Stuff Vietnamese people like

Vietnamese students have to study in the evening because their parents force them to. They also study some hard skills they aren’t taught in school because they wanna find a good job after graduation. If they didn’t go to evening classes, they wouldn’t keep up with their classmates.

Vietnamese workers study whatever their boss asks them to because they want a promotion. Some girls study things like dancing, cooking, massage, makeup, etc. to prepare for marriage; while guys prefer to study to play sports.

Some go to evening classes because everybody does. They would feel like they’re missing something in their life if they didn’t do it.

Most people go to evening class to really further their study. But there are exceptions. While some parents think their “princesses” and/or “princes” are studying hard, these overprotected children actually hang out with friends in a coffee shop, a karaoke club, a fashion store, or an internet cafe spending their money.

Of course, English is the most popular subject for the evening study. Speaking periods are good opportunities for Vietnamese people to know more about Western cultures and to talk with their native teachers.

Leisure and studying/working time in Vietnam can’t be separated as easily as we unbutton halves of a shirtfront. If they bring sort of a heavy bag, they may not be ready to hang out. If you’re lucky, maybe you could persuade them to skip the formalities and go with you.

Blackout is a chance for inspiration, from procrastination. Slackers appreciate blackout as the genesis for their creativity, outside the confines of the office.

For Vietnamese students, blackout is their most favorite thing on earth. Even if some evening classes use generators to provide substitute power, a student will complain that the weak light affect their eyesight badly and call it a night. Another one will get up and follow her/him. Others will copy them immediately.

Many Vietnamese people like noise, but there is an exception. There are people who like blackout just because there’s no sound of the neighborhood karaoke singers, machines running at maximum capacity (including TV sets, computers, fans, etc.) It’s no better time to get the stress out and enjoy a real silent night.

For people who think they are romantic, a blackout night is perfect for a candlelit dinner. What a feel of European aristocracy in Vietnam! For real romantic people, it’s time they reminisce their childhood when blackout happened almost everyday, rain or shine, hell or high water. Back then, people gathered around a candle in the garden/terrace/balcony enjoying a juicy chit chat and natural wind. Kids managed to squeeze into a single bed singing a song together, telling a ghost story, or giggling with the animal shadows they playfully made on the wall.

If you’re a foreigner, you may like the last paragraph I’ve just written the best. If you’re stuck in the dark with Vietnamese people and don’t wanna go home to sleep, ask about their experience in their childhood. Don’t ask what they intend to do, because you may see them see you next time.

It’s undeniable that English is very important language for any Vietnamese person. Vietnam even has its own system of English certificates with A as the elementary, B as the intermediate and C as the advanced level. Most office jobs require those kinds of certificates. In a job interview, 9 out of 10 interviewees will say they plan to learn English if you ask them about their status/plan to attend any evening course.

Vietnamese people love practicing English as often as is humanly possible. Don’t be surprised when you happen to see a group of Vietnamese people chatting in English at a bookstore or in a restaurant. Don’t comment about their noisy behaviors, because they’re trying to let you know they are speaking English. They sign up for English speaking channels like HBO, Cinemax, Star Movies, etc. and state that these channels help them improve English a lot, while in fact, they will immediately switch to another channel if the movie doesn’t have Vietnamese subtitles.

Western tourists are easily found as English teachers here in Vietnam, without any teaching skills. Most of them handle speaking classes where they only need to discuss with their students about cultures, Vietnamese one in particular, for their own benefit. Because Vietnamese people like learning English with a native speaker, they don’t even care that they don’t improve at all after those courses.

Vietnamese people like English, whether or not they are good at it. If you’re short of topics to talk about, encourage them to speak of their efforts in learning English.