Day 1

To all of my followers I can please you by saying I safely arrived in Vietnam around 10:30 pm on Sunday. After about 20 hours of total flying I unfortunately found my bag to have been significantly damaged at the Ho Chi Minh City Airport. However, through simple conversation, I was compensated 100 US dollars, in Vietnamese currency that is roughly 1,904,000 Dong. Yes I was a millionaire within the first ten minutes of the country but I am now required to purchase a new bag within the following 13 days left.

After arrival in Ho Chi Minh City we packed our 11 person group into the 12 person van and set off towards our hotel, The Victory Hotel. After arriving the group took their rooms, listened to last minute preparations for the following days activities and proceeded to bond until the late hours in the morning.

The first breakfast at the Victory Hotel was, as it will continue to be, a Vietnamese complimentary all you can eat buffet. Ranging from Sunny Side Up Eggs to Liver we likely could eat anything our hearts may desire and our minds could imagine. Most of us tried new things and filled ourselves up to prepare for the days events.

First up was the introduction to the University of Economics and Finance (UEF). There I met my first Vietnamese friend Tonynguyen Doan, whom is also refereed to as "Tony". Tony is a freshman at his respective University and is currently majoring in Business Management. He has a younger sister and has lived and never left Vietnam his entire life. Upon meeting him he invited the group and myself to play basketball during this week and eventually go out together. I am looking forward to this experience.

At the UEF we were graciously welcomed to by the UEF's President, program leaders, and students alike. They entertained us with a preformed dance, group singing and games, and also a rock concert presented by their very own rockstar. After this very warm greeting and exchange of emails we jumped right into language class. Some of the vietnamese students remained while others attended their classes that were scheduled. We learned the differences between the English Alphabet and the Vietnamese; 11 vowels vs 6 vowels, various symbols referencing tone, and all sentences ending without a finishing sound. Also we were taught how to say hello, introduce ourselves, ask friends names, pardon ourselves and give thanks. During this all the vietnamese students clapped, as we struggled to pronounce, with enthusiasm and genuine kindness. I can say I have never felt more welcome in a foreign country than this classroom in UEF.

Once we finished our first day of Vietnamese we ate lunch at the school, also entirely vietnamese cuisine, and then headed back to change for the US Consulate and bus tour. After the quick changed we drove through Ho Chi Minh City and saw historical Vietnam-American War sites as well as the famous market. At the market many of us purchased the inexpensive products having a US dollar equivalent to roughly 19,000 Dong. This was an extremely unique experience walking through the market where the employees expect to bargain and do just about anything to make you buy their product over other competitors.

Next we arrived at the US Consulate and met Chuck, US Consulate General, and Dave, US Consoler specializing in Visas. There we learned about the job of all US Consulates world wide, their workload and disciplines, and the history of the Bombing of the old Embassy in 1968. It was remarkable being given access to view such a historic site in US - Vietnam history. The memorial of the five military men lost during the bombing was located inside the current US Consulate's walls while directly on the street facing the Consulate the memorial of the men lost during the attack against the former US Consulate stands tall displaying the courage of men from Vietnamese perspective. This contrast today, while showing the great difference between two different forms of government, is quite a thought provoking thing to witness.

Finally after our tour we finished our day having dinner at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. This restaurant was an extremely eccentric design having a bridge immediately as you walk in crossing a river. The stairs realistically portray climbing a tree fort. They served many typical vietnamese dishes containing various forms of seafood, rice, soups, and extremely spicy peppers. I unfortunately partook in consuming one of these extremely spicy peppers and suffered the immediate consequences of fire in my mouth. Despite this bad decision I did truly enjoy the meal provided by Dr.Berman and the Plus 3 Program. After dinner a few members of the group, exhausted, swam in the Hotel Pool and then called it night. I am looking forward to tomorrow's activities because so far I have been in-love with Vietnam.