A Few Observations along the Way:
Act Early
What to eat? What not to eat?
Medical Advice
Monetary Issues


Act Early

The single most important advice that I can give is to ACT EARLY. If you are like me and like to procrastinate you can lose out on a lot of opportunities. I sent in SIT's scholarship application only a day late and it was too late for the scholarship board to consider, so I lost out on receiving potential financial aid.


Medical Advice

Many programs will offer insurance, including SIT. If you need to see a doctor in an SIT based program you will have to fork out the money first, though you'll get refunded when you return to the US. You can probably guess that you'll get sick at some time on the trip. Yet, in four months people often get sick regardless of where they are situated. Of the 11 people in my program to Vietnam, most were sick at some point, yet the illnesses were fairly mild. One person had a rash, many had a case or two of diarrhea at some point, and I found myself with a case of food poisoning, though at first appearance doctors feared that I had appendicitis and a possible medical evacuation to Singapore was considered. It must be noted though that doctors are not usually allowed to perform serious surgery on foreigners unless they get special permission. Still, nothing very serious occurred during the program and the few bouts with diarrhea as my body adjusted to new foods were worth the excitement obtained from the trip. If a person does need to be evacuated for medical purposes, Singapore is only an hour or two away.

I would also advise that you get all the recommended shots. I got everything SIT suggested except the rabies shot, which seemed over-priced. Altogether, I received shots for Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Tetanus Diptheria, and Japanese Encephalitis.


What to Eat? What Not to Eat?

The important thing here is to use common sense. If something doesn't look right, refrain from eating it. If meat looks undercooked, leave it. If water isn't clear, don't drink it. The truth is in many programs you probably will get a case or two of the runs. While I can't say much about programs outside of Vietnam, most things on the average menu are safe to eat. In the beginning, all of us were neurotic about waiters who delivered drinks with ice or meals with unboiled vegetables, but after a week or so we realized that if we truly wanted to live in Vietnam, we couldn't keep ourselves quarantined away. Most people in my program even ventured one night to eat coconut worms, a delicacy ordered for us by a few patrons sitting at a nearby table. If you don't know what coconut worms are, believe me, you're better off. Although the next day a few stomachs were a little distressed by the decision, no one really suffered. Also, while eating in classy restaurants might only cost a few dollars, it's sometimes worth it to get food from street vendors. Although the foot-high plastic chairs might look like they were intended to fit a preschool class, the food is often delicious.


Monetary Issues

The easiest way to carry money around in Vietnam is large bills in cash, yet it's also the easiest way to lose it. However, traveler's checks are your safest bet and can be exchanged at practically all banks. I mixed the large bills with traveler's checks. Also, I found that having an ATM card was very helpful and saved me when I got sick and spent much of my money on doctors' bills. ATM's can be found in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Having an ATM card is also a useful way for relatives to send you money if you are in a financial bind. There are Western Unions scattered about Vietnam, but I don't know much about them since I never needed to visit one. It's also probably a good idea to wear a money pouch. I had two; one around my waist at times and other times I used one around my ankle. Money pouches and other supplies can be found at www.magellans.com.