01
Arrival of the Japanese staff at the Saigon office!
The Japanese staff arrived at the Saigon office! The Japanese staff who visited the new Saigon office for the first time were impressed with the scenery and stylish office! The photo shooting tournament started at the entrance.
The staff members who were pleased with the reunion after a long time exchanged greetings, “Long time no see! How are you?” When the newly graduated Japanese staff greeted in English, the Vietnamese staff switched to welcome mode.
02
A social gathering at a famous restaurant in Ho Chi Minh! Một Hai Ba Zo!
After working hours, we all went to a get-together. We could talk leisurely with the Vietnamese staff who couldn't join the trips due to conflicting schedules. The toast in Vietnamese “Một Hai Ba Zo!” resounded over and over again!
Traditional Vietnamese dishes were presented on the table, and there were many dishes that can’t be found in Japan, such as coconut and green papaya salad and fried rice with pineapple. Everything was tasty and very delicious!
03
The employee trip has started! To Danang!
At 7am, we met at the Tan Son Nhat Airport and headed to Da Nang by domestic flight! Da Nang is a popular tourist destination located in central Vietnam. Some Vietnamese staff have visited it in the past. As development has progressed in recent years, they told us that the scenery changes every year. Everyone was still sleepy on the morning flight. We arrived in no time, and our guide, Thuong, welcomed us.
04
Delicious unglazed rice bowl
and a photogenic spot
Our stomach was empty after our morning trip we started out with lunch. We had so much Vietnamese food that there wasn’t any place left on the table. It was so delicious!
After the meal, we took a shaky bus trip to the photo spot. Da Nang has the world's largest suspension bridge, Dragon Bridge. The Dragon Bridge is made as a bridge connecting the city and My Khe Beach, and has a total length of 666m. The dragon that covers the bridge is impressive! The staff told us that there is a show where the dragon spouts fire on weekend nights.
05
High-class 5-star hotel!
This hotel, “Four Points by Sheraton” is a sister brand of “Sheraton” a representative brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts that operates over 1,300 hotels in about 100 countries around the world. The hotel in front of the beach has a glass elevator and the view is perfect! We could see the beach from the room, and there’s a pool and gym on the upper floor.
In the lobby cafe, one can taste “Egg Coffee”, a dessert coffee originated in Vietnam. It’s a mixture of condensed milk and egg yolk on top of Vietnamese coffee, but there is no raw egg flavor and it’s very mellow and delicious!
06
To Hoi An, a popular tourist destination with lots of traditional architecture
In the afternoon we went the popular tourist destination Hoi An. Walking around the city, colorful lanterns and fashionable souvenir shops lined up with tourists. In the center of the city is the Kuroto Bridge (Nihonbashi). This bridge was made by a Japanese who lived in Hoi An more than 400 years ago and is a symbol of the friendly relationship with Japan. We were impressed the bridge which was left unchanged.
On the way home, there are Vietnamese sandwiches and super popular shops of Bin Me, and the staff enjoyed Bin Me from various shops. The balance of meat, herbs and sauce is exquisite, and it’s quite addictive!
07
Dinner is Hoi An's specialty,
Khao Lau!
We had Vietnamese dishes including Hoi An's specialty, Khao Lau. There are many noodle dishes made from rice flour in Vietnam, and Kao Lau is one of them. It was served with a spicy sauce.
We also got bitter gourd meat and fried shrimp, and everything was delicious! At the same time, we were able to get to know the staff we met for the first time and talk with each other privately.
08
Happy Halloween
together at night
After dinner, we went back to the hotel and the staff who were still lacking in play went to the club!
It was Halloween and the club staff gave us zombie makeup. Having fun with the cool clown dances and music, suddenly a Halloween contest was held, and the Defide party was on the stage ... and they had a group award for their zombie makeup!
09
A delicious breakfast buffet!
In the morning we had a hotel breakfast. Pho, Bin Me, and stomach-friendly rice cakes were savored! After the meal, the Vietnamese staff taught us how to make it, and we drank cold Vietnamese coffee. The sweetness of condensed milk was perfect for desserts.
10
Theme park "Ba NA Hill"
at an altitude of about 1,500m
Ba Na Hills a popular theme park that is visited by more than 1,500,000 people a year was today’s destination. Climbing the mountain on the world's longest ropeway, about 6km, we arrived at an altitude of 1,487m.
The Golden Bridge here is attracting attention on SNS now. The motifs created in the image of “God's Hand” are not all made of concrete, but the expression of cracks and moss that give a profound feeling and history are really amazing!
Although there were attractions that could not be ridden due to bad weather, the building was inspired by medieval Europe, and it was foggy. On the way back, we had to cross the dense fog that couldn't be seen 3m away by ropeway, and the staff was excited in the mysterious space.
1 1
Raising spirits at the
lively Gala!
Dinner & party room at the Gala hotel.
The staff started with brilliant karaoke and dancing, and a simple game to communicate with neighbors. After that, a male chair game is held between the male staff at each table, and a transvestite competition is held in traditional Vietnamese costumes. At the end, everyone had a dance time, and there was a song for the break dance of the staff's children.
12
A walk on the beach after dinner
After dinner, everyone walks around the beach and went to a cafe on the beach.
Encountering a group doing da cau along the way and playing together. Da cau is an international sport called shuttlecock, where you play with badminton shuttlecock with your feet. Like lifting, it kicks the shuttlecock, but it is difficult to balance ... The Vietnamese staff were showing off their brilliant feet, looking at the struggling Japanese staff!
Although we were hit by a squall on the beach, we enjoyed singing rain songs from Japan and Vietnam while sheltering from the rain.
13
Return to Ho Chi Minh with a fresh spring roll from Danang!
The next morning, after checking out, we headed to the restaurant for Da Nang's signature spring rolls. Danang's fresh spring rolls are made of a very thin dough, wrapped in vegetables and pork with steamed spring rolls. The sauce contained peanuts and nutmum, and it was delicious without any smell!
We went shopping at a souvenir shop and returned to Ho Chi Minh on a domestic flight. Japanese staff said their goodbyes at Ho Chi Minh airport. After saying farewell to each of the Vietnamese staff, we were impressed and look forward to the next reunion, "See you again!" And "Let's meet at the Christmas party!
It was a pleasant 3 day employee trip!
Vietnam staff and Japan staff both have a deep understanding of each other's life and way of thinking, and we had a very good time. We were able to figure out and share new ideas, “We want to do this together.” It was also a good opportunity to meet the Vietnamese staff for the first time in a long time, and to be motivated to not be held back by language skills next meeting!
We feel that there are various possibilities in having such a unique staff in one company called Defide, and we are looking forward to the future collaboration.