arctictis's profile
arctictis's Posts
14 reviews or comments posted; 5 questions asked; 27 answers given.
Reviews / Comments (14) see all
AAAH! You're late! You're also stingy. You're running late for your flight but a taxi is out of the question in your penny-pinching ways. Sadly at this stage so too is the 5k VNĐ public bus so you fall into some clothes, grab your bag and without a drip of caffeine or a morsel to eat and you xe ôm it quick-sticks, for once wishing he’d go faster, to get the minibus from the VN airlines office.
You get there, but the bus is empty and won’t leave until it’s full. You’ve made up some time now and can afford to wait for it when you realize that you’re empty too, and don’t especially want to leave until full either. You know airport food is not only horrendously expensive, but bloody terrible too. Staring around blankly for a moment and there it is - bún chả - SAVED!
The meat is unrecognizable hacked grilled pork pieces and therefore not strictly chả, but they’re not too fatty and don’t taste all bad. The serving of bún is plentiful, the garlic and chilli fresh, but the syrup is a little thick and sugary for your delicate, nuanced palate. The rau, well, you’d rather not touch them if it’s all the same, and you devour your breakfast in record time with an approving nod from the matriarch on her tiny plastic throne.
So now you feel a whole lot better and join a confused bunch of taxi drivers at the table next door for a quick coffee. Amid giggles and broken English they offer you the thuóc lao, but you really don’t want to be giddy so early in the morning. At least not on a weekday.
Scarfing down the coffee and feeling finally human and able to think, you realize you’d better get moving now - but there’s still no-one waiting for the blasted minibus. So at last you bite the bullet. Lucky for you you’re surrounded by taxis, all of whom are so desperate for your money they’ll go off the meter even less than the standard fare.
2 stars for forgettable bún chả and extra-low stools, 4 stars for convenience and price; makes for a solid 3 stars all round.
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Zoos are a controversial, complicated and often emotive affair to say the least - especially the poor ones. While I'd happily sit down over a bia hơi and have a lengthy discussion with you over the respective roles of education, conservation, entertainment, awareness and animal welfare and rights in the modern zoo, here I'm just going to weigh the place up on the merits of its already existence.
Immediately on paying the paltry entrance fee (1/2000 VNĐ kid/big kid) you're confronted. By children running riot in the carnival atmosphere – it's a place young Hanoians come for a laugh. Families, couples - of a weekend the place is pretty packed. And like so much of VN, packed it is, with microindustry crammed into each and every corner; be it small electric train circuits, nước mía, beggars, or plastic pig souveniers sold through the fence. There don’t seem to be any other foreigners or English anywhere so you immediately score culture points for mixing it with the locals. But where are all the critters you came to see? Well, they're surprisingly few in number.
There's a modest collection of aviaries, a range of native primates, a few deer, bears, tigers, the odd small carnivore, a hippo, three saggy baggy elephants, a couple of other odds and ends and a very lonely chimpanzee (see my profile picture) – god only knows where they got her from. Barring the menu, it's also the only place in this country I've seen sheep. I wonder who shears them?
Many zoos in the modern age have moved toward 'hidden' walls and glass barriers around enclosures. Thủ Lệ Zoo however dates to the earlier part of the last century and is steel bars aplenty. Whether the animals themselves care of what their confines are made I couldn't in any honesty tell you. To the human eye however this intensely visible reminder confronts us quite immediately with reality of the animal’s day-to-day existence. Perhaps this is purely superficial, so let's take a closer look.
In two visits amounting to say 6 hours, I've yet to see a keeper and the sanitary conditions are frankly disgraceful. At least part of this comes from the accessibility of the animals. You can certainly get up close and personal here and visitors love exchanging rubbish, food or leaves with one of the many primates starving for some stimulation and just about anything else you’d care to poke a stick at (Oh – they do that too). On one level this must indeed relieve some of the monotony these animals experience in their homes otherwise devoid of any diversion or enrichment. On the other hand it also leads to totally inappropriate diets and some horrendously overweight macaques (see photograph above).
It is the elephants that are the exception here. In their broad, grassy, lakeside enclosure they remain virtually inaccessible and almost out of sight. There is probably good reason for this. Elephants are well known as highly intelligent, but chained here for interminable hours under a small concrete roof they exhibit severe behavioural problems with compulsive pacing and incessant, even spine chilling shaking that I'll admit drew me briefly to tears. These sentient giants also sport some of the thickest skin going around, but here it hangs tight over a disturbingly visible skeleton.
On the surface this is a nice open space with some greenery about, but if you want open space, fresh air and a touch of serenity, go to the botanical gardens instead. The Lonely Planet claims this is “not one of Asia's horror shows” and I will admit it could be much worse, but that is hardly an excuse. Still, children probably will “enjoy the fun park and swan pedal boats” and I hope at the same time they can develop an affinity for other creatures too.
At the end of the day, Việt Nam is racing to the future and its animals are getting left far behind. Hanoians need the opportunity to make some connection with nature if they are expected to take an interest in preserving it better. I hope Thủ Lệ Zoo can provide this connection, and reflect Hanoi’s rapid development in the custodianship of its own residents.
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Maybe I’m easily excited. So I come from a poor and backwards nation, but don’t hold it against me, I just love the way Việt Nam has ushered in the wireless age. I like pulling out my shiny laptop and working in a café – it’s not something one can do a great deal in my homeland and it’s surprisingly productive. I love that I can sit grubby old café somewhere in Tuyên Quang and connect to friends in Melbourne. I love that there is WiFi in practically every café and anywhere in HN I can find a handful of wireless signals. Still, I’m guessing for those coming from nations with good telecommunications - it’s just passé. But so much for that.
A BIA HƠI with WiFi however – now ladies and gentlemen, that’s just gravy.
Imagine the scene - it’s a beautiful late autumn afternoon, there’s a light breeze floating across Ba Mẫu lake, children are playing chasey (tag) with a few friendly dogs on the grass, it’s a little early for the “một, hai, ba yo” crowd to have finished for the day (really though, is it ever too early?), and you’re there with your mobile workstation - quietly getting through those emails that in the bustle of the office you just haven’t had time to get to. But here in the serenity of a bia hơi you can do it in the company of the worlds greatest beer and feel great in the mean time.
Or try this one on for size - you haven’t spoken to you honey-bunny back home in ages but there’s building going on next door, the AC in your house is broken, and skyping your beloved in Highlands would just be weird. What better option than to plant yourself under an industrial fan at Bia Hơi Zin where probably no-one will understand your conversation but who cares anyway, because WiFi in a a bia hơi is just great.
The service here is generally responsive to the good old “em oi!” and you can even just hold up fingers corresponding to the number of beers you want. The food is solid, all the staples and hot-pots for the winter (bear in mind though you’re essentially outside), and so fresh they’ll even kill pigeons and chooks on demand. The tables are steel topped, meaning they’re kept pretty clean – which is great when you want to go leering across them and not get covered in filth. They’re also really long which is perfect for sizeable groups, and if there’s enough of you they’ll stay open pretty late, even if it means going to bottles.
In the context of a bia hơi they’re definitely a contender.
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Does anyone find it suspicious that each of the winners has a picture of an ape as their profile?
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posted about 2 months ago by arctictis
about the event: Regurgitator - live in Hanoi by Club for Arts and Music Appreciation (C.A.M.A.) @ American Club
The 'Gurge in Hanoi - does it get more surreal?
A Pre-emptive 5 *s can't be far wrong
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Questions (5)
Other than the few baskets and shops on the northwest corner of HK lake, does anyone know where there's a tobacconist selling good cigars?
(Preferably cheaply?)
Does anyone know a DVD sthop where it's possible to purchase the complete either a complete set of Monty Python's Flying Circus, or each of the series separately?
I've seen the movies for sale (already own them in point of fact), but I'm after the TV episodes.
As if day to day life wasn't sufficiently filled with the bizzare anyway ha?
Does anyone know where one may purchase one of these t-shirts bearing so priceless a slogan.
I guess I could get one printed up but it wouldn't be quite the same...
I'm not sure whether it's a growing phenomenon, but I'm noticing increasing numbers of "questions" posted here that are really inviting a discussion of life and times in VN.
Not that there is anything whatsoever wrong with this; but given this is somewhat distinct from asking for specific information, is there room on this site for a seperate "discussion" category or section?
Does anyone have any opinions or advice on the different mobile phone service providers in Cambodia in terms of cost service and coverage?
I'm looking especially for one with good rural coverage.
Answers (27)
Posted Thursday June 19th, 2008.
what sort of rate are banks buying USD at? Does this overvaluation of foreign currencies translate to buying foreign currency at exorbitant prices too?
I've a mate coming in from Aus next week - do we stand to make a bit of cash here?
In response to the question: (See my "Short" history lesson if you don't know about the current currency situation in VN - it's after my question) My question: In September,...
Posted Thursday June 19th, 2008.
I've seen a few around at some of th nicer bars and restaurants, but I'm living a couple of hours out of town so I' like to buy in bulk (or at least a few!) to take home with me.
In response to the question: Other than the few baskets and shops on the northwest corner of HK lake, does anyone know where there's a tobacconist selling good cigars? (Preferabl...
Posted Friday July 11th, 2008.
In VN you need a special licence to ride a motorbike over 175cc. I'll guess like most expats you don't have a Vietnamese licence which is neither here nor there, but if you want to purchase a new bike, you'll need a licence - or at least a Veitnamese mate with a licence. The point here is that if you want to buy one of the bigger bikes - like the Baja or the Reflex, you'll need a mate with a lecence endorsed to ride a larger bike.
Secondly (although I'm not 100% on this) I think larger bikes are subject to the high levels of taxation also in place on cars, so buying a bigger bike will get much more expensive if this is the case, but as I said, not 100%.
The XL should be a good option, Japanese bikes are highly reliable and pretty simple to fix. The only problem with riding one in some of the more remote areas is that if something does go wrong, it may be difficult to get hold of the parts as those bikes are pretty rare.
Minsks are both powerful and can be fixed easily by pretty much any mechanic around the north, but farther south and over borders they are rare and therefore will be a problem if parts are needed. And as you've alluded to - they are a dirty environmental abomination (having said that I ride one myself, so Minsk folks don't take offence!).
If you've got a bit of a mechanical mind you can get around most problems by carrying some parts and having a crack at fixing things yourself. The Hanoi Minsk club might also be able to help you with this kind of information as well as good mechanics in the countryside and touring info.
Good luck - sounds like you've got great things planned!
In response to the question: After renting for four months I am taking the plunge and buying a motorbike. I am planning on spending three months on the road starting in November, ...
Posted Wednesday July 16th, 2008.
May I also add to this: does anyone know where to buy proper dreadwax - i.e. wax with no petroleum in it for the dreading of one's locks?
In response to the question: There are two things that i am struggling to find: 1) decent hair wax, i can only find gel at the moment, even the ones that say wax are gel really...
Posted Sunday August 10th, 2008.
The shops around the north of HK lake are definitely the best bet.
There's a couple of shops opposite the Bo Ho bust stop with genuine Crumpler bags in a good range of sizes to suit your setup and colours to match whatever outfit you like to wear.
I bought one about 8 months ago for my Nikon D80 which goes literally everywhere with me and it's been great - copped the heaviest downpours VN has to offer and stayed dry, and had a hell of a beating to boot, but still looks great. I couldn't recommend one highly enough.
In response to the question: Does anyone know where to buy a reliable camera bag for DSLR at a reasonable price? Padding doesn't matter since I have a nice one. But it should be...
Posted Sunday August 10th, 2008.
There's a fair range of vintage bikes out there waiting to be done up - Minsks are fairly easy to find, there's usually a few advertized on this site, and the Minsk club may know about other places to look for other vintage bikes.
If that's not what your after there's a lot of others like Simpsons or Uwas which don't tend to be found in expat circles and usually in the countryside owned by poor farmers. The best advice I could suggest is to get a Vietnamese mate to go through some Vietnamese classifieds for you and have a look what's out there. It'll be more difficult than rocking up to a shop, but you never know what gems you might find.
In response to the question: where can i find an older american/european bicycle? i have checked out the old "black market" area but could only find chinese or vietnamese bikes. i...
Posted Monday August 25th, 2008.
On Hang Bac, b/n Ma May & Ta Hien on the south side there's an unassuming little Kodak hole in the wall place, sorry not sure what number though. There's a corrugated semi-permanent construction site in that section generally covered with t-shirts, the shop's not far to the west of this.
I suspect they develop film off site, but they've given me by far the best prints.
They're one of the few places who do b&w film too, though it takes a while.
In response to the question: Hi! I have yet to find a decent place in Hanoi that develops photos from film. Based on friends recommendations, I have now tried several different p...
Posted Tuesday August 26th, 2008.
I third such suspicions, however I'm pretty sure the joint I mentioned on p. Hang Bac prints for real - the quality of b&w stuff I've had from there is way beyond anywhere else in HN.
In response to the question: Hi! I have yet to find a decent place in Hanoi that develops photos from film. Based on friends recommendations, I have now tried several different p...
Posted Tuesday August 26th, 2008.
Cnr Dinh Liet and Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem dist., on Hang Bac on the NE side - expensive but excellent quality internet cafe - there's a sign out the front, head straight through the sort of indoor laneway to the back and up one flight of stairs - it's easier to find than it sounds - good CD facilities.
If you just want a CD copied though, try just about any shop that sells software, computer things or even a camera joint who burn photos, they might be able to help...
In response to the question: I can't find a computer in an internet shop with a functional cd-drive. Maybe I just have bad luck. Or is this the norm? Can someone recommend somewhe...
Posted Tuesday August 26th, 2008.
Loominpapa I'm afraid I haven't advanced beyond short pants and 35mm stuff, so I can't advise on the slide scenario.
I always take pains to make sure shops are certain they know they are dealing with "phim den trang", but these guys were fine, and I've had really good prints come back.
In response to the question: Hi! I have yet to find a decent place in Hanoi that develops photos from film. Based on friends recommendations, I have now tried several different p...
Posted Wednesday September 3rd, 2008.
I keep a photocopy tucked in my wallet - it's been surprisingly handy from time to time, especially if I've forgotten to take the original when going off overnight.
I never take the real one unless I'm heading somewhere overnight or I know I need it for something official.
In response to the question: Sylly question ; ) Do you guys carry your passport everywhere you go in Hanoi/Vietnam be it during work/holiday? Just curious...guys...
Posted Thursday September 11th, 2008.
You could count me in for a S-M mens.
Got a colour scheme in mind?
From memory, there's a place on Ly Quoc Su near Hang Bong that does printing.
I'm having second thoughts as to whether that's the exact slogan, though it's certainly sufficiently bizarre
In response to the question: Does anyone know where one may purchase one of these t-shirts bearing so priceless a slogan. I guess I could get one printed up but it wouldn't be ...
Posted Friday September 12th, 2008.
Great - the New Hanoian spreading important community messages!
In response to the question: Does anyone know where one may purchase one of these t-shirts bearing so priceless a slogan. I guess I could get one printed up but it wouldn't be ...
Posted Monday September 15th, 2008.
I live in the country and ride a Minsk, though I'm afraid my WIN experience is pretty limited to a few rides. As I see it:
Minsk
+
2 stroke – great torque, powerful
Wide tyres
Comfortable and upright sitting position
Easy to maintain
De facto theft-proof (as Teacherman pointed out - nice Ele by the way mate)
Got character
Handles really well off on dodgy roads
-
2-stroke – can be a pain finding servos with 2 stroke oil, more expensive, servos are inconsistent in how much they put in so you have to be good at measuring by eye and doing the calculations in your head.
Really smoky
Fuel inefficient (shocking in the city but not too bad on the open road)
Generally they need a bit of maintenance and you'd want a bit of basic know how, though easy to pick up
Reliability problems in some bikes (mine's been great)
The Vietnamese will generally scorn such a disreputable machine, though they're pretty happy to help fix it
WIN
+
More efficient
More respectable
Faster top speed
More reliable
More environmentally sound
Much much quieter
-
Narrower tyres
Not quite so handy off road
Less torque
More bent over seating, not so much fun for your back on a long trip
Not quite the same character or personality
Personally, if I had my time again I'd buy a WIN and replace the handle bars with a good set of riser bars like a Minsk's got – and easy job to do yourself. Then again, this might be a mistake...
In response to the question: Hi everyone, I'm in the market for a motorbike and would like some advice. I'm going to be in northern Vietnam for about 5 months, and then sout...
Posted Monday September 15th, 2008.
With all due respect honey, you describe yourself in your profile as "gorgeous, sexy, hot" and yet complain of superficiality?
Also being both "energetic" and "super laid back" is something of an anomaly no?
In response to the question: Am I ever gonna find good friends or good company, people that really be there for me and let me be there for them ever again? Or is it impossible in ...
Posted Thursday September 25th, 2008.
"Hieu sach Bo Ho" north of the HK lake had calculators last I saw a few months ago, though I can't guarantee they were scientific ones.
I know it's not ideal, but as a stop-gap try using the calc on your computer - if you've got a PC, just use the normal calculator in the "applications" file, under the "view" tab change from "standard" to "scientific".
It's surprisingly useful with inputs in radians, gradient or degrees and all the usual functions.
Or try a spreadsheet...
In response to the question: Does anyone know where I can buy a scientific calculator with scientific notation, trigonometry functions and able to input fractions? Thanks for a...
Posted Thursday October 2nd, 2008.
Thanks kids for all the input, and Jess cheers for the kind offer - apparently it seems to appear and disappear arbitrarily at all the usual shops, I just have bad timing and since getting a coppy have seen it half a dozen times elsewhere.
Just for anyone else interested down the track - it's sold as an 2 disc "box set" in the New Hanoian colour scheme which looks like someone confused the graphics from "The Full Monty" and stuck a random '60s picture of some other British comedians on the cover.
Surprisingly it has all 45 episodes, though in a somewhat random order.
In response to the question: Does anyone know a DVD sthop where it's possible to purchase the complete either a complete set of Monty Python's Flying Circus, or each of the series...
Posted Monday October 6th, 2008.
***Speak to a medical professional***
If you're living permanently in a malaria risk area (and Vung Tau may not be - most of coastal VN isn't), speak to your doctor about Malarone, if they don't mention it themselves that is.
More common (and much cheaper I might add) drugs like doxycycline and lariam you must take every day for prophylaxis. It's not ideal to be taking antibiotics long term as your body and the local mosquito popultaion build up a resistance to them. With Malarone you can keep some pills handy and then just take a heap if you start exhibiting symptoms - though same as the other anti-malarial drugs, it doesn't prevent malaria, it just gives you more time to get treated. Unfortunately, Malarone is a patented drug and so it's offensively expensive.
Extra shots you might want are Japanese Encephalitis and Rabies but -
SPEAK TO A GOOD DOCTOR.
In response to the question: So, we have found out that we are going to be living in Vung Tao, a beach city south of Ho Chi Min. We are going to be there for about 1 1/2 years, s...
Posted Friday October 10th, 2008.
Hmm, ok idea in theory but I can't see it working.
Agencies can already be reviewed here if they're entered as a business, but properties - if you go see one and it's good you'll take it and that's that right? - No need for a review here. Whereas if your experience is a bad one then you come here to vent, it's just going to pile up a whole lot of tirades from frustrated renters.
In response to the question: I am wondering if Tom/Elliot could allow users to review properties they have seen and agents they have dealt with. Quite a few people I work for have...
Posted Tuesday October 14th, 2008.
OK I saw this on the back of a hello kitty shirt on the weekend and I want want want.
What are the chances of us getting our thang together and having em done? I'm not based in the Noi by week so can't really do much running around but happy to 'manage' (ie boss around). If TNH are interested in getting on board maybe Alpha could give us some graphics and maybe distribute at the next TNH meet up? Ideas?
In response to the question: Does anyone know where one may purchase one of these t-shirts bearing so priceless a slogan. I guess I could get one printed up but it wouldn't be ...
Posted Tuesday October 14th, 2008.
Legend
In response to the question: Does anyone know where one may purchase one of these t-shirts bearing so priceless a slogan. I guess I could get one printed up but it wouldn't be ...
Posted Friday October 17th, 2008.
Stochasticity & Estimation in the Calculation of Fuel Ratios
As Grubby just noted, each service (gas) station (heron refered to as 'servo') is not uniform in the quality and quantity of oil they provide. Like petrol, you order in currency not volume, and the price per unit volume of oil is generally not displayed. Some servos sell better oil and as such it costs more. Often (dare I say usually) the oil is not accurately measured, but poured into a large vessel for mixing with petrol making it very difficult to measure by eye and thus an often large random element enters the calculation of ratios. For both the individual and the society this is a negative sum game. Either we put too little and the engine destroys itself, or we put in too much and the smoke comes out on the thick side. Though certain elements of society may wish to see the former option, as owner of the bike and decision maker, I know I'm going to err on the side of the latter.
Admittedly this risk can be minimized by regular patronage of a particular purveyor of engine fuels, or even further by carrying one's own oil and measuring equipment, but it's not going to happen each and every time.
Better the Devil you Know?
As is clear from this thread, many Minsk owners are proud of their machines and do their very best to maintain them. I know I do. I turn off the engine when stopped, change the oil regularly, maintain the engine and ride conservatively to keep the revs low around town. If an interested band of caring people didn't own these bikes, doubtless someone else would. They're hardly going to simply vanish, and the point about replacing an old machine with a brand new one was already well made by Glennoi. If the penchant of 'tây' for soviet era machinery had never been sparked, most likely that someone else would be a poor farmer. I've seen farm bikes. They are not well maintained - the money just isn't there to get regular oil changes and new sparkplugs. More often than not they plume out actually dangerous black smoke, and with a buffalo on the back get the *#$% revved out of them. They are worked to their very cast iron bones each hour of the day.
Give thanks for the badwagon I say.
In response to the question: The other day a Vietnamese friend and I watched some guy putter through Hanoi traffic on his Minsk, cutting a wake as other riders veered away from th...
Posted Monday October 20th, 2008.
Monsieur Candide
No-one can object to a well reasoned argument or objective discussion. Indeed your knack for loquacious, if occasionally prolix, discourse is most beguiling and I have enjoyed many of your piquant observations in times past. Nonetheless, if all you wish is to do condescendingly patronize, please take - it is unhelpful to anyone.
And remember - de gustibus non est disputandum
In response to the question: The other day a Vietnamese friend and I watched some guy putter through Hanoi traffic on his Minsk, cutting a wake as other riders veered away from th...
Posted Monday October 20th, 2008.
Apologies, it should read "..please take it elsewhere..."
In response to the question: The other day a Vietnamese friend and I watched some guy putter through Hanoi traffic on his Minsk, cutting a wake as other riders veered away from th...
Posted Thursday November 6th, 2008.
Has anyone taken Highway 6 west through Ha Dong (just out of HN) in the last few days? - Is it passable on motorbike yet?
In response to the question: I am on Van Ho Ba, near Dai Co Viet and Ba Trieu, and am MUCH better off than the Le Duan side of Lenin Park. Wow, went over there today when it wasnt...
Posted Tuesday November 11th, 2008.
For a tenner you can get a reasonable room with a TV with dodgy reception, en suite, AC, fan and even natural light and a print of the Mona Lisa if you ask for a room at the back, at the following locale
http://newhanoian.xemzi.com/en/venue/show/575/Minh-Toan-Hotel
Pity it's in the old quarter. I don't think there's a fridge either.
In response to the question: We're looking for a relatively cheap guesthouse to stay in while we continue our search for housing. The hotel section seems to be missing a "sort by...
Posted Tuesday November 11th, 2008.
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
In response to the question: 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 st...
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