DAVE'S SOUTHEAST ASIA SCHOOL TRIP
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Ho Chi Min City , Vietnam-
I have done a fair amount of foreign travel, but this is the first country that I have ever been to without a McDonalds restaurant. Using that as a gauge, I would have to say it is the most underdeveloped country that I have ever been to as well. Saigon was hot, dirty, and overcrowded. Men would urinate in daylight next to busy streets. There were scooters and bicycles everywhere, and not a stoplight to be found. No driver would ever pause, they would simply merge right into traffic and blow their horn a lot. Were this where I grew up in South Florida, transportation would come to a chaotic standstill, accidents and lawsuits would be everywhere, and guns would be used in anger at every intersection, yet these third world people coped just fine. And as intimidating as it was, none of us got hurt crossing the street.Know what? Loved it.
Street life in Saigon
The boys (Tyler, Alan, Phil and I) stretching their legs a bit
I remember the place being incredibly hot, considering this was the middle of their winter and it was probably
high 90's with soaking humidity. can't even imagine humping through the jungle during the summer with the threat
of someone trying to ambush you...
Our little group of future business leaders
The Thinkers
Inside the Reunification Palace
Entrepreneurship was rampant. If capitalism was America's goal, then we did win the war, only there was a delay. Saigon is simply one big outdoor flea market, and probably the best one I have ever been to. Shopping was undeniably a major feature for almost everyone on the trip. Our very own Katie Joyce bought at least four times her body weight in items, as victim of circumstance Sherpa Burton can attest to. You could see our baggage handlers wish they had already had children whenever they glanced at our group's bags, but carried on, a testament to their work ethic.
"Don't cry for me..."
Looking onto the Reunification Palace courtyard
The legendary Asian disrespect for intellectual property rights went beyond any of our wildest dreams, with CDs going for $2, Playstation games for $3 (which were such a bargain that people without Playstations bought them), and newly released movies such as "You've Got Mail" available for $3 on DVD. Two dollars for a steak, mashed potatoes, and a tall Fanta was also a reasonable price. I must also mention my proudest purchase- a brand name hiking backpack costing almost $200 in the states bought for only $14. A good lesson in what might happen to the production over-runs of your foreign plant.
Old enemies? Who would've thought?
Entrance to the War Remnants Museum
Why would two eleven year-old girls chase us on a scooter all day, for two days, for less rewards than working an hour
at the Kiosk? Because our tour bus could have been this week's motherload. If they could get a couple of us to buy a few
$3 T-shirts, the rest of the week would no longer have to be spent cold-calling for prospects.
Every eight year-old
postcard seller was aggressive enough to be successful at PCS.
Taken from our bus, you get an idea how this is one of the most
crowded countries on the planet
We prepare to brave the streets ourselves!
Some respite- we rondevous for drinks on the roof at the
Rex Hotel
Uncle Ho and our pre-pubescent peddlers
In front of town hall
One cultural aspect that I was concerned about was that I had read that an Asian woman seen with a white male companion
would be yelled obscenities at like, "Vietnamese whore!" Probably an understandable post-war reaction, but one of our
classmates fit the former description. To the best of my knowledge this never happened, again a good business lesson
dealing with the possibilities of:
a) one shouldn't listen to an inaccurate guide book
b) power dynamics- I need your money to feed myself more than the satisfaction I would get out of trying to
shame you
c) the importance of customer service in a commodity environment
The presentation by local businessmen also served to put a romantic twinkle in any young entrepreneur's eye.
If you could pull $30,000 a year, you could afford a sweet pad, multiple girlfriends, and live like a king.
There were
opportunities to be had if you were willing to brave this new frontier.
Feeling my roots
Outskirts of Saigon
Us doing the power move
In front of a war memorial, Cu Chi Tunnels vicinity
Me giving lessons on the use of an assault rifle
The Screamin' Eagles
Benefits of being small (Allen couldn't get in past his ass)
Now that's a big rat!
