Kristen Halvorson
Vietnam
June 13, 2016
When I first began my journey to Vietnam I had no idea how I would like the country but I knew I would love the food. Upon arrival I fell in love with so many aspects of the country and the culture. The one thing that really stood out to me was how genuine and kind each person was I met and interacted with during the trip. It made me think how different the United States could be if more people acted like those I interacted with in Vietnam. Before the trip, however, I focused on learning about Catholicism.
I was interested to learn about the presence of Catholicism in Vietnam partly because everywhere in the world Catholicism has some sort of presence and history. I learned that there is a much larger following of Catholicism. In addition, Catholicism had a much longer history in Vietnam than I thought it would.However, once in Vietnam I felt as though there was not as strong of a following as I had read about in books and online. Everywhere we traveled throughout the trip I could see the presence of Buddhism and see how spiritual the people were but it was not for Catholicism.
During the trip we did see Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon. It was exactly how I had expected it to be and even looked a bit out of place because of the different type of architecture. The church clearly looked like it belonged in the west. During our time traveling around from city to city I saw a few churches always looking the same and like the belonged in the west. It made me think why the people never adapt the architecture to look less westernized for the churches. Other than seeing the outside of the churches and talking to our tour guides we really did not spend too much time with Catholicism.
The trip had a huge impact on my life and I feel blessed to been able to travel to such a different country. Throughout traveling Europe I had always felt there were only small differences from the United States but it was not until I went to Vietnam I really saw how different people lived and the difference of cultures. One part that impacted me the most was when we went hiking in Sapa with the Hmong women. At first, I thought they were only asking us basic questions because they wanted us to buy from them but the last day they all came to the hotel to say goodbye and even began to cry.
This really showed me the power someone can have on another person no matter where you are in the world. It proves that even if there is a bit of a language barrier you can still create strong bonds with someone. In addition, it just shows that each one of those women cared about us just as much as we cared about them! I was happy to listen to each of their life stories. It is especially amazing how people in the United States differ from how the Hmong women live.
For example, in the United States people are so dependent on having so much stuff and so much money but everywhere in Vietnam I felt it was the exact opposite. Everyone had very little but seemed happier than many people I know in the United States who have a great deal of money and personal belongings. It just makes me think on how different so many people lives could be if they focused more on happiness and less on having so many material goods and money.
Another part of the trip that really stood out to me was when we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels. I had learned about them before the trip but experiencing them really gave me strange feeling. I could not imagine having to go through those tunnels during a war or possibly walking into one of the booby traps. It really put in to perspective for me how horrible of a war was in Vietnam for both sides. It just makes me think what the future will be like and how many more wars there will be and what fighting will be like.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was all of the different food I was able to eat! I am still a little bitter I was unable to run into Anthony Bourdain! I love being able to try new food and I believe food really lets you into the culture of the people! Some of my favorite things I ate were spring rolls, pho, bun cha and of course all the tropical fruit! In addition, the last night I even tried chicken feet! There was not too much meat on them but I did love the sauce that came with them!
Finally, being able to go on both cruises was beyond amazing. I was a bit worried about getting motion sickness but luckily I did not! Both cruises were so different and I think that is was what made them so memorable to me. The first along the MekongRiver shows me how much poverty was really in Vietnam along with how so many of the people live everyday lives. It also showed the importance of the river to the survival of the people but the lack of education to keep the river water clean and not pollute it. The second cruise was completely different. I was able to see the beauty of Vietnam and see breathtaking views while hiking and exploring caves. This allowed me to realize the importance of keeping our world from being just cities and houses. We need to all step back and realize the importance of nature.
I feel like my research of Catholicism gave me good insight into the history and the practice of Catholicism in Vietnam. I was, however, a bit surprised of the lack of churches for having such a strong following. In addition, the churches were so easy to stop I wonder why the architecture stayed very westernized. It was very interesting to learn about the topic and did give me good insight before departing for the trip.
Overall, this was a truly life altering trip and I am forever thankful for the opportunity to have traveled to such a wonderful place. I love being able to travel and each place I go changes me for the better. Everyone should travel and learn about different cultures! Every part of Vietnam is so beautiful and I hope that when I return one day it will look just as amazing. I will miss seeing little pop up food stands, haggling with merchants, being with Franks Gang and Mr. Binh but I am happy I wont have to apply DEET everyday! Thank you to Dr. Strom and Dr. Norris for the opportunity to go on such an amazing experience!