Ben Engelbach - CultureShock! Vietnam

2017 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Text Benjamin Engelbach

Published by Marshall Cavendish Editions
An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International

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National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Name(s): Engelbach, Benjamin.
Title: CultureShock! Vietnam : a survival guide to customs and etiquette / Ben Engelbach.
Other title(s): Vietnam : a survival guide to customs and etiquette | Culture shock Vietnam
Description: Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, [2017] | Series: Culture shock!
Identifier(s): OCN 974671695 | eISBN 978 981 47 7920 3
Subject(s): LCSH: Etiquette--Vietnam. | Vietnam--Social life and customs. | Vietnam--Description and travel.
Classification: DDC 959.7--dc23

Printed in Singapore by Markono Print Media Pte Ltd

Photo Credits:
All photos by the author except pages (Mohammed Sami). Cover photo by Noi Ha Tran

All illustrations by TRIGG

Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from ones comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.

Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and cover a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.

Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the peoplewhere they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.

Then on with the practical aspectshow to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But thats not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.

To round off, snippets of information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.

Dear Reader:

You know how life works: It pulls us around the dance floor and pushes us into unexpected corners of it. After all, look what happened to you. One thing led to the next, and you ended up in Vietnam. Maybe you were reassigned to your companys Hanoi branch. Or maybe your wife was reassigned to Hanoi and now shes dragging you across the Pacific with her. Either way, welcome abroad.

No matter what your backstory is, youll be an outsider in Vietnam, and outsiders tend to be clueless. But thats OKthat can be fixed. What follows is my full report, compiled over the course of whats now been a year in this hot, strange little country.

Some context: I live and work in the capital of Hanoi, but did my due diligence by flying down to Ho Chi Minh City (the urbanity formerly known as Saigon) to spend two weeks wandering through the markets and eating enough food to feed an army. Most expats in Vietnam end up getting sucked in by the tractor beams of one of these two big cities, which is why I name-check them so often, and have devoted a substantial percentage of my word count to demarcating their differences. If you happen to be moving to Danang or Haiphong, dont fret the information that follows holds true for you too.

By this point in my tour of duty Ive cleared a few of the hurdles youre about to run into, which is why I think this book will be a useful read. Im not a Communist cheerleader, nor do I have a tour to sellIm here to give you the unfiltered take on the place. Ill tell you what will treat you well and what youll have to struggle through. Between geographical immersion and interviews with both Vietnamese locals and fellow expats, I think I managed to check all the boxes for you. Youll be duly warned of the flower-killing smog, the nuclear-hot sun, the crush of traffic, and the ceaseless rain. But youll also turn the last page itching for a banh mi sandwich with a ca phe trung (egg coffee).

As an expat youll be both a guest and an ambassador. Youll have to study and infiltrate the culture like a sleeper agent. Itll take some work but its fun work. Vietnam has a sort of unique magnetism that keeps most people here long after their initial end-dates. And when they do leave, youll see a lot of them again; nearly every expat is subject to the Vietnamese boomerang effect.

Another thing about life is that its never perfect. Youll probably suffer through a few small disasters while youre here, and thats when your mind will start to whisper that what you hoped would be an adventure was actually a mistake, and that this country and everyone in it is out to get you.

But thats not really true. Everything that happens here is just a result of Vietnam being itself, and the Vietnamese you encounter are people just like you, who are just getting by. And every baffling inconvenience is part of the authentic experience.

And thats what you came here for, right?

Ben Engelbach

Hanoi

1 April 2017

I have a legion of Vietnamese friends and fellow expats to thank for their assistance on this project. I owe you all a deep debt for the long stretches of time you spent sitting across from me, the clueless one, in a caf and answering an unholy amount of questions. Youre welcome to a beer (or three) next time I see you in Hanoi.