The first two weeks in Vietnam have been breathtaking. As I finish the second week of my internship, I feel so grateful for everything I have experienced. We are now entering the Vietnamese New Year, a celebration of spending time with loved ones, eating traditional foods, and celebrating the year you have had, along with…Continue Reading New Years, Vietnam Edition (Part One)
Resort Time!
6th February 2023: I booked a weekend getaway with my friend after spending long hours at work during the week. Our destination: Mũi Né! We travelled there via a sleeper bus. This was my first time in one, and it was so comfortable; being able to lay down horizontally with my legs extended made sleeping…Continue Reading Resort Time!
Tet Holiday Celebrations
30th January 2023: I had ten days off work due to it being Tet in Vietnam. This was a fantastic opportunity to travel in Vietnam while engaging in new experiences, so I had to take it. It took strenuous periods of planning with my friends, but we got there in the end. I could finally…Continue Reading Tet Holiday Celebrations
Work Work Work!
First day I stood in the elevator, and silence surrounded me. This was going to be my first job. First time in a corporate setting. Was I overdressed, maybe under? Strings of insecure thoughts circulated in my head. I saw my reflection in the elevator, and I looked foreign to myself. More corporate than I…Continue Reading Work Work Work!
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! Happy New Year! Did you know that this year is the year of the Cat in Vietnam? While China and many other places in the world may be seen celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, Vietnam switches out the Rabbit for the Cat in the Zodiac. And thus, walking around the…Continue Reading Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
Vietnamese New Year
What the Vietnamese call Tet is the celebration of the lunar new year & with Tet began our travels around Northern and Central Vietnam. Our first stop was Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, which was quite the contrast to the humid, hustle-bustle nature of Ho Chi Minh. The city was relatively cold, with more…Continue Reading Vietnamese New Year
Life in Saigon – Week 2
Week two in Vietnam was certainly very different to week one, and it brought with it a whole new set of challenges and experiences! While week one felt like a constant blur of changes, week two was a lot slower, and it was nice to have some consistency and stability again. I am so grateful…Continue Reading Life in Saigon – Week 2
Chúc mừng năm mới!
Happy New Year! Vietnam celebrated its Lunar New Year, otherwise known as Tết, on January 22 2023, and we were lucky enough to be here to experience it. Tết is the most important celebration of the year in Vietnam, and in our first weeks here saw the city come alive in preparation. For Vietnamese people,…Continue Reading Chúc mừng năm mới!
The opportunity of a lifetime
3rd Jan – Stepping into the unknown As I stepped into the Auckland Airport, my nervousness consumed my body. It hit me; this is my first time travelling alone, my first time going to an Asian country, and my first time working in a corporate setting, let alone working in Vietnam. Several thoughts rushed through…Continue Reading The opportunity of a lifetime
Sensational Saigon
Sensory Overload I can starkly remember the moment I walked out of the airport. It was a sensory overload. The heat of Vietnam hit me like a concrete wall. I felt like a rotisserie chicken under the heat lamp, and sweat poured from my body like never before. *Honk* “Water, Madam” *Honk* “Sim card” *Honk* …Continue Reading Sensational Saigon