Fond reminiscences about Vietnam

I didn't notice it until I had already quit my job in Vietnam, but one of the things I liked best about that country was the mystery. There were so many treasures to be found. In my first month I was walking in the park and I met some university students who wanted to practice their English. I talked to them for about 45 minutes, and then they asked if I had ever eaten some kind of sweet food, I think it was related to ice cream. They said that they knew a great place for this food which was only open a few hours of the day. They led me to this place and it turned out that it was still closed at that time, but it could have been a great experience.

Some treasures that I actually found included, most importantly, the bún thịt nướng lady just outside the building where I worked. From her roll-away cart she sold a lovely dish of rice noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts, herbs, barbecued pork, and a miniature egg roll or two with fish sauce on the side for only $1. This meal was often the highlight of my weekend. Another one, my favorite after-work spot, was an (illegal) outdoor restaurant next to the canal, only three minutes from my flat. They served many good dishes, but my favorite was one of the best I've ever eaten anywhere: wasabi shrimp--perfectly cooked, slightly crispy, with a creamy but flavorful wasabi sauce over top. I think the only reason I knew about this place was because some of my co-workers once walked most of the length of the canal getting a drink and a dish at every place on their way. Maybe I'll find similar secrets in Russia. It's too soon to tell.

Some surprising things about Russia.

I think most people have a very short list of ideas when Russia comes to mind. I think most of them have to do with vodka or communism. It was fairly surprising to me when I first came to learn that Russia is quite conservative, probably more so than the US.

The state church is of course the Russian Orthodox church. Nearly 50% of the population claims to be Christian, which I guess isn't a whole lot compared with the US's 75%. But if you consider that for a while it was quite uncool (understatement) to be a Christian in Russia, I would say that that is a pretty significant percentage.

Near the big fountain which I consider the center of town, there was (and perhaps still is) a large sign discouraging the practice of abortion. People marry and have children quite young here (average marriage age for men is 26 vs. 29 in the US, 23 vs. 27 for women). Most people know about Russia's attitude toward homosexuality because of the Olympics. I don't have any personal knowledge, but second-hand I've heard that male homosexuality is quite taboo here, definitely more so than in Europe or America.

I've heard Russians themselves say that they are racist, and I would agree that they are more so than Americans of my acquaintance. Maybe not more so than Vietnamese, though. Then again, Vietnam doesn't get immigrants the same way that Russia does. Primary targets here are the Tajiks. I myself have noticed that young men with central Asian features tend to be extremely reckless crossing the road, often causing some horn sounding.