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
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