May 5

Day two of our trip proved to be just as interesting as day one. Again starting our day with classes at UEF, we heard a lecture on Urban Planning and Development in Ho Chi Minh City as preparation for our site visit for the day. We learned about the rapid development of Ho Chi Minh City in the last few decades and the city's efforts to manage this growth responsibly and convert rural areas to new urban areas. Following the lecture, we had our second language class in which there was some improvement from the first day in our conversational skill. We had our same delicious lunch before heading off to our first company visit at Phu My Hung Corporation. Phu My Hung is the development company responsible for the master planning and construction of Saigon South, Ho Chi Minh City's new city center that is essential to its growth. We got to view the master plans and see the amazing work that they have done so far. When we got back from the visit we went out to dinner with our Vietnamese friends. First we tried some great traditional pho. Then we went down to the courtyard in front of the cathedral and had some authentic street food. After dinner, they showed us around downtown. Seeing all the people and sites in the city was incredible and made me even more excited to spend time in this great city.