Xin chào from Vietnam

Three days into our trip and I feel like I already know just how amazing the rest of it will be. Arriving several hours early to Hanoi, and settling in I was happy (albeit very sleepy) to see the rest of the group and start to get to know them. So far we’ve gone on a walking tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, been to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, saw the one pillar pagoda, visited the temple of literature, along with a look into the publishing business in Vietnam, and listened to a speaker talk about Đổi Mớ (English: economic reform) as well as an organic farm visit to understand how the economic reform affects farmers.
As a whole it has been very insightful into the culture of Vietnam. Especially learning about how the government coordinates businesses. Additionally, learning about pre-reform times when communism was the social standard, and people used coupons to obtain everything (i.e. food, clothes, entertainment, etc) was fascinating because it seems like such a foreign concept. As an American it sounds like a tough way to live, since we have grown accustomed to our luxuries.

Follow