I feel hunted

A lot of things work very differently here in Vietnam… One example is who asks who to get married with whom. I always thought that usually the guys ask the girls whether they want to get married with them or not. Here I am asked fairly frequently whether I want to marry her by the girl (or her friends). Of course this happens only to white guys. I feel hunted down….

One typical conversation I had yesterday with a girl in the elevator:

Girl: How are you?
Me: Fine thank you, and you?
Girl: I am ok too. How old are you?
Me: 28 … and you?
Girl: 24… so are you married? (asking with a very shy voice and looking down to the floor… I already know where this is leading as I have been in this conversations a couple of times… so I enjoy the moment)
Me: Not yet (she suddenly has a big smile and sparkling eyes, bright face)
Girl: And do you have girlfriend?
Me: Not really (even bigger smile on her face and already I feel that she is ready to jump on me)
Girl: Do you want to marry Vietnamese girl?
Me: Why not, if I find a nice Vietnamese girl like you (playing to the tune)
Girl: oh…. I can marry you if you want (Realizes that she is in trouble now as she exposed her thoughts and laughs, becomes shy again, looks down and she is relieved that the elevator door opens and she can run out)

I would have not written about it if it would not have had happen this conversation at least once a week…. I already know the flow of the discussion as it is the same each time. They are very direct in this matter and they have a flow of questions, doing market research professionally. :)

Another typical situation I get in is when one of my Vietnamese friends/colleagues invites me for coffee, drinks, dinner. Most likely then not, totally "unexpectedly and unannounced" one of the female friends/cousins/neighbors just happens to join, then somehow always gets seated near me (it is funny how they always make the arrangements in a way to ensure this).

And then after the meeting comes the evaluation part when I am asked by the friend/colleague whether I liked her or not, if I got her number, if I want to take her out. This questioning also comes with a sales pitch on how nice she is, what qualities she has, why she would be a good wife/girlfriend. Now it is easy if it is about a nice girl, but I am fairly embarrassed when I have to politely tell that she is ugly and there is no way I am going to go out with her.

With all these offers on hand, I still won’t get married for a while, don’t worry about it. Especially that I am super busy and getting even busier in the next couple of months…. but at least I can assure my mom that there is hope :):):) hahah :)

Superchallenged

Beware of what you wish as you might get it... says one of the Metallica songs (a bit more poetic is the expression that they have in the song).

I wanted challenge and I got it. The most extreme of it i guess.... I am superchallenged personally, professionally, physically, mentally, culturally, etc... Whatever area you name it... I am superchallenged in it. When I think that I am on top of the things, then comes another challenge... even more different, even more stretching.... Every day is a new lesson for life and it is so intense that I feel like I am living in one day as much as I lived in one year previously.... every hour spent here puts me in a situation which is new, which requests quick decisions on what to do, how to act, what to say, how to behave... it requires me to figure out what is behind every gesture, word, blink of an eye, smile, letter in an e-mail.... As one of my friend said... it's the feeling of cluelessness of a baby in a topless bar (not the best metaphor I guess but at least it makes you think how that feeling might be, which can be a challenge itself) ....

I go to sleep now, as tomorrow is another day when in spite of all the preparation I will be superchallenged again... it is the way of life here and if you want to change your life and challenge everything you were and you knew before, then you can join me. :) Things will never be the same again!!!

Evolution of technology in emerging markets

Sometimes countries like Vietnam can be a big surprise in terms of technology. Because when you do some infrastructure investments, you start basically from scratch as there is nothing built yet, so you can deploy the latest technologies. There is no much worry about replacement issues, compatibility between old and new, costs, etc. That's why sometimes technology in these countries can be more advanced then in western Europe, at least its usage can be wider. It is interesting to see that while certain technologies are so backward, others are so up-ro date. So if the country can change its infrastructure fast enough, it can gain better competitiveness then the west. Of course there is the human capital issue as well.

One example in this sense is our company office check-in/check-out system. We just moved to a new building as the company was extending too fast and there was no capacity in the old building. So we bought this building and there is no card system at all, but we check in and out with our fingerprints. Suddenly having a card around your neck is so old fashioned. Of course, being a financial institution, it is important to have secure facilities and to know exactly who is in the office, when and why, as there are lots of confidential information handled by people.

Now while it is very good for the company, it is very bad for people who like to sleep in the morning, as any delay from work is registered.... you really can't give your fingers to your colleague to check you in before 7.30..... as we start work at 7.30..... you can't skip work either... but it feels very high tech, and in a country like Vietnam, where there are so many challenges, it is refreshing to have high tech things around :):):):)