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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Do you understand Vietnamese? If not, maybe don’t learn. 1000% they will nickname you something unflattering but won’t do it in English.
The ladies in the market wanted to rub my tummy… lucky Budha….
Never had a single issue. If anything, those little men trying to get my big back on their motorbike was hilarious. They weren’t worried about me at all! With that said, I definitely looked like Buddy the Elf showering at the north pole, but they dod everything they could to accommodate me and make me comfortable. No shame, no judgements- just human decency.
Do you have a Vietnamese Mother In Law? If so, then yes, it will be common.
Ppl were excited to see my son who is 18 and built like the hulk. No one was rude. He felt like a star lol
It depends. Are you planning a vacation or moving to VN? They do comment on people’s weight, especially if you’re family. They are generally polite to visitors and foreigners however, it has not stop people from name calling even while taking a picture for someone. As others mentioned they do it in another language thinking that people would not understand but they don’t care either if the rest of the party understands. Also a reality is most accommodation and transport are set up for smaller and even shorter people so why it’s not just a matter of being thick skin, my 6 ft, 240 lbs husband did find himself in some not so comfortable situations aside from the comments. Living there, this is something to consider for long term.
I’ll be honest you need to develop a thicker skin and fast 🤣🤣. Vietnamese people are tiny, I towered over the men. We are generally taller and broader.
Yes, Asians are not tied down to Western niceties. They also don’t say it to be mean at all. It’s a cultural belief that you are in good health and have a good life to be able to eat well. You can say the same to them and they will not be offended.
In many parts of Asia, people tend to be very direct when talking about weight. Sometime Asians don’t have a filter like in western countries… It’s usually not meant in a malicious way; it’s just culturally more matter-of-fact. However, for Westerners who aren’t used to that kind of openness, it can sometimes feel blunt or even offensive.
Yes, they will comment or show you that you are of bigger size, offer you a more solid chair (than a plastic one 😉) or event ask for a photo with you.