Our experiences from the first week here have been a fusion of sounds, smells and colors so different from what we’ve been used to. Everything from communist flags, communal karaoke, beautiful lanterns, brilliant colors, early morning roosters and a symphony of honking scooter-horns have been flooding our senses. There’s a buzz in the city because of the Vietnamese New Year, Tết, coming up and families are busy preparing. Everything you can possibly imagine, from huge orange trees, heaps of yellow chrysanthemum flowers, massive blocks of ice, live chicken and groceries are all strapped on the back of motorbikes and scooters to be brought home for the welcoming of spring.

All of us have gotten our own bikes, and we´re slowly getting the hang of the seemingly how-ever-you-want-to-drive way of navigating the traffic here. At least that’s how the traffic might appear at first. In reality, the more time you spend observing the traffic, the clearer the unwritten rules become. It is both scary, fun and liberating, but you are definitely kept on the edge of your seat!

It’s quite cold now for this time of year in Hội An. According to one local, it’s been the coldest winter since 1992! Most Vietnamese have been wearing thick winter coats, hats and gloves, along with socks in flip-flops and masks. Not clothing usually associated with 15 to 20-degree weather – quite a peculiar sight. As of next week, the weather should get a lot warmer, and we’ll hopefully be able to make use of the study center at beautiful An Bang beach. We are itching to test out the waves!

All in all, this week has been both weird and wonderful: 30 strangers coming together in a shared experience through parties, trips and lectures, trying to learn and see through another culture’s eyes. I am pretty excited to begin the next week!

Dana