I have been told that it's the novelty of being in the charming boomtown of Vung Tau that has made me like it so much. Yes, it's clean, green and well laid out and the service culture is undoubtedly very good. I can easily tolerate the weather and language barriers have never come in my way.. BUT
My friends who live in Vung Tau have a laundry list of complaints. The locals never show courtesy for women, even pregnant ones... People don't respect queues...They lack civic sense...
My rose-coloured glasses largely prevented me from noticing any of those things, but yes, I do have to admit that I did see similarities between Vietnamese and my compatriots.
For starters, the "airport fair" mentality. To see off or receive relatives, it looks like entire villages make the trip to the airport in Ho Chi Minh. People also neatly lay down their food and have picnics outside the departure gate.
I did notice the littering although it is nothing compared to India.
Since the Communists are particular about cleanliness and the municipal authorities do their job, unlike in India, Vietnamese cities, at least the ones I have seen are very clean. This is exactly why I keep calling the country a "Civilized India."
My friends who live in Vung Tau have a laundry list of complaints. The locals never show courtesy for women, even pregnant ones... People don't respect queues...They lack civic sense...
My rose-coloured glasses largely prevented me from noticing any of those things, but yes, I do have to admit that I did see similarities between Vietnamese and my compatriots.
For starters, the "airport fair" mentality. To see off or receive relatives, it looks like entire villages make the trip to the airport in Ho Chi Minh. People also neatly lay down their food and have picnics outside the departure gate.
I did notice the littering although it is nothing compared to India.
Since the Communists are particular about cleanliness and the municipal authorities do their job, unlike in India, Vietnamese cities, at least the ones I have seen are very clean. This is exactly why I keep calling the country a "Civilized India."
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