This week marks my first week in Saigon, Vietnam! I am excited to share my experiences with you all. Life in the heart of city is very fast-paced and the distinct smell of gasoline emitted by motorbikes is intertwined with every breath. Shops, restaurants, and homes are all lined up and where there is an empty space, there will be some kind of stand. Whether you're looking for food, something to drink, or even shoes, you'll only have to drive a block at most.
Since my project mainly focuses on the impacts of nutrition, I made it my duty to explore the fresh and aromatic cuisine of Vietnam. Here, you will find that every entree is paired with greens and other vegetables. Poultry and produce are raised and freshly grown (most times right in the back of the shop) and sold at local stores so nothing is frozen or pre-packed. In the past week, I have tried authentic pho (noodle soup), banh xeo (savory Vietnamese styled pancakes), bun bo hue (beef noodle soup), and oc bu (lemongrass snails). I will try to incorporate a separate page dedicated to my exploration of the different types of dishes in Saigon next week. But for now, I give two thumbs up for both taste and healthy nutritional value.
I started my project this week by visiting my first elementary school. I was welcomed with youthful smiles of children (who's Vietnamese were more advanced than mine) at the elementary school of Tô Hiến Thành. Tô Hiến Thành is made up of 300 students from 1st grade to 5th grade. I was also allowed to sit in the second grade class and one of first differences I saw was that in Vietnam, children are expected to cross their hands and bow when greeting a teacher and the language class is structured very differently, focusing primarily on vocabulary and dictation. To complete my project, I distributed and collected anonymous surveys about how much they thought nutrition impacted their daily life and how much they were aware of their eating habits. Since the students were still young, many were not familiar with the concept of "calories" and how their choices has affected them thus far in their education. However, it was interesting to interact with the students and have the opportunity to feel like an elementary student again! When doing a project with children it was truly a humbling experience and by no means was it easy to say goodbye at the end of the week.
Come back next week as I visit a high school and find out how students similar to my age in Saigon emphasize healthy eating!
Until next time.
Crystal Vo
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| A 3rd grade class at To Hien Thanh |
Visiting schools and interacting with the children in Vietnam is an experience that I'm sure not many people have the opportunity to do. I'm excited to see what you find, of course, but I'm also looking forward to seeing how your time spent in Vietnam will change and mold your personality and perspectives. Adding all of your interactions with the Vietnamese culture will only help enhance your final project! Can't wait to hear what you do next week.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you having an amazing time there in Vietnam! I'm very curious to hear more about your experience with students your age next week, and what your findings are. As always, stay safe and remember to have a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear you're enjoying your time with the children in and culture of Vietnam! I think it's interesting that the language classes in Vietnam emphasize areas that we often overlook or spend less time on here. All the best for next week, and I'm excited to hear about your experience with the high school students!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to see that you are having a great time in Vietnam and I'm kind of jealous that you have the opportunity to eat authentic Vietnamese cuisine. I hope that you continue to enjoy your stay there and I look forward to your next post.
ReplyDeleteCrystal, your first week in Saigon sounds amazing! I am so happy that you are having this wonderful opportunity. Like CJ, I am jealous that you are eating so much wonderful food. (Lemongrass snails sound delicious!) I find the fact that the elementary students don't know what calories are interesting; I'm not sure that elementary-aged children in the U.S. truly understand calories, but our society has such an emphasis on calorie-counting and fat consumption that I'm sure most young children here have at least some concept of calories, even if it is only to know that they can "make you fat." I look forward to your food page; I think that will be a wonderful enhancement to your project, and maybe you can even incorporate that into your final project, somehow. We'll talk. Enjoy your second week!
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