Saigon Walking Tour: Free Tour Guides
However, and I also said this before, it serves us well, to compare what other countries have, if only for us to reflect on what we also have, even uniquely, to discern what we should value and show to visitors. Yes, there are many things we could learn (and copy) from other countries/cultures, for our own good!
Like this: ⇉ An Absolutely-Free English-Guided and Professionally-Annotated Walking Tour!
NO JOKE. There is something like that. And so far, I've only heard-of, and experienced that in Vietnam. Many of their guests from developed countries even find that 'too much for hospitality', yet they do it!
Why FREE? Ah, I wanted to know too! So I got in touch with them, asked them about it, AND, availed of their free service! That is how I came to know about Saigon Hotpot. Checkout their website or FB Page!
You may initially be shocked and say 'OMG these are children'! Yes they all are, so never underestimate the things that the youth of today (wherever they are in the world) can do better than us - mere adults!
They are an organization of college students from all over Saigon that started doing this magnanimous voluntary service since 2006, with an original primary goal of sharpening their English speaking skills. One thing led to another, and now, theirs is one of the most sought-after touristic activities in Saigon!
How does it go? You just contact them via their website or FB Page, tell them your preferred date/time, and if available, it's booked! You just show-up at an agreed pickup point (your hotel lobby is even fine, as it's easier for you and the guide/s to find each other), then your guided walking tour of Saigon goes!
It does not have to literally mean "walking tour" as in you walk from place to place - depending on the sites you want to see. You may want/need to ride local transport or even bike around. If that is the case, remember that the "free" on these tours are just the guides. You pay for all rides for you and the guide.
Gumastos ka naman hoy! You pay for all rides, entrances, food, etc. for you and your guide/s. Guides as in plural? Yes, if you requested so - like for example if you were touring with your family or a big group of friends. Hah, you can't easily do that with any regular tavel/tour company, kahit me pambayad ka sa tour guide (na mahal)! But with Saigon Hotpot go ra!. Magagaling pang photographers dahil mga bata!
Here is more: they are all volunteers (like in your college org.!), so they also have their 'corporate style' 'western organizational structure' - there are officers, division heads, recruitment, training and so on.
But, all must be a guide, one time or another. And... during my tour, it was the Tour Department Head's turn to be guide! A "boss" as my guide! Oh well, maybe she was running out of guides, and I was lucky!
All the more that I learned many more details about this kind of altruistic hobby, activity, service - ah, whatever you may want to call it, of the intelligent Vietnamese youth (and their numbers are growing)!
Like what? Ah foremost, they become very good in speaking 'easily-understood' 'international-standard' conversational English. Like I said in my mind "hello India, Singapore, even Hongkong", you may be good at written English exams, grammar constructions and all the bookish things, yet when you open your mouths, no one except you, understands your English! This 'little' a thing could propel Vietnam to economic boon!
For the economist in me, it becomes exciting to watch-out for Vietnam in the coming years. Industries in globalized economies rely in fast and proficient business conversations. When the "future captains" of your industries are becoming good at it that means you're already a step ahead than the rest of Asia!
Mind you, majority of these university-level "kids" are not tourism, international relations or history students. They come from various faculties of arts and sciences like engineering, law, medicine, music and so on. And they're exposing themselves to the real practitioners from an international perspective.
Isn't that more than a practicum? By the way, sa atin ang mga practicum students, ginagawang taga-xerox, inuutusan bumili ng kape, minsan taga-encode, in short utusan, di ba? And FYI, every masteral class at AIM has this session of actually interacting with the real captains of the industries. Well, these students in Saigon are doing that everytime they guide tourists. Global exposure without going abroad!
In fact, my guide told me, many of their predecessors gained "connections" for having been volunteer guides in their organization. Some have been offered scholarships, apprenticeships, employment and 'international exposures' by their clients who come from various corners of the globe. Ang galing diba?
Eh ikaw ba maka-avail ng free guided tour sa Saigon, hindi ka man lang ba mag-e-effort to give them something in return? And who are these folks availing of the free tours? People from all over the world who have the capacity to fly to Vietnam - they're usually the successful 'work-horses' and/or captains of their own industries at their own locations on earth! Many are 'retired but influential' professionals!
Kasama na daw dyan ang mga K showbiz producers, model agency scouts, pati UN agency bosses!
Now now... even if all the world appreciate what they do (example: they had to go to Spain to receive an award), not all is easy for them at home. Even if Vietnam is a communist or socialist-oriented country, there's what we can call 'capitalist greed' in them (American-influence!) even in the tourism industry.
Like what? Imagine this... despite accolades from Viet authorities and the global world, these kids have been sued in Vietnamese courts, and have been asked to appear and explain themselves at the national assembly (senado yan, kumbaga sa atin). Ang naghahabla: tourism companies/businesses in Vietnam!
Bakit daw? Eh kasi daw, nawawalan sila ng kita, dahil libre ang services ng mga batang ito!
Jusko! Imagine, di pa kayo graduate ng college ipapatawag na kayo sa senado at supreme court! Carry nyo? But all is not lost. Some sectors in their society, pati yata lawyer groups are helping these "kids".
If as a tourist, I can talk to their tourism business owners, I will say "pwede ba gamitin nyo na lang mga utak nyo na maghanap ng ibang pagkakakitaan"? The 'kids' are marketing Vietnam better than they do!
As I said, so far all is not lost, but we'll see. Kaya avail na of this free tour before anything happens hehe!
Okay alright... tumapak tayo sa ating inang bayan, do you think that magnanimous service can be done in our country, by our own youth? I am very much doubtful. We just have that 'capitalist greed', and we teach that even to infants! They'll just say "what's in it for us, eh magaling na naman kami mag-English"!
Really now?!
Hah, next story, let's see where I went with this FREE guided walking tour of Saigon's central area!
Magaling, pramis!
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