Establishing relationships

Day 2

Reflection: Building Bonds.

This afternoon, we visited the University of Social Science and Humanities, Faculty of Oriental Studies.

We were touched by the effect the students have put in to welcome us.

They have put up a slide show to show the good relationship that Vietnam and Singapore have developed over the years.

Many students had taken the effort to be with us on this sunny Saturday afternoon.

The MC, Ms Hau Can did a great job in getting the road show started.

Later on, the students from the university asked us several questions. They were interested to know about the education system in Singapore and the language that is used in school in Sinagpore.


Three students performed a dance and two songs which we enjoyed very much.

The students made an image of the Merlion.

Mdm Santhi and Mrs Audrey Koh found it impressive that the students had done so much research about Singapore.

Reflection : Cu Chi Turnnel

Here are some notes about Cu Chi tunnels from wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_tunnels

The tunnels of Cu Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country.

The Cu Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the National Front for the Liberation (NLF)of South Vietnam's base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968.

(Here, one of the student is trying out the entrance to the tunnel.)

The tunnels were used by NLF guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters.

The role of the tunnel systems should not be underestimated in its importance to the NLF in resisting American operations and protracting the war, eventually persuading the weary Americans into withdrawal.

American soldiers used the term "Black echo" to describe the conditions within the tunnels. For the NLF, life in the tunnels was difficult. Air, food and water were scarce and the tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, spiders and mosquitoes. Most of the time, guerrillas would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge supplies, tend their crops or engage the enemy in battle. Sometimes, during periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time.

Sickness was rampant among the people living in the tunnels; especially malaria, which accounted for the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds. A captured NLF report suggests that at any given time half of a PLAF unit had malaria and that “one-hundred percent had intestinal parasites of significance.”



In spite of these hardships, the NLF managed to wage successful campaigns against a conscripted army that was technologically far superior.

In the morning, we also visited a printing factory called VinSing, set up in 1992 by a Singaporean Mr. Wu.

He travels to Vietnam and stays for 3 weeks and then flies home to Singapore to rest and recreat for one week before flying back to Vietnam again.

The students managed to see the working conditions of the factory and were surprised to discovered that an unskilled worker was paid about Singapore one hundred dollars and a skilled worker about one hundred and thirty only.