Mekong River Delta with Nicole!

Today, January 4th, as one of our first excursions outside the city, we were headed to the Mekong River Delta. After meeting at the canteen, the Cornell and TDTU students all boarded vans to begin our way to the river. After and hour and a half of sleeping, chatting, and enjoying the spectacular scenery, we arrived to a dock overlooking the river. With the sun already shining down, the boat ride was beautiful and surreal, accompanied by our lively tour guide. Once we got off the boats, we walked a bit, passing many live animals such as goats and dogs, until we boarded horse drawn wagons leading us along a small path. We then walked a luscious and green trail, trying new fruits that our guide selected for us. We then gathered to eat more delicious and local fruit, such as mango and chili powder, dragon fruit, and pineapple under a shaded table area. We enjoyed this sweet treat while listing to the beautiful melodies of Vietnamese singers that performed a short show for us.

Next, we stopped and had the opportunity to try local honey mixed with amazing kumquat tea and peanut-based snacks. It was a delicious and calming atmosphere, a mood that suddenly changed once we got the opportunity to hold a live boa! As the group buzzed in excitement, we took turns letting it slither up our arms. Soon after, we were taken to another shaded veranda where hot coconut candy was being made. After watching the process, we were able to try and purchase the sweet treat. The sticky, aromatic candy was unlike anything I have ever eaten, but needless to say, it was delicious. Finally, we rode small boats through a breathtaking river channel, surrounded by jungle and marsh. They gave us conical hats to wear to shade the sun as we rode in the boats. After docking, we followed another verdant path that led us to alligator enclosures where brave students could dangle meat to feed them. It was fascinating watching the alligators freeze so still as they waited before snatching the food.The adventure ended with a feast of spring rolls, sticky rice balls, grilled elephant-fish, prawns, and much more. Needless to say, by the end we were stuffed and satisfied from the mouth-watering food. After taking another boat back to the dock, we loaded back into vans and almost everyone was so tired they slept the whole ride back to campus.

After resting for some time, the group reconvened and set out for district 1 for some dinner. We ended up eating delicious pho at the infamous location Bill Clinton had his first pho in Vietnam, Pho 2000. The pho and refreshing array of smoothies were extremely flavorful and, as always, delicious. We ended the long day with relaxing massages that almost put some of us to sleep. It was an excellent de-stressor for an action-packed day.

Debate and Class with Brittany!

We had a very packed schedule today at TDTU! The morning started
off as usual: the Cornell students met in the canteen to eat, and I got egg noodles and a
Yogurt Da. When we arrived to class, we started our first day of mediation. Professor
Richard Fincher threw us into it immediately, and we had a mock mediation with a sample
case he gave us. In a case involving an employee with a disciplinary record who
accidentally damaged company property, management and the union ultimately agreed to
reinstate her on a last chance agreement.

In the afternoon’s class, we transitioned to a more serious topic: the Vietnam War. It was a
profound experience to learn about while in Vietnam, especially after meeting so many
wonderful Vietnamese people. What stuck out to me the most was the U.S.’s strategy: to
cause as many casualties as possible. I felt unnerved when I learned that the U.S. used body
counts as a metric of success for the majority of the war.

In the evening, we attended a debate class with our Vietnamese counterparts and
partnered with them. Together, we argued over all sorts of topics ranging from soda to the
internet! My favorite part was seeing how different some of the Vietnamese students’
perspectives were from ours. Socializing with them felt easy and highlighted our
similarities: we all like sports, spending time with our friends, and we are all worried about
finding jobs. The debating, though, really served to highlight some of the differences we
have that in large part emerge from living under different governmental systems that exist
on opposite sides of the world.
Finally, we finished off the day with some street food with our Vietnamese friends. It was
AMAZING!

Vietnamese History and Foods with Chris!!

We began the day on January 9th, 2019 in normal fashion by convening in the campus canteen for breakfast, where students enjoyed cafe da sua (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk) and Bánh bao (a steamed circular bun containing pork and quail egg). Afterwards, we headed over to TDTU Building E and embarked on a two hour lecture given by Professor Richard Fincher detailing the role of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in Vietnamese labor relations. During our lunch break, students tried Vietnamese Bánh mì and Phở at a different canteen on campus and later cooled off from a particularly hot day with Boba Milk tea.

In the afternoon, Professor Richard Fincher gave an interesting and poignant lecture on the history of the Second Indochina War, an event that in the United States we commonly refer to as the "Vietnam War." In this lecture, students were able to better understand a more comprehensive view of the War from the Vietnamese perspective, as well as reflect in a nuanced manner on how the War forever changed American citizens' view of their own government.

The daily argumentation and debate session with TDTU students followed in the evening, which was perhaps the highlight of the day. Both Cornell and TDTU students were able to channel the debate skills and experience that they had begun to acquire earlier in the week, and argued in teams over the topic, "Should teenagers be eligible to serve in important government roles?" This debate was particularly interesting in that students from both universities were able to compare and contrast the nature of education and government in their home countries, providing an ulterior benefit of cultural exchange. Afterwards, Cornell and TDTU students dined at a Thai restaurant in a nearby mall where some Cornell students were able to try Hot Pot for the first time. The day, filled with the exchange of food and ideas about government and history, represented another example of the array of cultural learning that a single Wednesday could achieve while in Ho Chi Minh City. --Chris

First Day Out and About with Claire!

On our first day with the whole group, we got to tour the Fito Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine and Pharmacy in District 10, where we learned about the influence of Vietnamese doctors in expanding the practice of healing and disease prevention through various natural means. As emphasized by our guide, the Vietnamese have a longstanding tradition of utilizing the herbs and other natural remedies grown/produced locally to treat illnesses, and strongly appraise prevention of these illnesses by living a healthy daily lifestyle. Additionally, we learned about the less conventional methods doctors would use to diagnose their patients, such as through palm reading. At the end of the tour, the museum offered us different types of tea, which were labeled according to their functionality, such as those for brain power or stress-reduction.

After the museum, we travelled to District 1 where we walked through their largest park and did some shopping in the Ben Tanh market.

That night, we visited the heart of District one, where the city was setting up decorations for the Tet Holiday. We stopped there for a while and people-watched from the balcony of a local café. From there, we were able to see all the people shopping for presents for Tet, or taking a break in the center where kids could play in the fountain or order food from street vendors.

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First Day of Classes, Debate and Dinner with Paul!

Today January 7th was our first full day of classes where we began by waking up early for a class with Mr. Fincher about Vietnamese history and labor. We learned about the wide spread influence of Marxism on the country’s culture and government which determined the way the country’s labor system functions currently and how French colonialism and cultures from other Asian countries contribute to Vietnam’s unique socioeconomic structure. Vietnam’s communist government but capitalistic economy entails a labor market that is heavily regulated by the government, meaning that most unions, NGO’s, and businesses have certain legal limitations such as representation, production, and negotiation in which they must operate. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the dynamics between management and labor in Vietnam are nowhere parallel to the relationship between management and labor in the U.S. as it follows a tripartite structure. The class then entered into a dialogue comparing the two systems, having Mr. Fincher giving some of his own thoughts and insights.

Later that day we were able to have our first debate workshop. Both Cornell and TDTU students learned the basic mechanics of debate and engaged in a short exercise of “last one on the hot air balloon” justifying why you, being anyone or anything, should be left to survive. The room was immediately filled with laughter and excitement as students took on silly roles such as love, gravity, and a GPS device. It was a great opportunity to not only hone our debating skills but to have fun with the Vietnamese students.

 


Finally, after a long day we all went out to grab dinner. The food was amazing; especially being able to try local favorites such as Vietnamese Pizza, Tamarind Tea, and Quail Eggs. It was a great time for us to get to know the Vietnamese students better, hearing their jokes and stories.  Yet, things got a little crazy when the Vietnamese students refused to let us pay for the bill. We were so grateful for their hospitality and kindness and hoped that we could return the favor next dinner. --Paul

First Day in Vietnam with Daniel!

Hello! My name is Daniel Kim, and I am one of the eight ILR students travelling to Ho Chi Minh City to study at Ton Duc Thang University, located in District 7 in Vietnam. We will also be exploring the city, hearing from representatives from international NGOs and governmental institutions, and getting to know the Ton Duc Thang students through a debate tournament led by Cornell Debate Program. We hope that these blog posts give current Cornell students the opportunity to experience a bit of what our team learns and inspires future Cornell students to take part in this wonderful program.

The first day of the program officially began at 8:30am with the welcome ceremony hosted by Ton Duc Thang University. However, as most of the team was still jetlagged we got up around 6-7. I got a Bahn Bao for breakfast in the cafeteria before the ceremony. The ceremony began with speeches by Dean Hoa, Ton Duc Thang’s Dean of Labor Relations and Trade Unions, Ms. Vinh, a faculty member, and Professor Richard Fincher. Students sang traditional songs to us and one of the Vietnamese students explained to me that their culture was filled with singing as a way to express themselves. We reciprocated the performances by singing our own song. The ceremony ended with an ice breaker session where we learned the names of everyone in our groups and their favorite and most awkward experiences.

We proceeded to have a guest lecture from Mrs. Tran Thi Lan Ahn, a member of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). We learned of the HR challenges for employers in Vietnam and discussed the relationship between the workers, government, and management. Our afternoon lecture by Richard Fincher covered topics of Vietnamese labor relations in the global garment production process and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

The day culminated in a tour of the campus and dinner at a local restaurant. It was a very packed day, but I was excited for the days to come. - Daniel