From Århus to Ho Chi Minh City: An exchange student’s journey of culture clash and connection

What happens when a 180 cm tall blond girl from Denmark takes on an exchange adventure in Vietnam? She gets a lot of looks from the locals and pictures taken of her. That’s at least how Mathilde Fyhn begins the story of her first month in Vietnam.

“Well, I knew I would stand out as a tall Scandinavian girl in Asia, but I was not prepared for the
sneaky pictures being taken of me,” Mathilde says with a laugh as she recounts how locals snap
photos of her during everyday activities, transforming her into an unintentional celebrity.

Besides the fact that Mathilde quite literally stands out in the crowded streets of Vietnam’s largest
city, she has come to feel very much at home.

“If I were back home in Århus right now, I would probably be wearing a complete winter outfit with gloves and everything. Here, it’s 30 degrees and I have a good tan going on,” Mathilde explains and mentions, that she can’t remember the last time she has had a tan in November.

During her first month in Vietnam, Mathilde has already had a range of experiences. What stood out to her the most was the Sapa trekking tour, where she immersed herself in breathtaking landscapes and had the chance to experience local culture outside the big city.

“I chose Vietnam because I had never been to Asia before, and I wanted to get a feel of the
culture. I also love history and I wanted to know more about the Vietnam War and how
communism played a part here.”

A bittersweet farewell

Mathilde also explains how she had been looking forward to diving into the Vietnamese cuisine. But although she is now surrounded by incredible food that is way more flavourful than what she i used to, her Danish palate still holds strong.

“I must admit, I’m slowly getting tired of rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I miss rugbrød very much,” Mathilde says with a chuckle while talking about the classic Danish bread. “I also miss a good sourdough bun with cheese and butter like in Denmark. It’s super simple, but those are some of my biggest cravings.”

Leaving cold Scandinavia behind for a while in exchange for a sun-soaked life in Vietnam wasn’t just a dream come true. It was also a difficult goodbye.

“I was pretty sad to leave everything I know behind. It’s just different saying goodbye to the people you love when know you won’t see them for six months,” Mathilde says and goes on to explain how the school system in Vietnam is something she has had to get used to.

“School in itself is not that different here, but the Vietnamese students are very respectful and they seem quite shy sometimes. In class, when they have a question, they stand up and address the professor with their full title. After they get an answer, they say thank you and sit back down. It’s nice and respectful but I’m just not used to that. Maybe we can learn from that in Denmark,” Mathilde says smiling.

Getting used to life abroad

In contrast, something Mathilde has found easy to adapt to is her new social life.

“It has honestly surprised me how easy it has been to make friends. We are a group of people from all over the world who has been spending a lot of time together,” Mathilde explains and says, that she has especially enjoyed going out for beers with her fellow exchange students.

“I have realized, that I’m not only getting immersed in the Vietnamese culture, I’m also learning so much about people from France, the US, Ireland, and such.”

Looking forward, Mathilde is excited about all the experiences in store for her, with Christmas and New Year’s Eve topping her list of upcoming adventures in Vietnam.