Hello dear readers,
I’m back! Vietnam has been my favorite month and country on the Race, and I have so much to share!
First, let me tell you why I love Vietnam so much, specifically Ho Chi Minh. The people are so friendly and hospitable. Our first night in town, we were strolling through a park near our hostel when we walked past a group of Vietnamese college students sitting in a circle, playing guitar, and singing American pop songs. They immediately invited us to join them, and we did. We had a great time and went back the next few nights consecutively. There were many other instances of Vietnamese friendliness as well. The second day in town, I was befriended by a Vietnamese gal during a 5 minute visit to a coffee shop, and we ended the month best friends. As for hospitality, I probably paid for only half of my meals here in Vietnam. My friends were constantly blessing me with meals, snacks, and refreshing drinks. They were also so great with transportation, picking me up at my hotel, taking me all over town, and bringing me home again.
I recently read a book by Sarah Lanier called “Foreign to Familiar.” It is a short book and an easy read, but it teaches you so much about the different cultures of the world and how you can be sensitive when visiting other cultures or hosting travelers from other cultures. One of the biggest things I learned is how travelers from more friendly and hospitable cultures are often surprised and hurt by the way we roll in more individualistic cultures (like the U.S. and Europe). They come to America (or elsewhere), either for vacation or permanently, expecting to be welcomed and taken care of like they take care of visitors to their country. However, that is rarely what they experience, and they are left hurt and bewildered in a new country. Armed with this knowledge and motivated by my experiences in Vietnam, I hope to show the same kind of hospitality shown me to foreigners visiting the U.S. I also have greater boldness in making new friends anywhere, any time. By being flexible and friendly, I have made more friends and had a more fun and authentic experience of Ho Chi Minh than I ever would have just keeping to myself and my group.
I hope this post encourages you to talk to the person on the bus next to you, or the person in the grocery line with you. I promise nothing bad will happen to you, and you might just make a really neat friend you never would’ve had otherwise.
Happy adventuring!
Katie
