Post-Vietnam

My first fieldwork experience was positive, although I could have been more sensitive to my surroundings and non-verbal cues.

The actual experience differed from my expectations. Having stayed in a Cambodian village house before, I imagined the homestay would be similar, with minimal modern facilities. I was surprised when there were modern sanitary systems, air fresheners and even wifi. This made me ponder if the homestay had such facilities specially to cater to the tourists, or was it for themselves. There exists a very fine line between having to keep up with times, and having modern amenities just to satisfy tourists’ needs during the homestay. While the locals we spoke to shared similar sentiments that tourists were beneficial, due mostly to the economic benefits and cultural exchanges, there could be a cost to tourism which they had not realise yet. Although not immediately visible, through opening up of their homes to tourists, they are more vulnerable to change and some parts of the culture will inevitably fade away or be diluted with increased exposure to other cultures.

Most fundamentally, my presence was to be a tourist, to look at them through lenses tinted by my background. As tourists, we will bring a preconceived set of ideas and judge them based on our mould. Tourists simply observe and leave, without fully immersing or enriching themselves. Going to a deeper level, I was there to learn, to understand more about the locals and to immerse myself in their environment. While we aim to find out more about local life in comparison to city life, the locals sometimes make small changes to their houses to make it more welcoming for tourists. For instance, the homestay had Wifi and the kid was watching Youtube, probably influenced by tourists. An incident that affirmed we managed to go deeper than the usual tourist experience was that during reflections which Zer, our tour guide, opted to sit in for, mentioned that he has never encountered any group like us. He was touched that we reflected on our journey and were genuine in our intentions to find out and understand more, going beyond the usual  happy night of drinking.

Fieldwork made me question the true meaning of ecotourism. The village locals are unaware of the concept of ecotourism and everything was simply tourism. I wondered if ecotourism was merely a term, coined up by the developed world, for businesses primarily engaged in tourism related to the environment to charge a premium to fulfil profit-making motives and for developed-world citizens to feel better that they are doing their part for the environment. The locals may not conduct tourism in a more environmentally-friendly manner, but rather just continue in their co-existance with nature. Additionally, ecotourism, while beginning with good intentions, might start the commodification of culture, where traditional vietnamese clothes now are already more expensive than western clothes and handicrafts produced are sold to tourists.

The trek was impactful, portraying a stark contrast between us and the locals. The locals wore slippers and scaled the highs and lows effortlessly. For us even when equipped with hiking shoes, we focused on the ground, calculating our every move, even requiring help occasionally. The locals were very helpful, but help came with an ulterior motive of wanting to sell us an item. It made me realise the great lengths they go to and the strong determination they have to sell their items. While I admire their perseverance, I acknowledge that such a method of selling will not be sustainable as capturing a sale appealed to pathos more, rather than the actual need for it. More assistance is required to help them sell properly, as appealing to pathos is insufficient.

Another impactful incident occurred in Sapa where children walked around, carrying their younger sibling on their backs while selling items. The children were very persistent and followed tourists, even resorting to hitting when tourists refused to buy. Although it intimidated me, I know this is part of their struggle for survival, having been shaped by their circumstances. While looking at them gave me a timely reminder to be thankful for whatever I have as I am privileged enough to lead a life where basic needs were readily available, I think the term privileged lies on a continuum, where a comparison exists. I would like to raise that, for the locals, if they have never experienced any different, then they would never know a different life and to them, they are privileged in their own right. Poor is not an insufficiency. Although they are indeed less well-off than us from an economic standpoint, they may not be less privileged than any one of us in other aspects.

The fun and engaging Amazing Race was impactful, with activities challenging us to think creatively. Thinking creatively gave us ways to complete challenges faster and opened my mind to different perspectives. Not having my phone showed me how reliant I was on mine, especially with applications like Google Maps making life convenient. While I felt insecure without my smartphone initially, it gradually made me more reliant on myself, using the group’s combined knowledge to complete the activities. Also, I became more comfortable without technology and it gave me more freedom, away from the constant need to be connected with the rest of the world.

In conclusion, the trip was beneficial, exposing me to a different culture and giving me new experiences and knowledge. We interacted with groups of locals, and it was enriching to hear their stories. I wanted to be more aware of their underlying stories beyond what tourists see. I believe that while I did learn more about the locals, I think I have only scratched the surface. I acknowledge that it is difficult to find out more given the amount of time we had, but sometimes I wonder if their viewpoints have been clouded by the immediate economic impacts. As we leave nothing but footprints behind, I’m thankful for the experience and friendships forged.