May 20, 2011

Well, today marks my last day in Ho Chi Minh City, and I will miss it very dearly. Over these past two weeks, I have learned more Interesting facts, made more new friends, and had more fun than I have had in a Very long time! Today at UEF, we said our goodbyes to our language and cultures teachers, and we participated in a Cultural Exchange. We spoke with the UEF students about how college life in the states compares with college life in Vietnam, and we also played many weird yet very fun games with the students. After we said our goodbyes, our group travelled to a soccer field and partook in a game between our group and the UEF students. Needless to say we lost, albeit not by much (I believe the score was 5 to 3?) After saying goodbye to the last of our UEF friends, our group travelled to a resort for our goodbye dinner.....In  a monsoon. The dinner was delicious and we stayed dry (for the most part), but the fact that we were leaving the place we've been calling home for the past two weeks was weighing heavy on our minds and hearts. Now that we've said goodbye to Tin and Anh as well, most of us have decided to stay up all night until we head to the Saigon Airport at 4:00 AM tomorrow morning. What a wonderful experience this trip has been! This is Tom Bush signing off.

May 19, 2011: Cu Chi Tunnels!

Well, today was the day of our Cu Chi Tunnel visit. After riding on our bus for about an hour and a half through the countryside and many a rubber plantation, we arrived at Cu Chi. Once there, we were taken to a screening pavilion to watch a film on the Vietcong and their quite complex tunnel plans. From there, our tour guide took us to many different stations and displays, including all of the different kinds of traps they used, the homemade weapons they constructed, and finally the Tunnels they dug and lived in times of war. We were given the chance to crawl through a section of tunnels that were enlarged for tourists, but they were still absolutely tiny! The dimensions were something like 3 feet tall by 1.5 to 2 feet wide, and at some points, i had to crawl on hands and knees to traverse these catacombs. It was truly an unforgettable experience, and I hope that I will be able to make a return visit someday.

May 18, 2011:

Today, our group visited CBRE, a well-known real estate agency in Ho Chi Minh City. We met with a woman named Patty, who took us to a cafe called Jaspa to talk about the real estate world in Vietnam and the MANY challenges they face daily. She pretty much told us that because the government is so reluctant to make decisions that many processes that would take a short time in America can take up to 3 TIMES as long in 'Nam. She seemed to talk a lot about the government, politics, and Typical ways of life in Vietnam from what she has experienced. After our meeting with Patty was over, some of us ventured on over to Hai Bai Trung Street which is a large shopping district to have some fun! Tomorrow our group will be traveling  to the Cu Chi tunnels, the 75 mile long tunnel system the Vietcong hid in during times of war. Im very excited, but im not sure as to if I will get stuck in the tunnels or not. I guess time will tell......

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.