Being in Vietnam continues to be a stimulating experience. Everything is familiar and yet everything is a little different.
There's a variety of stores, grocery, electronics, pharmacy, clothing, etc., with all the products that are expected. Take a closer look and the differences start showing in the details.
It dawned on me yesterday as I was getting a splash of Listerene, bought here, for my attack on morning breath that there is no need to squeeze the sides of the cap to get the bottle top off! Apparently there's not much concern for safety or the ability to easily open common health products doesn't create liability for the producer.
Soda and juice cans seem the same size and shape but they're not. Instead of 12 oz, 354.9 ml, they're 320 ml. That is just 1.2 oz shy of normal size in the US. Not enough to be immediately apparent when you're holding the can in your hand.
Escalators go up on the left and down on the right. Something I didn't even realize in the US until a couple of attempts at getting on the wrong escalator here.
Saying "thank you" or in local speak "cảm ơn" isn't expected. As a matter of fact saying it routinely gets odd looks from people its directed at. In the US we'll say thanks when wait staff takes our order, then when they leave drinks, then the starters then the main course and then when the table is cleared. Here it isn't the habit and the wait staff start giving odd looks about the 3rd "cảm ơn". Same holds true for getting some help from the desk clerk or asking assistance in the grocery store.
It feels odd for me not to say it but then it obviously feels odd to hear for those its directed at.
I'm sure there's other things I haven't put my finger on yet. What it all amounts to is everything is the same with just a little different wrinkle to make it feel not quite exactly what you already know.
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