Honest question: my wife and I are overweight and not thick-skinned. Are comments or jokes about body weight common in Vietnam? Just want to know what to expect and how to react.Thanks.Honest question: my wife and I are overweight and not thick-skinned. Are comments or jokes about body weight common in Vietnam? Just want to know what to expect and how to react.Thanks.
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Yes if they know you a little they will be brutally honest and rude, but as a stranger they will only talk behind your back ( over 20 years visiting)
Yes do expect it but from what I can gather there is no malice in what they say. Vietnamese are brutally honest. This comes as quite a shock. I have been called fat, happy Buddha, you name it. So yes do expect it, just give them a blank look of disapproval. As much as we need to learn their culture they need to learn ours as well.
All of Asia will roast you. I’m large myself.
They very honest people. Just smile 😊 back. Don’t get too stress about it .
I’m not little myself and being bald did a coconut boat ride and got called happy Buddha and found it funny as wasn’t insulting
Called me baby Buddha quite often in the markets…
A few years ago I was in Malaysia and walked into a shop looking for shorts.
Im like 20 pounds heavy and my vn mother in law called me fat last month when I visited
I b was on a tour and our guide actually commented about the good food in Vietnam, and then motioned with his eyes to a larger lady in our group that you don’t see that many fat people in Vietnam. I was absolutely horrified at this comment and checked in with the lady later on if she was ok, because these kind of comments aren’t ok. I did complain to the tour operator via the hotel too, because he was asking all the male guests if they had sisters if marrying age! Was absolutely inappropriate!
I am Vietnamese and not overweight but when I go to Vietnam or meet Asian people the first thing they will say is you are chubby !!! So you will have comments , it’s in the culture .