Hanoi: the Great Salad Bowl

I've heard the US likened not to a melting pot but a salad bowl, the idea being that different cultures are all tossed together, but they never really mix. That's great for cultural identity, but not so great for cultural exchange. The same could be said about Hanoi. The expats sit around together and talk about how hard it is to meet Vietnamese.

It's not surprising. Culture, and especially language, are powerful unifying forces. Even at our housewarming party (attended predominantly by expats), the Italians stood at one end, the Vietnamese at another, and the rest of us squeezed in the middle chattering in English. While I've been here, I've met New Zealanders, Aussies, Italians, Germans, Irish, Scotsmen, Englishmen, Canadians, one or two other Americans ... and no Vietnamese.

I mean, I've spoken with the locals, but I haven't been befriended by one. The closest I've come is the 15 year old boy who works at the pho place I like. He jokes around with me and likes to exercise his high-school English. In rapid fire, I got "What's your name?", "Where are you from?", "How old are you?" When I asked him if he was studying English in school, he giggled and ran off.

Another time, he pointed at me, tapped the top of his head, and flexed his bicep, which I took to mean, "You American. Big. Strong." (Either that or, "You American. Bald. Think you're hot stuff.") Until this exchange, I didn't have a clue what kind of an impression I made. Looking around, I realized I was the only foreigner in the place.

Seasoned expats here have casually told me that I'll never be more than a foreigner to the local Vietnamese, even if I spoke the language. Getting an invitation to dinner from a Vietnamese person is a Big Deal, and when it happens, it's likely so you can be shown off as your host's "foreigner friend". Ugh. I don't know what I was expecting, but that's not it.

Hanoi Rock City

Some friends and I stopped by a new club, "Hanoi Rock City", for some live music, cheap beer, and some steamy, hot bonfire action. The dim light was a bit much for my little camera. These are some of the least blurry pictures. Note the absence of Vietnamese faces.



Hippie drum circles and expats go together like flies and you-know-what.



Play that funky music, white boy.

Cute girls! Don't get thrown by the Asian one---she's from Montreal, as is her friend. As hard as it is being a Westerner in Vietnam, it's apparently harder if you're a Westerner of Asian descent, because the locals expect more of you.

There actually were Vietnamese people at Hanoi Rock City, and the owners are young Vietnamese who traveled extensively in Europe and decided Hanoi needs music venues. They're trying to bring everyone together through music (and alcohol). It might just work.