You might have lived in Vietnam...

In my own head, my reentry into American culture was flawless, but I've been told otherwise. Yesterday, Francois grabbed me quickly and told me that he thought I was going to run into the lady I just passed. I hadn't noticed her being close to me at all. I hadn't noticed my getting used to the lack of personal space. Too bad I never drove a car over there!

I solicited some help from my teammates to compile this list. There might be a teensy handful of people who might actually relate to some of these. Here they are, in no specific order:


You know you've lived in Vietnam if you come to America and....

• Your enunciation skills have improved tremendously, grammar and spleling- worse


• Automatic peace signs in every picture (what else would you do with your hands?)


• PORTION SIZE, WOAH. Since when does food come out all at once anyway?


• No one tells you everyday how tall you are and how beautiful your nose is :(


• You want a motorbike, and a ramp into your house.


• You know all of the words to My Heart Will Go On, and almost every popular boyband song ever


• It's light outside at like, 9pm. What's going on?


• You write your nine's like lowercase g's


• 6-3... March 6th or June 3rd??


• Wearing shoes inside seems very very wrong.


• The grocery store is cold, the movie theater is cold, Target is freezing. Don't even get me started on restaurants.


• You're gone for a few days and only have 3 new notices on facebook and 37 new chats started on yahoo


• You pass a sign for Hardee's and wonder why they use the Vietnamese flag on their logo


• What's a free refill?


• Roaches are smaller and don't fly through the air to assault you


• You notice fat people everywhere


• You own lots and lots of shiny jewelry, cell phone charms and little trinkets that you aren't even sure what they are for


• Your family has to tell you to stop staring


• You are surprised when menus have less than 30 pages


• Clothes, shoes, and bras everywhere actually fit you and you want to buy everything you see!! ...but you can't. Because you are no longer a millionaire...


• You are upset about public transportation, or lack thereof


• You are hungry for icecream and no one rides their bike down the street selling any


• You are hungry at 8 pm and no one is waiting across the street with a tasty drink to sell to you


• You've become much more agressive with getting help for yourself. If the waitress can't hear you clearly from across the room, you'll just yell louder


• You can't wait to go drop 30 bucks to get your nails done, just to speak Vietnamese


• You try to bargain in stores


• You realize you can no longer afford a taxi


• You forget that most people around you understand English. Oopsy


• You unconsciously prepare for power outages-- making sure things are recharged, headlamp next to the bed, candle in the bathroom


• some of your clothing has mispelled English words on it


• "When you almost pee your pants in a moment of confused bliss when the faucet water out of the kitchen sink is hot" -direct quote from Steph Cossa


• Paying bills, writing contracts, interactions of any kind can now take place in English and that is wonderful news!


• You would woop some booty in charades


• Bạn có thề viết và dọc tiếng việt


• You've actually told someone recently that something is "better" for their health. Not "good," or "bad," for their health. Just better.


• 90.000 seems like a steal for a house. Then you see that it's in U.S. dollars...


• Somebody please come wash my hair for me!


• You are in shock when you see food that has been left out for 5 minutes and isn't covered in ants. How is that possible?

I'm going to sleep, but I just realized that I could keep writing these for a long time! I didn't realize I had become accustomed to so many things in just 2 years.

Signing off in America