West v East

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We found out a few interesting things about Vietnamese and SE Asian life and culture in general during our games and dinner with Rote. Lets just say it can be very easy to offend the locals if you stick to doing things western-style!

- The way we motion 'come here' with our fingers and palms pointing up is reserved for animals only in Asia, so if you want someone to come close without making them out to be a pig wave to them with the palm and fingers pointing down.

- While a gentle pat on the head may be endearing and complimentary in the western world its traditionally only done to slaves in Asia. So avoid that head-top ruffling of someones else's hair - its very rude!

- In Vietnam girls don't smoke. Only prostitutes smoke. Also identifiable by their long nails. Keeping mine short then!

- Unsurprisingly, Rote and other Asian men think the western practice of 'trying before you buy' is great. But he still will only marry a 'good girl.'

- To say no in Vietnam don't turn your head but turn your hands like you are turning door knobs.

- As well as pristine white complexions, Vietnamese people want to have high, thin noses, not 'flat' ones that go 'like a pig' at the nostrils - Rote's description not mine! After telling us this it was really easy to spot the surgically enhanced noses in Saigon!

- Everyone wants to be rich and in Vietnam a sign of being rich is how fat you are! Helen and I were literally poor skinny mylinks, as if 'we have been working the fields'. And Rote couldn't believe I didn't dye my hair, wondering why wouldn't I want to keep it light!?!

I've come to the conclusion that Rote's ideal woman is a secretly frivolous pale white rotound blonde with wide western eyes and of course high nose. Any suitable candidates apply here...

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