All blog posts are by University of Michigan students who have participated in a CGIS program. The following blogs are students studying abroad in Vietnam.
Spring/Summer 2018
Tazia Miah reflects on her term in Ho Chi Minh City
Being in Vietnam, I had to both step up and step back in terms of voicing what I need. I can’t say that it hasn’t been frustrating at times, but the struggle has strengthened my resolve to both share with others about how I practice Islam and to be confident in venturing out on my own if that’s what’s best for me. Sharing with the group not only aided in helping those unfamiliar with Islam become more familiarized but helped provide a support system for me if it was tough to find a place to eat or if there needed to be new venues or activities that were alcohol free.
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Diamond reflects on her term in Ho Chi Minh City
Today marks the start of my first weekend in Vietnam and what better way to celebrate than going shopping! One of the Vietnamese buddies, Phuong, invited myself as well as more individuals in my cohort to check it out. She told us that this market is only on the weekends, although not always every weekend, but the location changes every weekend too. After hearing about the complexity of this market, I was more intrigued to go especially since it was across the street from our guesthouse this weekend. Walking in, I was greeted with an array of delicious smells from the freshly cooked food on my right hand side and an array of fashions for every style I could possibly imagine on my left hand side. To be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed with all that I had to explore but excited to see what was in store.
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Tyric reflects on his spring term in Ho Chi Minh City
Today marks my third day here in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and I can honestly say that I my short time here will be unlike anything I have experienced back in Detroit, Michigan. From the simple things like traffic to more interesting aspects of life such as food, I constantly exposed to Vietnamese lifestyle to which I am not accustomed. My diet here in Vietnam consists largely of rice, noodles and seafood. However, back home, I am a big meat-eater and rarely have so much rice and noodles as I have had here the past few days.
