Good morning, ‘Nam
As I travel further and further, venturing into the areas where my fellow Vietnameses would normally avoid at all cost, I find myself to be the first Vietnamese many have ever met. People tend to ask me a lot of questions about Vietnam, and it surprises me a great deal how little people know about Vietnam other than just the war. Many also tend to associate my erratic and annoying behaviors with a typical Vietnamese. Fortunately (as many Vietnamese might think), I’m nowhere close to what they think as typical. To avoid wrong impressions and save myself from repetition, I’m trying my best to provide un-biased answers to some of the most asked questions about Vietnam. Feel free to ask if you have any other question.
What is Vietnam?
It’s a country, NOT a city in China or Europe (Vienna).
Where is Vietnam?
Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia, bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the Southeast Asia Sea (formerly South China Sea), referred to as East Sea to the east.
How big is Vietnam?
In term of area, we are the 65th biggest country in the world. But don’t let it fool you. In term of population, we are the 13th largest in the world with 90 millions people.
Do I speak Chinese?
I look like Chinese, I don’t have to speak Chinese. If I meet a Chinese, he’ll probably just assume that I’m a retarded kid who’s unable to speak and be nice to me.
It amuses, and sometimes annoys me when people know that I’m from Vietnam but still try out all sorts of words they’ve picked up from their travel elsewhere in Asia: Ni hao, Sawasdee, Konnichiwa, etc. Guys, even though all Asians look the same, we DON’T speak the same language! Vietnamese is different from Chinese, Chinese is different from Thai, Japanese is different from Korean, etc. I find it offensive when people assume that people speak Chinese in Vietnam. Despite 1000 years under the domination of China, our ancestors managed to keep our own language, and I’m proud of it.
How do people in Vietnam look?
They look like me: short, dark chinky eyes, small noses, dark hair, colored skin. Vietnamese girls are stunning. Vietnamese guys are, uhmm, asian.
A friend once asked me if I’m considered beautiful in Vietnamese standard, and I couldn’t answer it? Am I?
Am I from North Vietnam or South Vietnam?
If you are thinking of North Korea and South Korea, you probably haven’t read news since 1975. There is no war in my country and there is only one Vietnam! If you want to know my hometown, I was born in a small town in Nam Dinh, Northeast of Vietnam.
Is Vietnam a communist country?
Yes. It’s Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Am I communist?
Ha, it depends on how you define “communist”. I generally like sharing things. But if I had a choice, I’d prefer being a dictator.
Do I hate Americans?
Personally, I do. But generally, Vietnameses love Americans. Americans in particular and Caucasians in general are treated like kings in Vietnam. They get paid 5 times higher doing the same job. There have been an endless number of articles about how foreigners receive much better services in Vietnam.
There is no trace of war in Vietnam nowadays, mind you. 60% Vietnamese population were born after the war had ended, and economic opportunities with America are the best conciliation.
Are people in Vietnam rich?
Some are. Even though Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the world in the past decade, it is still a third world country with 10.6% of the population lives under the poverty line ($1/day). Vietnam’s nominal GDP per capita of $1,060, which means an average person makes like $1000/year (not month). There is no such thing as per hour wage because it’s too minimal to mention. So yes, I’m poor!
But like any other developing country, there is a huge gap between rich and poor people. There is a group of young Vietnamese who studied overseas and work for MNC who make 10, 20 times as much as their domestically educated counterparts. Because Vietnam has just opened its door to the world, there are a lot of opportunities to make money there.
Do people in Vietnam travel?
Due to the lack of finance and difficult visa policies, people in Vietnam don’t travel overseas that much. If they do, they normally choose Southeast Asian countries (free 30 day visa), or Europe and America (so that they can spend their money faster). I’m really not Vietnamese in this case. I once met an American who has been in Vietnam. He was shocked to believe that I’m from Vietnam: “Can’t believe that I’ll live to see a Vietnamese backpacker!”
Is Vietnam good to travel?
Yes, definitely!
Vietnam is a long and narrow country. It is only 50 kilometers wide (east to west) at the narrowest point, but 1,650 kilometers long (north to south). Half of Vietnam’s border is coastline, giving us an amazing coastline of 3,260 kilometers with a lot of islands. Nowhere is too far away from the beach. Fish and other seafood are almost staple food in every household. Go to Vietnam and you’ll have the most awesome seafood treat at an amazingly cheap price.
If you love fishing, Vietnam is the place to be. There is squid fishing in Ha Long bay: you hop on a cruise boat and go for an overnight trip into the sea, fish for squid with bamboo rods using unique techniques, then come back with squid salad in the morning. Or if you are in group, you can rent a boat and go fishing yourself. The boat comes with a cook and a captain. They will take you to a place where the fish are really stupid. The cook will cook and serve the fish you catch right on the boat. There are swimmers who swim around with a bucket full of different kinds of seafood. If you want something, you can just call out to them and they will swim to your boat to sell you things.
You can also do sandboarding in Vietnam. Unlike sandboarding in Egypt or other countries where you have to venture deep into the dessert under the burning hot, the sand dunes in Vietnam are very close to the beach. You can roll yourself in the sand and jump into blue water right after that. Windsurfing and kitesurfing are also very popular.
As the country stretches through 16 latitudes with virgin jungles, mountain ranges and beaches, Vietnam is ranked 16th in biological diversity. Everything changes as you travel from North to South and vice versa: the climate, the nature, the food, the people. In the North, we have four season a year with a short winter while in the South, we only have two seasons: the raining season and dry season. People in different regions eat different food, making Vietnam one of the countries with the most diverse cuisine. The people are also different from North to South, with people in the South are understood to be much more open-minded, people in North are more traditional, elegant while people in the Central are known for bravery and diligence. Even though we speak the same language, people have different accents from the North to South, sometimes we can’t understand each other.
The only reason that might turn you off is the hassle. Beggars, peddlers will attack you everywhere. Vietnam has the worst customer services. In India or Nepal, they will hassle you as well, but they won’t get mad at you if you don’t buy their stuff. But in Vietnam, they will shout and scream at you as if you are the one who cheats them. A friend of mine told me that even though Vietnam is very beautiful, it’s the country that leaves him the worst impression and he tries his best to warn his friends not to go there. As a traveler, I understand how he feels and I feel ashamed for that.
