Good morninggggg, Vietnam! Our journey to Vietnam started at JFK airport on the night of January 2nd 2020. After much sleeping for most of us, our 15 hour flight finally landed in the heart of Inchenon, South Korea, just west of the capital Seoul. We had a quick layover and we were off again to embark on a 5 hour flight to our first destination of Hanoi, Vietnam. Upon arriving to Hanoi, we had a bit of an problem at customs when two of our students had issues with their visas. We then met up with our tour guide, Minh (See photo). We then took off in our vibrant pink bus to our hotel in the middle of the Old Quarter in Hanoi. We had the rest of the day to explore on our own and catch up on sleep. We quickly noticed as we were walking throughout the streets that Hanoi’s traffic is extremely chaotic and crossing the street proved to be very dangerous (See video). The next morning we had breakfast and then were off to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. At the site, we waited in a long “queue” as Minh would say. This line took us to the mausoleum which was guarded by military men in white suits (see picture). The government requires these men to watch over the mausoleum to guarantee that the privacy of the casket is honored. (No cameras and hands in front) Inside the mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh lies in an open casket in which 4 military men stand completely still to guard the corners of the casket. After this, we explored the rest of his compound which included his garden, his home, and work place. (See pictures) we found that he was a very simple man, who never got married or had kids as he believed the people of Vietnam was all the family he needed. We then went to a local art shop where disabled people are given opportunity to work. The most unique aspect of this shop were the hand woven art pieces where a needle and a thread were used to replicate scenic images of the city of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and overall Vietnamese culture (see photo. We then traveled to a museum where the different ethnic groups of Vietnam and their history was highlighted. Behind the museum, was a garden where traditional Vietnamese huts where shown. Finally, we went to a group lunch where we served very delicious traditional Vietnamese food. After lunch, we headed the largest natural lake in Hanoi where we got to see different temple structures. At the lake, local people were selling turtles and birds as a ritual to send good fortune by sending them in the lake/ air (see photo). Our last stop of the day was exploring the Old Quarter of Hanoi where we walked around the busiest parts of the city and explored the beer corner where locals sit outside to drink beer and be social. At the end of our walk we arrived at our hotel where we were given the rest of the night to ourselves. Some students enjoyed walking around the Old Quarter, grabbing a drink at the hotel rooftop bar, and some even made their way to a local club. Overall the first full day in Vietnam was incredibly eventful and enriching as most of us have never experienced Asian culture. Student are definitely getting pushed outside of their comfort zone in many different ways. One of the most prevalent differences is the way in which the food is handled and prepared (See photos). Students were surprised that in the streets of Hanoi, meat is displayed on the carts of local vendors and the vegetables are being washed on the sidewalk. Because of this students became more aware and cautious of what they were eating.
business and culture of the pacific rim
an elon students journey through vietnam, singapore, malasyia, and thailand
business and culture of the pacific rim 