Let's Speak Vietnamese
Culture Notes - Chapters 9 -16
Chương 10 - Shopping
Buying souvenirs
Most visitors to Vietnam are interested in buying silk, hill tribe fabrics and handicrafts, embroidery, marble, ceramics, silver jewelry, antique watches, lacquerware, woodcarvings, and paintings. Both Sài Gòn and Hà Nội have the best choices when it comes to shopping. Hội An in Central Vietnam is also a very good place to look for silk, custom-made silk clothes and souvenirs.
Like some other Asian countries, vendors in Vietnam believe that the very first transaction of the day will influence their business on that day. Therefore, if you have no intention of buying, do not ask the price of their merchandise. The vendor will give you a lot of pressure to buy it.
Except for the upscale stores and shops that have price tags on the merchandise, most vendors in Vietnam would quote you twice or even three times the selling price. Thus, it is advisable to ask your Vietnamese friend of local people beforehand the price range of the merchandise you want to buy. Be ready to bargain to get a good price.
Traveler's checks can be exchanged at banks and some exchange counters in major cities in Vietnam. Visa and Master cards are accepted in big hotels, upscale restaurants, and duty free shops. For other private and commercial establishments, the customer has to bear the bank charges. The bank charges are usually 3% for credit cards and 1% for traveler's checks. There are many ATMs in Saigon, Hanoi, and big cities in Vietnam.
The currency issued by the Vietnamese Government Bank is the Vietnamese đồng (abbreviated to "đ" or VTN). However, US dollars are also accepted in many hotels, upscale restaurants, and shops in big cities. Tourists can exchange their currency at banks, hotels, and authorized exchange bureaus. Major hotels often offer the same rate as banks while smaller hotels may charge an extra fee for exchange. Local people often buy and sell US dollars at jewelry stores (hiệu vàng) where they usually get best exchange rates.
Bargaining in Vietnam
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Chương 11 - Weather and Holidays
Climate of Vietnam
Vietnamese Holidays and Celebration
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Chapter 12 - Phone Calls
Making phone calls to and from Vietnam
Cell phone etiquette in Vietnam
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Chương 13 - Food and Restaurants
Vietnamese food represents a collage of influences from many foreign cultures such as China, France, and India. Vietnamese cuisine has evolved with time and has forged its own mark on the international scene with its unique flavors. Food presented on the table is not only an explosion of taste but also has to appeal to the eyes through the combination of various ingredients to give colors: red from the chilies, green and orange from the vegetables and herbs, white from the rice, rice noodles and vermicelli. Moreover, it is considered a healthy cuisine:grilled meat, steamed fish, and abundant use of vegetables and herbs.
A typical Vietnamese meal often consists of one soup, one stir-fried dish, and another main dish all served at the same time and shared at the table. Vietnamese people eat rice with the main meals throughout the whole day. Fish sauce (nước mắm) is an indispensable seasoning ingredient in every meals of Vietnamese people. Diluted with water, sugar, and lime juice, it is used as a dipping sauce. Nước mắm is processed from distilled and fermented salt-water fish.
Phở, one of the national dishes originated from the North, is a rice noodle sour cooked with beef or chicken. Although phở is often eaten at breakfast, it can be eaten at any time of the day and many Vietnamese have phở more than once a day. Chả giò, another national dish originated from the South and called nem Sài Gòn or nem rán in the North, is also popular for both Vietnamese and foreigners,
City people nowadays seem to have readily adopted the idea of fast food and food to go. If food stalls -located in the streets, alleys, and wet markets- were only frequented by workers and laborers before, they now also cater for busy professionals with a variety of apertizer dishes using expensive ingredients. Thus, sometimes one can eat food as good as in restaurants for a fraction of the price.
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Chương 14 - Houses
Vietnamese Traditional Houses
Why are houses in the cities in Vietnam long and narrow?
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Chương 15 - Transportation
Moving around in big cities in Vietnam
Saigon and Hanoi transportation systems have improved considerably with frequent and reliable flights, trains, and air-conditioned buses. The city bus fares effective May, 2019 are:
-for trips with distance less than 15 km: $5000 đồng
-for trips with distance between 15 - 25 km: $6000 đồng
-for trips with distance above 25 km: $7000 đồng
When traveling in Việt Nam, you will need to make some mathematical conversions. Train and plane schedules, the time for formal events, radio and television programs are given using the-twenty-four-hour system.
Ôtô vận chuyển khách chất lượng cao
Thanh Hóa - Hà Nội: 30 chuyến/ngày.
Từ 5h30' sáng đến 17h30' chiều - 30phút/chuyến.
Giá vé: 50.000đ/vé/người.
Xuất phát tại: Bến Xe khách liên tỉnh (phía Bắc) đường Bà Triệu - Trường Thi
Điện thoại: (037) 852.102
Weights and measures are given in the metric system while temperatures are given in Celsius, not Fahrenheit. Following is a weather forecast:
DỰ BÁO THỜI TIẾT NGÀY VÀ ĐÊM
Khu vực Hà Nội
Nhiều mây, sáng có lúc có mưa nhỏ, sau không mưa.
Gió đông bắc cấp 2 - 3.
Nhiệt độ cao nhất từ 16 - 18 độ
Nhiệt độ thấp nhất từ 14 - 16 độ
Chương 16 - Accommodation