"What are you in for?"
**I started writing a response to a user's question about Vietnam on my blog, but figured I'd just make an entry of it.**
Well, for one thing, are you a guy? Cuz that would help! This country is absolutely sexist. So if you are, you've already got a one up on me. Also... what color's your skin? That's also another factor, because this country's absolutely racist. They're also classist, but you probably won't be havin' any direct problems with that. Some people here tend to live beyond their means just to have people think they have some money. But! How is that any different from the States with mortgages, huge credit debt, and loans up the ass? It's just a little different here... a lot of people use their money for an incredibly expensive phone worth a few months of their salary to basically show off to others. Which is funny because a lot of foreigners here would proudly text on the cheapest phones available. But of course, this is a cultural thing. Wanna impress a local? Have a super expensive phone, a real expensive bike and a slim laptop. You're in!
I moved into a new place 2 months ago and I bump into my neighbor (an nice older fellow who works at my school and is a white foreigner) every once in awhile. On one of these special occasions, he asked me how I liked my place. I said it was really nice and I think the neighborhood's cute. He told me our neighbors are so friendly and they often ask him to have drinks with him down the road for bia hoi (blinding local beer) and they joke around and talk to each other every time he passes by. He told me if anything, it was hard for him to just walk around without someone saying hi or trying to strike up conversation with him.
** On a side note, I have never had anyone say anything to me before. Okay, I take that back. We have the neighborhood crazy lady with 5 missing teeth in the front of her mouth who, when my friend was entering my gate, was able to ask where I was from, if I was Viet Kieu, who I live with, what do I do, and how much do I pay for the house all in the 49 seconds it took for my friend to open and close the gate to walk in.
Granted, she was crazy, but STILL. That's a little nosy isn't it? And it's not that uncommon to have a normal person ask those very same questions, only a little more politely. Who am I kidding? Someone asked me everything at the neighborhood salon the other day.
Okay, back to the conversation with my neighbor, I told him that I don't have the same experience in our neighborhood because I'm not a white guy. He didn't have a response. Why? Because it's friggin' true.
Men here like men and women here like men. Add "foreigner" to that, regardless of age, and you're like the most popular guy around getting invites to drink, eat, and come to weddings. The more handsome you are the better, but it's not necessary.
Bein' 30, single, without husband or boyfriend, I'm considered an old maid. Women look at me like I'm hopeless and men Don't look at me.
Once I had a Vietnamese girl in my apartment to talk about a private class who didn’t seem very nice, regardless as to how nice or friendly I was. Then, my blond roomate came into the living room and I swear, by the way the girl’s face lit up, you woulda thought she'd seen Princess Diana walkin' in the room clad with angel wings and all!!! And I'm not sayin' I'm a prude or a grouchy girl, but man, I just didn't have the correct hair or skin color to capture such attention from that local girl.
Other than those things, hey, I love Saigon. I like being able to pick up illegal software for 30 cents a disk and DVDs for a 90. I like bein' able to eat out every day if I wanted to nice places and I like bein' able to shout at a passing food vendor for some cheap banh beo or hu tieu or somethin' for next to nothing. I like bein' able to get my hair washed, head massaged and a facial for 3 bucks. That's cool! I like that. I think eating here and shopping here are fun. Oh, and no matter how long I live here, I never get tired of seein' amusing things on the streets.
Mattress, comin' thru!
I used to be so curious about everyone's lives and stories, but their surface attitude of tryin' to rip me off or talk about money or tryin' to support their family puts me off. I enjoy talking to non vendors but a lot of them just talk about marriage or wanting to make money. I mean, the most interesting things I can get from some people are that they aren't happy in their marriage and they're husband's cheating on them kinda thing. Or a young guy saving up money so he can afford to get married. Or a pregnant girl having to marry a guy she doesn't want because he has more money than the guy she really loves.. oh, and she was cheating on both of them. Stuff like that, that's interesting! But, show me someone who wants to do more than make money, provide for their family, fall in love, or get ahead in their career and THEN we'll talk. That would be interesting to ME.
However, is that something you can find where you come from? I dunno. Is that something I was able to see in the States really? No... so. To answer the question,"What am I in for in Vietnam?" I think the same everywhere else, only people here are more blunt, annoying, nosier and meaner than in some other parts of the world, but if you're a guy and/or a foreigner it'll be a little better.
***I feel bad talking like this because I've met quite a few Saigonese don't think marriage or money is the answer to everything, but unfortunately, a lot don't really fit in with their friends. So to make it clear, this is just a rant about SOME people I've encountered in Saigon, definitely, definitely not everyone. END disclaimer.
Well, for one thing, are you a guy? Cuz that would help! This country is absolutely sexist. So if you are, you've already got a one up on me. Also... what color's your skin? That's also another factor, because this country's absolutely racist. They're also classist, but you probably won't be havin' any direct problems with that. Some people here tend to live beyond their means just to have people think they have some money. But! How is that any different from the States with mortgages, huge credit debt, and loans up the ass? It's just a little different here... a lot of people use their money for an incredibly expensive phone worth a few months of their salary to basically show off to others. Which is funny because a lot of foreigners here would proudly text on the cheapest phones available. But of course, this is a cultural thing. Wanna impress a local? Have a super expensive phone, a real expensive bike and a slim laptop. You're in!
I moved into a new place 2 months ago and I bump into my neighbor (an nice older fellow who works at my school and is a white foreigner) every once in awhile. On one of these special occasions, he asked me how I liked my place. I said it was really nice and I think the neighborhood's cute. He told me our neighbors are so friendly and they often ask him to have drinks with him down the road for bia hoi (blinding local beer) and they joke around and talk to each other every time he passes by. He told me if anything, it was hard for him to just walk around without someone saying hi or trying to strike up conversation with him.
** On a side note, I have never had anyone say anything to me before. Okay, I take that back. We have the neighborhood crazy lady with 5 missing teeth in the front of her mouth who, when my friend was entering my gate, was able to ask where I was from, if I was Viet Kieu, who I live with, what do I do, and how much do I pay for the house all in the 49 seconds it took for my friend to open and close the gate to walk in.
Granted, she was crazy, but STILL. That's a little nosy isn't it? And it's not that uncommon to have a normal person ask those very same questions, only a little more politely. Who am I kidding? Someone asked me everything at the neighborhood salon the other day.
Okay, back to the conversation with my neighbor, I told him that I don't have the same experience in our neighborhood because I'm not a white guy. He didn't have a response. Why? Because it's friggin' true.
Men here like men and women here like men. Add "foreigner" to that, regardless of age, and you're like the most popular guy around getting invites to drink, eat, and come to weddings. The more handsome you are the better, but it's not necessary.
Bein' 30, single, without husband or boyfriend, I'm considered an old maid. Women look at me like I'm hopeless and men Don't look at me.
Once I had a Vietnamese girl in my apartment to talk about a private class who didn’t seem very nice, regardless as to how nice or friendly I was. Then, my blond roomate came into the living room and I swear, by the way the girl’s face lit up, you woulda thought she'd seen Princess Diana walkin' in the room clad with angel wings and all!!! And I'm not sayin' I'm a prude or a grouchy girl, but man, I just didn't have the correct hair or skin color to capture such attention from that local girl.
Other than those things, hey, I love Saigon. I like being able to pick up illegal software for 30 cents a disk and DVDs for a 90. I like bein' able to eat out every day if I wanted to nice places and I like bein' able to shout at a passing food vendor for some cheap banh beo or hu tieu or somethin' for next to nothing. I like bein' able to get my hair washed, head massaged and a facial for 3 bucks. That's cool! I like that. I think eating here and shopping here are fun. Oh, and no matter how long I live here, I never get tired of seein' amusing things on the streets.
Mattress, comin' thru!
I used to be so curious about everyone's lives and stories, but their surface attitude of tryin' to rip me off or talk about money or tryin' to support their family puts me off. I enjoy talking to non vendors but a lot of them just talk about marriage or wanting to make money. I mean, the most interesting things I can get from some people are that they aren't happy in their marriage and they're husband's cheating on them kinda thing. Or a young guy saving up money so he can afford to get married. Or a pregnant girl having to marry a guy she doesn't want because he has more money than the guy she really loves.. oh, and she was cheating on both of them. Stuff like that, that's interesting! But, show me someone who wants to do more than make money, provide for their family, fall in love, or get ahead in their career and THEN we'll talk. That would be interesting to ME.
However, is that something you can find where you come from? I dunno. Is that something I was able to see in the States really? No... so. To answer the question,"What am I in for in Vietnam?" I think the same everywhere else, only people here are more blunt, annoying, nosier and meaner than in some other parts of the world, but if you're a guy and/or a foreigner it'll be a little better.
***I feel bad talking like this because I've met quite a few Saigonese don't think marriage or money is the answer to everything, but unfortunately, a lot don't really fit in with their friends. So to make it clear, this is just a rant about SOME people I've encountered in Saigon, definitely, definitely not everyone. END disclaimer.