Vietnam Defence Forum

[ckf]

Da Nang is a good place to retire in Vietnam, many foreigners living there now including myself, but still, have to go there and spend some time to really feel the place. Cebu in PH is not too bad.



That is precisely the way it is in Da Nang, they are all corrupted as it is the norm in Vietnam, but they have developed Da Nang into the most efficient and best administered city in Vietnam and the most livable. Its worth a visit mate.

I just visited last year for a month and half, beautiful city and love the Monkey moutains. Vietnamese are hard people to live along with though...scars of war is deeply etched into the society. Most people are angels, but some are completely cold, you could never tell who is who. Cuisine wise, Da Nang and Hue is as good if not better than Hanoi and HCM. "Bonpas", best bakery/coffee shop in Asia.

 

[Viet]

Japan

Phuc is a man in hurry. After America trip, he is departing for Japan on Sunday. Meetings with the emperor of Japan and the government of Japan are expected. Vietnam is expected to sign a series of agreements with Japan, business deals worth of billions of dollars, delivery of patrol ships (no missile destroyer yet unfortunately). One of them can see Vietnam to joint cooperate with Japan in space. Japan develops an own version of GPS. Japanese startup company Interstellar that offers satellite services says will start business in Vietnam this month.

Good stuff

http://asia.nikkei.com/magazine/201...-space-startups-see-promise-in-Southeast-Asia

 

[Carlosa]

I just visited last year for a month and half, beautiful city and love the Monkey moutains. Vietnamese are hard people to live along with though...scars of war is deeply etched into the society. Most people are angels, but some are completely cold, you could never tell who is who. Cuisine wise, Da Nang and Hue is as good if not better than Hanoi and HCM. "Bonpas", best bakery/coffee shop in Asia.

Very true in many ways, typical Vietnamese people are quite nice and kind, but there are plenty of bad ruthless people and they prey on whoever is at hand. Lots of tricky people everywhere trying to rip you off and they are very visible to tourists such as tricky taxi drivers with fixed meters, tricky restaurants that overcharge you (that's why you always see Vietnamese people carefully checking the bill), tricky hotels where you book the room at one price but they charge you a higher price when you check out or don't let you leave, tricky tour agents that sell you one thing, but deliver a lower value than promised, etc, etc, etc, the list goes on. Bad people are always more visible and more noticeable than good people.

The other day, while walking, a tourist, a girl from Hong Kong stopped me to ask me some directions, we talked a little for a while and she told me what happened to her that morning: She was in Hoi An and at one point she asked a shop if she could use the toilet and asked how much, the shop owner, a woman, said: sure, its free. After using the toilet and as she was leaving, the woman stopped her and said: 100.000 vnd (5 usd) and didn't let her leave until she paid.

People like that, although a minority, ruin the reputation of Vietnam and Vietnamese people and there are many like that. It also doesn't help that lots of people in the service sector are rude and impolite and have no idea about proper customer service. There is a reason why a large proportion of tourist that have been in Vietnam say that they will never, ever come back to Vietnam. Vietnam has a lot to learn in those areas from Thailand.

This type of situation will slowly change, but it takes time; part of the problem is that tricky people / establishments get away with an small fine so they keep behaving the same way.

"Bonpas", best bakery/coffee shop in Asia.

Oh no, there are much better places than bonpas in Danang.

 

[Viet]

I just visited last year for a month and half, beautiful city and love the Monkey moutains. Vietnamese are hard people to live along with though...scars of war is deeply etched into the society. Most people are angels, but some are completely cold, you could never tell who is who. Cuisine wise, Da Nang and Hue is as good if not better than Hanoi and HCM. "Bonpas", best bakery/coffee shop in Asia.

Very true in many ways, typical Vietnamese people are quite nice and kind, but there are plenty of bad ruthless people and they prey on whoever is at hand. Lots of tricky people everywhere trying to rip you off and they are very visible to tourists such as tricky taxi drivers with fixed meters, tricky restaurants that overcharge you (that's why you always see Vietnamese people carefully checking the bill), tricky hotels where you book the room at one price but they charge you a higher price when you check out or don't let you leave, tricky tour agents that sell you one thing, but deliver a lower value than promised, etc, etc, etc, the list goes on. Bad people are always more visible and more noticeable than good people.

The other day, while walking, a tourist, a girl from Hong Kong stopped me to ask me some directions, we talked a little for a while and she told me what happened to her that morning: She was in Hoi An and at one point she asked a shop if she could use the toilet and asked how much, the shop owner, a woman, said: sure, its free. After using the toilet and as she was leaving, the woman stopped her and said: 100.000 vnd (5 usd) and didn't let her leave until she paid.

People like that, although a minority, ruin the reputation of Vietnam and Vietnamese people and there are many like that. It also doesn't help that lots of people in the service sector are rude and impolite and have no idea about proper customer service. There is a reason why a large proportion of tourist that have been in Vietnam say that they will never, ever come back to Vietnam. Vietnam has a lot to learn in those areas from Thailand.

This type of situation will slowly change, but it takes time; part of the problem is that tricky people / establishments get away with an small fine so they keep behaving the same way.

Oh no, there are much better places than bonpas in Danang.

Vietnam as country and as people had endured terrible hardships thru decades of wars, sanctions and economic mismanagement. The people fought every day for survival, like a hungry animal in the jungle looks for food, little of good behavior. My grandmother told me of terrible stories in times of French and Japanese occupation. Now peace returns and life is better now, but the behavior remains at many people. In many cases they do bad things, extracting money from other people, although they don't need it for survival. What I say is not an excuse but offer a possible explanation.

 

[Viet]

a S300 surface to air missile battery somewhere in Vietnam. Unlike other S300 operators, VN deploys the powerful 96L6E acquisition radar, that usually comes with S400. Russia media report Vietnam plans live fire exercise simulating enemy aerial attacks.

The modernization of the Navy comes at snail speed (too little funds) but some results can be seen.

This boat is small but nice. FPSV 41P class, 41m long, versatile aluminium-hulled, low fuel consumption, manufactured by Piriou Vietnam shipyard, ready to be delivered to the customer in Saudi Arabia (Jana Marine). The transport vessel has a 50-tonne deck load capacity. Good enough to supply goods to our islands in the SC sea.

 

[Carlosa]

Vietnam as country and as people had endured terrible hardships thru decades of wars, sanctions and economic mismanagement. The people fought every day for survival, like a hungry animal in the jungle looks for food, little of good behavior. My grandmother told me of terrible stories in times of French and Japanese occupation. Now peace returns and life is better now, but the behavior remains at many people. In many cases they do bad things, extracting money from other people, although they don't need it for survival. What I say is not an excuse but offer a possible explanation.

I know, most people understand that. It will take time to change that situation and a lot also has to do with the government enforcing the laws and rules, something that they are not doing much of unless there is some benefit to them.

Example: People pee in the streets all the time, there are rules and fines against that, but when was the last time that someone got a fine for doing that or when was the last time that a policeman bother to deal with the issue? A few months ago, it was big news in all the newspapers that 3 men had been fined in Hanoi for peeing in the street, but that was it, nothing after that.

People litter in the street like crazy, they act like if their mama is walking behind them to collect the stuff, but where are the the TV ads, etc from the government trying to educate people to not do that? In my own experience, I had seen people that I know doing that, I talked to them and they don't do it anymore which shows that its a matter of education and public awareness. The government has a big responsibility on this situation. If they don't enforce the laws, don't bother to act when they see these things and they don't educate the people on these matters............ then people continue to do what they've been doing and what they see everybody else doing, Its that simple

 

[Viet]

I know, most people understand that. It will take time to change that situation and a lot also has to do with the government enforcing the laws and rules, something that they are not doing much of unless there is some benefit to them.

Example: People pee in the streets all the time, there are rules and fines against that, but when was the last time that someone got a fine for doing that or when was the last time that a policeman bother to deal with the issue? A few months ago, it was big news in all the newspapers that 3 men had been fined in Hanoi for peeing in the street, but that was it, nothing after that.

People litter in the street like crazy, they act like if their mama is walking behind them to collect the stuff, but where are the the TV ads, etc from the government trying to educate people to not do that? In my own experience, I had seen people that I know doing that, I talked to them and they don't do it anymore which shows that its a matter of education and public awareness. The government has a big responsibility on this situation. If they don't enforce the laws, don't bother to act when they see these things and they don't educate the people on these matters............ then people continue to do what they've been doing and what they see everybody else doing, Its that simple

we can fill a shelf with books about the bad behaviors of the Vietnamese people...ha ha ha. Although I am a bit optimistic that thing will improve bit by bit with the time to come. Maybe a generation undertaking. It may not be hopeless as it is seen.

 

[Carlosa]

we can fill a shelf with books about the bad behaviors of the Vietnamese people...ha ha ha. Although I am a bit optimistic that thing will improve bit by bit with the time to come. Maybe a generation undertaking. It may not be hopeless as it is seen.

Times fixes everything...........

 

[Viet]

Times fixes everything...........

Yes VN needs more time. By the current trajectory, time will bring prosperity to the people. With prosperity comes better education, better behavior. There is a correlation between prosperity, education and bad behavior. It may sound arrogant when I say the 6 million Viet kieu are generally richer hence behave better than those at home.

 

[ckf]

I have many Vietnamese friends in Canada and what I find fascinating is attitude of some Vietnamese which I was warned...so anti-chinese and other asians bordering on hate mix in with bigoted nationalism. I was in HCM airport, me and my wife use Canadian passport and 3 young Chinese National were all flying to Bangkok. The Chinese were told to book return flights because they will not be allowed to be on the flights due to Thai customs control(totally false). I also have not booked any flights because I didn't know how long I was going to be in Thailand. They denied the Chinese boarding passes unless they book a flight out of Bangkok which they did, and give me one without asking this. Viets also constantly lie about their history which I didn't expect but is fascinating because everywhere we went to in Hanoi and Hue, we see historical buidings and records in Chinese. But tour guide constantly tell foreigner completely different translation of their history which is oddly enough all written in Chinese which they can't even read except by Viet translation instituted by the French I guess. I understand Vietnam needs to establish its own identity, but to build a nation on hate eventually will end very badly.

 

[Carlosa]

I have many Vietnamese friends in Canada and what I find fascinating is attitude of some Vietnamese which I was warned...so anti-chinese and other asians bordering on hate mix in with bigoted nationalism. I was in HCM airport, me and my wife use Canadian passport and 3 young Chinese National were all flying to Bangkok. The Chinese were told to book return flights because they will not be allowed to be on the flights due to Thai customs control(totally false). I also have not booked any flights because I didn't know how long I was going to be in Thailand. They denied the Chinese boarding passes unless they book a flight out of Bangkok which they did, and give me one without asking this. Viets also constantly lie about their history which I didn't expect but is fascinating because everywhere we went to in Hanoi and Hue, we see historical buidings and records in Chinese. But tour guide constantly tell foreigner completely different translation of their history which is oddly enough all written in Chinese which they can't even read except by Viet translation instituted by the French I guess. I understand Vietnam needs to establish its own identity, but to build a nation on hate eventually will end very badly.

I can't say for sure since I haven't seen those specific historical records that you mentioned, but I think what you call chinese language is actually the old Vietnamese writing system, which is not chinese, but actually Vietnamese, but it looks similar to chinese. The current writing system was imposed by the French, so its fairly recent.

Yes, most Vietnamese hate chinese, but considering the 1000 year of chinese domination and the constant issues such us in the south china sea right now, Its really understandable. China has been their traditional enemy throughout their history.

Here in Danang, restaurants usually have a menu in chinese with prices that are double, they love to overcharge the chinese tourists.

 

[ckf]

I can't say for sure since I haven't seen those specific historical records that you mentioned, but I think what you call chinese language is actually the old Vietnamese writing system, which is not chinese, but actually Vietnamese, but it looks similar to chinese. The current writing system was imposed by the French, so its fairly recent.

Yes, most Vietnamese hate chinese, but considering the 1000 year of chinese domination and the constant issues such us in the south china sea right now, Its really understandable. China has been their traditional enemy throughout their history.

Here in Danang, restaurants usually have a menu in chinese with prices that are double, they love to overcharge the chinese tourists.

Stop insisting on hate propelled by the French, and now you. Vietnam is complicated, but much of its history is completely fabricated by the French and Americans as hate between Chinese and Viets....Hoi An, existed in peace for hundreds of years before the French arrived so the argument is ridiculous. People should just get along, spain has its own problems with people of the Catalans.

 

[Carlosa]

Stop insisting on hate propelled by the French, and now you. Vietnam is complicated, but much of its history is completely fabricated by the French and Americans as hate between Chinese and Viets....Hoi An, existed in peace for hundreds of years before the French arrived so the argument is ridiculous. People should just get along, spain has its own problems with people of the Catalans.

Who said hate propelled by the French? I said that the new writing system was imposed by the French, they did away with the old vietnamese writing system and replaced it with the current one. How you change that to hate propelled by the French?

I'm not promoting hate, but rather explaining why which is different. You seem to have a rather simplistic, single minded view of Vietnam.

 

[ckf]

Yes, most Vietnamese hate chinese, but considering the 1000 year of chinese domination and the constant issues such us in the south china sea right now, Its really understandable. China has been their traditional enemy throughout their history.

By generalizing most people hate each other you're promoting hate. Were you alive for a 1000 years and live in Vietnam and see this hate for a 1000 years. Most Vietnames I meet don't hate...a few bad apples but most people are incredibly generous and they have my love for the country. As for the Bit**ch, white trash who loves going to Vietnam thinking they are the sugar daddies, it's just fu*)king annoying. Like all the history books telling the world Christopher Columbus discovered America, Native were in America long before and nothing to discover. Genocide of Natives is written as forceful resettlement. I am just confused as to who's doing the hating and who has a simplistic view of the world.

 

[xiao qi]

By generalizing most people hate each other you're promoting hate. Were you alive for a 1000 years and live in Vietnam and see this hate for a 1000 years. Most Vietnames I meet don't hate...a few bad apples but most people are incredibly generous and they have my love for the country. As for the Bit**ch, white trash who loves going to Vietnam thinking they are the sugar daddies, it's just fu*)king annoying. Like all the history books telling the world Christopher Columbus discovered America, Native were in America long before and nothing to discover. Genocide of Natives is written as forceful resettlement. I am just confused as to who's doing the hating and who has a simplistic view of the world.

1000 years is too dim and far distance. I doubt any Vietnamese could hate Chinese for such reason @Carlosa
I had my father, two uncles, one uncle in law fought against Chinese in the war 1979. So interesting when I never heard about the hatred toward Chinese from them. Yes, they maybe dont like Chinese, are careful with Chinese tricks on business but so strange, They dont hate them. You maybe dont believe but it is the true . Young Vietnamese said they hate Chinese. The major factor as my thinking is SCS because they only said that when Chinese waves the disputed SCS from 2008.
About the Sino Vietnam War, Because the Vietnamese and Chinese goverment agreed the solution in Chengdu 1991. Follow the issues, Chinese and Vietnamese tried to normalize ( dont remind incident on textbook, notebook, the propaganda, news..) and dont want to exacerbate the incident which broke the relation . Almost Vietnamese young didnt know this war until Chinese violated Vietnamese EEZ and increase their activities in South China Sea.

if we hate chinese by war i think we have more reasons to hate American than. , the relation between Vietnamese and American now thanks by the Chinese's support.