Today we started with another language session, but this time aimed at haggling down prices for our visit to the market later in the day. We painted traditional rice hats, but mine kept falling off my head because I forgot to tie the chin band on. We then departed to Ben Thanh market. It was…
Tag: Emerson Wagner
Day 9: District 9
Ngoc Hoang Pagoda this morning was honestly a really interesting experience because I grew up with some exposure to Buddhism as a kid, and when I traveled in China I got to see temples, monks, and different monasteries. Vietnam’s Buddhist representation is on a much smaller level, but perhaps it made it more local and…
Day 6-7; District 67
We headed out Saturday morning and got to the resort by afternoon. We were fortunate to have a really great spot right by the river, and it was nice to see the countryside on our 4 hour drive after being in HCMC for so long (not that I am complaining). I have been looking forward…
Day 5; Knockout
Week one in HCMC is coming to a fulfilling end. We visited Glass Egg today, a video game art company I’d never heard of before this trip, despite spending way too many hours playing games they design for. They are actually the lead vehicle designers on the Forza series since installment three, and they’ve made…
Day 4: Tung Tung passage in the Cu Chi Tunnel
Today started with a long bus ride out to the Cu Chi tunnels, with a stop along the way at a handicraft factory that employs handicapped workers. They use crushed eggshells layered into lacquer to form these intricate pictures, and I got to sit down and try crushing shells alongside one of the workers. Beyond…
Day 3: District 3
I have to admit, the heat is no joke. I now realize that air conditioning is perhaps one of the most important privileges in the world. We had another Kahoot today, and somehow I won both first and second place under the names “Emer” and “Emer 1” (Max). My group then presented on ExxonMobil because…
Day 2: District 2
‘Xin chào, tôi tên là Emerson, còn bạn?’ I must’ve said this at least ten times. We had an interactive Vietnamese language class this morning. I felt that conversing with the UEF students was rather optimal for picking up the phrases quickly. Now I can ask a local what their name is. Nice. During our…
Day 1: District 1
I started off the day wanting a taste of home: Matcha. The delectable herbal beverage that hails from Japan was perhaps the best I have had. What is usually $15 back home was only $5 here. Sensational. University of Economics and Finance kicked things off with a reception that included a martial arts performance, music…