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Published On: Oct 30, 2006 02:27 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Oct 30, 2006 02:27 PM
Vietnamese Etiquette Lesson #4
In Vietnam, the mobile phone rules
all.
There is no voicemail. And, whilst people are happy to buy the newest mobile-phones, they often can't really afford to talk very much on them because call prices are quite high. So you can either text each other. Or you ring someone and let it just ring once or twice and then that is like leaving a message and they should call you back. Or, you wait (and wait!) for it to ring!
The fact that call costs are quite high, though, means that people don't really want to have to call other people back. So people will literally answer a ringing mobile phone anywhere, anytime. Moto whilst zooming in traffic - yes. Middle of a customer meeting - yes. English class - of course! (My personal favourite, taking the call in class and putting the hand over the mouth, like that stops us all from hearing it?!).
Maybe it's that the mobile phone is such a status symbol. Aside from the motorbike (or car!), it's the best thing to show your ever-important status and face. And you don't even HAVE to be mobile at the time! People are always getting out their phones to play with them - just generally to show them off. And if it rings - well! - of course you have to answer so everyone can focus on your fantastic phone!
You can tell the way people are obsessed because of the amount of effort that goes into ring tones, little phone bags, dangly things to hang from the phone - all sorts of accessories. Phones here are pampered!
Anyway, I say all this as a warning. I often leave my phone on silent when I am in class, and then forget to put the sound back on later. If people try to call me, they are so offended that I have not called back. "Did you get my call?" "No. Oh look, my phone's on silent." And I get this look like "why on Earth would you put your phone on silent?"! It feels like if you have a mobile phone you are therefore "on call" for the rest of your life!
Hmm... maybe that's not just here.
There is no voicemail. And, whilst people are happy to buy the newest mobile-phones, they often can't really afford to talk very much on them because call prices are quite high. So you can either text each other. Or you ring someone and let it just ring once or twice and then that is like leaving a message and they should call you back. Or, you wait (and wait!) for it to ring!
The fact that call costs are quite high, though, means that people don't really want to have to call other people back. So people will literally answer a ringing mobile phone anywhere, anytime. Moto whilst zooming in traffic - yes. Middle of a customer meeting - yes. English class - of course! (My personal favourite, taking the call in class and putting the hand over the mouth, like that stops us all from hearing it?!).
Maybe it's that the mobile phone is such a status symbol. Aside from the motorbike (or car!), it's the best thing to show your ever-important status and face. And you don't even HAVE to be mobile at the time! People are always getting out their phones to play with them - just generally to show them off. And if it rings - well! - of course you have to answer so everyone can focus on your fantastic phone!
You can tell the way people are obsessed because of the amount of effort that goes into ring tones, little phone bags, dangly things to hang from the phone - all sorts of accessories. Phones here are pampered!
Anyway, I say all this as a warning. I often leave my phone on silent when I am in class, and then forget to put the sound back on later. If people try to call me, they are so offended that I have not called back. "Did you get my call?" "No. Oh look, my phone's on silent." And I get this look like "why on Earth would you put your phone on silent?"! It feels like if you have a mobile phone you are therefore "on call" for the rest of your life!
Hmm... maybe that's not just here.
Posted: Wed - December 7, 2005 at 08:28 PM