Four reasons why I confuse many of the locals.

As I explore the major cities of Vietnam, I came to a realization that I confused many of the Vietnamese locals because of my “strange” ways.

Here are a few reasons why:

1) Although I am often mistaken as a South Vietnamese traveler, based on my accent and dialect, my choice of attire is very different from the rest of the population. My shorts are “too short”, according to the conservative city folks of Hanoi, and my tops are “too revealing” because of my exposed shoulders. This does indeed attract a lot of unwanted attention from the locals and raised a lot of questions.

#2: Because of how I dress, a lot of vietnamese locals commented on how i’m “not afraid of the sun”. This means that I am not afraid of exposing parts of my body, such as my arms and legs, and getting darker. As some of you may or may not know, Americans and Asians have polar opposite ideas of beauty when it comes to skin color. In America, it is preferred to darker and tanner (especially when you’re Caucasians or even Asian) as it is a reflection of high status and the ability to afford vacations where sun bathing in apart of one’s itinerary. (As a side note, you can blame Jersey Shore for adding onto America’s obsession of tanning and the future increasing statistics of skin cancer.) In many Asian countries including China, Thailand, and of course, Vietnam, pale skin is a reflection of status and money and is considered beautiful. This is because many occupations in Asian countries involves field work and job that require a lot of time under the sun. Those with lighter and whiter skin color are often privileged, rich enough to avoid the sun’s damaging rays, and maintain high power jobs (or no job at all because they’re that rich) which are often found indoors. Therefore with these contradicting beliefs on beauty and my mistaken identity as a local, many question why I am so willing to expose my skin to darken my complexion.

THREE. Another reason how my two identities often raised a lot of questions among the locals pertains to my ability to fluently speak Vietnamese. Often when I met locals, they asked if I’m from the south (of Vietnam) and my reply (translated) is that I am an “American born with roots in Vietnam”. This means that I am an American born citizen with Vietnamese immigrants as parents. After a few questions about how old was I when moved back to Vietnam (answer: I never did because I still reside in America) and where in Vietnam to I attend school (in the New Jersey part, joke), their response revolves around how my Vietnamese is really good for someone who is an American born and raised (I know, I’m totally awesome. Again, I’m just kidding… Sort of). I would then explain to them how I spent a lot of time with my mom’s side of the family, who were also Vietnamese immigrants and spoke little English, therefore I had to learn to speak Vietnamese, and then make a joke or two about how if I didn’t, they would not feed me (another joke that usually makes them laugh). We often would then go into a discussion about how fewer Vietnamese Americans are fluent in the Vietnamese language, how many are losing their native culture, and how I’m very lucky to be bilingual (excuse my monotone writing, I’ve discussed this topic with many adults and Vietnamese Americans my age and I can see that little can be done since many are not interested in staying in touch with their roots).

And finally, the F O U R T H and final reason on how i confuse many locals are the surprising reasons behind why am I traveling alone and not with my parents, friends, or at home in pursuit to create a family. With this I often explain a snippet version of how I want travel the world, get in touch with my family’s roots, how my parents couldn’t come to this specific city because I started out on a business trip, and then lie about how I’m meeting my parents in Saigon (I am actually meeting other family members since my parents are home in jersey) so no one try to kidnap me and try any crazy shit. On this note, I think it’s important to discuss why it is the best time travel: while you’re still young, even if it means traveling alone.

Vietnam is a very safe place to backpack, even if you’re alone and female. (Of course common sense and a good travel book can make this trip a lot easier and safer.) Many are often too scared or faced with many obstacles before their passports are stamped in a foreign country. My advise to anyone is to try your best to save as much money as you can, plan ahead and work on your schedule’s flexibility in order to make this happen. I cannot explain how traveling at the age of twenty, alone or with a group of people, allowed me to grow so much as a person, reflect on who I am and who I would like to be, and see the world in a whole new light. Totally cliche but it’s very true!

If you have any questions on traveling, send them my way and I will do the best I can to answer your questions or connect you to more experienced travelers. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone because it is only then when you really discover who you are and what you are really made of. Best of luck and happy travels! Mel bug here signing out from Hoi An, Vietnam!

7 Weird things about me: Traveling Edition

I am often very quiet when I travel. Opposite of my extroverted normal self, I typically do keep to myself more during trips and find myself lost in my thoughts and reflections.

Although I tend to come off as more of an introvert while traveling, I continue to talk to strangers. I love talking to strangers and I’ve met some of the most interesting people with amazing accomplishments during my travels. This is one of the reasons I highly encourage traveling, especially when you’re young. Some of the people you may simply pass by and you may never meet again. Others may change your life! You can meet someone who inspires you to travel to more places, work harder, and learn more about yourself. Some may even invite you to come to their place/country and offer to show you around. With that being said, it never hurts to network and get your name out there!

I hate historical museums but will visit art museums and observe them for hours. Pretty self explanatory.

I like to touch sculptures and feel their designs. From beautiful art pieces to creatively designed landmarks. I like to observe the bits and parts of the piece. I ponder over the design, the artistic mind behind the work, and wonder how it had survive this longer and look over the modern day wear and tear of the piece.

I dislike strangers touching me, it’s the American in me. So please, if I don’t know you, I don’t care if you’re selling the elixir of life, don’t touch me. Thanks.

I love taking pictures of scenery and food but had taking pics of myself while traveling. I offer look gross and feel even worst. I dress for comfort and convince and not for fashionable Instagram pictures.

I like my space. Although I do prefer to travel with friends or strangers, I like to keep my distance when it comes to certain things. I would love to travel with a significant partner to share and create memorable experiences however backpacking is not easy and I often reflect a lot when I travel. Whether its a bus to New York City for To Nha Trang, Vietnam, I like to have my freedom and space to explore my thoughts. When I’m ready to socialize or join the group, you’ll know it.