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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
Impressions of Saigon/HCMC
We just spent a week in Ho Chi Minh City! It
was so exciting to have a holiday and to visit Saigon together for the first
time.
There is a famous saying that many Vietnamese use to say in English that something is similar to something else: "same, same...but different". This comes to mind when talking about Saigon, since we live in Hanoi.
An example "same, same... but different" is the language. Hanoians and Saigonese both speak "Vietnamese" but with different dialects. In Hanoi, a "r", "gi", and "d" all get pronounced as "zuh". e.g. the word for very is "rat", which is pronounced "zut". In Saigon, these same letters are pronounced, instead of "zuh", as "yuh". There are also a number of specific words that are different between the two cities/regions. So, although generally the same, the details are different. It's really the feeling we got whilst we were in Saigon.
Some other differences we noticed were:
* People didn't yell "em oi" as much (if at all) in restaurants to get the attention of the staff
* There didn't seem to be any of, what we call, "commo FM", the PA system announcements and music played every morning very loud on the streets of Hanoi.
* People seemed to - wait for it - STOP at traffic lights!
* In Hanoi, people trying to sell you a moto-ride, etc. will either say "hello, moto", or else "woohoo" to get your attention. In Saigon, they clap at you instead. We turned around the first morning we were there to a round of applause! :-)
* We were not only offered marijuana much earlier in the day (usually only happens late at night in HN, when "xe om" drivers say, "motobike?" in a loud voice. When this is refused, they drop their voice and say very quietly and deeply, "marijuana?"). We were also offered a huge array of drugs in the afternoon in the main backpacker street when we were there after coming back from a tour.
* In Hanoi, the tourist area is the Old Quarter. This is a reasonably large area with tour services, internet cafes, backpacker restaurants, hotels, etc. dotted all around the OQ in amongst many other homes and businesses. But in Saigon, it's really concentrated in only a very small area of 3 connecting streets.
* Definitely seemed to be more "tay" (westerners) doing business and living there.
* Lots more neon!
* Very wide streets. Hanoi is suffering badly with a steadily increasing number of cars on roads which are far too small. The roads in Saigon are huge, even in the older areas.
* There is a CBD in Saigon! In Hanoi, whilst there is a centre of town in the form of Hoan Kiem Lake, there isn't any clear business area. Some of the larger office buildings in town are several kilometres from the central area. In Saigon, it's much more concentrated in District 1.
* KFC and Lotteria in abundance. KFC is called Ga Ran Kentucky (chicken, fried, Kentucky).
Below: Lovely ladies in "ao dai" cross the large intersection in front of the Diamond Plaza complex.
Below: Lotteria hamburger outlet - ubiquitous but truly awful!
There is a famous saying that many Vietnamese use to say in English that something is similar to something else: "same, same...but different". This comes to mind when talking about Saigon, since we live in Hanoi.
An example "same, same... but different" is the language. Hanoians and Saigonese both speak "Vietnamese" but with different dialects. In Hanoi, a "r", "gi", and "d" all get pronounced as "zuh". e.g. the word for very is "rat", which is pronounced "zut". In Saigon, these same letters are pronounced, instead of "zuh", as "yuh". There are also a number of specific words that are different between the two cities/regions. So, although generally the same, the details are different. It's really the feeling we got whilst we were in Saigon.
Some other differences we noticed were:
* People didn't yell "em oi" as much (if at all) in restaurants to get the attention of the staff
* There didn't seem to be any of, what we call, "commo FM", the PA system announcements and music played every morning very loud on the streets of Hanoi.
* People seemed to - wait for it - STOP at traffic lights!
* In Hanoi, people trying to sell you a moto-ride, etc. will either say "hello, moto", or else "woohoo" to get your attention. In Saigon, they clap at you instead. We turned around the first morning we were there to a round of applause! :-)
* We were not only offered marijuana much earlier in the day (usually only happens late at night in HN, when "xe om" drivers say, "motobike?" in a loud voice. When this is refused, they drop their voice and say very quietly and deeply, "marijuana?"). We were also offered a huge array of drugs in the afternoon in the main backpacker street when we were there after coming back from a tour.
* In Hanoi, the tourist area is the Old Quarter. This is a reasonably large area with tour services, internet cafes, backpacker restaurants, hotels, etc. dotted all around the OQ in amongst many other homes and businesses. But in Saigon, it's really concentrated in only a very small area of 3 connecting streets.
* Definitely seemed to be more "tay" (westerners) doing business and living there.
* Lots more neon!
* Very wide streets. Hanoi is suffering badly with a steadily increasing number of cars on roads which are far too small. The roads in Saigon are huge, even in the older areas.
* There is a CBD in Saigon! In Hanoi, whilst there is a centre of town in the form of Hoan Kiem Lake, there isn't any clear business area. Some of the larger office buildings in town are several kilometres from the central area. In Saigon, it's much more concentrated in District 1.
* KFC and Lotteria in abundance. KFC is called Ga Ran Kentucky (chicken, fried, Kentucky).
Below: Lovely ladies in "ao dai" cross the large intersection in front of the Diamond Plaza complex.
Below: Lotteria hamburger outlet - ubiquitous but truly awful!
Posted: Sun - October 9, 2005 at 05:22 PM