Now that we have that done, I’d like to spend the next few minutes of my life ranting and raving about my experience at SEALNet. This project has opened my eyes to many outstanding issues in Vietnam, most noticeably, the road system. Why the road system, you ask? Imagine being driven down a road in a taxi, and cars, vans, and motorbikes are whizzing by you at a torrent pace. That’s not the worst part. Your driver is driving either on the middle or on the left side of the separated road… It gets worse… You suddenly see TWO TRUCKS running straight towards you, obviously confused by their lack of intuition and ignorance for the road laws. That’s not all, though. The police officers are present the whole time. Oh.. oh.. it gets much worse. You continue to drive after dodging the twin trucks, and you notice a man and child that have been struck by a taxi van. You are outraged, and want to help, but your own driver scurries on, leaving the poor man screaming in agony. Two minutes later, you see that van actually overtake you on the road, causing you to realize that the man and child have been left on the road to die. Otherwise, this whole project has been quite enlightening. I have learned much more about Vietnamese culture, bargaining, and proper etiquette. For example, it’s actually improper to NOT honk at intersections, and if a person asks you for 50,000, they will gladly accept 25,000. My interaction with the mentees and college folk have greatly influenced my life. I have learned to be a better leader, better listener, and an all around better person. I am truly grateful for this organization. I have also learned to be a better leader. Under the tutelage of Hung, Leng, Kenneth, and my sister, I have become a stronger person. I am now able to control my space, demand respect, and correctly acknowledge others. I hope you liked my story about the road.

- Peter Nguyen