Another successful day of classes,
a visit to the U.S. Commercial Service, and another tour of the city from our
new Vietnamese friends. Today the two classes were another language class and
one about rural development of the Mekong Delta. The language classes are
starting to get better as I improve in remembering some key phrases. Today in
class I was assisted by a boy named Bo, who was very helpful and friendly. He
gave me the names of some food that I should try while I am still in Vietnam
and wrote down the name of everything in Vietnamese and English. One dish in
particular that he told me about a dish with noodles with duck meat in it. That
sounds delicious, and Bo will be taking me to get that later in the week. The
lecture on the Mekong Delta was another interesting talk. Our speaker went in
depth on the history and culture of the region while also describing its
current economy. A funny anecdote that he mentioned was about catfish farming
in the region. The United States actually has a law that catfish imported from
Vietnam may not be classified as such in America because the catfish farming
industry in Alabama cannot compete with their prices. Instead, the imported
catfish are classified as basa fish or bocourti. Roll Tide!
Following lunch, the group took a visit to the U.S. Commercial Service. The
Principal Commercial Officer, Patrick Wall, spoke to us about how they help
American industries conduct their business in Vietnam. The U.S. Commercial
Service acts a consultant for American businesses abroad for finding dependable
legal help, making initial contact with investors, and trying to make business transactions
run smoothly. Patrick Wall has been stationed at offices throughout the world
for the past 30 years, including the past four years in Vietnam. Through his
work, he has come into contact with some very high ranking business leaders and
government officials.
At night, Kate from UEF took about half of the group out to a restaurant
for dinner. The food was great, but my favorite part of the dinner was the cat
that I assume lives in the restaurant. This little guy was just a small kitten,
and he kept walking around our table in search of food. Was this slightly
concerning regarding the sanitation of the restaurant, yeah kind of. At least
he probably took care of any rat problems. Just to be safe, I thoroughly washed
my hands after holding him. After dinner, we then went to probably the coolest
coffee shop I have ever eaten in. Kate brought us some baked goods for dessert,
and I fell into a lovely food coma by the end of the meal. Another great night.
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