Hello from Vietnam!

So far my experience in Vietnam has definitely exceeded my expectations. I have never been to a place that seems so familiar but so different. At first when we were driving from the airport to the hotel, I kept on thinking I was watching an Indiana Jones movie from the look of the buildings. But once we finally arrived in Hanoi, the buildings and surroundings reminded me a little of NYC but without the sky scrapers. Another difference I noticed right away was the traffic. In Hanoi there is no such thing as a red light or traffic lanes. People drive their motor scooters and cars wherever they want and they are definitely not afraid to use their horns. This type of driving makes crossing the streets rather difficult. However after being here for a couple of days, I have gotten used to playing real life frogger when crossing the street by learning if you don’t hesitate and keep walking, the scooters will zig zag around you. Another difference from NYC I have observed is the amount of people that gather outside of the stores sitting on tiny seats socializing and typically eating pho. After seeing this on many street corners, I felt obligated to try pho for the first time. So one day for lunch we ate at a local pho restaurant and enjoyed one of the most common meals in Vietnam and it was pretty good!

One of the last key differences I noticed between the two cities was that in Hanoi, there is not a noticeable difference between social classes. Everyone in the city seems to come from a similar economic background, where as in NYC you can clearly see many different income levels. I am excited to continue my time in Vietnam and experience new differences and similarities. Overall, I have enjoyed being here so far and I can’t wait to see what else Vietnam has in store for me!

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