I can’t push out these entries fast enough, and some just aren’t big enough to warrant their own entry. So I’m going to start consolidating some of my thoughts into conglomerated posts. This particular post will be an attempt to piece together a collection of separate ideas and I’ll start with my observations into size. Shower heads are often lower than eye level and in tiny water closets, hotel rooms barely bigger than the beds, and elevators scarcely big enough for two people and a couple of pieces of luggage. That is just a discussion of spatial aspects of life in a small world.
Objects used for everyday living were also small in scale compared to the large items used in Western living. The tiny plastic tables and chairs in the food stalls of the streets of Da Nang and Hanoi, to the small wooden stools one squatted on to do basic kitchen duties, laundry, and other household chores. The small plastic stools and chairs were even present at the dining tables in the countryside.
Beer was served in about an 8 oz glass, coffee in a 5 oz glass (which is why I drank many cups), tea in an American-sized 2 oz shot glass, and spirits were served in a 1 oz shot glass. There were no big gulps and liters of cola here. I never could seem to figure out why things were served so small save for it possibly stemming from times of generational famine and even now in the time of the feast the sensibilities of the people still rested on the ideals of frugality. Whatever the reason was, it was interesting to see.
I must also say here that Vietnam has been in such a state of poverty and malnutrition for so long that the people of this beautiful nation have lost some of their stature. I can only assume it was through some Darwinian mechanism of physical adjustment for survival. Studies show that the Vietnamese as a group have lost height and size over the past century. That trend is slowly reversing in the current environment of progress and domestic growth, but let’s compare some figures to put this reality into perspective.
Now, before anyone gets their undergarments ruffled up, understand that these numbers are averages in all cases. That means that for the most part, there will be as many people below the average as above it, that’s how averages work. Beyond that don’t fool yourself, as a nation placed against the backdrop of the world as a whole, we’re pretty robust people. The numbers I’m about to share may surprise you or maybe not.
The average height and weight of male and female Americans is roughly 195#’s at 5’10” and 165#’s and 5’4″ respectively. Those same numbers for the Vietnamese are 128 lbs at about 5’5″ and 99 lbs at about 5′ even respectively. Think about that, that’s almost a 5″ difference across the board and a 60% weight reduction. It’s no wonder everything seems small to me. This is a world not designed for someone my size.
Now, let’s talk about money. I haven’t discussed it much except for a few mentions here and there, but for an American, it’s a mind-boggling reality. The official currency in the socialist republic of Vietnam is the dong. Broken up into 100 subunits or cents known as xu or ten subunits known as hao. All are supposedly still in circulation, but the money is so poorly valued against the dollar I haven’t seen anything smaller than a 1000 dong.
Now the sad reality for this developing nation, and this was a shock to me, is that its currency is currently 2nd in least valuable active currencies in the world. To put that into perspective, the only active currency worth less is the Iranian Rial. I use the term active here because the Venezuelan Bolivar is worth less than both, but due to its poor performance and domestic instability, it is no longer recognized as a usable currency. North Korea’s Won ranks eighth against active currencies, I’m sure that has something to do with China propping up the economy of the East Asian nation, but I can’t be sure.
Be sure that Vietnam’s push to modernize its economy and govern in a more progressive manner is proving to stabilize its currency and slowly improve its stature. Unfortunately, its starting position was so far behind it could take decades if not a century to complete its transformation.
Upon my arrival at Da Nang International Airport, the current exchange rate was 1 US dollar to 23,204.50 dong. Now I cashed in 500 USD when I arrived, I figured that was a good starting place. And I was handed 11 million 602 thousand 2 hundred and 50 dong. The American mind can not comprehend such numbers. At least I couldn’t. Now, the reality is it’s obviously not the same as it is back home. A cab ride can cost up to 100,000 dong and lunch around 40,000. Now those are still low conversions, $4 and $1.50 respectively, but you get the idea, things are definitely cheaper, but a million ain’t a million.
Okay, so let’s discuss table manners and napkin use. It’s something that was a bit surprising for me, but you definitely get used to it. Napkins on the table are more for wiping chopsticks and spoons before meals and less for keeping hands clean. In addition, they’re not the absorbent soft table side rolls we have in the States. They’re usually no more than recycled, recycled paper, yes that was meant to be redundant, cut into squares and stacked in the condiment caddy at the end of the table. You slurp your broth with a spoon and everything else is handled with chopsticks.
You can’t imagine the dexterity that is developed from using chopsticks from birth. There is definitely a bit of reality woven into the scene where Mr. Miyagi snatches the fly out of thin air with his chopsticks in the karate kid. The table and its contents are negotiated so expertly and nimbly like a master painting his masterpiece. Eat correctly, and your hands never get dirty. The skill that things are eaten off the bone, that we would normally grab with our hands, say ribs, for instance, is beyond impressive.
The thing that would cause a Westerner to pause is the floors. It’s a cultural thing, and I don’t know what else to say about that. The cleanliness of the floor is in no way an indication of the quality of the food or its employees. Scraps, trash, cans it just goes on the floor and that’s the way it is. When you get up, it’s cleaned up, at least most of the time, before someone sits back down. Sometimes during the rush, however, there’s just no time, so be respectful and don’t be rude, and remember, as a Westerner, you are the minority here.
Now let’s discuss beauty, another area that took me a bit by surprise as well. Anyone living in the States knows what is culturally considered beautiful there. Tanning and tanned skin, specifically is what I’ll be referring to here. Tanning occurs in absolutely no capacity here, not even on the beaches. The only ones you’ll see showing skin are tourists. The heat doesn’t matter. Vietnamese women cover up as much as possible during the day. In temperatures regularly reaching high into the 90s, they will wear jackets and sweaters to cover their arms and even put them over their heads if going only a short distance. My research has led me to figure that it must come from the Japanese domination of the region at the turn of the 20th century and the indelible impact it has undoubtedly had on the continent. 
It conjures up images of bleached porcelain geishas and the Japanese archetype of beauty. The result is a region responsible for more than half of the global market in skin whitening products. I only discuss it here because, quite frankly, I had no idea such a market existed. I couldn’t help but notice, as I cruised the Lotte grocery store aisles in Hanoi and Da Nang, the amount of skin-whitening creams and lotions available. On billboards and in magazines, it’s clear that tanning is banned. It was interesting to see play out in the markets and streets of Vietnam, especially since there has been this tanning culture in America for so long.
