Today was a fun and relaxing day. We woke up slightly later then normal and went to UEF where we had a history and language lesson until noon. Learning so much about Vietnamese history was intriguing. I have a lot of material from the presentation that I can read in my leisure if I want to learn more.
After lunch we went to the UEF library where we would spent the rest of the day. Today was a cultural exchange day where we had the opportunity to spend time with our Vietnamese friends. They had many games prepared for us including a variation of twister (sort of, not really), a dance off competition, charades, a translation competition, and a pig chase. The previously mentioned games sound typical but the last one requires some explaining. There was an area of about 15x15 feet that was enclosed and a small pig was places into the "arena". We were to chase the pig and try to catch it; it was little but it sure did run fast. When it was my turn enter the arena I was competing against a few others and at one point I had a chance to grab the pig. As I reached down to catch it, I simply could not. It was if there was a force field around the pig preventing my hands from coming within a certain distance of the pig. Needless to say I was not the person who caught the pig during my brief stint in the arena.
We danced around with our UEF friends for our last activity. They played many American pop songs and we all sang the words together. It was a very enjoyable time! After the dancing Trân approached me and said "Thinking about the time that you leave makes me sad". I reminded her that the trip is not even half over yet and she has no need to be sad. I told her to be sad AFTER we left, but not before. Many people, Vietnamese and American alike, we're taking pictures with each other. Trân and I took a picture together which you can see below (here you go Aunt Jill!).
Our awesome amazing "guide" Trân
The tailor came to UEF for our first fitting. I was nervous that I would not like the suit, thankfully my worry was entirely unnecessary. I love the suit and I can't wait until it is finished. It fits me incredibly well and the color is unique.
Tonight for dinner we had pho (pronounced fa) which is a traditional Vietnamese dish that consists of meat noodles and vegetables in soup-like mixture. Afterwards we went on a tour of the city on motorbikes. The tour lasted about an hour and it was incredibly fun. It was one of the best things we have done so far. Check out the video below!
Our ride to the pho place
Thanks for the video and picture! Wow! What a ride. You & Zach can compare notes now. Tran is very pretty and teeny-tiny. What is she studying at the U? - Grammy
ReplyDeleteShe is 23, she works for the UEF International Relations office. She was assigned to our group, thats why I say guide in quotes; She basically is our guide, but she is not at the same time. She's more of a good friend by now. She studied international relations in college, she went to a state school. She is incredibly tiny, you should see her in person!
DeleteOH MY GOODNESS ALEX! Do you think I would survive the intersection? I love seeing what you see. Love the picture of you and Tran, you look so tall! Post more pictures please. Love-Mom
ReplyDeleteI am tall here! its awesome! I love it! The intersection isn't as dangerous as you think. The max speed around here is about 25 so you can stop very quickly, its not like home where people go 40+ on suburban roads.
DeleteI love the video! That is such a cool experience - you're so lucky! (: You should post more pictures and video! (:
ReplyDeleteIts very fun! I wish we could do this back home but it just wouldn't work, anyone driving like this would just get run over. Plus we drive too far to make a bike like this practical. Imagine my riding to your house on a motorbike to get you.... ha
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