Selfless Acts of Vietnamese Citizens

Selfless Acts of Vietnamese Citizens by DREW TAYLOR Many Vietnamese more often than not, do not consider how their actions affect other people, even those in their immediate vicinity. Daily, smokers recklessly damage other people’s health, riders swerve in and out of traffic with complete disregard to other people’s safety, people throw garbage into the streets and into other people’s yards, and the list goes on and on. Yet, as much as everything is individual and seemingly selfish, there are certain concessions that people make in which they consider other people and act as a collective for the goodwill of those around them. And I can honestly say that these behaviours are sadly absent from the western world. To demonstrate my point, I will provide 3 easy examples. Example Number 1 - During a rain shower, unless you have a raincoat, the chances are good that you will be running for cover to avoid getting soaked. Any shelter, make-shift or permanent, is sought out by those who are unfortunate to be caught outside in the rain. But, this is when the compassion of the Vietnamese people can be seen. People will huddle under the rain awning of a shop, impeding entrance to the shop and inevitably creating discomfort for patrons. However, neither the owner nor the customers complain (no one comes out to yell at the people using the store front as rain shelter). Sadly, in Canada the shop owner would have asked everyone to leave unless they were going to buy something. They perceive the store front as an extension of their privacy, and wouldn’t hesitate to remove someone from their premises (even in a heavy rainfall). Example Number 2 - On a seemingly calm day, vendors are out on the streets selling their wares. Various soup and noodle dishes, hand rolls, various fruits, and even hats and shoes. Suddenly a wave of commotion sweeps down the street in a panicked rush. The “quan ly thi truong” are coming! And how do people react to this common situation? Suddenly you will see people opening their doors to their shops and houses to help people hide their possessions and products. The word of mouth has spread from people who are not even selling anything (and are in effect, not at risk of losing anything). People blocks away pass along the message that the quan ly thi truong are coming, confiscating tables, chairs, carts, etc. These people have nothing to gain from helping the vendors, and yet they offer assistance. Collectively they protect each other in a way that is not only admirable, but also selfless. The situation is different in western countries. More often than not, people would be unwilling to pass along the word of approaching authorities. In fact in such situations many foreigners would actually welcome the authorities, seeing the vendors and such as a possible nuisance or some law-breaking entity. Example Number 3 - Stepping into a restaurant or cafeteria in Canada or the US, you can witness many people waiting outside for a table to come available. But, if you peak around the corner to see if there really are no spaces available, it becomes clear that the restaurant is not full by Vietnamese standards. Looking around you can see that there are a number of tables with only 1, 2, or maybe 3 people sitting and yet the tables have the capacity to seat 5, 6, or more people. Why? In Western countries, people never want to sit next to someone they don’t know. They have a fear that people are invading their privacy and that they have a magical area that is about 2 metres squared that surrounds them at all times. But, this leads to ridiculous expectations as well as a waste of time. Watching the people out front of the restaurant waiting for a place to sit fills me with the urge to slap them all in the face and say “Wake up!” In Viet Nam, any space that is available is used. People are not too sensitive or too cold to leave someone standing outside waiting for a seat. You can sit anywhere there is a space. And this practical approach has led to a simple understanding and acceptance that I admire. To me, it is a lot more sociable and warm to be able to sit next to a complete stranger without the awkwardness that foreigners feel in a similar situation. As much as it seems that there is a lack of awareness of those around, Vietnamese do display actions that are selfless, compassionate, and practical. As the western world encroaches on Viet Nam during these times of transition and development, I stop and wonder if these actions will continue. There are certain behaviours and thinking that I wish the Vietnamese do not adopt from westerners. After all, this is still Viet Nam!