May 17, 2011: Glass Eggs, Market, and Lush

Today has been a somewhat average day. After going to Class at UEF, our group visited Glass Egg Digital Media who is a firm that supplies art to video game developers. The artists at Glass Egg are responsible for many of the tracks and cars that you see in video games such as Forza Motorsport 1, 2, and 3, as well as Blur and L.A. Rush. The company visit was pretty cool, as we were given an entire tour of the studio and got to see some of the artists hard at work. After leaving Glass Egg, some of us decided to go shopping at the famous Ben Tanh Market. A lot of us bought things there for family members, but we also found out that this place is a for-sure "Tourist Trap". For starters, the market is incredibly packed, it smells like rotting food from the produce and meat vendors, and the vendors are ultra pushy for you to purchase their things. Alas, i walked away with some pretty good deals. Now it is night time, and our group will be heading off to Lush, a nightclub that is part owned by Glass Egg. This should be exciting, as it is ladies night, the club's most populous night; between 600 and 800 people are supposed to be there!

March 16, 2011: COFFEE and Ben Tanh Market!

Today, we had no classes at UEF, but rather one large day-visit at the Viet Thai Corporation, the creator of Highlands Coffee! The first half of their presentation was done by one of the Thai brothers themself, and he was extremely knowledgeable and, for being the chief of staff for a multimillion-dollar firm, was the most down-to-earth person that our group had encountered thus far. He spoke of his trials and tribulations when he was little, his family going from rags to riches many different times throughout his life, and his final success along with his brother. The Thais’ story is inspiring to say the least, and they represent a prime example of how hard work and dedication can yield reward and satisfaction. After drinking some excellent Robusta from Highlands, many of us ventured to the legendary Ben Tanh Market. This enclosed pavilion is absolutely filled with pretty much everything and anything one would want to buy. After looking around for about an hour an a half and successfully bartering, I walked away with some pretty cool items to bring back as gifts. 

May 15, 2011: Helloooooooo Vung Tau!

Today was probably one of the best, if not the best, day of the trip. We travelled down to the docks in District 1 and boarded a Hydrofoil to Vung Tau, a coastal region that lies along the South China Sea.  It is for-sure the most beautiful urban area I have ever seen, as it is perched right along beside the azure waters of the South China Sea. We boarded a bus and stopped at many attractions along the way to the beach, including a Buddhist Temple, a Catholic site complete with enormous statues of the virgin Mary holding baby Jesus, and my favorite, the largest and highest standing statue of Jesus Christ in the entire world. When they proclaim this is perched high up, they are grossly under-describing; it took at least 25-30 minutes in order to ascend up thousands of steps and a 500 meter long path stretching up the mountainside, but the view at the top was well worth it. After that we ate lunch and then gallivanted on the beach for the rest of the day. I can safely say that I am mildly sunburnt, and that it is quite alright.  c:

 

*Photo Credit-Tom Bush

Today, we went to the Mekong Delta. When arriving at the plantation, we were greeted with a torrential downpour and a friendly hello from the head of the Plantation. He was happy to tell us about his large plantation, the crops that grow on it besides Cacao, and to show us the full process of how the Cacao pods are harvested, peeled, fermented (smells bad) , and dried before taking us on a tour of the full plantation  and the model farm. Finally, the rain let up and the sun peaked out for a while, and there was a kind of breeze going on, so the tour of the plantation and model farm was pleasant and not stifling like it usually is!After the plantation, we went on a boat ride down the river and to many little stops along the way.

Altogether, I LOVED the Mekong Delta and all it had to offer. From the beautiful and lush scenery to the general happiness of people in the area, it really saddens me that this biological and agricultural gem of an area will one day disappear, and all that has made this area associated with fertile land and strong crops will also fade.

May 13:ACDI/VOCA

Today was a great day, despite the abrupt onset of monsoon season made its presence clear today, as it poured more than a few times today. After going to Vietnamese Language class, we returned to the hotel to get ready for our company visit to ACDI/VOCA and Success Alliance. After a walk through the steamy rain, we sat through a presentation by the folks at ACDI/VOCA. Essentially, ACDI/VOCA is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) that through the help of the U.S. government and other donors helps purchase and plant cacao farms throughout mostly southern Vietnam. ACDI/VOCA also hires and trains farmers how to farm, harvest, process, and dry Cacao beans and helps them get the beans sold as product. This program is helping many people support both themselves or their families and communities by allowing them to have space to grow crops that they otherwise may not have had. Tomorrow, we will go to the Cacao plantation in the Mekong Delta in order to see how the Cacao is harvested, dried, and processed.

May 12: Pho, Crazy T-Shirt Lady, and the Rooftop Garden

Well, today could be called both interesting, amazing, and strange. First, interesting: Today was our first day of Vietnamese Culture classes at UEF, and we left the lecture having learned a surprising amount of new knowledge. Second, Amazing: This is in reference to the Rex 5 Star Hotel's Rooftop Garden, which my friends and I traveled to at night in order to listen to some wicked flamenco bands and take in the beautiful views of District 1. And finally, downright strangeness was the feeling when we encountered the "Crazy T-Shirt Lady". Our group was just cruising along the streets when we stumbled across a woman selling t-shirts. We all decided we had wanted some shirts, and we all decided that it would be a great time to implement our fresh bartering skills! She had originally wanted 60,000 Dong for each shirt, but i told her that was too expensive and asked if i could have 2 for 60,000. She had said yes (or so we thought) and so we all grabbed two shirts and paid. Right after paying she starts telling us that EACH shirt is now 60,000 a piece and starts confusing the hell out of us. In the end, only Laura was savvy enough to waltz away with the "two for the price of one" deal. It was a funny experience and it also shows that a.) street vendors are crazy and b.)we need to work on our bartering skills!

Day 3

Wednesday, May 10th. Today when we went to our classes at UEF, we attended a presentation on Urban Development in Ho Chi Minh City, and it was quite intreresting. After the conclusion of our classes, we visited the Phu My Hung Corporation in District 7. At their headquarters, we listened to their well-made presentation and I thought the entire thing very professional. Actually, I was quite surprised at the professionalism of the vietnamese, and they give off an heir of taking great pride in their own work. Since Phu My Hung was my group's company we have been assigned, I also found the presentation to be very interesting, as it tied together many loose ends. Well, thats all for today, I am meeting up with some newly made Vietnamese friends for dinner and frozen Yogurt soon. Until next time.
TOM

Day 2: The beginning of an adventure

May 9, 2011

So, today was our first day at the University of Economics and economics. The faculty and students warmly greeted us, and they treated us to students singing songs, traditional dancing, and a totally random puppet show. Shortly after the entertainment was over, a short ceremony happened and we were introduced to our Vietnamese counterparts and the heads of the school. After the conclusion of the ceremony, we were escorted off to our Vietnamese language class. Our teacher was extremely enthusiastic and we all soon discovered how incredibly difficult it is to learn Vietnamese: many words have 4 or 6 different inflections and tones, and each tone amounts to a different definition.  Aside from our first day of classes going on today, today was also the first day I got to do a little exploring! Even though I have only been here one full day, I feel like I have done so much! First of all, HCMC is absolutely enormous; I couldn't believe the shear amount of people that are here. Second, although HCMC is very populated, it is GORGEOUS here. There are so many trees and wooded areas throughout the city; I think American city planners should take some notes. Third, everything is practically dirt-cheap; my American dollars are definitely getting stretched! Now for some cons: The city kind of smells bad, so many unfamiliar and weird smells abound. Second, the humidity is unreal for a western Pennsylvanian like myself. If you think Florida is bad for humidity, it has nothing on Vietnam. Average temp was about 87-90 degrees F and 85% humidity today.

Third, this city is incredibly confusing when it comes to streets; its not logically laid out and its very easy to get lost quickly, good thing I’m with at least one other person almost all the time. Other than those minor setbacks, I truly love it here and I wish you could be here to experience such a wonderful and humbling culture shock. AH, one last thing! Crossing the street is practically an art form. There are LITERALLY thousands of motorbikes, automobiles, and bicycles coming at you in all directions, there are few stoplights, and turn signals are almost never used. Here is the procedure: 1.) Look both ways, 2.) Walk directly out in front of oncoming, (literally) non-stopping traffic, 3.) Stare at as many of the drivers in the eyes so that they will dart around you, and hopefully you will make it across the street without becoming seriously injured. In a terrifying way, it’s actually kind of fun :)

                                                                                             

First Journal Entry: The beginnings of an epic journey

Well, the time has come to venture off into wild and wonderful Vietnam! I cannot wait for the learning experience, culture shock, and all the adventures my group and I will have! Well, that's all for now.
www.vietnamplus3.pitt.edu