In general, Vietnam is a relatively safe place. Violent crime is unheard of (perhaps more due to repression in the media than a true representation of the facts, but leaving one with a sense of security none-the-less) because public aggression is societal frowned upon and, despite what one might say having been here during the war, the Vietnamese culture is much more pacifist than aggressive and violent. But what is more common to modern Vietnam is property crime.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Speaking Vietnamese
Yesterday, I went out in my neighborhood to buy some vegetables for salad and a new broom because our house is in dire need of sweeping and our last broom has been relegated to the porch due it's sorry condition. When I got to our vegetable lady's stand, the younger of the two women (it is run by an elderly woman and her adult daughter), greeted me with a warm smile and a "you haven't been here for a long time," or "it's been a long time since we've seen you" or something to that effect - I only understand the Vietnamese phrase for "long time." I just smiled and wished I could say, "It's only been four days!" but my rudimentary Vietnamese doesn't include the word only, although I can say four days.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
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