Living Large and Team USA (day 11 and day 12)

alright, prepare yourself for the emotional roller coaster that is my last blog post....

Thursday,

We started the morning with the usual breakfast. But luckily we did get to sleep in extra long. It was wonderful. 

Today we started out our day at UEF with culture class. Today's topic was religions in Vietnam. It was interesting but it was so hard to pay attention. By this point in the trip we are all so mentally exhausted it's hard to even pay attention to your own thoughts. 

Then it was time for the last language class which was very fun and sad and exciting all at the same time. We had our test which was better than expected. I may not have pronounced a single word right, but somehow i managed to say all the right approximate words. Our teacher has been so amazingly patient with us as we brutally massacred the language. It was kinda sad and one of the first clear moments where I realized the trip was wrapping up. 

Finally, it was time for our final lunch at restaurant of the flies. It was by far the best meal we had had there, complete with the delicious corndog shrimp. That is one place that none of us are upset to have to say goodbye to. The food was good the flies were just so abundant and disgusting. 

After lunch we ran back to the hotel and rested up a few minutes before we went to the War Remnants Museum. 

Where to start with the museum.... Visiting Vietnam without going to the tourist sights like the museum or the Cu Chi tunnels, it's easy to forget that there was a war somewhat recently. But you walk into the museum and instantly you see captured war vessels, including planes and tanks. That was one of the first things which upset me. Here are these Vietnamese nationals and tourists climbing all over American war machines smiling and posing. It just seems so wrong and disrespectful, no matter who's war machines they are. Then you go in and read all about these children affected by the war and see all kinds of pictures of deformed children harmed by the chemicals of the war. Then they picked a line from the United States constitution and placed it with all kinds of pictures of destruction to counteract what was written. One of the parts that upset me the most was a simple statement calling the war a genocide. It's just not something that anyone thinks about. No one wants to admit their country did something wrong, but at the same time genocide is a VERY powerful word. A third and finally thing that got to me was reading some of the descriptions on pictures. There was one of a huddled family who looked petrified. The caption said something like I stopped the soldiers from shooting the family so I could capture this picture. I then turned my back and walked away to the sound of guns firing. Not to get into too much detail because it is such a touchy subject, it really makes you question your values walking through a museum like this. No war is black and white. Every person has their own view, facts and stories. We had the opportunity to see the Vietnamese side which was fascinating it was just difficult to stomach. 

After the war museum we hung out at the hotel for a little and then we went back to the market for one last go of things. As interesting an experience as the market was, it most definitely is a place I will not miss. 

Next up was probably the best meal we have had here. Being that it was our last free night, we decided we were going to treat ourselves to a nice meal. We went to this rooftop bar and restaurant at the top of this beautiful hotel called the Rex. We stumbled upon Dr. Berman in the lobby and he was kind enough to join us for dinner and buy us our first round of drinks. 

Most people who served in the Vietnam war don't talk about it. But the opportunity to go to Vietnam with a man who not only served in the Vietnam War but also had visited the country many a time since made this trip so much more rewarding. There is so much history to Vietnam, and a lot of it is recent history. Dr. Berman was able to share with us first hand experiences from the war as well as describing its evolution into the place it is today. This trip would be nothing without his expertise. 

After dinner we met up with the guy from ii-vi and his son. They took us around the town for our last night showing us the sights and taking us to the local hot spots. It was just such a crazy experience to see Vietnam through the eyes of someone close to our age in a somewhat similar situation. 

Friday

What an amazing day. We started early when Jake and I went to a French Bakery for breakfast. On our taxi ride back, the language barrier caused a 30,000 dong cab ride to be a 80,000 dong cab ride... Breakfast was delicious though!

We all boarded the bus and headed to a recreational park for a game of soccer and a game of basketball. For both, the club teams were who we were supposed to play. However, some of the students we had been spending the most time with hopped in and evened the playing field. Team USA ended up tying Team Vietnam 4 to 4. I was lucky enough to contribute one of the goals that helped make us almost victorious. My clutziness mixed with Gregg's anger and aggression landed me on the ground with a ball getting kicked at me within a few seconds of entering the game. The basketball game was funny. Jake, our tall basketball player on the trip was loving messing with these kids and showing off his sharp shooting. The heat though slowed us all down, and that was where the students had the advantage. It was a lot of fun and a great way to end the trip.

We went back to the hotel after where we packed up and got lunch with two students, Vin and Tracy. They took us to one of their favorite restaurants where we enjoyed a lovely last lunch. On our walk were the most adorable puppies in metal cage. They were like shoved into there. It was so sad. While we were petting them EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE was pulling over to watch us. It was so uncomfortable. 

We came back to the hotel, said many goodbyes and finished packing up the room. 

We then had dinner on this boat overlooking the city at night. It was beautiful and the food was delicious. I couldn't have imagined a better way to finish out two of the most memorable weeks of my life. 

I can't begin to describe my gratitude to so many people for this trip, so prepare yourself cause this is about to get really sappy....

Firstly, I would like to thank my parents for giving me this opportunity. Without them first developing my desire to travel, I never would have done a trip like this. And then for them allowing me to come here and experience this was absolutely amazing of them!

Secondly, I would like to thank UEF. They were wonderful in allowing us to use their accommodations as our home base for this trip.  But a special thanks to all the students who so kindly and patiently welcomed us into their lives and strove to make this a wonderful trip for us. But the biggest thanks to our main man Tin-Tin for putting up with us everyday and being our amazing guide. The trip would have been extremely different without him.

Finally, I want to thank my crew from Pitt. Firstly, Dr. Berman. He has created the most wonderful program here in Vietnam. He also put up with all our shenanigans and still seemed excited to see us every morning and share with us this country which is such a big part of his life. Dr. Berman, I wish you the best of luck with retirement. You have truly earned it. You gave me two weeks which I will remember forever. Secondly, Brian. Brian was the most amazing teacher a well. He was so patient and encouraging, always being so enthusiastic even when the rest of us were dead to the world. And lastly, I want to think this Plus 3 group. I feel like I have made 13 new really good friends who are the only people who can really understand what I have experienced. It's always so rewarding when a group of 14 completely different people can come together and from such a close bond. I can't wait to catch up with all of you when we get back to Pitt next year. 

And for the final time....

Xin Chao loyal readers

For the last time, I send my love from Vietnam.

USA, we will be reunited soon

Adventure Squad and the Lunch Lady (day 9 and day 10)

Alright so I have been slacking once again.... lets flash back to tuesday.....

Tuesday (day 9)

Today we started the morning with our traditional Vietnamese Hotel breakfast. It's definitely starting to get a bit old and repetitive, basically like your American continental breakfast at any given hotel. 

After breakfast we boarded our bus and headed off to UEF. There's already a status quo of where you sit on the bus and one person moves and the whole bus has like a culture shock or something. It's kinda funny.

At UEF we started with a brief culture lesson. We learned a lot about motorbikes which was cool to learn about because they are SO important to the culture here. I mean it's like a really rare day when you don't almost get run over by a motor bike in this country. Since language class finished so early, we kinda had some time to kill in our classroom. Well we decided hangman would be fun and completed a few rounds of that before giving up and the room just turning into chaos. 

Though our free time didn't last long because our teacher showed up and we started language class. We learned about how to say stuff like so hot and so delicious. The word for so is fun to say so the whole class was getting pretty into it. By this point in the week we end up just having conversations with the students who help us out. It's nice because by now we all know most of the students and we can have real conversations of substance and depth. 

After we went to our usual restaurant and had the "corndog shrimp" which made everyones day. But other than that, we are all excited when we get to lunch somewhere else. Though there was this one thing that I think was pork but it tasted like bacon of substance and it was delicious. 

Next up was the NaviBank of Vietnam. For the first time on the trip, the business professional we talked to didn't speak English, so our good friend Tuan from UEF came and translated for us. 

My friend Amy needed to find a Vietnamese book for her brother, so, in the company of our friend Jake, we ventured out into the city on foot in search of a Vietnamese book store. We stumbled upon an absolutely delicious French bakery. For one of the first times since getting here we had bread, well good bread. I got a smoothie too. It hit the spot. 

After we went to an Italian joint and got something of an equivalent to Olive Garden. But being that we haven't had noodles of that genre in so long, they were absolutely delicious!!! 

Wednesday (day 10)

Today, technically, was a day to sleep in! Instead, Amy, Jake and I, the adventure crew, went to this lady called the Lunch Lady for breakfast. Basically, she is this woman who is a street vendor who locals give ingredients to and she makes a different bowl of pho everyday. We learned about her because she was on "No Reservations" on the food network. It was absolutely amazing, when of the best meals I have had yet! I've no idea what it was but I ate it right up. They also brought us out these spring rolls with a spicy sauce which were amazing too!

Today was our last day of company visits, a very bittersweet feeling.

We first went to Saigon Newport Corporation. Basically what it is is a Navy run, government owned port which seems to control to the import and export business in Vietnam. We were greeted and shown around by a Vietnamese Naval officer who was very nice and outgoing. After a briefing on the company, its history and its purpose, we took a quick tour of the port. We had this super cool view of all the crates with the main city in the background. After the tour we were waiting for the elevator, when the officer asked why I looked familiar to him and if I was a movie star. It kind of was the highlight of my day!!!! I told him that if I was I would give him my autograph.

Next up was lunch in one of the most beautiful restaurants I have seen here. You could have told me I was at a 5 star Mexican or Hawaiian resort and I would've believed you! The food was delicious too!  I'm not quite sure what it was that I ate, but it was perfectly spicy and flavorful!

After lunch we went to Kien A Corporation's apartment complex, the name of which I forget now. Basically they have about 700 apartments which they sell to lots of international, as well as domestic, clients. We were fortunate enough to tour a 3 bedroom apartment and the unfinished penthouses. Both were beautiful. The view from the penthouse was absolutely extraordinary! You could see for miles and it was city lines everywhere. 

We got back to the hotel and decided it would be a good time to clean up the room a bit. It is the cleanest it has been all trip!!!

Then the adventure squad decided to take a trip out on the town and get a bite to eat. We stumbled upon a german bakery, where, if the items had been sitting for "too long", they became free, so we got free hotdog wrapped in croissants! And some bread and jam. It was delicious. 

We then hit up what is supposedly the best local bar in the country with a drink that is world renowned. It was a passion fruit mojito. And I have never tasted anything nearly as amazing. We were on this rooftop overlooking a busy road and casually sipping on mojitos. It was definitely something we couldn't do back in America. 

For dinner, I got me a pizza. Oh boy, pizza has never tasted better. 

Now I am laying in bed, finishing my thoughts before it is time for me to clock out for the night. It has been a long day but I can't wait for more tomorrow. 

But I also can't wait to see everyone and talk to everyone soon!

Chao!

  

How I almost died in a Vietnamese market (day 8)

Alright, well you're probably hoping I tell you right away what this title is about. Here's the important thing, it is how I almost died and it is a huge over dramatization. But for now enjoy the tales of the rest of my day and I will fill you in at the end....

After my lovely breakfast at the hotel, we went to a different UEF campus to practice our Vietnamese. This school, if I understood right, was for students who were taking their first year classes, where the other campus, the one we spend most of our time at, is for the upperclassman. We had a little quiz today in preparation for the markets. I aced my quiz which consisted of three questions which we went over multiple times as a class. It was a good feeling, though, realizing a lot of what I have learned has sunk in. 

After language class we went on a tour of Ho Chi Minh City. We drove around a bit and then went to the Reunification Palace, aka the old "white house." It was an elaborately decorated 4 story building with a beautiful view of the city. My favorite parts of it were the two air conditioners we found in the basement of the building and stood in front of for a solid 10/15 minutes. But in all seriousness it was an incredibly impressive building. I preferred it to our White House. The rooms were much more beautiful and yet so simple. 

After the palace, we went back to the hotel to rest and have lunch. Lunch was a ZOO. Some local school uses our hotel as a cafeteria for their students and oh my lanta was it crowded. When I first showed up you had to throw elbows to get anywhere near the buffet table, and when you finally got there there was no food left! After a few minutes though, the students cleared out and the food was delicious. One thing I have learned about the Asian culture is that there is a complete disregard for lines. In America, if you cut in line you get yelled at, thrown out or chanted at (No cuts, not butts, no coconuts). Well my time in Asia, whether it have been the airport in Japan or the lunch line at the Victory Hotel, there is no sense of order or lines. It is a large free for all. 

After a nice rest break in the hotel room, some UEF students met us in the lobby and we headed for China town. We first stopped at this beautiful pagoda. It was definitely older, but was nonetheless one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture we have seen yet. 

Finally we headed to the market. This; however, is not the market I almost died in. The market in China town was more authentic, less touristy. They had everything from every kind of flip flop imaginable, to hooker bras to industrial pots and pans. They had lots of bags and purses and foods. It was a very interesting place to explore. 

Next a few of us students, with the help of the UEF students made our way to the market near our hotel, the tourist attraction market. This was a complete different experience. Everything they were selling was aimed at tourists. They had all kinds of clothing, foods and souvenirs. Everyone seemed to speak English and they were much more in your face. Que how I almost died....

My friend Clarissa and I wandered off on our own hoping to make some great deals. We had learned our best weapon was to walk away. Most of these people were very inclined to lower the price whenever you threatened to walk away. Well we made our way to the handbag section and found some fake Tory Burch handbags we both really liked. We figured buying two would help get us a good deal. Well this lady seemed very unwilling to haggle so we said no thank you and tried walking away. Well that didn't go over too hot. She agreed to lower the price, but just a little. Well each and every time she turned to walk away, she lowered the price more. Well neither of us actually had enough money to pay for these bags so we attempted to explain we would come back after getting more money. Well she did not like that. As i walked away she grabbed my arm. After I shook her grip she grabbed my bag and pulled me back to her stand. Again we tried leaving only this time she grabbed Clarissa's arm and clamped on. I was trying my hardest to pull her away but this lady wasn't letting go and was digging her nails in. Finally, Clarissa got free and we booked it away from there. All we heard was the lady yelling after us, "you crazy girls! you crazy!" After that we were done for the day. 

We went to a little restaurant called Ti Ti for dinner and had more beef. It was delicious. The cab ride out was suspiciously longer than the cab ride back though. Oh well.

Upon arriving at the hotel, it was time for my fitting of my custom made suit. For 90 dollars, I got a custom made suit jacket with pants. This man came and measured us last Thursday. Today (Monday) he brought back the near finished pieces for us to try on and he made the more minor adjustments. The material was so nice. And the suit seemed to fit like a gem. I'm so excited to see the final product!

Well, hope all is well for all my loyal followers and I will be talking to you from the states very soon. 

Lobster season (day 7)

You are about to hear about probably my favorite day her. Brace yourselves. 

Yesterday was beach day... WAHOOO

We started the morning going on a hydrofoil which is like a baguette shaped ship with airplane like seating. Unfortunately, it was indoors, but there were certain areas we could go stand up in that were outside to take pictures and enjoy the wind. The ride there wasn't too bad. It was fun watching the scenery change from city to almost like marshland and the florida everglades and then open up into the bay. We also had a huge block of seats all together so people would just throw themselves down in any open seat and strike up conversation. 

We finally arrive and to most people's enjoyment, there was a KFC which the group stopped at and a few people got popcorn chicken. I had a piece of someone else's, but I couldn't bring myself to pay for American fast food. But it did taste mighty delicious. 

We hopped onto buses and were carted off to the base of a mountainside. Looking up we saw a statue of Mary and Jesus straight ahead. Off to the left you could see more statues portraying Jesus in the various stations. To the right and much farther over, was a Buddha facing the opposite direction. At the base was a rather large Catholic Church unlike one I had ever seen before. It was gorgeous and some kind of service was clearly going on. A huge part of Vung Tau (where we went) was seeing all these different religions blend together in one small area. We climbed up lots of steps were we were able to enjoy these statues up close, we didn't; however, go near the buddha. 

Next up was going to the nearby Buddhist Pagoda. It was beautiful. However, it was also kind of exactly what you expected from a pagoda, which isn't necessarily strange considering almost every Catholic Church looks exactly the same yet somehow every Braschayko family vacation we manage to visit every single one in a 100 mile radius (cough cough mom and dad). It was a cool cultural experience. I was however a little bugged by the behavior of some people during these two visits.  I do understand different religions are fascinating, but while at the Catholic Church many people were loud and uninterested in learning about the customs. They just treated it as if it were a common building and did as they pleased. While at the pagoda; however, everyone wanted to go in and try out the customs and the such. I do understand Catholicism is something most people already know about, I just was taken aback and slightly upset over the matter.

Nonetheless it was a marvelous day. Next up was the large statue of Jesus similar to that in Brazil. I sweat as much as I used to at daily doubles on this short hike up the mountain. It definitely is harder to breath and extremely hot and humid. The whole hike was beautiful though so it didn't seem long at all. The occasional shade was the highlight of the hike though. I had wished it had been more of an off terrain hike. The path was lined with these beautiful, intricate stone steps, which my legs are now feeling a bit today. Once at the top there was the most beautiful view of the city and the coast line. I even stood there and said, "The views, ahhh the views." You're welcome dad. They had these benches the whole way up. They seemed like they were benches people could purchase and have engraved. There were lots from all over Vietnam, but the majority seemed like they were from PA, which was so strange to me. Someone else found two Oregon's and took pictures for me. I found a Spokane which was the closest to home I saw. It was fun for everyone to go looking at them hoping to see one from nearby their home. 

After the hike was lunch. The cauliflower was absolutely amazing. That and a bowl of rice and a bottle of water was about all I could stomach. It was just too hot to eat and everyone was ready to get to the beach and swim. 

After a long wait, and by long I mean like 5 minutes, we were finally at the beach. There were all kinds of beach side bars and vendors, but everyone went straight to the beach and straight into the water. My first mistake- not reapplying sunscreen.... whoops... The water was some of the warmest I had ever swum in. Luckily though, the farther out you went the cooler it got. We also had to go out so far to even be at waist leveled water. A few of us swam all the way out to the buoy too which felt so great. I stayed in the water almost the entire time. I did; however, get out for a short amount of time with Carly to go hunting for a smoothie. We didn't find a smoothie, but we ended up at a Russian bar where we ordered juice, thinking it was just gonna be from a bottle. But boy were we wrong. The bartender pulls out a full pineapple for mine and a full baby watermelon for hers. He then pulls out a juicer and proceeds to juice both the pineapple and the watermelon. It cost less than two dollars for this large and delicious glass of freshly squeezed pineapple juice. He then cut up the remainder of the watermelon and the pineapple and served it to us. It was the most perfect treat ever. After that I had a piece of bread and it was straight back to the water until it was time to leave. 

The hydrofoil on the way back was much more painful. It was so hot and crowded and muddy, and not to mention longer. It felt great to get back and shower though. 

A small group of us decided to wander last night until we found a restaurant. Well we wandered until we found this beautiful looking restaurant kind of in the middle of nowhere. It was by far the best meal I have had here. The waiter spoke wonderful english and laughed at us when we ordered. They had steak and french fries with french bread for 3 dollars. That was impossible to pass up, so four out of five of us ordered that. Then we all ordered another entree and dessert. I got the steak, vegetable stirfry and salad rolls finished with almond ice cream. The entire meal cost me 250,000 dong which is the equivalent of $12.50. 

Now, it is Monday morning. I'm sitting at breakfast enjoying myself and the food. Today is market day and I can't be more excited!!!! 

As the Braschayko family gathering in Minnesota comes closer and closer I'm getting more and more bummed I can't be there! Congrats Steven on graduating, and I hope everyone has a blast!!!!!

All my love. 

Our dysconfunctional family (day 5 and 6)

So I've been slacking a bit and I'm sorry for that. It's just been so hectic. So lets flash back 3 days.

Thursday (day 4)

The students took us to karaoke after i finished blogging. They rented us a room and there were like 30 of us in this tiny room singing out hearts out. It was funny how many different kinds of music they listened to! I was impressed how much American music they knew. For example, Springsteen by Eric Church, although somehow I ended up being the one with the mic in my hand. It didn't matter though. Everyone sang every song. The best by far though was when we turned on Sweet Caroline. Probably everyone in the joint could hear us singing. 

Friday (day 5)

Today was one of the most fun days we've had here!

We spent the whole day at UEF. The morning was pretty ordinary. We had a cultural lesson on Vietnam. It was interesting learning some of the cultural distinctions. For example colors are very symbolic here. The respectful colors to wear are red, green, yellow and blue I believe. You don't want to wear white or black, especially not to a wedding, because white represents death and is what they wear to funerals. Black here is symbolic of the ghost. 

Language class is getting better and better each time. I now feel like I can actually pronounce some of the words accurately. And I'm starting to remember things too! The students have been so helpful with that. 

Lunch was good. We keep going back to the same restaurant. The atmosphere is lots of fun but there are flies everywhere and the braver you are with the food, well, the crazier the things that happen to your stomach are.

Now here was the best part of the day. We had an event with the English Club. Basically it was a cultural exchange but seemed an awful lot like a field day. They put us on 4 teams and we did a variety of competitions. 

Meet team CoCo, the champions. 

We had a dance competition, a tie all the balloons to one persons head competition, a pop all the balloons we blew up competition, a twister like game and finally the human hula hoop game. All in all it was lots of fun but we were exhausted by the end. 

The day was finished with lots and lots of picture taking. The photographer even asked to get a picture with me. He turned to me and said, "You so tall... you SO tall. Picture?" They love their pictures more here than teenage girls. 

Next Carly, Amy and I wandered the streets shopping a little. Going in these clothing stores feels like walking into a preteen store. It's very unlikely that I can find anything that fits at any of these stores. The sizes typically range from an XXS to a S...

One of the most interesting cultural things here is  the people's drive and desire to remain as white as possible. Looking in their grocery store lots of their face washes and lotions have skin whitening in them. I think it's a thing where you want what you can't have. Like in the US everyone aspires to be tan because most people are pretty pale. Well here it's very hard not to get tan, so they all strive to be white. Thats just one of my theories. They will be in full pants and jackets in this 100 degree weather and just be sweating so so much. 

After shopping we went to Glass Egg's investment club, Lush. They gave us VIP access which consisted of a couch and a couple tables on a higher level where we were overlooking the downstairs main area. It was definitely cool to be VIP.

Saturday (Day 6)

So yesterday we got up early and went to the Cu Chi tunnels. What an experience. Firstly it was an 1.5/2 hour drive through not the smoothest streets in the world. With my queasy stomach, the car sickness definitely kicked in a bit. But boy was it a pretty drive. We finally went out the city and it really made you remember that you were in the tropical jungle. There were trees and water buffalo everywhere. 

The tunnels themselves were amazing. We got to crawl through a few of them, and when I say crawl I mean crawl. The tunnels were a meter to a meter and a half tall. You came out of these tunnels drenched in sweat and very, very out of breath. My legs are definitely a bit sore this morning from all the crouching. We saw a few different styles of bunkers and entrances. I was so proud when I fit through the tunnel entrance. They had an enlarged one that people could try out if they were a bit bigger and the small one did not look like I would fit through. But I was determined to try and try I did. It was a bit of a tight squeeze in the hips but the worst was the shoulders. Everyone seemed to have the same problem. Our shoulders are just so much broader than theirs. 

After the tunnels the dehydration kicked in. I made the mistake of not drinking very much water that morning and we were sweating so much being out in the heat. I have never been so dehydrated before in my life. 

We then made our way to a temple which was honoring the fallen of the Vietnamese. These temples were absolutely gorgeous. I could've sat on the steps for hours just looking at the surrounding buildings and plants. 

Next up was lunch on the riverside. For lunch I had water and lots more water. 

The bus ride back was the quietest one yet. Almost everyone was either sleeping or resting. We were all so exhausted from being outside in the sun all day. 

When we got back to the hotel Amy and I just went straight to sleep, waking up at dinner time.

After dinner we were just laying low in our hotel room when all of the sudden this lizard shoots across the wall and behind my bed. Well of course being two girls we run and go grab some boys to try to catch it. Well they found the whole situation hilarious and sat there while we were panicking a bit. They proceeded to tell us what other exotic animals were also probably in room. Needless to say it took a little while for us to fall asleep. 

One of the best parts of today was that the tour guide at the tunnels called us a family. It's so true though. It's very rare when you get a group of 14 very different kids together in a group and they all get along. Dysfunctional and discombobulated as we may be, this is an experience I wouldn't want to share with any other group of people. We fight and bicker but at the end of the day, we are all there for each other, even if it is just to laugh at one another. 

Time to go to the beach!!!!! Talk to you soon!

"I'm so fine" (day four)

Hello loyal readers, aka all the suckers back home who miss me dearly,

Another wonderful day in paradise! Below are some pictures here at the pool where I'm casually lounging and writing to you all! 

 

So today was another busy day. 

We learned all about the Mekong river delta. That was pretty interesting cause I learned a lot of that stuff at my internship so it made a lot of sense to me.

After I got interviewed by the Vietnamese news. If its available online I will let y'all know. It was a very uncomfortable situation. I was by myself staring right at the camera and talking.

Next was language class, which too was filmed by the news. Today we learned to count to ten. We are all warming up to each other so today was especially fun and rowdy. 

Today's lunch was delicious! It was like corndog shrimp. It was great.

Then cue like the worst bus ride yet. It wasn't that long but it was so hot and uncomfortable. 

Then we went to glass egg, a contact graphic design company. It was fascinating hearing how successful their business became and watching them create their works of art.

In a few minutes we are getting picked up to go to karaoke and dinner. Sorry for the short post. I'll try harder next time

Talk to you soon

"Scientology!" "Gynecology is not a religion" (day 3)

Rather than my normal blogging style, today's gonna be a tad different because.....

I MET SOMEONE WHO WENT TO PORTLAND STATE TODAY! and it poured rain and so today just reminded me so much of home. Oh and I tried to use being from Oregon as a defense to why i wasn't an assassin in our lovely game of mafia, but it didn't work so well and I was very wrongly accused. But I will elaborate on this more later. 

So to start out the morning we got up, before our alarm again. Got ready and headed down to our delicious breakfast. Despite the fact that the Vietnamese students keep telling me Victory really doesn't have great food, I find it absolutely delicious. We were then loaded on the bus and sent off toVietnam  Singapore Industrial Park or VSIP. Basically what it started as was purely land or buildings which companies could lease and develop or expand their companies. Now; however, they have adapted it to include housing and living amenities like food and shopping, and they've made 4 total industrial parks around Vietnam. We were greeted by their marketing manager who told us all about her company. Next, the chief engineer from II-VI Incorporated came to talk to us. II-VI is a hard company to fully explain because it has so many aspects. But here they have two main products they make, optics and thermal coolers. They have locations all around the world which produce different products including optics (required for laser technologies), military equipment, thermal coolers and glass coating. It was probably one of the most interesting companies we have learned about and it was so perfect for this trip because it was a large combination of business and engineering. After the briefings, we had the opportunity to tour two different plants of II-VI. It was so fascinating to see the production line so close. The patience and attention to detail that these factories require is crazy. And almost all the employees that work these assembly lines are uneducated and/or unskilled. We also learned quite a bit about the business culture of Vietnam today too which was fascinating. These workers are very well protected under labor laws. Say a worker just chooses to not show up to work 5 days in a month, the boss is unable to fire them. Rather he must pay them normally and continue to employ them. 

Finally, after a very long morning it was time to eat and we were all starving. We went to a Chinese restaurant. It was definitely one of my favorite meals thus far. We had beef and broccoli unlike anything I've had in the states. It was so good. There was also shrimp which was delicious until I realized that the heads were also fried up and served on the same plate. At that point I was done eating the shrimp. Like all our meals there was rice too and then Pho. And I chose to be very adventurous and tried octopus and can I just say it was absolutely delicious. At this point it started pouring down rain and when we went to go get on the bus, the waiters walked us one by one or two by two under umbrellas to the bus. On the bus we started playing games to pass the time. Included in that were name games and Mafia. Basically mafia is a game where there is a story teller who secretly assigns 2 mafia assassins, 1 angel and 1 detective. Everyone has their head down and the storyteller asks who the mafia want to kill. Then he/she asks the angel who they want to save and the detective who they want information on. Unless the angel chooses the same person the mafia pick, someone is killed off each round. The detective is not announced but can use his/her information to help expose the mafia. The townspeople then take a vote on who they think is mafia. The person with the most votes is out of the game. The first round I was the mafia and was doing such a good job but unfortunately we arrived at the school and never finished that round. 

Today we went to a different school, one which is related to VSIP. It is called the Eastern International University (EIU) and it is a supported by Portland State University who sends professors to teach at this institution. Here I met a girl who actually attended Portland State for a little while. We met and talked to many of the students and learned about their festivals and holidays. Everyone was so friendly just like at UEF. We finished off our visit with lots of pictures and hopped back on the bus where we went back to playing our various games and such. I think our poor advisor Dr. Berman was gonna kill us but Tin seemed to be getting very into it.

Now we are back at the hotel getting ready for dinner and exploring!

Now you are probably wondering about my title. Well today we were talking about religions or something at dinner and I said Scientology. Well I was misunderstood and the lovely Gregg thought I said gynecology. Well then Ben proceeded to tell everyone how that used to be his dream profession. It most definitely made for an interesting lunch conversation. 

And on that note it's actually time for me to get ready!

Hen gap lai

Lost in an elevator (day two)

When I last left off, I was about to go grab dinner. Well we went to a restaurant called Wrap and Roll. It was kind of like our welcome dinner and it was good. They just kept bringing out more and more food and there reached a point when the new plates would just sit there untouched. 

After dinner we went back to the hotel and met some students who took us out on their motorbikes. They were so cool. The driving is so different in Vietnam. Its a sort of organized chaos. There is really no such thing as driving in a lane. Motorbikes tend to just kind of go when they want. It seems so dangerous and it's shocking you don't constantly witness accidents. However, the drivers seem to have a sort of rhythm to the road or something. It is truly impressive. I also had some of the best ice cream I have ever had and even learned to call for the waiter and the bill.  

After we came back to the dorm, all hung out for a bit and crashed.

Today has been very busy. We started the morning with a lesson from a guest lecturer from the HCMC institute for development studies on urban planning and development. He told us all about the history of infrastructure, especially urban infrastructure, the problems currently facing Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh specifically and some plans for the future. A really interesting part of this trip is going with business students. They offer a unique viewpoint and have different interests as the engineering students. Because of this there were a wide variety of questions asked today. One of the biggest and most optimistic plans is that by putting in metro and better bus system, the congestion will decrease. As great as that sounds, its never that simple and definitely will be interesting to see how their plan works out.

After he left, we took a quick tour of UEF while sipping on Vietnamese drinks. I just can't get enough cafe sua da. Basically what it is is a very strong drip coffee, almost like a shot of espresso mixed with condensed milk. It is amazing!!! Also very good are these cinnamon buns near the co-op. They are perfectly crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside with some kind of filling. 

Next up was language class which was much more successful today. After today I can say a larger variety of sentences, like "what is your name?" and "How are you?" I feel foolish at times speaking Vietnamese because I feel like I am so far from saying things right. Because of the accents being the only difference between some words, I worry I may something to offend someone. 

Lunch came after and again ate at this outdoor restaurant near the restaurant. The food was delicious though it was difficult eating some of it with chopsticks. 

Students then met our bus and we all drove out to Phu My Hung, an industrial park. The bus ride itself was one of the best parts of the day. We got to spend a bunch of time talking to students and learning more about them, their culture and their language. With the assistance of Tin, our guide, and two of the students, I learned all kinds of new words and phrases. One of the funniest was one of the boys taught me to tell him that he was very handsome. At the site, we learned all about the industrial park. Phu My Hung built this amazing community on government land with the assistance of foreign investors. It definitely doesn't feel like you're in Vietnam when you're driving through it. It's almost like this Utopian community for foreigners and Vietnamese citizens. Looking around you say a large collection of American fast food restaurants like Pizza Hut and Popeyes. Restaurants like this are clearly for foreigners living on the land. The man who spoke with us was wonderful. He actually attended a small school called Oakland University in Alabama and moved back. He was very knowledgeable about the company.

We finally got a bit of a break when we returned. Many of us on the program hung out in rooms, talking and getting to know each other better. After a bit of rest we then headed up to the pool to relax, enjoy the sun and swim. The pool was very crowded. One thing is for sure, swimsuits here for men do not cover a whole lot. 

Finally it was dinner time. Some students from UEF met up with all of us and we went to a Vietnamese barbecue  place. At each table were grills on which we, and by we I mean the very nice UEF students, prepared various meats including goat and beef. Both were delicious. Next up was the shrimp. And thus ended my adventurous eating habits. On plates were still living shrimp which had been skewered. Their little legs were going crazy. When they were placed on the grills, the legs began twitching even more and faster. I could not watch, or try it for that matter. When my food has a face or I have to watch it die I just can't bring myself to eat it. After dinner we wandered to a very upscale mall, having stores like Gucci, Ralph Lauren and many places I couldn't even pronounce. Other people enjoyed a refreshing ice cream. I just couldn't bring myself to eat still so i enjoyed a nice bottle of water.

Now as for the title of this blog post, it was actually one of the funniest moments. So a bit of a set up.... The elevator doors here are very aggressive. The releases are not quick, so it's hard to reopen the door after it has started to close. A small group of us students were in an elevator and right before one of the employees could get in with us to show us where to go, the door dramatically and nearly slammed on his arm. Well we then proceeded to stop on about 5 more floors before we decided to go back down to the lobby and ask for help. But instead of going to the lobby we ended up in the basement. When we finally made it upstairs, everyone laughed at us cause we managed to get lost in an elevator. 

But for the most part I haven't embarrassed myself to badly. Only a few minor trips here or there. Lets hope I didn't just jinx my part. You will be the first to know!

Until next time,

Chao Ban. 

The Adventure Begins.... (day 1)

What a day....

We started off an early morning trying to sleep in and realizing we couldn't. After getting up and getting ready, we headed downstairs and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast. Here, at the Victory Hotel, they do continental breakfast a little differently (pictures to follow later). They serve a traditional Vietnamese breakfast with a bit of American twist; however, I tried to be as Vietnamese as possible. Eating things like fried rice, dumplings, various pork and noodle dishes and some pho (which we learned is pronounced ph-a-a). My biggest mistake was looking at the peppers and thinking they wouldn't be that spicy. Tears may have been shed... 

After breakfast we met up in the lobby with our Vietnamese guide, Tin. Tin is this adorable, little Vietnamese man who  has been going with us on most of our adventures and answering all our questions. We went to the Vietnamese University of Economics and Finance or UEF. That is kinda our home base for these next two weeks. There, we were greeted by such an enthusiastic group of students. They prepared one hip hop dance number and one traditional Vietnamese song and dance, after which I was presented with a Vietnamese rice farmer hat. After, we all stood up and introduced ourselves. That in itself was quite the experience. The students were then able to ask us questions after, many of which had to be repeated a few times. Though the students speak great English, the accents still make it difficult at times to understand. They seem to have such a passion and interest in the English language. One student even skipped her class so she could meet us and spend time with us. After the welcome ceremony ended, many students came up and asked to have pictures taken with us and were so excited when we said yes. It was so strange and out of body to have these students want so many pictures, it was almost like we were celebrities. 

Next we attended Vietnamese language class, and oh boy was that an experience. After a tiny intro into Chinese, I thought maybe I'd pick up things a bit easier, but oh was I wrong. First, there's the vowels which are insanely hard to pronounce without the accent, and then you have to learn them with 5 different accents. Then there's the consonants and the consonant groups. You expect them to be pronounced like they are in English, but nope. By the end of the lesson we learned two Vietnamese phrases, "Hello. My name is ...." and "Goodbye. See you later." Much like Aloha, xin chao means hello and goodbye and thats about all I really know how to say and properly pronounce. Vietnamese is a difficult language because you use a part of your vocal range that really isn't used in traditional Latin based languages. It's almost like singing in many ways.

After we went to lunch where we were served rice with a variety of vegetables with shrimp, pork and beef. The food was delicious and followed up by probably the sweetest banana I've ever had. 

Our day was then concluded at the University and we headed back to the hotel for a little break. In that time me and my roommate, Amy and a few of our friends from the trip wandered down to the Co-op and did a bit of exploring. The co-op was huge. It had everything from clothes to food to any over the counter product you can imagine. The ladies checking us out laughed as we attempted to pay and thank them. 

Finally, We went to the United States Consulate. There is so much history to that plot of land. It was once a French military base, a French consulate and the US Embassy which was attacked during the war. It's strange to realize how recent that war really was and see how quickly relations were rebuilt. Almost everyone we meet is so welcoming, laughing and smiling at us constantly. It's just strange to think that we just recently got out of a war with them. The two men who talked with us at the consulate were fascinating. After learning about their lives, it gives me so much respect for our diplomats who go into these foreign countries and take on these jobs. If it weren't for the lack of control over reassignment and the extensive language courses it would definitely be a career path I would be interested in. 

Now is just rest time before we go grab dinner and explore the town with some of the students. 

Until next time

We have arrived

Hello everyone,

After a very, very long day of flying, we have finally arrived and checked into our hotel. We did a little unpacking and are about to go do some exploring. Then its off to bed as we have an early morning and busy day ahead of us tomorrow. 

The view from the plane was beautiful as we descended upon Ho Chi Minh. Everything was black except the city lights. And you could see so many stars in the sky. Driving through the city was cool too. The traffic wasn't too bad, but even at 10 on a Sunday night there were mopeds and motorcycles galore. 

Since theres only a few more minutes left, I would like to say a happy Mother's Day to you, mom. I hope Dad and Nathan didn't screw it up too bad and I hope you had a wonderful day.

Until next time, 

With love,

Jennifer

PS if you're interested in seeing some pictures already, go to your search engine and type in Plus 3 Vietnam. At the bottom of the page you will find some pictures my teacher has already posted.