Introduction to Ho Chi Minh City!

After about 22 hours on airplanes and several more of travel time, we all arrived safely in Ho Chi Minh City! The first thing I noticed after stepping out of the airport on Sunday night (HCM City time), was the heat. It has been in the high 90's, possibly even above 100 degrees, everyday so far. On Monday morning we experienced our first true Vietnamese meal at breakfast in the hotel. Vietnamese breakfasts, and all meals in general, are quite different from those in America. Some of the breakfast items included rice, a stew with rabbit meat, noodle and meat dishes, fruit, and bread. The coffee here is also good, though it tastes a little different. On Monday morning we took the van to the University of Economics and Finance, in another district of HCM City, which everyone here still calls Saigon. Once we arrived, we were welcomed by many students and adminstrators in a nice welcome program. One student performed a traditional Vietnamese dance, we were given nice shirts, and everyone sang Michael Jackson's "Heal the World". I've noticed several Vietnamese students commenting on the American music that they like. The UEF students and faculty were all very enthusiastic and eager to meet us and ask questions. I was impressed by everyone's English-speaking abilities, and most seemed to have studied it for 7-8 years. Understandably, some was lost in translation (for example, a student asked me "where I live in England"), but I was surprised by everyone's friendliness and desire to know about us, where we live, what our education is like, our hobbies, our expectations about Vietnam, etc. Overall, it was a very warm welcome to Saigon. After this, we had our first Vietnamese language lesson, learning a few phrases such as "My name is _______.", and the alphabet. I realized after just a few minutes that Vietnamese is a difficult language for English-speakers to pronounce and learn. English must be a challenge for the Vietnamese as well. I realized this after the language teacher started referring to me as "Winters", since "Elizabeth" must be difficult to pronounce. The UEF students have been very helpful during these language lessons too, in addition to the teacher. We then enjoyed another Vietnamese meal, with rice, shellfish, bananas, noodles, and other assorted items at the University. This was followed by a tour of Saigon on the bus, including a short trip to the market. The market had a wide assortment of things to buy, from fake North Face backpacks to weasel coffee (a Vietnamese specialty) to many DVD's. Then, we arrived at the US Consulate, located on the site of the US Embassy, which played a significant role in the Vietnam War. It was very interesting to talk to the official working in the Consulate and learn about their lifestyle abroad in foreign service. Another interesting part of the trip was seeing the memorial for the Americans who were killed during the attack on the US Embassy by the Vietcong during the Tet Offensive during the war. This was interesting because the Vietnamese government constructed a memorial for the Vietcong that died during that same attack, right outside of the Consulate's walls on the sidewalk. Our day finished with another Vietnamese meal at a cool restaurant in Saigon as well. There were many courses, including squid, spring rolls, and a soup which was made on our table as the broth boiled and live shrimp, still moving around, were placed inside with vegetables to cook. Jet lag finally hit me, and after a quick swim in the hotel pool, I was happy to go to bed!