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A person I know complained that she cannot trust ANY local people because she has enough bad experiences about Vietnamese people during her 2 years stay in Vietnam. She said she would rather trust the Chinese than the Vietnamese. I feel pity for her about this and am wondering is this thinking of distrust the same for every expat around here ?(because she claims that all the people she knows share the same feeling) Or is she only an extremist?
local dumb trussmeummkay igiveucandy whitedevil gimmesome thatsnotcandy whataruse lookout hehasagun ithoughtitwaschocolate phrenology youlikehead touchit touchitagain touchitrealnice irony polygenism craniometry ulikenoodle ilikenoodle iwantfriend nofriendforu whysomean harshreality donttouchmycheese touchthenoodle noodlesarefunny differentculturesdifferentnoodles (add tags) Why? Details of tags
answered about 2 months ago by longan
Trust is function of understanding someone. I'd say two years without building any trust with a local Vietnamese person is more a measure of the person's inability to connect and has nothing at all to do with a person being Vietnamese. Pity, i'd say is the right emotion. hmmm, this could be entertaining...
answered about 2 months ago by Stosskraft
Wow this question is a loaded gun. Do I trust people I don't know? NO..Vietnamese or otherwise. I do have some good Vietnamese friends and I do trust them, same as my non-Vietnamese friends...trust is built up over time and needs to work both ways to develop. Having said that I do understand what your friend is saying as the numbers of scams and run around for foreigners, people become guarded. I have noticed that over the last couple years I have tent to avoid alot of the ways people can scam you...using certain taxis only, shopping in places with mark prices... Living in Vietnam is not always easy, but you do have to be aware that many people look at us like walking ATM's, but having said this, I feel the friends I have made here will be life long friends and I do trust them completely. Vietnam can be extreme but it's not black and white, and people like your friend have to do some soul searching, for every person who will try to rip you off...there will be someone who will embarrass you with kindness.... what one you choose to focus on will most likely help decide if your happy or miserable here...and I know many of both.
answered about 2 months ago by granteralus
This is indeed a very loaded gun of a question, and one which I expect could involve very heated answers on both sides of the debate. On one far side you have the "stereotypes exist for a reason" crowd, and on the other a mass of ultra-politically correct people who refuse to attribute any qualities whatsoever to a group. And many people who lie somewhere in the middle. To say that every expat is distrustful of Vietnamese people is just as obtuse as stating that no Vietnamese people can be trusted, so let's be careful when asking and answering how all "these" people feel about "those" people. There's always an exception to every rule, therefore taking people on a 1-on-1 basis is a necessity when traveling if one hopes to fully understand or appreciate a culture. Those who blindly trust everyone are bound to get burned on occasion, and people who refuse to have faith in a single individual will likely never fully comprehend another culture. Back to the question at hand. I wouldn't yet label your friend as an "extremist", however the fact that she can't trust a single Vietnamese person is troubling. She must have had some terrible experiences. And they shouldn't be minimized. Bad things do happen and can have a profound impact on expats' lives here. We've all heard the stories of Vietnamese women marrying Western men and running off with their money. Tales of businesses allowing employees to work for months with the promise of money "coming soon", and yet it never arrives. These things are a tragic reality, but they can't be allowed to ruin our experiences. Unfortunately, bad news typically spreads faster than good news (especially on the internet!), so people are quick to spread stories like these rather than positive ones. How many times have you heard stories about employers loaning their workers money so they can fly home for a holiday? Or even small matters such as the market lady tossing in a free apple on occasion? These things happen as well but regrettably don't receive as much attention as a bartender charging customers for six drinks when they only had five. Yes, many expats feel like walking dollar signs over here. I think there is a solution to that, because many of these stories are rooted in the same location. Get out of the Old Quarter! Several vendors there know that they can take advantage of travelers, so doing business there will likely yield a higher rate of scams or gouging. Out in "real" Hanoi, it's just not that much of a problem. It can happen, but not nearly as much as the district where tourist dollars get tossed around like there's no tomorrow. Perception is reality, but hopefully those who do get burned repeatedly can learn to find the root of their problems and avoid the same entanglements in the future, without pigeonholing an entire ethnic group or country. There are some damn fine people here, and I'm a much richer person for having spent time here. Now, let me tell you about Canadians...
answered about 2 months ago by virezo
ANY? Whoa!! What an explorer! I've never met all local people here. I've spent more than 20 years here, hmm... well, shame on me.
answered about 2 months ago by Candide
Dear happyvalley, What an insightful and timely question. Your friend raises an extremely good point. In fact, it is a well established scientific fact that the profound inscrutability and coldness of the Asian character leaves them unable to form any of the sophisticated social arrangements that have been achieved by the more noble and self-sacrificing Anglo-Saxon type and their closely related kin the Norman and Celtic types etc. As such Orientals most especially the Vietnamese live in a sort of rudimentary state nature. In a riot of constant, vicious competition where no quarter is given or received even between close family members. Their understanding of kinship, morality or the rule of law is but a vague and provisional thing. They have not been able to establish the complex, finely balanced cooperative systems of Northern European societies as a result and you would do well to regard them ALL with wary suspicion at all times to avoid their exotic scams, schemes and opium-scented lechery. Although they do not exhibit the indolence and laziness of the African type or the greed and insidiousness of the cunning Semitic type the simple barbarity of their social system has kept them in a state of near savagery until the present day. I think you must agree the staggering levels of mindless violence that wrack the streets of Hanoi speak eloquently for themselves in this regard. I am glad you and “your friend” have raised this issue at such a momentous point in history. America is on the cusp of making a horrendous mistake and electing to its highest office a man profoundly unsuited by nature to the role –it is a grievous error. I myself while living in London years ago was once set upon by a young black male and mugged. Now I may not know much about statistics but I do know the feel of a Reebok in the ribs and I can say categorically that we must all pray that the U.S. does not make this catastrophic mistake. The African type, though they have some fine qualities are not suited to leadership but innately to servile roles of limited responsibility; they will always resort to crime and sleaze in an effort to avoid genuine work. Now some may say I am being un“P.C.” and “out of touch” with the tenor of the times but I think these types of question are as important and relevant today as they were in the 17th and 18th Century and they prove that despite hundreds of years of scientific, moral and social progress that something invigorating, energetic and instinctually primeval still exists in the human psyche. An innate 'common sense' if you will – and nothing is more obstinate than common sense. Some may say that stereotypes are devices for saving a biased person the trouble of learning but I say - what the hell’s wrong with something that saves us all some goddamn time? I’m having my maid board up my windows as I type this and she has promised to come back to bring me food but still… there's something about her eyes… is she smirking? I’m not so sure. What is she thinking? What the hell is she thinking? I am afraid. Pax, Candide
Candide Colbert... has a nice ring to it.
Finally, it's all about the race, isn't it? Candide, you're on a small island and think the whole world should be ruled by *your Anglo-Saxon type. Luckily, it's not. The only thing I know that whatever the race is, it is education determines who he/she will be. I can be wrong but US people won't (nor the kind of animal named "human" living on this earth).
answered about 2 months ago by tayindo
How about Western people you can't trust? I've been disappointed by ''some''Western people, who claimed to have higher standards then ''these'' locals. That makes me more angrier with the unavoidable ''apologetic'' bla bla which I always get after another bad promise.Don't compare your cultural to the local culture. We all have some bad things and good things and in the end it's all about human relationships despite with some culture barriers we can make something of it.
answered about 2 months ago by jimbo
Imagine if the recent flooding had occurred in a medium-sized US city. Imagine the looting and shooting that would surely occur. In Hanoi, where the police presence was near-zero, the population generally maintained order, persevering through the troubles with a generally positive attitude. 'These people' can't be trusted? (virezo, I think that essay by candide was a joke.)
answered about 2 months ago by pagoda
I would like to say that luck, culture shock and adjustment, personal empathy, and all human qualities of accepting and understanding each other comes to the blatant fore when you are here. Having had my scores of bad experiences and good ones, I could personally say that although the good ones are pretty rare, it nonetheless paves to a better insight of the psyche of Vietnamese. Sometimes the kindness we come across is so humbling that we have to rethink of these people who have had to fight at least a 1,000 yrs of invasion and subversion. What would we do if we were run over like them ? Darwinism pleads the evolution theory as the survival of the fittest, and this is what these people have learnt and do. Their social skills might not have picked the momento to match up with our Western ones, but if we understand, learn and respect theirs, it is a joy ! All they won't is the progress of their country, a good house, good education for their kids, better living conditions, and .......... peace ! Where in the world have you seen a country where the President of the United States of America pass by in his car without a single hitch, and no demonstration. A security deployment that might have made us all smile in their visual display of tiny men sporting a coat too big for their slender shoulders. And this is a country having received 100 times more nukes than all fired during WWII in a single country ! And still sporting its worst enemy as his best friend and assuring his security. We have to honour and respect the quiet resilience that inhabits this population and the continued dignity that they still carry. I fully agree how challenging it can be living here, but hey this could be anywhere ! it does not mean that if we lived in an urban loft if Manhattan, we could not get mugged in the streets .... think of it compared to the tiny and silly scams here committed in the Old Quarter. Hanoi is the only city where I sleep on my ears ... feeling safe and sound. Amidst my neighbour's irritating crazy cockerel crowing at all times and the bikes horns every now and then. Of course, I do lock my doors. Relax and enjoy your stay here !
Yes, jimbo. Thank you. I know now. I read candide's answer when I just got out of bed this morning. Couldn't read for details. :D For this question, can we put an end to it? Just let happyvalley's friend keeps her attitude. We all know the world isn't in black or white like the earth.
answered about 2 months ago by MattandAnh
All I have to say is WOW... I have never read such racist and despicable words in my life. Candide, if you really feel that way about Orientals or any race then why the hell did you come to Vietnam to live of all things? What BS science do you read that states as fact that mannerisms are based on ethnic identity? You honestly feel that the ideas expressed in the 17th and 18th centuries are relevant to the standards of thinking today? Wake up buddy. How about you actually go around the streets of Hanoi (and not just the Old Quarter like most tourists) and meet a few Vietnamese people. Hell, try to learn a bit of the language even. I've met more kind Vietnamese people than I have western people since I arrived so I have no idea where you generate this hate for the Vietnamese. And it is HATE. Also, Obama is going to win, so put that in your pipe and smoke it you elitist prick.
1. Open dictionary. 2. See: sarcasm. 3. Have a "smoke" and calm the fuck down.
answered about 2 months ago by teacherman
Ditto granteralus' words. The responses to Canadide's "advocatus diaboli" post show that the use of this oratory technique to reveal flaws in an argument is a non-starter in our hyper-pc modern world. As for the original question, goggle "internet troll".
answered about 2 months ago by nammo
Nice one if the original question was a joke, which it very likely was, given the level of idiocy ... Seriously, as one of "those locals", let me tell you that your attitude will decide the treatment you get. Now if that is too Zen/ oriental an answer LOL, here is a more digestible version: if you come into my house intending to find the shit, I'll give you a bucket load of it ... Before you ask, no that is not a Vietnamese expression LOL. I made it up. Wow, those Westerners have really corrupted my sensitive nature ...
this string is turning ... interesting. The worst experience I've had has been with maids. I know that many of you take it as a blessing, but all my experiences have been nasty and negative. I could write a bible on it. But apart from that, daily interactions are positive and looking forward to cooler days when I could walk and explore more areas in the Old Quarter and make new friends. Deep inside I would like to visit the country in 10 yrs time and see whether the hygiene level ahs improved.
answered about 2 months ago by NickinNam
MattandAnh: You must read Candide carefully and thoughtfully before responding with unreflected bile. Our friend Candide like Voltaire before him, uses subtle judo arguments to point out the incongruous logic the simple minded use to sort out their place in the world and reaction to it. Much like an episode of the Simpsons, children and idiots will get only some of the jokes, while Rhodes Scholars, Mensa Members and the well read get an entire other level of enjoyment. In other words, it's a joke dude. Candide agrees with you and you were just a tad too much of a, shall we say, "speed reader" to "get it". I believe, at this point, the consensus seems to be that wherever you go, people are people and some of them are assholes but most of them are as afraid of you as you are of them. Peace, Love and Jerry Garcia.
what's so rubbish about adding my experiences to this string ? some dumb idle hogs' pranks? trusting the locals ? cultural divide, social exclusion, stereotyped pigeonholing, or plain lack of understanding ? whatever may, I have to admit that many are just trying to be too politically correct here or just pissing off the other by digging at the rhetoric. The plain truth I have seen is that most expats do blabber the same frustrations over a non online social situation. And the same turn to be the staunchest buddy of the locals. It is true that nothing is black and white here but ...also among us. Live and let live ! You cannot change human nature, it is a corrupt complex labyrinth of paradoxes.
answered about 2 months ago by bobthebob01
woa!!!! this thread has the potential to beat an old question about a woman searching some sexual toys in Hanoi (i can't recall the wording use in the subject), in terms of post. all i have to say is that during my almost 5 years in Hanoi i have met some of the worse and some of the best people in my life. And that includes Vietnamese as well as foreigners (and i mean other Asian, not just westerners). i agree with virezo that education is crucial. Granteralus: what's wrong with Canadians??? Don't start bashing on your friendly northern neighbors please, or we are gonna have to meet up to discuss this in person ;) (over a nice lunch at Khazaana)
Ha!! I love Canadians. But I do reserve the right to give you a good ribbing after the regular beatings I took while living with a bunch of them.
you may! but don't push it or i'm gonna ask happyvalley's friend the name of the Vietnamese she accoutered to make your life miserable !!!!!!
answered about 2 months ago by Cresent
I like this topic and how people responded to one another's idea here. Im not a foreigner but new here in Ha Noi. Just think where there is good, there is evil and vice versa. No matter where the person is from, he might be good or bad, the possibilities just dont go up or down because of the race. Personally, I use my mind, heart and intuition to decide whether to trust a person or not. And luck could play a certain role too. Your life partner or best friend may be among the "locals" you are doubting.
Dear Cresent, What a sweet and sensible response to a question that hardly deserves it and one that cuts through to the core of this prehistoric discussion. It is the same sentiment that others have articulated above - people are generally good but there are a few dickheads everywhere - but you have brought heart and intuition to the fore. Your sincerity and directness is better than any smart-ass sarcastic/painful logical arguments in response to something we should know instinctively. Despite our superficial cultural differences (you tattoo your faces, we watch 'Everybody Loves Raymond' etc. etc.) people are infinitely more alike than they are different. And that IS a scientific fact. Professor Donald Brown has destroyed the old anthropological obsession with cultural differences and compiled an awesome list of universal human traits. He calls it the Universal People - that's us: Sioux Indians, Eskimos, Finns, British, Vietnamese and Americans and all the rest. We are all far more interesting in the ways we are alike than in the banal, superficial ways we are different. But sadly it seems we are still obsessed with difference. Anyone who likes can see Prof. Brown’s list at http://condor.depaul.edu/~mfiddler/hyphen/humunivers.htm - it is a very interesting and humbling read. Thanks for your sense Cresent. Pax, Candide
The continual production and distribution of "Everybody Loves Raymond" is some kind of conspiracy. I've never met a single individual who admits to enjoying it.
Or 'Monk', and yet they will rate...
answered about 2 months ago by tangoLA
For anyone who’s interested, there’s a great deal of research and literature on the topic of trust and comparing different levels of trust between countries. There are two quantitative studies that I know of on Vietnam. The first, by Dalton el al. (2001), used a questionnaire survey format distributed to 1000 individuals throughout Vietnam, and found that while only 41% of Vietnamese thought that most people could be trusted, this was relatively high when compared with the same question in other East Asian countries: “42% of Japanese respondents, 41% of the Taiwanese, 52% of the Chinese and only 6% of the Philippine respondents say they trust others.” Thus, Dalton et al. conclude that “the Vietnamese national level of social trust appears higher than some other nations at Vietnam's stage of economic development.” Regarding differences in trust between the three main regions of Vietnam, Dalton et al. note that “[e]xpressions of interpersonal trust are, however, much more common in northern provinces (55%) than in central (28%) or southern (37%) Vietnam.” http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/Upload/104_social_relations_vietnam.pdf This finding is replicated somewhat in a more quantitatively rigorous study, by Tanaka et al. (2006), which compared 9 villages in north and south Vietnam, and found that contributions in a so-called trust game were higher in the north than in the south; however, they also determined that southerners were more generous to poor income groups than northerners. They argue that a longer history of collectivization in the north had the effect of making northerners relatively more dependent on political institutions to carry out altruistic activities, compared to southerners. http://www.hss.caltech.edu/~camerer/Vietnam.pdf To sum up, it seems that Vietnamese are relatively trusting (and presumably more trustworthy), considering the low income level in this country. My experience in Papua New Guinea, South America, and post-communist Eastern Europe supports this view – can anyone else support or dispute this hypothesis, based on your personal experiences? A further piece of evidence for this general hypothesis is that Vietnam (and China) have been the two fastest growing countries in the world, in terms of GDP, over approximately 2 decades, and the presumption is that something other than economic factors – namely trust, or “social capital” – has been allowing Vietnam and China to grow rapidly, and also aided the growth of the East Asian tiger economies. Fukuyama (1995) was one of the first scholars to popularize this view. The really interesting question, then, is why Vietnamese have a higher level of trust in their country, compared to other countries at similar levels of income. The topic of what makes some countries trusting and others mistrustful is the holy grail that many social scientists are now trying to address. Some have suggested it’s due to the density of civil society groups. Income inequality seems to play a negative role. Since income inequality is particularly marked (and rising) in big cities like Hanoi (or Los Angeles, for that matter), that could explain some of the negative experiences that foreigners have here. It’s quite an experience to drop in on a random village in the countryside, leave your motorbike at a stranger’s house, and be totally reassured that it will still be there when you come back. Cheers
answered about 2 months ago by arctictis
I must say mate that’s just the sort of response this thread needed. The question for me is a timely one – having left my motorbike at a random shop in the countryside during the recent flooding, I can’t say I ever had a worry it wouldn't be there when it get's back. However - I’ve been loftily considering the function of trust in this society quite a bit recently. Whether or not I trust people more or less than anywhere else I couldn’t say, but I certainly feel I rely on trust here a good deal more than elsewhere. I must say it's been rewarded at every step too. We all the time leave bikes out the front of shops with kids who just might be anyone - who gives a second thought to that? Recently I was pushing my bike along looking for a mechanic. I came across on one side of the road two blokes under a ripped piece of tarpaulin offering to help, and 200m further, a mechanics shop. The choice was an obvious one, but instead I was deliriously exhausted and first chose the shysters under the tarp, who proved a point by having less of an idea how to get it running than I did. Immediately I remembered an explanation of why banks build such giant marble palaces (possibly from the Undercover Economist) – to demonstrate they have an interest in staying around instead of simply running off with your cash. Which gives me a theory.... In Vietnam marble palaces are few, and plenty of businesses do without even four walls and a roof. This isn’t so much to do with wanting running off with your cash as it’s a simple reflection of the status of economic development. Consequently people must place trust in others as they go about their daily lives, without the assurances of bricks and mortar. For example, if I bought a new MacBook computer, I’d have more faith buying it from an Apple flagship store, than from the back of some bloke’s car outside a shopping centre (trusting Apple is a whole different matter). The analogy here being that the back of some blokes car (or at least the local equivalent) is often the standard way here and people are therefore accustomed to placing their trust in more ephemeral business practices. Under this premise I could therefore understand why people who have grown up in more developed places, especially those who are uncomfortable here and unused to the local way of things, would therefore find it harder to trust local business. At the end of the day though, this is just teasing out an idea for the sake of it, and as William of Occam would attest a shorter explanation is generally a better one: When people leave their comfort zone they get scared. When you’re scared you don’t trust. Bingo I'd go a step further and say scared looking people attract the type of person hoping to take advantage of them, and there's always your statistical outliers - some people just have bad luck. By the way Tango – what’s the Fukuyama (1995) reference? chao nhe
Guys, you should all get into a theater and debate as it really shows that many of you have a lot to talk about on that subject. Or we could set up a meeting in a coffee/bar. it could be a very interesting night!!!
Hi Artictis, The (Francis) Fukuyama reference is his 1995 book “Trust”: http://www.amazon.com/Trust-Francis-Fukuyama/dp/0029109760 Many economists allude to the importance of trust in "lubricating" economic transactions. I agree with you that foreigners must certainly feel uncomfortable with informal market transactions in makeshift settings. --- For a study examining the link between income inequality and homicide rates (arguably a proxy for trust) in North America, please see: http://psych.mcmaster.ca/dalywilson/iiahr2001.pdf
answered about 2 months ago by guadalquivir
TangoLA, I think that all the researches that you cited study "trust" among Vietnamese and not between Vietnamese and foreigners. This is an important distinction. A lot of people here will do business that involves lots of money just on a handshake basis. That is because they trust each other, and more importantly they know that if the other person cheats, everybody will know about it. That person will be frowned upon by society (or at least the circle of people that he belongs to). This social phenomenon and many other social values and norms in Vietnam stem from the "village culture", where everybody knows one another and what the other person is up to. Having lived in South America, I definitely think that people here trust each other more than the South Americans do. The relationship between Vietnamese and foreigners is more complicated and much harder to decipher. We are a very homogeneous nation so there is sort of an "us vs them" mentality to a certain extent. I think most Vietnamese are quite friendly to foreigners and are curious to learn about the differences in culture etc. However, there are also many people who try to take advantage of foreigners thinking "Oh thang Tay kia is new to the country so he must not know anything". But this happens in many countries, even developed ones. How I got back the deposit from my landlord in Spain could be made into a thrilling action movie. Even in France and England you'd definitely lose your belongings in touristy places if you're not careful (I lost my camera in London). Many Vietnamese friends tell me they don't understand Americans because they can be very nice and friendly one day and the next day they won't even remember who you are. As far as I know, most Vietnamese who study abroad in England, Australia, and France find it difficult to make friends with the locals there. Actually while I'm at it, how many of you Aussie or British folks have a close Vietnamese friend (from Vietnam) while you were back home? I think when given a choice, most of us tend to hang out with people whom we're most comfortable with and can relate to easily. Living abroad can be frustrating and difficult, even for the most seasoned globetrotters. When I live abroad, I tend to make friends with the locals and this "tactic" has served me quite well. After all, if you are friends with the locals you might just know all the common scams and tricks that happen in the country and avoid them accordingly. And when that happens, you might actually have a very different opinion about Vietnamese (or other nationals for that matter). P.S. Tango LA, I think that the economic growth here has more to do with political stability and investment than anything else.
answered about 2 months ago by mandy
No matter where you are, European, Western, Asian. There are good and bad people to a curtain extent. I think your friend has no trust in anythings. This person should look at himself first before giving such kind of comments. Be positive about life and people!
guadalquivir: very well said. it is true that if you get to know them and have local friends, you get to know how to avoid scams. And i just had a living proof of that tactic. My cousin came from abroad to travel Vietnam with her boyfriend. Even though i tried to let her know about all the possible scams i know, it takes time and to see them coming. on her way back to Hanoi, they told all about their trip and .... and how they got tricked, scammed. I know and i am used to see 99% of what she told me coming. Therefore by knowing well where you live, you make it a better journey. As for the remark on Americans, well...there is nothing new, isn't it granteralus? ;)
I'm sorry, do I know you?
Hey guys. Im supposed to be doing my damn assignment but was so interested in this topic, so now stick to the responses. FOR tangoLA: The researches you mentioned were so interesting. Hahha I didn’t know there were such researches on our trust for one another. However, I still think that how much you trust the folks in the same community really depends on the tradition, the characteristics of the community and a lot on your own point of view and personality. So such stereotype doesn’t seem appealing to me. FOR arctictis: : You were very observing in the matter of handshake businesses. Yes, I agree that social status, convention and prestige play a significant role in that tradition of trading here. However, its changing by and by due to the integration and marketing economic trend. We didnt use to sign any paper when we lend or borrow a big amount of money. Guarantees didn’t use to be taken into consideration when you buy something, even very valuable. But its changing not because we are losing trust in the others but we are becoming more professional in business which I think is gud. About the motorbike thing. It used to be that people never locked their houses when going out. But it was ages ago when the agricultural culture was still intact and strong. There are always crimes in the society, no matter how developed and in which era it is. In some countries you can leave the bike unlocked on the street and in some you have to put extra locks on nearly every single square inch on your bike. It has nothing to do with the civilizational level of the nation. I have seen a documentary in which a man in Amsterdam just got only the tire of his bicycle left after coming back from a gov office just because it was the only part chained to the bar outside the house. And in some poor villages in vietnam, as I have experienced, you can leave the motorbike in the unlocked yard over night. Hahha so I guess culture and tradition might be useful to explain this phenomenon. FOR guadalquivir: I absolutely agree with you about the taking advantages thing. My Aussie friend told me they took advantages from rich Japanese tourists in the same way some do in Vietnam. So the economic development level should not matter here ha? And about the tricks. Where there are people, there are tricks, no matter where you are from. We Vietnamese got tricked too, even when you are the locals in the place. I guess it happens to you foreign guys too. Some people just make money out of tricks, do you think so?
answered about 2 months ago by margie
maximize the use of your gray matter and social skills; know where you are, learn where you are; then live accordingly...if you can't deal or properly cope with the challenges of living in a strange, foreign land, then face the consequences. trusting or not trusting really depends on who you are and your background. some people tend to be super vigilant wherever they are while some are just plain too trusting to a fault. personally, i believe most of us fall between these two extremes. i bet majority of us here have experienced being scammed in varying degrees but still love living in vietnam partly because of friendships and relationships formed with local people.
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