I would like to dedicate this blog enter to little things we have noticed that don’t fit into our other blogs. Some of them are things we find odd about Vietnam.
1. At Aunt's house in the city, high-speed internet, but no indoor plumbing.
2. In every home there is a large number of furniture pieces. There are many tables and chair, and they have one particular piece of furniture that looks like a huge table, but they use it to rest on during the day. Some people also use this piece of furniture as a place to store items.
3. At church, they have a projection and audio system, but no air conditioning.
4. Young people listen to American music. Dance music in particular.
5. American items pop up in weird places. Many little kids wear Mickey Mouse and Power Rangers clothing. They have "Welcome" mats. They watch Disney channel on t.v.. (Most of their t.v. stations are American, with Vietnamese subtitles.) Many items are obviously knock-offs.
6. Florescent lights are about the only lights in the home.
7. Because of the temperature all businesses are outside, so while you are eating or drinking coffee people will just come up to ALL the time trying to sell you lottery tickets. Lottery tickets are a big government business. The lottery is held every day.
8. Most people work out of the front of their homes. For example: At our hotel, the people lived in the hotel also. A person might run a restaurant our of the front of their home. As I sit in Aunt's living room, I look out the window and see a barber cutting hair in the front part of his home. One of Mitchell's uncles runs a wholesale business out of the front of his home.
9. Stuffed animals seem to be popular with adults. Mitchell's aunt has over ten in her living room area alone.
10. Yards are very trashy. It seems like they just throw whatever into their yard. Yards are few and far between to begin with, but even people with yards do not use them. They are more of a trash dump.
