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"Minh" on VN consumerism
Ah, guys, your comments on my 3rd Vietnamese value have been just wonderful!
A stereotype, of course, never fits all members of a group; there are always
large differences between at least some members of a group; naturally
not all Vietnamese fit the consumerism "stereotype" or "value" I wrote.
(I'd say it fits about 70% of my Vietnamese friends, and is a really poor fit
to the others.) I was very aware of that while I wrote it.
I intended the consumerism "value" to amuse; it did amuse some.
I also expected some objections to it. I would have been disappointed if
there were
none. I think it really does hit the mark; there have been so many
responses to it.
It is of course written about US Vietnamese only, and absolutely does not
apply to those
in Vietnam.
Are some US Vietnamese not wealthy enough for these things? .... I'd say
a number of my friends who HAVE the fish-tank monster karaoke combination
are very
recent immigrants - here only a year or two. They're definitely not
wealthy. I think
they make minimum wage or slightly more. Yet this fish-tank monster
karaoke combo really is there in their apartments; they get it somehow.
(These friends universally live in "dangerous" low income sections of town.
I say "dangerous" because nothing has ever happened when I've visited them,
though
there are houses boarded up after drug busts in these neighborhoods.)
I've also noticed in VN cafes frequented by recent immigrants on weekend
mornings that the best karaoke stores and best karaoke machines are common
Vietnamese
language conversation topics.
Some Vietnamese friends, also recent immigrants, have educational
priorities. I think
these Vietnamese are very serious about their studies, which means there
isn't enough
time to work enough to buy things like karaoke systems. These are most of the
30% or so who don't fit the "stereotype". (These friends also tend to be
living outside of an extended family.)
I have one or two Vietnamese friends who are really dedicated to providing
things
for others and buy almost nothing for themselves, certainly no monster
karaoke systems.
There is a tendency for the fish-tank karaoke combo to show up in extended
family households with multiple adults. While each individual's income
may not be large, there is only one
house to buy/rent, and there is usually a person who cooks, washes,
and cleans for the rest, and the result is significant cumulative summation
of multiple incomes, increased further by more ability to work two jobs, since
basic living chores are taken care of. Thus the household
income is quite large. (I've always enjoyed the priviledge of being included
in such extended families for a few hours during visits. It's a very warm
experience.)
About myself -
The times I've spent surrounded by Vietnamese in front of a karaoke machine
(with
fish tank) listening to them sing in Vietnamese (and being encouraged to try
myself) are among the most treasured times of my life. The best vacation
ever was the time 3 of my
Vietnamese friends and I drove 17 hours to Denver, spent two days hiking in
Rocky Mountain national park (and got caught in a snow storm at Chasm lake
by Long's Peak
July 3rd) and then drove back, speaking 50% in Vietnamese. The memory of
their companionship and enthusiasm glows and warms me to this day.
I look forward to lunch time at work because I have Vietnamese friends there
who tutor me in Vietnamese. One of my most memorable
praises was when I ordered "mo^.t o^? ba'nh mi thi.t" and the clerk said "Oh!
your Vietnamese so well!" Such experiences make my stuggle with the "tongue-
twisting" tonal Vietnamese language worthwhile.
My material stuff -
I have a large floor to ceiling bookcase overflowing with molecular biology and
engineering books. (Those cost about $70 each) There are stacks of
"Science", "Nature Biotechnology" and "Nature Medicine" magazines against
the walls. Subscription to each
is about $100/year. I admit to owning 4 sail-boards (or wind-surfers), 4 or
so wet-suits (various sizes in hopes friends will come along), 4 bicycles
(again various sizes in hopes of friends coming along) and
5 sets of cross country skis, and ski boots in various sizes. I have a
modest stereo
system with a good mike and several high quality pocket sized tape
recorders, all
for getting friends to record languages so I can listen and practice them while
driving - Vietnamese and Hmong are my current favorites. I have stacks of
language tapes - 30 from the National Audiovisual Center for learning
Vietanmese, 30 more for
Mandarin, 8 for Cantonese. I own several amateur telescopes and a fairly decent
microscope. I have a digital camera and a color printer. There are
hundreds of
dollars in carpentry tools in the basement.
"Minh"
(One of my VN friends gave me that name...it is another of my Vietnamese
treasures.
I can see not everyone realizes I write "Minh" in quotes because I'm not
Vietnamese
and its not my birth name. I hadn't expected that. Sorry)
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