As we embark on our journey to Vietnam, I am eager to learning more about a new culture, a new way of life. I have always been interested in learning about the evolution of cultures, the way of life of people as well as practices passed down throughout the years. Although I have been to Hanoi on a previous occasion and have a brief understanding of their history and culture, I believe that that was only the tip of the iceberg and I hope to learn much more during my trip there this December. Having never been to Sapa, I am really excited to find out more about how life is like in a village, the various kind of food that the people eat there as well as the differences in food culture between Sapa and Hanoi, which are not very far apart.
I am also interested in finding out more about the architecture of Hanoi and Sapa, learning about the various influences of different cultures on the design of the buildings and houses in these two places and the contrast between them. Through learning more about the culture of Vietnam and understanding the various challenges that the people face when they undergo globalization, I hope that I will be able to discover ways in which we can better help them in their pursuit of economic development. I also hope that through observing Vietnam’s development, we will be able to better understand what our ancestors may have possibly went through when Singapore was developing into a first world country.
During our visit to a university in Vietnam, I wish to learn more about the Vietnamese educational system and how it differs from ours, in the way that classes are taught as well as the subjects that students in the universities take. I look forward to learning a bit of the Vietnamese language and meeting people of a different culture. Through befriending them, I believe that this will enrich my college education as I can understand more about the Vietnamese culture and traditions directly from people of similar age which makes the experience more meaningful. I am really looking forward to trying out the various cuisines of the Vietnamese people and learning about their traditional foods and handicrafts.
I am looking forward to learn about doing research in the field. As I have never done this before, I am excited to try but am also rather apprehensive about it. After learning about many research techniques in class, I am eager to employ what I have learnt into this trip and see how such techniques can be applied in real life. As people are unpredictable, I hope that our research question would yield many useful gems of information and that the conclusion that we finally reach would be unexpected.
Through the trip, I hope that having more interaction with my USP peers will allow us to become better friends and form lasting connections that will last throughout my university life and beyond!
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