Let this be known: yesterday afternoon I went upstairs with
Ricky and Nino to get a massage from the clients in the hotel. For only about
15 USD, I was able to get a package that included a steam bath, time in the
sauna, and a full body massage. It was the first time that I had ever done
anything like this, so I was, of course, a bit lost during the entire process. The massage was nice,
though. We were able to talk to Brice about the experience afterward, as he got
one earlier in the week. A Vietnamese woman walked up and down my legs and
somehow perched herself against my back using my arms as support. Enough said.
Last night, the UEF crew took us out to dinner at Tokyo Deli
for Japanese food. We ate a lot of sushi, including tuna rolls, sushi rolls,
and more. The highlight of the meal had to have been trying squid with Reggie
and Ricky, though; although I was reluctant to try it, it turned out tasting
great. For dessert, we ate what looked like soup but what turned out to be egg.
Afterward, we went out for ice cream at the same Swiss place as before.
Overall, it was interesting to experience yet another type of culture while
abroad tonight. I even asked for the check in Vietnamese at dinner.
After dinner, we hung out for a while. We hung out and soon went to bed.
Up early for class this morning, we got on the bus at around
8:15 AM. In the morning, we had culture class from a guest lecturer. He talked
for the majority of the time about Vietnamese beliefs, including fertility
worship, polytheism, and the eventual arrival of Buddhism. We also talked about
normal practices and traditions surrounding weddings and funerals. As we talked
about in past classes, it was interesting to see how the yin and the yang (and
other cognitive culture) continue to play a role.
In language class today, we learned how to converse further,
talking about what we do, where we go, our nationalities, and where we are
from. I found out that we are going to have a language test on Friday, but I am
not too worried. The UEF students have taught us very well!
We ate lunch at the UEF canteen as usual, and it was
enjoyable as always. After lunch, we visited Glass Egg Digital Media, a leading
developer for characters and graphics for well-known video games. This company
visit seemed to benefit engineering students more, which I liked. It was cool
to see each car or character or backdrop being created as we walked by computer
screens. What was even more surprising to me was how much time and money had to
go into each game and design. Many cars and characters must be created from
scratch, even for the same character for the same game but for a different
console. This is patience that I really don’t have.
Glass Egg, from the business side, is a completely different
company to any that we have witnessed thus far. Its business comes completely
from jobs that are outsourced from large companies like Microsoft, Sony, and more. They create the graphics but have no reward or punishment as to whether or not a game is
successful. If it is not, then, they don’t lose any money. Clever business
strategy. Also, they have started an online company for an online game that is
free to play but makes money from gamers buying add-ons. I am interested to see where this company goes.
View from the Glass Egg Digital Media Office
We have since returned to the hotel for the afternoon as
usual. I’m taking this time to blog then nap, but I am really excited for
tonight. The UEF students are taking us for street food and then for coffee at
New York Dessert Coffee. We checked it out online, and it looks delicious. After,
the owners of Glass Egg happen to also own Lush, a club that was built in an
old French villa. Interestingly enough, upon “renovation,” gold was discovered
underneath. They have invited us (hopefully for VIP treatment) tonight.