Regarding the man who sat down at my table half an hour ago:
He has now invited his friends to sit with us. So now it is me, him, and three other girls, sitting at this table.
I am just continuing to work on my laptop and research lesson plans, and all of them want to interview me about where I live, what I do, how old I am, if I like my tea, etc etc etc.
Ok. Fine. Maybe if I continue to give one-word answers enough, they will understand that I am not interested in talking broken English with them, and would prefer to work. Fabulous. Now they're speaking Vietnamese to one another, so the pressure is off me to entertain them, but man are they annoying. And I'm still confused as to why they're sitting with me, and can't sit at one of the ten other empty tables and speak Vietnamese to each other there.
Now, the kicker:
One of them just asked me "Can you sing a song?" I let out an indignant burst of laughter. "I'm working right now! I cannot sing a song... I'm doing work!" Finally they got the message that I wasn't looking to be disturbed or to be social, but instead, really was doing work. They have since left to another table.
I am realizing that what MJ pointed out about cafe culture here is beginning to ring true for me. People in Vietnam do not go to cafes to do work the way you would find them at a Starbucks or Coffee Bean in the States. People go to cafes to smoke cigarettes, listen to music, and socialize. None of these habits or customs are conducive to my work ethic of "Go to the cafe. Drink some tea. Use the Internet. Do your work. Then leave when your work is finished."
Ah, cultural adjustments. What a task...
Some preliminary thoughts...
- Allison B.
- Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
- Finding the best places to eat and drink in my area! Check back for more!
That's a huge cultural adjustment. Just keep in mind that I'm betting most people's work/jobs need to be done at the work site, and probably don't involve using the internet. So, when they get off work, they're looking to socialize and have fun. Or maybe they're unemployed. So yes, it is quite different. And good for you making him toss his cigarette away.
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