And 9

Back to the usual shenanigans at UEF followed by company visits. Today we had culture class, followed by language class, followed by the same lunch place. After this, we went to the Nam Vietnam Bank, shortened to Navi Bank. Don't ask me why it isn't the Viet Nam Bank. This was a fun visit because one of our Vietnamese friends came along to translate.

For dinner we went to an Italian restaurant called Pomodoro that was absolutely amazing. I got gnocchi which I rarely even get at home,so I was a happy camper that night.

There was nothing too noteworthy about this day, so I'm gonna take the rest of this blog to go through some random comments I have on Vietnam.

The traffic is still ridiculous but I'm starting to get used to it. I saw one accident the whole time I've been here, and it wasn't even that bad. I think the reason there aren't a hundred more accidents a day is because everybody is going pretty slow, like not above 40, and nobody ever gets angry at other drivers. If someone honks, they seem to do it in an amicable manner only to remind other drivers that they are there.

Everyone here is so worried about getting even the slightest bit tan. I talked a little bit about Dee, who wore head to toe clothing into the ocean, after wearing head to toe clothing on our 120 degree hike. He is a little extreme, but all the other Vietnamese I have met are also constantly worried about their skin tone. I have seen shorts on a girl once this entire trip, unless it is at night at a club, in which case I've seen some of the shortest skirts in existence.

Speaking about the clubs, they are pretty fun. We've been to a few and went back to one the other day, and we always have a good time. The one club, Apocalypse, is littered with prostitutes and security guards, so there's a certain aura to it, but because we always go as a group, we end up having a good time. The other one, Lush is more fun. I still don't have any pictures of it, though. Tuesdays nights are ladies night, where girls get free drinks til 12. We attended this, and it was nice to not have to spend any money.

Spending money here is easy to do. Everything is so much cheaper than America. There's a Starbucks a few minutes away by taxi, and me and Clarissa are planning to go there to see if its cheaper or the same. But you can get a 5 dollar entree that is so delicious that you come close to ordering another, until you realize you're full. I'm definitely eating a lot less here, but what I do eat is such high quality that I kind of don't even notice.

Just to reiterate, the food here is amazing. Some of the best food I've ever had. I've had amazing Vietnamese, Italian, French, and American.... Pretty high quality, yet still so cheap. I've lived like what I imagine celebrities to have lived like these past 2 weeks, between the stares everywhere I go, and the delicious restaurants at beautiful venues. I could get used to it, but alas, in less than a week I'll be back in the states.