Quirky traditions

Round has to go into the square. This rule applies not only at home in Germany. I don't know any other sport that connects people and brings them together worldwide as much as football does. There is no need for a common language on the field, as the rules are generally known, even in Vietnam.

In the meantime, I have moved into another international shared apartment with new roommates from Scotland, Serbia, and Vietnam. Not because I didn't want or couldn't stay in my old room anymore, but rather to meet new people in my remaining time in Vietnam. And so it happened that all the male roommates now play football and gladly included me in their teams. I now play for both the Drink Team on the big field and for Western United on the 7-man small field up to four times a week, both as a goalkeeper and as an outfield player. The fun is always the top priority, and there are discussions before the game about where to enjoy the freshly tapped Bia Hoi after the game. And not only that reminds me of amateur sports back home. Quirky rules that ultimately serve the purpose of consuming as much beer as possible in a short time are also part of the team's traditions. For example, you're not allowed to mention your own name in the round, otherwise, you have to chug the beer. Inexperienced newcomers are taken advantage of, and after I also experienced this rule firsthand, I felt accepted in the group. A Vietnamese song is sung, and the atmosphere is at its peak. Another peculiarity of the Drink Team is that they try to throw peanuts, which are obligatory with the beer here, into the glass of their teammates. If the glass is hit, the teammate has three free throws to try to hit the pitcher's glass. If he succeeds, the initiator of the feud has to drink the beer in one gulp, if he fails within the three attempts, he has to drink the beer. Now you also know where the Drink Team got its name from. The fact that we lost all three games with my presence plays a minor role. Sporting success is not everything, and the most beautiful thing about team sports is being together with the team.

I once again experienced Vietnamese hospitality last week. My classmate Duc invited me to his home. The 27-year-old showed me his home and his small family with visible pride. Duc lives in one of the many newly built high-rise buildings in Hanoi with his wife and three-year-old son. He told me that he moved in with his family right after the construction two years ago. We took the elevator to the 22nd floor, from where the view over Hanoi is absolutely impressive. Instead of Vietnamese cuisine, Duc and his wife prepared a rather Western menu of beef steak, fries, broccoli, and mixed salad. Glenlivet, a Scottish whiskey, was served. However, his son found the iPad more interesting than the foreign visitor. With natural ease, the little one operated Youtube and selected small children's movies to watch. After dinner, we said goodbye, but with an agreement to meet again.

Today, another appointment was on my agenda. Mrs. Voigt from the International Office in Greifswald wrote to me a few weeks ago, informing me that Deutschlandfunk is producing a report on German-Vietnamese relations and is requesting an interview with me. Of course, I accepted this invitation because I also see myself as a representative of the University of Greifswald and want to contribute to more students going abroad, as I can say that these experiences are incredibly enriching. And so, this was also the topic of the conversation with Mrs. Lueg, which will be broadcasted during the report on Germany's public radio channel, Deutschlandfunk, on Whit Monday at 2:05 pm.