The Return

When I first learned that we would have a culture week in Vietnam, I thought that I would not learn much being that I am Vietnamese, and my parents are pretty traditional. I was surprised to find out that there were everyday things that I did not know. One, for example, was that the restroom sign that we were taught as a child in America is insulting here and no one ever uses it. Also, going to different temples taught me things I never knew before. I grew up watching a Chinese drama called “Journey to the West.” In the show, it talks about a magical monkey and his journey. When we visited the Hoang Am temple in Saigon (what the locals Ho Chi Minh City), I realized that the monkey and the other characters in the story play a part in Buddhism and that people pray to them. In Vietnam, there is also a religion called Cao Dai that combines multiple religions like Buddhism and Catholicism. This was informative because I never knew that such religions existed, although I did know that some Vietnamese, such as my mom, likes to pray to each religion when visiting their temple as a sign of respect.

Going to Vietnam again after two years, I did not expect to see many differences. However, I was shocked to know that I was wrong. From what I remember, the streets were more crowded and the wash closets (bathroom) were less developed. Last time when I came back whenever I was in the city I was always stuck in traffic for more than thirty minutes and the bathrooms that I went to along the rest stops never had toilet paper, and some were even squat toilets. I was also surprised to see that more people speak English (but that might be because this time in Vietnam I am going with a group of American students, so the places that we visit are more westernized).

As I was growing up, my parents were always worried about losing face, and I never thoroughly liked the concept because it made me very self-cautious about how others viewed me. So, my question is, why are Vietnamese people so worried about how others see them? Also, why do they always judge the parents by their children’s actions even when the children become adults and have their own mindsets? Additionally, from what I can see, Vietnamese people are superstitious, and I grew up learning that talking about your death is bad luck. However, northern Vietnamese people plan out and buy their casket before they die. Why is that?