Vietnam as Nammers Know It

this shall be my new platform to create, publicize, and spread scandals, controversies, and havoc!  muwahaha.

  You think you have it rough being a “poor college student” in the States? Try living 1 day in the life of a poor college student in Vietnam. Better yet, trying living it as an architecture student, whose artsy and justifiably care-free lifestyle is a league apart from the rest. These are students from the National University of Architecture, 5 of whom share a hole in the wall in Thu Duc and takes the 1-hour-long bus to HCM City daily for school.

Before you browse on, keep in mind two things (1) though some of the pictures might suggest otherwise, none of these guys are gay and (2) they are the closest of friends, the most talented, passionate about what they study and playhard/workhard bunch of students i’ve ever come across

The day starts out normal, at 6 am in the morning, like days are started everywhere in the world: on the crapper, with a newspaper (can we all say “thanks for not using the camera’s flash?”)

“we live like animals, wild & sexy animals”, say one from the loft area, which is accessible via ladder, most of the time

(1) Warobe includes a pimp shirt, a dress shirt, a shirt for school, a shirt for drinking, and a couple of pants – socks & underwear very optional (2) Mosquito nets, on the hand, is not optional…the mosquitoes here are not to be messed with 

Enterainments include (1) zit popping for your roomates (2) Checking out after-school girls in front of the apt (3) taking homo-erotic pictures (4) Playing pirated mp3s on computer (and i am sure loads of porn, too) (5) maybe do a little drafting work (6) day-dreaming about shagging Ms. February  

Portraits of some of the roomates:

The “apartment”: the wall leaks when it rains (2nd) view from the front door (3) the garage (4) the “bedroom” (5) a drafting table is a must-have, other necessities include water, headphones, architecture magazines (thats a Frank Lloyd Wright book), and good music (6) external view of the apt and one of its tenants, the alley looks a lot more presentable after the cleansing rain

Whatever you do, however broke u are, always save money for beer to drink with friends and maybe a cigarrette

How do they endure all that?! Not only do they survive, they thrive, all the while having a ball about it all. This is what drives them, every day:

Friends, teacher, an education, doing something they love. At the time I write this, they have all graduated, become the leading architects in their towns or gone on to graduate studies in Vietnam and abroad. And in their posh new place or on that long flight to a foreign land, I am sure they are missing the good ole time.

To my brother and his fellow architects.

Harvard, eat your heart out. The 700+ year old campus produced Vietnam’s very first Ph.D. scholars. Quốc Tử Giám was founded before the old Kings decided to move their kingdom from Thang Long (Ha Noi area today) to Hue. (2nd Picture) Khue Van Cac

In the 1400s, the king started engraving names of scholars on tombstones. All in all, 1307 Doctors of Philosohpies have their resume inscribed on 82 stone monuments, borne on the back of turtles. Students still travel the distance to touch the heads of these stone turtles for good luck before a major exam.

The sign in one of the four pillars in front of QTG still says “Ha. Ma~” (Disembark from your horse). (R) The big square is where students took exams (they have umbrellas to block out the harsh sun)

Free show in the main lecture hall of QTG. (L) These instruments are uniquely of Northern Regions, including the bamboo pipes (M), which are hollowed to create a full range of chords when struck. (R) These dresses are caclled “Áo Tứ Thân”, and those hats are called “Nón Quan Họ”, characteristic of Miền Bắc women.

(L) That’s a Ph.D. degree, specifying who the receipient was, what kind of salary and royal decrees were awared to the scholar (M) Try finding these books on half.com (R) A typical clothes for QTG scholars back in the days

My brother and I arrived at Hue looking very much like cái bang. Sick, dizzied, carrying souvenirs and goodies we’ve bought along the way: bags of cafê Long from Da Nang, hand-carved marble statuettes from Non Nuoc, etc. all together weighing about 20 pounds each. First mission: to find an acquaintance’s house to unload, then run as fast as we can to Đại Nội.

A relative of ours had promised to let us drop off our belongings, but he flaked out and did not answer his cell phone. So for the time being, we were screwed. Not knowing where to go, we stopped at a random lunch place down the street from Huong Sen Hotel. I was drawn to the sign that said “Bia Hoi!”. The home-made food was surprisingly good, served by a very hospitable family. Huda beer, the bia hoi of choice in Hue, was also fresh and cold. We drank, looking at maps, making phone calls, checking out the 3 cute daughters of the family. Things were looking up. 

We found another relative on Nhật Lệ street, whom I was to visit anyhow. We took a taxi there, this time sick, dizzied, and half-drunk. Then we ran until we saw the great fortress with the huge flag. The ruins of Đại Nôi’s fortress walls greeted me in the afternoon heat. The Vietnamese kings of old lived and ruled within those walls. I held my breath just a bit longer. Then I ran into her gate, only to be stopped short by a tourism officer asking for entry ticket.

5 mins later, 35000 dồng poorer, I was inside Đại Nội.

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