I am Happy!!

Sometimes I have to re-remind myself that I am actually in Asia. It’s kind of a weird f

eeling to have to realize, but I usually think about it once a day. I am so happy here and proud that I made the decision to come here. Vietnam is a unique country full of vivaciousness, hard work, and merriment. The north is completely different from the south. The people are genuine. The colors are vibrant. I am really not wanting to leave actually.

Today we took a one hour flight from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh city, still called by the majorty, Saigon. Hoi An seems like a pebble compared to HCMC. Over 9 million people live in this massive landscape of tall skinny buildings, sky rise offices, and more traditional housing. It’s similar to Hanoi in that there are no traffic laws and thousands of motorbikes going every which way, but it feels much more contemporary.

After enjoying a western lunch of pizza and french fries (dad would kick me for that, but I needed a break from pho, stir fry, spring rolls, and papaya salad), we took a two hour drive to Cu Chi, a cit

y by the border of Cambodia. This is a very proud and respected place as its defining story is rooted in the American war.

Only recently were the Cu Chi tunnels found and made available to visitors. The three story system of tunnels were built for defensive purposes against the French and were used to combat the American army by the Viet Cong aiming to take control of Saigon. I expected the tunnels to be small, but holy moly, they were teeny-tiny. Very well hidden, Quon showed us the first one that was located under a tree. He moved away some leaves, lifted a cement lid and showed us how to get inside. You have to crouch into the hole by bending your arms and, to be completely inside, you must lift your arms up with the lid over your head. Small does not perfectly describe this muggy place. Inside you can see where the tunnel starts, but most people wouldn’t be able to crawl down there now (well, except the Vietnamese).

Part of this escapade also involved watching a movie about Cu Chi: the p

eople, the war, and the tunnels. I’ve never seen anything about the war produced by Vietnam so it was a little uncomfortable hearing how proud they were to be “American killers.” They even gave out awards for “American Killer Heros.” I found myself gasping a lot, but It opened my eyes a lot to another perspective. I can't wait to hear more stories from those I know who were in the war about their time here.