“We can see Lao Cai Village over there, just a little bit more!” Our Sapa tour guide pointed into the distance and said cheerily.
I looked up from the rocky terrains of the brown soil and to the distance where he pointed, letting my eyes guide me as far as they could, past the barren green hills and down into the valley where, from where we stood, we could see roofs of houses dotted amidst the untouched nature.
As the sun shone from behind, its strong rays making us feel tired and sweaty, and yet its warmth inviting in the refreshingly cold mountain air, I felt a smile tugging against my lips. Looking ahead at the endless vast of land and far into the distance where large mountains loomed, with clouds floating at its peaks, I truly felt how small and tiny I was amongst this great space of beauty. The air smelled sweet and the future seemed endless. I felt a surreal sense of hope ignite inside of me and the determination to continue moving forward, living life to the fullest, burned even brighter. Perhaps, it was because I took this trip as an opportunity to temporarily run away from certain problems I had in Singapore, but now I realized how those troubles that I once thought were important were simply so insignificant, and I felt the courage to face them.
That moment was unforgettable. On hindsight, that feeling of acquiring experience and growing as a person was something that I hoped to gain on this trip- and I did.
While being in Vietnam, I felt very much like a tourist in a foreign land- unsure of the deep-rooted Vietnamese culture, unable to communicate even the simplest of words and very well amazed by the different city and sights. There were times where we made certain mistakes due to the lack of understanding- such as saying a Vietnamese word in a different tone could mean an entire different word, and times where I felt the difference in treatment of being a foreigner- some more reserved due to unfamiliarity and others more polite due to respect.
It made me realize that being a tourist, we are undoubtedly placed under certain stereotypes, be it good or bad, and our actions may sometimes be under the scrutiny of many eyes. The fact that the way we carry ourselves reflects the name of our country means that regardless of what we do, we should constantly be mindful of our actions. This made me reflect that such actions and attitudes towards foreigners can also be observed in our own Singapore context, and it was an important lesson learnt: to not judge too quickly and too harshly.
However, through the days as we communicated with different tour guides, interviewed different locals and interacted with the minority representatives, university students and teachers, I am heartened to feel the warmth and hospitality that was offered to us. The tour guides were more than happy to answer any of the questions we had regarding our research topic and took immensely good care of us during the trek, making sure of our well-being at all times. The university students exchanged their precious time and spent an entire day with us, actively participating and engaging with us even though we were practically strangers to them. And of course, the local pharmacy owners and village doctor who allowed us to formally interview them for the sake of our project, even though there was no clear benefit for themselves- I believe that my group and I were genuinely touched and grateful for the help.
Before embarking on this trip, my group was faced with certain concerns in gathering data as we were informed that it would be a little bit difficult to be able to interview enough doctors or pharmacy owners for our documentary, taking into consideration their private practices and the lack of incentives. However, we surprised even ourselves as we managed to interview a significant number of pharmacies, even doctors and nurses, and we were elated that the effort we put into diligently searching for medical facilities and asking for interviews paid off. In the same vein, before the trip, I was worried that the Sapa trek would be dangerous and challenging, however, it ended up being a comfortable route and an extremely enjoyable experience!
Looking back on the entire trip and reflecting on what I have expected and learnt, I realized that other than all the positive experiences gained, I had expected to understand too much about the Vietnamese culture from this one exchange. I had wanted to discern the lifestyles of the locals, however, to truly immerse into another culture more interaction and communication is needed, and what I had found out during the one-week trip was only the tip of the iceberg. This has inspired me to continue travelling to different places and continue pursuing new experiences.
During the homestay, I had caught a rare glimpse into the life of our host- watching her cook with a gas stove on the ground of the kitchen, wash clothes from a large tub of water that was collected, and her children playing with toys on the ground of the room lit by a single lightbulb. As I watch her little child ride around in a toy car, I wondered what kind of boy he will grow up into. Thinking back to all the young children I have seen along our trekking route, a quote that I remembered surfaced to my mind: ‘We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all see the same horizon.’
On a closing note, there are precious moments of the trip that I would always remember- from the unique experience of being on a night train (trying to wash my face while the train rattled and shook violently) to the bustling night markets and quaint cafes that we have visited, from the exciting bouldering experience during the morning of our homestay to the various tourist attraction sites of Hanoi during the Amazing race- this trip was a beautiful balance of work and play, and an unforgettable memory owing to our professors and seniors who poured in hours of hard work into making it a success.
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