The FBI Experience: 12 weeks of Overseas Internship in Vietnam

Hey dudes and babes. We are your 3rd year (about to graduate if everything goes well) seniors. So the topic today is our trip to Vietnam, Hanoi for our Overseas Internship! We worked asHotel Management Trainees and had the chance to experience some other job sectors. Our job scope ranged from front office to F&B. So just to surprise you a bit, we worked asbellman, operator, receptionist, guest relations officer, butler, room attendant (yes! clean rooms! but no need to clean toilets), security patrol, PR, Sales, Marketing, restaurant host, waiter and bartender. We covered these in around 11 weeks.

Other than working, we had a lot of fun meeting people in parties, gatherings and events. We missed the drinking times especially, morning tea, afternoon coffee and night... and it is quite cheap for all types of drinkers. Like Singapore’s “Uniquely Singapore”, Vietnam’s tourism motto is "Hidden Charm". It really is a hidden charm. Though Hanoi itself is a city, there are still traces of their culture here and there. Sitting by the roadside eating street food is a truly unique and nice experience (if you are don’t mind the cars’ exhaust), crossing the road everyday can be a challenge and once you get the hang of it, it is quite thrilling (at your own risk, but it is quite safe actually). We usually travel around by motorbikes of our colleagues and you'll like it. For weak-hearted people like me, they go at a maximum speed of 50km/h and an average speed of 25km/h. I didn't realize language is a huge barrier until we got there, so we got the chance to learn a new language but it is hard work to practice. Luckily the staffs' Englishis quite good.

We got a one-week holiday at the end to travel around Hanoi.
So I urge people who have the chance to go for OSIP to take it!! It is good to have exposure to the outside world, free language lessons and a working HOLIDAY!!! :D
We are now back in Singapore and attached to a local financial institution for our second internship. After that, our MP will be next.

Yours two and only,

Zhenghui and Edmond

A typical home-made Vietnamese meal I had in Hai Duong in my Front Office Supervisor’s home.Ngoncua!!! (Very delicious)

Celebrating Singapore’s 45th birthday in Melia Hotel, a 5 star hotel, an eat-till-you-drop Singapore food galore, featuring Char Kway Teow, Laksa and chicken rice, etc. Free flow of drinks as well :>

The super-congested and unorganized traffic - crossing the streets can be very THRILLING!!!

An outing to the night market after buying the satay-like food.

Scenery from the Cave of Paradise of Halong Bay. A paradise for people who want to relax and chill out without having any worries. They say if you have not been to HaLong Bay, you have not been to Hanoi - we visited at the end of our Internship.

Sunset view in Halong Bay on the cruise, marking the end of the day’s activities. The night sky is also quite relaxing for some ‘moon-tanning’.

The Staff Party - Front Office performance costume: the Ao Dai, a Vietnamese traditional costume. Our performance item is a fashion show of the different designs of the Ao Dai.