I have noticed that Vietnam is very much a country driven by buisness. All of our Vietnamese roommates are majoring in areas such as international buisness, buisness, marketing etc. As you walk around you are constantly surrounded by people selling their wares-- wind-up toys, all kinds of food, sunglasses-- anything you could wish to buy is only a short look away. Today I experienced one of the more interesting examples of marketing in Vietnam so far. On the bus two men stood up and began to talk. I was a bit perplexed at first, but caught on as soon as one man pulled necklaces out of his bag. After talking for quite awhile he extracted one necklace out of the bag. He then very skillfully used the bus as a prop--he tied the necklace to one of the ceiling hand holds. He then rubbed the chain vigourously with a metal object, in what I can only imagine was an attempt to show the incredible strength of the chain. If that was not enough to assure the buyer of the quality of the merchandise, they would certainly be convinced by the next test. This test involved utilizing a lighter to presumably show that the necklace is flame-resitant, clearly a quality I always look for when purchasing my jewlrey. Another interesting side note about the buses--all of the buses contain buddha statues and food offerings in the front, a hint of the buddhist influence that still lingers beneath the surface.
Another concept we've talked about is the so-called knock-off goods that are available here. We read an article about how here goods are defined differently. There are model goods, which are the real goods. Then there are model goods, which are goods that everyone knows are not the "real" products. These goods are cheaper and people willingly buy it. People consider that these are not in anyway deceiving the buyer. A product that actively deceives the buyer, such as shampoo filled with cooking oil, is known as a "fake" product.
These distinctions become clear when you shop at places such as "Saigon Square" which is a place absolutely teeming with all kinds of goods--north face backpacks, victoria secret clothing, and american eagle shirts. All these products shimmer invitingly at up to 1/4 of the cost in the U.S. It becomes hard to know whether these are our definition of "real" goods, especially given that many of the factories are actually located in Vietnam. What it turns out, is that most of these goods are "mimic" goods. Some of these goods are very close to the "model goods." It's just a fascinating way to conceptualize products.
I am constantly fascinated by the motorbike culture. First of all, people are able to balance the most impressive array of objects on these small bikes. The most impressive sight i've seen is two men carrying a full size matress behind them. It is not uncommon to see sheets of glass, strange metal wiring, and groceries being carted along the streets. Furthermore, there is a fascinating array of people on these bikes. There are buisness women and men decked out in dress clothes. The sight of high heels on the pedals of the bike is truly striking. In additon, everyone covers up from the sun as much as possible. It is not uncommon to see a woman wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, gloves, a mask, a helment, and sunglasses.
To watch motorbike traffic is almost to watch a stream. People weave around each other. It is amazing that there are not constant collisions. In all the time I've been here, today was the first day I've seen an accident. This accident was a man who went around a corner too fast, and he seemd to be unharmed. Today was also, ironically enough, my first journey on a motorbike. I am the only member of my group who has held out riding the motorbike. I have to admit that I was frightened of the experience. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Riding through the streets on a motorbike truly gives you a chance to explore the city. It feels as if you are truly experiencing the culture. Furthermore, on the way back it was storming. It was very dramatic to see everyone covered by rain ponchos zooming through the streets with the thunder and lightening going across the sky. I truly believe that the motorbike culture requires you to place a lot of trust in your fellow human beings. When you cross a street you simply walk slowly and trust that the drivers will be able to go around you. At times you simply have to pause in the middle of the street as the motorbikes zoom around you. At first this was a very uncomfortable mentality to embrace. Slowly but surely, I have begun to be able to cross streets without feeling utterly terrified. Ironically enough, what you need to watch out for is the cars and the buses, for they surely will not stop for you.
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