Today we went on the last of our site visits here in Vietnam, and so this will be my final blog post. In the morning, we visited the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), which is located about an hour away from Ho Chi Minh City. VSIP was developed in the 1990s in cooperation between the…
Tag: Bryan Runyon
Plus3 Vietnam 2017 Student
Day 10
This morning, we visited one of the largest shipping ports in Vietnam, Cat Lai Terminal. The terminal has been a major link in the Saigon Port network for over 40 years, acting as a keystone in the eastern Asia supply chain and servicing the majority of South Vietnam’s trade lines, which accounts for a sizable…
Day 9
This morning we visited Ben Tanh Market to finish up some souvenir shopping (that my lovely family members are sure to enjoy). I think I did a decent job bartering with the vendors, though I would not have done half as well if not for my Vietnamese friend, Olivia. Shopping in a marketplace like Ben…
Day 8
Today, we visited VinaCapital, a major asset management and consulting firm based in Ho Chi Minh City. The company’s high-rise could have easily blended in with the skyscrapers of Manhattan, and its offices were no less impressive. VinaCapital has four major, diverse funds that contain assets liquid enough to process stock redemption requests on a…
Day 7
Today we visited the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, home of the famous tunnel system used by the Viet Cong to outmaneuver United States troops during the Vietnam (or American, as they call it here) War. There are three layers of tunnels that the Viet Cong used to transfer supplies and seek…
Day 6
Today we visited the Mekong River Delta, one of the most famous and important sites in all of Vietnam. I was truly blown away by some of the sights there, seeing the more rustic side of the country really gave me an insight into how the agricultural engine of the Vietnamese economy works, and it…
Day 5
And so our adventure in Ho Chi Minh City is halfway over. I suppose time must travel faster when you’re eleven hours into the future, or else I’m really just having the time of my life. Today we visited the American Center and got to meet with some representatives from the United States consulate. We…
Day 4
Today was probably the most physically grueling, and relaxing, of our trip thus far. We got up at around 5:00 AM to make that two hour-ish trek to Vung Tau. There we visited the Christ of Vung Tau statue, a 105-foot statue of Jesus Christ that stands on top of a 560-foot mountain, which we…
Day 3
Today we listened to a lecture on the history of and development around the Mekong River and its delta, as well as had another Vietnamese language class (I think I may finally be starting to get a handle on it, which is impressive to me because language definitely isn’t my strong suit). In the afternoon,…
Day 2
We began today with two classes at UEF, the first on the history/development of Ho Chi Minh City and then another one on the Vietnamese language. In the afternoon, we were given a tour of the corporate headquarters of Phu My Hung and took a bus ride around their development sites. The Phu My Hung…
Day 1
Our first day in Ho Chi Minh City was certainly an eventful one; and despite adjusting to jet lag and the eleven-hour time difference, it was a day that was filled with energy. Our UEF hosts could not have been more gracious or accommodating, and it was somewhat of a relief to know that we…
8,924
Hi everyone, thanks for checking out my blog as I get ready to go on this year’s Plus3 Vietnam program. It’s a little intimidating to be traveling 8,924 miles from home, but I couldn’t be more excited for this incredible experience. I’m currently enrolled in Pitt’s College of Business Administration. Although I don’t yet have…
Meet Plus3 Vietnam 2017!
Welcome to the Vietnam Plus3 Study Abroad Program! During their two weeks in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, students will experience a dynamic mix of educational and cultural activities. Plus 3 participants will have the chance to be immersed into Vietnamese culture during the trip. The main academic portion of the Plus 3 program…