This month we are leading english clubs around Danang. We are helping to cultivate conversational english with college students to help bolster their education in and out of the class room. But the explanation on the importance of english clubs can be saved for another time. This blog will be devoted to the senses of Vietnam as I have experienced them thus far.
Smell.
The smell of Vietnam is best describes as not having one. After both India and Nepal Vietnam is a literal breath of fresh air. Our Hostel is a 2 minute walk from the beach, so it smells a lot like the beach. Further into the city it starts to smell like exhaust and pollution still, but for the most part Danang is very clear. Sometimes while I am walking down the street I will catch a whiff of some restaurant making bread or producing some other delectable aroma. But for the most part it just smells like sea breeze.
Touch.
Wet and sandy. I have spent a good chunk of time at the beach which means I am usually covered in salt water and sand. The amazing thing however is that my room has a SHOWER!!! Y’all. This is huge.
The other part of touch makes me think of how the locals express physical touch. It is most often a slightly awkward side hug or a handshake with their other hand on your shoulder. Bowing isn’t really a thing.
Taste.
Pho and Bahn Mi. Vietnamese coffee (espresso, sweetened condensed milk and ice). Eggs sunny side up with a loaf of french bread.
Their soy sauce is different here and I don’t really know how I feel about it. I put it on my rice once and I haven’t repeated that mistake since. Oh! That’s the other thing…NO RICE! Well…less rice. I actually have the option to not eat rice for every meal!! Now I have the option of rice OR noodles!
Sound.
The sound of construction. The strip containing my hostel is just now getting developed with all the huge beach front hotels and such. Danang is said to be a big tourist attraction spot in Vietnam, but mostly for other tourists from Asia, not as much for American tourist. There are numerous (probably close to a dozen) large hotels under construction close by so all the sawing, hammering, and moving of heavy machinery float around constantly.
Sight.
Cleanliness. Paved roads with lane lines and curbs. Trash cans. Vibrant green rice fields. LOTS of motor bikes. Waves. People fully clothed at the beach. When I say fully clothed, I mean in the water in jeans, a long sleeved shirt, a hat and probably a jacket of some sort. They are obsessed with not getting dark. Every skin care product claims whitening effects. It is eye opening to see that other cultures consider beautiful. It is kind of sad really.
I would say that, like smell, sight in Vietnam is more a description of what I am NOT seeing opposed to what I AM seeing. There are not stray dogs everywhere. There is not rubble piled into houses due to the aftermath of an earthquake. There is not the same grossly apparent poverty. But I know their need is just as deep, but has yet a different face.
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!!!IMPORTANT UPDATES!!!
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Thank you all again so so much for being a part of my journey! It would not be possible without you!
I would love to do a Q&A blog soon so if you could leave some questions for me in the comments that would be greatly appreciated! You can also message them to me on facebook.
My fundraising is going great!!! Thanks so some incredibly generous people I am at $15,572! WOW WOW WOW!!! That means I have $1,445 left to raise! The final deadline is April 30th. I would love to be fully funded by the time I leave Vietnam.
Thank you all again and don’t forget to !!!
