Vietnamese People through the eyes of a Japanese man

I feel that many Vietnamese people have a more cheerful and optimistic personality than Japanese people. For example, in Vietnam, it often rains heavily, roads flood, and water enters houses. When I’m riding my motorbike and the road is flooded, I get annoyed and worried that the engine will stall. However, I once saw a man outside his flooded house; he was just sitting on a chair, chatting happily on the phone even though the water was up to his feet.

In the past, many Vietnamese people would invite me out for food, karaoke, museums, and so on. Even though I didn't know much Vietnamese, they didn't seem to mind and we just had a great time together.

Vietnamese people love going to cafes to talk. The conversations don't even need to be serious. In fact, just talking about random, "nonsense" things is better. As long as it’s fun, that’s all that matters.

Maybe it’s because I’m Japanese, but I notice that Vietnamese people express their emotions a lot. My Vietnamese colleagues chat enthusiastically and even sing together. They look so happy. They are very clear about what they like or dislike, and what they want or don’t want. When they’re tired, it shows right on their faces.

When talking about Vietnamese culture, you have Ao Dai for clothing, Tet for holidays, and football for major entertainment. "Đi bão" (celebrating in the streets) is a part of Vietnamese culture, isn't it? 😂 Whenever there’s a match, the atmosphere becomes lively everywhere. I don’t even need to watch the game myself because I can tell whether Vietnam won or lost just by looking at the reactions of the people around me.

Overall, I find that Vietnamese people are very friendly.

by Takkun