My life in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Goodbye HUTECH.. for denne omgang..

Så er det atter weekend. Den sidste skoleuge for denne omgang er veloverstået og på mandag står den på praktik de næste 2 måneder.

Tiden går ufattelig stærkt herover. Hver dag oplever man og lære noget nyt, også selvom man ikke føler man rigtig har lavet det helt store på en dag.

Det har været en rigtig spændende uge, hvor vi har været på 2 virksomheds-/produktionsbesøg.

Det var vildt fedt endelig at komme ud og se / opleve det som vi kun har snakket om i skolen det sidste år.

At se de produktionsmaskiner som man har fået fortalt om, samt opleve de forskellige processer at firsthand. Det har helt sikkert givet en større forståelse for hele processen fra fiber til færdigt produkt, samt gjort mig mere spændt på at komme i praktik og opleve hvordan det er at arbejde inden for den del af tekstilbranchen.

Den første virksomhed vi besøgte var Viet Thang Garment Joint Stock Company. En af Vietnams største producenter inden for bomuld og polyester, med det hele lokaliseret ét sted. Vi så hele processen fra fibre til det færdige produkt. Selvom vi har fået fortalt / lært hvordan de forskellige processer foregår, er det noget helt andet at se det med egne øjne. Det var spændende at se hvordan fibrene blev sorteret, renset, kæmmet og spundet til garn, samt efterfølgende vævet til metervarer.

Herudover så vi også hvordan metervaren blev behandlet i form af tilsætning af diverse kemikalier for at undgå krympning, gøre overfladen vandafvisende og blødgøre, samt vask, farve eller print af mønstre osv. Vi sluttede besøget af i systuerne hvor vi her så en effektiv opbygning. De blev arbejdet i højtryk og vi fik her et indblik i hvor mange stationer fx skjortedele kommer igennem før det ender som et endeligt produkt/en skjorte.

Den anden virksomhed vi besøgte var Nha Be Garment Corporation – Joint Stock Company. Dette er også en af de større produktionsvirksomheder i Vietnam med 20.000 medarbejdere. Denne virksomhed producerer ikke selv metervarer, men importere metervaren – primært fra Kina.

Her lavede de jakkesæt og skjorter. Vi startede ud med at se hvordan de lavede habitjakker. Hvilke processer de skulle igennem for at være klar til pakning og afsendelse til kunden.

De producere alt lige fra H&M’s herrehabitjakker til habitjakker fra Michael Kors, samt andre kendte brands. En habitjakke skal igennem 300 stationer før den er syet helt færdig og klar til mærkning og pakning, hvilket lyder rigtig af rigtig meget, men når man først står i systuen og kigger ud over alle arbejderne, så forstår man det godt. Der arbejdes virkelig struktureret og det går ufatteligt stærkt. Alle har hver især deres stykke tøj som de har ansvar for. Nogle har til opgave at dampe kravestykket, nogle har til opgave at dampe ærmerne, mens andre har til opgave at dampe skulderpuderne i, sy ærmer osv. osv.

Vi sluttede af med hurtigt at se hvor stor systuen til skjorter var og endte derefter over i pakkerummet, hvor de var i gang med at pakke skjorterne i plastposer og derefter i papkasser, klar til at blive eksporteret til bl.a. USA og Europa.

Udover virksomhedsbesøg har den sidste uge også bestået af eksamen i vietnamesisk, samt præsentation af et vietnamesisk emne, valgt ud fra vores oplevelser i Vietnam og vores skoleture. Vi fik vores karakter i fredags, og jeg er fint tilfredse med mine der siger; B i vietnamesisk og A i præsentation.

Som et hyggeligt afbræk i ugen, var vi hjemme hos Mrs. Yen onsdag eftermiddag efter skole. Vi skulle lære at lave vietnamesiske forårsruller, og så ville hun gerne hvis vi dansker kunne lave en dansk ret.

Det var rigtig hyggeligt at komme hjem og se hvordan hun bor, samt bare have en stille og rolig stund med hende (og Tommy, som selvfølgelig også var med) uden at tænke på skole osv.

Mrs. Yen bor i et rigtig fint kvarter i udkanten af distrikt 1 (som også er det eneste rigsmandskvarter i HCMC). Her er der grønne områder med græsareal, træer og ja.. haver! Det forefindes ikke inde i byen. Her bor folk klods op og ned af hinanden.

Vi havde besluttet at vi ville lave dansk hakkebøf med bløde løg, kartofler og brun sovs. Vi havde dog bare ikke lige helt tænkt over at sovekulør er en dansk ting, og det ikke kunne fås hernede. Men det lykkedes os alligevel!

Vi havde gået og glædet os hele ugen til at skulle lave dansk mad til mrs. Yen. og også til os selv og de andre exchange studenter. Udover vi selv så frem til maden og synes at det var blevet rigtig godt, glædede det os at høre at Tommy og mrs. Yen også kunne lide vores mad.

Tommy spiste Vietnamstyle – dansk hakkebøf og kartofler med spisepinde = godt grin til os andre! :-)

Vung Táu weekend

Endnu en weekend i Vung Táu til at afslutte en spændende uge. Sol, strand og rigtig god mad på restaurant Yummi Yummi. Kan det blive bedre?! Nårh ja, vi tager lige en tur til greyhound væddeløb lørdag aften. Det var rigtig fedt at opleve, og hold da helt ferie en stemning der var. Hov, glemte jeg at sige vi lige købte en VIP billet = pladser ovenpå med god udsigt over hele banen. Jeg vil sige.. Når man står ved indgangen og en alm. Billet koster 50.000 dong (13,50dkkr) og en VIP koster 100.000 (ca. 27dkkr.), ja så er det nok ikke lige en VIP billet der vælter vores budget. For så vil den da være helt gal. J

Udover væddeløb kunne Vung Táu også denne weekend byde på foodfestival. Det var vildt fascinerende at gå rundt og se hvad man kan få ud af kun frugt og grøntsager.

Weekenden endte desværre lidt brat da vi søndag til brunch fik et opkald at vores båd hjem var aflyst pga. det dårlige vejr (det STOD ned søndag), og at der først var mulighed for at vi kunne komme med båden hjem mandag morgen. Dette var overhovedet ikke en valgmulighed, da vi skulle starte i praktik dagen efter. Vi fik derfor at vide at vi kunne tage en bus og når vi så landede i Ho Chi Minh City kunne vi komme ned og få vores penge retur.

Nej tak, vi skulle ikke ende med at sidde over 3 timer i en bus, så vi besluttede os for at vi ville tage en taxa tilbage og så bruge de penge vi fik retur på denne, da vi havde regnet ud det ville gå hurtigere end med bus.

Brunchen blev indtaget på vores yndlingsrestaurant og da vi efterhånden er blevet faste kunder derinde, spurgte vi en af ejerne om ikke hun ville ringe efter en taxa til os og aftale en fast pris.

Det endte dog med at vi kørte med privatchauffør tilbage til HCMC for kun 1.600.000 Dong (ca. 420dkkr) og på kun to timer.

Søndag = store flyttedag

Efter ankomst til hotellet, efter at have været forbi bådstedet og få vores penge tilbage, stod resten af dagen på at flytte alt vores ”lort” fra Doi Ché hotel til vores nye hotel tættere på vores praktiksteder. Det er utroligt hvor meget man alligevel har fået skrabet sammen, plus alle de fælles ting man har købt for at gøre værelset bare lidt hyggeligere og mere til et hjem, end bare et sted man opholder sig i 4 mdr. Men det nye sted er rigtig hyggelig, dog er der ikke så mange spisesteder i omegn, men vi skal nu nok finde ud af at få noget mad alligevel.

//Translation

Goodbye HUTCH.. for this time..

Once again it is weekend. The last week of school for this time is successfully completed, and on Monday we all start our 2 months of internship.

The time passes so quickly over here. Each day we experience something new and learn something new, even though you don’t always feel like you have been doing much during the day.

It has been a really exciting week with 2 company/production visits.

It was really thrilling to get to see / experience the things that we have been talking about the last year in school. To see the production machines which we have been learning about and experience the different kind of processes at first hand. It has definitely given me a bigger understanding for the whole process from fiber to finish product, and made me more excited to start my internship and experience what it is like to work in that part of the textile industry.

The first company which we visited was Viet Thang Garment Joint Stock Company. One of Vietnam’s biggest manufactures within cotton and polyester. Here is everything located at one place.

We saw the whole process from fiber to the finishing product. Even though we have heard / learnt how the different process take place, it is still different to see it firsthand . it was thrilling to see how the fibers were sorted, cleaned, combed and spun to yarn, and hereinafter woven to fabric.

In addition, we also saw how the fabric was treated in the form of addition of various chemicals to avoid shrinking, how to make the surface water repellent, softer and wash, colour or print patterns etc.

We ended our visits at the company in the sewing room, where we saw an effective structure. Here the workers worked in high pressure and we got a glimpse of how many station, for example shirt parts have to go through before it becomes a final product / a shirt.

The second company we visited was Nha Be Garment Corporation – Joint Stock Company. This is also one of the bigger production companies in Vietnam with 20.000 employees. This companies doesn’t produce the fabric themselves, but primarily import it from China.

Here they make suits and shirts. We began our visit seeing how they made suit jackets and which processes they had to come through in order to be ready for packaging and shipment to the customer.

De produce everything from H&M’s men jackets to Michael Kors and other well-known brands. A suit jacket have to go through 300 stations before it has been sown to a finish product, and ready for branding and packaging. 300 stations sounds like a lot, but when you stand in the sewing room and look around you and see all of the workers /sewers, then you will understand. They really work very structured and it you can’t keep up with them. They each have their own station with a piece of clothing that they are responsible for. Some have the job to steam the sleeves while others have the job to steam in the shoulder pads, sew the sleeves etc. etc.

We finished the tour in the sewing room for shirts, before heading to the packing area. here they were in the processing of packing the shirts into plastic bags and then into cardboard boxes, ready to be exported to USA, Europe etc.

Beside visiting companies, the last week have also contained an exam in Vietnamese and a presentation of a Vietnamese subject, from what we have experienced in Vietnam and on our trips with the school. We got our grades Friday and I’m happy with mine – Vietnamese = B and presentation = A.

As a cozy disruption during the week, we were invited home to Mrs. Yen. Wednesday afternoon after school. We should learn how to make Vietnamese spring rolls and then we ask us if we Danish girls would like to make a Danish dish.

It was really nice to see where she lived and have a quiet time with her, and Tommy of course, without having to think of school etc.

Mrs. Yen lives in a very rich neighborhood at the edge of district 1 – it is also the only rich neighborhood in HCMC. Here there are green areas with grass, trees and gardens. Those are hard to find downtown where people live so closely together.

We have decided to make Danish “hakkebøf” with onions, potatoes and brown sauce. We just forgot the food color is a Danish thing, and therefore impossible to find over here. But we succeed anyway and it tasted fantastic!

The whole week we had been looking forward to cook Danish food for Mrs. Yen and the others.

Beside that we had been looking forward to Danish food for a whole week, we were glad to hear that Mrs. Yen and Tommy and the other exchange students, liked our food.

Tommy ate Vietnamstyle – Danish “hakkebøf” and potatoes with chopsticks = a good laugh for the rest of us.

Vung Táu weekend

Another weekend in Vung Táu to end an excited weekend. Sun, beach and great food at the Yummi Yummi restaurant. Can it be better? Oh yeah! We just take a little trip to the greyhound race Saturday night. It was fun to experience and a great atmosphere. Ups, did I forget to mention that we bought a VIP ticket = places upstairs with a great view over the track. I need to say.. When you stand at the entrence and a regular ticket costs 50.000 dong (13,50dkkr) and a VIP costs 100.000 (27dkkr.), well then it shouldn’t be the VIP ticket that turn over our budget. That would be terrible. :-)

Beside the greyhound race Vung Táu could also this weekend offer a food festival. It was fascinated to walk around and see what one can make of fruit and vegetables.

Unfortunately the weekend ended a bit sudden. When we were eaten brunch I got a call from the boat company that our boat was canceled due to the bad weather (the rain was pouring down), and it wasn’t possible to go with the boat back to HCMC before Monday morning. This wasn’t an option for us girls since we were starting our internship the next day.

They then told us that we could get back with a bus and get our money back when we return to HCMC.

No thank you. There was no way that we were going to sit in a bus for 3 hours, so we decided to get a taxi to drive us back and then use the money that we would get back to pay for. We calculated the time and taking a taxi would be faster than a bus.

We got our brunch at our favorite restaurant and since we have become regulars, we asked the owner if she could help us and call a taxi for us and fix a price.

We ended up having a private driver to drive us back to HCMC for only 1.600.000 Dong (420dkkr) and it only took 2 hours.

Sunday = movingday

After arriving at the hotel, after being at the boat company to get our money back, we spent the rest of the day moving all of our stuff from Doi Ché to our new hotel closer to our internships. It is incredible how much you scrape together in a short period of time + all of the stuff we bought together to make our room more cozy and more of a home, than just a place that we are staying for the next four months.

The new place is pretty good even though there aren’t many places for dinning in the area, but we will, without a doubt, figure out to food anyway.

Billeder fra besøget ved Viet Thang