Vietnam Take 2: HoChiMinh and Nha Trang

As most of you know, for the past 3 years I've gotten to do my fair share of travel around Southeast Asia, but sadly, I recently finished up my last Asian vacation for the foreseeable future.  For my last hurrah, I went back to Vietnam because I honestly loved it so much when I went last year that I knew I wanted to go back again; also, Vietnam is a big country that has so much history (especially US-related history) that I knew I had unfinished business there.  Last year I spent my time in the northern and middle parts of Vietnam, visiting Hanoi, Danang and Hoi An, but this time around I headed down south to explore Ho Chi Minh and Nha Trang.  Unfortunately my trip got off to a pretty rough start, as my mom was supposed to accompany me to Vietnam, but sometimes plans don't work out the way you want them to and this turned into a solo adventure.  If I've learned anything about traveling it's that you need to be flexible and learn how to role with the punches!

Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon)

One night, I took a night tour by motorbike with Bach who was an excellent tour guide.  He also happened to work at the hostel I was staying at.  He showed me where the locals go and what they eat.  He even taught me some Vietnamese words and made me try buying flowers using only Vietnamese.  Unfortunately I've already forgotten it all.

I kicked off my trip in Saigon, or, as it's known nowadays, Ho Chi Minh City.  One thing I've noticed about different cities throughout the world is that they all have a similar vibe.  Have you ever noticed that?  Cities are often busy, crowded, noisy, have their few notable landmarks but have mostly been stripped of their cultural atmosphere to become more convenient for travelers.  So in a sense, Ho Chi Minh City encompassed the city vibe I've felt and seen in other cities I've visited.  There was the the must-see landmarks that were special to Ho Chi Minh of course, but other than that, I wasn't too impressed with the city; it had that typical "city-vibe" I've seen before.  And I had also somehow forgotten how overrun Vietnam is with the thousands of motorbikes speeding though the streets, so dodging those with every step I took was quite the adventure in itself. 

Statue of Ho Chi Minh

HoChiMinh City Hall

Famous Ben Thanh Market: home to textile, food, and handicraft vendors

The memorial that stands at the intersection where, in 1963, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk burned himself alive as a form of protest.  Below is the original picture as it happened, which many of you will probably recognize.

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral

The Famous HoChiMinh City Post Office

Post Office (inside)

Luckily, I was expecting Ho Chi Minh to be just that- another city -so I had a couple day trips outside the city planned that I thought could enlighten me more about the Ho Chi Minh City and its rich culture.  My first trip was to see the CuChi Tunnels, a network of underground tunnels spreading thousands of miles across the country that served as bases for the Communist Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War.  The CuChi Tunnels sheltered the Viet Cong army against the better-equipped American troops, the latter of which had better access to assault weapons and other supplies.  The tunnels served as not only a refuge for soldiers and village people, but also as underground highways for transporting war supplies like weapons, food, and clothes; the tunnels also included larger rooms that were transformed into hospitals, kitchens, etc.  The tunnels also gave the Viet Cong military an advantage over the American soldiers, as the Viet Cong were able to successfully plant booby traps and arrange surprise attacks on the American enemy, while staying safely underground themselves.  The tunnels also gave the Viet Cong soldiers the ability to strategize when and where battles would take place.  

Pictured with a tank from the war

My CuChi tunnel tour guide demonstrates how to get in and out of one of the tunnels.  As you can see, it's a reallyyyy slim fit and in order submerge yourself all the way down, you must keep your arms above your head as the width of your shoulders is too wide.

My turn! My gradual progression of getting in and out of one of the tunnels...almost didn't make it if you can't tell!

During my trip to the CuChi Tunnels, I was able to see a portion of the tunnels that are still intact, as well as crawl (yes, crawl!) through segments of the tunnels that are considered safe...but safe doesn't mean big!  I was also able to see various forms of booby traps that the Viet Cong military used to trick the American soldiers, and let me just say, the Viet Cong were extremely intelligent!  The booby traps were virtually undetectable and very well-thought out and executed.  Throughout the tour while we were walking around the jungle area, sounds of real guns firing periodically would really startle you, so it felt somewhat authentic to what the soldiers would hear during war time.  

Exiting a tunnel after squat-walking/crawling through it for 100 meters

             Examples of some of the traps the VietCong army set up to capture American soldiers.

The CuChi Tunnels are not in use anymore, but they are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City now.  During the tour, visitors are treated to some traditional Vietnamese snacks that the soldiers would've typically eaten and you can even try your hand at shooting an AK-47 for an extra fee.  

After the visiting the CuChi Tunnels, I was ready to see a lighter side of Vietnam, something not related to the war aspect of the country.  So another must-do while in Southern Vietnam is take a boat tour along the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's most important river and agricultural region where almost half of the country's rice is grown.  The Mekong Delta region has been occupied since at least 400AD, and to this day boats are the main mode of transportation.  It was such a relaxing day to spend on the river and be reminded how simply people can live without the distraction and reliance upon modern amenities like cell phones and other technology we can't seem to live without in 2016.  Along the Mekong Delta are floating markets with old ladies selling fresh tropical fruit like pineapple, sugar cane and coconuts, as well as people selling other produce, fish and goods.  

     

Vietnamese women working on the Delta

Riding down the Delta wearing my traditional Vietnamese rice hat.

Selling fresh fruit by boat on the floating market

At one point during the tour, my group's tour guide asked if anyone would like to take over the wheel of our wooden longboat and navigate the Mekong Delta.  I immediately volunteered for the opportunity to show off my boat-driving skills learned from the famous boat master himself, John Holland, who I personally like to call Grandpa.  

Captain Kylee at your service

Coconuts are heavy if you didn't know already

Fresh coconut milk

After a long day on the Delta, we stopped for some lunch which happened to be pho ("fuh").  Pho is one of Vietnam's most famous dishes made up of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat.  It is absolutely delicious and everyone should go out and try it.  I also got to take part in a cooking class with my tour group and help cook some of the side dishes to go along with our lunch. 

Getting schooled in the art of cooking Banh Xeo

Pho ("fuh"), Vietnam's famous noodle soup

Along with our pho, for those brave enough, we got the chance to drink a shot of snake wine.  Snake wine is a popular drink in Southeast Asia and China because of its believed medicinal properties, helping with various sorts of ailments.  Snake wine is made by submerging a whole, venomous adult snake (usually cobras) into a container of rice wine and letting it ferment for a few months.  Afterwards, it is safe to drink, despite the snake's venom being dissolved in the wine, because the alcohol deactivates the venom.  In case you're wondering, of course I took a shot of it.  I never say no to trying something new and interesting.

Snake Wine and other snake-related amenities available for purchase in Vietnam

Snake Wine

Just FYI, I don't only eat/drink gross, weird stuff.  Southeast Asia is home to various tropical fruit that isn't available in the US, so I always try to get some when I see it.  Also, Vietnam has amazing food so I would highly recommend it if you ever come across a Vietnamese restaurant.

Sugar cane juice and Banh Cuon (steamed rice cake served with fried shallots, cucumber, romaine lettuce, pork, and drizzled with fish sauce) 

  

Two types of Che (Vietnamese dessert); on the top is an ice dessert with jellies, ice and fruit, while the other pudding style, which resembled a parfait with apples and yogurt.

This sassy little Vietnamese girl whose family owned the yogurt-style-che restaurant (pictured above) never left my side the whole time I was at the restaurant.  She explained the menu to me in great detail (all in Vietnamese of course so I couldn't understand a word) and even gave me a Vietnamese lesson, making fun of my pronunciation on about every word. 

Vietnam is famous for it's spring rolls

My favorite Vietnamese dish: Bun Cha!  Rice noodles with a side of romaine lettuce and a bowl of pork in a slightly oily dipping sauce.

Markets, like the one pictured above are virtually everywhere in Vietnam.  My favorite fruit to buy at these markets are mangosteens (below).  Mangosteens are incredibly difficult to crack and open because of their hard shell, but the inside is so sweet, with a similar consistency to pineapple.  But you don't get much meat off them.

Lychee, a fruit found in Asia that definitely looks interesting on the outside but after peeling it, is soft and sweet on the inside.

Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich made with a baguette and topped with cucumber, tomato, fried egg, liver spread, cilantro, cheese and steamed pork. 

After spending a about 3 days in Ho Chi Minh and getting a few history lessons, I made my way to the coastal city of Nha Trang.  Nha Trang is known as a tourist destination for its beaches and overall relaxed atmosphere.    

Relaxing by the ocean

Not a bad view from my AirBnb

The realtor I rented my AirBnb from introduced me to a Vietnamese family who happened to be staying in the same condo complex as me.  They were so welcoming and gracious to me.  They took me out for lunch one afternoon and I ended up hanging out with them almost all day.  That night they even invited me for dinner in their condo where they had made a delicious home-cooked meal. 

Thanks for letting me tag along for the day!  I think they felt sorry for me since I was traveling alone, but I appreciated their generosity!

I splurged on a nice AirBnb, my now go-to website for finding accommodation. I had a great apartment with an ocean view and access to a private beach and an amazing pool.         

 Poolside at my hotel at sunset

My AirBnb in Nha Trang

After a few days on the beaches of Nha Trang, I headed back to Korea.  I hope I have the chance to visit Vietnam again one day because the people I've met there have been some of the kindest strangers I've ever encountered, and I also think it's impossible to go hungry in that country!  So, thanks for the wonderful memories Vietnam, until next time~

What People Don't Realize About Moving Abroad

Life is a funny thing.  Sometimes we feel on top of the world, and everything feels like it's going exactly according to plan; other times life throws us some major curveballs and it seems like nothing can go right.  But in the year 2016, with a good majority of people using multiple social media outlets on a daily basis, it's easy to get the impression that other people are leading these amazing lives and are happy 100% of the time.  It's also difficult not to compare your own life with others' lives; lives that seem so much easier, more adventurous and/or better from your own.  I really believe that these past 3 years living abroad has given me a different outlook on life and I've had to come to some hard realizations.  Many people have told me how envious they are of my life and travels and all the experiences I've gotten to have and they wish they could do the same.  And I admit that I have been very fortunate to have been able to travel and experience so much in my 25 years, but, what some people don't realize is that I've also sacrificed a lot in the 3 years that I've been abroad.  So here's what I've learned by living abroad:

1. People think I'm brave for moving halfway around the world, but anyone can do it.

So many people tell me that they could "never" move away and start new in a foreign country, but it's not that difficult to be honest.  After you get over the first month or so of culture shock and newness, life sets in again and you develop a routine.  How have I been able to stay in Korea for so long?  I've acclimated to life here.  Nothing about Korea shocks me anymore; everything here seems so...normal. As for the decision-making process and paperwork for moving abroad, it can be time-consuming and a little stressful, but ultimately it isn't that hard.  So yeah, I think if you really want to do it, you can; if you say you can't, you're making excuses.

I don't look very brave in this picture.  Taken in Aug. 2013 right before I boarded the plane to come to Korea for the first time.

2. The honeymoon phase ends.

I touched on this in the last paragraph but I'll say it again.  After you get settled into your new city/country/state, your life becomes life again.  Your new surroundings become familiar and you start to feel like you fit in again.  There's definitely a "honeymoon" period where you "ooh" and "ahh" over everything from the buildings, food, people, etc, but that doesn't last forever.  For me, my Korean honeymoon period lasted about 4-5 months I think.

But does this honeymoon phase end? // Penis Park in Samcheok 2014

3.  Losing friends and family members

I think this one sucks the most about living abroad.  No one prepares you for the loss of friendships and even family relationships.  You quickly realize that the people who were once exclaiming how much they were going to miss you and that they would definitely keep in touch, don't bother to message for weeks or even months.  And even if you take the initiative to reach out, sometimes you don't get a response for weeks.  It really sucks knowing that the people you thought you were so close with seem to not care about you and your life anymore because it's not convenient for them.  This goes for friends and family alike.  I can honestly say that I regularly keep in contact with about 3 friends and about 6 family members.  I haven't heard from anyone else in quite awhile.  But I've gotten used to it.  And being able to only come home about once a year doesn't help, but I know the ones that truly care and I appreciate them more than they know.    

Maybe I lost some friends, but I gained a lot of little ones // Jungang Elementary School

4. Having nothing in common with people

After living in Korea for just over 3 years now, I feel like I've changed, my priorities have shifted and I don't have that much in common with a lot of people from back home anymore.  Aside from the other expats I've become friends with while here, my interests and experiences don't really match up with anyone else's.  For example, what do you talk about when you meet up with friends or see acquaintances?  You talk about recent news, your daily life and such, right?  Well, the past couple times I've gone home, while my friends are going on about the latest stuff happening in MO, weddings and family stuff, I've been at a loss.  What do I have to talk about?  I'll give you an example, "Well, in Korea...", "In Seoul...", "My Korean friends...", etc.  My friends and family can't relate to my experiences all that much, and vice versa.  People only want to hear "In Korea..." so many times before they get tired of hearing it and start to think you're just bragging.  But "In Korea..." has been my life for a long time and I don't know what else to talk about.  

5. Where do I belong?

My heart does not solely belong in one place anymore.  After graduating high school, I've lived in 4 other cities.  I've left a piece of my heart in every place and at each given time, that place has felt like my home.  So I no longer have "a" home; I have many homes.  But which one do I belong in?  I don't know.  What I do know is that I'm good at adapting to my surroundings and making the most of each place, therefore I'm confident that when I move on to yet another place, it will become home too.  

One city I've been able to call home // Seoul

6. Everything goes on without you

Living abroad should actually be called "how many events can you miss" because whether you want to or not, you will miss so many milestones while you're away.  I've missed the past 3 Thanksgivings and Christmases.  I missed my dad's 50th birthday and I will miss my mom's 50th next month.  I missed my brother's 21st.  I haven't been there to take my mom to her numerous doctor's appointments over the past year and a half.  I've missed Westminster alumni weekends.  I've missed friends' weddings and engagements.  I've missed family trips.  I have only a handful of memories that I've made with friends and family from the past few years.  And maybe most importantly I've missed the mere physical presence of the people I care about most.      

Reflecting // Siem Reap, Cambodia 2014

7. Being homesick

I've struggled with homesickness a lot lately.  You would think homesickness would hit in the beginning of the journey, but for me, it has hit me hard only recently and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Even though I talk to my mom and dad literally on a daily basis, it's always through technology; I was lucky to have seen my mom this past July when she came over, but I haven't seen anyone else in over a year.  So yeah, I miss them...everyday.

Fab Four is reunited after a year apart // Olympic Park, Seoul

8. Language barriers

Language barriers are real and can be really frustrating.  It can be really hard to sincerely connect with someone when both parties can only communicate to a certain extent.  This goes for friendships, romantic relationships, co-workers, and even the people you become familiar with at the restaurants/supermarkets/gyms you frequent.  My Korean isn't fluent and a lot of Koreans can't speak English, so that means you're only able to scratch the surface of those relationships.  So while I've been really fortunate to have met a lot of great people here in Korea, I've really only been able to truly connect with two of them.  Quality is better than quantity anyways, right?

[Korean] BFFs Lucy and Mandy

9. Making friends only to pack up again

On the other hand, I have made quite a few foreign friends (I'm talking fellow Americans, Canadians, Brits, etc).  For these friends, I don't have to worry about a language barrier, but I do have to worry about time.  A lot of foreigners come to Korea for 1 year and leave.  When you are constantly meeting new people, and having others leave, it can be difficult.  As soon as you become comfortable with someone, them (or you) decide to move on to somewhere else.  Luckily, a lot of my closest foreign friends in Korea have stayed longer than one year, and a select few I still keep in contact with. As for others, it was simply a Korea friendship, but that's okay.

Getting cultured at the Buddhist templestay 2015

10. When someone asks what living abroad is like

Every once in awhile I'll get a FB message asking me what living abroad is like (usually inquiries from acquaintances who are looking into the possibility of moving abroad and want some advice).
Or the couple times I've been home, people have stopped me in the grocery store and innocently asked, "How's Korea?".  Well to be honest, that is a really hard question to answer.  Maybe it's because that question has SO many possible answers, so which one do I choose to reply with? Is one answer better than another?  What answer do people WANT to hear?  Do people want to hear a short reply or a long one?  Because trust me, I could talk for hours about being an expat.  But I know people don't want that version.  So how do I answer the question "How's Korea?" or eventually the question "How WAS Korea?".  I haven't crafted the perfect response yet.  Get back to me.      

I've developed some new hobbies while here and hiking is definitely one of them!

11. Adjusting to life after living abroad

So you lived abroad and moved back, what now?  Reverse culture shock immediately comes to mind and I'm terrified. Reverse culture shock is the difficult readjustment phase some people experience after returning home after an extended period of time overseas.  Some expats find it hard to readjust to their home country's culture and values since it has become unfamiliar in recent years.  Upon returning home after studying abroad for 4 short months in England a few years ago, it felt weird to have to come back after having had that experience.  So I can't imagine what will feel like once I return to the US after having been here for a much longer period of time.  I guess I shall find out when the time comes.  But to be honest, I'm already nervous about my return.

Finally...

So if I depressed anyone with this post, I'm sorry!  I really just wanted to write a raw article that doesn't sugarcoat my expat experience, because I do think some people think I'm just chilling over here and traveling to another country every weekend (which is definitely not the case!).  I have some hard times here too.  And it doesn't help that my family is thousands of miles away and even if I wanted to go home, it would take me 24 hours to get there.  I realize I chose this for myself, and although I miss my family and find myself breaking cultural norms everyday on accident, it's ultimately my fault for having this lifestyle.  No one made me move to Korea and stay here for three years; I have chosen to do so.  Do I regret moving across the world?  Absolutely not.  I have proven to myself that I can be self-reliable and figure things out on my own in a totally foreign place, and with every experience I miss back home, I gain an invaluable one here.  So I'll cut my losses and just enjoy what this journey has given me, instead of focusing on what it has taken away.

I'll be off to new things soon // Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2016