In my Pre-trip projections, I hoped to be able to immerse myself in the Vietnamese culture. However, through this trip, I feel that I have not really immersed myself in Vietnamese culture due to time constraints. While many opportunities were set up for us to understand Vietnamese culture better such as the amazing race and homestay, time proved to be the limiting factor, causing most of us to just skim the surface of Vietnamese culture.

During amazing race, my group felt that we did not have enough time to visit the attractions and understand Vietnamese culture better. Indeed, it is up to the team’s discretion if they want to take their time at each station or rush through all stations to complete missions so that they can win prizes. I guess for my team, we decided to try complete as many missions as possible, causing us to lose the opportunity of gaining insights through visiting attractions in Hanoi. I think for future amazing races, the leadership team could consider making students tour the attraction before giving them the mission or making the mission in the attraction itself so students can view the attraction and gain different perspectives on Vietnamese culture. Although the amazing race did not achieve its objective of understanding Vietnamese culture better, I think the attractions chosen were very meaningful and removal of technology really improved team bonding as we talked more to each other instead of our phones.

Next, for the homestay, I would say that it was the highlight of the entire trip. The difficult trek to the homestay only made the homestay seem more satisfying and well-deserved. During the trek, I felt that there were many obstacles which we do not often experience in Singapore. The uneven down hills, muddy puddles along the trek, treacherous up hills. These are just some examples of sights we do not usually see in Singapore. Even in our famous Bukit Timah nature reserve, so many people have walked the path that it is mostly a flat and even slope instead of an uneven one. For me, the trek was very tricky and I had to be very careful of where I stepped as a wrong step could cost my life. Thankfully for me, the locals were very kind and often stretched out their helping hand which allowed me to complete the trek unscathed. During the trek, I felt rather ashamed that the locals, who were old enough to be my grandparents, were more adept at trekking than me. They did not require thick winter jackets to protect them from the cold, they did not need good trekking shoes to navigate around the mountain. Instead, they climbed the mountains with heavy handmade products on their back, worn out slippers providing minimal protection from the rocks on the mountain and yet they never complained once. I guess this shows how sheltered I am and this experience definitely made me understand how fortunate I am. I guess the same me born in Sa Pa would probably have to do the same thing – sell handmade products on the streets and I really admire their determination. The way they climb the mountains to get to Sa Pa town, the way they carry their siblings on their back to sell the products. It’s simply amazing.

At the end of the trek, we were welcomed to Cho’s home (our tour guide) which was simple but comfortable. For me, I expected the home to be more run down and not as new. This is because I thought that the homestay will be similar to the experience I had in Cambodia. However, Cho’s home was definitely a lot better as it had a heater, comfortable mattresses and thick thermal blankets. For my experience in Cambodia, we had to sleep on the hard floor and shower with cold water. Despite the discomfort we experienced in Cambodia, I felt that I forged closer friendships and could interact with the homestay owners more. This is partly due to the longer stay – in Cambodia, I stayed for 10 days together with my team and there was a rotating schedule for each group to either cook, laundry or CIP. Through my experience in Cambodia, I found out that it was hard to cook or wash clothes for more than 20 people but it was nice to see how everyone worked together so that we can complete the task. At the end of the day, many of us are often physically tired but emotionally full. This is because we may have done a lot of manual labor but at least we have done it together and we know that we did not really impose on the homestay owners. I guess this is indeed a unique experience which could be brought to TOPS next year.

For me, the main takeaway for the trip will be the Vietnamese hospitality. Cho was very kind and easy-going as she offered us the best she had, not only in terms of food but also in terms of our comfort in her home. I remember the delicious dishes she cooked, which included large bowls of meat and vegetables. Through our conversations with her, we understand that they usually do not eat so many dishes and mostly consume rice with boiled pumpkins. This touched my heart greatly as they were willing to provide us with the best that they can offer. Cho also ensured that we were comfortable in her home, by providing us with extra blankets and mattresses when we told her that all of us wanted to squeeze in the upper floor of her home. In Hanoi, the student guide attached to us during the amazing race was also very easy going and went everywhere with us without complaints.

All in all, though I did not achieve what I set out to achieve in TOPS, I guess the experience is worthwhile as it provides a first-hand experience and I am so thankful for the opportunity that USP has provided.