Although the Vietnamese skies look pretty hazy and not many people actually speak conversational English, this culture immersion opportunity has nevertheless been eye-opening. From walking down streets lined with makeshift food stalls with short stools or just shops with a massive array of counterfeit goods, to holding hands and screaming across roads that are congested with motorbikes together with incessant honking, all these make up part of the authentic and unique Vietnamese daily experience. Although we heard of these pre-trip, nothing could adequately prepare us for first-hand experience; the overall sensory exposure we gained was definitely nerve-wrecking and unforgettable.

What struck me most deeply were the vast differences in cultures, besides the physical sights and sounds that we encountered daily. In Hanoi University, students would queue in a straight orderly fashion – just to enter the lifts. This made me consider the situation back at home, where Singaporeans push and shove – just to get onto the bus. The stark contrast is a sight to behold, and definitely a point worthy for reflection. Are we as Singaporeans less cultured, even though we are officially a more developed country? Honestly, I felt slightly embarrassed as a foreigner to their polite culture, not simply because I was an outsider in a foreign land, but rather the fact that I have yet to witness this sight back home. There and then, I made a mental note to be more gracious in behaviour; at least if I cannot change society, I can change myself and hopefully make others happier.

Another observation: the rural families are very happy, even more so than their wealthier counterparts, whether in the city areas of Vietnam or Singapore. This discovery is testimony to the fact that contentment brings happiness, and we should strive to achieve that in our lives. However, I realised that these people too have dreams that they work towards to as well – similar to us. The key difference is that their happiness is not tied to the amount of money they earned or their social status, which I feel is the correct attitude to adopt. Money may be essential, but over-fixation on it makes us stuck in a rat race, and we start to neglect the ultimate goal of happiness.

Recalling back to the trek, children who were running around barefooted will echo a greeting excitedly, smiling and waving to any foreigners trekking past. This friendliness was observed to be unique to children, as the adults we passed rarely had a smile to offer. In hindsight, perhaps the adults saw foreigners as a threat to beautiful Sa Pa, since we form part of the additional human traffic and pollution to a place they loved and treated as home. This actually parallels the situation in Singapore, with many locals feeling overwhelmed and slightly threatened by the constant influx of foreigners into our homeland. Besides the bigger concern of xenophobia, this prevalent issue exemplifies the preciousness of community identity to its in-group members, and human nature to protect what belonged to us. Upon this realization, I thought that maybe we are not so different after all, despite our differences in cultures and circumstances.

Generally, I feel that most of the impactful events came from the short trip to Sa Pa, as it really widen my perspectives to the external world. Amazingly, I really felt like I learnt and gained so much more than I expected to, with so many little moments of discovery, happiness and inspiration.

This occurred during our first morning in Sa Pa; while looking for a breakfast place, my group wandered around and somehow made our way to the city centre. Perhaps we looked too much like tourists, for we immediately became targeted by a swarm of young girls selling their handmade bracelets and keychains. All of them looked under the tender age of six, some even carrying their baby siblings on their backs, as they roamed the streets searching for willing buyers. Being born and bred in Singapore, I feel so privileged for my circumstances and ashamed that most of us take what we have for granted. A sense of guilt swept over me as I realised that we are very lucky to continue higher education, even having the luxury of travelling overseas – all through the sheer chance of luck with birth circumstances. In my own society today, children have such abundance of electronic devices and opportunities for learning. In comparison to the children in Sa Pa, we do not even concern ourselves with the household income or our parents’ working hardships when we are younger.

My heart went out to them; the fact that they were trying to make a living at such young age and ultimately will still be unable to break out of the poverty cycle unless they receive education. Our tour guide explained that buying from them was detrimental long-term, since these girls would think that skipping school may allow them to earn quick cash, causing them to drop out even earlier. This difference in perspectives, since as tourists we would buy out of sympathy and goodwill, shows the importance of being informed global citizens, since most of us will assume that we can help them through purchase. This form of misinformation reemphasizes the importance of what it means to put oneself in others’ shoes, which I feel is the crucial first step to truly understanding others. Unless we try to think about what is in the best interests of the young girls while considering their possible mindset when we purchase their goods, we would have never imagine the dire consequences of such small trades.

Overall, I feel that this trip has surpassed all my previous expectations, and taught me many essential life lessons. Besides gaining a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese culture, this trip has taught me to appreciate all that I have, inspiring me to become a better individual and widening my perspectives on the world today. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity to embark on this TOPS trip.