April 4, 2022 • 42 mins
In this episode Rod interviews Paul Kennedy, a U.S. citizen who found that a 10 day excursion to Vietnam was a just a mere preview to his future. The influence that the Vietnam culture had on him during his initial stay initiated a move from NYC to Hanoi, making Vietnam his new home. He shares the experience of living in a communist country through examples of daily life and the associated culture.
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Join Rod Desch on amazing adventures weekly. Travel like a #culturalchameleon.
Get in touch with Rod. Suggest a destination or pitch Rod to be his next guest on The Cultural Chameleon Podcast.#beaguestTravel Podcast | Cultural Chameleon With Rod Desch (lifeofaculturalchameleon.com)
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome aboard the Cultural Chameleon Podcasts.
We're about to depart from the gate, but prior to departure,
we asked that your seatbelt is securely fastened. Join raddsh
the host, for a travel adventure like no other.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Do you think that a different place could bring happiness?
Sometimes we find our destiny through travel. Sometimes that new
location teaches us more about life and ourselves than we
could ever imagine. Sharing stories about people who improve their
lives and found their passion through a change of scenery
is just what this podcast is about. Let's learn from
Paul Kennedy, who's a US resident who visited Vietnam and
(00:50):
turned his holiday into a more permanent day. And thank
you so much for joining me on this episode of
the Cultural Chamillion. All right, mister Paul Kennedy, welcome to
(01:17):
the Cultural Chameleon today. Thank you so much for joining me.
Please tell our listeners a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Thank you, Rod. That's it. That's it. My name is
Paul and nothing else to say. End up show, Good
talking to everyone. I'll see you later. No, I'm in
Hollinois right now, I'm in Vietnam. I moved here from
New York City almost four years ago. I went on
a trip, ten day trip and just never returned. So
(01:45):
I'm we are connecting from Vietnam at this moment. Hello.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Everyone never returned.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Wow, So I did for visits for birthdays or Christmas
or but yeah, I never went back.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Did you have any inkling in the your mind that
that was a possibility when you went No.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I had there was a possibility that I would continue
traveling for maybe a month after the ten day trip. Okay,
that was the possibility, maybe too, who knew, maybe I
was gonna be crazy and and you know, just wander around.
But no, I didn't think that at all. I thought
I would be back. Definitely thought I would be back.
But I did not return my job. Actually the joke
(02:26):
was because I left there with the intent of, look, guys,
I may I don't know when I'm coming back. Just
consider this my notice. I'm leaving. But they held onto
my job for like six months. He's coming back, he's
coming back. I know he's coming back, and I just
never went back.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
What what was your occupation.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
At that time. I was managing a restaurant in Chelsea,
New York.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Tough business. Yeah, no, wonder you didn't come back?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Right? Would you will?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
For you? What really was the biggest the biggest draw
that that kept you there?
Speaker 3 (03:01):
The culture? The culture. It's just amazing the h and
I did. The second I got here, I knew it.
The second I got here, I had no clue that
I still at that point didn't know I wasn't returning.
At that point, I was still wandering, going what am
I doing? Just keep traveling, just take advantage of this,
just keep doing it. But when I got to Vietnam,
(03:22):
I knew it, and people along the way steered me
towards Shang Mai. And as soon as I got the
same amount of time that it took me to know
Vietnam or Annoy was it, the same amount of time
it took me to realize that Shangmi was not it.
Immediately the second I got there, I said, no, And.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
What what was it about about that?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
That there's no culture there? Where? It's less, there's less,
it's westernized in comparison to in comparison to Vietnam, so
and then it's full of expats. It's all expats. See
the entertainment at night? You know you're sitting on bales
of Hey, they sell pizza and French fries, cover bands
(04:01):
playing Zeppelin and Dad all these things. I like, that's
just not what I was looking for.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So wow, Okay. You know one thing I did read
there is that unemployment is relatively low in Vietnam for
you know, a developing country. The lowest unemployment rate in
the developing world, is what I read. Do you do
you do you see that? Do you agree?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Do I agree? Probably? But we have to take any
of that information with the grain of salt because it
is a communist country and the statistics and facts are
they're not to be relied on. But businesses also, like
a restaurant in comparison to center that you'll have five
(04:46):
times a number of staff, or a bank five times
ten times a number of staff as you would in
any other business, the eye doctors, anything I've been to,
I think I can easily say five times as staff easily.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
So incredible service.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
No, horrible, it's horrible. It's just a culture, you know.
They someone calls out, you don't worry about it. But
because the pay is so much less, the businesses make
so much more, but the pay is so much less,
so they can afford to, and there's less worry, there
is more, there's less micromanaging because they have so many
(05:26):
positions that kind of take care of people from from
stealing or not being able to do things because there's
someone right behind them doing it again. So that's just
the way it's built, that's just the way it's expected.
So there when I they're quite surprised. They're not used
to a Western influencer, western management here that style at all.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Is it true that crime that crime is low, relatively
serious crime very low.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Well, there's no knives aren't allowed, guns aren't allowed, gamblings
not gambles illegal except for in one casinos somewhere in
the South. There is drinking. Yeah, there's heavy penalties on
drug use. So you take out all of those factors,
you take away the fact that there's no keeping up
with the Joneses mentality there there's no need for it,
(06:17):
there's no need to steal, every every reason that people
stealer or commit a crime in the US, all those
factors are gone.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
We obviously, you know, heard a little bit about why
why you stayed, But what was what was the biggest
shock for you? Something that continued to be maybe be
a challenge apart from the norm of of what you
were used to dealing with the language.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
The language is difficult. I can't pick it up, cannot
I don't have the ear for it. So that's difficult.
But then you adapt, you adapt. I had a deaf
moot handyman at the last restaurant in New York, and
he was the handyman for three different locations. So if
we needed some fixed we would have to convey, and
(07:02):
that is questionable whether he could read or write. We
would have to draw a picture or do some sort
of charades as to what we needed there. You adapt,
is my point is to be able to convey to
a handyman about something that's broken in at a different location.
You get used to it. Even if you can't, you
aren't able to. You don't know silentuige, so you don't
(07:23):
know his language, and he didn't even know sanguguage completely,
so you still you learn to adapt. So the language
has been a big issue, but it's been okay. Other
than that, it's just been most everything is enjoyable instead
of his hindrance. It's just a great learning experience.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I think, well, speaking of enjoyable, part of that is weather, right,
so you've you've it's pretty much tropical.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Right in the south. The south is kind of like Charleston.
It's kind of like a low lying lands in the US.
The hot, humid, kind of like Bangkok. But the north
has got a mild four seasons and that's where I
am a noise in the north. So we'll get down
to maybe fifty is really cold. They actually close primary
(08:12):
school at forty eight degrees now. They close it because
it's too cold, but classrooms don't have They might have shutters,
but they really don't have windows. The ventilation is open
cutouts in the walls. But forty eight is too cold
for school, for primary school. So we have a mild
(08:33):
four seasons and the hottest will be in the low hundreds. Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Okay for a journey or a holiday for you, where
do you go to get away?
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Well, Ninben is driving distance for me, so I go
there on weekends. But the beaches and thenng are nice.
I typically don't go up to the north. It's really
about how I get there. You only get to certain
areas certain ways. The trains are horrible here. They're not
like the Amtrak. It's not anything close to what we're
(09:08):
used to in the US. They're old and rickety and
smelly and loud and hot, so you have to take
a bus to go up north. Those are even not
as bad, but still bad. So typically I go somewhere
where I can uber or the equivalent of a fuber,
which would be ninben or fly. Flying is super easy
and super cheap here, so I can fly to the
(09:28):
other side of the country for thirty.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Five bucks a couple hours wow, excellent.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
And a full meal and it leaves on time. It's
just nothing like flying in the US. So flying is
flying is the best way to travel here. So I'll
go to one of the beaches in the central part
or somewhere I can drive to outside of NOI give
me a.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Feel for what the beaches are like. Warm water. I
know it's the South China Sea. What kind of water
clarity are it' see experience at the beaches.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
There's a mix. There's a huge mix. It's like a
lot of the other Asian tourists countries. When the tourists
are here, the water is very brown, dark polluted. I
was lucky enough during COVID to keep traveling and see
it turn crystal clear blue turquoise, beautiful colors. But I
know once the tourists come back, it's going to be
(10:24):
dark and bluded, just like Thailand is.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So the water clarity is significantly impacted by.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
The oh people, huge, huge. It goes from that murky.
It's like the ocean's like the Atlantic coasts in the States,
same color. Months after everyone after COVID and there's no
one around crystal clear.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Do you foresee that this will be your home for
long term?
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Ron, I gotta tell you, it's pretty cheap here. I
mean I do like it, I do love it, or
I wouldn't be here. But because there's a lot of culture,
so it's a lot. It's just a constant learning. But
it's really really cheap too, which is really nice. And
going home. I until COVID, I was going home more
(11:13):
often living here than I was when I lived in
New York because going from New York City to d C,
flying down or even training, it required a cab to
the airport, extensive security lines. It's just a hassle mentally
(11:34):
and physically. Here, you go straight to the airport, your
plane leaves on time, you spend it's a twenty four
hour flight, but you just eat and nap the entire time.
It's easy, super easy. So the only troublesome part out
of going home is the airport back to get back here.
The rest is it's easy, super easy. So I would
(11:55):
fly home all the time until COVID. So what I
live here, it's it's convenient, it's super cheap to travel
everywhere around here, even the surrounding countries. The food's amazing,
the cultures never ending with the learning part of it.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Great people, Let's take a deeper dive into that culture
that you love. What is it? Give me, give me
some examples.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Every day you know, recently I was talking about how
I had fake dog meat for dinner.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Did you say fake.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Baked dog meat? Because they still eat dog here. But
my friends who are all Vietnamese, they they're little western
eyed like some of the country, and they just don't
believe in eating dog, but they still like the dish,
the traditional dishes. Okay, Like if you had barbecue in
the US, if you don't want to eat pork, you
might have jackfruit barbecue or some sort of safe right,
(12:50):
So same concept. But that's just intriguing. So every day
I go outside is it's something like that or every
day in my house. You know, the neighbor just what
I think is bizarre is not a neighbor gives me
a I walk by and she hands me the banana,
just just he thinks you don't encounter in the US
and like, what am I doing with this banana? But
they're just it's that friendliness. And a different person hands
(13:13):
me a beer. I don't even drink. But it's just
kind of ongoing where I'm I always have to take
a step back and go, I really appreciate this, not
just the banana or whatever it is or giving me,
but this environment.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
It seems a lot of like Southeastern Asian countries don't
really like vegetarianism is not a thing.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Right true. They don't have the they don't have a
specific diets. What is intriguing is how they how they
look at weight. It dawned on me that they will say,
I don't want to get fat, so they just stop
eating or don't eat. So it's not about not being
(13:57):
able to afford it. You can brings someone to a restaurant,
a local or someone who doesn't make as much money
to and all you can Eat or any restaurant, and
they still limit how much they eat. They just don't
want to be fat, which is not the perception of
people in the US. It's that's more I don't want
(14:18):
to gain weight, or should I or I can, and
then I'll do this tomorrow. There's some substitutions in how
they and different perception. Here it's just cut and dry.
I don't want to be fat. It's just that's it.
And it's intriguing because other countries or even in the US,
(14:39):
if someone can't afford food, but you take them out
to a restaurant, they will indulge and eat as much
as they can because they typically typically can't eat that food,
and here they don't. Even if it's new food, better food,
nice restaurant, whatever it is, they don't indulge because they
just don't want to be fat.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Is it safe to say that you see less over
overweight people?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
And yeah, And I've been teaching since lockdown, and there
was one kid who was even slightly overweight. My classes
are fifty students five zero, so I'll see over one
thousand students a week, and sometimes it's three or four
(15:21):
schools and sometimes it switches around. So point being, I
see a lot of kids, none one kid was slightly
slightly thick.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Wow, Okay, what subjects are you teaching?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
English? And I also is the English proficiency test.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I've read about the significant exports of coffee, cashews, and
black pepper. However, is it true that actually coffee is
not consumed quite significantly there? No, it is, it is.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
It is. Cashews are not because they can't afford them.
The coffee definitely is. There's a coffee shop everywhere, everywhere
and everywhere, and that's their their pastime, coffee shops. And
they're typically in prime real estate spots, so literally on
(16:18):
the corners, two or three stories, all with balconies, that's
their hangouts. The differences and why a foreigner would have
trouble foreigner like me would have trouble making it as
a business like Starbucks can't make it is they will
sit there for hours and have one coffee hours and
(16:39):
have either a tea or coffee three hours.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
And I've seen there's a there's a I don't have
the name of it. You probably know the drip coffee
that it seems to take forever to brew.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
There, right, the it's Vietnamese coffee. That's just a different
it's a it's the same thing. It's a drip per
cup coffee, but their coffee here is more bitter. They
typically automatically add to condense sweet and milk to it.
And then they have the egg coffee which has got
the sugar in the egg in it, which is more
like a mussou, which very very popular from Hanoi.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah, and cashews are quite fascinating. So many people don't
realize that the nut is on top of the fruit,
right And if you've ever taken a bite of the
cashew fruit, it like almost instantly takes all the of
the moisture out of your mouth. You have you ever
tried it?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
No, no, but but just cashews in general here are
so good, so good. Anything that's from a certain place
is always going to be better. So there's there are
things like cashew's or pineapples, things that once you've had
them from that area, it's very difficult to have them
(17:50):
anywhere else. It's never the same.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
And coffee being something that I believe the French brought
and the amount of coffee exported from v Aetnam is
absolutely phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Yeah. Yes, what about religion, religion, it's most considered mostly Buddhists,
but they don't practice. They practice the the traditions, but
they're not actually religious, if that makes sense. So every house,
every business, even I have an altar, a little mini altar,
(18:27):
and everyone, and that's part of the neighbors will give
me because you'll put a drink on their water coke,
or you'll put different food and drinks on your altar
and incense for the gods, and so the neighbors will.
If they don't give you some for your altar, they'll
give either old things after altar as they replace theirs.
(18:51):
So it's like a giant white elephant sale of food
and drinks. Everyone's just regifting. Where are these kinds? You know,
you get crackers and they're dusty. You know it's from
their altar. But everyone's constantly giving away, giving back, giving
a constant, constant white elephant. So I started baking at
(19:11):
one point because I didn't know what to give these people.
And I was like, all right, I guess i'll make stuff.
Like you feel like you're at a always going to
a PTA meeting, like I need to bring some bake
good or something like what's going on here? Everyone is
always giving you something? So I just I didn't know
what to give. I was like, do I give my
bottle water? Do I a protein shake? What do I
give these people? I don't know what to hand them.
(19:32):
So the religion, they definitely practice a tradition, but they
aren't religious. Majority of the people are not religious. They'll
still go to the pagodas on the holidays or you know,
first fifteenth of the month. They practice all the traditions,
but they actual belief.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
In No, I'm trying to put myself in that situation
because I can't even get my neighbors to give me
a look, you know.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
A banana exactly.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I mean, I don't know what I would do, but
you know that sets sets up for an atmosphere that
that just screams peace and loving and caring. I I
imagine that's something that that is so joyous to experience.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
It is because they're constantly and they mean it. So
the students, will you give me some candy? And yes,
it means a lot because they don't have a lot,
But it's also the gesture because they could keep it.
They could keep it whatever it is. So yes, they
because they have they don't have a lot of mind,
(20:38):
they can keep it for themselves, but just in general,
they could keep it.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Why do they have to give it to me? And
they never look for the gratitude. It's a you know,
simple handoff. Here it is like they're delivering the mail.
It's just automatic. Here's deliver it is, I'm giving you.
There's no you know, in the US, you would wait
for them to say thank you. If they didn't, you
would be upset. Here's just they want. They want to.
(21:05):
They don't expect anything in return.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Now, is there prejudice or you know, do people turn
away from certain lifestyles in in Vietnam certain lifestyles.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
No prejudice, yes, surprisingly.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Just don't be fat, right, don't be fat?
Speaker 3 (21:25):
And yeah, I really I went home for a month
at one point and I came back and I want
to say it was seven or eight people I knew,
including neighboring like businesses who called me fat because I
gained weight over the month and they said you're you're fat,
(21:47):
just just came round and said you look fat. It
was and it was all different people. It was not.
It wasn't just one household or one group of ends.
It was everyone like you.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
They all had their barometer on your waistline.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I wasn't wearing different clothes of the same clothes. I
wasn't gone for six months. It's only a month, so
even then, like how much weight can you gain in
a month. So, but yes, they're very observant of weight.
I don't want to discourage anyone who's who's big boned
not to come here. It's not They're not prejudiced in
(22:25):
that way. Is there prejudice, Yes, there is. There is
definitely prejudice. There's prejudice against skin color, which which is
very unfortunate. Obviously, nothing needs to be said about that,
because yeah, I'm very surprised, and I am still trying
to figure out where that comes from. And it seems
to come from the West. To be honest, it seems
(22:47):
to come from the us z Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
And I guess I innately thought potentially that that did
not make its way to a you know, to a
place like that. That surprises me.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Well every time, because I really try to dig I
love trying to figure out why, I love analyzing things,
and it always seems to be the influence from the West.
It always seems to come from something that we did
or we said. Not that they're blaming or pointing fingers.
But when I look for examples of why you think
this way? Where did this come from? Who taught you this?
(23:23):
And I wouldn't be able to ask you and you
would know whatever it was I'm asking you. It's you
can't instantly self psycho analyze and go, oh it came from.
So I go back and forth, and sometimes I'll ask students.
Sometimes I'll I love having the students because they are
a great sounding board and I get a lot of
information from them. But it seems to all be influenced
(23:46):
from the US. It really does.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
And you talk about children and where their beliefs are formed.
I don't want to say one hundred percent of the
time that it's it's passed down from family, but that's
that's where we're developed from. And if if you have
parents that have a feeling or a strong belief about
a certain type of individual or the way someone looks,
that carries through to children. And that's how it's happened
(24:13):
here in the United States and carried through from generation
to generation recycled hate.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
But here the parents typically don't raise the children. The
grandparents do so during that time period. I don't know
where that comes from here. You know, it's not something
that the grandparents learned one on one. There wasn't you know,
there was the war, so I don't know how that
(24:41):
would affect it. Reading is there is almost no reading,
no television, there's no outside sources, very few, so it's
very tough to figure out where it comes from. A
lot of them don't even know who operates. And I
say that to try and help you understand as an example, Yeah,
(25:05):
an example of their their outside influences we had. I
had a core class where all the education supplies are
super old. So this was talking about Oprah's show, what
kind of guess she has on her on the Oprah Show,
which is I don't know how long that's been off
the air, twenty years or something, holl When's when was
Oprah's TV show?
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Oh? You got me on a long time?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
So yeah, it was. It made a reference to in
a picture of I think her like fifth year as
a host old old books they use. But anyways, no
one knew who Oprah was. None of my students knew
who Oprah was, so outside influences is tough. But when
I at the same time, they know Tiger King and
(25:48):
they think we have tigers as pets in our houses.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Oh, those poor, poor children.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
So it seems to come from movies. Their influence seems
to come from movies now Netflix, But I don't know
what it was five years ago or ten years ago,
or for the grandparents, I don't know a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
And the media that is influential is from the government, right.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
The media is definitely from definitely from the government. I
keep waiting for like a third screen to show up.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
The police spend I heard a knock at my door.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Maybe you have no clue, no clue.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Another episode, I realized that probably, you know, communism influences
have some form of order compared to what we're used to.
But then there's also obviously pluses and negatives of everything
in regard to that governmental rule. What for you is
the largest shock coming from the United States and growing
(26:49):
up here to residing there now.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
I actually find it very beneficial only because of how
the biggest experience we've had during this time is COVID
So for how communist country has the capability ability to
handle it so much better than something in the US.
Because they say wear a mask here, we wear masks anyway,
(27:14):
It's part of the culture, so it's easier. But here
they say no, you know then no, don't do it,
you don't do it.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
That's a good point. You talk about the use of masks,
which is something that so many countries did anyway prior
to the pandemic. I think there are a lot of
people who don't understand that, or would shy away from
someone on a train or on a plane that was like,
what's wrong with them? You are they are they contagious
of some I mean that was pre pandemic, But what
(27:45):
is the what is the thought around.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
That around wearing masks?
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Is it essentially community? Yeah, just preventing disease.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
Or preventing disease. They so they've learned already that if
there's an issue more an issue than it controls it,
they know that and it is a fact, and now
the whole world knows us. So if someone in the
family ever had a cold, then that person would wear
a mask. If there was ever an outbreak like the
(28:14):
Asian bird flu, they've already been through this, so they know, Okay,
everyone's wearing a mask, but they also wear it for
other reasons, like there's a lot of pollution here, a
lot of pollutions, So they wear them when they drive
their motorbikes because the majority of the population drives motorbikes,
so it's if they're sick pollution. Girls females wear them
(28:40):
if they don't have makeup and they don't feel like
getting ready, just like a female in the US would
wear a baseball hat and sunglasses go to the store,
they'll hear they'll put their mask on and their motorbike helmet,
so you don't have to worry about getting ready. Same concept,
So they wear it for different reasons also. But the
funny thing is is here students go to school for
(29:00):
half day and they have trouble very well, too much homework.
But it's a half day versus the US, where you
go a whole day. So this week I was saying, guys,
I know you're tired, but just it's apples and oranges.
But in the US, we go to school all day,
which means we have twice as much homework apples and oranges.
I realize it's not the same. We have different classes,
(29:21):
different amount of homework. I understand that, but that's what
you to understand. And I said, but it's a two
way street. I'm not saying the US is any better.
And now I was talking about the masks. I said,
people in the US think they can't wear a mask,
you can't breathe through them. Two way street is you
guys have been doing it for one hundred years. We
know you can wear a mask. We know everyone can
wear a mask. So you know it's a two week
(29:42):
we have to look at the other side. So yeah,
with the US people going I can't breathe, you can breathe.
We have countries that have been doing this for one
hundred years. A. They work, it's proven, and B you
can breathe through them because it wasn't just a trial
period with thirty thousand people or three thousand people. Millions,
(30:04):
hundreds of millions of people have been doing it for
one hundred years. It works, it works.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
And again that's that's a whole other episode for you know,
we could go on for days about the entitlement in America.
And I really, I really hope we wash that clean.
But like anything, does it not take generations of slight
change in order to make big change. And yeah, everyone
everyone here needs to feel special and blah blah blah.
(30:32):
You know it's but and I think That is one
of my goals through letting people hear more about other cultures,
because it gives them that perception or just the tweak
to their thinking to realize that it is not just
like you experience here. And please everyone, get out there
and experience this for your own ability to be better.
You said, you know, Hanoi is a city that's similar
(30:54):
in size to New York, right, and it retains much
of its culture. But for me, I would be the
guy that goes out to the villages and gets to
feel more of a one on one and not blend in.
You said that pretty much every village is a dream
come true for travelers. Can can you tell me a
little why?
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Well, one of the most recent ones I went to.
Everyone still there's no natural gas, so there's no stoves.
Everyone cooks outside, and everyone cooks on fires. And that's
just amazing, like burning wood, burning wood. I couldn't stop
thinking about it. And the whole place sells like a
(31:34):
fire place. The whole village smells smells like a fireplace.
But just sitting there and going and thinking about how
far society and civilization have come and they are, for
whatever reason, still cooking by fire outside I mean, there
are other things to consider here. They prefer food boiled,
(31:55):
they like chewy, they you know, that's all these preferences.
But you could still have gas canisters brought in and
hot plates and but this is their method and this
is their happiness and there's nothing wrong with it. And
it was almost as appealing as if you're going to
a campfire. But if you go to a campfire and
(32:15):
you're cooking over a fire, it's great. It's there's nostalgia,
it's it's a one time thing. But here that's their life.
And I didn't feel like I was in the middle
of the rainforest where you know it. I was taken
back in time. These people, you know, they had motorbikes,
(32:36):
meaning they have a taste of civilization. I'm not really
traveling back in time, just they prefer to still cook
by fire outside. It was just really intriguing.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Sounds pretty awesome. The largest airport is Hanoi, Is that right?
Speaker 3 (32:52):
I don't know if Hanoi is or Hooch you in,
but it's one of the hubs if not beyond.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
So likely anyone coming to visit that.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Ioy definitely go to annoy.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Is it pretty easy to navigate if you're arriving. Is
there anything to be to be concerned of, like to
watch out for, to be cautious of.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
No, they they meaning the people in the country here,
say be careful, don't have your phone stolen like you're
on it. Don't have someone dry by and take it
out of your hand. I hear that all the time.
I did know somebody who happened to in in hochim In,
but I hear about it all the time. So I
always recommend people to be careful. But no, there's there's
(33:31):
so little crime here. So I saw someone steal something
once and the cop because the cops still have guns either,
the cops like running after him and pulls him by
the back of his shirt and shakes him like it's
like a black and white TV show like Andy Grifforth.
There's some you know, some old like, oh wow, dare
you steal something? Shaking him. It's just bizarre.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I just can't you know in the US to be
tased and there'd be eighteen police car siren and here
he's shaking him, grabbing by the back of his shirt.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Going ah, there's no crime, is nothing, nothing to be
afraid of. It's very peaceful in that aspect, you don't know,
you don't worry about anything.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
You mentioned something too about having a back up of
your passport photo, and that's that's a that's a great suggestion.
I saw something crazy on TV this week.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Is this related to travel or is.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
It's and I actually thought about it about doing it.
I travel light, and you mentioned having a forty liter
lightweight backpack, which is definitely for me. That is my
only means of travel most places that I go.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
You someone that that these folks that think they need
their whole wardrobe in order to be happy, like if
it doesn't fit in a backpack, I don't need it.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
But but back to that topic, I saw where a
lot of these airlines now charge you extra for for
each each piece of luggage. I saw someone that they
don't usually charge you for a pillow. You know, they
put all of their clothes in one of those zip
up pillow cases, so they like doubled. Essentially, they had
(35:14):
two backpacks full of clothes. I don't know if that's
a thing that's going to catch on or what, but
a stability that's.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Smart smart, But yeah, the backpack, I agree with you.
I agree one hundred percent. It's the only way to travel.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Having the ability to scale down what you need into
I mean, does anybody really need more than two pairs
of shoes? I mean, give me some water shoes and
give me my walking shoes.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
You know, right right?
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Are you a outdoorsy type person? Do you get out
of the city and hike or bike or outdoorsy?
Speaker 4 (35:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Maybe no, I don't go hiking necessarily. I'll do more
on the back of the motorbike. I typically don't drive
a bike because it doesn't make sense. A I can
see more, I can enjoy it while we're driving and
b countries, you never know what the laws are. So here,
(36:10):
if you happen to kill someone while you're driving, you
are going to jail until you pay that family ten
thousand dollars. Like that's just the law. Like that's so
if you'll know those crazy laws, then don't take the
risk LUs riding on the back of the motorbike. I
don't have to worry about gassing up or if it
breaks down or so. No. I would typically, if I
(36:33):
have the choice between hiking or motorbiking through the same mountain,
I'll typically ride on the back of the motorbike so
I can enjoy it look around while someone else drives. Okay,
I do like adventures. I do like skydiving, scuba diving,
high air ballooning. I like all that, but take the
fast track route and ride on a motorbike. Screw any
(36:55):
of these one time experiences. I think people should do
it if they can. But I realize or spears involved.
But the traveling thing, that's like a life change. You
go one time and it can change your life. Scuba diving, skydiving,
those are experiences that will be chalked up as an
experience like I did this, check it off. But traveling,
(37:18):
traveling by yourself, or getting that true experience where you
get to understand a culture and understand people, that's a
lifetime change. So that's the difference.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
What's next on your list as far as well I
travel goes.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
I'm definitely travel outside of Vietnam because I've been traveling
within Vietnam for since COVID, But I might keep Vietnam
as a.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Hub to be continued on that. You're one of many
who have indicated what COVID has done for individuals experiencing
their own country. It's forced people back in their own borders.
And like Benny, who I had interviewed as well for Thailand,
(38:01):
saw every single province in Thailand during COVID because of
the inability to go elsewhere. And I think that there
have been really great things that have come out of
COVID like that. Yeah, there's been some things that have
been an inconvenience, but it's caused a lot of slow
downs or redirection for people that has allowed them to
(38:23):
see what's in their own backyard.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I also think you'll have a different perspective out of
people like me or other people abroad versus people who
are quote unquote stuck at home. Any experience I have
is going to be a good because I have a
different mindset because I am here, so I'm looking at
things differently. If I was still in New York, I
might not have as much of a positive outlook and
(38:46):
it might have to dig a little deeper to find it.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
Well said, because the vibration of the culture and location
that people arrive in can really dictate your feelings on
how you deal with things.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
Yeah, if you look, if you go on vacation, it rains,
you go, oh, my vacation's ruined. It rain if you're
traveling in a range, you're like, you know, how beautiful,
let's do this instead. You dance in the rain, you revamped,
and you just roll with the punches.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Indeed, do you think that there's a place for every like?
I have this innate feeling like all the places that
I've traveled to, and sometimes I arrive somewhere and there
is just a vibration that speaks to me, right Vietnam.
For me, that that's Puerto Rico. I can't even explain it.
I just feel at home there. And you found your spot.
I challenge everyone out there to go see this world
(39:38):
and maybe just find your find your.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
New spots, your passion. I don't get it, right, I
don't get it. While people are just working day in,
day out and not doing it.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
For themselves, well as we call it the golden handcuffs.
They think that the benefits, the pay and everything justify
giving up the part of their life that could otherwise
be adventurous and learning of the world. And you trade
one for the other. And it's sad to say, but
it's endless whenever you make your life about that perceived security.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
I'm just saying, take a little break and try traveling.
It's not like I'm saying, work out and if you
like it, work out for the rest of your life.
I'm not saying there's a commitment involved. I'm saying, however
many days we live, if it's seventy five years, what's
some math there? I mean, these is that thirty thousand?
(40:33):
You know, why could you not spend ten twenty thirty
days give yourself that out of your life? Just try it?
Because I've never heard anyone, anyone come back from traveling
going ah, yeah, that sucks. I don't like the world.
I don't like culture. I don't like you. Don't hear that.
(40:55):
You never do. I never hear traveler going nope, nope,
got nothing out of it.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Thanks, you're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. It's a win win,
mister Paul. I thank you so much for this time.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
You know, I hope that we were able to give
folks some insight on Vietnam, on travel in general, and
I look forward to hearing more about your travels in
the future.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
Thank you. Keep in touch, Come and visit.
Speaker 6 (41:20):
We'll have a bowl of fuugh absolutely my friend.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
To view pictures of my guests and find more information
about their cause. Follow me on Instagram and or Facebook
at Cultural Chameleon eleven. And if there's any way you
could rate and review this podcast on the platform where
you listen, I would be incredibly grateful. Take care of
yourself and others until next time.
Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome aboard the Cultural Chameleon Podcasts.
We're about to depart from the gate, but prior to departure,
we asked that your seatbelt is securely fastened. Join raddsh
the host, for a travel adventure like no other.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Do you think that a different place could bring happiness?
Sometimes we find our destiny through travel. Sometimes that new
location teaches us more about life and ourselves than we
could ever imagine. Sharing stories about people who improve their
lives and found their passion through a change of scenery
is just what this podcast is about. Let's learn from
Paul Kennedy, who's a US resident who visited Vietnam and
(00:50):
turned his holiday into a more permanent day. And thank
you so much for joining me on this episode of
the Cultural Chamillion. All right, mister Paul Kennedy, welcome to
(01:17):
the Cultural Chameleon today. Thank you so much for joining me.
Please tell our listeners a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Thank you, Rod. That's it. That's it. My name is
Paul and nothing else to say. End up show, Good
talking to everyone. I'll see you later. No, I'm in
Hollinois right now, I'm in Vietnam. I moved here from
New York City almost four years ago. I went on
a trip, ten day trip and just never returned. So
(01:45):
I'm we are connecting from Vietnam at this moment. Hello.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Everyone never returned.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Wow, So I did for visits for birthdays or Christmas
or but yeah, I never went back.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Did you have any inkling in the your mind that
that was a possibility when you went No.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I had there was a possibility that I would continue
traveling for maybe a month after the ten day trip. Okay,
that was the possibility, maybe too, who knew, maybe I
was gonna be crazy and and you know, just wander around.
But no, I didn't think that at all. I thought
I would be back. Definitely thought I would be back.
But I did not return my job. Actually the joke
(02:26):
was because I left there with the intent of, look, guys,
I may I don't know when I'm coming back. Just
consider this my notice. I'm leaving. But they held onto
my job for like six months. He's coming back, he's
coming back. I know he's coming back, and I just
never went back.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
What what was your occupation.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
At that time. I was managing a restaurant in Chelsea,
New York.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Tough business. Yeah, no, wonder you didn't come back?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Right? Would you will?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
For you? What really was the biggest the biggest draw
that that kept you there?
Speaker 3 (03:01):
The culture? The culture. It's just amazing the h and
I did. The second I got here, I knew it.
The second I got here, I had no clue that
I still at that point didn't know I wasn't returning.
At that point, I was still wandering, going what am
I doing? Just keep traveling, just take advantage of this,
just keep doing it. But when I got to Vietnam,
(03:22):
I knew it, and people along the way steered me
towards Shang Mai. And as soon as I got the
same amount of time that it took me to know
Vietnam or Annoy was it, the same amount of time
it took me to realize that Shangmi was not it.
Immediately the second I got there, I said, no, And.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
What what was it about about that?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
That there's no culture there? Where? It's less, there's less,
it's westernized in comparison to in comparison to Vietnam, so
and then it's full of expats. It's all expats. See
the entertainment at night? You know you're sitting on bales
of Hey, they sell pizza and French fries, cover bands
(04:01):
playing Zeppelin and Dad all these things. I like, that's
just not what I was looking for.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So wow, Okay. You know one thing I did read
there is that unemployment is relatively low in Vietnam for
you know, a developing country. The lowest unemployment rate in
the developing world, is what I read. Do you do
you do you see that? Do you agree?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Do I agree? Probably? But we have to take any
of that information with the grain of salt because it
is a communist country and the statistics and facts are
they're not to be relied on. But businesses also, like
a restaurant in comparison to center that you'll have five
(04:46):
times a number of staff, or a bank five times
ten times a number of staff as you would in
any other business, the eye doctors, anything I've been to,
I think I can easily say five times as staff easily.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
So incredible service.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
No, horrible, it's horrible. It's just a culture, you know.
They someone calls out, you don't worry about it. But
because the pay is so much less, the businesses make
so much more, but the pay is so much less,
so they can afford to, and there's less worry, there
is more, there's less micromanaging because they have so many
(05:26):
positions that kind of take care of people from from
stealing or not being able to do things because there's
someone right behind them doing it again. So that's just
the way it's built, that's just the way it's expected.
So there when I they're quite surprised. They're not used
to a Western influencer, western management here that style at all.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Is it true that crime that crime is low, relatively
serious crime very low.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Well, there's no knives aren't allowed, guns aren't allowed, gamblings
not gambles illegal except for in one casinos somewhere in
the South. There is drinking. Yeah, there's heavy penalties on
drug use. So you take out all of those factors,
you take away the fact that there's no keeping up
with the Joneses mentality there there's no need for it,
(06:17):
there's no need to steal, every every reason that people
stealer or commit a crime in the US, all those
factors are gone.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
We obviously, you know, heard a little bit about why
why you stayed, But what was what was the biggest
shock for you? Something that continued to be maybe be
a challenge apart from the norm of of what you
were used to dealing with the language.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
The language is difficult. I can't pick it up, cannot
I don't have the ear for it. So that's difficult.
But then you adapt, you adapt. I had a deaf
moot handyman at the last restaurant in New York, and
he was the handyman for three different locations. So if
we needed some fixed we would have to convey, and
(07:02):
that is questionable whether he could read or write. We
would have to draw a picture or do some sort
of charades as to what we needed there. You adapt,
is my point is to be able to convey to
a handyman about something that's broken in at a different location.
You get used to it. Even if you can't, you
aren't able to. You don't know silentuige, so you don't
(07:23):
know his language, and he didn't even know sanguguage completely,
so you still you learn to adapt. So the language
has been a big issue, but it's been okay. Other
than that, it's just been most everything is enjoyable instead
of his hindrance. It's just a great learning experience.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I think, well, speaking of enjoyable, part of that is weather, right,
so you've you've it's pretty much tropical.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Right in the south. The south is kind of like Charleston.
It's kind of like a low lying lands in the US.
The hot, humid, kind of like Bangkok. But the north
has got a mild four seasons and that's where I
am a noise in the north. So we'll get down
to maybe fifty is really cold. They actually close primary
(08:12):
school at forty eight degrees now. They close it because
it's too cold, but classrooms don't have They might have shutters,
but they really don't have windows. The ventilation is open
cutouts in the walls. But forty eight is too cold
for school, for primary school. So we have a mild
(08:33):
four seasons and the hottest will be in the low hundreds. Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Okay for a journey or a holiday for you, where
do you go to get away?
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Well, Ninben is driving distance for me, so I go
there on weekends. But the beaches and thenng are nice.
I typically don't go up to the north. It's really
about how I get there. You only get to certain
areas certain ways. The trains are horrible here. They're not
like the Amtrak. It's not anything close to what we're
(09:08):
used to in the US. They're old and rickety and
smelly and loud and hot, so you have to take
a bus to go up north. Those are even not
as bad, but still bad. So typically I go somewhere
where I can uber or the equivalent of a fuber,
which would be ninben or fly. Flying is super easy
and super cheap here, so I can fly to the
(09:28):
other side of the country for thirty.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Five bucks a couple hours wow, excellent.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
And a full meal and it leaves on time. It's
just nothing like flying in the US. So flying is
flying is the best way to travel here. So I'll
go to one of the beaches in the central part
or somewhere I can drive to outside of NOI give
me a.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Feel for what the beaches are like. Warm water. I
know it's the South China Sea. What kind of water
clarity are it' see experience at the beaches.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
There's a mix. There's a huge mix. It's like a
lot of the other Asian tourists countries. When the tourists
are here, the water is very brown, dark polluted. I
was lucky enough during COVID to keep traveling and see
it turn crystal clear blue turquoise, beautiful colors. But I
know once the tourists come back, it's going to be
(10:24):
dark and bluded, just like Thailand is.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So the water clarity is significantly impacted by.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
The oh people, huge, huge. It goes from that murky.
It's like the ocean's like the Atlantic coasts in the States,
same color. Months after everyone after COVID and there's no
one around crystal clear.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Do you foresee that this will be your home for
long term?
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Ron, I gotta tell you, it's pretty cheap here. I
mean I do like it, I do love it, or
I wouldn't be here. But because there's a lot of culture,
so it's a lot. It's just a constant learning. But
it's really really cheap too, which is really nice. And
going home. I until COVID, I was going home more
(11:13):
often living here than I was when I lived in
New York because going from New York City to d C,
flying down or even training, it required a cab to
the airport, extensive security lines. It's just a hassle mentally
(11:34):
and physically. Here, you go straight to the airport, your
plane leaves on time, you spend it's a twenty four
hour flight, but you just eat and nap the entire time.
It's easy, super easy. So the only troublesome part out
of going home is the airport back to get back here.
The rest is it's easy, super easy. So I would
(11:55):
fly home all the time until COVID. So what I
live here, it's it's convenient, it's super cheap to travel
everywhere around here, even the surrounding countries. The food's amazing,
the cultures never ending with the learning part of it.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Great people, Let's take a deeper dive into that culture
that you love. What is it? Give me, give me
some examples.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Every day you know, recently I was talking about how
I had fake dog meat for dinner.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Did you say fake.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Baked dog meat? Because they still eat dog here. But
my friends who are all Vietnamese, they they're little western
eyed like some of the country, and they just don't
believe in eating dog, but they still like the dish,
the traditional dishes. Okay, Like if you had barbecue in
the US, if you don't want to eat pork, you
might have jackfruit barbecue or some sort of safe right,
(12:50):
So same concept. But that's just intriguing. So every day
I go outside is it's something like that or every
day in my house. You know, the neighbor just what
I think is bizarre is not a neighbor gives me
a I walk by and she hands me the banana,
just just he thinks you don't encounter in the US
and like, what am I doing with this banana? But
they're just it's that friendliness. And a different person hands
(13:13):
me a beer. I don't even drink. But it's just
kind of ongoing where I'm I always have to take
a step back and go, I really appreciate this, not
just the banana or whatever it is or giving me,
but this environment.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
It seems a lot of like Southeastern Asian countries don't
really like vegetarianism is not a thing.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Right true. They don't have the they don't have a
specific diets. What is intriguing is how they how they
look at weight. It dawned on me that they will say,
I don't want to get fat, so they just stop
eating or don't eat. So it's not about not being
(13:57):
able to afford it. You can brings someone to a restaurant,
a local or someone who doesn't make as much money
to and all you can Eat or any restaurant, and
they still limit how much they eat. They just don't
want to be fat, which is not the perception of
people in the US. It's that's more I don't want
(14:18):
to gain weight, or should I or I can, and
then I'll do this tomorrow. There's some substitutions in how
they and different perception. Here it's just cut and dry.
I don't want to be fat. It's just that's it.
And it's intriguing because other countries or even in the US,
(14:39):
if someone can't afford food, but you take them out
to a restaurant, they will indulge and eat as much
as they can because they typically typically can't eat that food,
and here they don't. Even if it's new food, better food,
nice restaurant, whatever it is, they don't indulge because they
just don't want to be fat.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Is it safe to say that you see less over
overweight people?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
And yeah, And I've been teaching since lockdown, and there
was one kid who was even slightly overweight. My classes
are fifty students five zero, so I'll see over one
thousand students a week, and sometimes it's three or four
(15:21):
schools and sometimes it switches around. So point being, I
see a lot of kids, none one kid was slightly
slightly thick.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Wow, Okay, what subjects are you teaching?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
English? And I also is the English proficiency test.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I've read about the significant exports of coffee, cashews, and
black pepper. However, is it true that actually coffee is
not consumed quite significantly there? No, it is, it is.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
It is. Cashews are not because they can't afford them.
The coffee definitely is. There's a coffee shop everywhere, everywhere
and everywhere, and that's their their pastime, coffee shops. And
they're typically in prime real estate spots, so literally on
(16:18):
the corners, two or three stories, all with balconies, that's
their hangouts. The differences and why a foreigner would have
trouble foreigner like me would have trouble making it as
a business like Starbucks can't make it is they will
sit there for hours and have one coffee hours and
(16:39):
have either a tea or coffee three hours.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
And I've seen there's a there's a I don't have
the name of it. You probably know the drip coffee
that it seems to take forever to brew.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
There, right, the it's Vietnamese coffee. That's just a different
it's a it's the same thing. It's a drip per
cup coffee, but their coffee here is more bitter. They
typically automatically add to condense sweet and milk to it.
And then they have the egg coffee which has got
the sugar in the egg in it, which is more
like a mussou, which very very popular from Hanoi.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah, and cashews are quite fascinating. So many people don't
realize that the nut is on top of the fruit,
right And if you've ever taken a bite of the
cashew fruit, it like almost instantly takes all the of
the moisture out of your mouth. You have you ever
tried it?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
No, no, but but just cashews in general here are
so good, so good. Anything that's from a certain place
is always going to be better. So there's there are
things like cashew's or pineapples, things that once you've had
them from that area, it's very difficult to have them
(17:50):
anywhere else. It's never the same.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
And coffee being something that I believe the French brought
and the amount of coffee exported from v Aetnam is
absolutely phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Yeah. Yes, what about religion, religion, it's most considered mostly Buddhists,
but they don't practice. They practice the the traditions, but
they're not actually religious, if that makes sense. So every house,
every business, even I have an altar, a little mini altar,
(18:27):
and everyone, and that's part of the neighbors will give
me because you'll put a drink on their water coke,
or you'll put different food and drinks on your altar
and incense for the gods, and so the neighbors will.
If they don't give you some for your altar, they'll
give either old things after altar as they replace theirs.
(18:51):
So it's like a giant white elephant sale of food
and drinks. Everyone's just regifting. Where are these kinds? You know,
you get crackers and they're dusty. You know it's from
their altar. But everyone's constantly giving away, giving back, giving
a constant, constant white elephant. So I started baking at
(19:11):
one point because I didn't know what to give these people.
And I was like, all right, I guess i'll make stuff.
Like you feel like you're at a always going to
a PTA meeting, like I need to bring some bake
good or something like what's going on here? Everyone is
always giving you something? So I just I didn't know
what to give. I was like, do I give my
bottle water? Do I a protein shake? What do I
give these people? I don't know what to hand them.
(19:32):
So the religion, they definitely practice a tradition, but they
aren't religious. Majority of the people are not religious. They'll
still go to the pagodas on the holidays or you know,
first fifteenth of the month. They practice all the traditions,
but they actual belief.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
In No, I'm trying to put myself in that situation
because I can't even get my neighbors to give me
a look, you know.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
A banana exactly.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I mean, I don't know what I would do, but
you know that sets sets up for an atmosphere that
that just screams peace and loving and caring. I I
imagine that's something that that is so joyous to experience.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
It is because they're constantly and they mean it. So
the students, will you give me some candy? And yes,
it means a lot because they don't have a lot,
But it's also the gesture because they could keep it.
They could keep it whatever it is. So yes, they
because they have they don't have a lot of mind,
(20:38):
they can keep it for themselves, but just in general,
they could keep it.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Why do they have to give it to me? And
they never look for the gratitude. It's a you know,
simple handoff. Here it is like they're delivering the mail.
It's just automatic. Here's deliver it is, I'm giving you.
There's no you know, in the US, you would wait
for them to say thank you. If they didn't, you
would be upset. Here's just they want. They want to.
(21:05):
They don't expect anything in return.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Now, is there prejudice or you know, do people turn
away from certain lifestyles in in Vietnam certain lifestyles.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
No prejudice, yes, surprisingly.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Just don't be fat, right, don't be fat?
Speaker 3 (21:25):
And yeah, I really I went home for a month
at one point and I came back and I want
to say it was seven or eight people I knew,
including neighboring like businesses who called me fat because I
gained weight over the month and they said you're you're fat,
(21:47):
just just came round and said you look fat. It
was and it was all different people. It was not.
It wasn't just one household or one group of ends.
It was everyone like you.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
They all had their barometer on your waistline.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I wasn't wearing different clothes of the same clothes. I
wasn't gone for six months. It's only a month, so
even then, like how much weight can you gain in
a month. So, but yes, they're very observant of weight.
I don't want to discourage anyone who's who's big boned
not to come here. It's not They're not prejudiced in
(22:25):
that way. Is there prejudice, Yes, there is. There is
definitely prejudice. There's prejudice against skin color, which which is
very unfortunate. Obviously, nothing needs to be said about that,
because yeah, I'm very surprised, and I am still trying
to figure out where that comes from. And it seems
to come from the West. To be honest, it seems
(22:47):
to come from the us z Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
And I guess I innately thought potentially that that did
not make its way to a you know, to a
place like that. That surprises me.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Well every time, because I really try to dig I
love trying to figure out why, I love analyzing things,
and it always seems to be the influence from the West.
It always seems to come from something that we did
or we said. Not that they're blaming or pointing fingers.
But when I look for examples of why you think
this way? Where did this come from? Who taught you this?
(23:23):
And I wouldn't be able to ask you and you
would know whatever it was I'm asking you. It's you
can't instantly self psycho analyze and go, oh it came from.
So I go back and forth, and sometimes I'll ask students.
Sometimes I'll I love having the students because they are
a great sounding board and I get a lot of
information from them. But it seems to all be influenced
(23:46):
from the US. It really does.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
And you talk about children and where their beliefs are formed.
I don't want to say one hundred percent of the
time that it's it's passed down from family, but that's
that's where we're developed from. And if if you have
parents that have a feeling or a strong belief about
a certain type of individual or the way someone looks,
that carries through to children. And that's how it's happened
(24:13):
here in the United States and carried through from generation
to generation recycled hate.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
But here the parents typically don't raise the children. The
grandparents do so during that time period. I don't know
where that comes from here. You know, it's not something
that the grandparents learned one on one. There wasn't you know,
there was the war, so I don't know how that
(24:41):
would affect it. Reading is there is almost no reading,
no television, there's no outside sources, very few, so it's
very tough to figure out where it comes from. A
lot of them don't even know who operates. And I
say that to try and help you understand as an example, Yeah,
(25:05):
an example of their their outside influences we had. I
had a core class where all the education supplies are
super old. So this was talking about Oprah's show, what
kind of guess she has on her on the Oprah Show,
which is I don't know how long that's been off
the air, twenty years or something, holl When's when was
Oprah's TV show?
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Oh? You got me on a long time?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
So yeah, it was. It made a reference to in
a picture of I think her like fifth year as
a host old old books they use. But anyways, no
one knew who Oprah was. None of my students knew
who Oprah was, so outside influences is tough. But when
I at the same time, they know Tiger King and
(25:48):
they think we have tigers as pets in our houses.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Oh, those poor, poor children.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
So it seems to come from movies. Their influence seems
to come from movies now Netflix, But I don't know
what it was five years ago or ten years ago,
or for the grandparents, I don't know a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
And the media that is influential is from the government, right.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
The media is definitely from definitely from the government. I
keep waiting for like a third screen to show up.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
The police spend I heard a knock at my door.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Maybe you have no clue, no clue.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Another episode, I realized that probably, you know, communism influences
have some form of order compared to what we're used to.
But then there's also obviously pluses and negatives of everything
in regard to that governmental rule. What for you is
the largest shock coming from the United States and growing
(26:49):
up here to residing there now.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
I actually find it very beneficial only because of how
the biggest experience we've had during this time is COVID
So for how communist country has the capability ability to
handle it so much better than something in the US.
Because they say wear a mask here, we wear masks anyway,
(27:14):
It's part of the culture, so it's easier. But here
they say no, you know then no, don't do it,
you don't do it.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
That's a good point. You talk about the use of masks,
which is something that so many countries did anyway prior
to the pandemic. I think there are a lot of
people who don't understand that, or would shy away from
someone on a train or on a plane that was like,
what's wrong with them? You are they are they contagious
of some I mean that was pre pandemic, But what
(27:45):
is the what is the thought around.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
That around wearing masks?
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Is it essentially community? Yeah, just preventing disease.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
Or preventing disease. They so they've learned already that if
there's an issue more an issue than it controls it,
they know that and it is a fact, and now
the whole world knows us. So if someone in the
family ever had a cold, then that person would wear
a mask. If there was ever an outbreak like the
(28:14):
Asian bird flu, they've already been through this, so they know, Okay,
everyone's wearing a mask, but they also wear it for
other reasons, like there's a lot of pollution here, a
lot of pollutions, So they wear them when they drive
their motorbikes because the majority of the population drives motorbikes,
so it's if they're sick pollution. Girls females wear them
(28:40):
if they don't have makeup and they don't feel like
getting ready, just like a female in the US would
wear a baseball hat and sunglasses go to the store,
they'll hear they'll put their mask on and their motorbike helmet,
so you don't have to worry about getting ready. Same concept,
So they wear it for different reasons also. But the
funny thing is is here students go to school for
(29:00):
half day and they have trouble very well, too much homework.
But it's a half day versus the US, where you
go a whole day. So this week I was saying, guys,
I know you're tired, but just it's apples and oranges.
But in the US, we go to school all day,
which means we have twice as much homework apples and oranges.
I realize it's not the same. We have different classes,
(29:21):
different amount of homework. I understand that, but that's what
you to understand. And I said, but it's a two
way street. I'm not saying the US is any better.
And now I was talking about the masks. I said,
people in the US think they can't wear a mask,
you can't breathe through them. Two way street is you
guys have been doing it for one hundred years. We
know you can wear a mask. We know everyone can
wear a mask. So you know it's a two week
(29:42):
we have to look at the other side. So yeah,
with the US people going I can't breathe, you can breathe.
We have countries that have been doing this for one
hundred years. A. They work, it's proven, and B you
can breathe through them because it wasn't just a trial
period with thirty thousand people or three thousand people. Millions,
(30:04):
hundreds of millions of people have been doing it for
one hundred years. It works, it works.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
And again that's that's a whole other episode for you know,
we could go on for days about the entitlement in America.
And I really, I really hope we wash that clean.
But like anything, does it not take generations of slight
change in order to make big change. And yeah, everyone
everyone here needs to feel special and blah blah blah.
(30:32):
You know it's but and I think That is one
of my goals through letting people hear more about other cultures,
because it gives them that perception or just the tweak
to their thinking to realize that it is not just
like you experience here. And please everyone, get out there
and experience this for your own ability to be better.
You said, you know, Hanoi is a city that's similar
(30:54):
in size to New York, right, and it retains much
of its culture. But for me, I would be the
guy that goes out to the villages and gets to
feel more of a one on one and not blend in.
You said that pretty much every village is a dream
come true for travelers. Can can you tell me a
little why?
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Well, one of the most recent ones I went to.
Everyone still there's no natural gas, so there's no stoves.
Everyone cooks outside, and everyone cooks on fires. And that's
just amazing, like burning wood, burning wood. I couldn't stop
thinking about it. And the whole place sells like a
(31:34):
fire place. The whole village smells smells like a fireplace.
But just sitting there and going and thinking about how
far society and civilization have come and they are, for
whatever reason, still cooking by fire outside I mean, there
are other things to consider here. They prefer food boiled,
(31:55):
they like chewy, they you know, that's all these preferences.
But you could still have gas canisters brought in and
hot plates and but this is their method and this
is their happiness and there's nothing wrong with it. And
it was almost as appealing as if you're going to
a campfire. But if you go to a campfire and
(32:15):
you're cooking over a fire, it's great. It's there's nostalgia,
it's it's a one time thing. But here that's their life.
And I didn't feel like I was in the middle
of the rainforest where you know it. I was taken
back in time. These people, you know, they had motorbikes,
(32:36):
meaning they have a taste of civilization. I'm not really
traveling back in time, just they prefer to still cook
by fire outside. It was just really intriguing.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Sounds pretty awesome. The largest airport is Hanoi, Is that right?
Speaker 3 (32:52):
I don't know if Hanoi is or Hooch you in,
but it's one of the hubs if not beyond.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
So likely anyone coming to visit that.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Ioy definitely go to annoy.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Is it pretty easy to navigate if you're arriving. Is
there anything to be to be concerned of, like to
watch out for, to be cautious of.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
No, they they meaning the people in the country here,
say be careful, don't have your phone stolen like you're
on it. Don't have someone dry by and take it
out of your hand. I hear that all the time.
I did know somebody who happened to in in hochim In,
but I hear about it all the time. So I
always recommend people to be careful. But no, there's there's
(33:31):
so little crime here. So I saw someone steal something
once and the cop because the cops still have guns either,
the cops like running after him and pulls him by
the back of his shirt and shakes him like it's
like a black and white TV show like Andy Grifforth.
There's some you know, some old like, oh wow, dare
you steal something? Shaking him. It's just bizarre.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I just can't you know in the US to be
tased and there'd be eighteen police car siren and here
he's shaking him, grabbing by the back of his shirt.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Going ah, there's no crime, is nothing, nothing to be
afraid of. It's very peaceful in that aspect, you don't know,
you don't worry about anything.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
You mentioned something too about having a back up of
your passport photo, and that's that's a that's a great suggestion.
I saw something crazy on TV this week.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Is this related to travel or is.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
It's and I actually thought about it about doing it.
I travel light, and you mentioned having a forty liter
lightweight backpack, which is definitely for me. That is my
only means of travel most places that I go.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
You someone that that these folks that think they need
their whole wardrobe in order to be happy, like if
it doesn't fit in a backpack, I don't need it.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
But but back to that topic, I saw where a
lot of these airlines now charge you extra for for
each each piece of luggage. I saw someone that they
don't usually charge you for a pillow. You know, they
put all of their clothes in one of those zip
up pillow cases, so they like doubled. Essentially, they had
(35:14):
two backpacks full of clothes. I don't know if that's
a thing that's going to catch on or what, but
a stability that's.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Smart smart, But yeah, the backpack, I agree with you.
I agree one hundred percent. It's the only way to travel.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Having the ability to scale down what you need into
I mean, does anybody really need more than two pairs
of shoes? I mean, give me some water shoes and
give me my walking shoes.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
You know, right right?
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Are you a outdoorsy type person? Do you get out
of the city and hike or bike or outdoorsy?
Speaker 4 (35:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Maybe no, I don't go hiking necessarily. I'll do more
on the back of the motorbike. I typically don't drive
a bike because it doesn't make sense. A I can
see more, I can enjoy it while we're driving and
b countries, you never know what the laws are. So here,
(36:10):
if you happen to kill someone while you're driving, you
are going to jail until you pay that family ten
thousand dollars. Like that's just the law. Like that's so
if you'll know those crazy laws, then don't take the
risk LUs riding on the back of the motorbike. I
don't have to worry about gassing up or if it
breaks down or so. No. I would typically, if I
(36:33):
have the choice between hiking or motorbiking through the same mountain,
I'll typically ride on the back of the motorbike so
I can enjoy it look around while someone else drives. Okay,
I do like adventures. I do like skydiving, scuba diving,
high air ballooning. I like all that, but take the
fast track route and ride on a motorbike. Screw any
(36:55):
of these one time experiences. I think people should do
it if they can. But I realize or spears involved.
But the traveling thing, that's like a life change. You
go one time and it can change your life. Scuba diving, skydiving,
those are experiences that will be chalked up as an
experience like I did this, check it off. But traveling,
(37:18):
traveling by yourself, or getting that true experience where you
get to understand a culture and understand people, that's a
lifetime change. So that's the difference.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
What's next on your list as far as well I
travel goes.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
I'm definitely travel outside of Vietnam because I've been traveling
within Vietnam for since COVID, But I might keep Vietnam
as a.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Hub to be continued on that. You're one of many
who have indicated what COVID has done for individuals experiencing
their own country. It's forced people back in their own borders.
And like Benny, who I had interviewed as well for Thailand,
(38:01):
saw every single province in Thailand during COVID because of
the inability to go elsewhere. And I think that there
have been really great things that have come out of
COVID like that. Yeah, there's been some things that have
been an inconvenience, but it's caused a lot of slow
downs or redirection for people that has allowed them to
(38:23):
see what's in their own backyard.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I also think you'll have a different perspective out of
people like me or other people abroad versus people who
are quote unquote stuck at home. Any experience I have
is going to be a good because I have a
different mindset because I am here, so I'm looking at
things differently. If I was still in New York, I
might not have as much of a positive outlook and
(38:46):
it might have to dig a little deeper to find it.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
Well said, because the vibration of the culture and location
that people arrive in can really dictate your feelings on
how you deal with things.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
Yeah, if you look, if you go on vacation, it rains,
you go, oh, my vacation's ruined. It rain if you're
traveling in a range, you're like, you know, how beautiful,
let's do this instead. You dance in the rain, you revamped,
and you just roll with the punches.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Indeed, do you think that there's a place for every like?
I have this innate feeling like all the places that
I've traveled to, and sometimes I arrive somewhere and there
is just a vibration that speaks to me, right Vietnam.
For me, that that's Puerto Rico. I can't even explain it.
I just feel at home there. And you found your spot.
I challenge everyone out there to go see this world
(39:38):
and maybe just find your find your.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
New spots, your passion. I don't get it, right, I
don't get it. While people are just working day in,
day out and not doing it.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
For themselves, well as we call it the golden handcuffs.
They think that the benefits, the pay and everything justify
giving up the part of their life that could otherwise
be adventurous and learning of the world. And you trade
one for the other. And it's sad to say, but
it's endless whenever you make your life about that perceived security.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
I'm just saying, take a little break and try traveling.
It's not like I'm saying, work out and if you
like it, work out for the rest of your life.
I'm not saying there's a commitment involved. I'm saying, however
many days we live, if it's seventy five years, what's
some math there? I mean, these is that thirty thousand?
(40:33):
You know, why could you not spend ten twenty thirty
days give yourself that out of your life? Just try it?
Because I've never heard anyone, anyone come back from traveling
going ah, yeah, that sucks. I don't like the world.
I don't like culture. I don't like you. Don't hear that.
(40:55):
You never do. I never hear traveler going nope, nope,
got nothing out of it.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Thanks, you're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. It's a win win,
mister Paul. I thank you so much for this time.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
You know, I hope that we were able to give
folks some insight on Vietnam, on travel in general, and
I look forward to hearing more about your travels in
the future.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
Thank you. Keep in touch, Come and visit.
Speaker 6 (41:20):
We'll have a bowl of fuugh absolutely my friend.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
To view pictures of my guests and find more information
about their cause. Follow me on Instagram and or Facebook
at Cultural Chameleon eleven. And if there's any way you
could rate and review this podcast on the platform where
you listen, I would be incredibly grateful. Take care of
yourself and others until next time.
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