Today began with a site visit to the Cat Lai Terminal, a port where international shipments are received and unloaded. This was one of the more interesting site visits, and it focused heavily on operations, which is one of my interests within business. Hearing our tour guide talk about the massive complex network of plans…

Today was the day that it seemed everyone was waiting for – the trip to the Mekong Delta. This trip was packed with fun activities, including taking a boat down the delta, taking small row boats down creeks on an island, and exploring the traditional food. We were able to eat fresh honey and fruit,…

Today was a day full of reflection, as we were able to visit a Buddhist temple, as well as better understand the depths of the tragedies of the Vietnam War. To begin on a more optimistic note, the Buddhist Temple (Pagoda) that we visited was an interesting site to compare with past religious sites I…

Today was heavy on-site visits, as we were able to check out both Coherent (a publicly traded optics and materials company) and a high-tech industrial park. Starting with Coherent, we were able to see how an international company benefits from the unique features of Vietnam, as well as how the culture of Vietnam adapts to…

This weekend was packed with some of the best trips to date. We kicked off the weekend with a hike up a mountain in Vung Tang, which held plenty of beautiful views of the city, beaches, and the Pacific Ocean. The heat made me look as if I had just jumped into the ocean, but…

The site visit for today included a trip to Vina Capital, an NGO focused primarily on the education, funding, and healthcare of young women and small children. As is interesting with many other companies in Vietnam, the role of the government in Vina Capital is different from many other American NGOs. Vina Capital works in…

Day 3 in Vietnam focused heavily on the country’s commitment to sustainability, specifically renewable energy. The site visit for the day was PECC2, an energy consulting firm that works with different renewable energy production sites. Vietnam is in a unique situation in which its strongest phase of economic growth is occurring at a time when…

The main event today was a trip to TTT, a company focusing on the design and manufacturing of furniture pieces used in hotels, resorts, and large houses. When touring the factory, the main differences I noticed between this factory and the ones I have worked at in the U.S. were the lack of lighting and…

On our first day in Ho Chi Minh City, there was plenty to absorb. For starters, the food, from breakfast to dinner, was extremely unique. As much as globalization has affected the area and brought Western chain restaurants like McDonald’s into the area, it seems that much of the food culture has been preserved. Breakfast…