating
As our tour guide led us through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, I noticed many interesting things. Tall buildings lined the streets, alongside beautiful French-colonial architecture, sights that we got to observe as thousands of motorcycles passed us by. I saw a mix of local stores, large luxury brands, and seemingly all the…
Off to Vietnam in a Ho Chi Minute!
Hello everyone! My name is Braden Hurst, a Freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. I am originally from Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, a small town in the middle of the state. As of now, I intend to double major in Marketing and Supply Chain management within the College of Business Administration, while pursuing a minor in Spanish…