Vietnamese Say the Darndest Things

Lately, there have been a lot of great announcements about engagements, weddings, and babies. I was thinking about how these things mean different things in Vietnam. Different cultures view love, marriage, and babies in very different ways. I had an interesting conversation with a Vietnamese woman a while back and I thought I'd share it with y'all. Let me start off by saying that I have no idea who this woman is. She just started chatting me up at a holiday bazzar. She was younger than me, but definitely in her 20s. After the usual "hi, how are you, where are you from, how old are you" bit, she launched into the personal questions that Vietnamese people ALWAYS ask. Here's a sample of how it went (it was actually at least a 20-minute conversation).

Vietnamese lady (VL): Are you married?

Me: No, I'm not.

VL: Boyfriend?

Me: Nope, don't have one of those either.

VL: [With a perplexed look on her face] Why not? You're pretty, you should have boyfriend.

Me: [Feeling not too bad since she called me pretty] Well, I just moved here a few months ago and I'm not really looking for a boyfriend in Vietnam.

VL: But, don't you want to get married?

Me: Yes, someday, but I'm not in a hurry. Are you married?

VL: [Totally perplexed now because she knows how old I am] Yes, I'm married. I married this year.

Me: Congratulations!

VL: Aren't you cold?

Me: [Thinking, oh good, we've moved on to the weather!] No, it isn't too cold today.

VL: It gets cold at night. My husband keeps me warm when it is cold. Don't you want to be warm at night?

Me: [Crap, we're still on the subject of my missing man.] Haha. Yes, I want to be warm at night, but I've got blankets and heat for that.

VL: Yes, but a man is so much better!

Okay, so I can't argue with her there. Point of the story, other than the hilarity of having this conversation with a complete stranger in the middle of a market....you don't necessarily marry a man for love; you marry him to keep you warm--to provide for you. Ladies, remember this. Do you have a man, but still get cold at night? Maybe you need a new man for the job. Or, maybe you should invest in a good blanket. I'm happy to provide a recommendation.