This video, created by some of my awesome classmates, is a total overview of our time in Southeast Asia (and really is an entertaining work of art). Laugh at my clear inability to form normal sentences, be amazed by their amateur editing abilities, and blow your mind with knowledge.
Tôi yêu bạn!
On the 3rd day of our study abroad program with Loyola University in Southeast Asia, my fellow students and I had the opportunity to spend a day really immersing ourselves in lessons about the opportunities and challenges of doing business in Vietnam. If you are at all interested in the economic opportunity found in this area of the world, read on (if not, this could bore you to tears 
)
Vietnam is an extraordinarily beautiful and complex country; we were reminded constantly that Vietnam is a country, not a war, however it has taken decades for the country to pull itself out of the post-war challenges to get to the degree of rapid economic growth it has seen in recent years. Starting in 1986, market reforms were introduced to the country during the “doi moi” period, and from 1994 to 2000 Vietnam joined the ASEAN, World Bank, IMF and ADB. An enterprise law passed in 2000 made it much easier for U.S. companies to do business in Vietnam and in 2007, Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization.
Dr. Cliff Shultz, Dr. Gulio Julietti, Koy Nguyen, Michael Modler, and Que Nguyen
Despite all these positive moves, the country still needs systematic financial reform. Banks are state-owned and the private sector cannot get access to the capital it needs. The country also has a relatively feeble infrastructure and with a higher education system that focuses on rote memorization, soft skills in the workforce are left undervalued. The education system, as it now stands, results in underemployed graduates, high rates of long-term job vacancies, high turnover rates and low productivity compared to neighboring Asian countries. More than 50% of new employees have to be retrained after hired.
Global Integration Business Consultants, consisting of Dr. Gulio Julietti, Michael Modler, Koy Nguyen, and Que Nguyen, really did a great job of painting the broad picture of opportunity found in Vietnam. The currently strong economic base is a result of several factors, including, but not limited to: a strategic location with 50% of the 90 million or so Vietnamese under the age of 30, good basic literacy rate, rich in natural resources, high political & social stability (an outbreak of major unrest or terrorism is seen as highly unlikely). Many of these factors have resulted in Vietnam being the fastest growing economy in SEA over the past decade.
Nielsen Consulting - Understanding the Vietnamese consumer
After they painted a picture for my classmates and I of both the recent difficulties and indicators of increased business opportunity, Yoann Painbeni of Nielsen Consulting presented some insight into the Vietnamese consumer base, all important to understand if trying to enter into this market. The Vietnamese will always find ways to make money, he told us, which shows in the low unemployment rate in the country (and just from walking around and observing workers in the city I know this to be true). Vietnamese consumers are highly aware of price (the impression I got from our discussion with Saigon Cosmetics the day before) and stay fairly loyal to their favorite brands, but are heavily attracted to in-store promotions, new items and counterfeit goods. Only 11% of consumers change stores, but there are not that many stores to choose from. To give you an idea, Mc Donald’s doesn’t even have any restaurants in the country (and they are pretty much EVERYWHERE as the 4th largest employer in the world).
The North and South regions of the country are still VERY different from each other and require different marketing strategies; purchasing behavior differs greatly in these two regions and it is critical to understand what value really means to consumers (which I would agree is important to know ANYWHERE you do business). Yoann presented some similar challenges to us as GIBC, but also laid out the significant challenges facing the country today stemming from governmental corruption, tax regulations and increased inflation.
Hoi An, our last presenter of the morning, is the managing director of Dragon Capital, a successful integrated investment group centered around the emerging financial markets of Vietnam. I felt like he really put things into perspective for me by stating comparative GDP between our countries: GDP in the U.S. is 40 times larger than in Vietnam ($15 trillion vs. $103.5 billion). When it comes to investing – Vietnam is very cheap compared to other countries in the region since world valuation has dropped significantly since 2008 resulting from the inflationary challenges mentioned earlier. He shared with us some notes on their investing strategies, which I think are pretty similar to investment groups located in the U.S. (look at companies with high profit growth, look at larger companies that have better returns since they typically weather the global economic storms more successfully, etc.). The difference is: Vietnam has incredible room for growth, so much so that investing in Vietnam now could make one very wealthy 10-20 years down the road.
Hoi An from Dragon Capital
I love wandering alone in new places. Mostly because it affords me the opportunity to move at my own pace and follow my instincts on where to turn, who to speak to, etc. Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling, colorful and exotic place that can be dizzying with its endless frenetic activity. Just working up the courage to cross the street could easily take the average traveler a few days.
On this last day in Vietnam, I took the opportunity to wake early and spend an hour roaming the streets. Here are just a few things that captured my attention…
No cyclos allowed
Zzzzzzzzzzzz
This elderly woman has some strength
The average house has 5 wires running from it - all above ground
In the afternoon, after lunch at a fantastic little French restaurant in District 2, La Villa, my classmates and I loaded onto the bus to head over to Intel.
“We believe our technology can enrich people’s lives.”
The company itself enriches people’s lives in Vietnam. We were toured all throughout the very colorful building to see just how hard Intel works to create a positive and comfortable work environment at this campus. The general office space is open, with managers on the floor with their employees. A room for relaxation (“Chill Out”), exercise (“Sweat Room”), play (complete with pool table and all), and even creativity (to support the several musicians working there) cumulatively show Intel’s corporate goal to create a happy workforce.
Chill Out? No Problem.
Clearly they understand that finding good talent, and keeping them on staff, is no easy task. I really think it’s no coincidence that they’ve seen 24 years of positive net income – when you treat people right, they will pull your business forward and go to great lengths to do so!
Intel's Core Values
A good work environment is good for your health
Jeff Prunty, the Director of Vietnam Finance, gave us a background into this 100,000+ person company. It’s clear that once formal normalization of diplomatic relations happened between the U.S. and Vietnam in 1995, there was a profound effect on trade and business opportunity (as one would expect) causing rapid economic expansion in the country. Intel opened their office in Vietnam in 1997 and currently spends roughly $100M in 50 countries on education programs each year. A continued theme we heard on this trip is that there are great challenges with higher education in Vietnam. While the basic education system is good, many universities lack autonomy over their curriculum and are subject to bureaucratic control. Coursework and the personnel system are highly politicized causing an emphasis on rote memorization as opposed to the “western style” of promoting critical thinking and problem solving skills.
The high-tech sector needs a stable infrastructure, supply chain localization, human capital, and a simplified policy (the communist government leadership causes a lot of bureaucracy, although Jeff pointed out that Project 30 is a good start) in order to flourish in Vietnam. Intel is at the forefront of creating long-term partnerships and helping the government make this happen. As an example, they’re working to modernize the higher education system from strictly theory based learning to applied and practical application. I think it’s exciting they’re doing so much to pull the economy in this region of the world forward and making a lasting impact by improving collegiate programs.
When asked about his career path, and just how he ended up moving from the states to Vietnam, he imparted this wisdom to us:
“Opportunities will never come up at the perfect time, you’ll just have to be ready when they are presented.”
Saigon Cosmetics is the leading exporter of perfume in Vietnam with an export channel focused mostly in Southeast Asia. Our study abroad group visited the company on this particularly beautiful day to tour the facility, learn about the current state and direction of the business and present some recommendations on how to develop a successful strategy to enter the U.S. market.
We were greeted by a lovely Vietnamese woman, Quỳnh, an ushered into a conference room (complete with breakfast and rich Vietnamese coffee) to get a brief history on the company. Le Quang Dung, the export director, presented some of their best selling products, Miss Saigon (shown below with the traditional Vietnamese dress & hat) and Aroma Link (the sent reminiscent of rice fields, which are very special in Vietnam) and a few of the marketing strategies they implement in this area of the world. One scent, My Time, is endorsed by a locally famous Vietnamese pop singer, My Tam. Miss Saigon appears to be the quintessential fragrance of Vietnamese women, when looking at the bottle, however, the company representatives admitted it is more typical for foreigners to buy as a souvenir to bring home.
The "Elegance" of the Ao Dai and Non La (dress and hat)
In the manufacturing facility, the workers had that expected Vietnamese charm – friendly, waving and smiling through their protective face masks. Considering we just heard SC is the leading perfume company in this region of the world, the operations seemed relatively small with only about 40 or so people labeling, cleaning and packaging bottles of body cleanser and perfume.
The job of my fellow classmates was to present a recommended strategy for expanding their export channel into the U.S. market. This was very interesting to watch and realize that, ostensibly, the level of sophistication in American business marketing practices is much greater than those currently found in Vietnam. From this one meeting it became clear there is tremendous opportunity for businesses similar to SC in this country to grow and thrive, if provided a little direction.
From left to right: Vineeth, Raveen, Le Quang Dung, Sara, Bo, Rene
The group you see to your left did a fantastic job in their presentation – the culmination happened when the guys unbuttoned their shirts to reveal the North American brand image they made for the company imprinted on black t-shirts. It was real slick. The main recommendations the team made included: partnering with a leading cosmetics retail outlet (Sephora), charging a premium price for their fragrances, and altering the names and packaging. It was incredible watching the reactions of Ly Nguyen Lan Phuong, the general director and Le Quang Dung, who smiled and nodded their heads excitedly throughout the presentation. Ms. Phuong Ly asked “If we are not the cheapest perfume in store, why would anyone try our scent?” making it strikingly evident to me that purchasing decisions (or perceived purchasing decisions) in Vietnam are driven by completely different factors than in the U.S. (before leaving, I made it a point to explain to the directors many people get perfume samples free with purchases online or in stores, so they would want to have those made and distributed extensively to get people trying, familiar with, and liking the scents). When your only experience is marketing your product to one type of consumer base in one region of the world, it’s necessary to have international marketing consultants and business partners to provide direction and insight. Perhaps my fellow students and I have bright futures doing just that…
What SC has going for it is an exotic appeal and wonderfully smelling fragrances made of premium materials. When the company representatives asked our class for examples of names for their product (most decidedly “Miss Saigon” wouldn’t fly off the shelves), I suggested using the name of the gracefully refined and dignified traditional dress, Ao Dai, allowing the company to stay true to their Vietnamese roots. With that recommendation alone, I did my duty as an international consultant.
Trying out all the scents
On the hour or so bus ride to and from the Tunnels of Củ Chi, I made it a point to sit up front, close to our guide Quyền, to hear more about her interesting, and at times difficult, life and get a local perspective on the sights along the way. As my husband and I discovered on our trip to Argentina in February of 2011, talking up guides is one of the best ways to learn what life is like for the people of the country. As an example, I noticed an open van driving ahead of our bus, packed to the gills. For only 2,000 dong (one cent USD), farmers and other workers from the outlying areas and villages could hop in this vehicle to be transported into the city to sell a variety of items at their sidewalk stands or work any other number of jobs.
A bus for the poor to travel between the country and the city for only $0.01
Life, she told me, is much more simple in Vietnam. Her children go to school everyday from 6:30 am to 5 pm in the hopes of having a better life (and childhood) than she. When I asked her if she ever had been to the states, or wanted to go to the states, she admitted that she has been waiting for a visa for 16 years without approval. “You must have property or money to go. If you’re young, they ask many questions. They do not let you go if they think you stay.” I was surprised by this, and saddened…she dreams of coming and seeing the US (and I hope she gets the opportunity!). I was pleasantly amazed how much she, and other Vietnamese, truly love America. “When women here meet & marry American man, we think it is beautiful.” Lovely to hear, knowing how poorly the children of the Vietnamese War were treated in the 80′s; many having never known their fathers, left abandoned by their mothers, or even discarded in garbage cans. 
On the way back to Saigon (people who live there don’t seem to call it Ho Chi Minh City), we were confronted with the famous traffic that really can only be explained by a video. For anyone who has quipped “Asians can’t drive”, you clearly have not seen the way people in Vietnam effortlessly (it seems), and somehow safely, weave through each other on the streets.
At this time of day, you have to be careful on the sidewalks – the curbs are angled toward the street, allowing motorbike drivers to easily jump the curb to pass traffic on the street in front of them. Just the sheer quantity of bikes in this city really is quite the site to behold.
I know more stuff can fit on the back of that bike!
Is it strange to admit that one of the activities I looked forward to most on my trip to Southeast Asia was shooting a gun at the Củ Chi Tunnels? My own father, who was drafted into the first infantry division of the Army and sent to the Di An and Thu Duc district of Vietnam in 1968 (roughly 40 miles east of Củ Chi), smirked when I asked him if he had ever thought his own daughter would shoot off an AK-47 in Vietnam. Somehow I doubt that thought ever crossed his mind.
The tunnels are a fascinating and elaborate underground system that stretch over 75 miles. Originally peasants in this area shared responsibility in digging short tunnels and connecting them together to live safely from enemy fire. As the years passed, the tunnels were expanded and came under the control of the Viet Cong, who used it as a base to infiltrate sabotage teams into Saigon.
To learn more about this history of the tunnels: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%E1%BB%A7_Chi_tunnels
Quyên explains the origin and use of the tunnels
In the picture above, our guide explained how the Viet Cong would access the tunnels from an entrance on the river. Other entrances were very small and camouflaged so that American and Australian troops would have great difficulty discovering them.
Well, they asked for a volunteer...
A little further into the jungle, we made our way to the self-made weapons gallery to see the mid-evil looking traps used by the Viet Cong to injure soldiers who tried to locate entrances to the tunnels. Quyên told us that no solider was ever killed by these traps, they were not really intended to do that, excrement was typically rubbed onto the spikes, so when soldiers were badly injured, they would also likely be tortured further by horrible infections. Many of the spikes were barbed so to ensnare the flesh and make it very difficult and painful for the enemies of the VC to escape. Usually the creatures that actually died were dogs sent in to sniff out the Viet Cong and tunnel entrances (the VC, in turn, used American soap to throw off the scent).
Watch your step!
Here and there we’d see swimming pool sized craters left by B-52 bombs. In the distance we heard loud bursts of gunfire and a chill went down my spine. With a bit of imagination I could picture soldiers engaged in combat. A lot of history in this place…
Kyle in a crater
When given the opportunity to go through the tunnel, I didn’t think twice. Piece of cake! I don’t have a heart condition, or asthma, or a fear of dark or narrow places, or any of the other restrictions listed for us…in fact, I have just the opposite with a daring sense of adventure that even my own husband would say is crazy.
Can I have a flashlight?
Once going down, there is no turning back. It’s hotter, darker, and smaller than expected and duck walking through quickly becomes exhausting. I escaped at the 2nd exit. Christina, smiling below, however, she made it all the way to the 3rd and final exit. It is really quite amazing what lengths the VC guerillas went to, and to think, these tunnels have been expanded for tourists…these tunnels originally required belly-crawling!
She's one brave soul
At the shooting range we had several options of weapons to choose from: M 16 rifle, M 60 machine gun, carbine, K 59, etc. I already had my heart set on the AK-47, and paid roughly $17 USD for the opportunity to shoot off just 10 rounds. All the guns were harnessed in place, which was an extreme disappointment at the time. I envisioned shooting freely at my target all proper and tough, which isn’t really how it turned out. I still ended up properly bruised afterwards, so it was well worth it.
Can you tell this was my first time with this type of gun? Girls growing up in the suburbs of Chicago don’t really get the opportunity…
This was a day of remembrance and to simply be grateful for a good, safe life and the sacrifices of others. I’ve said in the past “I won the life lottery”, having been born to a loving family in America, after today, I say it again with tears in my eyes.
After breakfast, the Loyola MBA study abroad group, 23 eager-to-learn students, were led by our beautiful Vietnamese guide, Quyền, to the Reunification Palace, a unique example of 1960′s Vietnamese architecture (and quite literally is like walking through the lair of Dr. No, or some other James Bond villain).
Reunification Palace
It was a beautiful and sunny day (just like all the days we spent in Southeast Asia). On the front lawn, workers maintained the spacious grounds while we listened to our guide explain why this building is such a prominent symbol of the country’s political history.
One of my favorite captured photos of the trip
It was toward this building that the first communist tanks charged through the gates on April 30, 1975. A solider ran up to the 4th floor balcony and hung from it a Viet-Cong flag, thus liberating Saigon and ending the Vietnam War (or the American War to the Vietnamese).
The Dramatic & Famous Scene Recorded by The New York Times
The rooms are so well-preserved, I almost felt as though I was thrust back into the mid-1970′s when South Vietnam ceased to exist and the country unified under one government. Still hanging in the deserted basement command bunker are maps of the region and military strategy plans. Walking through the halls to the military operations center is very eerie…the radio transmitters and old phones are a reminder of the history of this place and the conversations that only the walls can now tell.
Retired radio transmitter in the basement command bunker
Hallways of the military operations center
Upstairs, in the President’s living quarters on the 3rd floor is a beautiful Asian courtyard garden that President Thieu had made for his wife.
The President's living quarters were built around this courtyard garden.
Also on this floor is a movie screening room, dance floor and large game room complete with bar. On the 4th floor, there is a heliport where there sits a retired United States Army Bell UH-1H helicopter.
Tiffany and I in front of a retired US helicopter
The Palace, and the history which took place there, was very interesting, however the highlight was having heard Quyền share her own story in the ground floor conference room.
Born in 1971, she was just a child during some of the most difficult years in this country’s history. With strength, she talked about the 50 people in her own family who, with enormous risk, boarded ramshackle refugee boats in 1979 to escape the country. Boat people, like those in her family, had little supplies, and the vessels were ill-equipped for bad weather conditions. The waves capsized the crafts and 17 people in her family died. Quyền’s father was a refugee for 5 years, forcing her mother, the oldest of her family, to care for her grandparents and her siblings alone. They were very poor, so Quyền worked many jobs as a young girl: selling second-hand clothing, working as a maid, and other jobs which paid little money. She, like many Vietnamese women her age, had no childhood; “I never even had chocolate until I was 18 years old.” She saw death, hardship and sadness all at an age when many American children see cartoons and fairy tales. Hearing her story was necessary because it is the story of many Vietnamese. “We forget it and just keep moving,” she said. “We keep living.” I think many of my fellow classmates were touched by her story and impressed with her strength and ability to press on and look to creating a better life. With smiles, the Vietnamese seem to look at the bright future rather than horrors of the past.
To be born in the U.S., never having come close to enduring such pain and suffering, never having witnessed firsthand the horrors of war or poverty is a jackpot in the lottery of life. This day was quickly turning into one I’ll never forget.
Front of War Remnants Museum
We next went to the War Remnants Museum. Formerly known as the War Crimes of American & Chinese Museum (and changed not to offend visitors), our professor was sure to warn us in advance of the grim details recorded here, as well as a perspective most Americans will never see. My father reminds me that history is written by the victors, so I need not explain the apparent one-sidedness of the exhibits. Most of the atrocities shown at the museum have been seen by most Americans, I would imagine, but to see the way US military action was recorded here was disturbing, angering and horrific. At times I wondered ‘how many people go through here believing that the North Vietnamese army had nothing to do with this “American war”‘ Among the most disturbing exhibits is the picture gallery of a Japanese photojournalist who captured images of deformed children and civilians as a result of Agent Orange and other chemical defoliants used during the war. One large photo shows formaldehyde filled jars containing fetuses with different deformities…something only seen in horror movies in the states. The fact that during this war, most people died by hands of the North Vietnamese soldiers is devoid from this Museum.
Many pictures, on another floor, captured the My Lai massacre, and even messages used to warn GIs: “The war will make you crazy if you allow it to” (a caption under soldiers posing behind decapitated Viet Cong heads). Despite the propaganda, the museum, and the photos found within, are a gut wrenching reminder that war is horribly atrocious and many innocent fall victim. Many soldiers, including my father, had to endure horror the likes of which most of us (God willing) will never know.
I write all of this, not to be a downer, but to explain why this was the most moving experience I had in Southeast Asia. Understanding why my father rarely discusses his time in Vietnam in the late 60′s, finding new gratitude for his bravery, to feel a connection to the Vietnamese never felt before filled me with great sorrow…I sobbed. I couldn’t control myself and found a place to sit, alone, and reflect. It was an overwhelmingly emotional experience I was glad to have.
As we left the museum, Quyền said to my fellow students and I, “The Vietnam war was tears and blood. Don’t you worry about the propaganda you see, we know what is true, we are thankful for you.” After seeing everything we just had, I think we all felt some relief in hearing that there is an appreciation for the sacrifices of America and its armed forces.
“We love you!” she said, putting her arm around me; now how could I not smile at that?
In Ho Chi Minh City, the largest of all of Vietnam’s cities (roughly 9 million people…and 6 million motorcycles), wandering with my fellow Loyola classmates, Damien and Sara, allowed us to experience first hand the famous hustle & bustle of the locals’ lives. To say it was exciting and invigorating doesn’t do justice to the feeling of being surrounded by constant movement and a vast array of exotic people, colors, and smells.
Happy New Year! Tet Holiday Lights in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
We encountered the famous Saigon traffic head-on while walking the short distance from our hotel, Golden Central Hotel Saigon, to the buzzing Ben Thanh Market, where you can expect the local merchants to grab you as you walk by; “Please, you look, good deal for you!”. This market and the surrounding streets no doubt make up HCMC’s liveliest (and smelliest) area.
Ben Thanh Market Entrance
Everything that the locals wear, eat or use can be found here: fresh live and wiggling seafood of all kinds, spices, flowers (beautiful, colorful and aromatic – for locals to leave as offerings at temples), bread, clothing, hats, and so on.
Fresh Fish and other seafood sold at Ben Thanh Market
Fresh flowers at Ben Thanh Market
It is certainly the place to buy a Non La (Vietnamese hat) or Ao Dai (traditional dress), and other items you’d want to bring home as a reminder of the magic of this churning and bubbling city. In this endless maze of shops we saw every color imaginable and we were stopped constantly by women at their shops just itching to negotiate with us (it takes a little getting used to strangers grabbing you). Bargains are struck with a little negotiation, we NEVER paid asking price for an item (and learned quickly we could get our rock bottom offers simply by walking away).
Negotiating the right price for a pair of earrings at Ben Thanh Market
Unexpectedly, we ran into our Professor, Dr. Cliff Shultz, who helped us plan our day and agreed to meet us at sunset at the Majestic Hotel Rooftop bar so we could get a one-of-a-kind view of the river and city below.
Arguably the most erudite and interesting of all professors at Loyola University Chicago
We spent the majority of my first day as one should in a new place, wandering and taking it all in. Everything seemed to move to a beat, especially the young workers on their motorbikes, weaving through each other effortlessly.
There were pavement cafes, women squatting over bubbling pots and fires cooking street food, vendors selling fruit and drinks and shirts. In all the excitement and fervor, I was suddenly given a rude reminder that this is still a developing country when a beggar grabbed me with his good hand and showed me his other missing all its fingers. Damien was offered rambutan, a tropical fruit grown in this region of the world, by an enterprising woman wearing the traditional non la. While he no doubt had little interest in these strange-looking spiky red fruits, he was a good sport buying a whole bag for only $2.
Now what exactly are these spiky red things?!?
We made our way down Le Loi Street to the Rex Hotel, where we were told we could get a superb view of the city traffic from the rooftop bar.
View from the rooftop of the Rex Hotel
The Asian gardens, decorations of caged birds, potted bonsai bushes, and large elephants surrounding us did nothing to remind us of the extensive history of this place. Journalists and soldiers once frequented this bar during the Vietnam War.
Spirit house at the Rex Hotel Rooftop Bar
For dinner, we walked a long way down Pasteur Street to a classic little hole in the wall called Pho Hoa, supposedly the best place in all of Saigon to get a traditional bowl of Pho, a beef noodle soup. While not my favorite dish on this trip, I couldn’t be happier that we ventured out to this little spot where no one spoke English and immersed ourselves in local cuisine. It also served as an interesting lesson: addresses in HCMC don’t always make sense.
My First Pho
After nightfall, we walked down the beautiful Dong Khoi Street, the nerve center of the city. Occasionally having to tell men with cyclos and motorbike taxis “đi bộ” (pronounced Dee Baww), which means we prefer to walk (and they really got a kick out of us trying to speak Vietnamese), we took in all the lively vibrance of New Years lights and Tet decorations, unparalleled to anything you would see in Chicago this time of year.
Happy New Year!
After making our way to 1 Dong Khoi Street, bravely now crossing the street as though we’ve lived here in a past life, we took the elevator up to the impressive rooftop “M Bar” of the Majestic Hotel to meet Professor Shultz and other classmates we last saw in the states.
Loyola MBA students & one helluva Professor
Overlooking the Saigon River, we were told the hotel dates back to the early 20th century and was where past study abroad groups had stayed. The building is a gorgeous piece of French colonial architecture with art deco interior. Viewing the river and city at night while having a few 333 (ba ba ba) beers with my fellow classmates was somewhat surreal…I’m in Vietnam!!!
Vietnamese Cheers: Một hai ba, yo! (one, two, three, yo!)
