Saturday, March 10, 2007

Haaaaaallllooooooooo!

Part-taunt. Part-greeting. Part-sales pitch. You hear this "Haaaalllooo" from everywhere, passing scooters, out of the windows of buildings, from automobiles, from young childeren, street vendors. Everywhere. I would like to think that Peggy and I are being proactive of walking everywhere we can, but have started to grow weary of people yelling at us.

It is a way of calling out, 'Foreigner' and letting people know you're different. Back home in California, we don't go around yelling "Neeeeee Hoooooooooow" to every Chinese person, nor "Whaaaaaaaaasuppppp" to every black guy I see. Here in Vietnam, I know I stick out, why accentuate it? And why "Haallllooo"? Why not "Goooootentaaag", perhaps "Booooonjooooor", or even a "G'Daaaaaaay"? How do they know we are Americans, is it the straightened teeth and fancy sneakers? Perhaps the look of heightened imperialism gleaming in our eye?



The conversations that we do have with people who've managed to get themselves past the "Hello" part have been great. The follow up questions are usually "Where are you from", or, "What is your name". We like asking people what they did for the Tet celebrations, which usually involve answers relating to both family and sticky rice recipes. It is just the a-holes who yell "Haaaaalllloooo" at us, then turn to their friends snickering like they really got one over on these newbies. Love your country, really, but let's keep this party polite.

posted by ncawthon at 12:48 PM