I'm here!

We have been in Vietnam for two days and already the adventure is unbelievable. I think that I am still pretty shocked that we are actually here. The bus ride in from the airport felt like if I closed my eyes I could pretend I was in New York City. But, if I opened them, all I saw was a combination of miles of traffic, buildings packed in to small lots, and beautiful ethnic structures. I have never seen anything quite like it.

I have already learned that the key to this trip is going to be openmindedness. Last night, despite massive amounts of jetlag, we went out with Oliver (HWS ’09) to a dessert place after our group dinner. Amidst exhausted laughter and tentative reaches, we braved desserts that we had never seen and giggled our way through getting to know each other and our surroundings.

Orientation this morning clued us in on a lot of cultural know-hows and advice on getting around. We took a walking tour of the city and learned how to exchange money and cross the street. These may sound like the simplest things ever, but even getting to know these little aspects of day-to-day life make me feel that much more competent in a new country where my competence level has begun at -100. Not knowing or understanding the language has turned out to be so much more overwhelming than I had originally thought. I never thought I’d say this… but I can’t wait for language classes (and classes in general) to start.

A few times already I have had the distinct experience of being the minority, which is something I have never felt or been subjected to in my life. For the most part, Vietnamese folks are extremely friendly and welcoming, but until I master the language and prove myself as someone who has earned their stripes, I am simply a foreigner with a lot of money and not a lot of knowledge about where or how to use it. Ben Tanh market is just an example of one of these places. Completely packed to the gills with purchases, this market in the backpacker district is a tourist trap where personal space is nonexistent and many purveyors sell their wares to tourists for too much money. But, what I have to remember is that what may seem like too much money to me is actually nothing compared to the exchange rate around here. One U.S. dollar is worth about 18,000 Vietnamese Dong… So far, I have spent $.75 cents on breakfast, about $3.00 on lunch (at a more expensive venue,) and bought a 24-pack of bottled water for about $1.00. I have never been to a place before where things are so inexpensive. But that is also telling of the poverty that this country is struggling to overcome.

I was proud of myself today for adventuring out in to the city with Cathy, Kelsey, Alaina and Brittany. We took a map and some money and braved the extreme humidity and temperature to explore. We saw the statue of Ho Chi Minh himself and had fun trying to talk to Saigon locals and figure out which way was home. My goal is to get to know my district of the city in the three weeks that we are here. Starting out small and then moving outwards seems to be the way to do this. We have mastered our street and a few surrounding alleys, and I think we’re ready to use the crosswalks.