20070120 HCMC 7:40am / Fort Smith 18:43
I am at “Highland Coffee” in HCMC, listening to very good French jazz, drinking good coffee and
hot banana cake. (The girl at the coffee bar asked me if I want the cake warm, which I did not
expect to be asked, but just said yes as it seems to be the right answer.) It was 17000VND, which
is $1.06US.

Meeting with professors and officials at Vietnam National University went really well, and I cannot
wait going back and giving a report to the Chancellor. The university is going through enormous
development for next a few years, new buildings and colleges. The Bowing, Intel, IBM and better
known companies invested billions of dollars in the near by science and IT park. The university
was newly created by the central government, and in three years they have over 2000 students.
As the size is quite reasonable, this is very appropriate and great chance for us to start the
newest relationships. At the hotel elevator, there was a guy or maybe he was the professor,
but from University of Oklahoma. Competition for partnerships seem to be very intense, but not
the university I visited. Hehehe…

First day was overwhelmed by every thing. The bikes and bikes and bikes. I am talking about the
motorcycles with high speed engine and the street was so full with constant flow of the
motorcycles.

To my opinion, there are several different types of countries, even though commonly people think there are only developed countries and developing countries. From my window at this coffee shop, there are city buses running, and security guards standing at the bank. There even traffic signals,
and there are no street beggars and kinds. Vietnam, or at least Ho Chi Minh City, is not the least
developing country, even though it is a developing country for sure. I would categorized this
country as a learning country. This country does not need, and there are no countries in the
world that they have to develop so quickly. Catching up with “Developed Countries” in GDP
or whatever the World Bank and others can provide in numbers does not necessarily mean
the greatest things. Economics at the university teaches the simple economic model of
the developing process, and I am not saying the classes and lectures are not worthless but rather
imp0rtant, just need to recognize that every country has its own speed and pace for achieving
the next developed stage, and people should respect these great differences. It is like it is
impossible to jump up to the million dollar huge mansion from the 300sq feet small apartment
house with one bed room. People know that jumping from the apartment to the mansion is
impossible, but expect their own country to be the one. People here work hard, very honest and
humble. The later two elements tend to vanish away when street start seeing a lot of “rich
people” with expensive watches and bags.

Yesterday I met one Japanese businessman who lives in Vietnam more than 15 years. It is always
good to know that Japanese are doing well, and know how to appreciate the local culture and
customs. Mr. Yasuda in 40s runs the company produces Vietnamese sweets, which I do not know
its kind. He is going to show me his factory and the products. This trip should be very informative
and will bring back a good/unique facts to the university. It is 8:07am and I am supposed to meet
with him at 9am.

Ideas
Take one or more students with me for next business trip if they can affortd.

The world is getting flat
Great coffee and mango smoose with French Jazz in Ho Chi Minh City
“Desperate House Wives” DVD with Vietnamese sub titles
Chicago White Sox baseball cap at the night market in HCMC
Kenyan airline pilots in Bangkok