What NOT To Do In Vietnam | Saigon Sunday Sessions #16

"Don't get too mad at strangers touching your small children. Wait, wait, wait. Are you gonna clarify touching before we go any further."

Along with my guests Krista, James, and Paul, share a fun and insightful discussion on the dos and don'ts for tourists in Vietnam. 

We delve into local customs, highlight necessary behavioral adjustments for foreigners, and provide practical advice on navigating traffic and avoiding common scams. We also humorously discuss scenarios like crossing the roads, experiencing Vietnamese weddings, and unique cultural interactions such as strangers displaying affection towards children. 

Covering various aspects of Vietnamese cultural norms and practical tips, we aim to ensure tourists have a safe and respectful experience in the country.

02:14 Crossing the Road in Vietnam
05:10 Avoiding Bui Vien Street
08:34 Taxi Scams and Tips
13:10 Handling Money and Scams
15:49 Vietnamese Weddings and Drinking Culture
20:34 Haggling in Vietnam: Myths and Realities
35:36 Tourist Tips: Safety and Common Pitfalls

7 Bridges Brewing Co. - An award winning Vietnamese craft brewery from Da Nang, with breweries across Vietnam!

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Transcript

Krista: 2:28

Some people think it looks like... not gonna lie, I've never been turned on by this. I've never. You're not fantasizing about what it could mean?

Niall: 2:38

So they woke up the next morning in the field next to the wedding.

Krista: 2:42

This is my excuse

James: 2:43

is it's rude to say no, let's keep going.

Paul: 2:47

don't get too mad at strangers touching your small children.

Niall: 2:53

Wait, wait, wait. Are you gonna clarify touching before we go any further

Paul: 3:49

It's cheer.

Niall: 3:50

Welcome to another Saigon Sunday sessions. We're back with Krista two episodes in a row. I'm excited. Uh, I'm not gonna lie, I ask Krista to do it'cause I think three white guys is like super cliche and boring and then one with a be as well. It's like, tell me you're doing a podcast without telling me I'm doing a podcast like three white guys and one with a build. So Krista is the DEI hire and not'cause she's Canadian'cause she's a female. So.

Krista: 4:16

Thanks. Thanks for that.

Paul: 4:19

We really value you as a person.

Krista: 4:20

Yeah, I'm feeling value. Yeah.

Niall: 4:22

And Agie wouldn't do it. I'm only the brown person, but Agie wouldn't do it. So she, she's behind the camera today. But we're here with Krista, James. Paul, uh, we we're gonna talk about something that's really important today. Could, we talked about this and, uh, so many things, things not to do, Vietnam as a foreigner, as a tour, or as a tourist. So I'll go first. My first one is. Don't hesitate on crossing the road. And if you've lived here or you've been here, you know what I'm talking about. When you cross the road, even though the traffic is crazy and insane, you've just gotta go straight ahead. And even just the other day we, we were in a taxi, right? And we saw these tourists cross the road and the woman did not know what she was doing and she slapped the hood of the taxi and yelled at the taxi driver.'cause she was like trying to get through all this traffic. She was pulling her husband with her. And I think we saw something get divorced one time as well because. They were trying to cross the road. We hadn't been here very long. And she would like pull him forward and then he would pull her back and then he would pull her forward and she would pull him back. And then eventually you saw her throw his hand down and just storm off and walk away and rock. That's it for them to, that's the end of marriage

Paul: 5:28

road. Road rage. Pokey pokey. That's good. But they

Krista: 5:32

do this where it's like, Hey, I'm here. Don't hit me. Like,

Paul: 5:37

you know? Or Put your hand up.

Krista: 5:38

Yeah.

Paul: 5:39

Well maybe that's a more of a northern thing, but I swear people cross the road and do this. And then people will stop.

Niall: 5:43

Yeah. Maybe it's another thing.

James: 5:45

Yeah. Well, no, the best thing for me is just close my eyes and walk

Niall: 5:48

because.

James: 5:49

Just go forward. People are gonna go around and you're the shark, they're the fish kind of thing, you know?

Paul: 5:53

So my, my mother came and visited us and, uh, she got hit by a taxi when she was like 18 or something in, back in my home city in Australia. So she know, so she's like, I when

Osmo: 6:06

she was 18, but she's like

Paul: 6:08

lifelong being terrified of traffic that lives in the country, like the whole time. So like city traffic in Vietnam. Insane. So she literally. She's like, here, give me her arm. Close her eyes, and then I would walk her over, my dad across the road. She's

James: 6:23

like, well, Hanoi is worse, right? Yeah. Yeah. I was in Hanoi with my mother and she used me as a human shield. She literally, hi, mom threw me in front of her. I brought you in this world.

Niall: 6:39

Well, I remember when we were in Hanoi of first ever time in, in Vietnam, we were only on vacation. Didn't know how to cross the road. We were just me and a Adrian and we were like just terrified, rush our traffic. Then I'm not even kidding outta nowhere. I just hear a hand in my back and it's just hear a voice going, DD me and I around there like tiny little Vietnamese guy like smile his face and you just pushes me through baptism

Krista: 7:08

by.

Niall: 7:11

Fuck the things. Even like Tuk Pine Street, when we crossed the road, we did it the other day. This is a four lane highway essentially. I can't imagine in our home country's being like, we're just gonna cross this

Paul: 7:24

road. Yeah. Shimming over like the middle of the road. It's very high after like one leg. Pretty much. It's a barrier and stuff. Vertical. Yeah.

Niall: 7:32

So that's fine. Don't hesitate when you're crossing the road. James.

James: 7:37

Uh. Don't go to BU vien and actually sit and drink. Don't sit there, go there. I take people for five minutes. I show them the flashing and the, you know, the lights and the, you know, we see the beer and, and, no, no, no. Don't drink that. This, this is the

Niall: 7:51

ESCO heritage site. Is it really?

James: 7:54

Is it?

Niall: 7:55

I don't, nothing. I see advertise of that. Is it called? I know. No, I don't think. No,

James: 8:00

no. I've seen it

Niall: 8:04

for real.

James: 8:05

No, I'm pretty real.

Niall: 8:06

Imagine.

James: 8:07

Yeah. No, don't, don't go there. Don't spend any amount of time there. Uh, you can, you can even, you can walk through there and, and then go to like, like, right. So I'm gonna, I'm gonna name drop your for, you know, uh, next level right there. Go somewhere nice that you can sit and, and actually have a drink and, and not be taken advantage of. Not get your purse stolen. You know, not, not, I don't know, pickpocketed, you know, I've had that. Not

Niall: 8:27

buy drugs. Don't don't. If you don't want buy drugs, don't go to boy.

James: 8:32

If you wanna buy real drugs, don't go to boy.

Niall: 8:35

Not from experience. You been those since you got here.

Krista: 8:37

Yeah.

Niall: 8:39

Uh, no.

Krista: 8:40

And we didn't sit and drink. So Score. Yeah.

Niall: 8:43

So boy, game has changed a lot came here. Have you said eight years you've been here?

James: 8:47

I've been here eight years, yeah. It's changed a lot since that. Yeah.

Niall: 8:50

When we first came here, boy was still like a no-go area really. Like we came here and people were don't go to boy vien. It's like so dodgy. It's so dangerous shit. But we were doing our teacher training right next to boy the N so we would go quite often. But we always had a good time. We were with friends with cheap beer. There's still plastic stools everywhere. It was fun. It was fun was night. It was fun. Then was good this be way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, right. It was still like sketchy. Like we had friends who, someone tried to grab a purse, like it was still not the best area, but we still had some good times there. Now, anytime I go near there, I'll sometimes take a friend or somebody who's visiting just to show them what it's like. Yeah. And now it's just

James: 9:28

crazy. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's insane. It's Calon Road, but like. Condensed. Right. Have you been to Calon Road in Thailand and Bangkok? Yeah. Yeah. So it's like that, but condensed and almost like more debauch. Right? It's like Patia meets, meets Calon Road. And then just craziness, you know? It used to be fun people watching go drink, you know, Saigon? What's it? What's the Miss Saigon?

Osmo: 9:51

Oh no, no. Miss Saigon.

James: 9:52

I'd sit there. There was upstairs, right? I didn't just watch down and just watch people and it was fun. Yeah. Yeah. And since Covid right is when it kind of like became this. Loud thumping craziness, you know? Well, I

Niall: 10:05

think after covid it, because there was no tourist that had to attract locals, more so it did become more Vietnam, but that means like louder, brighter flashing lights competing with each other. I remember we were on the beach in Koran, which is. Like technically Cambodia. Right. But it's basically it. Cambodia, basically d Vietnam. It's like if you look on the map, it's closer to Vietnam than it is Cambodia football.

James: 10:28

Just like football Cambodia. Yeah, totally. Totally. So we were

Niall: 10:32

walking along the beach. Beautiful. Nice, peaceful. There was two groups of people, they must have been about 10 feet apart, five apart, something like that. Each had their own speaker blasting out, competing each other, and you're like, we're both on this beautiful, quiet beach. Why are you trying to. Have your music louder than them. And I feel like boy games' a little bit like that.'cause you have one day club right here and then the next one there and they're both like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Competing

James: 10:56

for your ears. Yeah.

Niall: 10:57

Yeah.

James: 10:58

Insane.

Niall: 10:59

Don't go to boy game. Alright, Paul, what should a tourist not do? Do

Paul: 11:02

Get a taxi, a walkup taxi because, uh, they, prices may vary. especially if you're in a tourist spot or an, like an airport. Airport. Yeah. you've been here or in Southeast Asia anywhere for a while, you. Have grab, and I know, I know the Hanoi airport to where most people live in Hanoi. I know from, from experience, if I got a grab, it'd be between 200, 250. Yep. And a taxi driver wouldn't even open the door for less than 400. And I've like, just had a backpack, walked out of the airport, walked onto the main road, and I'm just hailing guys down, trying to like get, get it, getting it that way. And I'm like, oh, like, oh, like 400. Fuck. I'm like, no, no, no. Like 250 off. Grab and like just drive off. Yeah. Didi, Didi. Oh, this grab, like, sorry, a bank? Uh, a car. Oh, a car. Yeah. Um, yeah. So even before that, I remember like coming to Vietnam in 2017 before I moved here and being warned about the, the fake taxis. Oh, which had like the fake, fake fas on or whatever it is.

Niall: 12:15

When we first came in, there was a fake Venice, like a slightly different color or fake marlin, I think. And, and, and like

Paul: 12:22

we to Hanoi first and didn't experience it there. And then come to Sgo and I went to the war museum where there's, uh, part of, it's quite brutal. And coming out after that and your mind, it's in the Agent orange display and it's very, your mind's spinning. And then there's a fake one that rocked up and we're like. We start to get in it and we're like, oh no. Oh no. And then the price that he said we're like, oh, well no, and then we can get out and we get a good, good taxi. And it was like 50% less for like a five minute ride, which I don't know if it's really worth it for that, but Yeah.

Niall: 13:00

Yeah. Well, I remember when JI'S friend, our old friend from college, our home came to visit and we met them in district four, and they'd come from district one. Oh my God, it's so cheap here. It's amazing. Like getting out so cool. Right? He's like, we just got a taxi. You know, already what's coming, right? And he said, we got a taxi here. It was so cheap. It was only like 250,000. Don we're like from like D one, like just over the canal, like Yeah. Yeah. It was only two 50. We're like,

Osmo: 13:57

oh, it should have been

Niall: 13:57

like 50 or 60 like tops, but it's still you. He didn't even think he was being ripped up. He's like, it's so cheap. So are you being ripped off if you, no,

Paul: 14:06

I don't know. But there's this whole idea of like, um, there, there's foreigners living in Vietnam or locals who are like, I would never pay that price. Like, that's, that's ridiculous. I would never do that. And then I remember my friend was here and he was walking down the street and this guy's like, your shoot, there's a holding shoe. And he's like, oh no. And then he is like, the guy followed him for two blocks, like on a bike. And it's like, I'll fix your shirt, fix your shoe. And then he's like, ah, I just gave in. And the guy said, A price. And I didn't even barter with him. And I'm like, how much did you pay? And he is like, well, I don't know. Like the way I looked at it is that like, I don't wanna be a dick, but I earn good money in Australia. I'm fine like this. This is sort of nothing to me. I'm read it, but this is sort of nothing to me. And I'm like, how much did you pay for someone to glue and wipe your shoes with a wet wipe? And he's like. Like 700 K. Oh,

Krista: 15:03

I thought of another one. So, they tried to scam me at the airport a few months ago, but, grab drivers will try and get you to cancel the ride and. Take it off their books. Right. And then you'll arrive and they'll double the price or triple the price, or they'll take you down like dark alleys and try as a woman. And you were,

Paul: 15:24

it was a woman who was traveling alone at that point.

Krista: 15:26

Yeah.

Paul: 15:27

Late at night with some guy. Yeah. You wanna be, I'm like, no

Krista: 15:30

thank you. No thank

Paul: 15:31

you. I got

Krista: 15:32

in the car, he had can, he took my phone, he canceled the ride. And then he said, don't worry, don't worry my friend. I got in the, the car with him and then I was like, I will transfer you banking. He's like, no cash. I'm like, no, no banking. And he's like, no, only cash. And I was like, no, thank you. I'm leaving.

Osmo: 15:53

Yeah.

Niall: 15:54

So you got out? Yeah. Yeah. Good.

Krista: 15:55

Yeah, but I couldn't get a ride, so I was just

Niall: 15:59

So he came back?

Krista: 16:03

No. No.

Niall: 16:04

Alright. Krista, what's your, what's your something a tourists shouldn't do.

Krista: 16:08

A tourist shouldn't just pull out their cash willy-nilly in public without knowing the difference in the bills. So we were talking about this, this has happened, I think, to every one of us, hasn't it? Yeah, sure. Like, um, the t, the the 20 K and the 500 K are the same color, so it's very different. So easy, very different amounts to just pull out the 500 K and then the person takes your money and there's no change. It's heart wrenching

Niall: 16:37

in defense though. So I've, I've done it before, but in defense of Vietnamese people, and I think we can all agree. Vietnamese people are just amazing. That's so loveliest. People ever, I've never actually been ripped off for that. I remember doing it really in the market one time when we lived in district four. The women were just like, no, no, no. Like gave it back to me. So I know probably people will take advantage, but I do sometimes think you see things with tourists like, oh, watch out. You're gonna get scammed. Are they gonna take in someone who's lived here? I don't. I mean something with the money as well. The amount of times that I've been trying to count the money to give to people, I'll open my wallet and they would just be like, they'll help you. Yeah. Yeah. They would just put like literally, if somebody did that in Scotland and put their fingers in my wallet, you'd get what here? You're like, yeah, okay, cool. And like let them just dumb through it and get your money. So I think it's something you need to be careful for sure. And if you go to Bo vn, they will definitely not give.

Krista: 17:30

It's happened to me in a taxi. So it's like dark taxis would probably do. So who knows though if they even tell the difference when they're just like, whatever, I'll just keep it

James: 17:39

it here. Yeah, true. And they get, they get past that because, you know, they're, they're different sizes, right? So the whole thing is like, they can be diff or the same color and they're not really exactly the same color, but they're close enough. Similar like the, the tens and the two hundreds, right? Yeah. But they're different sizes, so it's like, oh, you know, that's kind of how, I guess it's gotten past. Yeah,

Osmo: 17:57

but I've

James: 17:57

had that happen. I feel like the taxi scams have gotten less since covid. I know. Yeah. Yeah. Well that's true too. Yeah. Yeah. When the. Uh, a couple days ago.

Niall: 18:10

Oh, really? That raised that story. Did you get

James: 18:12

ripped

Niall: 18:13

off? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

James: 18:14

No. Well, so no, no, because I was with my wife and she Vietnamese. She's Vietnamese, and so she just talks to the guy and it's like, oh, oh, oh. You know, and then we go home, you know? I don't, I think actually it was the day after my wedding, so it was like the, the Sunday following the wedding. So what was that last weekend or the weekend before? Last weekend. I should. Right. Well, I'm asking you guys, we're not gonna

Niall: 18:35

remind you your anniversary. I'm just telling you one thing. You cannot forget that name.

James: 18:39

You were more present than I was. I had to walk around and take pictures all night. You know, you were sitting having a good time. I was hungry.

Niall: 18:47

So my next one is, do not have a Vietnamese wedding. No, I'm kidding. No. He had 700 people at his wedding had to go and speak to every single one of'em. I did.

James: 18:59

And it was long and I, and I was, I felt bad. It looked exhausting it and it was exhausting and I would never do it again. And it was legitimately one of the best nights of my whole life. I loved it. Yeah. Oh nice. I loved it. Yeah. And, and it was funny. We're way off topic. That's, but it was funny'cause like, I don't know if you noticed, when I was on stage, I had no idea what I was doing because they kept telling me a different thing to do before I got on stage. And then I got on stage and they were like, oh no, do this. And I was like, what you, you said something else. So that was, yeah, it was a great night. Anyway. I actually

Niall: 19:27

have a good one. A good do not, do not accept an invitation to a wedding in the country, say a Vietnamese wedding. Why is that? Without knowing what you're getting into. So I've actually personally never been to one, but somebody told us it's almost as soon as we go, I've, I've heard stories, yeah. Yeah. So you probably experienced this video like you are being well behaved, but. As a foreigner, you'll have to go around and speak to every single person at the wedding. And so every single person wants to do a short erase with you. Yes,

James: 19:57

more high ba, which is fine for them

Niall: 19:59

cause they're just doing one or two, whatever they're doing. But if you go around the whole wedding, you're doing lu. So someone said, be careful with that. Make sure you always have ice in your beer because they're gonna give you a lot of beer. So just make sure there's always filled with ice. And we were talking some days, it's not long after we got here. Another Hammer's friend went to wedding in, in the countryside and a similar thing happened to them, so they woke up the next morning in the field, next to the wedding See,

Paul: 20:26

you could, you could twist that even say, from being in Hanoi, Hanoi for a while in the north and, and loving and beer hoist is, is don't accept. The shots from the young Vietnamese guys.

Niall: 20:38

Oh, why's that? Oh,

Paul: 20:40

for the same reason.'cause it's like I, I've been at a Bijoy and there's maybe, we had like some, some Western friends and there's a table over across from us and it's all like Chacho, you know, like the young, young Buffalo Vietnamese boys. Is that you see Young buffalo? Yeah. Yeah. It's a, it means young. Buffalo. Buffalo. It's very much a northern

James: 21:00

thing. Oh yeah. You just said. You just literally said Young Buffalo. And I said, oh, it means Young Buffalo. Good translation.

Niall: 21:09

I do what I can man mean Young Buffalo.

James: 21:10

Yeah. You know, I'm in Vietnamese class, I'm in Vietnamese classes, so that's how I just did that.

Paul: 21:20

Like, so like you see them, we were drinking and we're chatting and I can see them drinking and they're doing shots and you sit talking and then one guy works at the courage to walk over your table and he's like. Uh, uh, Floto. Floto. Like, you're like, okay, okay, come man. And he's like, and he buys shots. And he's like, oh. He's like, cool. You're like, okay, cool. And you're taking four photos, five photos, cool. And you walks back. His friends are high fiving him. Great job. That's cool. And you chatting with your friend. And then another guy from that group walks over. He's woke up the courage and do the whole dance again, and he goes back. And then another thing, and it just goes on and on and on. Uh, so, so

James: 22:05

this is my experience with the, the, the, the, the wedding outside Wedding, yeah. The country weddings. Uh, my friend, we, which we actually talked about before on, on one of your other podcasts, uh, had a wedding down in the Mekong. And I went, luckily they didn't make me go to the tables, they all came to me. But it was, it was I bao and I was like, I have to leave in the morning. I can't do this. It was, uh, but it was definitely Mo Hi ba, everyone coming up. It was great. It's great fun. Oh, but yeah, you're going to, you, you better hold your alcohol. Yeah.

Osmo: 22:35

You know,

Paul: 22:36

it's, it's the, it is the line of like, I want to be friendly, I want have fun. I wanna g Yeah. Then also I'm like, I don't want be your patsy foreigner. We taking a photo. I want see a friendly, genuine thing. I don't want

James: 22:46

alcohol poisoning as the biggest

Paul: 22:47

thing. Yeah.

Krista: 22:48

You know? Yeah. But a Vietnamese friend told me that you actually, it's very rude to say no. So she's like, you can't turn down. If someone comes over and offers you, you can't turn them down. And at one point I was like, I don't care. Like I've had way too much rice wine. I can't, I'm sorry. So that's my with my beer, but I can't do anymore. And she was like, she was not happy. She was just like, that's rude. This is my excuse

James: 23:17

is it's rude to say no, let's keep going. You know, I have another, don't. Uh, do not haggle outside of tourist markets. Ooh, Ben Tan Market. That's a good one. Russian market. Everyone thinks you come to Vietnam and you're haggling, like wherever you go. I've had people come in here, uh, at the other location. They're, yeah, at the other location recently before, before it closed. And they're like trying, trying to haggle me and I'm like, this. This isn't that? There's

Niall: 23:47

ties on the menu. Yeah, this is right. This is,

James: 23:49

this is, this is the cost right here. I spent money on this font. Money in the free font. Fucking hagg. Like

Paul: 23:58

I said, money in this font. Let's be fair. I didn't, it

James: 24:02

was free

Paul: 24:02

font.

James: 24:06

Yeah, yeah, right. Well, yeah. I was a designer, but that's. But yeah, I mean I've like at local markets, I've seen people like, oh, no, no, no. Lower. And, and the people are just like 30,000 for a kilo of grapes. Like, I mean, it's more than that. I was gonna say a kilo of grapes. Yeah. Right, right. 300,000. Like I threw the wrong fruit out there. Grapes. Ridiculous. Expensive. Super expensive. Anyway. Yeah. But the don't haggle outside of markets that are created to haggle.

Niall: 24:33

Yeah. You

James: 24:34

know.

Niall: 24:34

Well, so I, I had a joke about that, that I came up with when we were in Thailand and we were on a boat. During a canal or something. I was just, you know, as a comedian is just kind of thinking about things and how can I make this a joke? And I was like, it's just funny that Western has come over here and they try and haggle over things and especially'cause the currency here sounds so loud. So you're like, oh, can you take 50,000 off? And you're like, okay. So you're like, I've just saved 50,000. You save two pounds. Yeah,

James: 25:00

yeah, yeah, yeah. Like if you start,

Niall: 25:01

and I was like, that was the start of the joke. I remember thinking about on the boat and I was like, okay, so you are like, I'm haggling whether you're in Thailand or wherever you are. But you're bringing it down by a pound, a dollar, like it's ridiculous. And then you're just gonna go home and spend that money, like whatever you're thinking. Or you'll go to the bar or, yeah. Well, and

James: 25:18

it's okay for them, right? Because they're still making a lot of money, but then you just look like an idiot'cause you just saved two pounds, you know? Yeah. So it's like just,

Niall: 25:24

I've really haggled these days in most places.'cause I'm just like, just,

Paul: 25:28

yeah. Is it worth the satisfaction of winning to justify how much of a prick you are?

Niall: 25:35

The energy as well goes. So that's a good, don't haggle is a good one.

James: 25:39

Outside of the ma, the markets that are made for that, you got a bedtime market, right? You see a football, a football kit, they're like, oh, that's a, that's a million dong. You're like, bro, I just saw that for 50,000 right here. They haggle themselves as soon as they, as soon as they say the number. Okay, I'll give it to you. 800? Yeah. Okay. 600 as away.

Niall: 26:05

she got for us. I

Krista: 26:06

so certain parts of the world you can use hand signals. Thumbs up is good. In some places it's not good in others. Um, crossing the fingers is good. Good luck. Good luck. Sign in some countries, and it's really bad here. It kind of looks like a piece of female anatomy. It doesn't. Oh really? It's like, this looks like a hot, it doesn't. Like, I mean, some people think it looks like, not gonna lie I've never been turned on by this I've never, you're not fantasizing about? what it could mean what call, I don't know. I'm work up right now just

James: 26:46

watching this.

Krista: 26:46

I also don't really see the Korean love figure. No, I don't either. How

Paul: 26:51

is this a lot? I'm You gotta so have the imagination. I was gonna say, you guys have no imagination.

James: 26:56

I guess

Krista: 26:56

this is like the imagination as well. It's rude. It's like

Niall: 27:01

that was one of the, were told,

Krista: 27:03

yeah. Yeah. The

Niall: 27:04

seabird. And then of course we were really drunk one night when we first arrived, and there wasn't a bunch of people. We'd done the English language training and we were in the back of a taxi team. We were just out in the back of the taxi being like, ha ha, so immature. Like not giving the finger just like, ha ha, Scottish people. Yeah. But, but the other thing about hand signals is the one, where is it? If you go like this, this someone Yeah, yeah, yeah. You

Krista: 27:27

don't do this here. Yeah,

Niall: 27:29

that's right. Really weird. You have to do it outside. The first time I saw someone do this to me, I thought they were like me off me away. Which I knew where away from that would be. Like, you say something, something they were like, but here it means. Come here. Yeah. Whereas we'd be like, come here that it's so

Krista: 27:44

rude to do this. Yeah. You have to do it. The students taught me that almost.

Niall: 27:49

Yeah. And these things as a tourist, like you just don't know it. Right. If you come here as a tourist and you're like, oh, I feel like, well, and you do it right, like coming here, it's

James: 27:56

nature. It becomes nature when you're just like, Hey,

Niall: 27:58

come here. You know? And then you feel rude if you don't do it. Yeah. Right,

James: 28:01

right, right. You know, like, like same where I'm from, you know, Hey, come here, come, come over here. You know? But yeah. Yeah. Like here is brush you off? Yeah. Yeah. Or, or a little off subject again, but like pointing in the Philippines. Have you seen that? No. No. Like, Hey, where's the gas station? No, they point with a chin with their lips. That's another one. So, so, so, right. I have a chin. No. Like, like that's, that's actually where I learned this was in the Philippines. That's why, that's, that's what I think of. So I learned this in the Philippines. But then like where is something they point with their lips?

Krista: 28:40

Oh, I didn't know that. I thought it was more like a reference, like over there.

James: 28:45

No, no, no. Well, here And also you don't, like, they don't point at things here. Right. It's, it's the whole hand, like when you're pointing, it's the whole hand that way. Well, Elon

Adrie: 28:59

of someone like that doing that,

James: 29:02

was it Elon Musk?

Adrie: 29:05

But it's, but it's, he's pointing.

James: 29:07

It's not easy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, so yeah, that's the thing. So I think it's more of a side hand, more than a,

Krista: 29:14

um, a

Niall: 29:14

reference. Yeah.

James: 29:16

Yeah. So I think it's more of a, I think it's more of a

Niall: 29:19

room salute, I think.

Krista: 29:24

Um, so the other one, and I didn't learn it right away, was, after you finish eating with your chopsticks, you, or if you're taking a break, you're taking a drink, you can't put your chopsticks. In your bowl, you have to, I've heard you can lay them across the bowl, I think you No, yeah, that's what

Niall: 30:07

I do. I lay them across.

Krista: 30:08

Yeah, lay them across or lay them aside. But it's really taboo to put them in your food standing up. I think it's a bad omen,

Niall: 30:17

which I think is, does as westerners could be just put spoon or a fork, whatever in the bowl. And my natural reaction would just be like,

Krista: 30:23

yeah,

Niall: 30:23

put the chopsticks in the ball. But I heard the same thing someone told me. It's like, really bad luck for a bad woman or something.

James: 30:29

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's a, it is supposed to signal like, well, like you said before, a headstone or a death, right? So it's like the incense that you put out for your ancestors on the headstones or on the, on the altars. And it's just not, it's like, it's not good luck. Yeah. So don't put your chopstick in your book A related one. Don't pass food from chopsticks to chop chopsticks. Because I don't even know what that means, because I'm just not that good. No, no, no. Well, like, like, I mean, like you two, right? You would, you would do that, right? It's not a hygienic thing. Like, uh, so the reason is because, uh, when it, it, it looks like something to do when with the dead body, with what they do, like the heavy sticks that they move parts with and they hand parts to. The other person. So, yeah, it's super dark and I need to get the full story now because I don't recall what it, I don't recall what it was. But you're not supposed to pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks.

Niall: 31:25

I still don't get what you mean though. You mean pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks? So if I

James: 31:30

have chopsticks, I'm gonna give you like, oh, you want, you want taste this brisket. Hold onto it. Oh, I take it off here? Yeah, no, like you take, you use your chopsticks to take it from my chopsticks. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I never seen anyone

Niall: 31:40

do that, but maybe that's why. This is real though. I wouldn't be Imagine it more too also counter

Paul: 31:45

say like, maybe we're not lovers. Yeah. Like, I'm gonna, sorry, edit that. But, but like, we're gonna put chopsticks, like this goes in my mouth. Like in the west. You wouldn't, my fork wouldn't touch your fork. Right. Perfect. Cool. Spoon with spoon. Honestly, that, that, that's

James: 32:03

gonna be the start of the episode. First thing. My fault wouldn't judge your fault. It's reminiscent of a funeral ritual where bones are passed between chops. Okay. There you go. Alright. I don't think anyone

Niall: 32:14

watching this would ever pass food from chopstick to chopstick.'cause it sounds ridiculous, but don't do that.

James: 32:19

Have you never shared food? Like, like Oh, try the spring roll. We do. Yeah. I mean, and then use your chopsticks to pass it. You know, I thought we were sharing food before and then someone, I'll just eat it. It was a whole pizza to be fair. One slice.

Paul: 32:39

You nailed. Uh, what else you got? Um, don't get too mad at strangers touching your small children.

Niall: 32:50

Wait, wait, wait. Are You gonna clarify touching before we go, any further because that sounded really bad. Me, Vietnamese people. So really also, bear in mind,

Paul: 33:01

uh, I think Vietnamese people are very much more touchy feely, affectionate instead, still not going. Well go back. And then, and then this will make more sense.

Krista: 33:16

It takes a village to raise a child. Okay.

Paul: 33:19

Uh, so my, my first day here, uh, my friends that were here that I first moved into the same building with them, uh, there was a western couple and they had two beautiful daughters who were like four and five. And they're like, white girl, white little white girl doing their blond eyes, still bad. We couldn on the path and then, then we, we, we crossed the road from, from the apartments and this. Vietnamese woman who I, I never met before and I found out they'd never met before. Walks up and sees the, there's this cute little 5-year-old girl and just picks her up and is holding on her hip. And there's this touch around her in the back and, and she's genuinely like, it's a genuine like, uh, affection and passion and then she's not being like, trying to steal or anything, but that's just. How that's general. It's acceptable Vietnamese culture. Um, but people will do that with, with strangers and stuff. So I remember being like, what done? And I, and I'm like, eyeballing, eyeballing your shit out the mother. And she's looked at me and she's like, it's okay. It's okay. And I'm like, and so, yeah, but like, uh, strangers will grab your children or. Babies even. I, I literally, I think your verbs you're using are too intense. They surround the children. They don't talk to children. They do though. It's, it's a luck thing. I've had had friends who've had babies here and it's a luck thing to squeeze the baby's butt, like to see how, how show is like a reflection of how healthy they're gonna be really. And so like. I remember, I remember gonna a, uh, I went to a, not, wasn't a, it was like a reverse baby shower, but for dudes, uh, it was, it was, my buddy did it, it was, it was like, dads mean dad to be dad. It was like a, what do you call it? Uh, reverse baby shower. Hug Huggies and Chuggy, he called it. So we were like Huggies on the, the, the diaper brand. So we go diapers and we like, we got drunk, which prove and remember telling this to him. And he's like, what? And he is, is a Canadian guy. And he is like, what? Some stranger is gonna walk up and like pinch my, my baby's butt. And I'm like, yeah, ready? It gonna happen? And he like, oh, okay. Okay. And then I see him like six months later and he is like. Happen, man, you told me it's true. It's, there's no, there's a maliciousness in it. No, but yeah. But yeah, like that happened in Australia, man. My mother would be walking some teeth. She on

Niall: 35:59

60 minutes on, well, so my sister just visited with her baby 18 month old and I was working one day. Her and Aggie went out with the baby and had breakfast. I got a picture of a random Vietnamese woman holding the baby. Only one. I was like, and the message was like, the staff just love the baby. They're like all picking her up and holding her. And then my sister had no problem with it, and she lives in Australia and she's very real focused, room based person. She was amazing. She didn't care. She understood right away, like, this is a different culture. And then, yeah, so normal here. Like, it's just so weird. But I think it's not just Vietnam because coincidentally that week I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about being in Italy. There's an American couple and they were in Italy and they were like, they just love children. So I, we were in Italy with our child and it was me and my wife. We never get time together, but we had the kid with us, which is fine. They just picked the kid up, took her away, and they were like, okay, you eat your food, no worries about it. And for like an hour and a half, the staff just looked after our kid and they were American. And they said something I thought was really interesting. They were like, why do we hate children in America? And I was like, I don't think America or still the UK hate children, but they definitely don't have the same relationship as other coaches in Italy, which I didn't know they were being to Italy. We only hate them

James: 37:20

after they're born. Yeah.

Paul: 37:22

Yeah. Right. Yeah. Feel like into that. I feel like it's a protective thing though, right? Like, it's like I love and care for my child so much. I don't trust you. A random stranger with a beard. Yeah. To be around my child. Like I, maybe I get to know you first.

Krista: 37:39

Yeah. But I, I think it's about like collective, like a collectivist society versus individualistic, right? Like, like this whole idea of a, it takes a village to raise a child. Like they have, they still have that here and we've lost it. And it,

James: 37:53

and it's such an intimate culture, right? Yeah. Like, like, like men will put their hands on other men's legs. And the first time I experienced that in Anno, I was like, what is this guy hitting on me? You know? And, and also to compile on what you said, like I watched my, my, my wife's nephew for the first time the other day. He was, he was downstairs, she went up to her parents' apartment'cause we live in the same building. And I felt really awkward'cause I was like, in the US you. You don't leave bearded dudes with your child. And I was like, how we feel this. I mean, I'm, I'm being, I'm, I'm self-loathing, self self-loathing beard Travis. But I was just like, I don't know what to do with my hands. Like I'll just leave them right here. Everyone can see my

Niall: 38:35

hands, you can see here.

James: 38:38

You know. And he's, he's a fun little kid, but I've never been around a child by myself in Vietnam for seven, eight years that I've lived here. And I was just like. Why would, why would they just leave him here with me? You know?

Niall: 38:51

cause we have this thing in the west where just like, I'm not allowed to touch someone else's kid nowadays. Like Right. We're getting too deep in the weeds then. Anyway. Let's go back to what you shouldn't do as a tourist, right? What else you got shouldn't do as a tourist. I got a good one is, um, if you're a tourist, if is in Vietnam, don't be in touristy areas. And I've seen this before. Don't take pictures of the traffic or videos of, of the traffic with your phone like this. And'cause the traffic here is so crazy and I forget that'cause I'm just so used to it. And then you see a tourist, they're like, it's crazy. Just Bikes and cars everywhere. But then that, so people ask me even recently a friend like, oh, how's crime in Vietnam? How's crime in Saigon? It's fine. No worse than any other place you might get your phone snatched. But I haven't heard of anyone having a phone robbed or anything, ages. It used to kind of be like, I had my phone robbed by a lady, boy. A different story, or you might know the story of already, but I got my phone by a lady by, it's a story for another time. Um, just watch out if you get off of boom, boom, if they don't want offer you, boom, boom, they want the phone. Um, but yeah, so I remember we were driving through district one and there was a Korean guy on the street corner like literally doing this, and I was on my bike. So I pulled up to him and I was just like. Just touched his phone, like put it down. He was just asking for somebody. I mean, I know I'm not victim blaming or whatever, but like, it's just, it's opportunistic crime here. I think. I mean, I've been in Barcelona when they will target you. Oh yeah. We, we, we just landed and some guy's like, Hey, where are you going tonight? Blah, blah, blah. Two

James: 40:21

minutes later, his phone's gone. I feel like it's better here. Like crime right is lower here. Violent crime is almost nonexistent here, right? Yeah. This stuff happens.

Niall: 40:28

So I have one more question for you, Krista. I think very, I'm interested, we talked about it at the beginning, is there Female traveler or as a female, you're not just here for the DEI hire, but we're not gonna ask the be guy. What about being the guy? Is there anything that maybe as three white guys that we hadn't thought of that as a female traveler that maybe you should be more aware of?'cause you mentioned with the taxi, and I think that's valid. Obviously be careful if you are by yourself. If you're a female.

Krista: 40:56

well, in Hanoi there was a thing they were telling people. Uh, women when you were driving, like have your purse across your body. If you just, if you're driving and you have your purse on your shoulder, they'll just snatch it and go, um, to have it across your body.

Niall: 41:14

one last one. And Arie's given a good recommendation. Don't be topless male or female because I've even been, and they're always English. If you see an English, if you see a. man without a top walking miles away from a beach, nowhere near a beach or a pool, a hundred percent is English, like 110%. He's normally very red taps ass English, may Scottish as well. I've never met anyone who ticks the top off to walk through a city.

Krista: 41:41

Yeah, just the belly.

Niall: 41:43

Just the belly. Or they'll always get a belly. Always get a belly. It so don't take the top up. This applies not only to men but also to women.'cause we've been on like, and a couple of other beaches and m. And there was these group of girls and there were somebody topless and you would just, yeah, like it's ridiculous. Where was this? I'll tell you where. Um, it was awful. We, the, we, the tag definitely didn't pin it on the map. No, but it's true though. So like, we're in Asia, I mean even in, in the uk, that would be kind of frowned upon. I think you probably could do it and it wouldn't be that bad. A big a deal. Here, but here it's just a different culture, more conservative. Just don't do it. And we couldn't believe it. We were on this boat trip and we were at a lunch break, and then there's these three or four girls, extremely European. They were just like topless. And it was just like, this is just so disrespectful to the local people, to the, the men as well who work here that like, you're topless, so don't be topless male or female. Okay. Does anyone else have anything else to add? I promise it won't be me. It won't be you talking. Won't be me topless though. I shower with my shirt on. Alright, thank you very much for watching this episode of VIN Podcast. Thank you to Krista James and Pop, congratulations on your wedding. Thank you. Congratulations on the new location. It's amazing. Super excited. So check our brick and barrel on vote. Al, is that that it right? Yeah. Rah rah. Want al? Uh, it's awesome location. And then don't forget, go to the Paton. You can become a B sal there. You can buy me a beer.'cause look, it's empty. So buy me a beer. Uh, go to all the social media sites. Uh, check us out@atvietnampodcast.com as well. And if you like this, the best thing that you can do is share it with somebody else as well that loves you now. So thank you very much for tuning in. Thank you guys. Cheers.

Krista: 43:34

Cheers.

Niall: 43:34

Cheers.

Adrie: 43:36

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