Job Discussion Forums

cb400 · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 274 Location: Vientiane, Laos

I am not religious but I can imagine the out cry if foreigners started pissing on Buddhist temples around here.

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 4:23 am Post subject:

Lack of RESPECT in VN society/culture even extends to religion... Nothing is sacred in VN, at least not anymore.

The only thing most of the young people here care about is taking pics for their FB accounts. Rolling Eyes

VietCanada · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 590

Nice to see that they're finally catching up to west.

I'm With Stupid · Joined: 03 Sep 2010 Posts: 432

I went to the tomb of Tu Duc the other day, and his actual gravestone was covered in graffiti. You can't legislate for the odd idiot teenager, but this thing was covered, and I suspect not just by the names of irresponsible teenagers.

cb400 · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 274 Location: Vientiane, Laos

Maybe they will have to make a Vietnamese version of this

Thailand To Give Chinese Tourists Etiquette Manuals http://www.inquisitr.com/1849277/thailand-to-give-chinese-tourists-etiquette-manuals/ via DuckDuckGo

VietCanada · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 590

Every year it seems some kids paint swastikas on Jewish tombstones in Montreal. I think they hit some houses last summer. Same, same or different?

cb400 · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 274 Location: Vientiane, Laos

This is a Vietnam thread we are discussing Vietnam and the Vietnamese. Deflecting blame and pointing to others is what I consider a very weak defence.

This is a thread to discuss the downward spiral that seems to be effecting the society here. During tet, hundreds of brawls and stabbings took place as people tried to steal from the monks or temples. This is something I never heard about and my Vietnamese friends cannot remember it being so bad, in the past and violence seems to becoming more commonplace.

What happens in Canada is irrelevant here.

Just one of the many news articles about violence during tet: http://www.thanhniennews.com/arts-culture/violence-erupts-as-vietnamese-gather-to-honor-legendary-act-of-valor-39255.html

http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/cleaning-up-cultural-messiness-3362.html

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 4:29 pm Post subject:

EFL Educator · Joined: 17 Jul 2013 Posts: 988 Location: Cape Town

Unfortunately it seems there will always be new lows in the TEFL industry in Vietnam and elsewhere in ASEAN....the trend for downward salaries and/or wages is the most noticeable LOW for all...which I believe is the result of EFL market economics in ASEAN . Shocked

ExpatLuke · Joined: 11 Feb 2012 Posts: 744

Sometimes I wonder if EflEducator even reads the thread before he posts his rant against the ESL scene in Vietnam. No one was even talking about ESL in this thread, just about the general downward spiral of society.

I'd agree with most things said about the Vietnamese not respecting their heritage. It's strange, if you talk 1 on 1 with a Vietnamese person about this, they are all ashamed and talk about how it shouldn't be the way it is. But as soon as you put them in a group with their friends they will join in and scratch their initials into the tomb of one of their kings, and laugh about it.

For as much as the Vietnamese hate the Chinese, they are very similar to them in a lot of ways. These same issues plague China as well.

cb400 · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 274 Location: Vientiane, Laos

VietCanada · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 590

cb400 · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 274 Location: Vientiane, Laos

There was no comparison of Vietnam to any other country in the original article. It is discussing behaviours that are fairly new with the younger generation of VNs.

It is always a very weak argument to finger point at others, when unable to debate to discuss the topic at hand (using facts and figures, quoting articles, etc). You cannot use that defence in court (I stole the car because it happens in the US all the time!) and you cannot use it in professional debating or political debates.

However I do agree with you that writing the swastika on a Jewish school or the defacing of a WW1 monument in Ottawa is extremely despicable but is in no way even closely related to what is happening in Vietnam.

The circumstances, history, education, mannerisms and general behaviours are too far apart between the Vietnamese and Canadians to draw any parallels.

VietCanada · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 590

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

I get what VietCanada is saying. Right now I'm in Spain and really been guilty of spewing a lot of venom about this country (partially as a sort of response to this kind of blaming rhetoric used against many Asian nations) and I realize that these things are really unfair and not helpful. I do agree that there is a problem with what one would hope is common courtesy across cultures, I do think that VC is right in imploring any outside readers to not judge the whole place and people on these actions, even if they are depressingly common.