Internship in Vietnam with ABROADER

What made this study abroad experience unique and special?

A'quilah: Vietnam culture, in my opinion, is very different from where I come in so many ways; from the people to their food and also the infamous Hanoi traffic!(this one stood out the most). The local students are very enthusiastic to introduce Vietnam to International students.

They even helped with International students with Vietnamese Language class which is quite difficult however they make it fun and it is actually quite interesting. Just 2 weeks of Vietnamese language lessons of simple words and phrases, shopping becomes twice as fun. Just show off to the locals your skills, they will be pleasantly impressed.

This might sound cliché but the most special part of the program is the friends I made in Vietnam, both local and international students, especially my classmates and lecturers. It was challenging to be working a project or assignment with people of different cultures as each culture have their own perspective and approach to different issues. Nonetheless, everything turned out well and it is truly an experience to be learned.

What was the best place you visited outside of your study abroad city?

A'quilah: Halong Bay is by far my favorite place to go in Vietnam. It is located in Quang Ninh Province, about 4 hours or more ride from Hanoi. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and I must say, it is a must go tourist site in Vietnam. With a price of USD45 with tour and lunch on the boat, it was reasonable and worth it! Every angle of the place is truly majestic! I could never seem to put my camera down. Truly, a part of Vietnam you do not want to miss.

What is one piece of advice you'd give future Student Exchange Vietnam students?

A'quilah: First thing first, money, it is better to use major currencies like US dollars. If you can prepare Vietnamese money in your own country, that is better. Make sure you put your money safely especially in public as Hanoi can be crowded.

Taxi is quite affordable but it is important that we know the name of the place we want to go. If you find a favorite place that you want to go back to later on, keep the card of the place or tag it in your smartphone Google Map, it will be very useful. It is especially useful to have your university address just in case.

However using a bus is more cheaper compared to taxis. It is advisable to ride a bus with a local friend for the first time as it takes time to understand the routes of where the bus is going.

Describe your favorite must-have food that you tried abroad.

A'quilah: Cha Ca La Vong, Hanoi Turmeric Fish with Dill, is a Vietnam delicacy that is usually served as an all-you-can-eat as you pay per person to the restaurant. In most cases, the restaurant will only serve Cha Ca La Vong in their menu so you just come and sit down on the table then they will put all the utensils and parts of the dish which are Vietnamese white noodle, fish sauce, prawn sauce, herbs and fillet fish cooked in front of you with dill and turmeric. I ate this dish almost every time I have the free time to go to central Hanoi with a few friends where the shop will refill the fish for almost 4 times. It is quite a simple dish but it is simplicity at its best!

What position do you hold at Student Exchange Vietnam? What has been your career path so far?

Ha: Currently, I am working as a Program Assistant at Student Exchange Vietnam whose main duties range from designing and packaging programs for international students coming to Vietnam on internship or study tour to supporting them in integration into the new life in Vienam. As mentioned above, I am interested in working as an education manager.

Particularly, my goal is to make better changes to the education system of the country, which has been considered inappropriate and not really ideal for students’ personal and professional development. What I am doing now at Student Exchange Vietnam greatly contributes to her big goal in a long term since I get the chance to work with international students coming from diverse educational backgrounds to understand more about their needs and competencies. That for sure will help me get deeper insights into what makes a strong education system in the world today.

What was your favorite traveling experience?

Ha: I am definitely into going visit new places. Before getting to work at Student Exchange Vietnam, I was involved in a similar job in an international organization named AIESEC for almost two years. Thanks to AIESEC, I got to travel to different places all over the country. Among those, the trip to Ho Chi Minh city to join the national conference of the whole AIESEC in Vietnam so far has been my most favorite.

Together with my teammates, I did experience the longest train in my life, which lasted for almost 40 hours from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. It also means that for two days I had no bathing at all (laugh out loud). However, the best thing was actually about getting closer to my friends when we had deep talks to understand more about each other along the way.

What country have you always wanted to visit?

Ha: South Korea, yeah it is exactly my most favorite country in the world. In fact, I have been there oncefor a student forum, but it seems to me that it is just not enough to really enjoy the country within a week. Later when I get the chance to go back, I probably would love to stay much longer so that I can become half Korean (laugh).

I am interested in that fact that a country which has recovered from the civil war, just like my country,and now is always being endangered by the continuing war with the north, can still prosper and even greatly influence the world with Hallyu (the Korean Wave). Their strategic national branding is utmost impressive and inspiring, and raises the questions of why and how they did as well as how and when my country can do something like that.

What language have you always wanted to learn and why​?

Ha: Due to the Korean impression, I naturally fall in love with the language as an exciting aspect of the culture. I have been learning Korean for two years. Korean is not difficult to learn, especially to Vietnamese people since the rule of pronunciation is pretty much the same with Vietnamese language’s. Besides, I am very interested in writing in Korean. The alphabet is way different so there is so much fun while practicing. At first, I felt like I was drawing, but not writing.