Summary
As we began to learn about household livelihoods in rural Vietnam, we thought about the factors that affect people's standard of living in the countryside and how livelihoods may or may not be changing with economic development. We visited the Mekong Delta, and saw life in this rural area where many earn a living from the sea or a variety of agricultural enterprises. Students reflected on what they saw.
Posts
Bow Down For What? (9/16/2014) - 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 […]
Mobile Technology Expansion in Rural Vietnam (9/11/2014) - Since arriving in Ho Chi Minh, I have received constant warnings against flashing iPhones, laptops, and other mobile devices around in public. As a foreigner I stick out as a potential target for theft. Flashing my iPhone around would only draw more attention. These warnings led me to believe that such devices were a symbol […]
Cleanup Culture: Geographical Discrepancies in Vietnamese Trash Disposal Habits (9/11/2014) - The streets of Saigon are filled with vendors and buyers, smokers and loungers, each accumulating and depositing waste into the gutters and trash bins and sometimes even directly onto the sidewalk. However, despite this relentless barrage of consumption and disposal, each new morning I am greeted by a relatively waste-free landscape. I have been pleasantly […]
Farming, Fertilizers, and Feed: Observations from the Mekong Delta (9/9/2014) - This past weekend, we all went to the Mekong Delta where we observed many facets of rural life. I chose to focus on rice farms and the targeted billboards I observed while on the bus. You can read my full post here!
Vietnam’s Got 99 Problems And The People Are One (9/9/2014) - On Sunday, September 7th at 6:15am in the small island District Hoa Ninh in the city of Vihn Long, Vietnam I had a very interesting conversation with a man named Ong Vy. I had awoken to a cool breeze generated by a rusty fan blowing air upon my face beneath a mosquito net. There’s something […]
Not a Drop to Drink: Mekong Delta (9/9/2014) - This is a series of posts from my three month studies and travels across Vietnam. Basing out of Hồ Chí Minh City, I’ll spend a few weeks traveling, learning tiếng Việt, and exploring a nation on the opposite side of the world from home. The following is a sort of journal entry, reflecting my experience in visiting […]