Bus from hanoi dropped us off in a tourist ghost town. Started raining on us. Luckily the only people we saw weren’t trying to sell us things but invited us to sit down and dry off.
There we met Trường. He gave us coffee, fried cheese and meets and bao dough. He was smoking wacky tabacky from his Tuoc Lao and laughing at our pronunciations. We had to check into our hostel but he invited billy to go with him to the market and then for both of us to come back for dinner.
A few things we learned:
🍀proper pronouns and pronunciation
🍀the importance of age in social interactions (how you shake hands, receive items, clink your drinks)
🍀eating etiquette (don’t tap your chopsticks on your bowl … it calls the ghosts)
🍀 what a traditional Chinese song sounds like in a wood flute (suwah?). Also girlfriends who give flutes may not wait for two years while you’re in the military like they promised.
🍀 when scooping rice into your bowl, scoop once for the ghosts. Scoop twice for yourself. Scoop a third time for the dog (but that one is usually left out)
🍀 try your food by itself before adding sauce to it
🍀 double dipping is not just okay, but encouraged
🍀 place your hand on your arm when handing someone something, accepting something, or shaking hands if they are older than you or as a sign of respect.
🍀 when you introduce yourself, include name, age, AND place you are from
🍀 No need for sorry and thank you once familiar with someone. We say this far too much as Americans
🍀homosexuality between women is much more accepted than between men
🍀 they go through eating paper (tiny napkins) like nobody’s business. Trash can or pile nearby is necessary when eating.
🍀 drinking etiquette (never alone. The first drink includes downing your whole glass. Every drink after that is a cheers for everyone)
🍀 if a caterpillar crawls from your feet to your head you will die
🍀 men are strong in body, women are strong in mind. They also aren’t trusted to sleep in the same room.
🍀 no age restriction for smoking or drinking. Many start probably at 10. That’s why bad guy is 50/50.
🍀 life experience in the military, especially when you are placed in the mountains for being on the naughtier side.
🍀 Vietnamese like ice in their beer
🍀 resting bitch face is not ideal. He pointed out Billy’s, claiming a dangerous look ….
🍀 people get married at least by 27. Billy is falling behind the curve.