Souvenirs Each time you go somewhere, it is always nice to bring back a little something local to remember your trip.  What types of souvenirs are available in Vietnam? 1. Conical Hats 2. Silk 3. Hand Embroidery 4. Sand Pictures 5. Guoc Moc (traditional wooden clogs) 6. Bamboo … [Read more...] about Souvenirs to Take Home/Gifts to Bring

Whether or not you're looking for name brand purses, dvds, or French wine, all these can be bought for cheap in markets within Vietnam.  Vietnam is also a producer of knock off goods and although they aren't as large of a producer (only 1/60 compared to China's market) it is predicted to grow even bigger.  A reason why so many counterfeit goods go undetected is because … [Read more...] about Shopping: Knock off Goods

When you waive down a taxi, or waive a person over, always do it with your palm facing downward. Calling someone or something over with your palm facing upward is considered rude because that is how one calls a dog in most Asian cultures. … [Read more...] about Additional Etiquette Tip

Politeness and etiquette can very greatly country from country.  Wanting to be good representations of our country, our school, and ourselves, it is important for to try to keep customs in mind in order to be polite and respectable.  Here are some tips I found online: 1. When you give/receive a business card, hold it with two hands. 2.  When speaking to a group, address … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Etiquette

Made up of around 68 million speakers, the Vietnamese language is ranked 14th in terms of speaker population.  They have various dialects, depending on the region you're from: north, central, and south.  Due to heavy influences by China historically, there are many words that have been influenced by Chinese.  Other languages spoken in Vietnam, especially in tourist companies, … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Language