Vietnamese Help?

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l d

There are 54 different ethnic groups in VN. So there are lots of local, and different celebrations. And you can get handicrafts specific to many of the groups.

Probably the "signature" dish for VN is pho (pronounced somewhat similar to phuh) but there are many, many different foods that are unique to VN.

bobcatt

**************** a very long-winded answer to a very simple question from a guy who had more time on his hands on a Sunday afternoon than he knows what to do with .... hope it is ok .... **************************

HI ... kinda sounds like you will be going to VN soon?? You will have a great time ....

the locals will assume that you are as loaded ($$) as Bill Gates .... and thus will want to charge you 2 times as much, or more for stuff. You have to learn how to negotiate.

One secret is to take brand new, perfect US dollars with you ( 1's 5's 10's 20's). You can get a better deal if you pay with US currency .... BUT ... the money has to be brand spanking new, and perfect (they love it).

So for example ... if something costs about 30,000 VND .... just put a brand new $1 bill on the table ... they will probably take it and you will close the deal for 1/2 of what they were going to charge you in the first place.

Want a fake Rolex? You will see tons of them .... and they will tell you the price is about $45 or more?? Nope. Just put a brand new, perfect $20 bill on the table. They can do the deal for that and still make a profit .... trust me. Having learned this ... now I would not pay more than $20 for a fake Rolex there .............

you would naturally assume that no one takes US $$ there, right? No .... everyone does .... when it really comes right down to it.

Never pay the original asking price on hand made items .. or clothes. Ohhhhh yeah ...... if you try to buy a pair of shoes there .... DO NOT try them on unless you really will buy them. VNese have this "thing" about feet .... so what I am trying to say is ... if you put your foot in the shoe; you just bought it.

Sometimes when i am buying something, I grind and grind the price ...... but with a sweet and jovial attitude ...... secretly I will keep about 2,000 VND in my hip pocket. If the girl that sells me the item was nice and also has a good attitude throughout the whole transaction ..... right at the moment I am going to leave ..... I point to her left ear and act is if to suggest that there is some dirt or lint on her ear (there isn't) ..... she will look embarrassed ... and try to remove the dirt (or lint) ..... at which point I motion to please let me do it? Actually, while she is distracted, I am pulling out the 2,000 VND bill out of my pocket and hiding it in my hand ....... with that same hand I then act as if I will take the lint from her ear [or hair] .... and then act as if I am pulling a 2,000 VND bill out of her ear !!! Kinda like a little magic trick. All it is ... is just a big joke ... and a nice gratuity for her patience and assistance .... She will probably laugh hysterically ... and .... If you can pull this off, you will have a new friend for life. I have found that VNese are pretty jovial most of the time and posses a fairly good sense of hummor .... even though they may not realize it about themselves. I am kind of a card ... so this little dirt- in- the- hair trick works for me .... just as long as the sales girl is not acting too serious and seems to have a cheerful attitude. Another reason I do this, even though I grinded the price pretty hard .... is just because I like VNese people. If I do this little trick ... and there are still things I might want to buy form this vendor later in the week .... they will give you the red carpet treatment on your next visit, plus give you a far better starting price on your next item ....

Food? they eat a soup dish called Pho quite often. It comes in many styles .... with meat ... or shrimp ... or everything in it.

If you like sea food, you will be up to your neck in the best sea food you can imagine ... and really cheap (because it is so abundant) !!!

If you get homesick and you want something close to American food .... go to the New World Hotel (in District 1 in Ho Chi Minh city) ... on the ground floor (street level) they have one of the largest buffets I have ever seen .... and they have many American foods there. The price is not posted .... be aware that it is all you can eat for about $25 per person. They take Visa / Master Card.

customs?? well ... if you greet a person who is older than you, make sure you slightly bow and if you shake their hand, make sure you do it with BOTH of your hands.

If you are going to met a girl ... they do not show affection in public. Period. (please remember this) Also .... in the event you are meeting a girl there ...... they do not date like they do in the states ... this means that ALL the rules there are far different than in western culture. On this point ... you may need assistance .... well, actually, you will need TONS of assistance .... if so ... just drop me a note.

For example .... you could be going to meet a girl ... and she might really be an awesome, truly great girl from a really great family .... AND really be ultra attracted to you ..... but when you spend time with her, she will not display any of the indicators you are naturally used to seeing [here] ..... thus ... you could very easily get the wrong idea about what she is truly feeling for you (as in, she might appear to not be as interested in you ... when the fact is, she is nuts about you and is loosing sleep over you every single night) ...... all the rules are different there ...... I say again; all the rules are totally different there ..... totally. On the other hand ... they are worth all the effort ... to the 10th power.

make sure she is from a good family BEFORE you get serious with her.

did you enjoy my book? hehehehhe!

wishing you all the best ..... you will have a great time.

ong jon

souveniers; lacquare boxes& paintings[w crushed egg shell or mother of pearl].. "stich[ embroiderd]art of all qualities]. silk scarfs and embroidered hand bags, conical hats, from the ethic minorities; a wide variety of embroidered and loom made items....
traditional foods; muc kho, heo kho[ dried squid and pork]. nuoc mam[ fish sause], white rice, pho[glass noodle soup usually for breakfast] w/ pork, beef or chicken... banh tet[sticky rice]..many kinds of sticky rice, pasty meats wraped in banana leafs, vit loan[ featal duck eggs, "balute"]....
customs: tet[ "chinese new year"], tet trung thu[ autum festival].. they also celabrate the aniversary of a family members death called "an go" [ i'm sure thats spelled wrong],
funerals/ wakes themselfs are big gatherings that can last 2-3 days continious[ 48 straight hrs] w/ bands[ traditional and modern] and lots of photography[ still and video].
daily customs: serving tea to guests, woman and children eating after and separatly from the men[ not always but often especially when there are many adult men]. for catholics ; going to mass daily and praying at home nightly.....

mstop

souvenirs - most probably those bamboo hats. All tourists buy them.
traditional foods - pho, ban xeo, meat rolls
customs are mostly similar to the chinese customs.

Ng A

"Bun" the rice pasta, which could be cooked 100 different ways. Pho is more popular but when I was growing up (late 60's -early 70's) it only sold in Chinese shop. As for authentic gifts try fabrics made by Montanards from the highlands, it seem to have the least foreign influences.

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