Day 2: Meeting the AIESECers (over food and more food)

---

First full day in Vietnam so, naturally, I slept in. I didn't think 4 hours would make much of a difference but I felt considerably jetlagged. Today was the Local Committee Presidential elections for AIESEC Foreign Trade University Ho Chi Minh City (the AIESEC branch who organised my volunteering project). As seen in the view from my window, space is utilised well for a city with 9 million inhabitants. Although the roads are wide, the streets between houses are very narrow and communal. Doors are left wide open (also helps with air circulation) and everyone is always smiling.

Giang picked me up at 12pm to go to the elections. Travelling on motorbike is exhiliating yet slightly insane in Ho Chi Minh. The lanes are rarely obeyed. She pointed out some of the sights such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and Reunification palace which ill be sure to visit. The Cathedral has a massive Christmas celebration which I'm very much looking forward to.

We arrived at the elections and I was introduced to a whole bunch of different people. They were very good flatterers, saying I was very handsome (which was a nice ego boost). The elections followed a fairly similar process to those held back home in Sydney. Candidates gave speeches, individual and group Q&A sessions and even the traditional pouring water on the winner to announce the new President.

By the end, it was dark and we decided to head to the park next to the Cathedral to eat. The grass was severely tempting but it is against the law to sit on it here (Police monitor it vigilantly). We sat on the concrete edge of the path (like many others) on newspaper. Various street vendors approached us with a vast range of food. I particularly enjoyed the rice paper cakes (kind of like a taco but made of rice).

Mangoes, nuts, noodles, etc. abounded and it's hard not to feel bad when you refuse to buy their products. They try so hard to make the sale (competition is fierce) and i was acutely aware that i was only paying 20-50cents yet it meant so much to them. One little boy (about 3-4years old) came up and sold us some food, even the AIESECers found it hard to turn down him. We also got drinks, i tried milk tea (a typical Vietnamese drink), but most of the AIESECers got pepsi which is very popular here. Street vendors sell it on almost every corner.

We then decided to play a game. I can't remember it's name but basically everyone in the circle has a number. You have to call out a number. That person has to call out another number while the two people on either side try to silence them by covering their mouth. If you fail to call out a number, you lose a life and once 4 people have lost their lives, they have to do a dare (usually something to do with mock-relationships). It was a lot of fun, if not slightly vicious. Another aspect of culture shock that struck me was that Vietnam still seems a conservative country when it comes to discussing relationships, etc. and even the AIESECers aren't as open about discussing these issues as people are in Australia.

One of the AIESECers, Be, asked me to assist with the HIV Awareness project (presentation to students) which should be interesting given it is still a taboo-esque subject in Vietnam.

Afterwards, several of us decided we were still hungry and so we went to a chicken place. The set up was similar to many relatively cheap places in Vietnam with plastic tables and chairs (very small - Kindergarten style). Salad is also provided with most meals for free (tomatoes/lettuce/cucumber). I had a small world moment when one of the AIESECers told me he met my Local Committee President, David, in the International Congress in Russia.

We then decided to head for dessert which was a gelatinous type dessert (almost like a cake) and a tropical drink (very common with various tropical fruit and milk). It was delicious and suprising, since I was expecting more savoury desserts like much of Asia. But the tropical climate (which I'm definitely feeling) makes it conducive to have tropical, sweet based desserts.

---

Photos

Elections
AIESEC Foreign Trade University Local Committee President Elections

AIESECers
Eating street food, sitting on newspaper on pavement cause walking and sitting on the grass is banned