Today was our last day in Vietnam. We went to UEF and still had culture class and language class. Culture class was about more customs and religious beliefs in Vietnam. Language class we reviewed and then had two oral tests, one was a group presentation asking each other questions that we learned and the second was introducing ourselves. After classes and lunch we had a good bye ceremony and activity time. The UEF English Club set up a lot of fun and interesting games to play so we could get to know one another. Then we all just hung out and said goodbye to all our friends. After we went to a soccer field and played a game against the UEF team, nothing competitive it was just a fun game to play with the team and some friends.
At night we had a farewell dinner at a resort in Ho Chi Minh City, it was delicious and a very pretty setting. All the professors who had helped us in Vietnam throughout our stay came to dinner with us so we could say goodbye to all of them. After, all the Pitt students went to Lush for the last time.
I am sad to leave Vietnam because I made so many great friends here but it will be nice to go home. I am so happy to have had this opportunity, it greatly expanded my knowledge on many levels and definitely added to my creativity when thinking on a professional level.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Day 11
Today was dedicated to the Vietnam War, or as its called here the American War. We visited the Cu Chi tunnels in the morning. They were constructed by the Vietnamese to fight the Americans. It is 250 km of intricate tunnels running underground with air shafts and some rooms. The original openings for the tunnels are very small and are concealed with little doors and leaves, they were meant so only Vietnamese could fit in them. The tunnel system allowed them to get directly into American camps without breaking the perimeter.
In the afternoon we went to the War Remnants Museum which had war vehicles and many pictures and information about the war. Most of the museum was dedicated to the Vietnamese perspective of the war which was hard but necessary to learn about because I have mostly just been shown the American view. Visiting this museum has definitely given me more of a perspective of the war and changed some preconceived thoughts.
Tonight we are going to take our Vietnamese friends out to dinner at a beer garden that was recommended from last years group. Then we will all probably hang out because it is our second to last night in Vietnam :( I am upset to leave and wish I could stay longer because I still feel like there is a lot just in Ho Chi Minh City to see and experience not even including the rest of the country which I would have liked to travel through. I guess I will have to come back.
In the afternoon we went to the War Remnants Museum which had war vehicles and many pictures and information about the war. Most of the museum was dedicated to the Vietnamese perspective of the war which was hard but necessary to learn about because I have mostly just been shown the American view. Visiting this museum has definitely given me more of a perspective of the war and changed some preconceived thoughts.
Tonight we are going to take our Vietnamese friends out to dinner at a beer garden that was recommended from last years group. Then we will all probably hang out because it is our second to last night in Vietnam :( I am upset to leave and wish I could stay longer because I still feel like there is a lot just in Ho Chi Minh City to see and experience not even including the rest of the country which I would have liked to travel through. I guess I will have to come back.
Day 10
Today we had culture class and language class. In culture class we learned about yin and yang and how it corresponds to Vietnamese customs and traditions. Then in language class we learned how to say where you go to school and what you studied. Learning Vietnamese is much easier to learn than most other languages I think, there sentence structure is very simple.
In the afternoon we went to Richard Ellis which is a real estate company in Vietnam and had an informal meeting with an American associate at a coffee shop. She did not really explain what her company and specifically herself did but it was a good insight into the country and many aspects of the economy. We learned a lot of the complexities of living abroad and in Vietnam especially if you have a family.
At night we went to a traditional Vietnamese restaurant with our friends, it was delicious. Then we just came back and went to sleep for the night.
In the afternoon we went to Richard Ellis which is a real estate company in Vietnam and had an informal meeting with an American associate at a coffee shop. She did not really explain what her company and specifically herself did but it was a good insight into the country and many aspects of the economy. We learned a lot of the complexities of living abroad and in Vietnam especially if you have a family.
At night we went to a traditional Vietnamese restaurant with our friends, it was delicious. Then we just came back and went to sleep for the night.
Day 9
Today we went to UEF and had cultural class and language class. In culture class we learned a brief history of the country which definitely gave insight into why and what the Vietnamese act like. Then in language class we mostly reviewed and learned a few new phrases and questions.
In the afternoon we went to Glass Egg Digital Media which is an outsourcing video game company. They are hired by video game producers to produce cars, environments, and characters for the game. They are not responsible for writing any of the game just the art involved with developing the objects. The company started when the now CEO was assigned to work on the case of a leading gaming company while interning in a law firm in Vietnam. He then got involved with the company and was given the responsibility to open a branch in Vietnam. However it fell through and he bought what remained of the company and started Glass Egg. Today they have many very skilled employees. Every year 40 artists are trained for the job and only two are hired.
At night we went to Lush because the owners of Glass Egg also own Lush so they called ahead for us and got us a VIP table which was a lot of fun. While we were there we also got to talk to the manager of Lush and see how he got involved.
In the afternoon we went to Glass Egg Digital Media which is an outsourcing video game company. They are hired by video game producers to produce cars, environments, and characters for the game. They are not responsible for writing any of the game just the art involved with developing the objects. The company started when the now CEO was assigned to work on the case of a leading gaming company while interning in a law firm in Vietnam. He then got involved with the company and was given the responsibility to open a branch in Vietnam. However it fell through and he bought what remained of the company and started Glass Egg. Today they have many very skilled employees. Every year 40 artists are trained for the job and only two are hired.
At night we went to Lush because the owners of Glass Egg also own Lush so they called ahead for us and got us a VIP table which was a lot of fun. While we were there we also got to talk to the manager of Lush and see how he got involved.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Day 8
Today we spent the entire day with the VietThai Corporation. We started the day with an introduction to the company at Hard Rock Cafe Ho Chi Minh which is owned by VietThai. The purpose of the company is to help international companies open business in Vietnam as well as a few individual projects that the company starts. Then the manager of Hard Rock Cafe talked to us about his management experience and what it is like to work for VietThai. In the afternoon we went to Highlands Coffee which was the start of the VietThai corporation. Highlands is the largest coffee chain in Vietnam however it is not international yet. I learned a lot about the challenges and benefits of opening a company in Vietnam and the creative insight it takes. Later at night we went to karaoke with some of the management employees of VietThai, it was a lot of fun and all the Vietnamese were much better singers than we were.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Day 6 & Day 7
Saturday:
Today we had a field trip to the Mekong Delta. The ride to the delta was amazing, it astounded me how quickly it turned from city to country. However, there were a few medium-sized cities in the delta. In the delta we went to a cocoa plantation started by ACDI/VOCA and we learned about the process and the community between the farmers. Then we went to a model farm and toured the plantation and tried different types of chocolates they made as well as the natural cocoa bean fruit. After, we had a boat tour around the Mekong River and went to different islands in the river. I never knew anything about this river surprisingly because it is a very wide river.
Tonight we went to the night club called Lush which is owned and run by the owners of Glass Egg Digital Media which is a company we are visiting next week.
Sunday:
Today we had another field trip to a beach town on the South China Sea. It was amazingly beautiful with bright, fragrant flowers lining streets and buildings. We toured around for a while and visited a Buddhist pagoda and hiked to the top of a mountain to view one of the largest Jesus statues in the world. It was pretty hard because it was around 100 degrees with humidity and it was a lot of stairs to the top, but it was definitely worth it in the end. After we just had time to hang out on the beach and swim in the ocean which was very warm. I got really burned today but hopefully it will go away soon.
Tonight I think we are going to a French restaurant which should be delicious because of the French influence in Vietnam.
Today we had a field trip to the Mekong Delta. The ride to the delta was amazing, it astounded me how quickly it turned from city to country. However, there were a few medium-sized cities in the delta. In the delta we went to a cocoa plantation started by ACDI/VOCA and we learned about the process and the community between the farmers. Then we went to a model farm and toured the plantation and tried different types of chocolates they made as well as the natural cocoa bean fruit. After, we had a boat tour around the Mekong River and went to different islands in the river. I never knew anything about this river surprisingly because it is a very wide river.
Tonight we went to the night club called Lush which is owned and run by the owners of Glass Egg Digital Media which is a company we are visiting next week.
Sunday:
Today we had another field trip to a beach town on the South China Sea. It was amazingly beautiful with bright, fragrant flowers lining streets and buildings. We toured around for a while and visited a Buddhist pagoda and hiked to the top of a mountain to view one of the largest Jesus statues in the world. It was pretty hard because it was around 100 degrees with humidity and it was a lot of stairs to the top, but it was definitely worth it in the end. After we just had time to hang out on the beach and swim in the ocean which was very warm. I got really burned today but hopefully it will go away soon.
Tonight I think we are going to a French restaurant which should be delicious because of the French influence in Vietnam.
Day 5
Today we had a cultural class on the Mekong Delta. The presenter went into detail about the types of people who live there, the livelihood, and the structure of the delta. The delta is very important to Vietnam because it depends a lot on agriculture for the economy and the delta provides the correct environment to grow rice, cocoa, coffee, and many other tropical foods. Then in language class we mostly just reviewed old material and learned how to say months and days. Our teacher also talked about some of the Vietnamese culture and how it connects to the language.
Our company visit was to ACDI/VOCA which is an ngo. It provides support for the agricultural economy of Vietnam as well as other countries around the world. Currently in Vietnam, they are working on the SUCCESS Alliance project which provides training and sometimes equipment to help cocoa farmers improve their skills or provide new jobs for unemployed citizens.
Tonight we went to karaoke with a few UEF students. It was a lot of fun, you rent out your own private room and they had a good selection of english songs which was great.
Our company visit was to ACDI/VOCA which is an ngo. It provides support for the agricultural economy of Vietnam as well as other countries around the world. Currently in Vietnam, they are working on the SUCCESS Alliance project which provides training and sometimes equipment to help cocoa farmers improve their skills or provide new jobs for unemployed citizens.
Tonight we went to karaoke with a few UEF students. It was a lot of fun, you rent out your own private room and they had a good selection of english songs which was great.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Day 4
May 12, 2011
Today we had a cultural class on the social customs of Vietnam. We learned a lot about the normal attitudes of Vietnamese compared to other cultures around the world. After we had Vietnamese language class and we learned numbers and phrases to say to bargain at the markets.
Our company visit today was the Foreign Commercial Service. It is part of the US Consulate and aids in helping American companies export to Vietnam. It was a very informative visit and I learned a lot about the country and how business works.
Tonight we went to a dance class with the UEF students at their school which was actually a lot of fun. After, they took us to dinner and I got to ride to the restaurant on the back of my friends motor bike. It was so much fun seeing how everyone gets around in Vietnam. Then we walked around and went to the Rex Hotel which as a rooftop deck and listened to the flamenco band playing there.
Today we had a cultural class on the social customs of Vietnam. We learned a lot about the normal attitudes of Vietnamese compared to other cultures around the world. After we had Vietnamese language class and we learned numbers and phrases to say to bargain at the markets.
Our company visit today was the Foreign Commercial Service. It is part of the US Consulate and aids in helping American companies export to Vietnam. It was a very informative visit and I learned a lot about the country and how business works.
Tonight we went to a dance class with the UEF students at their school which was actually a lot of fun. After, they took us to dinner and I got to ride to the restaurant on the back of my friends motor bike. It was so much fun seeing how everyone gets around in Vietnam. Then we walked around and went to the Rex Hotel which as a rooftop deck and listened to the flamenco band playing there.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Day 3
May 11, 2011
Today we didn't go to UEF. Instead we had two company visits to VSIP (II-VI) and Exim Bank. VSIP is an industrial park and urban planning developer. It is somewhat like Phu My Hung but focuses more on the industrial park and leasing space to companies instead of residential properties. II-VI was an optics developer inside one of the VSIP industrial parks. We got a tour of the factory and they explained the processes of developing the lenses.
Exim Bank, Export Import Bank of Vietnam, is the third largest bank in Vietnam with an interest rate of 14%. Everyone at the bank was so welcoming and it was an awesome tour.
Tonight we went to a pho restaurant which is a local soup of Vietnam, it is delicious.
Today we didn't go to UEF. Instead we had two company visits to VSIP (II-VI) and Exim Bank. VSIP is an industrial park and urban planning developer. It is somewhat like Phu My Hung but focuses more on the industrial park and leasing space to companies instead of residential properties. II-VI was an optics developer inside one of the VSIP industrial parks. We got a tour of the factory and they explained the processes of developing the lenses.
Exim Bank, Export Import Bank of Vietnam, is the third largest bank in Vietnam with an interest rate of 14%. Everyone at the bank was so welcoming and it was an awesome tour.
Tonight we went to a pho restaurant which is a local soup of Vietnam, it is delicious.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Day 2
May 10, 2011
Today we had a speaker come to UEF to give us a history of Ho Chi Minh City and its urban plan. It was really interesting to learn how the city changed throughout time and what the future plans are for growth, both economic and social. After we had language class again. We reviewed what we did yesterday and learned how to say how are you and to answer saying fine.
Our company visit today was Phu My Hung, which is my presentation company. I was shocked to see how big the company and its projects are, I didn't know it was to that scale. The main basis of their projects is to create a new city center for Ho Chi Minh City because the population is currently to big for the current center. It offers a wide variety of amenities from residential housing to leasable space for offices and other companies. Currently they only have the main city center built or under construction but they have plans to expand.
At night we went out to dinner with our new Vietnamese friends. They took us to a restaurant which specialized in this big, flat pancake that was filled with egg and whatever else you wanted. After they took us to their favorite frozen yogurt shop which was delicious as well.
Day 1
May 9, 2011
The first night was rough. We didn’t go to bed until 1 am and I woke up at 5 am because I could not sleep anymore. However, breakfast at the hotel was very good. There were so many different kinds of foods to choose from, mostly Vietnamese style foods. I wasn’t very adventurous with the food this morning but tomorrow I will try more of it.
When we got to UEF, University of Economics and Finance, we had a welcome ceremony first thing. Our professor gave a speech and so did a few of the UEF professors. Also, a few students sang songs and a girl performed a traditional dance for us. All of the students were so nice and I talked to a few of them. I am excited to get to know them more and go out places with them.
After, we had a language class and learned a short conversation. How to say hi, what’s your name and how to answer, and nice to meet you. It is a difficult language to learn because it is tonal so words change meaning with the way you say it. But the UEF students help us learn all the words.
We had a group welcome dinner at a nice restaurant and they served us seven courses which was amazing, but almost everything had meat in it so I got to order something extra. I can’t wait to go out to restaurants and eat Vietnamese foods.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Flight to Vietnam
The first flight to Hong Kong was 15 hours but since we were flying west, we kept up with the sun, and the entire flight was in daylight. Thankfully, the flight attendants had everyone close their blind to make it seem like night, so I got some sleep. The flight didn't take the route I expected, instead of flying straight over the Pacific, we flew up through Canada and crossed over to Russia from Alaska and then down through China. Flying into Hong Kong was amazing, I didn't know the terrain was so mountainous. The fog and clouds rolling over the mountains and the city in the valley was very picturesque.
The last flight from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City was not as bad as I expected. Usually the last few hours of a really long trip seem like they take forever, but the plane was not so crowded and really quiet so the time went by quickly. Then getting through customs was very easy in the airport. Right as you walked out of the airport the heat and humidity hit you immediately. According to Dr. Berman, it was a cool night. Vietnamese were walking around in pants and some had long sleaves on and it was 88 degrees! There was so much to look at during the drive to the hotel, I didn't know which direction to look. The people on their motorbikes, the brightly lit stores and bars, the whole scenery took over every sense. I am looking forward to tomorrow to see everything in the light and walk around and get to know everything.
The last flight from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City was not as bad as I expected. Usually the last few hours of a really long trip seem like they take forever, but the plane was not so crowded and really quiet so the time went by quickly. Then getting through customs was very easy in the airport. Right as you walked out of the airport the heat and humidity hit you immediately. According to Dr. Berman, it was a cool night. Vietnamese were walking around in pants and some had long sleaves on and it was 88 degrees! There was so much to look at during the drive to the hotel, I didn't know which direction to look. The people on their motorbikes, the brightly lit stores and bars, the whole scenery took over every sense. I am looking forward to tomorrow to see everything in the light and walk around and get to know everything.
Monday, May 2, 2011
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