-fortunately haven't had any issues with an upset stomach here. can't say the same for some of my classmates.

-crossing the street is really fun. our tour guide told us that street signs that tell you when to walk are more like 'decorations'. the general advice is to walk slowly and close your eyes, with the understanding that cars and motorbikes can go around you. of course nobody really closes their eyes but the walk slowly advice works.

-vietnamese people honk constantly on the road. it's more for awareness to let other drivers and riders know that they are around rather than a hostile, angry gesture.

-the vietnamese generally bury their dead and then dig up the bodies after 3 years to clean the bones. this is based on the premise that there is both a physical and spiritual part of each person that needs to be cleansed after death.

-the infrastructure here is much more broken than i expected.

-my stay has been in hanoi but i am interested in someday visiting the south to compare the two regions. hanoi is a more conservative, political environment where connections matter given it is the capital. ho chi minh is more of a business environment.

-in hanoi, people save about 90% of their earnings whereas in ho chi minh, people spend about 110% of their earnings. the economy in the south is thriving as a result.

-roughly 70% of the population is under the age of 35.

-the service culture here is awesome. it may be partially due to the standards of the hotel we are staying in, but i've found in general that people are friendly and helpful.