After spending over 2 of the last 7 years in Vietnam, and marrying into a Vietnamese family, I've managed to see and do a lot of things that have opened my eyes to the cultural values and traditions of the country. One of the things that pops into my mind on a regular basis, is the feeling that I've been here before. Not in a physical sense, but in a sense that is familiar to me from a cultural standpoint. When you are in this country as an older gentleman, you can't help to recognize that the Vietnamese still do a lot of things that Americans did in the past. As an example, it's not uncommon for a retail shop owner in any city in Vietnam to do business on the ground floor of the building, and then live with his or her family on the floors above. This is something that was very typical in western countries, particularly the USA, just a couple of generations ago.
Other things that remind me of America generations ago, is how the Vietnamese farmers still primarily work their land by hand, and how they like to do business face to face and on the trust of the family name, rather than through a lawyer and a contract. On the family ethics side, it is still very important to Vietnamese people to maintain the respect of your family name in the community. It's also very important to raise kids firmly, and for them to study extremely hard in school, so that they can have a better life than the generations before them. I have come to the conclusion that the Vietnamese people carry with them a sense of responsibility, and the burden of the personal self sacrifice that is needed to protect the historical values of its culture.
These are just a few examples that I've witnessed first-hand from my travels throughout the country. I would encourage older generations of western travelers who may be longing for better times, or the nostalgia of the good old days, to visit this amazing country and experience it for themselves. It won't last forever!
