Tag: Development

Recently, I was told that Vietnam was the second largest coffee exporter in the world behind Brazil. I knew that coffee was definitely very popular in Vietnam, but I did not realize the significant culture around it. When I say that there is a cafe on every corner, I am not exaggerating. I know that you’re probably thinking, “Haha, okay Dylan. Whatever you say.” But, really, they are everywhere. My roommate told me that his and his friends version of a “fun” weekend night is to hang out the coffee shop until it closes.

For someone like me, this has become incredibly convenient. For those that don’t know, I used to be an employee at GW's finest java joint, “Gelbucks” and, as such, I am accustomed to consuming enough caffeine to stop a weak man’s heart. That being said, this lifestyle of getting coffee for 30,000 dong has been a dream. (For reference, 30,000 Vietnamese dong is roughly $1.30—and that’s a coffee from a nice establishment.)

So far, I have explored only a fraction of the coffee places in Ho Chi Minh and I am making it a personal goal to see as many as possible. A popular style is coffee with sweetened condensed milk, or cà phê sữa. Equally parts strong and delicious.

The following establishments are, so far, my favorite places to hunker down, connect to wifi, and enjoy my favorite beverage. Or, when I’m not in the mood for coffee, they also serve some of the best smoothies I’ve ever had.

...continue reading "Over-Caffeinated and Under-budget."

It’s been one week since I boarded my flight out of Newark bound towards the great unknown (Hong Kong). Unsurprisingly, the week has really flown by. After finally meeting the other participants on the program, both US and Vietnamese students, it has definitely made the experience more enjoyable and exciting.

One feature about my program that is surprising, but not unwelcome, is the size. There are four participants from the states, myself included. The other three are all from Clark University in Worcester, MA. We each have a local roommate that studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities which is a subset of the Vietnam National University. They joined us about 3 days ago and so far they have been the highlight of the experience. They are fascinated hearing about America and I have been asked questions ranging from, “Do you own a gun?” to “Don’t you think Beyoncé deserved the Grammy?” Truthfully, I didn’t expect them to know so much about politics or popular culture, but I’ve been proven wrong.

...continue reading "One week down."

Well, I finally made it to Saigon (technically Ho Chi Minh City). The sojourn here was quite the experience considering a 16 hour plane ride was something that I never thought I could accomplish, but I pulled through. To say that nothing in my life could’ve aptly prepared me for what I’d see in Saigon is an undeniably true statement. I thought the streets of Manhattan were a lot to handle, then I sat in a Vietnamese taxi for 20 minutes and was humbled very quickly.

As my first blog post, I will share the 5 things that took me most by surprise in my first 24 hours in Saigon.

...continue reading "Still jet-lagged, but pulling through."