Beach Party Vietnam

This weekend our group went to the beach called Long Hai near Vung Tau City. And besides being reminded that I am not invincible against the sun, it was a relaxing and beautiful weekend. Being able to relax without the chaos of Ho Chi Minh City was definitely much needed.

Vung Tau City was a very unique place. It was a very beachy and touristy spot, yet there was still large numbers of locals. What I feel so blessed about this program is that our coordinators take us around as if we are locals. We sat for dinner in the market where all the natives sat, ate local seafood which was delicious, and visited the local hot spots for lunch.

One of the most interesting parts of the day today was being able to sit down and talk with the manager of our hotel for a paper I needed to write. Her name is Thuan and she was a very nice lady. Unfortunately, she did not speak English, but I had one of the coordinators with me to help translate. I interviewed her about development and what her perception of it is. I really wanted to understand what development meant to someone outside of Ho Chi Minh City. This could be a really outlandish thought, but it seems that Vietnam's development happens mostly in the cities, and everyone on the outside gets left behind. However, hearing Thuan talk about how she thinks Vung Tau City has developed rapidly due to the government's efforts to expand the tourism industry. Because of this, her hotel has flourished and so has the rest of the city.

Learning about different places in Vietnam besides just the cities is something I have found so valuable since being here. The papers we have had to write have opened my eyes to different perspectives about not only Vietnamese culture but about my own capabilities of learning.