Vietnamese locals in Sapa

As a person who never really had the chance to travel to places beyond Malaysia and China, I believe that this trip to Vietnam will provide me with the opportunity to, for the first time, immerse myself in a culture that is not familiar to me, allowing me to step out of my comfort zone. The USP is a multi-disciplinary programmed aimed at nurturing creative and reflective global citizens devoted to understanding the social, cultural, economic, and environmental forces that give shape to our ever-changing world. It is no secret that having the opportunities and funds that USP provides, this trip included, is a privilege that we, as USP students, get to enjoy. It is therefore up to us to make the most out of these opportunities and learn as much as we can. Being exposed to another culture, learning how to exist in it, how to communicate with the locals, can provide me with insight about Vietnam that cannot be truly experienced with information and videos from the internet. It allows me to see what is uniquely Vietnam and forces that are global – changes that come as a consequence of modernity and advancement. Studying about gender roles in Vietnam is yet another way to closely observe the dynamics between Vietnamese on a more personal level, forming a deeper connection with the place as we draw similarities and find differences between their society and ours.

When I entered NTU, I did not quite know what I wanted. All I know was that I wanted to enjoy what I was studying, and I wanted to make the most of the opportunities presented to me and I wanted to try new things. I feel like this trip will fulfill all of these goals I set for myself before I entered university. As a Sociology student, I am excited for the intercultural exchange. Learning about the makings of society in classes, how different elements come together and create structure, seeing how seemingly universal concepts and theories exists in an entirely different culture and history, it excites me. My research project, gender roles, especially, is a topic that I am deeply interested in – how stereotypes and prejudice can create something as concrete as gender roles, a cultural norm that people put in a lot of effort to conform to, and ensure that everyone conforms to it as well. As a person who studied and loved History in the A levels, after learning about the rich history of Vietnam – from their fight against the French, to the Vietnam war as a proxy of the Cold War, to the development of Vietnam as a nation – I am interested to see how this history has shaped the dynamics of their locals. It is always easy to learn about the politics of a country – the issues plaguing a society, the policies their government makes, but the dynamics of the locals – how they interact, how they go about their daily lives – is something that books and the internet will never entirely convey.

And frankly, I am just really excited to be travelling. Travelling is a luxury for me, so trust that I will fully appreciate and enjoy the opportunity to be out of Singapore and experiencing a cold that Sapa will be, for the first time.