Even in Ho Chi Minh City...

When I first applied to be a teacher in the Summer Fun program,
I had no idea where in Vietnam I would be teaching.
I found out that this program existed through a flyer that I saw on
Queen College campus one evening. All the flyer said was, 

Teach English in Vietnam this Summer

When I got accepted, as far as I knew...  I had signed my summer away to live 
in a small Vietnamese village for a month. I imagined a rural place 
with fields of green, 
huts, 
people in straw hats being pulled around by 
some sort of four legged animal.    

When I finally decided to do some research, I was surprised to find out that 
Ho Chi Minh City was the biggest city in Vietnam inhabiting about 
9,000,000 people (says wiki). 

When I arrived last Sunday very early in the morning, 
I couldn't see much but I do remember thinking that the outer city streets
reminded me a lot of the city of Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic.

Right outside of the city, there are small buildings, family stores, and 
paved streets with traffic lights. As you get closer to the city center 
(which is where my school building is located) it starts to look a lot more 
like New York City with scattered sky scrapers, malls, restaurants, 
food carts, lots & lots of people, and of course moving vehicles. 

Much to my disappointment, there were no villages, oxen, or rice
paddies in sight. At least not here in Ho Chi Minh City.
However, outside of this very city all of the above can be
found with no problem as I discovered this past weekend on my
trip to the Cu Chi tunnels. 

In the past 8 days, I've come to discover that life here is 
very much like life back at home because
even in Ho Chi Minh City they...

1) Have frozen yougurt.  I was happy to discover that I can satisfy my 

frozen yogurt toof with some YOGEN FRUZ :). 

2) Have TALL sky scrapers. This is the BIOTEXCO FINANCIAL TOWER. 

Tallest building with a heliport. 

3) People get around in cars & motorcycles. 

4) Have an equivalent to a Starbucks coffee called, 

TRUNG NGUYEN COFFEE. 

Very popular place for coffee and other food items such as 

fried rice and french fries. 

5) Have malls with American brands at ridiculous prices 

(this is the mall directly across from the school/my home, 

called VINCOM CENTER).

6) Can find endless places to pamper yourself. 

90 minute facial + 90 minute body massage = about $60

I actually got this very package last week and it was 

probably the best thing I did for myself here in Ho Chi Minh 

because I was finally able to sleep through the night 

and kiss jet lag good bye! 

7) You can find small children who should not have an iphone. 

This is actually one of my students. He was receiving 

a very important phone call in the middle of our field trip. Haha. 

Anyways, stay tuned for a "Only in Ho Chi Minh City" entry because 

there are also LOTS of things that are not like life back at home... :) 

From a less home sick & better adjusted, 

Ms. Pho