How we spend our weekends in Hoi An

The villages we visited were called Bho Hoong Village and Droong Village, respectively.

Here we got to meet the very hospitable and friendly Katu people, who offered very good traditional dishes, a great folk dance, and lots of smiles and good cheer.

This is a trip that all Kulturstudier students in Vietnam undertake during their study stay, and it is both very educational and very pleasant.

The purpose of the trip is to gain experience working systematically in groups to gain a deeper understanding of a predetermined topic through interviews and practical work.

My group was tasked with finding out more about how tourism affected the villages we visited.

We aimed to examine how the Katu people have adapted to the significant changes they have had to endure since the end of the Vietnam War, considering the transition from a semi-nomadic hunter society to an agriculture- and tourism-based economy.

It was very interesting to talk with everyone from cafe owners, local youths, and the village chief. In addition to the academic work, there was naturally a great focus on comfort and togetherness.

We slept in an authentic manner all together in the large community houses which are the focal point of the villages, where they had set up cozy little 'tents' with mosquito netting.

In addition to field trips, there are several other fun weekend activities to undertake while here in Hoi An, such as exploring the surrounding towns and islands.

Last weekend we had no organized activities for our studies, so many of us took the opportunity to explore the surrounding area.

Many went to Cham Island, which is a 20-minute boat ride from Hoi An. The island has beautiful beaches and diverse wildlife, something the students experienced when they were attacked by some monkeys while trying to enjoy their lunch.

Some took the trip to Hue or Danang, while others just wanted to relax here in Hoi An. There are also opportunities for longer trips while you're here, which is recommended to do over the long weekend, coming about halfway through the program.

I myself am planning to go to Taiwan, while others are planning to visit Vietnamese cities like Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.

Two weekends ago, we had an exceptionally good arrangement, where we participated in "Vietnam day" on Saturday. Here we got an insight into Vietnamese traditions, both culinary and in terms of entertainment.

We started by eating a traditional noodle dish, before we cycled on to Hoi An's most popular coffee spot.

There began a treasure hunt that took us through the entire Hoi An, which was very useful for getting to know the city better. The treasure hunt ended at a beautiful restaurant along the river where we got to try several traditional dishes.

The day ended with participation in Vietnamese bingo (which was much more fun than Norwegian, partly because of the long musical interludes) and traditional dance.

We have also finally gotten to play a soccer match against a local Vietnamese team, something everyone had been looking forward to.

After an intense first half where we took the lead, the Vietnamese team collapsed towards the end and we left the pitch with a clear victory. We won the match 6-2.

We are already looking forward to the next match, which will be played against the local men's team.

Next week there will be a volleyball match against a Vietnamese team, and we are really looking forward to it!