Vietnam is one of our neighbors, but we don’t seem to understand them. Vietnam may be a place where you can enjoy a wonderful holiday: comfortable hotels, unique attractions and local cuisine, which will leave an indelible mark on the soul of any foodie. However, when going to Vietnam, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of some countries. Although they constitute a local flavor, it may make an unprepared foreigner uncomfortable.
1. Name
When you first learn about local people, you may think that you hear the same name. why? Because there are about 40% of the Vietnamese population surnamed Nguyen (Nguyen), the other 11% surnamed Chen (TRAN).
2. Personal space
In public transportation, Vietnamese will definitely sit next to existing passengers. They will never occupy the vacancies in the next row.
In a multi-family apartment building, the door of the apartment is open, and this is normal. If you close the door, the neighbors will worry and ask if you are in trouble.
Large private houses are equipped with windows, but no curtains or blinds at all.
Moreover, no one will observe the distance when communicating. Your Vietnamese interlocutor will be very close to you as if he wanted to tell you some personal secrets.
If you are queuing, you have to be careful to step on the toes of the person behind you or squeeze them together.
3. Inconvenient problems
On the day of the first meeting, ask how old you are and your income. This is the standard for a polite Vietnamese conversation. All in all, the Vietnamese people sincerely believe that these issues make the dialogue full of passion and show a sincere interest in you.
4. Always say "yes"
Vietnamese do not like to say "no". Moreover, if the request you make is incomprehensible to your interlocutor, you will get nothing but "yes". In this case, the best advice is to pay close attention to each other’s reactions, but remember to be polite. After all, this is their culture and their place.
5. Time
Punctuality is not a national feature of Vietnam. If the local residents have promised to do something for you "within 5 minutes" or "tomorrow", then it may be postponed indefinitely.
6. Garbage
When you come to Vietnam, you must be mentally prepared, because in many small street stalls, garbage is thrown directly under the table. Recently, in order to combat this phenomenon, the owners of the stalls started to install special trash cans.
Some Vietnamese men have to cope with small needs (urination) almost anywhere on the street, which often shocks tourists.
7. Black teeth
However, about 100 years ago, the main part of the beauty of Vietnamese women was black teeth. The reason is that it is generally believed that teeth are protected from evil and harm, and that white teeth are rude.
8. Skin
Like our country and many Asian countries, Vietnamese women think that white skin is very attractive. This is why, with the arrival of sunny days, women block themselves in various ways. Long skirts, long gloves, face masks, and long sleeves are usually worn on clothes, even if the street has unbearable heat. And the mask performs a more important function: it is dustproof when moving on a motorcycle.
9. Nails
If the nails are very long, the person cannot work in the field or other low-income jobs. Many people in Vietnam try to show their status in such a simple way. There is usually a long fingernail on the little finger, but it is rare that all the nails on the arm are very long.
10. Kitchen
Vietnam eats almost any animal: bats, mice and lizards, as well as crocodiles, turtles, snakes, stings and dysplastic egg embryos. However, the most common food is still rice in various cooking methods.
At the same time, Vietnamese people love sweetness, and almost all dishes are added with sugar, from milk to meat.
11. Money
In 2003, cotton banknotes were replaced with synthetic polymers. With these banknotes, you don’t even have to worry about putting it in water.
12. Sports
Vietnamese people like sports very much. Especially popular are football and foot volleyball, or sepak takraw. ball.
13. Entertainment
Similar to ours, usually one hour from 12 pm to 1 pm is the noon rest time in Vietnam and does not count towards 8 working hours per day. Most shops are closed, and office workers doze off in armchairs or lie in sleeping bags on the floor. It is worth noting that most Vietnamese people wake up at 5-6 in the morning and have time to do many things before dinner.
