GRIP, Internships Abroad Fika in Vietnam

Environmental Sustainability in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Fika /ˈfēkə/ noun
(in Swedish custom) a break from activity during which people drink coffee, eat cakes or other light snacks, and relax with others.

The fresh aroma of fruit filled the air. It was our first time entering the office, and we had happened to stumble in on fika at GreenViet. Fika is a daily break at 3:30 pm that is given as a chance to get a bite to eat and socialize with coworkers. Although a traditionally Swedish tradition, Greenviet adopted this practice after one of the employees came back from a study/work trip in Sweden. However, instead of the coffee and pastries that the Swedes normally enjoy,  Greenviet puts their Vietnamese spin on the tradition by providing an array of fruits (guava, banana, lychee, rambutan, plums, and apples) as well as fishcakes and an array of savory nuts. A daily reminder of the global nature of business, Fika is a representative example of the different cultures present across the Greenviet workspace.

Employees take this time to relax before getting back to work for a few more hours; often they enjoy a compilation of funny short clips on the TV as they converse about their day. In fact, it was during the first fika that I was able to converse with project teams and decide which group I would like to work in. I found these breaks to be an essential refresh in what is usually a long, arduous, and grueling hours stationary behind a desk (can you tell I’m not built for a 9-5 desk job). Being present during fika has helped me realize that I desire a social working environment; the best part of the work day for me is the time set aside to learn about everyone’s lives inside and outside the workplace. Being that most people in the company are very young, there is often discussion about social media trends, sports, and fun things to do around Saigon.  Discussions during fika are often very casual as many of the workers are friends outside of work. In fact, lots of time is spent planning each other's weddings as many of them have put their celebrations on hold during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Fika makes Greenviet feel like more than just a job, it helps create a collaborative, family-like workplace, which keeps energy high throughout the day. Having an escape to relax and detach from professionalism in the workplace is something I will now always value.