We learned so many things during our time in Vietnam, as you many have noticed in our previous posts. Here are a few more observations. . . 

Currency– Dong is the currency of Vietnam. One of the dong attributes we quickly discovered and appreciated is that dong is only paper (actually plastic made to look like paper) currency. No coins involved.

Weddings– Celebrations are an important part of Vietnamese culture and weddings are a big deal! We saw several wedding photography sessions at parks or in front of historical buildings and all of those brides wore western style bridal gowns. In Hanoi we walked past one or two street-side restaurants that were specially decorated for a family wedding reception. During our visit to Hue and Dong Hoi we took a peek at wedding reception halls that can be rented for the special occasion. Silk flowers and white chair covers with colorful ribbons were used to decorate the reception venues that we saw. 

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Light Skin– Many Vietnamese women desire the lightest possible skin tone because of the historical norm that women of higher status have lighter skin and less wealthy or less important women have darker skin from working outside in the fields. Yes, sunscreen is sold here, but it did not seem to be widely used. We saw women on motorbikes wearing sun protection such as wide brimmed hats under their helmets, face masks, long gloves well above their elbows, and fabric over their legs when wearing a dress or skirt. In stores and a few hotels we found soaps and lotions with whitening or bleaching additives to help skin stay lighter. How very different this is from the US where tanned skin is often more desirable and lotions with bronzing or tanning ingredients are popular. 

Infrastructure– Sadly, adequate infrastructure for some utilities is a challenge in Vietnam. Tap water is not safe to drink. Disposal of garbage is not well managed. In many cities garbage collection happens daily, but small trash piles and litter are still evident. Residents of smaller towns dispose of garbage in fields, on roadsides, or in rivers. It appears that more and more electrical lines are added to existing electrical poles and electrical boxes. Hopefully electricians know how to make sense of the web-like wires. 

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Clothing Knockoffs– Yes, name brand clothing and accessories are inexpensive in Vietnam because of the many factories. However, don’t expect name brand items have the exact same quality as in the US. Take a good look at the North Face (North Fake?) jacket before buying and if the seams start fraying in 6 months you still got a good return on your investment.  

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Tourist Rip Off– This is one of our favorite Vietnam pictures of Jerry. However, we realized after the fact how we were scammed into paying for the privilege of taking a  photo with our own camera. A woman with the bamboo pole with baskets of fruit walked up to Jerry and placed the pole on his shoulder and suggested that Susan take a picture of him.  After several photos, the woman told Jerry the price of this unrequested experience. And it was clear from her demeanor that paying nothing was not an option. Throughout our time in Vietnam we saw quite a few women try to rip off tourists with this method. Some travelers were wise enough to not even allow the women to place the pole on their shoulders. 

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Vocabulary– Our hosts in Phu Quoc speak multiple languages. George, originally from Switzerland, knows six languages and his wife Kiki, from Vietnam, fluently speaks four languages, including English. We learned from them that there is no word for I in the Vietnamese language. So when speaking English, a first-language Vietnamese speaker usually refers to himself by name. When Kiki told us that she hired a taxi to go to town, she said, “Kiki took a taxi to town.”  Most of the Vietnamese people we spoke with know at least a few English words or phrases and sometimes used in unexpected ways. In Ho Chi Minh City two teenagers asked us if we would “please take their selfie.”  This memory still makes us smile.    

Flower Beds– Many parks, plazas, and riverwalks in Vietnam have flower beds created from potted flowers that can be easily changed and rearranged throughout the year. 

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Expanding Stores or Setting Up Shop– Stores and restaurants routinely enhance their floor space by expanding onto the sidewalk. And it appeared to be permissible to set up and operate a service, merchandise, or food business in any public area. No licenses or permits required.

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Not My Problem– A common attitude we noticed in Vietnamese people is a lack of responsibility for and pride in their city or town. Littering and buildings in poor condition are 2 examples. Maybe this is a result of living in a communist country where the government provides (controls?) many services and products. 

China – Obviously China is the big kahuna in Asia. Vietnam views China as a serious challenge. Vietnamese military is in constant preparation for conflict with their aggressive neighbor and figures that their fight with/against the USA shows that an invader will not win a ground battle. It is not all antagonistic, though, as China has the contract to build the metro rail system in Hanoi. To balance that, a Japanese consortium is building the metro in Ho Chi Minh City.

Traffic – We could not tell that there are traffic laws in Vietnam. Stop signs are universally ignored. Traffic signals are only obeyed in high-traffic areas, and even then they seem to be viewed as suggestions. One can drive on either side of the road and the sidewalks. Nothing is sacred, and no one seems to care. The lawlessness is just accepted with a shrug. The speeds in town are generally slow due to the number of vehicles, so accidents seem to be relatively benign. Locals seemed suitably impressed when they learned about the various motorbike excursions we had taken – they said riding was very dangerous.