Tag: environment

Recently, my program partook in a traveling seminar throughout Vietnam. Although the trip did not include many stops, it gave an incredible look into the diversity that I never knew existed within the country.

Our first stop was the capital—Hanoi. When talking to some people in Saigon, they described Hanoi as being a much more toned down version of Saigon that wouldn’t get as rowdy and didn’t have as much to do. Despite only being there for roughly 4 days, I’d beg to differ. Hanoi was an absolutely incredible city and had so much to offer. We were fortunate to be in a very popular area of the city—The Old Quarter—so getting around was not difficult.

Hanoi's history, unsurprisingly, is very scattered and the architecture consists of remnants of an old citadel alongside French villas that are now occupied by fusion restaurants. During the 20th century, Hanoi was the capital of Northern Vietnam and now, subsequently, modern Vietnam. Walking around the streets, and when talking with locals, the capitalist/communist influence is very evident.

...continue reading "Hanoi, Forever Ago"

Recently, my program coordinated a program to the Mekong Delta. The region is to the southeast of Saigon and, as expected, is a much more rural area. It was the first time I’d been exposed to what might be considered “real Vietnam.”

It was only 3 hours to our home stay—including a boat and bus ride. Our homestay was absolutely stunning. Each room had their own outdoor shower and a beautiful view of the Vietnamese wildlife. Best part, there were three puppies that loved hanging out with us!

The trip was a much needed reprieve from the city. While there, most of our travel was by boat across same channels. On the first day, we went to a coconut candy factory, a brick kiln, and a fruit market. At the fruit market, I had a taste of “Jackfruit” and it was delicious. It has almost a taffy like appearance and a pretty mild, sweet flavor. That evening we had a small cooking class where we made bánh xèo. Bánh xèo is like a Vietnamese crepe filled with radish, carrots, pork, and shrimp. It was delicious.

...continue reading "To Mekong, With Love."

By dylanmaric

When preparing to go abroad, I consulted with my doctor on a rabies vaccination. Considering the more lax animal restrictions, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Well, yes, a rabies vaccination would be advised, but it is a series of three shots that are roughly $300 each.”

After hearing that figure and losing consciousness for a few seconds, my mother and I opted for the alternative,“possess self-control, Dylan—don’t pet the dogs, Dylan” solution.

That was much easier said than done.

Since exploring Saigon, it is almost impossible to go out and not see a dog somewhere on the street. In the compound I live in, there are a regular 3 that hang out with the security guards. One of them knows how tempted I am to pet him and he follows me around sometimes. (Sidenote: There is also a very senile Chihuahua that I do not want to look at let alone touch.)  To cope, I got a bag that has my favorite Animal Farm quote—despite it's roots in Stalinist satire.

...continue reading "My Four-Legged Friends"

While in Saigon, our professor has let us in on a ton of opportunities within the city. His research in Ho Chi Minh is directed at studying youth culture and, as such, he knows about all of the events going on that we would never have heard about otherwise. It has been a very fascinating way to learn about what the "hip youth" are doing when they aren't on Facebook looking at memes.

One evening, the class went to a Saigon Heat basketball game. Saigon Heat is the premier basketball team in the VBA—or, Vietnamese Basketball Association. The game was a cultural experience to say the least. The gym was smaller than the Smith Center and the game was so loud at all times. They have an announcer that screams into the microphone and runs onto the court during every timeout with a roving basketball hoop and he throws a ball into the audience and they have to try and make it in this target. The highlight was getting to meet their star player, Stefan. I know follow him on Instagram.

...continue reading "Making The Most Of The Night"

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."