Debunking Stereotypes about Vietnam

[@eustacia03]

I think the reason we're all so excited about Pho is because the two most comforting food experiences are sipping hot broth and slurping noodles.. You see a similar fixation on Japanese Ramen and chicken noodle soup. People just really love soup and noodles.

[@snailart14]

Yeah and even though it's time consuming it's pretty easy to make and keep hot. You make a basic broth and then just cook up whatever ingredients the customer orders and boom pho for days. Especially because Americans aren't as likely to pick the more expensive stuff like tripe or tendon (used to be cheap but it's definitely not anymore buying tripe for menudo is like $50 where I am now 😢) But yeah a Westerner might just want pork or steak strips in it so it's pretty cheap for them to make and sell and still get a huge profit

[@eustacia03]

@@snailart14 That's the other thing. We go out to get this stuff. We don't make it at home unless maybe we're stuck inside on a snowy day with a lot of bone broth.

[@nriamond8010]

I don't like the combination of soup and noodles at all and it's so fascinating to see how popular it seems for everyone else :D

[@Kuribohcoast]

Pho is also phoking delicious.

[@Chinothebad]

Personally, it's not even slurping noodles but just the taste of it ever since the first bite I ever had of the dish despite having never tried it or some of the ingredients before such as tripe.

[@bucsr.6106]

This is absolutely necessary and helpful. I believe education is key to stop bigotry, stereotypes and Asian hate. I am Korean living in the US and even after 40 years people are closed minded about my country (unless it is about Kpop or Kdrama 😂)Like you, I am proud of my home. I enjoy subscribing to your channel. Your humor, and your love for life is infectious and my days don’t stop. You are a gift.❤🇻🇳🇰🇷

[@just42tube]

The USA seems to be full of all kinds of hate. Asian hate is or was mainly a US phenomenon, wasn't it? American culture and language seems to be very polarizing. They seem to have only two adjectives, they either love or hate. More careful and balanced thinking seems to be out of fashion.

[@bucsr.6106]

@@just42tube In the 40 years that I have lived here I have never felt fully accepted. I am half Korean and half Hungarian so that makes it even harder. My English is so fluent that I became a high school English teacher lol and yet I am always “other” on government forms and I constantly feel like I have to prove that I’m a citizen. However, there’s some really great parts of it. I’m not miserable, but I’m only telling the truth. I will retire in beautiful South Korea as soon as I am eligible. But yes, it is polarizing, but I have found a group of people that want to learn more about my country and other countries and once they become educated, they are kind and accepting or seem to be at least.

[@yanied9646]

​@just42tube hate against Asians in America, specifically of recent, was due in part largely to a certain person talking about a disease a certain way, and then obvious America having issues with the rise of China as a competing super power in the world. Many Americans, like those that live in very insular areas, would not know the difference between Vietnamese, Korean, or Japanese and Chinese, and so lump everyone under a single umbrella

[@just42tube]

@@bucsr.6106 The old stereotype about the average American is that they are very ignorant about the rest of the world. They have also grown into thinking in terms of racist terminology and distinct ethnic groups. But that is natural for them. They see themselves and others as black/white/asian... And on top of that they have religious and socio-economical divides. They have institutionalized racial ideology and ethnic divisions and even ask people to choose and report those labels in the national census.

[@SuperAblabla]

I think the US is (sadly) an extreme example for this. In Europe we know that South Korea is extremely developed and that Germany sucks in comparison to that. As the internet likes to state: education is illegal in the US 😂

[@Freaky0Nina]

I would even argue, that a lot of the "traditional" women in a lot of cultures are among the strongest I have met. Like, don't mess with the women over the age of 40. They decided not to play along anymore after showing endurance for so long, and they are fierce. Of course, that's just personal experience. Goes to show, sexism doesn't mean women stay passive. It just takes different forms and people see what they can do with the circumstances that surround them.

[@bucsr.6106]

Me included. Applause! ❤🎉

[@ashextraordinaire]

A switch just flips when you turn 40. I can't explain it well. But my mom likes to tell me it's even better after 70!

[@minime7375]

Traditional doesn’t mean submissive. I think Uyen was wrong in using the word “submissive”, maybe because of how she was raised she thinks it’s the same thing? Not the same thing at all though.

[@marinatyurina9568]

Возможно стоит начать с воспитания своих дочерей независимыми , но добрыми людьми своим примером 😊

[@LMTthe1st]

So I am late to this, but us Vietnamese has a saying : "When the enimies are out there, even the women will fight". That's how tough my country's women are. They are traditional, but that does not mean they are cowards.

[@lenanayashkova]

I always remember how Vientamese friends explained that "of course we don't hate america, we were only at war with them for a couple of decades. We've been at war with China for a 1000 years. War with America is nothing"

[@Ribberflavenous]

I have heard it told that Vietnam has never been conquered, that the people have an indominable streak. Very tough.

[@stellangios]

I was so surprised she said THE war 😂 I was like, which one? I was taught Vietnam had been sending other countries packing for hundreds of years before the US 😅

[@TheBlueTubby]

Well, it's a bit more complicated. During the war, China militarily supported North Vietnam by fighting South Vietnam and the United States in the Vietnam War, as well as providing extensive logistical, training, and material aid. The Chinese helped the Vietnamese train their military commanders; reorganize their defense and financial systems, including tax and fiscal policy; and create a solid economic base. They also helped the Vietnamese to mobilize the peasants to support war through land reform campaigns.

[@yanied9646]

I remember talking to some Vietnamese oldsters that disliked the Japanese more than they did any Americans.

[@notme943]

the america thing. it is quite misunderstood. The ones at war with them are vietcong, people at the south (me) was pro america. Everytime I say it, it triggers the ultra nationalist vietnamese. But fact is large portion of vietnamese people are living in the US and ever increasing. People vote with their feet after all. Vietnam as with every country in the world was divided on some political issues. The china issue is much more universal though, the chinese is close, powerful and ambitious, and as they showed in the past, they are not to be trusted.

[@annehersey9895]

Uyen, my cousin was in Vietnam twice during the war but he has been there 4 times in the last 10 years and just loves the country. He does say sometimes he and a Vietnamese man about the same age will look at each other kind of like ‘did I fight you years ago?’. But not with any animosity just with curiosity. In fact many men find going to Vietnam today actually helps men who came back with PTSD. And Americans forget that Vietnam had to fight everyone to get their independence-French, US, and FINALLY China. No country deserves peace like Vietnam does!

[@bucsr.6106]

Every country deserves peace.

[@MeeesterBond17]

Reminds me of a story when two British and German artillery spotters met long after WW2 and realised they fired on each other. While they were laughing about it, another veteran told them "Well, the fact that you're both still here proves you're bloody awful shots!"

[@inzanozulu]

That's beautiful, thanks for sharing

[@seekingabsolution1907]

The people of Vietnam seem quite nice and decent. Their general commitment to peace in the modern day is very admirable as well.

[@seekingabsolution1907]

​@@MeeesterBond17thank goodness for that.

[@HNCS2006]

15:54 i have found that our ability to tell the difference in race comes with familiarity with the race. As a Chinese i can tell the difference between Japanese, korean, Vietnamese and different regions of China. I can also tell the difference between a lot of anglo/european ethnicities due to living with them a lot. But I am blind when it comes to darker skinned people from Africa, or Americas. I simply have never interacted with these ethnicities and I find it difficult to tell the people apart.

[@tanya5322]

I know someone who used to work at a pawn shop in the Los Angeles area. Part of the required paperwork (well, it’s now electronic) was to record the race/ethnicity of the person pawning an item. Being originally from the American Midwest, this person would have to ask customers of Asian appearance for assistance in selecting the correct option. After several months of working there, they were able to make a better guess based on subtle differences, but still mostly deferred to asking the customer out of respect for not wanting to get it wrong.

[@yllejord]

I'm Greek and I can't tell the difference between Greeks and other people from the Balkans, Turks, Italians, Spaniards and other Latinos, Iranians, Lebanese, some Indians, Egyptians, Algerians... 😅

[@virginiaoflaherty2983]

I lived in Hawaii and became familiar with the different appearances of South and North Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino , Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian. I lived and worked with every race of people except European and white Americans. I forgot how tall I was and that I looked different. It was great.

[@lenanayashkova]

@@HNCS2006 I've found that when you remove yourself from the place you grew up in you suddenly start seeing the similarities between people's faces more than differences. Was that way for me for sure

[@maxe159]

​@@yllejord Well Greece does have a long history of making sure they don't familiarize themselves with their neighbors

[@longcat45]

vietnam is super interesting to me as a botanist, a dense place for different species of plants

[@Christoph399]

Did you visit Vietnam?

[@rei_cirith]

In North America, a lot of South East Asian food gets lumped together. Most Vietnamese restaurants also serve Thai food, so I think we are mixing up Vietnamese food with Thai food.

[@Houtarou_Hyouka_Unforgiven]

a lot of Korean work for my uncle's vietnamese restaunrant in Germany

[@randomizerperson]

Thai and Viet food has plenty of similarity, coming from a Viet. When I visited Bangkok, everything tasted only slightly to the left of what I'm used to (side note: Thai food was absolutely fantastic, I really like the spiciness, and I recommend phad kaphrao / pad kaprow and the entirety of Chinatown). In North America us Asians tend to move around and work at other cuisine's restaurants so our cuisines get lumped in. Double the cuisine = double the profit, I guess!

[@joachimdorr6060]

Correct - "fusion" don't mean "everything", or seefood (every food you see 🙂)

[@LythaWausW]

In my German city a new Vietnamese restaurant popped up that serves Japanese Udon dishes, Sushi, and Thai curries of the less spicy type. They do in fact serve Pho. The best dish on the menu is deep fried avocado with balsamic vinegar. HRM?

[@MrBallistico]

That’s not true in my area of North America. All Asian cuisines around here are seen as very distinctly different.

[@pixelspritevickysvarietych2365]

I'm Cambodian and my family has spent a lot of time in Vietnam, thank you for dispelling these stereotypes!

[@melhawk6284]

I wish I could see Angkor Wat for myself! I've seen pictures, but I KNOW they don't do it justice!

[@Janne-o6q]

Hmmm.. So holiday In cambidia?! Sounds like first and Last holiday..

[@annagiesking5828]

I feel like hot places are more relaxed about time. You can't move fast when it's 107f/41c+.

[@altoclef6688]

My personal guess - in hot countries, what you can't do today, you can do tomorrow. In countries with winter, you were forced to be prepared when the winter came, that created another mentality.

[@annagiesking5828]

@@altoclef6688 I'd agree completely, honestly. I grew up somewhere we measured snow by the foot, and moved somewhere forever warm- honestly feels spot on, especially in farm country.

[@Mintimiruku6369]

I think it’s more like agriculture culture. Back in the days, people worked on farm which isn’t strict about setting working time. Plus the resourceful land made them more laid back and not stressed up.

[@CDNChaoZ]

...and 95% humidity.

[@sleepandrelaxation3395]

IMO, it is mostly cultural. If your parents and relatives do it, it becomes "normalized".

[@realSonNguyen]

14:58 Myth #15: Vietnamese have similar faces This is a stereotype happens with all races. It even has a term: "cross-race effect", you can read about it on Wikipedia. Basically, people can easily recognize faces from their own race and can not do this with other races. Vietnamese people usually call all white people "Tây" (which means "the Western people"), in the other way white people usually see all East Asian people "Chinese type". This is my 2 cents.

[@nriamond8010]

Yes - I'm German and I perceive certain slight features in the faces of Eastern European/Russian people that people living in African or Asian countries might not see (but in White people, you have a larger variety of hair and eye colours, of course). But then, I'm not good in recognising faces anyway - two tall blond young women with long hair or two men of the same age with dark curly hair look the same to me, too 😄 (another reason for more diversity in movies and series - it makes it much easier for me to distinguish the characters ...)

[@nkgoodal]

LoL. This is a good one. I worked in an Asian country for about six years and was told "All Americans look the same.". It made me chuckle.

[@cam4636]

"Can not do this with other races" no, it's a matter of familiarity. Someone who lived in a place with a lot of racial diversity* is able to, because they expect it; someone who lived in a mostly-singular racial area fails to see the differences. *Most Americans (since they were mentioned in the video) don't actually fall into this.

[@KaiserTwo]

@@nriamond8010Yup, I can’t see the difference in Gweilo, though I know that there probably are SOME differences.

[@binkybombastic6200]

If there were videos like this about every country in the world, I would watch them all and I’d be so wise and informed.

[@deutschermichel5807]

informed, but not wise. You only get wise by experience, not by mere knowledge. School students may learn many things and even remember more than their elders, but you wont find wise children.

[@johmlemon532]

@@deutschermichel5807 okay buddy it was just a silly comment this aint philosophy class

[@thiphan264]

These videos are only for entertainment but not really for information.

[@Fandoms4Life]

Go watch some Geography Now! There's a series about every country in the world and the Zimbabwe episode (the last one) just dropped today!

[@wondertyzipp8260]

I really sympathise with your first point Uyen, about people assuming your country is still a dangerous place to visit because of the war. I am from the UK and as people may know, we were bombed a lot during ww2 by the German Luftwaffe. We still have many unexploded bombs lying around the country today- infact one was found under someones house in the port city of Plymouth, an hour drive from where i live, 7 months ago in February. People generally dont assume that the UK is a risky place for things such as unexploded bombs anymore, unlike Vietnam, because ww2 was a long time ago, but even today we are still finding them and they still affect us today. I hope that in coming years more people will visit Vietnam and not be put off by the fear of unexploded bombs, like how they dont fear unexploded bombs in Britain or Germany anymore. 😊

[@drpigglesnuudelworte5209]

I want to visit Vietnam bc of the war :/ my great grandfather did awful things there and I feel like it’s important to acknowledge that

[@generalcodsworth4417]

I think more than the time difference, Germany and the UK are located in the west and have way more connection to other western countries, so their recovery after the war was visible. Vietnam is far away and the language barrier is significant, so most westerners haven't heard much about them after the war ended, so that's the most recent image of it in western public consciousness.

[@wondertyzipp8260]

@@drpigglesnuudelworte5209 I think that's a really lovely sentiment. But if you ever do visit Vietnam, I'd recommend checking out other aspects of the country as well because countries in South East Asia are so culturally rich and such fun places to visit (I am half thai and I also would love to visit Vietnam someday). 😊

[@wondertyzipp8260]

@@generalcodsworth4417 That's a very good point. I hadn't considered that until now. Its very sad that there's a difference because of such barriers but hopefully now that we have the Internet, there will be more visibility for places that are recovering further away from the west such as Vietnam.

[@YvonneHoerde]

I think it is more about theft or being in an insecure place. I guess. Japan also has been bombed a lot, and the UK cannot really compete with Germany in that aspect, but not developed countries are often associated with a. high crime rate, no gender equality and therefore, insecurity for women to go out at night and such things. Though I have to say, if you look at these aspects, Germany is not the Germany of my childhood any more. We still seem to do pretty decent though.

[@martinbruhn5274]

I mean, same with lingering ammunition in Germany. It's generally not dangerous in Germany in terms of unexploded ammunition, bu it's still standard and necessary when there is a construction site to do bomb clearance first and every now and then something gets dug up, that's still dangerous.

[@1121494]

Yeah, missed opportunity to draw a parallel to Germany likewise having a UXO issue there by Uyen. Maybe a chance at her first experience of evacuation for UXO-clearing, to do content comparing it with Vietnam?

[@wondertyzipp8260]

This is so important! I'm from Britain and in February we found a bomb from ww2 that hadn't exploded under someone's house in Plymouth! I was wondering- how come the people who built the houses never found it? How was it allowed to sit there for so long without anyone noticing? 😬

[@cupofcustard]

​@wondertyzipp8260 I literally came to write this comment but you beat me to it. How bizarre 😂

[@wondertyzipp8260]

@@cupofcustard I live about an hour away from Plymouth so it was all the rage where I live 😅 I just couldn't help but bring it up immediately.

[@matthieulagardere3886]

Vietnam received the same amount of bombs each year as the whole of Europe in 5 years of bombing during WWII, so.....

[@nehalilisays]

I once met a Vietnamese guy at university in Germany. He had moved here around 6 months ago and I was like "Woah, your German is really good" and he just said "Ja, muss, ne" 😄

[@mamiparlak112]

what does it even mean 😭😭

[@jorenvanderark3567]

​@@mamiparlak112 Street German for: it has to be, no?

[@mamiparlak112]

@@jorenvanderark3567 thank you

[@hellkitty6663]

@@mamiparlak112 The meaning of that phrase goes even deeper. As it is commonly known we Germans complain about everything. So if you ask a German "how are you" you will most likely get the answer "ja muss, ne". Meaning that person is barely surviving the hardship of life itself because dying is not an option.

[@mamiparlak112]

@@hellkitty6663 thank you for educating me. Appreciate it

[@cennie973]

Pho is amazing 🥰🥰. It’s literally happiness in a bowl

[@angeliqueadrian8396]

What a lovey video! I didn’t know a lot about Vietnam but now my son has a Vietnamese girlfriend and we learn so much from her! What a delight. As far as I have witnessed from her, her stories, and you videos the Vietnamese are magnificent superfriendly hardworking honest people. I can’t wait to visit Vietnam now ☺️

[@mardenewilken271]

We lived in Hai Phong for a year in 2023 ... we loved every minute... safe and beautiful. We traveled all over ... taxis busses and trains... we will definitely go back for a holiday

[@aloe_vera8052]

I have a deep connection with Vietnam. I lived there for 6 years, traveled extensively, and have worked with Vietnamese people for 9 years (and still do). My brothers still live and work there, and I am always happy to return, even for a short time. I just love this country and its people-it has truly changed me as a person.

[@mousafire]

Loved this! We are a Korean/American couple who have made Vietnam our permanent home. The energy, optimism and changes in the country feel alot like Korea did in the 70's and 80's. We feel so privileged to have been welcomed by our Vietnamese friends and neighbors and are excited to be part of its journey.

[@bucsr.6106]

Yay!🇻🇳🇰🇷💜

[@Maya-so5yk]

I’ve always said that Vietnam feels like South Korea before it became an economic powerhouse! Love that I’m not the only one who noticed the similarity ❤

[@suzt7076]

After doing a cooking class in Hanoi, the one thing we didn’t cover was pho, due to time, but they gave us a recipe. I decided to try it in a slow cooker and it works great! Much less labour intensive that way, I just left it to cook the broth all day.

[@raverie1225]

Thank you chị, I think this is one of my favorite videos from you now! I’m Việt Kiều from America so I always want to learn more about the perspective of native Vietnamese. I don’t know anyone there so this is my way of seeing my culture authentically. Love your channel

[@KyGiaNguyen-v6h]

việt kiều xài “thank you chị” =)) đã thank “you” mà còn thêm “chị” vô nữa

[@carlycharlesworth1497]

Uyen, this was so interesting! I knew nothing about Vietnam at all. You are the first Vietnamese person I have heard of or heard speak. I love your beautiful accent and your pronounciation of English is very clear and easy to understand. I really enjoyed hearing about your home country. It looks so very beautiful and the food looks amazing! I adore the beautiful traditional Vietnamese clothes you have and how incredibly beautiful you look in them. Can you teach us more about Vietnames foods and what ingredients you would need to cook them? That would be really fascinating. Can you also ask German boyfriend to teach us about the insects he keeps, as they look fascinating? Thank you. Have a lovely weekend to you both!

[@madfrog1972]

All you are describing is exactly as I noticed, or talked about with Vietnamese people when I went to Vietnam. I was a bit nervous because France used to colonise Vietnam, but was soon told that nobody cared about this any more 😂

[@johmlemon532]

I saw someone else in the comments point out that Vietnamese people had told them "We don't stay mad at these countries, we were only at war with them for a few decades. We've been at war with china for a 1000 years, it's nothing compared to that"

[@madfrog1972]

@@johmlemon532

[@hellkitty6663]

@@johmlemon532 Oh yes. The Vietnamese people don't hate Americans or French but they mutually hate Chinese and for some reason Russians

[@George_M_]

Meanwhile my Algerian coworkers agree they hate the French still. Though a lot of that is more recently derived.

[@bearsgeography8330]

If I had a video like yours, I'd say the same things most of the time. I love your videos by the way! Love from Cambodia 🇰🇭❤️🇻🇳

[@arfriedman4577]

I'm American. I imagine your Country is better after Pol Pot. It was awful that he took many people's lives, I think he took land and property too.

[@voyance4elle]

Thank you for making these videos! I learn so much about your culture and they are always fun, interesting and wholesome... You bring so much joy to many people!! Such an important part of youtube

[@BluesTube12]

I second that emotion.✌

[@viviancandelario4766]

Appreciate this honest and transparent insight of your birth country U! My first encounter with Vietnamese culture was with a lovely co worker when I lived in New York city. Ms Charlene invited me and my then fiance to a Vietnamese restaurant. She explained all the pho soup and other foods. Wow,everything was delicious!!! We've been hooked ever since! Now we live in Las Vegas and my son's first job was in a Vietnamese restaurant!! I absolutely love your channel ❤

[@Mimi73161]

Your experience is valid and real and helpful!!! Tysm!! I absolutely love your content!! My nephew lived in Germany with his Chinese wife for 4 years and loved it!! He visited Vietnam and didn't want to come home lol.

[@rikalinh9526]

I am highly inspired of how you manage to teach your viewers about both Vietnam and German as well of other culture stories in general. I really want to be able to do the same ❤

[@sylvie.sparrows]

I loved how you lowered your voice when admitting that you are not punctual -- such a contrast to Germany, made me laugh so much.

[@walkwithdeath]

Went to Vietnam this summer for the first time, and I LOVED the country: amazing food, great art, and warm people. I plan on visiting it again next year to discover some other hidden gems. Loved, loved, LOVED Vietnam!

[@phukieuthanh1422]

Try ninh bình or hà giang

[@jkoucheki]

I know nothing about Vietnam except what I've learned from you. Please keep educating us!

[@mikeandashley]

Thank you for this video! As Americans, we were a bit nervous about visiting Vietnam for the first time, but everyone we met was so kind and welcoming. We’re heading back soon for the fourth time in two years. This time, we’re spending two months traveling from North to South (the last time we went South to North). We're so excited! 🥰

[@shelleyjennings4344]

Thanks for posting this video. It was very informative and made me very interested in visiting Vietnam. We have a lot of Vietnamese people living in my community and it would be nice to understand the culture better.

[@SuXMyDuck]

Ouf those images of Bun Cha... my fav food ever, discovered it during my honey moon in Vietnam :D cant wait to go back to Vietnam

[@realname69420]

Thanks for this video! I hadn’t known a lot of these stereotypes but it’s good to be aware of them! I would love to see a video of traditional Vietnamese food to try. Turns out the area I moved to has a huge Vietnamese population and there are some supposedly authentic restaurants around！

[@gloris_ls7378]

Hi Uyen, I've been an avid watcher of you for over 1 year. Em rất tự hào về chị, dù đã sống tại nước ngoài nhưng chị vẫn luôn hướng về quê hương và quảng bá cho quê hương nhiều. Chúc chị hạnh phúc và nhiều sức khoẻ. Đức là một đất nước đáng sống

[@mrkitty8397]

I love your enthusiasm, your joy pours out of the vlog. I’d like to travel to Vietnam

[@hyrumkohler]

I loved this educational video! I didn't have strong influences to believe in many of the stereotypes you mentioned, but I highly value learning about a place or country from somebody who has lived there

[@Kjata316]

Great video! It helped me for sure. I thought I would never be able to visit Vietnam because of the heat/humidity. I thought it was all year round. Now knowing it does it colder, I’d love to go! It looks so beautiful. Thank you for this video!

[@laurachow8150]

I love your vibes! You are honest about your experiences but also polite and open to the different perspectives of others. I have learned a lot about Vietnam in this video and it makes me want to visit and try all the great food and see all the beautiful landscapes. The dresses you showed I agree look so cute and they look comfy too!

[@Branka1The1Paragon]

I've visited Vietnam this spring and I was realy excited!!

[@guardiandemonx7936]

she only speaks for the north vietnamese, but the south vietnamese we have very difference culture than them

[@Meowlynemeowjoh]

Whats some differences?

[@cyberhansa]

I'm interested to know the differences also!

[@lamb_atreus]

14:30 for ur information vietnam obesity rate is 1.7% of population and Germany is 19%. Vietnam used to hold top 1 least obesity country in the world for years now we only top 3.

[@suzt7076]

I love Vietnam, it is a beautiful country with fantastic food and friendly people.

[@HeartFallenstar]

I was in Vietnam almost 2 years ago!!😅 it was absolutely insane I was terrified of how scary it was seeing the mopeds 😅 and the heat was warm but we got thunder! Which was lovely! Danang was absolutely beautiful 😻

[@Spartacus005]

I had a friend from Vietnam and I loved hearing her talk about it. She's graduated now, so I'm glad I found your channel!

[@onlyinsomniac]

It was REALLY interesting to hear about thw changes to the economy and the change to factory work in your hometown. Seeing the whole economy shift in just a few decades...!! It sounds like a really great country with awesome people. I've always wanted to visit Vietnam and this video 100% convinced me to do it.

[@stevef.8708]

Great video! What I “knew” about Vietnam, I learned from the war movies of the 1980s. My image of Vietnam was poor people living in a hut. Took me until recently to learn how dated my views are. If only I had learned the reality years ago, I may have chosen Vietnam as my home instead of Japan (where I have been living for over 24 years so far). Oh well, in my next life maybe I’ll open up a bun bo hue shop in Vietnam.

[@djdrastic1]

I had seen this with my own eyes in Cambodia as well.Once outside investor capital starts flowing into a country it rapidly accelerates the growth. The same place I visited in mid 2000s, I couldn't recognize in 2015 or so when I visited again. It had changed so much.

[@SatieSatie]

Uyen, you're so loveable & look _dashing_ in your áo dài!! ❤ I'm not Vietnamese, so this was very interesting.

[@hannah_982]

I looooooooooooove Vietnam and can't wait to visit again!

[@ashextraordinaire]

Prior to watching your channel, the only thing I "knew" about Vietnam came from a friend who went backpacking there. She said the people she met -- in the city and in the countryside alike -- were incredibly kind. So I've always thought of Vietnam as a place full of really nice people!

[@antonis8780]

Uyen, I really needed to have a quiet and cosy Sunday at home, in my pyjamas, pampering myself physically and mentally. And your videos are having exactly that effect on me. I've already spent half of my Sunday watching your videos one after the other,. You always have such a positive aura, while always looking, sounding and feeling authentic. You have a soothing smile and expression even when you talk about your struggles. You can say the most difficult things to hear, in such a humble and respectful way. You are obviously liberated from the "I have to look great" tyranny, although you know that millions of pairs of - potentially judgemental - eyes will see you. I love how you make videos in your pyjamas, in your nightwear, on an unmade bed, or how you can spread your body all over a sofa without caring about what it might look like, just because it makes you feel more comfortable and helps you open up. It's obvious that you have developed a lot as a person, become more confident, more comfortable, more authentic, caring only about what really is important. Keep it like that; it makes you so beautiful. Your loved ones must be very proud of you. 👍

[@MylaCruz11]

That “you have been warned had me”😂 because I’m indigenous Native American 🪶 very strong women in our culture.

[@ShellyS2060]

This was fantastic! Thank you for sharing the information.

[@aeolia80]

9:58 woah!!! lol, ok, no way no. I've never even been to Vietnam, but my neighborhood that I grew up in was mostly Vietnamese, and yeah, nope, those women were NOT submissive, and being in the States/California had nothing to do with it, lol 16:16 so I lived in Korea for 5 years, and at the university my husband worked at, where all the classes were supposed to be in English (they never were if the class was fully with Korean students and a Korean teacher, and many of the non-Korean students learned Korean well enough to understand those classes), I had a really hard time communicating with the Korean students my husband worked with, but the Vietnamese students on the other hand, not only could I communicate with them, their level of English was high enough I could joke with them, lol, that's saying something, lol, I'm not saying Vietnamese are that much better at English than Koreans, it really depends on the circumstances, but all the Vietnamese I encountered in Korea, at Vietnamese restaurants, on the bus with migrant factory workers, they all had a higher level of English than most of the Koreans I knew

[@1121494]

I have also heard people say or write that about Chinese, and - have those people ever experienced a chinese Auntie in Anger or bossing people around or anything? These people are weird!

[@thuyluong5925]

@@1121494 The Asian mom stetreotype exists for a reason xD

[@RasBooksGerald]

Wow! I found this to be super informative. Thanks Uyen!

[@amandainavandbtr]

This was fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

[@Bashfuldoc]

Thank you so very much for taking the time to explain -- much appreciated!

[@raymonliao5387]

As a Taiwanese, I love when you mentioned winter can get really cold in Vietnam as well, and then you said under 10 degrees 🤣 I am sorry that I thought you would say under 0 degrees 🤣

[@khanht5]

Try Vietnam winter. You'll understand. It's humid, it's windy and there is generally no heater.

[@khanht5]

I've been to switzerland and to me 11 degree is too warm! But 10 in Vietnam is really cold

[@tapwater2237]

It’s harsh. While the temperature doesn’t drop that low, the humidity makes up a lot, plus we get heavy rains even during the coldest day + the air gets extremely polluted, piling on each other all the time.

[@Frenchfries31415]

You are welcome to Vietnam and experience the winter bro 😂

[@JustARandomFio]

Reading the other comments Vietnam's Winters look like Sicilian ones, mild but humid and the houses are generally less heated and insulated than in colder countries. After living in "cold" Switzerland for 3 decades I head back to Sicily and while it's milder outside, I am more often sick. In Switzerland you can have (dry) -12°C outside, then head home to your stable and dry 23°, and in 5 minutes you feel comfy again. In Sicily it's the other way around, outside, you walk in a light jacket and enjoy the warm sun that mostly shines, then you head home and have to wear 3 sweaters. And if you get wet outside, you will remain wet also inside due to the humidity. Unless you spend a fortune on heating due to the bad insulation. So, yes, I can relate.

[@Mr.judele]

The way you express it all is admirable. Thank you if this vlog reaches ones who are still curious on what they’re told about Vietnam ❤

[@matthewlove4082]

I would really like to visit Vietnam someday. It looks beautiful and the food looks delicious.

[@thejaxattack]

This is beautiful, thank you!

[@lordronn472]

I’d like to visit Vietnam one day! Greetings from an Armenian Austrian! 🇦🇲/🇦🇹

[@mymidlifemessiness]

I love this so much. Thank you, Uyen! 💖

[@valli1159]

I just had 10 days tour of HCM City, Da Nang & Hanoi.. Neat and clean and such lovely people for tourist and some amazing fish options

[@vitorvitor8283]

I'm from Brazil, and I feel totally the same about some topics. Food for example, I love how brazilian food is always changing and adapting to our context. I love your intention with this video, and now I feel more motivated to learn about Vietnam

[@christinesmith7838]

So, so interesting to learn about your homeland, thank you very much.

[@F1A3-h9l]

Thank you Uyen! Love your content, always interesting and you have the gift to make people happy, even if it‘s just by talking.

[@voyance4elle]

One of the three people who had the most influence on my life, is Vietnamese. It's Thich Nhat Hanh, he was a vietnamese monk, zen master and peace activist who wrote many books and had a lot of Dharma talks that I listen to.

[@randomizerperson]

Wait, I've just bought his book too! Haven't got to read it yet, but now I'm (even more) excited.

[@phoebebaker1575]

I just read the first few pages of one of his books, but it really made an impression on me. The book made of rain clouds.

[@voyance4elle]

@@randomizerperson my favorite one is by far his autobiography "Mein Leben ist meine Lehre" but I also recommend the small ones for daily small mindfulness lectures and also his Dharma talks. I love the answere he gave in an Q&A to the question "How do I love myself?". It's here on KZbin :)

[@GilTheDragon]

You are such a sweet person. Your videos are a balm for the soul

[@b.n1429]

Thank you for teaching us about Vietnamese culture. I would love to visit there one day.

[@Cherylindiana2]

I loved your video. It’s great to learn about other countries and the culture. You look lovely in traditional Vietnamese clothing.

[@srspeep]

I will say as a traveller to Viet Nam and someone who knows a lot of people who have travelled there, I would still always recommend it for sure but the only thing I warn people about is that it sometimes isn't very safe as a woman alone, even in the day. Which can be true of anywhere, sadly, but in rural Viet Nam I was SA-ed several times travelling alone in different situations - and even when travelling with a group of women, one hotel gave a group of random men our room key. Really bad. It's important to be honest for personal safety but also not to make judgements about a whole country based on how you have been treated by a very small minority of aggressive entitled men (this happens to be about viet nam because that's the subject of the video but I would also advise for example not going to certain areas in my own country after dark, it's a sad situation but unfortunately the reality). So if you travel to viet nam from my experience I would say travel as a mixed group if you can. Because there is so much to see and do (and eat!) and it really is beautiful, the food and weather and country is so stunning and by far most people are really lovely, direct and helpful. This is only my own experience, I expect many many other people have had no problems at all but it's what I would recommend based on that experience

[@randomizerperson]

Oh no, I am so so sorry about your experience. I don't know how I can express how disgusted I am by those men's behavior and by the hotel's blatant mismanagement. I hope you've managed to recover and heal. Thank you sincerely for still giving the country a chance; I wouldn't have blamed you if you chose to not recommend it entirely. And to anybody else, as a girl who grew up in Vietnam, absolutely keep yourself safe. Vietnam is still dealing with sa, trafficking, and rape culture and progress has been slow. If you can, travel with a friend or with a mixed-gender tour group, that usually keeps you safer. Otherwise, stay in bigger cities as there will be more security personnel and higher English proficiency should issues arise.

[@srspeep]

@@randomizerperson ❤ Thank you for such a compassionate response - I think sometimes trauma can make victims hostile in response (understandably) and want to find something bigger to blame. But even with social influences it's still individual people with their own complex issues that bear the responsibility for their actions. Their bad actions don't represent a whole country - I've met so many wonderful people from all around the world when travelling - cruelty and kindness is an individual matter and thankfully the cruel people are in the minority for sure. They can sometimes have a big impact though, which can change some people's views. But my fondest and most lasting memories of Viet Nam will always be eating custard cake around Hoan Kiem lake, paddling in rivers full of fish, eating more than anyone should be able to of thanh hoa cha tom, honestly countless bowls of amazing street food from all over, being taken to get an ao dai fitted by my students to attend a wedding, sooo much karaoke, parties sat on mats chatting all night and eating snacks, cold beer with dried squid in the summer, twinkling fairy lights in night-time coffee shops (ohhh the coffee, I miss it), watching the sun rise over the fields on the overnight train, taking motorbike taxis to the beach, so many amazing experiences. It's a wonderful country, I can't wait to go back again!

[@niki12621]

Sorry to hear about this, could you give the specific place and hotel name so we can avoid that place? SA is a very serious things in Vietnam, if you feel unsafe, please scream loudly for helps from around, call the police and expose it online if it is possible, the criminal may beaten to nearly death by the local or got bully by the keyboard warrior all the times.

[@littlerat760]

i'm extremely sorry that happened to u, no one deserves to go thro that

[@srspeep]

@@niki12621 I'm afraid it was over 10 years ago now and not a place we booked online. I'm sure it was off the main road somewhere between Thanh Hoa to Samson beach but I tried to find the specific hotel on google and not had any luck. It either doesn't exist any more or it's not on the maps. I wouldn't want to slander a specific hotel without being sure but it was definitely in that area.

[@olegariocamara9308]

Thanks to you, Vietnam is moving to the top of the list on my next destinations. I really would like to visit your country.

[@KristinaToska]

Tolles Video! Mit dir kann keiner böse sein! Du bist so authentisch und voller Lebensfreude & Liebe! Also eine große Bereicherung für Deutschland! ❤🎉 so, jetzt lernen wir noch deutsch zusammen! Hehe ❤ und Vietnam würde ich sooo gerne mal bereisen!! :)

[@TakedaIesyu]

Hey Uyen, this is the first of your videos that I've seen. To be honest, I didn't know any stereotypes about Vietnam, and I liked watching this both to see what outsiders think and what the reality is! It was really informative!

[@williamfreeman8445]

Vietnam is a lot more developed nowadays than most westeners think, that's very true!! And your internet works ; )

[@GirLee316]

Such a wonderful video. I learned so much. Thank you for sharing

[@Siseja]

Oh the thing about Vietnamese food not being as spicy as for example Thai food is really helpful!! Im an absolute white baby about spice so that's one of my big challenges when travelling to cultures that use a lot of chilli. I somehow survived Thailand and Malaysia but it was a huge challenge to keep myself fed. This absolutely moved Vietnam up to the top of future destinations!

[@martinbruhn5274]

I'm from the central black forest region in south west Germany. I'm 168cm tall, which at home makes me, as a man, slightly below average. But as soon as I leave the mountains, people are suddenly super tall compared to me.

[@bucsr.6106]

😂

[@BrunoHeggli-zp3nl]

You are so lucky!Black forest region is amazing!

[@jeyyran]

ich hab das im ersten Moment als 128cm gelesen und dachte, dein Kommentar ist ein 7 Zwerge Witz 🤦‍♀

[@YvonneHoerde]

@@jeyyran Na ja, im Vergleich zur deutschen Durchschnittsgröße für Männer, so um die 180 cm, ist es auch klein....

[@kennethferland5579]

Sounds like forest Gnomes are real :)

[@thomasfink2385]

You are the nicest embassador of Vietnam one can think of. SUPER!

[@Billywashere89]

Can confirm the food in Vietnam is world class

[@vetisyka]

I didn't know a lot about Vietnam except the beautiful landscape and the history. I'm a curious person by nature I always want to have more knowledge about the world so thank you a lot for sharing your culture ❤

[@rosiemaher3463]

I know a fairly large number of people who have visited Vietnam and every single one of them has fallen in love with the country! I think almost all of them have traveled many other places and Vietnam is their favorite!

[@ius5031]

Very sus from you

[@phoebebaker1575]

This is one of my favorite videos of yours!

[@vdscooking7151]

I am an Indian 🇮🇳 moving to Vietnam 🇻🇳 in the next month for my Medical Studies. This video gave me so much informations about Vietnam. THANKYOU!! 🇮🇳🇻🇳

[@arfriedman4577]

Much success, health, happiness, and blessings to all.

[@Fandoms4Life]

I love pho bo kho and bun bo hue! I always get it delivered from a local Vietnamese cafe and it's always so good, even after being delivered! I'd love to go there and eat in person one day!

[@dragonite0173]

Can you make a video about all of your boyfriend's insects, and also a tour of the insect room? I personally love insects and I would love to see it.❤

[@Jordan-i9v]

YES

[@Ettaraven]

Also would find that very interesting

[@abrilasncn]

Yes!!! would be interesting

[@karlwiklund2108]

@@dragonite0173 Cool! Being a geo-nerd I've loved the glimpses of his fossil collecting.

[@nshahirah6671]

I want to see too even i dont not love insect. Just curious

[@callunya]

It’s so nice to hear your perspectives on this topic, super informative!!! Thank you for sharing! ❤

[@gonzos-twin]

Vietnam looks beautiful. I want to visit some day when i get a passport

[@Radar_of_the_Stars]

as an american, I love the vietnamese people! there is a small vietnamese immigrant community in my hometown, and all of them are so nice

[@BeTeK11]

Generally South-east asia has AWESOME food.

[@ICHope1]

How do Vietnamese feel about the French? I’ve only seen Vietnam in photos including during the war. Despite the destruction it is beautiful. It’s sad what was done for about 30 years. God bless everyone in Vietnam.

[@xwrtk]

I’m Vietnamese myself and I agree with Uyen on the video overall even though I was born in the U.S. I’ve been to Vietnam a bunch because I still have family there. Feel free to ask away but Uyen will be more knowledgeable.

[@firefeethok_tui2355]

Vietnam is on my bucket list. This video is helpful and alleviates some worries. And, you speak in such a way that have convinced me I need to go ❤. Youre so popular bc youre just a really neat person. Thanks for sharing your life on youtube.

[@emilyfishburn6701]

I'd love to visit Vietnam. Everyone I know whose been has said it's the best country they've ever visited.

[@loretta_3843]

I've never been to Vietnam, but I have known quite a few people from there (there's quite a few here in Australia). I've always thought of the Vietnamese as very resourceful, determined, hard working and they have novel ways of approaching a problem. They'll come up with an answer that had never occurred to me, and it's so functional and clever. Lovely people and neighbours 😊

[@ThoaTran-jk5xz]

As a Vietnamese, I will be late for my own funeral.

[@thuyluong5925]

you shouldn't! If you are late you will miss the epic fight between your foreskin and skeleton!

[@abdullahjaafar761]

Thnak you for all your videos and for sharing your country beautiful culture 🙏