Lesson Transcript

Hello everyone, welcome back to VietnamesePod101.com!
The fastest, easiest and most fun way to learn Vietnamese.
My name is Linh and welcome back to the channel.
The reason why I dress like this today is because it's freezing here
Yes, in Hanoi
And it's also very tricky for me to make this topic today
Because it's about things you should not do in Vietnam.
What are the things you should not do in Vietnam?
You know what, it's super easy for foreigners to come for living or working or even traveling
Plus, there is not so much pressure because I think it's because of the policies or because of the law
And a lot of foreigners enjoy living here
So when I put myself into a foreigner's perspective, I realized that
Still, there are some things that we should avoid
So today I'm gonna show you guys what they are.
Number one, you should never wear shorts, short skirts or a tank top to temples or pagodas
The reason why is because Vietnam is like a Buddhist country
And this is the highest respect to the religion
So a lot of people believe in Buddhism
And that's the reason why that we should show respect every time we go to these places
My parents, they are not really Buddhist but they follow the Buddhism
They follow the Buddha, they believe in them
Not really deeply but they are still learning and praying
Every time that I go to the pagoda or every time that I go to a temple
I have to show respect
So that's the reason why you foreigners should also show respect
So number one, never never wear shorts, short skirts or a tank top to temples or pagodas.
Number two, please don't lose sight of your belongings, especially wallets or phones
I'm gonna explain a little bit about this
Where I'm from, which is Hanoi city
The safety is a little bit higher, I think it's because of the capital
So I can easily travel around at night without worrying anything
But in big cities like Ho Chi Minh city, which is the biggest city of Vietnam
It's a little bit more complicated because there are a lot of people from everywhere
And it's not really easy to control everything
So when you are traveling, especially walking around the tourist areas
Please be careful with your phones and your wallets
Because I personally experienced one time when I was traveling
I personally experienced once someone suddenly came and stole my phone from my hands when I was using it
So just be careful a little bit.
Number three, it's a little bit funny because this is no rush when ordering
Come on, I'm not supposed to wait for 30 minutes for food
But yes, in Vietnam it happens
And it's very common when waiting for food
Especially from the north
So in Hanoi, there are many, many famous and popular restaurants that you have to wait for 15 or 30 minutes
That's perfectly normal, especially in the old quarter
Because they don't have much space for customers
So sometimes you have to wait
But it's worth it because the food is good
And it's also one of the cultures in Vietnam
While waiting and you can enjoy some iced tea or some snack or some pickle
Which is very nice
And when food comes, it will be very nice, amazing or delicious
Okay, so no expectation at all
But still, if you visit a restaurant in the old quarter, please be patient with the owners.
Number four, please don't show affection in public
I think in the south is fine, in Ho Chi Minh City is fine
But in the north, in Hanoi, everything is still a little bit closed
And we really don't really kiss each other in public
Hugging is fine, holding hands is fine
But kissing is still a little bit
For me it's fine, for young generation it's fine
But for old generation, I think it's not very comfortable when seeing this
So please just be careful a little bit or maybe you can just hug.
Number five, the last one is please don't believe so much in referrals from strangers
To a restaurant or a hotel, especially from taxi drivers
I personally experienced this one when I was traveling to a new city
And I catched a taxi to the restaurant that I checked on the internet
So the taxi driver suddenly told me that this is not a good place
The food is not very fresh, especially seafood, so you should not join it
And I suggest you to go to this seafood market
And it's very very tasty and very famous and also affordable
So I was thinking maybe he's local and he knows more clearly than me
And I trusted him
But then when I came there I realized that this is just a normal restaurant with a lot of tourists
So again, please believe in your choice
Believe in what you search and the reviews from the internet about any places
Because sometimes the taxi drivers, they just want to get some commissions from the restaurants or the hotels
So if the reviews on the internet are good, then you can easily trust
But for strangers, especially taxi drivers, I wouldn't recommend
Okay, so there are a few things that I'd like to share to you guys
I hope it's helpful for your next trip to Vietnam
And I hope you like it
Please also don't forget to like the video, subscribe the channel
And visit the website www.gmail.com to learn more Vietnamese
Thank you so much for watching the video and see you next time

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