During a reflection period with the whole group the topic of safety in Hanoi was discussed. A few specific examples that were talked about were the ways in which people drive, as well as the interaction between pedestrians and motorists. After having this discussion I became more aware of safety in Vietnam, and paid closer attention while walking or biking around Hoi An. There were many things that really stood out to me in Hoi An in regards to a lack of safety. These include the streets, the working conditions as well as food safety.

Much like Hanoi, the streets in Hoi An were very busy with motorbikes, cars, trucks and buses, but this time we were apart of the traffic. On our bike tour around Hoi An I quickly realized how dangerous the roads were. An example of this is the obvious disregard for traffic rules. Many times I saw people blow through red lights without hesitation, while beeping incessantly to let anyone around know they were coming. This was shocking to me, because in America the traffic rules are for the most part followed and strictly enforced for the public’s safety.

Another moment that stuck out to me in terms of safety is the working conditions. While on our Ecotour we passed many construction sites all of which having one thing in common; the workers were barefoot while working. This moment both shocked and confused me, because although they did not have shoes on, they did have hard hats on. I could not understand why they would take safety precaution in one way and not the other. The only reasoning that I could come up with is that there is a law for hard hats therefore they wear them, but nothing stated about shoes therefore they do not find them necessary or boots are just too expensive. This is something one would never see in the states, because it is such an obvious safety issue.

The third thing I noticed about safety had to do with the preparation of food at restaurants. While at the organic farm, Minh mentioned that Vietnamese people are becoming more health conscious and worried about what they are putting in their bodies, thus the increase in organic farming. Although this is becoming more of a concern the conditions of restaurants completely negates the effort to protect the people’s bodies. Many times while eating at a restaurant, I had to walk through the kitchen to get the the bathroom. This only contributed to the uncleanliness of the kitchens. I found it very ironic that so much effort was put into clean farming for the benefit of people’s health, only for it to go to waste in a dirty kitchen. I am very interested to see if and how the safety precautions change as we move into a more westernized part of Vietnam.

Follow

After exploring the city of Hanoi, and visiting the Temple of Literature, it became clear to me that religion is an extremely prominent aspect of Vietnamese life. This tourist attraction was dedicated specifically to showcase religion, therefore displaying the important role it plays in traditional Vietnamese culture. However, as we travelled to Hoi An, I expected religious symbols and sites to be much less apparent throughout the town. At first, this seemed to be the case. Much of our time was spent biking through town, and exploring the many shops and the market present there. It was obvious that Hoi An relied heavily on tourists as consumers for economic stimulation. However, while we were shopping around, I couldn’t help but notice small religious altars present in many of the shops, and several of the restaurants. In every case, these altars had been presented with offerings, and many were burning incense. While not prominent, as they were often located in the back corners of the shops, these religious symbols were a constant reminder of Buddhist influence in Vietnamese life. The presence of these altars seemed to suggest the immense importance of religion to nearly all of the Vietnamese. They felt the desire to display their spirituality in a public place of business, rather than keep it hidden at home or contained in a temple.

On our free day in Hoi An, myself and several others decided to explore the historical sites and attractions found in the Ancient Town. We found ourselves visiting Assembly halls, old Communal homes, and the Japanese Covered bridge. As we visited each of the attractions, I was shocked to see that every single site we visited had been transformed in some way into a place of worship. Both the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Old house of Tan Ky were previously sites for business and trade. However, they now have elaborate altars, with opportunity for worship through kneeling, and the burning of incense. It was incredibly interesting to me that these two buildings, which previously focused on economic affairs, had been altered to display religion in such a prominent manner.

The obvious emphasis on religion that I have witnessed throughout Vietnam, and specifically Hoi An, has especially struck me because it differs greatly from the ways in which we treat religion in the United States. Emphasis on religious tolerance in America has led it to become a more privatized manner. Since we have a melting pot of religions, people often shy away from the subject of religion so as not to offend anyone else’s beliefs. Therefore the prominent displays of religion seen in public locations in Vietnam, would not be displayed in such a way in the United States. Additionally, it would be rare to see the change of historic locations into places of worship as they have been in Vietnam.

Follow

After experiencing the hustle and bustle of Hanoi and boating along the serene Halong Bay, my travels to Vietnam have been surreal. This experience has continued to surpass all my expectations and aspirations for what I wanted to gain from this study abroad program. Each location has been more fascinating and breathtaking than the other. My favorite destination so far has been Hoi An, which is a charming, quaint town located on the coast of the East Sea.

In Hoi An, we visited a silk factory and tailors where I bought custom made silk robes and dresses that perfectly fit my body. I enjoyed using my bargaining skills to negotiate the prices of these items. Despite my interest in bargaining and admiration for the work displayed, I felt uncomfortable witnessing the working conditions for making these products. In the US, we constantly hear about the tough work conditions, long hours, and low wages in Asian countries such as Vietnam; however, you can never be prepared to actually witness these conditions. The tour guides were very open and explained step by step of how textiles were produced. Especially in the silk factory, it was evident how hard they worked and the level of skill required. While going into these shops and businesses, the workers were always excited to see Americans and looked forward to having us come back for our fittings. Their work is incredibly meticulous and it was inspiring to see the high quality textiles produced. This experience has put life in perspective for me. We face stresses daily whether pertaining to school or work, however we sometimes overlook how lucky we are for all the opportunities provided.

I have been surprised and pleased that the Vietnamese are so friendly towards Americans. I did not anticipate that they would be so welcoming to Americans, especially since the Vietnam War ended only 30-40 years ago. Whether visiting the bamboo shop of the Vietcong or boating along the river, the locals have been so enthusiastic towards us throughout our stay. As our guide Vo conveyed, the Vietnamese love Americans due to the fact that we have a positive effect on the Vietnamese economy. Vietnam has increasingly become a popular tourist stop for Americans, which has helped Vietnam develop into a growing and competitive country.

After studying Vietnamese business and culture during this past fall semester, it has been amazing to have the opportunity to immerse myself into their lifestyle. I have one week left on my trip, and look forward to experiencing more of Vietnam!

Follow

The moment that captured me was when we were brought to the bamboo artisan’s workshop in Hoi An. When this artisan was showing us the things he used to build during the war it was a little unsettling. He had such pride showing us tools and devices used to harm or kill Americans. This, I did not feel was a pleasant visit. It is understandable that the war crimes committed by the Americans were terrible, but what if a Vietnamese person visited the United States and toured a Monsanto (Agent Orange producer) factory. One is obviously more lethal than the other, but both evoke emotions based on painful times in our past.

It is enlightening to see a man from that generation overcoming his hatred for the United States. My respect goes out to this man and his ability to forgive, given the atrocities committed by the US during the war. I, personally would not be able to forgive a group of people who committed such crimes against my country. Between the destruction, massacres, and civilian deaths caused by the United States, overcoming that hatred he likely once held is something I would never be able to do had I been on his side of the war.

His devices and tools did not affect me personally, but having an uncle who served during the war made me think about how they could have been used against a member of my family. From the artisan’s perspective, it is quite remarkable how friendly he was with the people he used to fight and who likely killed someone he knew. His ability to forgive after years of such a gruesome war is what captured me most on my visit to Hoi An.

Follow

From Hanoi to Halong Bay and back, from Hanoi to Hoi An, and from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Elon University’s Business and Culture in Vietnam study abroad program has now traveled from the north (Hanoi) to the south (Ho Chi Minh City) of the country in less than three weeks. After capturing several ‘seizing’ moments from our time in Hanoi, I will now reflect upon our stay in Hoi An. Hoi An Ancient Town is located in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants. Having traveled down the coast of the country from the north to the south, it is safe to say that there are vast differences (and similarities) between the cultures that exist from city to city and from province to province. With the opportunity to spend four days in Hoi An, there was plenty of time for observation and for insight as to why things are the way they are in this part of the country. During my stay, there were several of these observations that stuck out to me: First, the prominence of foreign influence throughout the city; second, the number of English-speaking indigenous people; and third, the role of women in the workforce within particular industries.

In Hanoi, one will observe certain aspects of French culture which still remain in the city in terms of architecture and cuisine. For example, some of the older buildings appear to have been constructed by the French during their occupation of Vietnam years ago, while baguettes (French bread) are very prominent in Vietnamese dishes. However, Hanoi is not comparable to Hoi An in terms of foreign influence. While walking the streets of Ancient Town, French culture is everywhere; one can eat dinner along the riverside and it feels as if he or she is sitting down looking out over the Seine. It is quite striking to see just how prominent French culture is within the architecture of Hoi An. Second, Hanoi had many Vietnamese locals who were capable of speaking broken English. Now when I say broken English, I mean that these folks understood words and phrases such as “water, how much, yes, and no”. Once again, this is extremely different from Hoi An. In Ancient Town, it was difficult to come across a street vendor or a shop owner who didn’t speak English. Although it wasn’t perfect, their English was profound when compared to those indigenous of the north. It does make sense as to why there are so many English-speaking Vietnamese in Hoi An because of the fact that tourism is the number one grossing industry in the area. Shopkeepers and street vendors alike are forced to understand and be able to communicate in English in order to sustain their livelihoods. Lastly, one of the observations that struck me the most was the role of women in the workforce in Hoi An. Women are typically seen sewing silk clothing, constructing Vietnamese lanterns made of bamboo with a silk covering, cooking in restaurants and on the streets, and etcetera. However, when it came to shop keepers and owners, many of them were women, but the interesting part about it is when a patron would begin bargaining with a woman shopkeeper, it was not out of the ordinary for her to go find a male employee or owner to confirm that she could make the sale at the bargained price. It was as if she had to “check-in” before making the sale at a discount. Along with the role of women in the workforce, these people are working extremely long hours for extreme minimal wages, but the interesting fact of the matter is that they always, and I mean always, had a smile on their face. These women would be performing such monotonous tasks but yet still took the time to look up from their work and greet us Americans with a smile. It was amazing to me how happy these people are working and performing, what appears to be, quite tedious tasks. One thing is certain, I will never complain about the manual labor I partake in back in America because it is nothing compared to what these people go through day in and day out. With a smile that is.

Now we are in the south, Ho Chi Minh City; we will be traveling as a group to the Mekong Delta to spend several days in a homestay before returning to Ho Chi Minh City for the final few days of our stay in Vietnam. It is safe to say that this experience has been a journey, but that journey is still to be continued. More to come.

Follow

Hoi An far exceeded my expectations. Its quaintness, charm, and affordability struck me most. After spending time in crowded Hanoi, it was nice to finally delve into the Vietnamese culture without feeling a sense of overwhelming chaos. Immediately after our arrival to the beautiful Ancient House Village Resort, we took a bike tour to explore the area. Although the population of Hoi An is far less than that of Hanoi, it did not make biking any easier. There were several times in which I saw my life flash before my eyes, but that was all part of both the fun and the experience. Following our tour we had free time to explore. Most of the group was eager to shop granted Hoi An is famously known for specialities such as custom tailoring and handmade souvenirs.

It wasn’t until my second and third day out that I not only realized, but witnessed physically and emotionally the unreasonable compensation Vietnamese workers receive for their work. While most naive individuals who have never traveled to Vietnam would counter that claim by saying their lack of work ethic has a lot to do with their minimal pay, that is far from the truth. I spent numerous hours in Bebe, the famous custom tailor in Hoi An, getting to know the manager and the workers. The two woman who I became quite close with told me that they only get paid $200 a month. The women who are stuck working in the back sewing the clothes receive even less and I consider their work far more grueling. The seamstresses and sales peoples’ work day usually starts at 8am and lasts until 9pm. That comes to $6.6o a day or $0.51 an hour. They struggle working long hours on their feet trying to make a sale. The average income of these individuals hit me the hardest. My jaw dropped in shock. I witnessed how hard they worked and how much they cared about their customers’ satisfaction. I ended up tipping the woman $5. She broke out in tears and started jumping out and down with joy as she hugged me. Seeing her work and then her reaction to my tip was so profound. A $5 tip in America would have been considered rude.

My experience at Bebe got me thinking about the disparity between the time and work put forth and the compensation received. So, I later stopped at an elderly woman on the street selling three dimensional cards. I asked her how much they were and how long it took to make one. She replied by saying the easier ones take an hour and a half and the more intricate ones can take up to two hours or more. She was selling the simple ones for about $1 and the more complicated ones for $3. It was then that I realized that she was lowly valuing her time, not because she wanted to, but because she had to.

I started to feel guilty for all the bargaining I had done. These street vendors break their back trying to make cheap sales from sun rise to sun down. Five dollars to me is nothing, but to the Vietnamese whose livelihood depends on tourists, five dollars is everything. Bargaining is not prominent in the American culture like it is in the Vietnamese culture, which is shocking considering the need to make a living. No one in America would work from 8am to 9pm making $6 a day. The work ethic the Vietnamese have is unmatched. The idea of retiring does not seem to be an option here as it is in America. While it seems the Vietnamese workforce, especially vendors and crafters, place a low monetary value on their time, it’s only because they know it’s all they will realistically receive.

A low paid silk factory employee hand sewing a photograph that will take almost a month to complete

Follow