The city of Hoi An could be described in one word as quaint. The slower pace compared to Hanoi showed us a very different side to Vietnam. While driving to the hotel from the airport the first thing I noticed was the amount of signs for resorts and hotels there were along the coast. If you looked to the other side of the road there were small houses and apartments belonging to local residents. This contrast in architecture and environments made me question what is going to happen to those local residential houses once those massive resorts and hotels are built. It will be interesting to see how this increase in tourism and commercial attractions will change the lives of the local people culturally and economically. Will the local population be accepting of this new increase in tourism and commercialism?
When walking around the city of Hoi An I instantly noticed the more lively and energetic nature of the people. It is clear that the shop owners are enthusiastic about tourists and use this joyful persona to attract potential customers. One day while shopping I had a custom pair of sandals made in one of the small leather shops. The woman who took my measurements told me the shoes would be ready the next morning, not even twenty four hours later. I was shocked at how fast she could have them made and was a little worried about the quality of them. The next day when I went to pick them up the shop owner could not have been happier to see me return to pick up my sandals. She had her husband go pick up the sandals from her house a couple streets down and presented them to me with sheer pride. The shoes that she made for me are now my favorite pair of sandals and fit perfectly. This experience with a local shop owner and her family gave me an idea of how local families support themselves in this city. The efficiency and quality of the shoes she made for me proved how much time and effort these shop owners put into their work for a very small reward.
A final note about the city of Hoi An is from an experience I had with a woman working at Be Be tailor. The middle aged female employee asked me what I was doing in Vietnam and how long I would be staying. I explained to her that I was here as a college student studying abroad for 3 weeks. The woman’s face immediately lit up in awe as she explained that students in the universities in Vietnam do not have the funds or resources to travel abroad. She told me to take advantage of this experience and to cherish each moment. I assured her I was and then asked her if she had ever traveled out of the country. I was stunned to learn that she hadn’t even traveled outside of the city of Hoi An in her lifetime. This interaction was very humbling and made me stop to think about how fortunate we all are for this incredible once in a lifetime experience. Putting everything into perspective was truly humbling and reminded me to seize each moment for the remainder of this trip because only a small population of students are fortunate enough to study abroad.
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