Day 13-- I'm a maid of honor

Today we got up as usual and went to UEF for our last culture and language classes. Culture class was interesting because we learned about superstitions about numbers and went in depth with Vietnamese art. (We learned that the number 9 is significant in marriage, more on this later). Language class was fun because we were "tested" on our skills. We were put into teams and had to compete. Score was not kept but if it was my team might have won. We then went to lunch at the canteen at Kent. 

After lunch we drove to the Xa Loi Pagoda (a Buddhist temple). We took our shoes off and put some skirts on to walk inside to see a huge, beautiful Buddha. Next we walked to the Thich Quang Duc memorial. This monk was the monk that self immolated in protest of the persecutions of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government at the time. It felt very strange to be at the exact place that he protested. It's amazing/insane/respectable what people will do for what they believe in.

We then walked to the War Remnants Museum (which is about two blocks from the hotel). Before we began walking through the museum, Arielle was stopped by people she met at the American Center a few days ago. The two kids gave her a gift made of coconut leaves (it was an ornament looking thing with nine grasshoppers). Now since we learned what the number nine means, we are fairly certain the boy was asking Arielle to marry her. If this is truly the case, I have happily accepted the position of Arielle's maid of honor. (edit April 2019--Arielle still has the handmade ornament!)
We spent about an hour in the museum walking through rooms and rooms of pictures of the war. Most of these pictures portrayed victims of the war, victims of Agent Orange, and generally the war from the Vietnamese point of view. Outside the museum (still part of the museum) were helicopters and tanks all of which were American. The most goose-bump inciting thing for me was a picture of a child born in 2008 with defects caused by Agent Orange. It is clear that the war had lasting effects on the land and its people. 
Walking through the museum I took it for what it was--a museum. I was not particularly offended by any part of the museum and understood completely that what I was looking at was how the Vietnamese viewed the war. It was certainly not my place to argue with anyone about facts about the war because I was not there and have only learned about the war in textbooks. That being said, walking through the museum I got the general understanding that both sides used extreme techniques to win. Although the fighting got very violent, all soldiers should be commemorated for their bravery in protecting their respective nations. 
As of the present I'm confident when I say that I feel no hostility between the two nations. The Vietnamese people that we have met while on the trip, whether they be students, teachers, restaurant owners or shop owners, business owners, have all been very nice to us and genuinely happy when we are around. The Vietnamese people are extremely kind people and I feel very happy/lucky to have met a few. 

5/7 of the girls at lunch ft. Ho Chi Minh City in the background

BUDDHA

Thích Quảng Đức Memorial

Day 12-- We might never go back to a Five Star Hotel

Today we went to the New World Hotel (after sleeping in), which is a five star hotel in Saigon. We attended a cooking class and made ourselves spring rolls (of which I made but did not eat and gave to Sam). We were then let loose on the buffet in the hotel and I believe everyone had a great time. This buffet was quite fancy and had a wonderful selection of desserts. 

After lunch we came back to the hotel for a quick turn around and then got back on the bus to go to Saigon Newport Corporation (SNP). SNP is a port for imports and exports. The interesting thing about SNP is that it works very closely with the Vietnamese military. The company works 24 hours a day and is very popular in Vietnam. I think of all the companies that we have visited, SNP is what I am most interested in doing as a career. I am studying supply chain management which studies how a product goes from raw materials to end product and how that product gets to an end user as efficiently as possible. Supply chain (and SNP) takes a lot of coordination and planning. What I like most about it is its globalization. Supply chain is everywhere and SNP does a good job of participating in a world-wide process.

We came back and some of us went to Ben Tanh market to do some more bargaining. I got my flag t-shirt and was good to go. We came back to the hotel and went for a swim swam which didn't last long. We got word that our suits were in and a fashion show ensued. All of us looked great, even in our chlorine filled hair. 

Sam and Chris "didn't" take my phone

Saigon Newport Corporation

Dan and Edziu make spring rolls

Day 11-- Managing in Complex Environments

Plus 3 2015 Vietnam sure knows how to manage in complex environments, and would surely make Bob proud. 

Today was a stacked day in terms of company visits. We got on the bus and drove an hour to VSIP (Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park) for the first visit, and stayed there to visit another company (II-VI). I personally really liked VSIP. The governments of both Vietnam and Singapore got together and let VSIP create an industrial park that currently has parks in the southern part of Vietnam (the one we went to today), central Vietnam, and northern Vietnam (near Hanoi). VSIP is a popular place for a company to set up shop because of their one-stop shop service. VSIP provides companies with tech support, government support, customer service, and they have an on-site customs office. All these features allow the companies in the park to cut costs when it comes to trying to find other reliable sources of said services. VSIP does all of it for them which makes the industrial park an attractive place to grow a business. I think the reason why I liked VSIP so much is because it's in the business of making a business (who thinks of these things!?), which kind of goes to show that business can be anything and is everywhere. 

Up next was II-VI, a Pennsylvania company doing some operations in Vietnam (because of the inexpensive labor). II-VI is in the business of infrared and optics and other things I didn't quite understand. After a briefing we went and toured the buildings. There was a lot of big and loud machinery operated by trained workers working with very small elements. From a business point of view, II-VI is a strong company. They cut costs whenever/wherever possible which contributes to their 40 year streak in growing profits. If there was a good example of a company that has globalized it would be II-VI. Having moved operations from Singapore to China to Vietnam, following inexpensive labor, II-VI still has plants in all of these countries with its headquarters in the U.S. 

After lunch we had an hour long nap on the ride home and a couple of us went for a swim swam in the pool. It was an early day but a much needed one because a lot of us are exhausted. We do have plans to go out tonight because we do get to sleep in tomorrow (9:45 bus time, is this real life?). Tomorrow we have a cooking class in the morning, which should be interesting!

VSIP Model

Inside II-VI

Arielle takes pictures of food (a daily occurrence)



Day 10-- MAC QUA! (minus accents)

The day started with a fun language class at UEF. We reviewed our numbers while playing a game (the only numbers we really know are 1-10, we're still beginners). I scored one point for my team (the first point so that has to count for something). We went through practice conversations between what a seller/shop ownder and a customer might say while bartering. We then left class to use our skills at the Ben Tanh Market. 

The Ben Thanh Market is a giant building of vendors who each have tiny, back-to-back squares of space to put/hang up all the things they have to sell (generally themed things--coffee, t-shirts, jewelry). I walked in and before I could process the amount of things there were to look at, I was bombarded with vendors asking me if I wanted to buy what they were selling (some even grabbed me to get my attention). Fortunately for me (and probably for everyone), I did not need to use my Vietnamese to bargain because most vendors spoke English. I did learn today that I do not like to bargain, which is why I brought Arielle with me wherever I went. I eventually got some things for family and friends and even bargained a little myself once I got the confidence (I'm sure I still spent much more than what a more experienced Vietnamese person would have spent). 

We then went to the Vina Capital Foundation for a visit. The Foundation (not really a foundation because they work/fund their own projects while foundations fund other projects) is an NGO in Vietnam and invests money to fund social change. Some projects include paying for child heart surgeries and sending girls from poor areas to school. The management team that spoke to us was a cool group of guys, very focused on social change and actually making a difference. Vina Capital was very cool to me because although social change is hard to see and progress is difficult to measure, it is amazing that this company (and so many others like it) don’t stop. The representatives mentioned doing any little thing they can to donate as much money as possible—like taking economy class plane rides instead of first class ones. This really shows their dedication and I think something more people should do.

We then came back to the hotel and made plans for the night. I think I poured my heart and soul into karaoke tonight. 

Inside Ben Thanh

Rachel displays her Vietnamese pride

Day 9-- This chicken tastes fishy. Because it's fish.

Today we woke up super early and got on a bus to sleep some more. (Sleeping was hard to do though because instead of just changing lanes to pass someone on the highway, the bus driver honked his horn incessantly to tell the people (usually motorbikes) to move out of the way). But, two and a half hours later we arrived at Jesus. Jesus (literally a giant statue of Jesus) stands on top of a small mountain next to the shore. All of us ascended hundreds of stairs to the base of Jesus, after which we became very sweaty. A bunch of us also walked inside of Jesus to walk up more stairs to eventually stand on his shoulders. The view from Jesus's shoulders was incredible and totally worth the wait in Jesus's hot (literally) body. We didn't want to stay up there too long because other people were waiting behind us. We quickly came back down and then left Jesus to go to the beach. 

At the beach we learned SUNSCREEN SAVES LIVES. All twenty of us went into the water, which was disgustingly warm, and fooled around until we went to the pool. My fingers turned into raisins and at that time we got out of the pool and went to lunch. Lunch was much fancier than what we were dressed for, but either way we enjoyed the food as usual. I had a soup made with veggies and meat, and being my somewhat picky self, I casually picked up a piece of chicken to eat. Naturally I thought the chicken tasted fishy only because it was in a soup with actual fish. When I shared my thought with Arielle she told me my chicken was fishy only because it was fish. Mom and Dad, this is 100% on you. If you tell a child everything they eat is chicken, they will grow up and still think everything is chicken. Later we went back to the beach and played beach games with our Vietnamese friends. After one last swim and a couple more "dad-jumps", we got on the bus to go back home (where I am now blogging from). 

To end the blog post today I would like to give a shout out to all moms, specifically my mom. Mom, happy Mother's Day. You never cease to rock and I love you very much. Miss you lots but I will see you SOON. 

View from some point in the middle of the ground and Jesus

JESUS

View from Jesus

BEACH