Rich or Poor, how are you treated?

729POSTS

12 years ago

Greetings,
Just curious about how other expats are treated. My fashion sense has been cargo shorts, pull over shirts and sandals for my first year. Everywhere I have traveled the people are friendly and to my surprise I am saluted a lot by the men in uniform and some older men. Now because I am working, wearing ties, dress slacks people tend to go out of their way to touch me. Rubbing my belly, wanting pictures taken with me, having their children stand next to me for photos, even placing infants in my arms for photos.
In the USA, my income is not considered rich. I always considered myself lower middle class maybe others would call me that crazy poor guy. Here I am that rich foreigner. I prefer here. How about the rest of you?

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laidbackfreak Serial expat

976POSTS

12 years ago

I can't say I've been treated as rich or poor, but I've certainly been saluted on many occasions, everyone from my security guards at work to police when stopped (but they are required to salute everyone). As an ex serviceman I find it kinda strange to be saluted to as or by a civilian.
When I first arrived here and did the tourist things I had lot of people come and take photo's with me and rub my belly etc. but that happens less so now as I don't move in those circles.
Can;t say money has affected that at all....

saigonmonkey Serial expat

728POSTS

12 years ago

What's with all this belly-rubbing guys? The only time anyone ever touched my belly was in one of those now-defunct bars on lower Hai Ba Trung street.

And I think that was just because it was the body part on the way to somewhere else. I DO get my arm hairs stroked and pulled a lot - hence my blog name, saigonmonkey. Got plenty of hair everywhere except where I really need it - on my head! As posters on other threads have commented - if you have one of those blue passports (laidback, I'm not sure what color yours is) you are considered "rich", regardless of what you look like. And the fatter, the richer, ancientpathos.

bta87 Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

Saigon,
I love it!!! Ancient, I too have had all those experiences, no matter what I was wearing. However, that does not happen as much since I came to HCM. But in other areas people bring me their babies to play with, children follow me everywhere in droves. But me I'm a Southern cowboy so we greet everyone and I think that is a little odd to the folks here and they just enjoy that. I salute all the security staff in my bldg and they really seem to like it I have told many in the USA that at times I feel like a rock star here. I've never felt it was at all connected to my economic status though. Sure, the passport thing probably crosses their mind, yet they never ask me for anything other than a pic.
See, now you got that high income job and they are loving old santa. I'm envious. I guess I should eat more what...eggs or bacon (loved that analogy BTW)

laidbackfreak Serial expat

976POSTS

12 years ago

saigonmonkey wrote:
What's with all this belly-rubbing guys?

Think it only affects us with slightly more storage in that area than others

I'd forgotten about the hair stroking, yes had that a lot too, always makes me smile too.

charmavietnam ViP

2841POSTS

12 years ago

Here, we are labelled with 'foreigners'

Of course we get more respect and consideration than a local from locals. In our own country, we know what happened and happening - nobody care much!
Also there plays the real villain 'discrimination'- whether it is skin or money!(here too, but very small scale)
I felt many times when I was in India, the approach of people when I go out with well dressed and also with 'light dress' like a layman. Of course dress and skin give much impression! And if you have a 'fat' body, sure people like you more. May be because from some little fear?

Flip465 Serial expat

265POSTS

12 years ago

Had one little kid, about 4 - 5 years old come up to me in the middle of Lotte Mart(D7) a while back now. This kid had a HUGE grin all over his face. Reached up, rubbed my belly and said quite loudly - "BUDDHA!" then happily run back to his grandmother & grandfather, a few counters away, giggling all the way.

'saigonmonkey' - That's one of the 'belly rubbing' things, for very young kids anyway.

The kids are GREAT ! Well behaved and so polite, but they do like a bit of harmless mischief from time to time.

Within the hour, my VN wife had me signing up at 'Hollywood Fitness World'.

1 member reacted to this post

Tran Hung Dao ViP

1523POSTS

12 years ago

saigonmonkey wrote:
.. - if you have one of those blue passports (laidback, I'm not sure what color yours is) you are considered "rich", regardless of what you look like. And the fatter, the richer, ancientpathos.

F.Y.I. The UK passport is red.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_passport

bluenz Member

1933POSTS

12 years ago

Its a little different here Central Coast/Highlands, a lot of rude/ignorant people, sometimes you say hello and get the filthiest looks, some will just stand there and stare at you, very creepy.
Sometimes when I take my dog for his run I get a sore face from smiling and saying hello to everyone I see, maybe it's different for me because I actually live here, so everyone within a 15 km radius will know EVERYTHING about me. Perhaps one day I didn't say hello to someone, and word's got around????
Or maybe because I didn't waste my money on a 2 level, oversize house, and ride a 100 mil VND motorbike, they think I'm not rich anymore, ( that's exactly what I wanted them to think ).
In the Supermarket on a Sunday , droves of kids will follow you around, they are usually from rural villages, in town for the day, I doubt they have seen many Foreigners.
Then you get the kids trying to practise their English with you, ( young girls asking a 50 yr old man how old he is was a shock for a start ), one day while I was waiting for my class at school, I had to sign/write in about 50 books for the kids , and they were coming back for seconds.
Most are people are friendly , once YOU smile at them, but I feel a touch of xenophobia here sometimes, after all the My Lai massacre was here, and the Yanks bombed the shit out of here during the war, ( Agent Orange too ), maybe some people either have long memories around here or are not as forgiving???? can't say I blame them really.

1 member reacted to this post

bluenz Member

1933POSTS

12 years ago

#10

Tran Hung Dao wrote:
saigonmonkey wrote:
.. - if you have one of those blue passports (laidback, I'm not sure what color yours is) you are considered "rich", regardless of what you look like. And the fatter, the richer, ancientpathos.

F.Y.I. The UK passport is red.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_passport
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ITa_Cw4BKAQ/S … G_0003.jpg

Ah, that explains why they stare at my Passport, it's Black. The Maori bullshit on it must confuse them too.

Tran Hung Dao ViP

1523POSTS

12 years ago

#11

ancientpathos wrote:
.. Rubbing my belly, wanting pictures taken with me, having their children stand next to me for photos, even placing infants in my arms for photos...

You gonna dress up in a bright red suit and sneak around in the middle of the night on December 24th this year? There's gotta be a mall around Quảng Ngãi...might have to go to Đà Nẵng.

Or maybe you can deliver some toys to give to kids in a poor area of Quảng Ngãi this Christmas. Start adding a beard to that Fu Manchu.

bta87 Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#12

THD,
Thats amazing, a person like you knowing your colorsBRAVO dude. Did you google that?

bta87 Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#13

THD,
I doubt anyone was referring to diplomatic passports. But I can understand how some can get very confused. The Black US passport is for diplomats. I think the normal folks on here got the point. We will have to be more careful and explain things for those who can't. Thanks for the color updates though. I may not send that T-shirt to you now!

DirtyPierre Serial expat

254POSTS

12 years ago

#14

ancientpathos wrote:
Greetings,
Just curious about how other expats are treated. My fashion sense has been cargo shorts, pull over shirts and sandals for my first year. Everywhere I have traveled the people are friendly and to my surprise I am saluted a lot by the men in uniform and some older men. Now because I am working, wearing ties, dress slacks people tend to go out of their way to touch me. Rubbing my belly, wanting pictures taken with me, having their children stand next to me for photos, even placing infants in my arms for photos.
In the USA, my income is not considered rich. I always considered myself lower middle class maybe others would call me that crazy poor guy. Here I am that rich foreigner. I prefer here. How about the rest of you?

My initial observation was that there was a two tiered price system in place all over Asia and no different in Vietnam. I lived in Co Giang Phuong Quan 1 for 4 yrs and the local coffee stall inside the back lanes would charge me 15000d while my neighbours only 8000d for cacau sua da. But now that I have moved across town to Phuong 17 Phu Nhuan Quan on the canal and there are no foreigners in sight I get a discount if I sit down at a stall in the market to eat. They consider it good luck that a foreigner eats their food. It was a bit embarrassing at first but I have grown to accept it.

Tran Hung Dao ViP

1523POSTS

12 years ago

#15

bta87 wrote:
THD,
I doubt anyone was referring to diplomatic passports. But I can understand how some can get very confused. The Black US passport is for diplomats. I think the normal folks on here got the point. We will have to be more careful and explain things for those who can't. Thanks for the color updates though. I may not send that T-shirt to you now!

I don't know anything about black diplomat passports. bluenz was talking about his "black" New Zealand passport. "Maori bullshit" must mean the coat of arms on the cover.

bluenz wrote:
Ah, that explains why they stare at my Passport, it's Black. The Maori bullshit on it must confuse them too.

I am guessing from his reply post to my post that people often guess incorrectly that bluenz is an American and upon seeing his NZ passport, they get confused since they don't see a blue passport with the bald eagle on the cover. Instead they are confused by his black NZ passport that has the "Maori bullshit" on it.

1 member reacted to this post

DirtyPierre Serial expat

254POSTS

12 years ago

#16

To Ancient Pathos,
I encourage you to grow a beard and enjoy being Santa.

Tran Hung Dao ViP

1523POSTS

12 years ago

#17

DirtyPierre wrote:
To Ancient Pathos,
I encourage you to grow a beard and enjoy being Santa.

Testing image link:

The photo's not coming up DP. I think the image needs to have a ".jpg" at the end of it in the URL for it to be a static location. I think Picasaweb is set up with a program that makes it look like you're watching photos from an album. Right click on the image itself and see if you can find it's name...normally "something.jpg"

OK, type this in your message editing

(img)http://s5.postimg.org/knz69j3s7/Santa_C … emails.jpg(/img)

replace ( ) above with [ ]

I think you're using (url) which points to a website, you need (img) to let the Expat-Blog forum know you're pointing to an image/photo.

DirtyPierre Serial expat

254POSTS

12 years ago

#18

Dear THD,
I opened an account and uploaded a photo and then did the whole link thing and it still doesnt work

DirtyPierre Serial expat

254POSTS

12 years ago

#19

This is my final attempt at attaching a photo.

http://s5.postimg.org/knz69j3s7/Santa_Claus_visits_Saigon_Cancer_Hospital_emails.jpg

Bloody hell it worked

khanh44 ViP

1191POSTS

12 years ago

#20

for future anyone that wants to post pictures:

From the website that contains the picture:

1) right click on the picture

2) select copy image url

Posting the picture to forum:

1) Click reply

2) click image which is located directly left of the smile face

3) press ctrl + v

4) hit ok twice

Tran Hung Dao ViP

1523POSTS

12 years ago

#21

DirtyPierre wrote:
Dear THD,
I opened an account and uploaded a photo and then did the whole link thing and it still doesnt work

You're almost there. You need this pointer....

[ i m g ] h t t p : / / s 5 . p o s t i m g . o r g / k n z 6 9 j 3 s 7 / S a n t a _ C l a u s _ v i s i t s _ S a i g o n _ C a n c e r _ H o s p i t a l _ e m a i l s . j p g [ / i m g ]

Take out my extra spacing and the blog program will execute.

bluenz Member

1933POSTS

12 years ago

#22

Tran Hung Dao wrote:
bta87 wrote:
THD,
I doubt anyone was referring to diplomatic passports. But I can understand how some can get very confused. The Black US passport is for diplomats. I think the normal folks on here got the point. We will have to be more careful and explain things for those who can't. Thanks for the color updates though. I may not send that T-shirt to you now!

I don't know anything about black diplomat passports. bluenz was talking about his "black" New Zealand passport. "Maori bullshit" must mean the coat of arms on the cover.

bluenz wrote:
Ah, that explains why they stare at my Passport, it's Black. The Maori bullshit on it must confuse them too.

https://emigratetonewzealand.files.word … sport2.jpg

I am guessing from his reply post to my post that people often guess incorrectly that bluenz is an American and upon seeing his NZ passport, they get confused since they don't see a blue passport with the bald eagle on the cover. Instead they are confused by his black NZ passport that has the "Maori bullshit" on it.

The Maori bullshit is the Maori writing on the cover, how many other countries invaded by white demons, has 2 languages on their Passports, I don't see Nth American Indian writing on a US passport, or Abo writing on an Aussie Passport, etc, etc. or is that to come later from the PC crowd?

1 member reacted to this post

Tran Hung Dao ViP

1523POSTS

12 years ago

#23

Tran Hung Dao ViP

1523POSTS

12 years ago

#24

DirtyPierre wrote:
This is my final attempt at attaching a photo.
...
Bloody hell it worked

bta87 Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#25

THD,
Are you sure you know nothing of BLACK U.S. passports. Your research staff posted a pic of one one this thread. It is the one on the right side of the RED British passport. It is has the words " United States of America". I'm surprised at the lack of supervison at Mr. Goggle.Vn Inc.

lirelou Serial expat

393POSTS

12 years ago

#26

Diazzo, The new US blue passports have a more matt-like finish that make it look darker under certain light conditions. My wife and I have had red, black, and blue US passports, and she also had a green U.S. passport, issued overseas by an embassy. I don't know if all US passports issued overseas are green. Besides the black color, diplomatic passports carry the legend: "Diplomatic" embossed in gold above the word PASSPORT on the front cover, which THD's photo does not have. The small square box on the passport in THD's photo indicates a hew issue passport with microchip within/

1 member reacted to this post

honeyclotte Serial expat

200POSTS

12 years ago

#27

HHHHmmmm...i had fun reading this thread....

1 member reacted to this post

MIA2013 Serial expat

391POSTS

12 years ago

#28

Besides the black color, diplomatic passports carry the legend: "Diplomatic" embossed in gold above the word PASSPORT on the front cover, which THD's photo does not have.

Yep, you are correct.

MIA2013 Serial expat

391POSTS

12 years ago

#29

DirtyPierre wrote:
This is my final attempt at attaching a photo.
[img align=c]http://s5.postimg.org/knz69j3s7/Santa_Claus_visits_Saigon_Cancer_Hospital_emails.jpg[/url]
Bloody hell it worked

Ohh, you make a nice Santa!

bta87 Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#30

My bad> I was really just giving THD a hard time. He gets so off the subject with the trivial, while others seem to be able to grasp the gist of what is meant . I did not know they issue the average joe many different color passports. So perhaps my tongue in cheek comment that if your passport is blue they assume your rich was lost. Not that anyone gets to see your passport before they assume such a thing. Thanks for the info from all who straightened me out.

Tran Hung Dao ViP

1523POSTS

12 years ago

#31

bta87 wrote:
My bad> I was really just giving THD a hard time. He gets so off the subject with the trivial, while others seem to be able to grasp the gist of what is meant . I did not know they issue the average joe many different color passports. So perhaps my tongue in cheek comment that if your passport is blue they assume your rich was lost. Not that anyone gets to see your passport before they assume such a thing. Thanks for the info from all who straightened me out.

By popular demand....the black one!