Vietnam Oddities

It has been nearly three weeks since we first arrived in Vietnam. With one week left, I've had ample time to reflect on some of the strange quirks and oddities that persist throughout the country.

1) Freaky Mannequins

There is not much to elaborate here. I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Perhaps a sparkling gown for that special occasion...

Or maybe something trendy for the kids.....

Matching his and her plaid shirts...

Or something pink to complement your hairdo...

I'm afraid this is quite a representative sample of the fashion displays on offer in Vietnam. It doesn't get much better, but it certainly gets much worse.

2) It is often in Vietnam that you will see men with long fingernails meticulously kept. At first I thought Vietnam either had a surplus of classical guitar players or a major drug problem. I was wrong. Men will keep their nails long ( if they can) to demonstrate their social status. Long nails indicate you do not do manual labour or work in the fields.

3) Many women in Vietnam wear large floppy hats, cotton face masks, long silk gloves and socks, long sleeve shirts and long pants. They cover from head to toe to avoid sun exposure which will darken their skin tone. "You are so beautiful, your skin is so white" my young female tour guide in Halong Bay informed me. Pasty seems a more apt description, but I'll take the compliments when they come.

4) Can you imagine the stretchy rough texture of party streamers sold in the party shops and dollar stores? It seems in Vietnam these decorations can also double as toilet paper. There have been many occasions where nature has called and been answered by what I swear is white party streamers. Not as soft as cottonel, but not altogether unpleasant. Better than sitting or squatting to discover there is no toilet paper.

5) In Hanoi barbers set up on the sidewalks where you have to walk onto the street to avoid someone in the middle of haircut as well as the big piles of black hair collected from 100s of customers before him.