My culture shock in Germany as a Vietnamese

[@marapabst7250]

I’m a German girl and I still don’t know how to say hello to People i Know. 🤣 it’s always pretty awkward when I want to shake hands and the other person wants to hug me 🤣🤣

[@some-du1kc]

Ah yes 😂 I'm not a touchy person and don't even hug close friends. Only my best friend and relatives. A friend of a friend once hugged me and i was like: okay wtf is going on here 😂

[@lenas6729]

Same here 👋🏻

[@marapabst7250]

Sometimes my workmates want to hug me and I literally hate it. 🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️🤣

[@some-du1kc]

@@marapabst7250 Oh wow that's too much. They never had heard something like personal space 😂

[@sushi777300]

Very true Corona made that easier without any touching although now we hardly see anyone 🙃

[@ana419]

Your German family is very wise not to show or identify themselves in your videos. It is cool that you mutually respect each other, you respect their desire to remain anonymous and they respect your desire to do these videos. Your content is very interesting and educational even if one doesnt have anything to do with either country. Much of it is relatable to neighbouring cultures so thank you for sharing it. You have a very infectious personality and are adorable! ♡

[@z.m6566]

Haha the greeting problem . I'm born here and I don't even know sometimes how to greet some people. I like your videos :D

[@xiny-chi]

Me too, I only say "hi" or "hello" without touches :p Idc what they think abt me

[@Roozyj]

Being Dutch, there's so many ways to greet people. Some family members insists on cheek kisses when I'm more of a hugger. With my parents, I wave or say hello in a weird tone of vioce xD Friends I hug or wave or say hi to. Birthdays are the worst here, when it comes to greeting. You are expected to walk around the whole circle (because, of course, everyone is sitting in a circle) and greet and congratulate everyone with the birthday they are attending. After the population in the room has hit a critical number, you can allow yourself to stand at the opening of the circle and say "Ik doe het even zo, gefeliciteerd allemaal!" (I'm just gonna do it like this: congratulations all) while awkwardly waving at the sitting people, who are generally happy that they didn't have to get up from their chair.

[@GiuseppeGullo]

I'm Italian and we live in Germany for more than 7 years now. About hugging friends, I had the opposite experience! In Italy we hug and kiss friends as standard (before Covid at least), and since I did that here in Germany as well, in the beginning I've been the weirdo of the group 🤣

[@dluckygurl8]

Talk about AWKWARD!!! I can totally relate! Being Filipino who's pretty used to greeting friends, family, and close relatives with hugs and kisses, I've gotten myself into this embarrassing situation when meeting my German husband's friends or relatives. Despite us being close and meeting often for more than a decade that I've been living in Germany, I still get totally awkward around non-touchy Germans and would have to stop myself midway! Haha

[@inotoni6148]

Am from Germany and i lived in Spain for five years. I only shook hands when I met people and was the weirdo because I didn't give kisses left and right. So exactly the other way around

[@limeliciousmapping4652]

Same experience when I was in Northern Germany as someone from the south recently 🤣

[@Littlefighter1911]

Yeah, Italians are a lot huggier and "touchy" than Germans. (You know, in Italy or Romania , I think it's normal to do the cheek kiss with friends or family?) Nonetheless, Germans are still a lot huggier than many of the East Asian countries.

[@JB-is4pm]

I am currently in Italy as a German and a guy friend told me he can’t with me being so intimate because friends don’t hug in Italy (eeeh? 😅).

[@michaelschmid9567]

As a German, who lived in Vietnam for 20 years, I fully understand you. We have the same culture shock, when we come to Vietnam. I have to add, even with all the culture shocks (and there are some really big ones, not mentioned here), I still love Vietnam. I like to add, that Vietnam is changing rapidly, I visit Hanoi in 2006 and 2019, its a very different city. Same goes for Saigon. Best is, to accept and respect the other culture, and your fine.

[@WalkTheVoid]

When in rome, do as the romans do, right? That does not only apply to rome, obviously.

[@osheridan]

​@@WalkTheVoid well, to be pedantic, when in Italy, I think many Roman traditions would be frowned upon

[@bubu_stt]

Loved these comments

[@ferretyluv]

Do they still call it Saigon? I thought it’s called Ho Chi Minh City now.

[@michaelschmid9567]

@@ferretyluv Both names are used in parallel. The official name is of course TP Ho Chi Minh. But even the government run travel agency calls itself Saigon tourist. The international airport sign for the airport here is SGN. Many vietnamese saying: I am going to Sai Gon.

[@yingliangli1884]

I am from South China and I can totally relate to your stories, especially about the tanned skin part. I can easily get tanned in summer without even trying. When I was in the high school it actually bothered me when people kept asking why I look darker than average Chinese girls (it was rude I know). While in Germany I got a lot of compliments because of my skin color. I think different beauty standard really impacts my confidence, that's why I feel very lucky to come to Germany! ;)

[@corumeach]

I guess, in Asia a tan is related to being of rural upbringing/background (=poor, unsuccessful) while in the West having a tan means you can afford a lot of leisure time, travelling to warmer countries, hanging out at the beach.

[@yingliangli1884]

@@corumeach I totally agree with you. I remember once a German asked me if I travelled a lot. Actually I did also :)

[@ari_jean]

Similar thing happened to me lol. I come from Eastern Europe where the standart of beauty is rather skinny/small girls, while I 'm tall and have rather thicker hips and bottom. I was self-consious most of my life about it untill I met my current Latin American boyfriend. In their culture my body structure is one of the most desired ones and now I'm happy haha

[@yingliangli1884]

@@ari_jean I should have been aware of the fact that every body is beautiful. I was not wise enough to know it until I moved to Europe. I am really happy for you, sounds like you are with the right one 😊

[@ari_jean]

@@yingliangli1884 happy for you too 😊✋🏻

[@charlottesmail8376]

I'm American but love learning about Germany and Vietnam through your life. It's a great way to learn about other cultures in a fun way

[@lisar3944]

I like the hugging thing in Germany. Hugs here are usually very authentically affectionate - fake hugs are pretty rare in my experience. I even had one very funny/strange experience when I had a small car accident on the autobahn. A man was driving behind me, too close, and we all had to stop suddenly and he didn't quite make it and gave my car a little bump. There was no damage but I was still a bit shaken up, so when we exchanged names and contact information, my hand was shaking too much to write and I asked him to write for me. He did, then when we were finished he gave me a big, warm hug! It was very sweet - actually the nicest car accident I've ever had

[@Elisabeth-fk4kl]

I, as a German, only give fake hugs. Many people dislike hugs. But they want to be polite, when the other persons wants a hug, so we pretend to be happy to give one back.

[@ember1794]

I agree they are mostly very authentically affectionate here - we don't hold with unnecessary falsehood and "Tüdelüt" (and you are free to not give hugs, if you don't like it), so if you do, it's pretty authentic ❤❤

[@LindaLouiseFord]

I prefer elbow bumps as Im afraid of getting a virus etcetera. It’s a big health issue fo us. Very sad. I envy you healthy huggers.

[@TheAfreeky]

Just a Frenchie who wanted to share some love here ! Thank you for your sweetness and all this joy on your videos ♥ I love watching you, you always make me smile

[@PetiteBesserwisserin]

Uyen you have suuuuch a lovely soul! Continue to shine through your humor ✨

[@fedupnow61859]

It's your personality, your humor and just how you are. That's why I find you every time I am on youtube

[@TheMatschkind]

I'm German and I like waving to friends for greetings/saying goodbye. Some people found it quite rude, but I don't enjoy hugging people most of the times, so why would I force myself to do it. :D

[@roonilwazlib5402]

Same! One of my fears is the situation when there’s a big family event like a birthday or something and when you arrive everyone is already there, sitting at the table and staring at you while expecting you to say hi and hug each and everyone out of the 30 people, including the persons you barely know and then the same procedure when you want to leave 💀 Last Christmas was my favorite one because I didn’t have to hug everyone after unpacking my presents due to COVID-19 (I know I’m a horrible person because of it, but I’m an introverted person who simply enjoys it deep down in their soul by themselves and I always felt so uncomfortable expressing my feelings in an exaggerated positive and visible way and then hugging someone only because society expects you to act that way or because I didn’t want someone to think that I don’t like their present or them as a person)

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

or you are too matschig and this is just psychological projection ;o)

[@Flotter-Flo]

I almost never hug people and I never wave. What's wrong with a simple hello or if you're feeling chummy, a handshake...

[@blackraveness]

@@roonilwazlib5402 In meiner Familie handhabt man seit Jahrzehnten Begrüßungen und Verabschiedungen auf Familienfesten mit mehr als 5-6 Personenso, dass man einfach auf den Tisch klopft und "Hallo allerseits" oder "Ich verabschiede mich, machts gut allerseits" ruft. Bei besonders lieben und nahen Verwandten kann man dann immer noch eine Sonder-Umarmung geben, wenn man möchte. Diese Art ist auch praktisch, weil man nicht vom Tisch aufstehen muss oder sich um den Tisch herumquetschen muß.

[@Feralia1987]

Oh yeah the sun. My gf is from Singapore. At first I was so confused why everyone just stayed inside and even the shopping malls were connected by underground tunnels and stuff. One day I had the great idea of walking to a sturbucks by myself under the sun. It took 10 min. but when I finally arrived I was dying!

[@UanTao]

South East Asians avoid the Sun like the plague lol...after walking back from lunch at a place near the office, we can spend half an hour just bathing the air conditioner in the office just to dry away the sweat, to readjust the body temperature and humidity in general lol

[@Puppies-z9h]

She's so beautiful. Inside and out.

[@jeffweed3947]

I'm impressed Uyen Ninh is trilingual, Vietnamese, German, English.

[@ghosttwins5480]

I thing I love most about you is you’re real and natural.

[@mardasman428]

This is the first time I've ever heard that Germany is "too touchy" or "too close"... We are usually being described as the distant, detached kinds of people, the French and the Southern Europeans, Latin Americans and the people from the Middle East all tend to view us as distant. Even my German ex-girlfriend, who was a Francophile and liked the French "bisous" mentality of kissing your friends on the cheek more, described me as cool and detached. I often wave my hands like the Vietnamese and I don't always hug my friends either.

[@mikicerise6250]

In Spain these days if you kiss people it's almost... you don't know them very well. If it's close friend a hug is more intimate than peck on the cheek. ;)

[@robopecha]

dont know how old you are, but i noticed that hugging has become more common amongst young people than it is for those who are >30 now.

[@lizz5281]

I feel seen. I never noticed these things as they are normal to me. I always thought its normal to walk anywhere or go for long walks with friends just like a freetime activity. Just did it today. Thank you for letting us now about the vietnamese side of things!

[@NanetteWoolston]

I think it’s great to take a nice walk as an activity with friends!

[@deinemudder351]

The hugging "Question" is not easy for Germans, either. Handshake is the traditional way, hugging sometimes is considered too close for people who are not very intimate friends.

[@AsterFoz]

When a man and a woman meet the handshake problem grows.

[@judithjanneck1719]

Usually for women it's easier because they will hug earlier. You will grow out of that "Am I gonna hug you or not?" stage more quickly than men do.

[@AsterFoz]

@@judithjanneck1719 I just can't imagine hugging my boss or anybody at work. And sometimes they want to shake hands, sometimes not.

[@vimanaarchitects2151]

As a Central Asian I found that's creepy tho. Why in the hell I'd hug a person I barely know? We don't hug or handshake strangers,even tho we are considered "warmer" people. I've noticed I am a lot more reserved and speak a lot less vocally and prefer to write my disagreements compared to Germans,they tell it to face. So rude. Also I whisper when in public whilst Germans yell. LOL

[@deinemudder351]

@@AsterFoz nobody hugs his boss unless it's a real friend. And the boss, as the higher standing person, decides when to give handshakes.

[@1983simi]

I am a German woman who has been living in India for almost 10 years now - where I married my Indian husband - and I can relate to so many of your observations! In India also it would be very strange to call someone older by their first name. You would usually chose a form of address which implies the age difference in a friendly way, like calling someone aunty, uncle, or big brother, or sister, or if you're not sure, you would say Sir, Ma'am, or Miss. However, even during my youth in Germany I always felt it was weird to call a bf's parent by their first name XD I think that may differ a bit regionally or from family to family. The max I could bring myself is to call them 'Du', but it's super hard to call friends' parents by their first name. For the greeting in India it is either putting your hands together, or in a more cosmopolitan setting it would be a handshake. Many people would feel very uncomfortable if you tried to hug them... or worse... they might get the wrong message XD In Germany I am the master of awkward. My favorite is the awkward hand wave (pinguin style smile and wave), followed by the almost missed either too strong or too weak handshake and finally my awkward level 10 half hug with one arm and clumsy pat on the back. Re walking: My mom and me used to crack so much fun at my husband for not being used to walking much. He really suffered during his first visits to Germany when we would take him on what we would consider 'a light stroll', but he has gotten used to walking very well by now. Meanwhile, I understood by this point that walking 15 min in 38° heat and 80% humidity is a lot more exhausting than even 4 hrs of walking through town in our moderate German summer. At this point while in India I'll only walk indoors on the treadmill, anything else will ruin you for the rest of the day. And the sun, oh the sun... Every single time I come to visit home from India my German friends are shocked just how pale I am. You just don't do outdoor fun in the sun in India if you can avoid it. It's much much too hot and people there too don't want to catch a tan. So I usually only catch a tan nowadays if I happen to visit Germany in summer.

[@dirkbecker2961]

10 Jahre Indien... Respekt! Darf ich fragen wie hoch deine Lebenshaltungskosten in Indien im Monat sind? Also Miete bzw. Kosten für Eigenheim , Strom (Klimaanlage?), Krankenversicherung, Essen... usw. Das musst du nicht aufschlüsseln, mir reicht schon eine grobe Schätzung. Ich vermute du lebst in einer gehobenen Gegend? Wie habt ihr die Währungsreform erlebt? Das interessiert bestimmt auch andere hier, denn es macht bestimmt einen Unterschied ob man als Inder oder Europäer in Indien lebt. Vorab schon mal Danke für deine Infos aus erster Hand! P.S.: Du kannst auch auf Englisch antworten.

[@DrInduchak]

Exactly !!

[@allagligora5534]

Thanks, that was a very interesting comment to read!

[@1983simi]

@@dirkbecker2961 Hallo, sorry für die späte Antwort. Ich hab's tatsächlich erst jetzt gesehen! Naja, da ich Hausfrau bin - bzw. nur ab und an für ein kleines Taschengeld freischaffend als Übersetzerin tätig bin - wird unser Lebensunterhalt effektiv allein von meinem Mann bestritten, der ja Inder ist. In dem Sinne leben wir also durchaus 'wie Inder'. Wir haben auch ausschließlich indische Nachbarn. Tatsächlich kenne ich in Indien nur eine eurpäische Ausländerin persönlich, und die nur auf Twitter. Ich bin ihr nie IRL begegnet. In dem Sinne, bin ich also wirklich nicht in irgendeiner Art Expat-Bubble oder dergleichen. Ehrlich gesagt halte ich mich von weißen Expat-Gruppen etwas fern, weil sie erfahrungsgemäß etwas zum Rumjammern neigen ;) Wie dem auch sei, was richtig ist, ist dass wir in einer gehobeneneren Gegend leben, da mein Mann der sogenannten oberen Mittelschicht angehört, was im indischen Gesammtkontext natürlich 'nur' die oberen 5-8 % des Landes sind. Das hört sich erstmal wenig an, sind aber bei indischen Bevölkerungszahlen immer noch um die 70 Millionen Menschen. Wir leben zB. in keiner 'gated community' oder dergleichen, sondern in einem 8-Stöckigen Mehrfamilienhaus, zwar mit Wachmann, aber die sind wirklich eher zum Post annehmen da, als zum groß bewachen XD. Ist aber sonst eine normale Wohngegend mit lautem Straßenverkehr, Straßenständen, Lokalen, Restaurants etc. Unser Stadtteil ist aber dennoch recht grün und zentral, wodurch es tatsächlich nicht wirklich billig ist. Mumbai ist mit Abstand die teuerste Stadt Indiens. Für unsere momentane Wohnung mit etwa 80 Quadratmetern zahlen wir umgerechnet umdie 1600 EUR kalt. Für Strom zahlen wir im Durchschnitt umdie 35-40EUR im Monat. Wir sind aber auch 'heavy user' da ich als Teutonin durchaus die Klimananlage etwas länger und öfter anlasse. Ein durschnittlicher Restaurantbesuch kostet für zwei Personen 25 (indische Küche) bis 90 (internationale Küche) Euro. Krankenversicherung haben wir lange keine mehr. Wir hatten eine zeitlang eine Private, die etwa 600 EUR im Jahr gekostet hat, aber für selbst die klarsten Fälle jedesmal einen Grund zur Ablehnung gefunden hat, worauf wir irgendwann gekündigt haben. Glücklicherweise sind medizininische Behandlungen in Indien vergleichsweise erschwinglich. Größere Dinge - gerade OPs - kosten aber ähnlich wie in D auf Selbstzahlerbasis. Ich habe letztes Jahr eine Polypenentfernung der Gebärmutter gebraucht. Das hat uns ca 1500 EUR gekostet. Für uns ist es machbar, wenn aber jemand als wirklicher Expat nach Indien kommt, mit der Absicht es bei einem zeitlich begrenzten Arbeitsaufenthalt zu lassen, bzw. über eine Auslandsentsendung der Firma, dann ist eine gute Auslandskrankenversicherung für den Aufenthalt anzuraten. Als "Vollausländer" ohne indischen Ehepartner käme man, glaube ich, ohnehin an keine örtliche Krankenversicherung heran. Indien ist da relativ restriktiv. Ich muss sagen, mit unserem momentanen Lebensstil kostet uns das Leben in Mumbai tatsächlich im Schnitt nicht weniger als es uns in Deutschland kosten würde. Und es ist wirklich nicht so, dass wir hier mit dickem Schlitten durch die Gegend fahren und von vorn bis hinten bedient werden. Wir haben nen Honda City, fahren aber auch oft Rikscha, gehen evtl zweimal die Woche auswärts Essen, Putzfrau haben wir keine (geht mir gegens Privatssphärebedürfnis), wir machen unsere Wäsche selber... alles in allem ist unser Lebensstil aber auf europäischem Niveau, nicht mehr nicht weniger, was natürlich im indischen Kontext absolut gehoben ist! Nun ist das aber Mumbai. Wenn man bei gleichem Geldbeutel in Delhi oder sogar Bengalore lebt kann man schon viel größere Sprünge machen. In Bengalore könnten wir uns für dieselben monatlichen Ausgaben locker eine doppelt so große Wohnung leisten. In noch abgelegeneren Städten wie Surat kriegt man dafür locker ein Haus usw. Nur unser Herz - und die Heimat meines Mannes - ist nunmal Mumbai. Und selbst wenn es nur eine Einzimmerwohnung ist - wie noch vor 8 Jahren in unserem ersten Ehejahr - wir möchten nirgendwo anders leben. Achso, mit Währungsreform, bin mir jetzt nicht so sicher, was du damit meinst? Meinst du Modis Demonetisierungsaktion? Das war ein ziemliches Chaos. Wir haben letztens in nem alten Koffer mal wieder ein paar 500 Rupienscheine gefunden die heute nichts mehr Wert sind. War ziemlich hart das ganze. Vor allem für arme Leute, die ihr Geld hauptsächlich bar daheim lagern. Oder meintest du etwas anderes? Ich versuch zwischendurch wieder hier vorbeizuschauen, kann bei mir immer nur etwas dauern!

[@dirkbecker2961]

@@1983simi Wow, vielen Dank, das ist super interessant! Da war vieles dabei was mich überrascht hat - großartig alles mal von außerhalb der Expatbubble zu sehen! Du solltest deinen Text auch noch in anderen Foren posten, ich wette da freuen sich noch viele andere. Ja, ich meinte die Geldscheinwechselei, du hattest das richtig erraten. Ich hätte auch keine Putzfrau genommen, da ticken wir gleich. Freut mich sehr zu lesen, dass du dort im Großen und Ganzen glücklich und zufrieden bist! Viele Grüße und ein erfolgreiches neues Jahr! 😊

[@lumina9995]

Returningb from a trip to Vietnam, I heard a young German who was returning from a year of working in the management office of a German company in Vietnam tell her friend about the problems she had: "I couldn't tell an older person what to do. So I always had to find someone of authority who was still older to give them a message!" I really loved your observations of the differences between Vietnam and Germany, please tell us more of what you like or dislike, and don't be shy!🥰😉

[@allesklar221]

That here. Exactly the issue i faced in our Tokyo-office. I (german) was sent there to train a bunch of employees there (american company with offices all over the world), and i spent approx 8 months in our Tokyo office. A part of my job was to make some of the processes better, but, i learned quickly that this office was doomed to die because of their hardcore hierarchy. There was no way the people took instructions except from elders, no matter how pointless their instructions and ideas were. In the end we had to change the complete Team and hire new people with a different mindset. The hierarchy-culture and "obey the elder" culture ruins any company faster than you can see, the pace of this world has no space in Business for such attitudes. Just my 2 cent.

[@kentvesser9484]

@@allesklar221 Yeah, a few years ago I read an article that certain divisions of Samsung in Korea, especially those heavily involved in western markets, were mostly hiring Koreans who were foreign born or lived extensively in the west as they weren't hung up on age and seniority hierarchy as much. They were aware of it from growing up with Korean parents or having lived part of their life in Korea, but had largely adapted to not having issues with a younger manager or technical lead having authority.

[@allesklar221]

@@kentvesser9484 yeah its similar, just a little more hardcore than in Korea. All in all I spent more than 12 years abroad, in 7 countries, and the asian cultures are similar when it comes to hierarchies, but nothing beats Japan when it comes to inefficiency, presentism, obeying orders even though they dont make sense, etc Teaching people what "creative destruction" is, and "Elimination of waste" in the daily processes is something which makes the elder seriously worry - its on one hand a human thing (humans generally dont like change) , but its amplified by cultural aspects a lot, depending where it is. It does break my heart every few months when I have to tell my Tokyo office that their KPIs are poor, despite (well, rather because) they spent their whole life (12, 13, 14h) in the offices. Some understood now that one KPI is their efficiency, and the longer they stay in the office, the poorer is the output per hour

[@rolandscherer1574]

When I was a child, it was common in Germany for young children to address adults, for example friends of their parents, as "aunt" or "uncle". But that was more than 60 years ago and has not been common for a long time.

[@andreewagenknecht1530]

Ich weiß noch bis Anfang der 90er Jahre haben wir die älteren Gartennachbarn im Kleingartenverein mit Onkel Sowieso und Tante Sowieso angesprochen. Meine eigene Tante hingegen hat uns verboten, dass wir sie Tante nennen. 😅

[@reinhard8053]

It was used at least for some decades more, when I used it. And it was used for relatives, too. It would feel strange to me addressing these just with their first name. And I saw it from my cousins to my parents, too. But nowadays it seems to vanish. I was always uncomfortable as a kid with family gatherings. Who was "Du" and who not ? Who was a near enough relative or no relative at all ?

[@Avvisoful]

I spent two weeks in Hanoi and absolutely loved walking around the city. For kilometers on end. I just really like walking around, looking at stuff

[@biaberg3448]

Here in Norway you can call the prime minister by his first name. We often find it a bit weird to use the last name. Like children at school don’t know the last name of their teachers and probably not the headmaster’s either. At work, the names in Outlook are sorted by the first name. And we hardly ever put the profession in front of the name, like calling somebody doctor. That would sound stupid.

[@nathanvangoor4979]

How do you express respect to others then?

[@MadameEclipseRose]

@@nathanvangoor4979 I think it is kind of strange to think that you are not showing someone respect because you call them by their first name. Why do you connect this two with each other?

[@biaberg3448]

@@nathanvangoor4979 By the way you talk to them and behave towards them. There are some authorities we always have to address a certain way, the king: His majesty, the Mayor, and some else. And of course, the commanders in the military.

[@nathanvangoor4979]

@@MadameEclipseRose I did not assume there was no respect; that's why I asked the question. They are connected because of most other cultures.

[@nathanvangoor4979]

@@biaberg3448 Do you use a title for mayors, but not for premiers? Or did you mean something else by addressing?

[@suzannegittins9574]

Thank you so much for making this video. I’m American, my best friend growing up was originally from Vietnam. I was very honored to call her by her “home nickname” Hahn -Happiness. She never told me any of these things and now I could laugh at the dumb things I did without knowing.😂❤🙏 I have lost touch with her but she is always in my heart.

[@lenn939]

Not being able to walk 2km in a city actually sounds a little dystopian but I know that in Europe we’re really blessed with our walkable cities and also public transport… I mean not even all other developed countries like the US and Canada can get that right a lot of the time.

[@ManuelSteiner]

Depends. Where are you from? I had a different experience in Greece, where I used to live

[@lenn939]

@@ManuelSteiner Munich, Germany

[@ManuelSteiner]

@@lenn939 dann macht es Sinn ;-) (Bin Deutscher, lebe in der Schweiz)

[@lenn939]

@@ManuelSteiner Ah, ok. Klar gibt es da auch große Unterschiede innerhalb Europas. Ich würde sagen die Schweiz hat definitiv das beste Bahnsystem in Europa, aber die meisten Städte dort sind meiner Meinung nach leider immer noch zu sehr auf Autos ausgelegt und somit weniger freundlich gegenüber Fußgängern und Radfahrern. Da finde ich sind Städte in den Niederlanden definitiv Spitzenklasse in Europa. Deutschland ist in beider Hinsicht leider insgesamt nur irgendwo im Mittelfeld in Westeuropa aber immer noch tausendmal besser als die allermeisten Städte in Nordamerika und auch Asien außerhalb von Japan, Singapur und Südkorea und einigen Metropolregionen in China vielleicht. Zu Südamerika und Afrika muss ich bestimmt nichts weiter sagen. Insgesamt denke ich haben wir es schon sehr gut mit unseren Öffis und Städtedesign in den meisten Ländern in Europa und hoffentlich können sich alle Länder in Zukunft ein Beispiel am Schweizer Öffi-System und am Niederländischen Städtedesign nehmen. Das wäre glaube ich die utopische Kombi nach der wir alle streben sollten haha

[@ladyspace849]

My theory on the tanned skin vs fair skin is that if you have lighter skin in Vietnam ( or any other Asian country ) it means, aside from looking younger, that you're rich enough to not work outside under the scorching sun. It has been like that on Germany, too, but these times are long gone. These days having chalk white skin means in most cases that you're too poor to book a vacation in a sunny country. And about hugging - I feel awkward about it, too.

[@chrisrudolf9839]

Exactly. Pale/lighter skin used to be a status symbol in many cultures, including Europe, until quite recently for that very reason. For Germany and some other middle and northern European countries it changed about since the 1950ties, when more jobs had shifted to become mostly indoor work and when holidays on the beach and/or in southern countries became fashionable. Those who had a deep tan then were the wealthy ones who could afford the spare time and the money for such holidays, and by extension the myth developed that tanned people were healthier (Which is mostly due to the overall healthier life conditions of those who could afford beach holidays than to the actual health benefit of being out in the sun on a regular basis. In reality, while getting not enough sunlight and fresh air can cause health problems, white people who are obsessed about getting a deep tan mostly highten their risk of skin cancer).

[@denisb6718]

White skin means you're too poor to book a vacation? LOL, that sounds way too complicated. I think it's simply the fact, that having pale/white skin is associated with sickness or bad health conditions (malnutrition etc.). It is therefore natural to prefer a tanned skin, only in some societies (like as it seems present-day south east Asia, or Europe in the Middle Ages when the noble wanted to distinguish from ordinary people by having pale skin) cultural influences like certain elites seem to "overrule" this natural preference.

[@denisb6718]

Would be interesting to know actually how this is perceived by societies with little exposure to sunlight, like Arctic tribes etc. Do they still share our preference? Is tanned skin even a thing for them or a concept they wouldn't actually understand?

[@gigibenea3529]

Now you have to protect your skin from UV...this summer me and my husband were the only dressed with UV50 from the head to the toe in Italy ..😂😀everyone was looking to us strange ..we are from Montreal😉🇨🇦

[@JaneAustenAteMyCat]

@@chrisrudolf9839 Coco Chanel was the first to make having a tan fashionable, back in the 1920s or 30s, as I recall

[@julieschumacher2402]

Em Uyen -- I’m an expat living in Hanoi, (which I know you’re back here right now for Tet), and was smiling all the way through this video! Now you have more compassion for us crazy foreigners who come to Vietnam and do things that make you scratch your head or roll your eyes. 😂 I love your videos and they make me appreciate life in Hanoi in new ways!

[@cynthiacalderon5299]

This was really good. Enjoyed it so much. I was 10 when dad brought us to the U.S. from Mexico, and everything was a culture shock. Especially seeing snow! My little friends were so easygoing and wanted to know everything. While we were very introverted. It took us about 6 months to learn English and their customs. For example, April Fool's Day. A day to tease each other. Then St. Patrick's Day, everyone wears green. So funny just thinking about these things. Thank you for sharing. God bless you and your beautiful family. ❤🙏🤗

[@jujulegtauf7313]

Haha I recognized that Germans like to walk more than other nations when I was in the USA. My friend and me visited a big National Park and of course we planned a full day to visit it by foot. But: There were NO footpaths!!! 🤯🤯 Only deep wood where you are not allowed to walk and a big road for cars through the whole National Park. The most of the people drove the whole way slowly by car and only made pictures from the beautiful places from inside of the car. We were so shocked 😅🙈

[@dustyrose192]

WHAT? im from the UK and i live right next to a (not a national park but something similar). Yeah there is a road because a nearby farm uses special cows to make sure the heathland stays heathland and not a forest. How can you drive through such a place and not walk?

[@sirBrouwer]

@@dustyrose192 because the car is king in the USA.

[@dustyrose192]

@@sirBrouwer Not at a nature reserve! And people wonder wonder Americans are obese!

[@ff2154]

Yellowstone?

[@jujulegtauf7313]

@@ff2154 nope. Arcadia National Park in the north east

[@dsego84]

In Croatia we also use the birth year. Easier to gauge if someone is younger or older and which generation they belong to, like your parents or closer to your age, etc. On the topic of sunbathing, German and British tourists can often be seen on croatia's beaches in the middle of the day red as lobsters, sunburned all over, not sure how they don't realize it or it doesn't bother them.

[@yuffiefan7637]

A little advice: you seem to look in the display of your camera and for the viewer it's like you are looking away. Look straight in the lense so the audience feels like you look at them:) Love your channel:)!

[@user-dt8km6xx8o]

Ich muss sagen dass du soooo lustig bist, ich liebe deine Videos zu schauen und jetzt habe ich Lust auch für Vietnamesisch lernen 😃🤗

[@wandilismus8726]

In northern Germany it is easy ... Moin is the only greeting you need,no names

[@FabFunty]

don 't forget "moin moin" for the more chatty people 😉

[@wandilismus8726]

@@FabFunty Moin Moin ist schon Gesabbel, as we say up here

[@regenindergosse]

And "servus" in the south :D

[@niszirzn301]

In some parts of nothern Germany, "Moin" also means goodbye. It depends on how far you move to north. But Der echte Norden is sowieso only in Schleswig Holstein. You're welcome.

[@wandilismus8726]

@@niszirzn301 i am northern frisonian, hold my beer. We can have a whole conversation with Moin and Jo

[@brendannguyen1532]

Omg Uyen I love your videos so much! As a Vietnamese person born and living in Australia learning German in high school, I find your videos so funny and relatable. 😆😆

[@ellaempen3328]

Love your videos! You are too sweet and kind. Thank you for sharing your differences in different countries. Good to learn new things. I am from United States

[@Franzi-sm1lx]

We germans have the same struggle as you with hugging because there are no rules when\who to hug or shake hands. Sooo awkward! 😂😂

[@Micha-bp5om]

Yes, it is really complicated. I come from Romania and struggle with this. In Romania when we hug we also kiss cheecks and from instinct the first time a colleague hugged me I half kissed him on one cheek 😂 It was super awkward... Even between regions it can be different. In south Romania people hug and kiss like crazy, in Transilvania where I come from it is rather Vietnam style, not much touching unless you really missed someone. 😅

[@vimanaarchitects2151]

Why would you hug people that aren't your family? I don't even do that to my friends.Creepy as hell.

[@spaceowl5957]

Interesting observation I never thought about that. I feel like Germans like their rules so much but when it comes to social interactions its a TOTAL free for all. I was in the US for while as a German and there are so many more rules around social interaction like dating or even talking to the cashier, and greeting someone is this "how are you, fine, how are you, good, thanks" ritual that you have to get right or it's awkward. Like there are NO rules like that in Germany. We just wing it. I guess that's why we tend to be so awkward around ppl we don't know well. I think being too formulaic about these things would feel forced or ingenuine to Germans, idk Very interesting

[@obinator9065]

Men Friends: fist bump or high five Women Friends: hand or hugging if she offers it first Family: hugging Bromance: Hugging Other people: handshake

[@kdkent5415]

It is exciting to find out what differences or similarities there are between the cultures of this world. You explained it so graciously. I hope you make many more videos. Warm regards from Munich, Karina

[@JosePerez-dn3ji]

as a Mexican who used to live with a German, I totally get your videos!!! Love them, brings back memories!

[@hansstromberg5330]

I love what I see and hear. It gives me a perspective as to the fact that we are all the same, but different.Please go on being yourself, showing just that. Hans Strömberg,Sweden

[@harvy345]

I'm more motivated to study in Germany because of your videos. Thank you 💚.

[@aszechy]

I'm European and have met several people from developing countries (Nigeria, India, etc.) who seemed completely baffled that here we would go for a walk or even hiking as a leisure activity. They were always like "no, we don't want to walk" with a look that said "are you crazy?" I wonder, is it just the heat, or is it also some kind of status thing, meaning that only people who can't afford some other mode of transport would walk anywhere? (Like the suntan, only poor people who have to work outside would have one...) Also, the age thing is pretty funny - here it would be grossly impolite to directly ask about the age of somebody you just met :)

[@lijohnyoutube101]

In the US I absolutely associate walking with only those in extreme poverty/homeless. With the absence of some tourist attractions areas Savannah river walk, Chicago museum mile, Detroit stadiums walk and a few very limited exceptions… NYC walkers are common and walking in DC areas is seen. Do you see people out walking everyday absolutely but I wouldn’t say its common for the vast majority as a pastime.

[@Toywins]

It really depends on if you live in a walkable city in the u.s. and the expansive nature of towns and most cities just doesn't allow for walking.

[@mysticartist7]

In India , hiking & trekking are considered more as a occassional sport activity . Also walking is not so common as leisure activity during the day due to severe heat . I'm Canadian who grew up in India so have spent enough time being familiar with the culture. Here in Canada we go for walks as leisure activity especially in big cities like Toronto , Vancouver etc. In Canada hiking is also a lesiure activity especially on west coast.

[@aminamemic2141]

Or safety reasons?

[@kamifae]

@@lijohnyoutube101I'm from the PNW in the US and EVERYBODY here hikes and goes for walks 🙏😂

[@miraschuster103]

Ich freu mich bei jedem Video schon aufs nächste. Hoffe dass du lange und fiele Videos machen wirst. Du bist einfach so authentisch und lustig. Love you. ❤️❤️❤️

[@paulajimenez1046]

Hi from Colombia!! Please keep doing your videos, I really enjoy them and I feel very identified because I lived one year in Germany!

[@joxatengo]

2:11 "hold up lemme summon german lady vibes" LOVING YOUR WORK!! it's so entertaining and educational!! I've actually started learning german on my own (duolingo) and it's a blast watching you!

[@minnowartscrafts]

Just found ur channel via shorts and I love it! My partner and I are also from different continents, and while we are American and Northern Irish, we relate a lot to your videos about cultural differences 😂 Btw, I love that you CC ur vids, as i'm hard of hearing, and it really helps! (Fyi "subtitles" are when ur put the words in different languages in text, like how lots of Americans watch anime. When it's in the same language, like you do, it's just called "captions." Also, if you want to increase ur deaf/HoH audience, adding "[CC]" to ur title, or even just ur keywords will help.]

[@ArmandoBellagio]

It's funny because like in English-speaking and other countries they think of Germans as quite reserved and formal since we still address people we don't know with "Sie" and last name and also don't do cheek kisses for introductions. But then in Vietnam it seems you are yet more formal and reserved in some ways.

[@susie2251]

Yes, I wonder how she would feel in Italy or Greece. 😂

[@Flotter-Flo]

It's not that they are more formal in general. They are just obsessed with age. In their country, waiting out your life years is considered an accomplishment.

[@fgregerfeaxcwfeffece]

@@susie2251 You don't need to move that far, direct neighbor of Germany do that already: Belgium and Luxembourg example. Not sure for the Netherlands.

[@sirBrouwer]

@@fgregerfeaxcwfeffece in the Netherlands it used to be something done with people you really know. the joke is the kissing is done in such a way that you only touch cheek to cheek. and kiss the air direct next to the person but not the person it self. it's used to be more common to just shake hands like they do in Germany. now a days a lot of people after the covid restrictions just stopped doing so and just greet by waiving and just saying hello. with a lot of people opting for keeping it that way.

[@christopherstein2024]

@@sirBrouwer Socialists used to kiss each other on the mouth. At least politicians like Erich Honecker. With russia being so homophobic these days they sure seemed to be very into male to male kisses back in the day.

[@tatavegan5171]

you look so nice !! i'm happy to see your chanel, i undestand why so many people like you because you so natural, and look kind, and innocent. and smart.

[@r.g.o3879]

The Vietnamese seem to be hard working and friendly people who have worked so hard to repair the war damage to their homeland and I hope they have a happy future ahead of them. My own father was a career military man, enlisted in 1939 and fought in north Africa and D Day all the way to Germany in 45. He switched to the new US Air Force in 1946 and was stationed in Japan through Korea, then after about ten years back in the states (stationed at Randolph Airforce Base in Texas in 1959 where I was born, then stationed in Thailand and Japan during the Vietnam War all the way till 1975 when he retired. He had been away from home so long he decided to stay in Japan. He was a senior mechanic on the big B 52s. He was always proud of his service and as a veteran myself (1981-1989) in Germany and Oklahoma and Texas I was a cold warrior defending west Germany from the 4,000,000 Warsaw Pact troops ready to invade at any moment! My wife got sick and lost her sight so I had to get out to take care of her and our daughter. She passed away in 2014. Luckily I never had to go to war. I was always ready and willing but my family needed me alive and healthy and so many guys got sick over in Iraq and Kuwait. I'm disabled myself now but would have liked to get back to Europe now that things have changed. I feel bad for the Ukrainians but it looks like Russia is finally about finished as a super power able to cause more trouble. When I was in Germany so many Germans still disliked us Americans. If I get lucky I will try to take a trip to Europe and maybe be able to enjoy it this time! Love your channel and humor. As my father was what they used to call Pennsylvania Dutch and my mother from Puerto Rico I recognize much of what you experienced very similar to what she experienced. I was born and raised in the States so that is home but I did spend a few years in Puerto Rico and it was so much the same as you in Germany! I liked Puerto Rico but would not move there! I am perfectly fluent in Spanish and can read and write it but the cultures are very different. Thanks for the great humor

[@ember1794]

Ironically, in Germany it would be considered rude or at least very weird to ask someone for their age, first thing, especially the ladies 😅 Also, calling someone aunty or grandmother (unless they are said relative) would imply they are old, which is (sadly) not considered a good thing here

[@DrInduchak]

We Indians can relate to everything you said that you experience in Vietnam except introducing others by the year of their birth. Still some Elderly Bengalis ( ppl.of West Bengal in India) count the birthdays in the same way as Vietnamese adding a year. All the rest are very similar in India too.

[@sarahli1234]

It is so interesting hearing of differences between our cultures. Thanks for your funny and informative videos

[@georgiaclapham9204]

The honorifics thing is interesting. My mom is from Austria (dad was American) and I was raised in Germany. I called all my parents' friends Aunt and Uncle and continued even when I was grown. Maybe things have changed now. And I don't think I would have called any adult by their first name, unless we were the same age or they were younger, etc. When I worked briefly for a German company everyone addressed each other as Frau and Herr (Mr and Mrs). Unlike in the UK where things were much more casual and everyone was known by first names, even the boss! Then I moved to Japan where of course everyone was "san" or honorable, unless you were very close friends! And I remember being called "nee-san" or "older sister" by my female colleagues at work, even when they were older than me, if they were Japanese! Now back in the States, and everyone is very informal again, for the most part. Cultural differences are fascinating! I love your channel!

[@ember1794]

Thankfully, a lot has changed in Germany, in some Branchen it is getting much less formal - in my husband's and my line of work - IT, Art, Literature - as well as with Dozenten at my Art School "Duzen" was the way to go, which I much prefer

[@GooseVis56]

thank you for making this video, i have stopped watching shorts but i still love your content!!

[@viis374]

In Germany when you greet someone with a hug it’s not really meant as really hugging. You can think of it more as a ‘putting your arm around them for a second’ like it’s meant to be a brief thing. Of course if you haven’t seen someone in a long time you might want to hug them longer and tighter, kind of like a ‘I won’t let you go again’.

[@j.totheworld]

your tik tok videos are obviously iconic, but i think im partial to these youtube videos! it’s nice hearing you explain things in detail! :)

[@xalgengruetzex]

Haha, I noticed the age thing to cause confusion with Chinese and Japanese friends, as well - in Germany age is rather intimate information and asking the age is often considered as rude. It tends to have a passive-aggressive vibe like implying you look old, have not achieved enough for your age, or are doing things not appropriate for your age.

[@BriLamberson]

Just found your channel on Instagram and binged all of your Reels there. 😅😂 I lived in Germany for several years when I was young and it’s fun to see all the truisms through your eyes. Thank you love! Makes miss it. Congratulations on the channel here!

[@johannaporz5036]

Where I live in germany, my grandma also learned to say aunt and uncle to older people (she is 62 now). So I learnd the old Lady next to our house is Tante Maliese, but she was not my real aunt.

[@lm3341]

bei uns sagen wir das auch, aber ich denke, das ist nicht das selbe, weil es keine respektform ist. dort sagen die leute das ja aus respekt vor den älteren, hier ist das mehr wie ein kosename oder zuneigungsbezeugnis

[@forkeke]

@@lm3341 ich habe das von unseren sehr alten, sehr ländlichen und sehr konservativen norddeutschen Nachbarn durchaus als Respektsform gelernt, auf die bestanden wurde, die aber eher von Kindern genutzt werden musste, nicht als Erwachsener. Dieses Jahr ist leider die letzte aus der Generation verstorben. Aber es gab tatsächlich einen Menschen, den ich immer nur als "Onkel Fritz" angesprochen habe, was den Kinderwitzen einen interessanten Twist gegeben hat. Ich dachte aber auch als kleines Kind teils, dass die tatsächlich meine Verwandten sind. Sonst wurde das in den 90ern/00ern ja auch kaum mehr verwendet und eine echte verwandte Tante wohnte auch noch in der Nachbarschaft. Sehr verwirrend alles.

[@talkingtomyself5153]

Great video! I love your TicToks!! Every time my wife and I are in Da Nang we love to walk everywhere in the city. It is funny to see the look on the taxi drivers' faces I say we would rather walk in the sun.

[@VocisMental]

Ich, Deutsch, weiß auch nie, wie ich neue Leute begrüßßen soll. Ich schätze die vietnamesische Variante! Uff, kennt ihr die Menschen, die jedem einen Kuss auf die Wange pressen wollen? Bleibt mir fern, ich brauche Körperkontakt hauptsächlich in den Reihen meiner Lieben, nicht von Bekannten ....

[@some-du1kc]

😂😂😂😂 Ja ja die Franzosen. Auch ne Nummer für sich

[@Frohds14]

Das hat sich doch ziemlich erledigt, oder? Ich war auch noch nie der Küsschen hier, Küsschen da-Typ und verkrampfe beim Umarmen, aber nach 14 Monaten hätte ich gerade mal nichts dagegen.

[@VocisMental]

@@Frohds14 Ja, verständlich. Ich habe das Glück, zu Hause mit jemanden knuddeln zu können. Wenn man komplett verzichten muss,ist das schon Sch**ße :/

[@vendela678]

ja. eeeuw..nix anfassen ...danke..🙈

[@godsgrace-thegatheringplac7280]

I love hearing about cultural differences. Thank you for sharing.

[@haliho8827]

I really enjoyed this video! Keep them coming! :D

[@vikolivik]

I spent a couple of years in Vietnam and you just mentioned a lot of the things I founded weird as an Argentinian there. You just helped me understand a lot of it. Thanks! BTW, your shorts crack me up! They are amazing!

[@vaemcdowell6205]

My elderly Swiss friend went to visit her son in a Texas suburb with big houses and lawns and long driveways, but no curbs and little traffic on the streets, and of course she wanted to walk around the neighborhood every day because Swiss people DO go for daily walks, and big Cadillacs and Lexuses and Lincoln town cars driving past constantly stopped and asked her if she needed a ride. They didn't know her but she was an old lady and they thought she was walking because something was wrong!!!!

[@zigzig9938]

Hello, I’m an Eastern European, who went to Colorado state about 10 years ago, and noticed the same thing. I loved walking and people thought I’m crazy for walking so much.

[@Zooz.]

Ask, why are you driving? Do you have a broken leg? Did your bike get stolen?

[@junbh2]

@@Zooz. I love this answer! It's how I feel when I see someone driving in the city. Are they disabled? Are they on a trip to the countryside? What's wrong with their body that they can't use it? It feels like using a wheelchair - very useful when there's something wrong but it would be weird to use it if you're healthy. I don't say those things out loud but I think them ;).

[@thedeviouspanda]

People in my part of the US like to go on walks too, especially the older people. We can usually tell the difference between someone on a regular walk and someone who needs help, like they have dementia and got lost or something. Plus in the south, including Texas, they are raised to treat older people very well. They would not be allowed to pass an older woman walking alone without asking if she needs help, lest their own grandmother heard about it 😂

[@Fairytale268]

Germans are also starting to realize the negative effects of the sun on the face! It’s really important to always wear spf at least on your face!!

[@lm3341]

eigentlich nur die jungen leute. die älteren juckt's nicht so

[@majascorpia7912]

Du kennst bestimmt Leon auf Instagram oder? 😂🥰er ist einfach n ehrenmann, hab mir wegen ihm auch schon spf gekauft hehee

[@kanister21]

Was ein Schwachsinn. Schon Mal was von Vitamin D gehört? Zuviel Sonne macht krank wegen Hautkrebs, zu wenig Sonne macht krank wegen Vitamin D Mangel. Die Wahrheit liegt wie immer in der Mitte.

[@marie-sophiec.5217]

I discovered you in the reals of Instagram a few weeks ago and I just love your videos, they are so funny, and you're just so adorable! ❤❤ it's cool to learn a bit more with some longer content with those videos, keep up the great work! 😄

[@uyenninh]

Thank you very much!!

[@nomirrors3552]

@@uyenninh I also found you on Reels first. Hi! ~~waves

[@dishadharmraj6986]

Haha, I relate to the uncle, aunty or big brother (Anna) or big sister (akka) in India we do the same thing. Even random strangers we call them Anna and akka or uncle and aunty depending on their age. I think it's an asian thing here there is a huge emphasis on respecting your elders. So you never call anyone by just their name. Obviously we don't do that with friends but with older people or with people you don't know, like shop keepers calling them Anna is just a sign of respect. There is a definite advantage to this entire system, I'm terrible at remembering names, I generally forget people's names as soon as they utter it. So just calling my parents acquaintance or my neighbour who has lived next to us for years aunty and uncle without knowing their name makes life easy. Also I just want to point out that at least in India the above-mentioned things is more in a personal/ informal setting we don't do that at work etc, then it's definitely the standard Mr./ Ms and their name or if they're your peer or colleague you may call them by their name.

[@vanessaleon3377]

You are so cuteee, when are you going to show us vietnamit cooking videos? ☺️☺️☺️❤️❤️

[@Mia82978]

I found it interesting to hear that we like walking more :D but it‘s true, I just like going around by foot and a lot of people do that in the city where I live. Just going for a walk or when we‘re going somewhere in the city, if it‘s not too far over a few kilometres, we would just walk instead of taking the bike. And especially now with covid, I like to meet my friends and we just walk around together :)

[@reaganrickey7236]

As a girl from Texas, I absolutely understand that awkwardness and feeling of disrespect when calling someone older than you by their first name. It’s always ma’am, miss or mister here

[@paolocarpi4769]

You just don't grasp the entity of this pervasive habit. I'm not accustomed to Vietnamese customs but I know a little bit of Korean social customs and it sounds similar. When they say older is not a difference between people with gray hairs and younger people... Often it is a question of days. Only friends call themselves only by name with no honorific, and friends are only those in the same year, and it is no automatic, you both of you have to be accepted as a friend by the other. If you're younger by 1 year from your "unofficial friend" you'll call him big brother (or sister, obviously) and never with his name, _never ever_. If it is not so close relationship you can call him by brother/sister but in a respectful way, but in this case even if the age difference is only 2 days. If there is a work or school relationship there specific titles to use, the most common is "superior". if there is no relationship at all you'll call him by title (Granpa, Uncle, Professor, President, Director, Captain, ecc..) and he, being older, will call you by full name with respect postfix. Let me avoid talking about family titles... they have dozens of ways to call "cousin", depending on his position in the family tree. Nope, it's nothing like Texas.😅😅😅

[@reaganrickey7236]

@@paolocarpi4769 tldr 🦅🫶🏼🫡

[@paolocarpi4769]

​@@JewelryB I'm saying that comparing politeness in Texas with the complexity of rules of social relationship customs in East Asia and probably in South East Asia is naive and a little bit ridiculous as they play in all another league. The implications of being rude or disrespectful, "not filial" (not sure in English exists such term) as they say, towards the elderly, your parents for example, can go from a simple reprimand to even, in China, up to arrest. In Texas, you can, politely, send your parents to hell, cut ties and never see them again. If you dare do that in East Asia you're fucking up your very same life. In Japan if you're cut out from the "family register" it becomes harder or even impossible get bank loans or a job. Being polite to your parent or older people is truly not only about "politeness", it's not only about feeling "awkward".

[@vivida7160]

I think it's comparable to racism in the US in that it's how the society is structured. It's what determines who is allowed to do what and who is allowed to say what to whom so that people stay together as a society rather than just random individuals living close together by chance. So it's more than politeness, or politeness has a whole different meaning than in the US.

[@bucsr.6106]

I found you on shorts. Now im hooked. You are adorable!

[@somewhereright3160]

I see some similarities between Vietnam and Japan where I‘ve spent one year studying. After some time, I found it soooo annoying and soooo rude that sometimes people asked my age even before my name. Asking someone‘s age -especially women - in Germany is not very polite. I can see that this question is not asked to be rude but to know the hierarchy, however, the age hierarchy doesn‘t really apply to us western foreigners anyway. So I couldn‘t help but feel annoyed by that question. I‘ve seen people dressed like in winter at beaches, too. Although I think some people wore too many layers of fabric (like in winter), I realized that the sun is much stronger in East Asia and can become a health thread if you don‘t protect your skin. So I put a tshirt on at the beach and wore a big head, too. That being said, wanting to be tanned isn‘t the primary reason why people in German love sun bathes. It‘s just that the winter in Germany is quite long and the are many cloudly days. It affects our mood. So when the sun finally comes out, everyone is craving for sunlight and warmth. Getting tanned is secondary and not even as popular as it used to be in the 2000‘s. Countries like Vietnam or Japan, however, habe the „luxury“ to have a lot of sunny days (at least for me that‘s a luxury). So they can afford „wasting“ sunny days by avoiding the sun... if that makes sense from my viewpoint...? 😄 Anyway, interesting video. 😃 I‘d like to visit Vietnam one day.

[@DVfromtheeast]

in english the pronouns are just only i you he she etc and german ich du/ Sie etc , you dont need to know age to call someone. But with vietnamese if people are close enough, have to know age to address someone , sometimes it s quite complicated, some people feel disrespected when a younger one calls them "em", but some others like it because it makes they feel like people still think they are young

[@aicirtkciub9167]

Yes same with Canada. Give me the sun!!!

[@katie18976]

as an estonian, i can relate :D

[@bingobongo1615]

This is quite mindblowing... I have family ties to both countries and nobody ever in Japan asked me my age once I was an adult (as a teenager, very young adult its normal but after college/university I dont think so?) while I had never ever considered it rude to ask or be asked my age in Germany. I only ever heard that "its not polite" from French and British people... That being said - Germany is really large and Japan is really large. I havent met anyone as stereotypical German as Uyen`s boyfriend either... (For example I always thought sandals and socks were more of a joke, never met anyone under 50 actually wearing it... Or cooking me and my family also eyeball it and dont use exact recipes... My grandma really had to think long to somehow write me down her recipe for her best Braten)

[@vivida7160]

You don't need to consider their age, but they need to know your age if you use even some Japanese to communicate. The other person has to know if he/she has to use honorifics or not. Otherwise, it's impossible to form a proper relationship. A Japanese person may tolerate you not using honorifics because of language difficulties, but it's very uncomfortable for them if they feel like they may be unwittingly offending you by not using honorifics when they should. It doesn't matter if you are actually offended or not. It's about feeling secure that there is a relationship (which you cannot see) which can't happen in Japanese communication without the appropriate use of honorifics.

[@nsingh323]

Girl, you are so pretty 😍

[@dergutehut3961]

Thanks for your perspective. Let me provide some context. - The whole calling people by their first name thing is very new...about 30 years ago we would have the same or a very similar situation than in Vietnam. It has to do with the 68er and their try to get rid of rules and hierarchies, also many foreigners who were not used to that kind of distinction in their cultures. But it very much depends on where you are. For example in the social sector people do that first name thing a lot and even demand it..if you work in the buisness sector its more likely that people will use last names. IN germany we have the "sie" and "du" situation..and a lot of people still use "sie" and in general it is seen as the polite and appropriate form of communication. Even the Aunt and Uncle thing was once German..but way longer ago. - Arkward when it comes to body contact? Sounds like my dream country. But seriously...again we are the least huggy people..and most foereigners get a culture shock realizing Germans are not that comfortable with body contact. In fact I'll say that the whole hugging-mania started in the mid 70ties..before that we only had hand shakes. And many Germans still don'T do it. The only time I hug my friends or family is if someone is really sad or has a birthday...or if I haven't seen them for ages...but it would be very weird if someone started hugging just for greeting in my circles. And there was definitely no kissing...that even newer. - Protecting from the sun instead of sun bathing...you Vietnamese are totally reasonable people. Love your culture. Also..sun-bathing is also relatively new..I'd say the idea changed shortly after WW2. Having a tan used to be a bad thing because it indicated you were some poor lad working on the fields. But in the 50ties-60ties...it meant you could afford to go to south-europe (or even further) so coming home with a tan was seen as a sign of status. - Thanks for showing that what is German and what isn't always progressing...hope you have a nice time in Germany..and feel free to form a "no hugs" movement.

[@markmuller7962]

That was pretty cool! I hope you'll make more of this long videos :D

[@mix3ry199]

My wife (Taiwanese) and I (German) have seen your videos and your shorts together and can almost 100% relate to what you describe 😄 Even though Taiwan and Vietnam are different, a lot of things are the same, white skin, walking, how to address people, etc. She had exactly the same problems as you have/had Eine Sache bzgl. der Haut, das hat nicht unbedingt etwas mit "Schutz" zu tun, sondern ist eine alte Angewohnheit die es so auch in Europa usw. gab. Leider ist das heutzutage immer noch ein "Schönheitsideal" in Asiatischen ländern. Braune Haut = Arm, da du draußen arbeiten musst Weiße haut = Wohlhabend weil du drinnen sein kannst Heutzutage ist das genau andersherum 😅 Weiß = ungesund und Braun = Gesund

[@terrawyrm]

I'm not big on hugs, but my auntie was trained as a church deacon. She always greets people with this big, very soft hug. She's super gentle about it, because she was trained to hug frail old people. When in doubt, be gentle! That way you don't accidentally hurt someone who might turn out to be fragile.

[@Rinthella]

Thank YOU for sharing your experience with us ❤️

[@starsinleaves3671]

Your videos/reels always make me happy ^^

[@victo8500]

Hahaha thank you! German girl here, have lived in vietnam for 2 years and wish i would have found your advice earlier ;)

[@feyres6947]

KZbin recommendations are getting better, I watch your TikToks and was surprised to see you on KZbin. 😂😊

[@JustAnotherMe]

These points are valid for someone from India too. (Except for the age one. Asking people their age is a little weird there so usually you go with your assumption of how old they look to decide which honorific to use. There are a lot of jokes about when the neighbouring kids start calling someone 'aunty/uncle' instead of 'older sister/brother'.) And I'm still awkward with the hugs. Still working on getting used to it so that I don't come off as weird. It's a struggle.

[@lifesbestswithjernie]

I could relate very much to these stories. I live in Germany too. Very interesting and entertaining. Love watching your video.

[@emmavaccova8695]

I love your videos so much!! That really bring me joy and I frequently rewatch them :) When you come back to Vn, it would be amazing to do a little vlog and show us around your city. Many of us have never been there and would love to virtually visit ☺️ Oh also! A piece of advice: many “new ytbers” make the mistake to only look on the screen with your face next to the camera. Looking directly into the lens gives it a more “authentic” look as if u were talking to us and looking into our eyes ☺️ Thank you for the video can’t wait to see the next one 🥳

[@uyenninh]

Thank you very much for the advice 😆 and yeah I would love to show you Vietnam one day 😊 we’ll see

[@aliajellu]

You look so much better when you take care of yourself like in this video.

[@dimfre4kske67]

About the tan skin, it used to be the same in western Europe. The rich stayed indoors, so no tan, while the peasants worked the fields, so tan. But then the rich started traveling to warm places and got tan, so now many if not most western European want a tan, it shows they have enough money to travel to warm countries. This started a whole industry of tanning salons where you could get tanned without having to go to warm countries, but then the skin cancers started to drastically increase and now you don't see them anymore.

[@daviddoan68]

In Vietnam big cities, it is almost impossible to walk around the blocks because the footpaths are mostly occupied, so you have no choice but walk on the streets which is quite nerve wrecking if you are not used to it. It is much easier and safer to jump on a little scooter to travel even for short distance of a couple hundred meters.

[@chelseapaulson4038]

I'm American and I also find hugs confusing. I like the smile and wave much better! 😆

[@corinnaschmidt9735]

Thanks for your great video. I don't know anyone from Vietnam and have never been there. It is very interesting to hear these differences. Please keep making such informative videos.

[@Pebbles2233]

I am not from Vietnam, I come from an Angolan family and in my culture, you never call adults/in-laws by their names too! When I finally met my German in-laws that are about 80 and 70 years old they insisted I call them by their names but it was so hard ! hahaha 😅 It took me some time to get used to it, I sometimes choke before saying their names as in my culture it's like disrespecting them. But all is good now they totally understand

[@ginaunger2399]

As a person who has only lived in the USA, I find these cultural differences very interesting. Thanks for posting!

[@zoala001]

you will be even more amazed about the name formality in Sweden. there is no Mr or Mrs. we all go by first names. we even call our professors in school by their first names.

[@theParadoxgirl]

I love your reels and videos! You are so funny and your editing is great. Thank you for showing us your perspective.

[@Luna-sw9kz]

I love you videos so much!! And you are such a nice person ^^ 🥰

[@alexalfano2171]

Wow! This was very very instructiv. I learnt very much from this video. Dankeschön

[@Utayaw]

I love your videos and you are so sympathisch as we say

[@allagligora5534]

Thank you, you are so sympathetic!

[@maunz5791]

I'm German and I can very much relate to your struggle with greetings here. It seems like the standard differs from family to family - personally I also tend to reduce body contact to a minimum. Some hug, some shake hands, some kiss and I'm never sure what others may find appropriate in certain situations. But maybe I'm just socially awkward... 😅

[@johnlacey3857]

So sweet and yet so perceptive.