Uncategorized – Page 16 – UF in Vietnam Internship

American in Vietnam

I still can’t completely believe that I am here in Vietnam. The cultural week was incredible, I got to see and experience so many things that I never thought I would get to. I learned how to bargain in the market, hiked farther up a mountain than I ever imagined myself possible, and even got to play soccer with some locals!

Prior to the week-long cultural class in Gainesville, I had known nothing about Vietnam, so all my expectations were based off of that course. I expected to come to a city with no streetlights, scooters everywhere, with people lining the streets either sitting and drinking beer or eating street food. While the streets are filled predominantly with scooters, there are far more cars and streetlights than I originally imagined, and while there are many food vendors (which are even better than advertised) and people on the streets, they aren’t over-crowding the sidewalk. Another expectation that I found to be true was the kind nature of the locals. Everyone I have met in Vietnam, whether at a restaurant or at one of the places we visited during the culture week, was very friendly and would either wave or say hello, and they didn’t treat or look at me differently because I am an American.

One expectation that I had that wasn’t the same was the way waiters and other restaurant employees interact with customers. While I knew coming in that they were more distant than waiters in America, I thought that just meant they wouldn’t come ask you how the food was as you ate. Instead, wait-staff here won’t even acknowledge you unless you explicitly call them, regardless of if it’s to order food or to pay your bill. Wait-staff will just stand around doing nothing, completely ignoring you and your attempts to get their attention, which is unacceptable in America. All in all, it has been so much fun getting to experience Vietnamese culture and I can’t wait to continue to learn more about it.

One activity that was culturally informative was the trip we took to the floating market. It was fascinating getting to see how the farmers would drive their boat right up to ours and connect them with a rope, and then show and sell us the items they had available. Often times there would even be one boat on each side! This gave us insight into the life of a Vietnamese farmer, and how early and how hard they had to work to make a sale. All of the fruit was fresh, as if it had been picked that morning. Since the market opened at 4 am, farmers must have worked all throughout the night preparing just for that days market. Even though they had to work so hard, they all had smiles on their faces and were clearly loving getting to interact with us and share the joy of fresh fruit with us. This illustrated how even though the people here work very hard and don’t get to enjoy all of the luxuries we do, they still go through each day with a smile and love what they to do.

Some questions that I want to address during my time in Vietnam are: How come restaurants don’t offer napkins? Why isn’t tipping as common here as it is in America? Why are lane dividers drawn on the streets if cars and scooters blatantly ignore them?

Breaking the bubble

The month of May has just ended, and with it, our first full week in Vietnam. The majority of our time was spent touring and exploring, as part of a culture week arranged by the university, and I can definitely say that I appreciated that opportunity. I don’t feel that I would’ve so quickly settled had we not been constantly moving from location to location – a contradiction, for sure, but a belief I hold firmly. Vietnam, as a location, is close to how I’d envisioned; I had pieced together a solid mental image through research in the month leading up to my departure, so very few things have left me surprised so far in regard to the area. What I didn’t at all expect was how easy it was to adjust, and the degree to which I can function in Vietnam. I expected to survive in a bubble – mostly interacting with my colleagues from work and school, living off of convenience store noodles and McDonalds – but already I am finding myself more comfortable and eager to explore. The locals are very approachable and happy to engage, I have felt of better health than ever before thanks to an active lifestyle, and the food I’ve picked hasn’t failed me yet. I’ve eaten fruits and meats of dubious origin, off of carts and boats alike, but thus far I’ve only gotten sick from a wrapped sandwich given to me by a supervisor. With each new day comes new experiences, new do’s and don’ts’, and new things to add to my “When in ‘Nam” bucket list.

Out of the structured “culture week” activities, I found the most informative to be the overnight excursion down south to the Mekong Delta and the subsequent visit to the floating market and surrounding areas. Prior to landing in Vietnam, I spent a chunk of the 14-hour plane ride reading a book by Mark Manson subtitled “A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life.” One section of the book concerns the pursuit of happiness, and the key takeaway is that many of the things we pursue in the West don’t really grant us happiness – rather, the presence of a benchmark for performance and success causes us to never fully be satisfied. The constant connectedness brought about by social media only worsens this, against what such platforms were intended for.

In the southern-most region of Vietnam, we didn’t see as many important historical or cultural landmarks as we had during our city tour, but I believe it gave us the most accurate view of what daily life was for people outside of the major developing areas in Vietnam. Small, open-air homes with time-worn exteriors, but polished tile floors, Wi-fi routers, and rows of high-tech gaming PCs visible beyond the doorway. Families passing melon and durian between ends of a boat on the open river, the youngest of the bunch sitting cross-legged and blue beneath a colorful umbrella, eyes and hands fixed on his smartphone. A yard decorated with stone and populated by roosters but punctuated by a shiny new Honda motorbike. It’s apparent that life here is much simpler, and many of Vietnam’s people don’t carry the same societal and social burdens of their peers in the West, granting them much happier and more peaceful lives. But that isn’t to say even the most rural parts of Vietnam are void of modern conveniences; quite the opposite, in these areas the presence of such technologies only seems to serve them in their happiness, instead of placing yet another burden as they do in the West.

I look forward to, in the coming weeks, continuing to explore and learn about Vietnam. One thing I would like to determine is if there’s a cultural mandate or tradition of preserving older properties, as I’ve noticed the Vietnamese are much less prone to demolition and reconstruction, instead maintaining old properties for what seems like generations. I’ve also set goals I hope to reach during my stay here, to make this period as transformative and effective as possible, but I will discuss those in a later entry. Cheers, and until next time.

The Masteri Tower of Babel

Following a week immersion into Vietnam’s culture, history, and lifestyle, I can say with certainty that Vietnam has been abundant with surprises and surpassed expectations. As soon as my plane touched down on the tarmac and I stumbled through the sliding airport doors with my baggage, evening humidity and eighty-five plus temperature aside, I was swathed with a foreign atmosphere unlike anything I had ever experienced. My traveling partner Garrett and I pushed through a sea of staring eyes as picked our way towards our pre-arranged transportation arrangements, at which point our contact pointed at us and then to the street, where a taxi proceeded to pull up to the curb, and spew what I could only assume was Vietnamese as he pointed to his vehicle. Arriving after-hours at the Masteri Residential Complex, our accommodations for the next two months, Garrett and I were locked out of our apartment lacking internet access and cellular service, thus with no means of contacting our program manager, Jason Ward, leaving us in a Tower-of-Babelesque situation with a security guard and taxi driver who spoke absolutely no English, and Garrett and I, who were ecstatic that the locals could understand our pronunciation of “Xin Chào” and that we wanted to go to “Tòa Ba” (Tower 3). After Google-translating our way past security and into our apartment, I sat in bed processing the last few hectic hours. Never in my life had I interacted with someone who could not speak at least some English, much less been a clear ethnic and lingual minority. In retrospect, stumbling out of the airport I was apprehensive, but I made it to my apartment in one piece, and I’m better off having learned and struggled through the experience.

The first activity of our first day of traveling in Ho Chi Minh City was the most culturally informative, as we visited the Vietnam War Museum. It was shamefully appalling to witness the damage the United States had done to Vietnam during the early 1970s but moving in understanding the steps we have taken both politically and economically to reform our actions and amend our relationship with the country.

As I spend the next seven weeks living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, I hope to discover a greater understanding for Vietnamese culture, and even answer some questions of my own. While working as an intern in the field of finance, I am curious to see where the priorities of Vietnamese firms lie in developing relationships with clients, and the parallels or disconnects that can be drawn to the traditionally stringent, impassive demeanor of Western business culture. From a more cultural standpoint, why are traffic laws in the United States obscenely orderly and strict in comparison to Vietnam, and why are drivers so calm navigating what seems to be organized chaos. While this may seem to be culturally obvious to some, my perspective of my final query is quite simple: why do the Vietnamese continue to use chopsticks in 2019? Despite my understanding of their longstanding status as a staple element of the dinner table, it would seem reasonable that the people would opt for more convenience in eating their meals in a modern age plentiful with engineered, ergonomic marvels akin to the fork and knife.

I know that my next two months will be laden with lingual barriers and social disconnects, but rather than remain apprehensive as I was leaving the airport, I’m excited to problem-solve my way through Vietnam and find the answers to my questions, whether complex or simple.

No Expectations

Its been one week since I been in Vietnam and my first thoughts were that this place is cramped and extremely hot. Buildings are built on top of each other with the insides being huge, and air conditioner are only use in certain places. Restaurants open their windows and have set-ups outside under the shade just to save an extra couple of dong (Vietnam Currency). The traffic here is more aggressive, the streets are filled with scooters, and the sidewalks are used as road. There are an estimated 10 million scooters in Saigon and 45 million registered in the country of Vietnam. At First, I didn’t know what to expected when coming to Vietnam, I strive to have an open mindset but throughout this week my expectations have been meet with the quality of life here. My residence is amazing with a beautiful view of the open city, the people are nice and stare at me because they barley see colored people, and everything is cheap and affordable.

To anyone who is doing an international internship I recommend going to the country a week before you start work to experience some of its cultural sites. I was blessed with that opportunity to visit the War Remnant Museum (the most popular museum in Ho Chi Minh) were I seen tanks and helicopters that were used during the Vietnam War. I also read up on Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover and crops for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. The effects of agent orange were horrify not only leaving Vietnamese with common disorders but their generations to come.

I explored the Cu Chi Tunnels where I was able to go inside the small, narrow, and dark tunnels that the Vietnamese used during the war. It is said that many of them used to live there during the war and from what I seen their were full establishments: beds, tables, and secret passageway underground. One of my favorite events was when we cruise down the MeKong River and explored small canal. That day I was able to hold bees and a python with my bare hands. I tried various amount of coconut sweets, honey, candy, and coconut juice; I witnessed the small traditional villages, listened to Vietnamese music, and took some cool pictures on a boat.

With everything going on, Vietnam seem more like a vacation and not a place to work. This week I seen a different side of this country and it grew on me. Sometimes thing aren’t about the situations you have on hand but what you make of it and the mindset you have. As I start my first day tomorrow, I wonder what the future holds for me and I’m ready for everything!

How are blacks treated in the Vietnamese Workplace?

How is working in Vietnam different from working in the United States?

Are there more job employment opportunities for colleges student in Vietnam than American?

Questions I don’t know as of right now but will be answer in the future.

Colonial, rural and modern – Oh my

First week in Vietnam has been beyond my expectations. Cultural week was the best possible way to get a jump start on this amazing culture. Ho Chi Min city feels like the right place to be as it makes you feel welcome and amazes you in many ways.

From all the activities done during this first week, including visiting temples, markets, palaces and even war tunnels and jungle bunkers, learning about how the soldiers lived in those bunkers through the war was the most impressive and nurturing experience. Cu Chi tunnels were amazing as we had the opportunity to go through them. We only went through 30mts long tunnels, but soldiers used to go through KMs of tunnels while being bombarded. The size of these tunnels does not allow you to go back. So, no room for claustrophobia in there.

Despite of the research done before arriving to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), this city impressed me as it provides colonial, rural and modern scenarios all in one. The number of cultural places, activities like Black Lady Mountain hiking and the culinary options everywhere are just as good as if you were in the most exclusive part of the city. People are always kind no matter where you are. Providing a sense of comfort and hospitality that has no price. Moreover, the lower cost of life in Ho Chi Minh is something that allows you to enjoy the street food everyday without hurting the pocket that much. The supermarket is a different scenario, where prices bring you back to Earth. But, the diversity and quality of the products make it totally worth it.

One week has felt as a month of activities so far. Despite the internship has not even started yet, Saigon feels like a great location to base yourself at. And two months is already feeling like not enough time to really enjoy and appreciate this amazing culture.

For me, my trip to Vietnam would be fulfilled after finding the answers to:

Is Ha Long Bay bioluminescent water comparable to Aurora boreal?
How much do really people in North Vietnam embrace American culture?
How is the working life in Saigon?
What is the most impressive destination in Vietnam?
How does Ho Chi Minh mommy look like?

I am completely sure that as days go by, more questions will arise and hopefully answers will too. For now, just having one week in Vietnam, I can highly recommend living this experience. Which I hope my journal makes justice to!

What I’ve Been Looking For

As the days ticked away, I found myself on my first international flight to the other side of the world and surprisingly it felt normal. Even from my initial welcome to Vietnam was the humidity as I left the airport, but compared to Florida, it felt like a sauna. Within the first week of being here, I have seen so much and I’m excited for the experiences that will happen over the course of this program.

In the first day of our tour, our group of students from the UF in Vietnam program saw the War Remnants Museum. I was really appreciative to have this activity as our first stop of the day because it was very culturally informative. During my visit, I learned the Vietnamese perspective of the War, and it laid all the facts out there about America’s involvement. Despite the millions killed and the damage that was done, the locals that were also visiting the museum still treated us in a polite and friendly manner. It felt like I was in a contradiction, even though the history between our countries, we all are considerate of each other now.

This was also present in our trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a South Vietnam underground tunnels and bunkers that were used during the war. It was an interesting feeling to crawl through the tunnels as a tourist when it had completely different intentions over 40 years ago. To experience history outside of the textbook made me find a new appreciation for that era. The whole trip was very eye-opening again as the locals that were also visiting would take pictures with us as we entered the tunnels. Reminding me how far the relationship between the United States and Vietnam has progressed.

Overall, Vietnam is a beautiful country with friendly people, delicious food, and exciting atmosphere is my first impression. While the week-long class installed the same ideas, I did not know to what extent they would reach. But I feel that these impressions definitely surpassed my expectations. And I wondered what awaits for me in the next couple weeks, but I want to learn about Vietnamese way of life, Vietnam’s growing economy and its impact on their culture, as well as how the locals manage to intake so much coffee and caffeine.

History, bargaining, and Google translate

Visiting the Vietnam War memorial museum was in my opinion one of the most informative and important sites we visited on our first week in Vietnam. The only real information I learned about the Vietnam war and its consequences were from movies and a brief chapter in my history classes. It is not until we got close and personal to the subject matter that the disasters of the war became even more real and impactful. It is hard to imagine that there was such chaos and atrocities committed during the war and the United States government only compensated those affiliated with America. Vietnam was left to fend for itself immediately following the war.

My expectations versus my first impressions were not as different as I initially thought they would be. I had visited the city of Mexico before so visiting the city of a developing country was not a new experience for me. The scenery and familiarity were very similar to my visit to Mexico City. The only drastic difference is the language barrier and shopping in the markets. This experience is one that must be obtained in person. In the U.S. everything already has a set price. In Vietnam however, this is not always the case. In many markets some products can be haggled down to a lower price if the right conversation is had with the seller. I recently purchased a snow globe for my little brother which at first was around 20 dollars. With a little bit of persuading, I managed to purchase it for less than 10 dollars after everything was said and done.

When it comes to the language barrier it can be a challenge in some situations but not in most. My parents were very worried that I would have trouble communicating with the local folk in case something went wrong during my time here. I made sure to let them know that with our current technology it has become much easier to get over the language barrier. It is a little bit awkward using google translate to communicate with some folks, but it will get a person’s ideas across.

I wonder how the locals here at Masteri apartments feel towards many foreigners visiting Vietnam.

Are the police here in Vietnam serious about their jobs?

Is it actually safer driving in the methods that most people do here?

Do merchants prefer selling to locals or foreigners?

Culture Shock 101

As my first week in Vietnam comes to a close, it is a perfect opportunity to reflect on my phenomenal experiences. One of my favorite experiences being the Mekong Delta floating market tour. Being on a riverboat traveling down the Delta while merchant boats attach themselves to your hull as they proceed to market their products is an experience unlike any other. A river, which from the outside may appear as an overcrowded channel, is actually an embodiment of the nation’s rich culture. Capitalism at its finest, where buyers and sellers bargain to reach a deal from the side of the boat while competing with the waves to stay afloat. From my experience I witnessed the energy that has led to the country’s rapid growth – perseverance. Everywhere you look, you will find merchants doing anything they can to climb the socioeconomic latter to create a better life for them and their family.

My first impressions of Vietnam have surpassed all expectations I could have ever imagined. In the United States if you ask anyone about Vietnam, the majority of what you hear is about the Vietnam War. In some sense, the United States is stuck in a time warp and has missed decades of economic development in the distant country. Because of the lack of readily available information, my expectations of Vietnam were very low. I have heard of the mystical city that mirrors New York City in terms of population, but I had no idea of what exactly it could look like in Vietnam. Although, upon arriving in Vietnam you are immediately greeted by the noisy streets of Ho Chi Minh City squeezed between narrow buildings and soaring towers ranging as far as the eye can see. Shortly after leaving the crowded airport you will be reminded of the country’s recent rapid growth as you see temples that are hundreds of years old neighboring sky scrapers and shopping malls.

As I begin to settle into my new home, I hope to become familiar with how the locals perceive the nations recent economic growth. Given that there are generations who have lived through the country’s recent development since the Vietnam war, it must be interesting to hear their perspective on the matter. There may be those who are excited for growth, but at the same time there may be those who are fearful of the impact it’ll have on the country’s long and rich history, as change often times comes hand-in-hand with growth. Lastly, I’m excited to see whether the society will retain their rich historical values as the country becomes of global relevance, or if the country’s culture will blend with those of the connected world.

Week of Wonder

The activity that captivated me the most during the cultural week was the floating water market in the Mekong Delta. It was so intriguing and uplifting to see so many people selling their wares on a boat. The first boat that came up to ours was small and sold traditional iced and hot Vietnamese coffee. Watching a random gondola style boat hook up to us and start passing out the beverages kindled my excitement for adventure. I was able to see how friendly everyone was as we purchased various fruits and even boarded a pineapple boat to take some photos. The food was all fresh and the people were all passionate about the experience. I was able to gain more insight on how a culture lived its daily life in order to get food and also see the personalities of the locals through this market experience.

I found Vietnam to be a very different experience than in the US. It was different than what I expected, but I didn’t receive a huge culture shock. The most interesting and obvious differences for me were the city traffic and the electrical wires. There are ten million scooters in Saigon, and that makes crossing the street an eternally amusing and exciting endeavor. I have yet to take a scooter Grab, which is an app similar to Uber, but that bucket list item will definitely outshine any driving experience I’ve had on campus at UF. The electrical wires peak my interest as well because they show the rapid development of the country in a short period of time. They look so different than in the States. Most of the time there are only a few power lines visible in the road for the US, but in Saigon, there seems to be millions.

During the rest of the trip, I hope to learn more about the personality of people in Saigon and the little cultural nuances that make up their everyday interactions. I believe that many of these little things can only be learned through experience, and I hope that seeing more of the country will help me learn. I have already been able to discover that they take and give items with two hands. This trip is bound to teach me a lot and I am excited for everything that Vietnam has to offer.

Constant motion

Xin chào from Vietnam! We have been in Vietnam for a little over a week now and I still have to pinch myself to see if this is a dream. My first experience in Asia has been overwhelming to say the least. If New York is the city that never sleeps, then Ho Chi Minh is the city that doesn’t know what sleep is. My first impression of Vietnam came after an exhausting flight and I found myself overwhelmed by all of the different smells, sounds, and sights on the ride to my apartment. After a night of restful sleep and a tour around the city, I settled into my new home. While exploring I could tell that though everything seemed to be in constant motion they still aligned perfectly. Driving through intersections seemed foreign to me while watching videos back in the United States, but when it came time for me to see it in person it happened naturally and effortlessly. It was crazy that such chaos could be almost organized in a way. From the very first day, I knew there was a lot to learn and it just kept getting better from there.

The most culturally informative experience I have had so far has to be the trip we took to the Mekong Delta. While in this region, we visited a few small villages and a floating market. It is apparent to me since arriving in Vietnam that the Vietnamese are very hard working. Our tour guide explained how the market is open every day from four in the morning to ten at night. This market is an important part of the Vietnamese culture because it is where many transactions between vendors happen. On the drive out to the Mekong delta, we passed countless rice Farming is the lifeline of Vietnam and being able to see this the process of farming, from the fields to the fruits and goods being sold at the market, was amazing. While in the Mekong, we were also able to learn how rice paper and rice noodles were manufactured. It was long and grueling work for those who made it, and I am so honored that they allowed us to come in and appreciate the hard work they put in. Being able to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city allowed us to appreciate the hard work that goes into fueling the economy of Vietnam.

One of the things that perplexed me the most was the fact that those from the north and those from the south had very different attitudes and beliefs. It is interesting to view that here because trends like this show up in many countries such as in the US. I am interested to visit north Vietnam and see how it compares to the south. I am curious to know if the dynamic between Vietnam’s north and south is similar to that of the United States. I am excited to travel throughout this amazing country and learn about its geographical and political differences from locals and guides. Another subject I would like to learn about during my travels is how the food in Vietnam differs from food in other Asian countries. I worked in a Thai restaurant growing up, so I am familiar with Thai food. I want to compare and contrast Vietnamese food to Thai food and find what the differences in taste are. Catch me traveling as much as I can in the next two months so I can learn as much as possible.