My first full day in Vietnam is over! Although I was still a bit drowsy from the flight in, I had a great time! From what I've seen so far far, Ho Chi Minh city is vibrant, lively, and welcoming. And humid. Very, very humid. 

We started the day with a Vietnamese breakfast in the hotel, which is much different from most western breakfasts. Vietnamese breakfasts are much larger meals with lots noodles and pastries. After breakfast we boarded a bus and headed to the University of Economics and Finance to meet our new Vietnamese friends. When our bus pulled in we saw the group of students waiting eagerly with large flowery leis which they would give to us. After meeting some of the Vietnamese kids and taking some pictures, we headed up to the top floor of the University, which had a great view of the city, for a welcoming ceremony. The ceremony was fantastic, with speakers from the University and Ministry of Education, and traditional Vietnamese dances. After receiving gifts from our Vietnamese friends and taking more pictures, we headed downstairs for a Vietnamese language class. In our language class I met Will a student at UEF. Will was proactive at teaching us Vietnamese, explaining to us pronunciations and words before the teacher even did. I can see why Vietnamese can be such a difficult language to learn, as it has 12 vowels and six different tones for each.

Afterwards we headed to Kent University for lunch. We ate family style, and all the food was delicious! After lunch we boarded the bus again and headed to HUTECH University. At the university we split into two groups, business students and engineering students. The engineering group met Dr. Viet, who, apart from telling us about engineering at HUTECH, gave us an interesting perspective on life in Vietnam by telling us stories of his time as a teenager, and explaining to us his unique personal philosophy. 

After our HUTECH visit, we headed back to the hotel to relax for a few hours before dinner. We got a chance to explore a bit of the city, and get a feel for just how lively it is. For dinner we went a local restaurant called nha hang ngon. At the restaurant we got an inside look on how traditional Vietnamese foods are prepared, and got to try foods from each of Vietnams different regions. It was certainly some adventurous eating! After dinner we headed back to the hotel, where we hung around for a little, but still being exhausted from the way in, called it an early night. Xin Chao Saigon! See you in the morning :)