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 :)
No comments:
Post a Comment