Brando, I'm extremely homesick from watching your videos. I watched the expat documentary and this and I have massive respect for you, who embraces my culture and is actually an expat who wants to learn and contribute, unlike many who just wants to find their next wife or a Jack/Jill who just wants RUclips views. I was born and raised in Saigon. I moved to the West Coast of the States 10 years ago. I live in one of the nicest neighborhoods in my state. I have a house, nice cars, happy wife and children... yet I always feel like I'm here just to breath, pay taxes, and count the days I have left on this Earth and not really live. Whenever I came back to Saigon (once a year), I always felt much more... alive. Saigon is far from perfect, but the Southern or more accurately, Saigonese people represent the true soul of this city. You don't love the city's infrastructure or its organized chaos, but you love its people, don't you? You even understand the concept that the butthurt Northern folks have not got over the war. Trust me, say that to every Southern folk (if you can tell the difference between Southern and Northern accent, congratulations you're ready to marry a Southern girl who will make you happy for the rest of your life and they'll love you even more. Cracked me up when you said Ignorance is bliss while walking on the street in this video. Man thank you for being so understanding and respectful to my culture and little city. It's far from perfect, but once you get to know its people, you'll never want to leave. My family is moving back to Saigon soon. I hope to grab a beer with you in the future. If you want to learn anything about my city and want to hear from a true Saigonese with an American perspective, hit me up. If I don't know the answer, I know someone who might. Keep up the awesome work and stay safe!
Hey hey - thank you for watching the content and for your considered comment. I paid a mortgage and lease payments on expensive cars for many years in Los Angeles. I enjoyed my life there but it doesn't compare to the way the city of Saigon really makes you feel alive every moment. Life here is pretty special and not one I want to trade for my old life back in the states. And yes, I have begun to make the distinction between Northern and Southern accents - I'm becoming about as Vietnamese as a white Western guy can I suppose. I'm headed back to the States soon for a few weeks and I expect more culture shock there than what I experienced when I first arrived in Saigon. Stay tuned - I shot a documentary piece during a motorcycle ride through Da Lat, Dak Lak and Nha Trang that I'll get around to finishing soon.
Super eye opening! The history causing negative interactions with locals in the North isn’t something I didn’t see coming. Seems to be a recurring theme in your vids, that there’s at least one thing I never would have expected!
Great video Brando! I don't know if it's just me, but I ear 'ghost' voice in your video; example at 21:11 and many other places. Is that interference from wireless mic? Have a good day!
Apparently 60 percent of people in the north have eaten it and only 14 percent in the south, according to a 2020 survey. I think it's 100 percent strange but that's just part of the culture here. Thanks for chiming in!
@@FollowBrando All entire family and I have never eaten dog & cat meat and wouldn't want to try at all. Let me tell you a true story! About a few decades ago in the area where I lived, there was a small restaurant that specialize in selling dog meat supplied by wholesalers. Sometimes people brought live dogs to sell, so the owner had to slaughter them on the spot. You know what happened and that's what I want to talk about. Every time the owner steps out and goes any area where there are dogs. One by one until all of them barks very loudly and extremely angry until he disappears. We know it was him without even having to come out and look. That's haunt me until now.
I would prefer to go to one of the better Thai hospitals or back to the states for anything under the knife. But friends of mine have had major problems sorted out here. It cost them a pretty penny at private hospitals though. One of the fugitives I mentioned just drank his kidney to failure and spent $3,000 for a few days and a battery of tests in a private hospital here. Thailand is better though for sure.
Pho restaurants are very common were I live (Vancouver, Canada) and they often have small kitchens. I know Chinese make fake broth with powders. I'm wondering: are all these pho restaurants actually boiling cow bones to make the broth? Or cat bones? Or flavour powder? Someone on a community Facebook group posted a photo of Asian women trying to steal cats in my area.
I wouldn't be surprised if she were stealing cats for her home recipes. Although I wouldn't be too quick to accuse her of it either. There's no real financial incentive for a restaurant - even here - to use dog or cat. It's expensive to buy on the black market. Some vendors even grill pig to make it taste like dog, so that people can eat "dog" more cheaply. I always ask Viets what is on the menu when they take me for "special" dinner. They think they're blessing me with superpowers but I find out they want to feed me porcupine and all kinds of wierd things.
Vietnamese being mad at random American people for the Vietnam war is silly. It's not like the US government took a vote, or a referendum...the people would have voted to not intervene in Vietnam if the government asked. And either way they would have suffered more under communism. Just look at what communism did the Russians: 60 million died
The North is still butt hurt that their communist regime "won" the wat, but Saigon and the south drive all of the economic activiti of the country and pretty much get to act like a free country. It's an ongoing battle between what is still really two countries.
Brando,
I'm extremely homesick from watching your videos. I watched the expat documentary and this and I have massive respect for you, who embraces my culture and is actually an expat who wants to learn and contribute, unlike many who just wants to find their next wife or a Jack/Jill who just wants RUclips views.
I was born and raised in Saigon. I moved to the West Coast of the States 10 years ago. I live in one of the nicest neighborhoods in my state. I have a house, nice cars, happy wife and children... yet I always feel like I'm here just to breath, pay taxes, and count the days I have left on this Earth and not really live. Whenever I came back to Saigon (once a year), I always felt much more... alive. Saigon is far from perfect, but the Southern or more accurately, Saigonese people represent the true soul of this city. You don't love the city's infrastructure or its organized chaos, but you love its people, don't you?
You even understand the concept that the butthurt Northern folks have not got over the war. Trust me, say that to every Southern folk (if you can tell the difference between Southern and Northern accent, congratulations you're ready to marry a Southern girl who will make you happy for the rest of your life and they'll love you even more.
Cracked me up when you said Ignorance is bliss while walking on the street in this video. Man thank you for being so understanding and respectful to my culture and little city. It's far from perfect, but once you get to know its people, you'll never want to leave.
My family is moving back to Saigon soon. I hope to grab a beer with you in the future. If you want to learn anything about my city and want to hear from a true Saigonese with an American perspective, hit me up. If I don't know the answer, I know someone who might.
Keep up the awesome work and stay safe!
Hey hey - thank you for watching the content and for your considered comment. I paid a mortgage and lease payments on expensive cars for many years in Los Angeles. I enjoyed my life there but it doesn't compare to the way the city of Saigon really makes you feel alive every moment. Life here is pretty special and not one I want to trade for my old life back in the states.
And yes, I have begun to make the distinction between Northern and Southern accents - I'm becoming about as Vietnamese as a white Western guy can I suppose.
I'm headed back to the States soon for a few weeks and I expect more culture shock there than what I experienced when I first arrived in Saigon.
Stay tuned - I shot a documentary piece during a motorcycle ride through Da Lat, Dak Lak and Nha Trang that I'll get around to finishing soon.
Super eye opening! The history causing negative interactions with locals in the North isn’t something I didn’t see coming.
Seems to be a recurring theme in your vids, that there’s at least one thing I never would have expected!
Haha yeah some of the old dudes aren't a fan of us up there. Vietnam is still 2 different countries.
Great video Brando! I don't know if it's just me, but I ear 'ghost' voice in your video; example at 21:11 and many other places. Is that interference from wireless mic?
Have a good day!
Yeah I heard that too. Audio artifacts from the AI cleanup. I will sort that out going forward.
And thanks for chining in. Stay tuned.
@@FollowBrando thx for the info; i thought I needed more sleep maybe 😅
Dog meat is a favorite dish and quiet popular in the North rather than in the South of Vietnam.
Apparently 60 percent of people in the north have eaten it and only 14 percent in the south, according to a 2020 survey. I think it's 100 percent strange but that's just part of the culture here. Thanks for chiming in!
@@FollowBrando Cat Meat as well.
@@JJ-nh6to Cats I wouldn't eat either but don't feel too bad about haha.
@@FollowBrando All entire family and I have never eaten dog & cat meat and wouldn't want to try at all. Let me tell you a true story! About a few decades ago in the area where I lived, there was a small restaurant that specialize in selling dog meat supplied by wholesalers. Sometimes people brought live dogs to sell, so the owner had to slaughter them on the spot. You know what happened and that's what I want to talk about. Every time the owner steps out and goes any area where there are dogs. One by one until all of them barks very loudly and extremely angry until he disappears. We know it was him without even having to come out and look. That's haunt me until now.
Yup. I ran into it in Hanoi
Is the healthcare system as advanced as Thailand or not as of yet in the private hospital system?
I would prefer to go to one of the better Thai hospitals or back to the states for anything under the knife. But friends of mine have had major problems sorted out here. It cost them a pretty penny at private hospitals though. One of the fugitives I mentioned just drank his kidney to failure and spent $3,000 for a few days and a battery of tests in a private hospital here. Thailand is better though for sure.
Pho restaurants are very common were I live (Vancouver, Canada) and they often have small kitchens. I know Chinese make fake broth with powders. I'm wondering: are all these pho restaurants actually boiling cow bones to make the broth? Or cat bones? Or flavour powder? Someone on a community Facebook group posted a photo of Asian women trying to steal cats in my area.
I wouldn't be surprised if she were stealing cats for her home recipes. Although I wouldn't be too quick to accuse her of it either. There's no real financial incentive for a restaurant - even here - to use dog or cat. It's expensive to buy on the black market. Some vendors even grill pig to make it taste like dog, so that people can eat "dog" more cheaply. I always ask Viets what is on the menu when they take me for "special" dinner. They think they're blessing me with superpowers but I find out they want to feed me porcupine and all kinds of wierd things.
@@FollowBrando hahahaha great info and interesting anecdote as always. Thanks. I still wonder if they use powder to make the broth though.
@@EvanFilm Find one that makes pho without MSG. That's the real challenge! There are a few here in Vietnam, but not many.
@@FollowBrandoLollll😂
Vietnamese being mad at random American people for the Vietnam war is silly. It's not like the US government took a vote, or a referendum...the people would have voted to not intervene in Vietnam if the government asked. And either way they would have suffered more under communism. Just look at what communism did the Russians: 60 million died
The North is still butt hurt that their communist regime "won" the wat, but Saigon and the south drive all of the economic activiti of the country and pretty much get to act like a free country. It's an ongoing battle between what is still really two countries.