SATA Vietnam 2006 Blog

The other day I was fortunate enough to have a home-cooked meal. The parents of Linh Vu '07 invited a Prof. Peppard, Max, and myself to lunch at their home. It was a wonderful opportunity to eat the local food. Needless to say, the food was excellent--much of it was prepared by Linh's younger sister. Some of the dishes that we ate were spring rolls, chicken, and fish with vegetables.

Later that day we all went to Hoan Kiem lake for dinner and then sat by the lake to watch the fireworks. We heard that it would be crowded there, but I know I didn't expect it to be as packed as it was. The entire lake was surrounded by people so thick you could barely move. We waited a good two hours for the fireworks to start, but it was worth it. By far it was one of the best display of fireworks I have ever seen!

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The other day I went shopping to purchase a few necessities that I did not bring with me because I thought that I would be able to find and buy them with very little difficulty upon my arrival. What I wanted was simple: a bath towel.

The towel that I was provided with in my room was far too small. I came across a store in an upscale mall that I thought would probably have what I was looking for.

I could not find a towel but I did find a bottle of soap packaged with a free hand towel. I brought this over to one of the employees and pointed at the towel in hopes that she would point me in the right direction. However, the language barrier remained insurmountable and she kept on repeating that the included towel was free with the purchase. She gathered a few other employees, but each told me what I already knew. After repeatedly drawing a large towel in the air with my fingers, they understood what it was that I wanted. They walked me over the next aisle where I found exactly what I was looking for.

After shopping I walked around the famous Old Quarter of Hanoi. I was slightly confused when I saw numerous fires in the street. Ash and smoke everywhere, I could not see what exactly was going on. As I walked close to one of the fires, I immediately understood what was happening. They were burning fake paper money, which to me is a familiar Chinese tradition. This act is done to send wealth and prosperity to relatives in the afterlife.

Although the language barrier will probably remain a difficulty for the remainder of the program, it may be that the customs and traditions are what will allow me to best understand this fascinating country and its people.

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January 21: We arrived last night around 10:30 pm and headed over to the hotel that we would be staying at for the night. It was about 45 minutes from the airport to the hotel. I was looking out the window of our bus the entire way trying to get a sense of the area and of Vietnam.

The area and the highway from the airport was very similar to that of Bangkok and reminded me a lot of Havana, Cuba. Fairly big roads that weren't in the best shape because they are heavily used. On the same road, I saw many billboards and factories of high-tech companies like Canon and Yamaha.

When we got into the city, it was very quiet because it was so late. Professor Peppard told us that that would be the only time that we would see the streets so empty. He was right. In the morning, we moved to our dorm at the university. We then walked around and ended up a small restaurant for lunch. It was not fancy at all and the clientele were all locals. Apparently it's one of the best places for Bun Bo, noodle soup with beef. It was incredibly delicious.

Following lunch, we walked around and went through a street market filled with all sorts of food. It was incredible to see the variety of vegetables, fruits, fish, and other meats available.

As we walked around Hanoi's Old Quarter, we were given a lesson on crossing the street, something that would seem to be fairly easy, but it was not. It's intimidating to cross the streets with the swarms of motorbikes speeding around and weaving with any and all obstacles. Decisiveness is the only thing you need to make it across. Any hesitation will result in injury.

Well it's time to do some more exploring before dinner.

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Reflections and commentary by Connecticut College student David Owyang '07, an economics major who hails from San Francisco, as he spends the semester living and studying in Hanoi with his professors and a handful of students on one of CC's unique Study Away/Teach Away programs - SATA Vietnam 2006.

The SATA Vietnam 2006 program is the fifth of its kind. Directed by CC economics professors Donald Peppard and Rolf Jensen, SATA Vietnam offers a small group of students of diverse majors the chance to become immersed in the life of this developing country, whose history is intrinsically interesting and at the same time inseparably a part of major currents in world affairs.

Colonialism and its aftermath, the Cold War, Confucianism and Communism, war and revolution, globalization: all are manifest in the atmosphere of Hanoi.

David's imagery, insights and observations on his studies and sojourns in the bustling city of Hanoi will be posted every few days.

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