I'm back in Vietnam again. This time I'm staying with my wife in her home. It's our first opportunity to spend some serious time together. And my first opportunity to gain direct experience with day-to-day differences between living in the US and in Vietnam.
One thing that we've done is stop to see the local police. We needed to register the fact that I'm staying in her home. There's something called a "resident book" and it needs to be updated with who's living in the home.
Of course it seems unusual to me that one needs to register with the police where they are living. In some ways it seems a bit threatening to have to inform the local police force where you are. On the other hand, in the US, the police could certainly find my home address if they felt the need.
This feels very different. And I certainly feel "reporting to the police" chafes at me.
How interesting, I can remember my folks travelling to the old Yugoslavia and the had to give their passports to the hotel when they checked in. Similar situation, the communist gov't at the time wanted to keep tabs on any foreign national visiting.
ReplyDeleteAm enjoying your trip right with you. Keep up the posting, love it.