Overall thoughts
Well it's been a couple of weeks since we got back and everything is back to normal. We've had time to decompress and to gather our thoughts. Being away from Vietnam again gives us a chance to really reflect...
We went to a lot of cities, learned about many cultures and experienced wonderful things. What are some of the favorite things? Visiting family in Nha Trang and Saigon, drinking soybean drink on the street, eating rau muong (water spinach)... and countless many other things.
What would we do different? Spend more time in each city... at least 2-3 days more in each city. The next time we go back I'd like to visit some of these places again and just wander.
What have I gained from this trip? Here are some things that I can think of offhand:
- I have gained confidence in my spoken Vietnamese. I know that I can communicate well enough to get what I want and to understand what people are saying around me. I know that I need to improve my reading/writing before my next trip back bccause it will make me a better prepared traveler.
- I got the chance to meet many members of my family that I have only heard about.
This strengthens the family bond that we have and connects me back to my roots. We've actually called over to Vietnam numerous times since we got back to the states.
- I understand where some of my personality traits and thinking processes come from. I feel that being flexible and being able to cope with things is a part of all Vietnamese people. Being able to see the good things in the bad, being able to adapt to ever-changing conditions. Not giving up and finding a way to get what you want. I see these traits in the people that we met throughout the trip.
- I've learned to appreciate historic things more. People know me to be a tech guy who is always looking at the latest and greatest... but being in a country with so much history made me look at the ancient and appreciate it. Seeing ruins that have lasted thousands of years is just amazing.
- The sea is huge and beautiful. The last time that I've seen it was when I was 4 and leaving Vietnam.
- Lastly, I've realized that I'm a simple person. Tina called me a "country-bumpkin" because I like some of the simple foods and the countryside more than the city :). There's nothing wrong with being a bumpkin... ah yes, how sweet it sounds.
Hrm, I should write my blog entries out before I just sit and type. Well it's late so off to bed! I'll try to write about swallow's nest tomorrow and get some pictures up of that.
We went to a lot of cities, learned about many cultures and experienced wonderful things. What are some of the favorite things? Visiting family in Nha Trang and Saigon, drinking soybean drink on the street, eating rau muong (water spinach)... and countless many other things.
What would we do different? Spend more time in each city... at least 2-3 days more in each city. The next time we go back I'd like to visit some of these places again and just wander.
What have I gained from this trip? Here are some things that I can think of offhand:
- I have gained confidence in my spoken Vietnamese. I know that I can communicate well enough to get what I want and to understand what people are saying around me. I know that I need to improve my reading/writing before my next trip back bccause it will make me a better prepared traveler.
- I got the chance to meet many members of my family that I have only heard about.
This strengthens the family bond that we have and connects me back to my roots. We've actually called over to Vietnam numerous times since we got back to the states.
- I understand where some of my personality traits and thinking processes come from. I feel that being flexible and being able to cope with things is a part of all Vietnamese people. Being able to see the good things in the bad, being able to adapt to ever-changing conditions. Not giving up and finding a way to get what you want. I see these traits in the people that we met throughout the trip.
- I've learned to appreciate historic things more. People know me to be a tech guy who is always looking at the latest and greatest... but being in a country with so much history made me look at the ancient and appreciate it. Seeing ruins that have lasted thousands of years is just amazing.
- The sea is huge and beautiful. The last time that I've seen it was when I was 4 and leaving Vietnam.
- Lastly, I've realized that I'm a simple person. Tina called me a "country-bumpkin" because I like some of the simple foods and the countryside more than the city :). There's nothing wrong with being a bumpkin... ah yes, how sweet it sounds.
Hrm, I should write my blog entries out before I just sit and type. Well it's late so off to bed! I'll try to write about swallow's nest tomorrow and get some pictures up of that.
posted by Chuckle-Bunny at
10:32 PM
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