Going to Vietnam for 2 weeks was something that made me extremely nervous going in. Before this trip started I had never been on a plane, left the country, or really gotten to know anyone else that was going on the trip with me. I don’t know if it was the culture or the activities…

Today we got to enjoy a boat/walking tour in the Mekong Delta to see the process of how some of the areas many exports are made and try some of the products. We got to enjoy many of the local experiences, including trying a plethora of fruits varying from pineapples and mini bananas all the…

Today we visited the Cat Lai Terminal, one of the largest shipping ports in the world, ranking twenty first in total annual cargo that passes through it each year. We got to see the process of a ship being unloaded as they lifted each container that is one twenty foot equivalent unit. After that we…

Today I got to check something off my personal bucket list that I had been looking forward to ever since I heard that it was something that we were going to do on this trip. We got to go to the Ben Tanh Market and actually barter for the things we were buying. That is…

Today we had the pleasure of visiting not one but two companies being Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) and II-VI, who are very different in there goals, but have a unique tie compared to any of the other companies we visited so far. VSIP is a company that takes plots of land and renovates it…

Today we visited the Cu Chi Tunnel system located north of Ho Chi Minh City, near the border between Vietnam and Cambodia. These tunnels were used by the Viet Cong to hide their troops and movements from the American troops, helicopters, and bombardment during the daytime in the war. We were fortunate enough to be…

Today we visited the United States Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City to learn about what they do and how the relations between the Americans and Vietnamese really works. I found out the difference between a consulate and an embassy is that an embassy is located in the capital city of the country, but other…

Today we visited the office of VinaCapital, a large Vietnamese asset management group, to learn about how they interpret the future of the economy from an investment perspective. The economy of Vietnam is growing at a rapid rate as more foreign companies look to invest in the development process while utilizing the lower wages of…

Day 3 in Vietnam was one that featured many American ties with a slightly different perspective. After a morning of learning more about the history of how Vietnam got to where it is today, and continuing to try my best to speak a very Americanized version of Vietnamese I found myself in a very familiar…

The development of the Phu My Hung City Center located in South Saigon is truly a project that symbolizes the steps that Vietnam has taken to advance their society. A project that has recently begun to finally start making an impact after being originally proposed roughly twenty five years ago, it truly is a visual…

Getting to my first glimpse at the dense behemoth that is Ho Chi Minh City for the first time was truly a unique and unforgettable experience. After the wonderful welcome ceremony in the morning, I was left wondering what could possibly top it, but seeing just the way the people of the city operated in…

Greetings everyone! My name is Jake Walker and I am currently enrolled in the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. I plan on pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering with a focus in Structural Engineering, as well as a minor in Architectural Design. I do not currently have an intended career planned…