My time in Vietnam has opened up a new world of ideas and this has lead my to ask many different questions to how a society can run. I have been most keenly aware of the tensions that seem to be running through society that do not seem to be challenged or questioned by people […]
The Joy of Sects: The Role of the Churches in Vietnam
Traveling through Hue, I visited a church that became a shelter during the Tet Offensive. Among countless others, Nha Ca was present in the church throughout the massacre. Nha Ca was one of the fortunate ones who survived this tragedy. She did not move on from this experience, but instead chose to retell this story […]
Parks and Recreation: The Individuation of Expression
On my walk through Hoan Kiem Park I began to people watch. I noticed that many people were exercising. This does not seem out of place on the surface. It is a public park, people work out there. But then I began to watch them closer. Their exercising practices seemed incredibly peculiar. I would not […]
Vietnam War, Brought to you by Disney: The Problems of Commodifying War
When I went to the Cu Chi Tunnels, I was warned about what to expect. This still does not prepare for what I was about to see. The Cu Chi Tunnels did its best to clean itself from the war and make it into fun for the whole family. There were features that made sense […]
Bow Down For What?
On the drive down to the Mekong Delta, I found myself watching the countryside fly by. I was beginning to zone out when I noticed a large white box on a white platform standing in the rice fields. I was immediately struck by this. I discovered that these were tombs remembering ancestors. The idea of […]
Specialization vs Generality: Observing Food Vendor Diversity
As a class, we decided to delve into the markets of Ho Chi Minh City and observe the day to day economics within the markets and different facets that the participants experience. At the markets I decided to observe the produce vendors and the products that they were selling. By focusing on the type of […]