24/08/2017
This is a great blogpost by Philip Veinott on citypassguide.com: Aug. 22, 2017. Read - I share the same sentiments. Do you?
PEOPLE: VIETNAM’S GREATEST ASSET
Having lived and worked in Vietnam for over nine years, I have travelled to many provinces and cities. I’ll spare you the tiresome list.
The one thing that has rang true for all of these places has been the people. I have met so many warm-hearted people who have helped me in dire situations. Probably the best example? My motorbike accident over a year ago.
As I was driving, a street cleaner appeared out of nowhere and caused me to swerve into the road. I was knocked unconscious and broke my arm. Two angels saved my life. They took me into their home, cleaned me up, brought me to the hospital and even paid my entire hospital bill.
They were some of the most caring people I have met in my life, and they were complete strangers.
Here’s another example of great hospitality: I first travelled from New Jersey to Ho Chi Minh City with a Vietnamese-American colleague in 2008. It was my first time overseas and he told me to follow him to his hometown in Ben Luc, Long An Province, around 90 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City. I drove from Tan Son Nhat Airport all the way to a place that I never imagined existed.
When I arrived at their home, I was seriously scared. People were just staring at me and laughing and I wasn’t sure why. Looking back and understanding more about Vietnamese and their culture, I can see now that they were just having fun and being welcoming. Vietnamese people love to be personable and for me, when they are laughing at me, it’s a sign of respect; if they are silent, you have a problem.
My friend’s family treated me like I was their very own “American Vietnamese” family member.
I remember every day waking up to fresh coffee and banh mi. Usually in the afternoon we would all have a giant family lunch and just talk – they talked. I just looked at them as they laughed at my bald head and hairy arms. I insisted on paying for their kindness, especially since I was staying for free.
I remember telling them to accept my US$150 to cover any expenses, and they refused. I realised how important “lucky money” was for children during Tet holiday, so I gave three of the children in the family US$50 each. The kids were beyond shocked. They went around screaming and yelling. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
In Hanoi, there was a story about a foreigner who got into an accident and his employer raised some money for him while he was out of work. He told me that the TAs (teaching assistants) at the English centre also put their funds together to help. He mentioned that even though they make one-eighth of his salary, they all came together when he needed it. Stories like this really makes me love living in Vietnam.
The cleaning ladies where I teach work tirelessly, sometimes up to 12 hours a day. I see them hustling to make an honest living. Their strong work ethic is something to respect. Whenever I walk by they always smile and say hello. They know I speak conversational Vietnamese, which freaks them out (in a good way), so they are always trying to make me laugh with subtle Vietnamese jokes. I was also reading a post about a Grabbike user who left her pizza and phone credit on the back of the driver’s motorbike. The Grab driver contacted her the next day to let her know that she forgot her things; he sent her phone credit to her later that day.
There are countless people who really care in this country and are truly making a difference every day.
There’s a local who goes around District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City to pick up all the nails and other pieces of sharp metal on the streets discarded from construction sites, protecting drivers from getting flat tires. Simple things like this show that locals do care. If you look closely you will see the love for others and the love for this country that people here have.
