I’ve been here since 2007 and am sharing you my knowledge about Vietnam or let’s be specific- Saigon (“,) I could be right, I could be wrong, but hey…I will write anyway. But you are free to agree or disagree with me. Let’s just keep the discussion friendly and useful later on. Agreed? (“,)
Here are the facts according to me:
1. Iced tea is free in most restaurants. Some have hot tea; others have both.
2. When Vietnamese drink tea or water (or anything), they always leave 5 to 10% in the cup after drinking. They don’t empty their cups.
3. Vietnamese don’t take a shower in the morning. They take a shower/ bath in the evening.
4. Teenagers love anything Korean- food, music, hairstyle, clothes, etc. Yes, K-POP is a big thing here.
5. They take a nap after lunch. This means driving from 12noon to 1pm is really quiet and smooth- Yes, no traffic jam! 
6. “Happy New Year” by Abba , “Hotel California” by the Eagles , and “Papa” by Paul Anka are the most popular Karaoke songs.
7. The Vietnamese wear helmet not to be SAFE on the roads but in order not to be FINED by the police/traffic officers.
8. Nobody respects pedestrian lanes/zebra crossing here. Or is there one? We always have to say a little prayer when we cross the streets or when we walk on the pavement.
9. Every family has 2 or more motorbikes and they are parked on the ground floor. The living room is a garage at the same time.
10. Mai Linh and Vinasun are the most reliable taxis. At the airport, people queue up for Mai Linh or Vinasun. They’d rather wait for a long time than hop on random ones.
11. The locals ask your age, nationality and marital status on the first meeting.
12. The coffee here is heavenly. Everyone’s favorite is caphe sua da or coffee with condensed milk on ice.
13. “Nguyen” can be a first name or a last name and there are a lot of them here. 7 out of 10 Vietnamese I’ve met here has this name.
14. The Vietnamese are generally honest, friendly and helpful. Plus they are always smiling.
15. The language is just impossible to learn. Let’s say you can get on with the language in time but no matter how you say the words, they will never get what you mean. Write them down to be understood. As for me, miming is the key.
Am I right? Yes? Thanks!
Wrong? Really? Tell me why. (“,)
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#10 Mai Linh all the way. i need to wrote about my experience with another company and how i got to see the inside of a cop shop!
#12 Oh how I miss that!
#14 – Saigon better for the hinesty than Hanoi IMHO
Hi Valerie! #10 I want to know about your experience. Write fast! :p Am back to riding a bike. Yes, driving myself to work is better than taking a cabbie. But if I should take a taxi, it’s Vinasun or Mai Linh.#12 come back here (“,) #14 I’ve only been to Hanoi once so all the things above is more accurate in Saigon than in Hanoi. (“,) Turn the lights on hun! :p
#8 Crossing the streets by using the zebra line is the most dangerous thing, even for a Vietnamese (like me).
“Honesty’, yah should not type in the dark!
You are absolutely right about the K-pop things !! LOL !!
haha! (“,) Tell me about your fave K-POP! (“,)
Haha! My favorites are Girl’s Generation for girl groups & Infinite for boy groups . But ever since Linh & Mai came to our class , everything is just about Us-Uk & models
) . That’s nice actually !
Pho kim long a vietnamese resto in vegas. I love pho soup.
Yes! I love Pho too. (“,)I usually go for Chicken Pho.
i always go to pho resto most esp. winter season coz its so enticing to have a soup when its really cold. the best
Hi there (Sorry I don’t know you name yet)
,
You get it right almost everything, based on my Saigonese view point. But there are couple things we should bring to discussion (‘coz it’s interesting).
#2. The reason for this 5% water left is we don’t want people think that we are greedy avaricious. LoL
#3. It’s sure, but many of us, including me, taking the morning shower.
#5. I think 12 to 1 have low traffic is too sunny to be on the streets.
#7. Helmets: Just people with low education (sorry for being so direct) or young people who care about the look rather than safety choose the low-quality helmets just to avoid the fines. The rest of us understand the important of helmets so we wear it for safety. My family, in particular, wears helmets long time before the policy as issued.
#8. It’s correct but not 100%. Vehicles will slow down, a bit, when they see the zebra crossing.
#11. VNese ask those questions because Vietnamese would like to know about the people that we are talking to. We value relationship. And from those basic questions, we will have some information to ask following questions. Haha.
#15. Like the traffic the language is messy and hard to understand when you stay beside. You have to be in it so find the logic of it. The most difficult thing about the language, I believe, is due to the intonation. We have a lot of accent so I don’t think we have problem listening strange pronunciation.
Other facts have my strong agreement.
Please keep on posting. I’m more than exciting to read your blog.
Van.
Hi Van(“,) I am glad you dropped by.
Thanks for the comments- very informative!
#5 is important to me as I drive home after lunch. (“,) Like you, I also wear mask and jacket to protect myself from the blazing Sun.
Regarding Vietnamese last names, here’s a link that @sonnylebytheybay has shared to me yesterday: http://talk.onevietnam.org/infographic-vietnamese-last-names-how-many-nguyens-are-there-really/
I am interested to learn more about vietnamese cultlure and language. Send more info. Thsnks
i guess we’re the same with the Vietnamese when it comes to sleeping after lunch! hehe!
one fact i would like to share is that in Vietnam, specifically Saigon, there are a lot of coffee shops…with ‘mien phi’ WIFI!!!!
Yes! Free Wifi! (“,)
Yay! Nice post Tara!
Just some notes from a Northerner:
#1 in many restaurants in the North, they may not serve you any free drinks at all. Yeah, they’ve started to do so more often now (learning from the restaurants in the South, of course! And that’s a good sign!)
#2 I always end up my cups, hehe but I can’t represent the majority of Vietnamese people
#3 that’s quite true. I can’t sleep if I dont shower before. Morning? Eh, depends. If it was a hot night and no electricity, best thing to do would be to take shower whole night and then morning lol. But one of my roommates always does shower in the morning, and we always fight for the-only-bathroom-in-the-house in the mornings.
Just wanna share a fun story. When I was in India, an Indian guy was shocked when I said I often take shower in the evening and not often do in the morning “Oh why? ALL INDIANS TAKE SHOWER IN THE MORNINGS! How can you do otherwise?” O_o Well, man, we have no rules what time to take shower in Vietnam. We shower whenever we want. Sorry for not being Indian o_O
#4 For my generation, we think K-Pop is so gay
. But my little cousins are totally crazy about all those walking dolls (I mean the Korean K-Pop singers, sorry if I “insult” anyone)
#5 Absolutely true with our “nap tradition”!
#6 Hahahaha, I would add “I’m so lucky lucky I’m. So lucky lucky..” Oh for God’s sake, plz turn it off!
#7 Hehehe, how do you know?!
#8 Yeah, that’s a sure thing. But is it somehow the same in the Phil? I heard from a friend so. Here is his blog here about crossing the street in Philippines and India. Very funny http://bit.ly/hnZBVe
#9 Yeah, that’s true. But not all VNese families have a house.. maybe just a flat in a living quarter, those people don’t even have a living room on the ground floor to keep the bikes
#10 Mai Linh is all of Vietnam, but Vinasun only comes up to Da Nang. In Hanoi we have Taxi Group instead (Taxi CP, Taxi Hanoi, Taxi Hanoitourist, Taxi 3A, Taxi JAC)
#11 We may also ask how much you earn per month LOL
#12 Yeah, as a matter of fact, Vietnam is the 2nd biggest coffee export in the world, just after Brazil. I’m very proud! And I’m a serious coffee addict myself
#13 In fact, I also know so many “Huynh” in the South besides “Nguyen”. In the North, Huynh is not a common surname at all.
#14 Hehe thank you. Not really “always smiling” though, especially in the North.
#15 Hahahahahaaaaa, I have no comment!
#3 I know many people who shower 3 times a day! I thought showering in the morning was normal too.
#13 I thought you would know this Mien, but people in the north use the family name Hoang while people in the South use Huynh. But it’s the same Chinese name.
#13 No, I havent known about this before. But I can say that “Hoang” in the North can never be as popular as “Huynh” in the South
Câu số 4 quá chuẩn rồi bạn ạ
Good post Tara!
#1 Often times they charge a small fee, like 2000, for tra da.
#5 I thought Afternoon napping was a tropical climate thing.. they don’t do that in the Philippines? I thought the Spanish idea of siesta would be appropriate there!
#13 Nguyen as a family name and a given name are written and pronounced differently
#15 Vietnamese is hard to learn. But I have learned it and so have some of my Japanese, American, British, etc. friends! Don’t give up thinking it’s not possible, if you really do want to challenge yourself. It’s just not as easy as French or Spanish…
Hi Tomo and Mien,
Thank u guys for loading me with a lot of info (“,)
Re #5 In my country, I know a few who take a nap after lunch but most people either watch noon-time shows, which are the main income-generating TV programs due to peaked traffic, or do other activities. I used to take a nap between 2-4pm; we call it the afternoon siesta but this is only popular among the kids and only during weekends. So in schools, students don’t sleep in the classroom and teachers/staff aren’t provided with Nap Rooms, which we do have in Saigon. And a lot of banks & offices are open during ‘lunch breaks’.
I guessed it would be more similar there to Spain, which I recently visited for the first time. I was shocked because around 2 or 3pm, the whole city (the capital) shuts down and I couldn’t even do grocery shopping at the big supermarket!
I think it’s healthy though, in Vietnam. It’s so hot at that time and you have just eaten lunch. It’s hard to do any work in that state.
people say that vietnamese is the hardest language to learn but i dont think so, it’s kinda easy..
Let’s talk sometime, I was there in 1970 and 2009….. I have a blog if you are interested. One comment. Americans “Americanize” Vietnamese names — Sai Gon, Ha Noi, Da Nang are two words, I use them in my writing that way and when ever I talk to my Vietnamese friends — Just a suggestion. If you want to share stories, I am at bobstar101@gmail.com. Thanks
Thanks Bob for sharing here
mon
i want to learn vietnamese language but i need someone to teach me.
if you want, i can help you
Nice post…
Free Ice Tea!!! Love It.. <3
Yes!
but not in all restaurants ok? 
All here in hanoi is free tea for every customer
Really? Thanks for the info
I like your post but some of the facts are wrong,accourding to me
3/Some people take shower in the morning too,it depends on people’s hobbies.
15/I think our language is not that quite difficult to learn and beside it’s quite interesting
Btw,thanks for a good post about our country <3
Most people I know take a shower everyday
Thanks for dropping by Binh
All most you write is 100% truth but i think 2-5 is not at all, i’m not leav 5 to 10% in the cup after drinking, i nerver leav any left when i drink, it is’t polite.
2.i usually take a shower in the morning, it makes me feel comfortable and relax.
3.I don’t like K-Pop a lot, just a little.
This is real . Vietnamese wears helmet because they scared the traffic officers. Almost, Teenagers in Viet Nam loves K-Pop. But number 13, ” Nguyen” isn’t firt names popular in Viet Nam, Example: Tran, Le, Vu….
Am glad you agreed with most of them.
Welcome to Viet Nam ^^
#15. Totally agree. Trying very hard to communicate with my Vietnamese girl friend with help of http://vdict.com and learning some tips on http://vietnamese-learning.com
Thanks for the links!
Some of this is true in the South of Vietnam, but it is very wrong in the North side
Accurate indeed. The Korean thing is false for me and a lot of others though.
Thanks for dropping by
I’m not a K-Pop fan ^^
but are u a teenager?
It’s amazing ^__^
But #8 i always walk on the line for pasenger.
#15 haha, try your best
#3: I think the Vietnamese take shower wherever they want, or wherever they feel hot.
#7: the Vietnamese are not used to wearing helmet. without a helmet, they feel more comfortable and cooler, some other get headache when wearing helmets. And one more thing: fake helmets are much cheaper than the real ones and that’s why fake helmets are more popular.
#8: we DON’T look at zebra-crossings, but we DO slow down if we see any obstacle, i.e pedestrians. Because the streets are small and crowded, people often ride on the pavements for it would be faster (Vietnamese don’t want to wait), but we also DO slow down if we see any obstacle.
#13: Nguyen is one of the most popular Family Names in Vietnam, like Le, Tran, etc. In Vietnamese, we write names in this order: Family name (=Last name in English) – Middle name – First name (the name others use to call you, like Bob, Tom, etc).
#15: being a Vietnamese, I think French, German, Chinese and Japanese are much more difficult than our language, hahaha
Hi Tui!
Thank u for dropping by and leaving us with some fascinating comments. #3 Where do u usually take a shower ? 
#15 I totally agree with u on this one since I haven’t learned those languages yet.
sorry, it’s “whenever they feel hot”
i want to learn vietnamese language, but its kinda hard specially the pronunciation.
Quite an interesting post. I live in Hanoi and don’t travel a lot so I don’t know much about the differences between Hanoi and HCM city, I’ll just provide some additional info:
).
) experienced drivers also want to avoid being caught by the police, but young ones always try to run as fast as they can, and they don’t even remember the map.
1. Many Restaurants and Cafe in Hanoi now serve free water, usually with a slice of lime.
2. This may be true to tea, but not for other drinks, in my point of view. And I really don’t know why…
3. I think people take a bath whenever they want
4. So true for teenagers.
5. As someone stated, it’s also due to the hot air outdoor.
6. Never heard sang those songs at a Karaoke lol they usually sing Season in the Sun, Yesterday, Unchained Melody, etc… maybe it’s just my experience.
7. Maybe true in most cases.
8. Yes this is so true, passengers can just cross the streets anywhere they like, and there is even a kind of a proverb “the drivers must avoid (and be afraid of) the passengers”. The drivers may slow down before the zebra crossing just to watch the lights, and to find out if there is any policeman around.
9. Quite true for many families (not mine tho).
10. Mailinh is really the best, but normally I’d just take any cab and tell the driver to drive slowly and carefully
11. Family members’ detail, education or job may also be asked.
12. Certainly, but some would prefer “nâu nóng” instead =).
13. Changing the family name to the rulers’ was considered as receving an honour. Tran dynasty was like the most properous one, and Nguyen was the last feudal dynasty of Vietnam.
14. I’m not sure about honesty, but yes Vietnamese are friendly and helpful, although sometimes. in Hanoi, they would sell foreigners stuffs for extremely high prices.
15. If we can understand what you write, then we can also understand what you talk about, so maybe it’s the accents, because even Vietnamese people may misunderstand each other. For example “đi làm” means “go/travel to work”, but some pronounce as “đi nàm” and it sounds like “đi nằm” means “take a nap” (my own experience with a friend).
Wow! I feel like being dipped in some history books
Thanks for sharing your thoughts dear. Also, @kingceejay has got a message for u below 
Its been along time to see some interesting thread like this about VN XD
#1 It’s true in the south, but in the North the common price is 2000 VND (Not really cheap, though XD)
#2 In the North they usually dont leave any drinks, it’s not polite.
#7 Only youngster, and people who value their look rather than safety.
#8 Agree =.= but when you get used to it, you will scare no more haha. Actualy trafic do slow down when they see the cross.
#11 We can also ask how much you EARN/per month =)) and you can ask how old a girl is on FIRST met =)) once upon a time, you can even ask how WEIGHT a girl is too =)) (p/s those question are not considered to be impolite in VN :”3 )
#13 True. And Vietnamese have about >3000 last name. Most came from Kinh tribe, others came from China.
#15 Even vietnamese got problem when learning gramma–i mean, the real thing-which they do research in the language institute. I consider vietnamese is one of the hardest language.6 different type of accents-which give different meaning for words–and there are several region from North to South, which the people say in different ways and is very hard to hear. Well, the elders said: “violent storm cant compare to Vietnamese gramma “. Cant not be more true
Hello Trollol! #11 Pls don’t ask for my weight! :p #15 I didn’t know you had 6 different accents. I only know Hanoi and Saigon.
Hi Anh Tuan
@herdailydigest and I were impressed with your input. It’s really good to know how certain things are different between the north and the south. The language difference ( pronunication/accent) is the funniest one. On my attempts to call students by their Vietnamese names, I often get corrected for saying /y/ or /d/ for ‘Duong’ and we all laugh about it. Vietnam is so rich in culture!
People in Hanoi usually pronounce “d”, “gi” and “r” as /z/, people from the Middle region, for example Nghe An, may pronounce “r” and “d” differently as /r/ and /z/,respectively, while people from the South, for example in HCM City, may pronounce “d” and “v” as /j/ (I’m using English sounds). And I believe that we don’t only have 6 accents but more
maybe Trollol talked about the 6 tones:
- ` ‘ ? ~ . You may want to read about it in en.wikipedia.org.
Wow! That’s a lot of knowledge there! Thanks for sharing! I’ll have to reread this comment to remember these things.
Nice post. I just don’t agree with these two points:
#4: Just most of them. Not all teenagers are like that.
#8: Maybe this is correct for some smalls streets or “far away” districts. The center districts are much more following the rule. Also it depends on the first ones who stop for the red light first, if they stand behind the pedestrian lanes, everyone will follow them. If not, well, “why can he do that and I can’t” – yeah that kind of thinking.
Hi Hayley!
Thanks for the comments!
A fact I can share about the ‘tieng Viet’ is that it has 11 vowels compared to 5 in the English alphabet.
a,e,i,o,u is very easy to remember
In response to #11, I think the reason people here ask for the age during the first meeting is due to courtesy (unless it’s pretty obvious based on the looks). Young ones show respect by using pronouns such as “bac”, “ba”, “chu”, “chi”, “anh”, and so forth.
U can call me ‘em’ all the time! np problem with that! sa bisaya pa: murag…asa man ka padung nang? maglaroy laroy nong!;-)
In the north, to be polite I’d call you “chi” (sis) “co” or “bac” (~ aunt) or “ba”(madam) if you look much older than me, or “ban” (you/friend) if you are around the same age or younger (without knowing your real age). “Em” maybe used to refer yourself when talking with friends, or talking to older people, or talking to guests/customers (in the south).
I always here chi, em, co and bac however, ba and ban are new to me. Ok, now am learning a lot of things from u!
About number 13, I think some people might correct you by saying that Nguyen is only the last name, but what you wrote is accurate. When being the last name, Nguyen is Nguyễn. If it’s Nguyên or Nguyện, it can be a first name.
And yes, Nguyễn is the most popular last name in Vietnam.
Yes, I have just learned about that.
Thanks for clarifying!
I just love it! you make me laugh hahha because I see myself in your words
. good job! I especially like the third one as my bf was surprised when I told him I never take a shower in the morning.
However, I don’t really agree on the eighth one as I do respect the zebra crossing and “nobody” is not correct but I do agree if you say “most people”
and finally, I wonder why Vietnamese language is impossible to learn? I know that many foreigners have been successful in learning it! but yes there are no rules for this langue
good luck to you!
thank you, again, I JUST LOVE IT xD
Hi Lady Lele! Am glad u enjoyed my post!
I know a lot of women here who take a shower in the evening but not in the morning. I think that’s fine 
I was exaggerating when I said “impossible”
I know I can learn it!
Have a great Tuesday!
Good post and cmt, it’s really interesting. Thank for share.
Almost all are right, but something are not true. and i only want to modify 1 interesting point:
#2. we did not want to drink all because that beverage has residue, like ice tea… etc
Thanks for dropping by, T.Ha.
As for #2, I’ve asked some VN friends and they say it’s posh to not drink it all, which is also a common culture among other SEAns. But your point is an interesting one! I’ve also noticed some residue on my tra da. Good tip!
aha! that explains…
actually it depends on circumstances, but somthing, somewhere you are right
ps: now, your post is really hot on the internet of VN, congratulations.. :p
hey! yes! I can see a lot of shares and likes on Facebook and some websites/forums with my post too.
Thanks!
yep, thanks for the post
As a teenager myself, i can’t describe my obsessional towards the Kpop or any korean-related stuff. Agree with #4 LOLOLOL
#3 seems right to me =D
haha! copy that!
Cool!
I’m a Vietnamese and I realize some of those things. K-Pop is not just popular in Vietnam, it’s exploding all around East and South East Asia! About the shower thing, I realized that when I studied in Singapore and all my Indonesian friends shower in the morning lol.
Agreed! KPOP is even making waves in the U.S. Just funny some teens in Vietnam even learn the songs & some lines in Korean. Saranghee Kpop!
^^ your post so interest , you should come there more some time to discover many thing
i am still here
6. “Happy New Year” by Abba , “Hotel California” by the Eagles , and “Papa” by Paul Anka are the most popular Karaoke songs.
the last one I just knew after reading. It’s weird how Happy New Year is unpopular in Western countries but it’s everywhere here. It’s like our national western new year song. lol
If you can’t communicate it’s mainly because of the intonation. It’s hard indeed for Westerners. But if you practice much you’ll really be able to read it.
Tks for good impressions on VN
‘Papa’ may not be as popular as the other too, I agree.
Yes, I hadnt heard of HAPPY NEW YEAR by Abba till I came to Vietnam. And people of all ages and from all walks of life sing that song like a national anthem! Thanks for agreeing on this.
We listened to ABBA, Bee Gees, and Carpenters a lot when we were younger
. Several years ago, when a new year was coming, the TV (mainly VTV channels) always broadcast programs with “Happy New Year” as the background music, but there are many other kinda “Spring Welcome” songs nowadays.
I agree with u, the intonation is the most challenging part!
My dad is from the South and my mom is from the North, so I can see the differences:
1. Correct for the South; incorrect for the North.
2. I never paid attention; but now to think of it, it could be true for tea. At least, I don’t drink the whole cup of tea because of the leaves.
3. Most of people I know take shower after works, so I think it’s correct.
4. Yes, K-POP is a big thing, but only for teenagers. Many older people enjoy watching Korean drama though.
5. Yes, we love to take a nap after lunch.
6. Those are amongst the most popular songs, but not popular karaoke songs. I’d feel weird if someone sing “Happy New Year” in a karaoke room when it’s not new year. It’s possible that your Vietnamese friends picked those songs because they wanted to sing an English song for you; and those songs came to their mind since they are popular.
7. Seriously, it has to be correct, at least for the most part of the population. Some people above me said they wear helmet because of safety. LOL. Nobody would wore a helmet if there wasn’t a law coming out few years ago.
8. Oh no, people certainly drive more carefully when they see a pedestrian lane. That’s for sure.
9. Correct.
10. Correct for the South. At Hanoi airport (Noibai), they have taxi service that will take you to anywhere in Hanoi for the same price.
11. “Nationality” only for foreigners. The rest is correct; they could also your name and where you work at.
12. Yes, coffee is part of our culture. The South usually put more milk.
13. You knew the answer.
14. Correct for the South. People from the South “seem” to be more friendly. I love the North more though.
15. The language is more difficult than English. I believe you can still learn the language if you really want to. Good luck!
Hi Duy Nguyen!
Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate it!
U have just written your own 15 Facts about Vietnam
thanks for the post. I think almost things are true xD (I’m Vietnamese living in the North). Here’s some extra information:
#1: iced tea and hot tea, both are kind of green tea. Green tea is so popular in Vietnam, even more than Coca Cola or Pepsi. Coca Cola or Pepsi are drunk just in parties, and just for ladies and kids. Men drink beer or wine instead. But people drink green tea anywhere, anyway.
And I agree with Duy Nguyen, in the North most restaurants and cafés serve a free cup of water with a slice of lemon instead of green tea
#3: hmm, I see almost people around here take a shower in the evening, because taking bath means removing dirt, dust and sorrow from their long hard working day and preparing for a lovely dinner with their family and friends xD. Taking bath is relax!
Hi:-) Do u know that u are the only person who has made me truly understand why Vietnamese take a shower/bath in the evening and not in the morning? Thank u for shedding me light on this matter
Have a great evening!
thanks, and VNese dont take a shower at late night (except some students, I think), but always before dinner. The fact that dinner is important in a family
1. True enough! In Hanoi, some people make a lot of money just by selling hot tea and iced tea.
2. Bitch please! Dirt always stay on the bottom of the cup. So they don’t drink it all. But not me though. I usually ask for more iced tea. I’m always thirsty.
3. Bitch please! It’s cold in the morning. And why should we take a shower if we will have to take another one at the end of the day. Saving water bro! Save the earth, hehe!
4. Bitch please, not so many teenagers love K-pop or K-related. A lot of teenagers love Japan culture, especially Tokyo Hot show, if you know what I mean!
5. Why would I go out on the street when it’s hot like hell bro? Would you?
6. No comment.
7. Not necessary true. I use helmet and rear view mirrors for my safety, not just for avoiding fines. But I will avoid the police if I can, just because they’re all assholes.
8. Bitch please, what pedestrian lane? You are not allow to walk in Vietnam bro. Because I can’t find any place for myself if I walk on the street. There’s always something that will stand on your way while you walking. That could be a parking bike, a shop, a fucking coffee shop or even trash!
9. True enough.
10. Also true. But how about Petro Taxi? I think they’re good, at least as good as Mai Linh.
11. Not so true. I don’t really care about your age. But I care about the way you treat me, so that I can treat you properly.
12. True. I usually drink at least 2 cups of coffee a day.
13. Bitch please, “nguyen” can be first or last name. But they are pronounced different. In fact, Nguyễn is family name (usually) and Nguyên is first name.
14. Oh, you were talking about me bro. Nobody is more friendly than me.
15. Yeah, but not that impossible. I know a Canadian guy who can speak Vietnamese better than some Vietnameses. So go ahead and take a course if you want to. But I would recommend Japanese or Portugese.
Nice knowing you, blogger. See, I dont know your name, but we can still be friend.
Hi there,
I just drop by your blog but it gave me a “Good morning” lol I’ve heard these trivial facts about Saigon from foreigner’s POV many times but It’s still amused me everytime.
#2: I think VNese only leave 5% of the drink when they are sitting with acquaintances. Uhmm… maybe that’s what is call “etiqutte”. Otherwise, we finished EVERYTHING =))
#6: Those songs are the most popular at 5-star hotels, not at Karaoke because VNese are not that good at English in general.
#12: Yup, I’m coffee-sick when living abroad =))
#15: true, but foreigners are so cute when they try to speak VNese.
Thanks dear ^^ Nice day~
Hello Belle!
So I gave you your first smile this morning? Nice to know that! Drop by tomorrow for my new blogpost. I’d like to know what you think about that 
Dear herdailydigest;
I am Bicycle man. I am Vietnamese. With many purposes like introduce Vietnam tourist; I have established a website: http://vietnamtravelbooksonline.blogspot.com. I now get more excited with your website as well as you experience.
I would like invite you to be one of authors of my Website. So that all your articles will post into my Website and you are also have a copyright. I will help you advertise much more about that.
My email is nguyentanhuyn89@gmail.conmm. If you have an agreement; please suggest your email here.
Anybody would like to be the same as an author; please let me know.
Thanks.
B.man^^
Hi Bicycle Man,
Isn’t it hard to type and ride a bicycle at the same time?
Thanks for the kind words.
Your proposition is interesting. Kindly click this link http://herdailydigest.com/about/ as my email is there.
Yes, a copyright would be nice!
Cheers!
Hello to you;
According to my opinion; we cannot type and ride a bicycle at the same
I would like to know your exactly email which I can be able to set up on my website. You can be available to become a author of my website.
Thanks!
#2. I don’t know about the others, but i always find iced tea to be less tasty when it reaches the last 5% (maybe it’s because of the tea leaves), and yeah i also never finish the iced tea because I want the tea, not the leaves
)
#3. Most of the cases, but not always really. My mom and sister take a shower both in the morning and the evening, because they want to look fresh and clean for school/work, and to begin the “relax phase” after a whole day at work, then have dinner to supply some energy for the homework, housework and other stuff… Those things don’t apply for me and my dad though, we shower whenever we want.
#5. True. And one more reason is that 12 – 1pm is the hottest time of the day. I actually got sunburned once because I had to walk to school through a road that had no trees at all. Luckily after that my schedule got changed to morning until evening (still a pain getting up at 5,6am and got stuck at school all day but not as hurt as sunburn).
#8. Ever since i was a child, crossing the street is pretty much like playing a game where you have to control the character to avoid all the sword and stuff falling from the sky, but with cars and bikes instead of swords and they’re coming from both right and left ( even when it’s a one-way street). My friends here in the UK often laugh at me because i always turn my head left and right constantly when crossing the street
).
#13. “Nguyễn” it’s very popular last name, as they are from the Nguyễn Lords ( the 13 kings from Nguyễn Dynasty are descendants of these lords), and they have many many sons and daughters and they all have the last name of their father. My mom, who is also a descendant, told me that Ming Mang, one of the 13 kings actually has about 40 children, so you can tell why there are so many Nguyễn nowadays ^^.
There are also “Nguyên” or “Nguyện”, is not as famous, and they are mosty first name only. And “Nguyễn” can be a first name, too.
A little fun fact: The male descendants of Ming Mang King have their middle name chosen according to a poem he wrote. Each word from this poem portrays one characteristic he wish his descendant to have and used for one generation.
#15. It’s true that Vietnamese is very hard to learn. In my opinion, the intonations must be one of the hardest part to pronounce because the intonations have a more important part in our language than in English. A difference in intonation or pronunciation can lead to a totally different word. Like this word “dai” can be pronouce with d or đ :
dai – tough ( only use for food ) or long ( time ).
dài – long.
dái – testicle (warning: not a polite word lol)
dải – long ( not an adjective, but a support word that goes before some specific words like mountain, silk or the milky way… )
dãi – saliva.
dại – stupid or rabies.
đai – belt or band.
đài – basically it means a higher position (physically). This one has different meaning depends on where it’s put and what it’s put with, but they’re still close to the basic meaning.
đái – to take a piss ( also not a polite word).
đải – this one has no meaning.
đãi – to wash, treat, throwing a party or go out with someone but you will pay for everything.
đại – like đài but its basic meaning is big.
That is why a violent storm is nothing compared to Vietnamese grammar.
Hahaha! I like this>>> ‘ That is why a violent storm is nothing compared to Vietnamese grammar.’
Thanks for teacher me dai today!
Không ai hiểu người Việt Nam bằng người Việt Nam. Con khoai tây này chủ quan quá, nói nhiều cái sai bỏ mẹ.
I wanna go back to Saigon again. I forgot the name of the local “tiangge” but we just walk from our hotel to where it was. We bought some cool slippers but somebody stole mine.
I’ll send you a DM on twitter if we will back. 
I too believe hence, perfectly composed post!
3. The shower in the evening has got to do with the fact that most Vietnamese ride a motorbike to and from work on dusty roads. They do not want to get in bed feeling dirty, plus, most homes do not have AC, so, a cold shower in the evening helps.
4. The Korean obsession has not always been the case. Before this it was anything Hong Kong.
7. So true. Try to put the seat belt on the next time you’re in a Taxi. The driver will give you a look and think that you’re crazy.
8. During rush hour, the sidewalk becomes a new lane for motorbikes.
11. They even ask about your job and salary.
Reblogged this on Psycho Noelle and commented:
Old post…but I <3 it, Vietnam in foreigners' eyes! 15 Facts about Vietnam let you know about our daily things, it happens everywhere…Perhaps with the Originals, it's quite normal, but via the foreigners, those moments became more and more interesting…
Wow! Am so flattered! Thanks for the LIKE, the comment and the Reblog! That’s really cool of you! Have a great week ahead dear
Have a nice weekend too TJ
Wow! K-POP is a big thing here?? can`t wait to see it^^
I believe you’re confused on no.13, you’re writing Nguyen the Foreign American way with no accent mark. Part of the reason why the language is hard to learn is because of the many accent in our language. Nguyên, take notice, only have a cap on the E, therefore it’s a name, mix it with word cao(pronounced cow) and you’d get Cao Nguyên, which mean highland. Nguyễn, nơ with an extra wave on the cap of the E, give it a different sound and different meaning, it’s now a last name.
Hi Linh,
I wrote this post a couple of years ago and I am still in Vietnam, I have learned so many things already.
Thank you for dropping by and for the comment. I appreciate it very much.
With respect to item no.14 in your blog, I absolutely disagree and maybe you just meet students everyday that is why you can say that Vietnamese are honest in general. In my experience and I have been living in Vietnam for 7 yrs and travel all over Vietnam from the south to the north due to the nature of my work, I meet different kinds of Vietnamese like businessmen, investors, suppliers, contractors, engineers, construction workers, taxi and xeom drivers, vendors, people working in the bars and karaoke bars, i can say that most of them are dishonest especially in terms of money..
Most of these are highly subjective, and therefore are not facts.
No KPop is not a big thing here ~