1. Rubbernecking is an Xtreme sport:
Now, I could introduce a whole bunch of psychological terminology right now - bystander effect, diffusion of responsibility (....is it apparent that I'm studying for the GREs?) BUT the Vietnamese take Rubbernecking to whole other level...they will literally STARE at people who've fallen off their bikes (usually me...) but do nothing to help...no one....does anything....but stare and make horrible traffic.
2. Helmet-less babies on motorbikes and, for that matter, pregnant women on motorbikes:
Is it just me or was no one in Vietnam taught that babies have INCREDIBLY soft skulls...Children don't wear helmets until they hit middle school age and pregnant women zoom around on motorbikes...even if you see a young kid in a car, he or she is sitting on mom's lap in the DEATH (ie passengers) seat...WHAT?!
3. Stores that sell only ONE thing:
Okay okay, I know what you're thinking - sure home depot sells all home improvement supplies and Staples sells everything for the office...no, thats NOT what I mean. I mean one store sells nuts and bolts, the next store sells book cases, the store after that sells helmets, etc etc....but but but...what about one stop shopping?!
4. Words that look exactly the same and have completely different meanings:
Phố means street
Phở means delicious noodle soup
Gà means chicken
Cá means fish (but C in Vietnamese is pronounced like a hard G)
.....so what if you have a horrible fish allergy and try to order chicken but end up with fish?! enough said...
5. Adults wearing Pajama's outside...at 3 in the afternoon:
So I'm 22 and I'm certainly guilty of wearing my pj pants out to the store on a lazy afternoon but the Vietnamese do not do things half way....they wear FULL pajama outfits outside. Flannel button-down shirts with matching flannel pants is apparently not a faux-pas in Vietnam.
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