Vietnam Plus 3 Friday May 9

Friday Overview

On Friday we learned about Vietnamese history. In Vietnamese language class we played a game and learned a couple phrases to help us bargain at the Ben Thanh market. Tin, our Vietnamese guide and organizer, brought a tailor to the school and I was measured for a suit. Later, we played lots of games at the cultural exchange club.

Journal

Today was our first Vietnamese History and Culture Class, taught by Nguyen Ngoc Tho. Most of the lecture was focused on four periods of history: the local cultural foundation, Chinese occupation period, Vietnamese feudal dynasties, and modern period. The French invaded in 1858 during the Nguyen dynasty. An interesting fact is that the most common last name in Vietnam is Nguyen because it was the king’s name during this period. In Vietnamese language class we played a number game. Each student was assigned a partner and both were given the same number. When the teacher called the number, the first student in the group to run to the front of the classroom and grab a red piece of paper would win. We also learned a couple phrases to help us barter at the Ben Thanh market. Lunch was great again. I had chicken, squid, and rice. Tin brought a tailor to the school and I was measured for a suit. I picked one that was professional but slightly sporty. We played lots of games at the cultural exchange club. The first game was guess-the-fruit. One person stuck their hand into a box of ice and tried to describe what they were holding to two members of their team. In the next game, we had to pass a vegetable using only our knees. In the last game, an American student from each team memorized a phrase and was then judged on how well they recited it. Each row of students was a team and my team, unfortunately, came in last. However, every team was given a gift basket. I went to Tokyo town for dinner and ordered a pancake with seafood.