Fluidity and Flow

I would definitely say that my internship with Tau Manufacturing has been a learning experience. Coming in there was no telling what I would do or learn but now that I am at the end of the road there is plenty of experiences I would not mind taking up in a future interview. One thing in particular that I am proud of is the project I am currently working on. Let me first explain the concept of what I am trying to achieve: In order to have a sustainable way of measuring performance in the workplace, my boss wants a method of paying his workers for the products manufactured rather than the hours worked. This will not only make it easier for him to judge his employees fairly, but also for them to increase salary based off performance. The issue is that the metric needs to be fairly adjusted to take into account the time difference between making certain parts. To do this our director makes the manufacturing plant responsible for inputting each part made per day per worker as well as the hours worked. This is present in a Microsoft Access database which can be exported into Microsoft Excel. My job is to take the data and make a metric based off the previously experienced productivity. What makes this difficult is the fact that we make specialized planters. There are many things to consider like the size of the mold, if the part has any supports or holes in it as well as the complexity of the shape. For now, I am working on the smaller parts and hopefully I will be able to generate a fair metric by the end of my stay. As I am right in the middle of the action right now it is difficult to reflect on the experience I have learned from it, but I would definitely say my Microsoft Excel skills have improved. Then again it is a lot of work so it has not come for free.

Life definitely flows differently in HCMC compared to western countries. I have only lived and studied in these so an Asian country feels very different. Being here for two months has exposed me to many different situations but I also feel like I was not able to fully immerse myself in the culture due to my appearance. This is completely fine and everyone has been extremely friendly and welcoming so I cannot complain. There definitely is a fluidity in this country I have not found anywhere else. Dealing with it and adapting to it has been a process, but now that I am about to leave I feel like I have a greater understanding of the inner workings of the Vietnamese society.