Joanna Jou

Leaving the hotel at 6:45 am, my class embarked on a 4 hour long walking tour of Vietnam's largest Chinatown in District 5. Pictured are my abroad-mates Garrett, Alan, Christian—and our faculty director, the lovely Professor Ed. Miller! 

Of course, when in Vietnam, Pho is an absolute must. I learned that there is a distinction between Northern and Southern Pho, which varies in broth, flavor, and toppings; Northern style seems to have a lighter taste with fewer spices, while Southern style has a sweeter and bolder broth packed with more spices and garnishes. After trying both, I found myself being a bigger Southern Pho (pictured above) fan because I preferred the richer taste of the soup in addiiton to it being loaded with various garnishes. Even after returning from Vietnam, my abroad roommate Yvonne and I spent the next few weeks reminiscing about Pho. 

One crucial component "Developing Vietnam" emphasized was teamwork, which included codesigning a term-long research project, followed by fieldwork to be conducted while we were in Vietnam. This program is partnered with Fulbright University Vietnam; so Dartmouth team collaborated with a group of Fulbright students. My partner Robert and I worked closely with 3 Fulbright students—Phuong Anh, Ngan, and Han—over the course of fall term and winterim. Upon arriving in Vietnam, our team kicked off our time together by going out for lunch at Haidilao hot pot!

One of my absolute favorite parts about Vietnam was "Grab", a ride-hailing service (similiar to Uber) used across Southeast Asia. Grab comes in various forms such as car or bike (aka a moped), and offers food delivery and pickup, groceries, and hotel services; it was super convenient, affordable, and accessible 24/7—with multitude of drivers everywhere you go. When hanging out with my abroadmates, we loved grab biking because they were so much faster to get from district to district than cars, and a lot more fun!

We took a class excursion to Can Gio Biosphere Reserve—a designated UNESCO reserve site—where we visited the Forest Management Board office, and traveled by boat into the Biosphere Reserve to meet with forest rangers, who live and work to protect the forest. 

While the people certainly make the place, how much does the place make the people? I couldn't have envisoned a better cohort of individuals to go abroad with—each coming from a different corners of campus. Reflecting on my Vietnam experience, I'm immensely grateful for how familiar faces around campuses turned into some of my favorite people I can't imagine my Dartmouth experience without now. I spent a lot of time with the '25s (current seniors) on my abroad, whom now I consider not just my abroad-mates, but my older sisters! 

As an interdiscplinary study abroad program, we spent our on-campus fall term class examining the work of Vietnam Studies specialists focusing on the history, the environment, urban studies, and religion in Vietnam—all while thinking about the concept of development since the Doi Moi (renovation) period in the 1980s. Being able to read and discuss scholarly works in class, and then see firsthand what we had been reading was one of the most rewarding experiences. One example of this includes our visit to the Cao Dai Temple established in Southern Vietnam; the left eye (shown above) is the Divine Eye, the most important symbol in Caodaism as it depicts God's presence everywhere.