That's the team. This is a pretty neat. Hello listeners, welcome to pass the poutine podcast. I finally found a Vietnamese person to do this episode with I am ecstatic and please enjoy the episode. Today's very special because I finally met another Vietnamese Canadian person in Vancouver. I don't know why it's so hard for me to find get people here. There's so many like but you know, what in my elementary school there was only like two V two other people in my grade. So everyone was Chinese. Yeah same okay, but the problem is people know you live in Vancouver on this podcast. I don't tell people where I live. But I say it's Vancouver. I say it's Vancouver. Yeah, but you don't come is because you didn't live on Kingsley. That's that's right. If you had gone to town, that's right. There were like your class would have been like 50% Vietnamese hundred percent. Yeah. So actually today we have a Vietnamese Canadian and her name is Jen. Thank you Jen. Hi, thank you. Thanks for having me meeting of your Canadian for me is rare because I don't know about you growing up. Most of my friends are Chinese same really. Yeah, same thing. Okay, because I was like, oh, I'm just not cool enough to be like Hang out the Viet girls the vehicles that I knew growing up were like that went to school with me and Elementary School. We're like really aggressive. Okay same but they all had like bleach blonde hair and they all wore like tight TNA spandex. It's when there were like 10 years old. Yeah, right and have those girls you didn't have those I wouldn't have what kind of until I got to high school. Oh, no the oh well, yeah, I guess that's true until I got to high school because there's no vehicles in my elementary. Yeah, but once we go to High, School whole did your high school was like yeah, my high school was like it's a jungle. It's famous. No, but no high schools also famous for being like a stabbing. Yeah. Yeah. I thought yeah I have happened when we were the year before we got to the school. Oh, yeah. Oh, so by the time like you went there it was it was less. Yeah, so there were like reporters at that time walking around the neighborhood and they were like interviewing. No, like people in my class. We were told there were enjoying the new that they're like, so how do you feel about going to school next year? And then my god, wow, like regarding the like going to a school where there was a stabbing? Oh my God, welcome to Canada. Everybody. A lot of people think Canada is like this like friendly finally like polite. No, no tell me Buddhism but high schools we get stabbings to we just we don't got guns you have guns, but we don't stop We Do It Old School? Was a girl who came from my school who went to your school? Yeah and same age as us and she smashed someone's head in a locker. Whoa, it looks she came from my your school and went to I don't know if I know who that is, but I did remember a girl smashing a girl's head into a locker. There were fights like van wild East Van is people. Okay. People don't know a lot. Like what do you think about Calvin Vancouver there like oh Stanley Park mountains. No. So let's talk about East Hastings and each that it's crazy, but it's more gentrified now, but like even in this area my boyfriend teaches close by yeah still so many problems kids that are homeless kids parents are in jail, or you don't even have parents or parents right want them. Are they mostly like like Viet or like Asian or its a mix? It's a mix. That's true. You sign covers quite like me. Yeah. Yeah, it really is. Yeah, I know man. Okay, that was a that was a whole thing about cut most of this. I'm gonna keep all of that. Wonderful. But first I want to talk about like growing up Vietnamese. What kind of foods did you eat at home? Yeah. Mommy had like Vietnamese food. Nice nice. I love far away and oh like pretty much everything that a Vietnamese mom. When you go out to a great restaurant yams. Like I can make this at home better. Oh, right, right, right, like why why spend money to you? Yeah, yeah, exactly. So every pretty much almost like Every bit - my mom can make but then she would also try to make her version of the like Western dishes. You can go. Oh, yeah, my family never did that really weak. So what did you want me to give you a burger? No, she's the Getty but I also played like fish sauce and it was blown the spaghetti. I've never no idea. I was like, but you know, it's like it's like westernize food, but it doesn't really taste quite right like right like something isn't right, but it's a little bit different. Yeah. It's a bit. French Cruiser, you know like speaking about Vietnamese food. If you go to like Korea or Japan like the popular foods there now is just like a fusion Western mix of that food so late. Yeah, so like for example people think of Korean food is like cream barbecue or like some soup, but you actually go to Korea or even some restaurants here. It's like chicken with like cheese. Yes, right thing is huge. It's huge. But like if you go to Korea like, it's still Asia. We don't eat cheese now we don't so I was like, where the hell did they get this cheese? That's all I'm saying. So when you were saying your mom made like westernize via food, maybe your mom was ahead of the game, but it's like she was ahead of the game like maybe in like five years. I'm going to have like this like a Cheesesteak with like plain spaghetti. No thoughts. No space became a bit of oil salt and pepper. We're gonna do she's right. We're gonna make it western Canada cheese, maybe some ketchup. Yeah, call it via diffusion. But you know growing up my my dad cooked a lot of my mom cooked a lot. But when they were lazy my like family fed me a lot of McDonald's. Did your did your family do that? I'm like, is it a Viet thing right don't know. If it's a Vietnamese, okay, but like there was a solid long amount of time in sixth grade when my mom would consistently take me every single day to McDonald's and I'll get like a quarter pounder after school girl. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, like I just remember eating so much McDonald's growing up as a kid. Yeah. Oh my God. It was not that cheap. It's not I don't I honestly don't know how they did it. It's a yeah, but I feel like they because now when I look at my nails and I still eat McDonald's now, but I eat it more because it's Nostalgic. Yeah, not like, you know, I spent $45 at McDonald's the other day. Oh my God, it wasn't me. How can you what did you what did you do? You making a YouTube video like what you ordered? So there was a 20 and 20 chicken nuggets. Oh, is it 40 in total? So it's 20 and 24 $20.20 for 20 20 20 dollars and twenty dollars and twenty cents for 14x14 I go, okay. And that was like their New Year's deal. So we did that plus Hot Chocolate from both of us plus sausage and Egg McMuffins my boyfriend wanted to make his Emile so much. That's how we got toward you. I love it. Did you guys eat at all? Oh, yeah in what in one sitting I love it your animals. Yeah animals. Love it growing up. Did you speak to your parents and enemies what so my parents were refugees, right? They can formally same same. Okay. My parents came from Hong Kong. Oh cool. It's not North and South thing. Yeah, cuz like I have a friend from he's via Montreal Montreal. We're Canadian four months ago. But and his mom came from Malaysia, but his mom's from South my parents are from the north and Hong Kong. But anyway, sorry gone. Yeah, that would have been cool. They're from Hong Kong. But anyway, so my parents are from Malaysia and my dad there he I think he taught English in Malaysia. Yeah at the refugee camp at the refugee camp. He taught me well. A few G's English. So he I think he was like the principal if you can call it a little school there and so he taught them English. So then he knew English when he came over and then my mom did too and so I never really had any problems also, so like you if you wanted to communicate something you could just express yourself in English and they got it. Yeah, but I thought he's right. Not that great. Great. Well, it's like yeah, it's the Canadian. So I spoke a little bit of Vietnamese, and then anything else is English, but I think I spoke mostly it really if you ask my mom. She'll probably tell you otherwise, but she's like she knows speak ye shall speak via the view ads. I don't know. I think I really like myself like when people make fun of it. I don't even think it's racist because it's so funny so funny. Oh my God hilarious the best comedic. Genius like that really? Well, I don't know. I think I do it pretty well because we're different I think Ken jong's is okay. Did you watch ken jong's bit on like Vietnamese? People are like Koreans on weed. Yeah. Yeah. It's like it's okay. Yeah, I think Jo Koy doesn't does he do it? I think so. I haven't checked that out. But there's always a classic one with that that woman at the well the nails I don't care what Angela Johnson. Yeah classic. She made Vietnamese people famous. That was awesome. Yeah, I was crazy. Yeah, it was long but I still hear it today. It's a good bit. But you know what? Like I find a lot of people get Vietnamese and Thai mixed up have you noticed but that's a really similar so similarly similar because I'll be at a Thai restaurant. Don't be like listening to them and I'm like are they speaking Vietnamese that's happened to me. All right, the more you listen. And you you're like I don't understand anything. They're saying that's not right. That's how I know. It's time. I don't understand a word to be my brother is dating Asian girl. That's not Vietnamese. Okay, and then they were walking on the street and then she heard people speaking Vietnamese. So she said to my brother like hey go east Rob and Tom what they're saying, right he goes and he goes back to he's like, they're speaking Thai. Yeah. It sounds so similar I get confused. So I can't even expect anyone else to know the difference. Yeah, it's ya know so much of Thai people are listening to this podcast. We're not we're not I mean away that's racist man. But like, oh, okay. So your dad knew how to speak and actually my dad. So did your pants in Cantonese? Oh, okay. I think I think my dad learned a little bit. My mom may be learned. A little bit my so I have two older brothers that were born in Vietnam and then like we're refugees with my parents. I was born in Canada later. So I'm like the spoiled brat, right? Yeah, but the good life exactly. I only know the good life right II piggyback and steal their like sad story, but I've only known luxury. What Cantonese so they were actually I don't know how long your parents were in Malaysia for but my family was in Hong Kong for four years. Wow. Yeah was quite long as your parents didn't pick up a lot of cutting. Yeah. I bought these because you know what it is. So what I heard is that they just stay in the refugee camp, right? And then it's just like all other Vietnamese people. I'm not sure. Yeah, maybe not probably not. Yeah. I don't know how it was, but my dad actually also spoke English and he was a translator for the you Pain, oh my yeah. Yeah, so and I saw his little car after this was in Hong Kong. Oh, wow. Yeah, so you would help the UN like translate Vietnamese documents in English and stuff like that for people filling out forms. So my dad is actually really intelligent but he's also I don't know. Maybe it's just try. I don't know if it's like Vietnamese or if it's like intelligent man or something, but my dad because he's like super intelligent. Actually. He doesn't talk and have any emotions ever. We're actually talks to me. I remember like growing up it's hard. I would like try to talk to him. He likes like Dad like what was it like growing up like in Vietnam and then like going on with my dad on this? Oh my God, I would love to seriously bring him talk. Bring him on Ice. I will I've been trying to get people's moms and dads. Oh my God - everyone's like no no. No, but I want to hear like more older people stories and stuff like that. Don't worry. Oh my God. I'll be like ciao. Ciao. Ciao. Yeah, but God that's that would be hilarious. Okay, dude, maybe you could do like a could do like a daughter father like Parts. I don't think I could because if I did you would see me laughing my ass off the entire podcast that what really is your dad. Look just like a super cute like he's he takes everything really seriously. Oh, does he to an extent where it's like, it's almost like a caricature so funny. I love you. Like I love I love Ya know it talk about it. Yeah, if your dad wants to come he's totally oh, yeah. Oh, yeah on podcast. No, no way. He's just like talking is it you think it's a user with his laptop and he's like recording you're lying talking your liar. But then when we enter the room or something or make noise you like he pauses so mad. He's like, I don't interrupt. Yay - no, baby. He's on Twitch know what I wanted to talk about like girls, right? Because I don't know if this is like a uniquely Vancouver thing because it's like all we know because we get up here. Yeah, but there's this like the reason I bring it up. Because now there's this whole like ABG. Yeah. Yeah, and before that. We were calling them LG's here. Wow. It was like 20 tons or something earlier. Yeah, but back then when I like what's using the term algae a lot. I knew that people in California were using the term ABG so so it was for a why did she has been around since LG was around it's been around for a long time. Okay for like people not from Vancouver or Canada LG means little girl little girl and an ABG means Asian baby girl, right and now we're girl is pretty much a Vietnamese Asian baby girl. Yeah, but enemies but like we would also kind of call never girls like Chinese girls that kind of dressed and yeah that Trend to it's a style so it's not even girls were like the original ABG. Yeah, I would say so because I wanted to ABG a lot of that EBG The stuff like that. I feel much like a Vietnamese girl, right like it derives from like the Vietnamese girl living her best like but a little bit of us like SoCal is like there's a lot of Vietnamese people so that would make sense to zero. That's true. Very heavy getting he's right. That's right. La has a lot of it people just the city of Westminster alone. She's but like so what the ABG girl thing I feel like with enamor girls growing up. They also kind kind of like earned the namma girl title. Do you know what I mean? Right because like to have the credit you need to have the credit like you meaning like your parents grew weed and sold drugs and your boyfriend walked around with a machete even though he was 12 years old right like North That's in again. By the way. Oh my God, that is what is happening. I know I should have kept my bomber from cousin's kid inherited his from his tale. It's an air. Yeah and who God is it's a family heirloom. Yeah, and I told him I was like, do you know the history of that like and I was like the puffiness is to keep you from getting stuck. Oh my God. Yeah. Oh my God, that's so funny. This is yeah, so and he's got a gold chain now. Oh see you're not the enemies until you wear that goes. Yeah, right. It's like your extra G if you have the gene in like you need the Jade. Yeah, and it's like better if it's like inherited from your like Grandma or yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's got like powers from the previous iteration. Yeah. Yeah. So so it's interesting now with the whole ABG thing. I feel like anyone can be an ABG because you don't really need cred to be an ABG. No, right you just like you just kind of Like just by by the link and you can put it on Instagram, right? Then you're an ABG. So that's kind of interesting. Like now that I'm like older and I'm like watching all these young people grow and they grow up with the internet. Like I feel like we got internet when we were like, I don't know seven eight around there. Yeah. Oh the best of us. Yeah Yahoo! Ooh was lit. Yeah. It was one of my classmates in grade 6. We will everyone had Asian Avenue so she had it but she I guess started like talking crap about our homeroom teacher. Oh on Asian Avenue like we're like 11. Yeah, and I guess someone else in the class like hated her and told the teacher like link the two Dave the teacher the URL. Wow, that's Patti. Yeah Petty like petty petty the teacher went on the page and I guess God. Really hurt ya and then almost expelled the student because and then she started live teacher started talking front of the class. Like we all know who it was she didn't say her name, but she was just like this. You can't write this. This is illegal. This is slander and you know, imagine being eleven-year-old like Chinese girl being like Oh my God, I broke the law. I just called you a bitch go to university my permanent record. Exactly. So she was horrified. She like was cry. Crying, it was funny. It was hectic. But yeah Asian girls in Vancouver. I feel like don't really match The Stereotype that people have about Asian girls abroad especially not Vietnamese. No, no, no, not me. No, like like what are the enemies girls like crazy crazy crazy crazy, right? Are there like levels of like crazy? Like I feel like that's true. I studied psychology. Which means Extra extra Crews and you know, you're crazy. Well, see if that makes me a little bit less crazy, but I still study doing yeah, I'm just like this that's just life, you know, whatever but have you visited Vietnam I have yeah you have when did you go last first time? I was when I was 12. Hmm. Oh my God. How is that? How is that experience? It was fine. It was really like I liked it. It was enjoyable because my cousins were as I like a shit ton of God. I think it Covid me thank you have time like 20 cousins. You don't know who any of them are like who the hell when you're on the phone your moms. Like tell them you missed them and I'm like, I don't know what I don't do I call them cheese. Yeah, I like are I miss you and I'm like Mom, right? And then yeah, so I finally got to meet all my cousins and stuff like that and that was really fun because they took me out because they were all like not my age but like a little bit older than I was when they were younger. So your parents were like the younger sibling. My mom is the youngest Okay, but she's the third or fourth youngest overall. Oh, yeah. No. Yeah, I was going to say like my parents had so many siblings like eight or nine intensively. I don't yeah, I don't know and everyone comes together for an event. Oh my God or something dinner. Oh my God. It's insane. It's just too many people just sit on the ground. And did you ever get like a ton of newspaper? I just like more people came you put more newspaper. Only member I don't Member I want to say yes, but like yeah, I also don't remember. Yeah, I just remember because we always like Vinny's we always eat on the ground. Yeah. I think it's like changing now, you know, we're we can afford for yeah, we can afford Furniture. Yeah. The war has been my husband over for a couple of years. Now, you know the government yes is getting meat. So I went to Vietnam first when I was 12, and then I went before I graduated University in 2015, and then I went to get in 16 and in 2018. So you want a lot like this. My grandma is 95. Oh, well, I'm gonna lose that you said is let me she still alive. Oh my God. 95 so then you know, my mom loves her mom. So it's my mom. Okay, I have been trying to go as frequently as I can because she may go one day and she does have dementia. Obviously. I don't write so I would be surprised if she didn't have dementia back, right? Yeah, but there are some very rarely some people who are still really sharp at that age. But yeah, she's a her memory is going so it's harder for me to come back. Now because she doesn't remember who I am at first right time last time I surprise her for her birthday. So I was like, I'm going to come her birthday. It was I can take my family and then we're going to have a birthday party is going to be awesome. So I get there and it's a surprise. She doesn't know what's happening. Oh my God, I arrived at for a is way isn't it a little bit like unethical to surprise someone who's like 95? Airport. Yeah, but she lives with my aunt and uncle so then but then they have to leave to pick us up. Yeah, so she's gonna see right is the way you going living room. She's like so she's like what the hell's happening right? She's a worthy going in the middle of the night and then they pick me up and then then they come back and then I literally ran out of the car and I run up to my grandma who's like sitting at the front door and my grandma, it's me and she's like who? Oh my God. Have you ever felt so much pain in one moment. Like I knew this was coming. Here's a PowerPoint and this is me as a baby. This is me. I didn't know how much her memory had gone. Oh, so it could really change the time before that. Yeah. So in the span of two years remember he had just decreased so much. So I'm like well if I go back now, she'll probably like the fucking thing. Yeah. Granny. How was your experience going to Vietnam the like first of all when you go to people like no you're Do they think you're Vietnamese number one or did you think okay or do they think you're a different Asian or well, so the only example I have of this is my family took me to but Andrea which is like I know you go there to get the like the Mekong Delta. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so my cousin's husband owns like a tour bus company so nice is it like it's not Wang long is it I have no. Okay. That's like the big big. No, it's definitely not that okay. Okay, they don't have a giant ass house. Okay, that's how you know that yeah exactly. Yeah, but he took us all out and then you know, everyone's getting or they there's a local read. There's always a local rate for Vietnamese. Oh my God catch it dude. There's there's like there's levels of local race like if your local okay and you're like from the Central and north of your like a local to the city local exactly region local to the entry exactly. Look if you're like from outside. Oh, you're not kidding me. Forget it. You're a hundred percent. Yeah, so true we get there and then the employees from the tour company are looking at us on the bus and then my cousin's husband is like, oh, yeah, it's all Vietnamese were Vietnamese family like Yeah from Saigon. We live here. Yeah, and then they look at me. They're like the new like fucking bullshit. You got that I see you fucking got a Korean there look bullshit. And then my cousin's husband have to argue and be like, she's not she's Vietnamese. She's not only one of us. Yeah, don't don't say any of those a oh shut up. So they finally I think they I think they gave us the rate because it would have been like if oh my God, I actually was a foreigner, right? They would have increased the rate for everybody. Oh my gosh. Yeah, so then My cousin has been managed to argue that and I don't know. Holy that's the only time I have an example of okay. Well just for you like he knew everyone else was like yeah, everyone else checks out. Check it out. Ya know like no, wait a second. He's too fucking pale. She obviously it doesn't live in June a caterpillar eyebrows are too straight. That's true. That's why I was doing more Korean style makeup. I had like girl. That's such a nice. I do like that anymore. Yeah. The trends of change the trends have changed it has changed so much all of that and it's not as yet that really Hill. Oh, yeah. I know what you're talking about. Yeah, but I think most people they look at me and then they're like, oh she's not from here. The atleast know that well, yeah, like when cuz I actually lived in Vietnam for how long I lived I lived there for I almost made it to a year. Wow in the north, right it no, I actually lived inside God. Oh, wow. Yeah. I know more about Saigon than I do about the North because I've never lived you know, he's like, yeah, they're probably like no like because okay when I was living there as soon as one person took a look at me, they're like she's not yeah, she's not from here. Yeah, we have we're Asians. So two white people in Canada. We're just like, oh you're ching chong Agent mobile blah, right, but when we go to Vietnam or other parts of each other like, oh you're hello. How are you doing? I was teaching English. It's kind of basically it would you look at in Saigon. I lived in District 2. Oh, okay. Yeah, so to do you know where that is? Okay. So let's go it's still like Saigon. There's like District 1 and then District 2 and I know District want my my grandma's in District 8 and my aunt has to certify my other and then District. I'm okay. Okay. Yeah, I have no idea. Yeah. I know District faces our district for and I was like where the gangsters live. Oh, mr. Guthrie is where the Chinese people live District Seven Elements in the oh challenge Charlie one guy and then he was speaking Vietnamese and I spoke back and he's like What the fuck? Yeah, he was like what the fuck you're from the north and I like it would have been sick. People don't know this about Vietnam is like the North and the South have a beef. They had big beat them baby. Make me feel you don't know like honestly just look up the Vietnam War like, okay guys, right because real talk like everyone talks about like North Korea and South Korea. I'm like, that's kind of how I compare. It know it's when people are like, oh, what's the deal with north north northern Vietnam for southern Vietnam like Think about North Korea versus South Korea exactly. It's not exactly bad, but it's like they're still beef there's there's beef and the beef is almost like it's very very similar. And the reason that Korea North Korea and South Korea are separated still is because the Americans won the war, right but in Vietnam the Vietnamese Than South it's like I think Northern or Southern people like they don't even like the Vietnamese flag like the currently I don't know if you know, but it's like a big there's big defense. There's any oh my God, it's hectic. So so I don't think the reason I lived in Saigon and not the north was actually my cousin owns like a school there. So I actually worked at his school. Yeah. Yeah, so that's why I was there. Did you get a like any pushback because you're teaching English, but you're not white. What I Hear girl, yeah, of course, yeah, you're like, oh you're Asian yeah the bang how can you like, can you teach English right leg kick, can you just speak English? Yeah, I just like do you want to see my path did I legit link the right know like I legit think Vietnamese people think we speak English like like that like we stuff like that Because they don't know what like they can't differentiate like accented English because they don't speak it and I was just like me with Vietnamese. I couldn't tell if someone's right real good Vietnamese or not. That's true. Like I can now just because I live there tortilla. But before I totally couldn't I totally Couldn't Write but yeah. No it was it was a little bit hard living there because I was for like my accent is it's not just Northern it's my family's from high phone. So that's like it's even more strong than the Hanoi. Actually. I don't know if you know that it's like super like abrupt end like abrasive because one one man in Vietnamese, usually people are like, oh you're from Hanoi and I'm like, not not not really but one man was like, oh your accents from - I was like, oh shit my actions like that strong, but but yeah, I got scammed all the time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sigh doing right just hang out like Irish bars. Yeah. No it got better but my my accent would like mix a little bit with the southern accent right gets really good. Then it's like super confusing and then people would be like, why is your accent so weird? So my friend my friend his parents ones from the north winds from the south. Okay. It's accent is like Mega. Fuck. Yeah. Yeah. These friends but I have this other mutual friend with him from the south. We're not seen her family's from from I think Ming Wei. Oh, yeah, I'm troll. Yeah. Wow, I think me. Yeah, then that's Central via. Yeah. So so whenever so, we always joke about it. So whenever he talks in his accent, we're like say it again, excuse me. What? Yeah slower like we don't understand dude, but then when he hears my accent, Makes fun of my accent because he says the southern accent sounds like fucking hick town. Okay, the low key people from the north say that I say that to you. Okay, it's Rich. Okay, that's true. No, no money people come visit me Rich. Okay, because you wanted it but we wanted that good good. Yeah, that's what my mom that I told I told my mom like, hey, my friend thinks that our accent is like Boonies and my mom was like what the fuck she said, you know, he's wrong. Wrong, right? She gets like vietnamese-style ratchet like me, I guess so funny. But like, you know when I was in South Vietnam in Saigon like you guys what do you call a spoon in Vietnamese? I had no idea. I had no idea. What do you call it? Dude my whole life, right? Okay, so when I went to Vietnam and I like I was eating something and I wanted a spoon and I was like can Get am touching what Katia can I get us food? And then he was like what and then after he's like, he's like, Moe and I was like, well, I'm like is he like, what is it? I was like, what is it? Like when you when you hear people singing songs in Vietnamese? It's I feel like it's with a northern act exactly. It's always with a northerner because I don't understand shit when people talk or no, beautifully. I don't understand I speak with a northern accent. I don't understand that means we won they sing. I don't get it either. I don't know. I think you know what it is. Maybe they're just like speaking poetry and all I understand is like did you eat did you go to school? Like all the basics glad there's one Vietnamese song. That's like milk. No, I can do that. I know we also I also you guys call. What do you call a cop? Lately, I had no idea. Yeah, you know what we call a cup in the north Coke go. Yeah and I come with me. It's like COC. Oh, yes because of my whole life is like well what coconut or something right? Yeah, and they're like, I am one Miley like how many cups you and I was likely like is he ugly? It should point to the cup and I'm like more coke and she's like what Lee and I was like what is happening? Came to Vietnam to learn Vietnamese and all I Learned was that I can't I don't know shit about Vietnamese. Like it was Robin. It was rough, but I ended up just like learning a lot of the word for fried in South is cheating. I learned that yeah, exactly. Yeah, it is like one right is that name? I think oh yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's so different. It's so different. See that's why it's like a complete leader. It's like almost like a dialect. Yeah can it be considered a dialect? Like the grammatical structure is the same right? The vocab is totally it's totally differently different languages the same but then the whole the book I was just did you know like Vietnam was in like conquered by China for over a thousand years. Did you never get that? I heard about that. Yeah who overthrew them? I don't know how to do it. And because we win the moon dynasties. Yeah, it's a little bit subtle via traits. What's up? I mean, I mean for subtle we did you girl. Yeah. It's a baby or don't want to know if I just found that group recently and I was like this exists nice iotus inspiring it inspired me to make a meme a full video me my edited it. I love it. I'll play it for you. Okay, please in the description. I love the banner for a subtle via traits. Oh, yeah, the little like chubby fat Asian kid and then his dad because the dad just looks so like this one. Yeah and the boys just like this fat little boy looks like what's going on and I'll tell ya know who these people are. I have no idea who they are, but it's such a great photo. Like I feel like the dad looks like he's trying to support Trump with the blond hair and the Sun is right, right. Why is this happening but when you when you went to Vietnam did you hang out with them friends are mostly family. I'd only go for family. I don't have any friends, but you've never gone to Vietnam with friends. Oh, no, I've never gone to Vietnam with friends. They're all they're all like pushing me to go with them. But really it's so hard to schedule the time with everyone because everyone's different places. Some people are in school still some people working is true. Yeah. So it's like it's hard to coordinate all the time to go together. Hoping 2021 curl. Yes, I gonna do like a whole Vietnam. I want to but my Southern family is like stay the fuck away from the north. No, you should go to the okay. I'll just speak English, right exactly. Just because my friend one of my friends. He's in Northern Vietnam right now, and he's like, oh come visit and I was like, how do I politely decline? How do I say? No? Yeah. How do I save my parents won't let me Yeah, that was a thing. Like when my last time I was there I met one of my other cousins open the first time and she was there from France and so she's vehicle from France. Yeah, she's making what and social cool. She's so I've had a love affair with friends since I was little because all my family there ya go there ya and so my cousin came back and then I came back at the same time. It was so weird because we did not plan to Vietnam like it was just a coincidence not Planet at all my God, and we met up and then You saying how she wanted to go to the north? And my mom and my aunt were like no no, no. Nice. Try. Yeah, and she was like what like there's no harm in it blah blah blah because you know, she's from overseas and I'm from overseas exact are just like what's the harm? Right? They see it from like their southern Vietnamese perspectives actly. Yeah, because because like if you go to the North or just going to be like Asian-American, yeah, exactly, right? So it's not a big deal exactly. That's so funny. I have a I have a cousin from Australia the Australian. Yeah, so she it's she likes to visit Vietnam like sometimes but she yeah, she's I think Vietnam is like too much of a jungle for her, but I don't know. I don't know because I kind of feel that way Sonic sometimes are too crazy exotic is such a nice word to like describe it. Yeah so exotic. Yeah. The street everywhere. Yeah. Yeah. It was it's a little bit hard like I lasted almost a year, but you like be like I just I just like couldn't deal with enemies people. I don't know what because like it's so different when you're there on vacation right here--like you live when you live there because you're just like I literally I have to do this every day and like it's you know, what being scammed is what you drive. Oh when you were there I did so Katie. I'm crazy. Well, we talked of enemies girls are crazy. Right and I'm like, I'm already crazy in that I moved to be. Yeah. So the first thing you did the exact opposite of your parents getting a fuck. Yeah, and I yeah, I'm gonna come back. I'm gonna get a motor motor bike and I'm just going to zip it zip everywhere, but I don't know like I like driving in general like in Vancouver like I got my license when I was 16. Did you stick when you're 16 that I feel like that's rare for a Vancouver girl really because I live a little bit outside of Vancouver. We're like you Car because Transit does early work. So I got my license while 16 which makes sense. But your Vancouver girl, you know, when you say that not a lot of my other girlfriends have their full drivers like exactly because if you think about it, I'm like, yeah, there's still a number that do not right? Yes. I don't know cause like my friends like my guy friends they all got their licenses right away. So I was like, oh, I'm gonna do the same you know it because I have a lot of brothers. Yeah. Yeah, so they're just like on it right away. I'm like, yeah, I'll do do exactly I'm like, I'm not just a other little be fair. It did take me five times to get my in five times. You gave ICBC so much money dollars. I'm smiling. I'm smiling. I was I was so agent in that I was like, I failed the end one. Yeah, and I was like, I cannot spend another $75 kind of Ford jobs, please. No, but five times it was before they put in the rule words. If you feel a certain number of times, you have to wait a certain amount of period. Oh, I didn't even know that was like that. Yeah so back then shout out to Saigon Driving School. Looks like there's an opening let's go and I was like, okay. So yeah, I'm not a shitty driver by any means, we're not we're not Asian women drivers. Yeah. We are Asian women. Yes who drive five times to get it? But hey, I have it knock on wood. Haven't gotten in an accident. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Nice. I was rear-ended two weeks ago, but that wasn't my fault. Okay, so still not Asian women are bad, but the person who rear-ended me wasn't it? Like going because because for me like I feel like I romanticize a lot of things I don't know about you you move there did you do is it before I did? Okay. So the story was actually lived in Korea for two years, right? And that's why I decided to move to Vietnam because I was like, oh my God are you know, I love Korea but being in Korea, I was like, oh, I like Asia because I didn't know because I've we're what are you so we don't know what age I was like and I was like, oh Korea's late. Is it are you like Korea? So you're gonna go to Vietnam? Yes. I was like Korea Vietnam same same know, I wasn't honest I wasn't a Countryside in Korea. A lot of Koreans don't even know where I was living a shout-out way Guadalupe. No one knows where that is. No one knows where that Busan. It's not Busan. It's two hours away from Busan by train, which I did go. But yeah, but yeah, so And in Korea, I was like, oh, I like Asia. I feel like for the first time in my life, I like walk around and people aren't like, oh you're Asian, where's like, you know, because in Vancouver, there's a lot of Asian Canadians by grew up in like the suburbs a little bit and everyone's white. So white people love like in that suburbs. They love to remind me that I'm not white and they're like your you chink it go back to China God. I'm sorry. I cannot relate like no girl. Would we grew up in a bubble and Vancouver? Yeah. No liked. I would yeah, like people don't like my Vancouver friends that I had one else. No, they have no idea. Like I would have friends here. They experienced racism for the first time in their life when they were like 20 some. Yeah and you're like, how do I deal with this? No, they would like start crying in the street. Like I remember one time. I took a bus with my friend. I think we're like 19 or 20 at the time and this white lady for some reason. I don't know just like came out my friend. I was like Chinese girls have the ugliest legs blah blah blah. Let's super like out of nowhere. She was like this old low white lady. Oh and and my friend didn't hear it. Sounds like okay great. And then we got off the bus and then that lady followed us all of us and she has tapped my friend on the the shoulder cause my friends are in short shorts to right and it was just like oh Chinese ladies have the ugliest legs and that shouldn't get that. Yeah, she's just saying that and then I just looked at that lady and I was just like yes old white ladies have such beautiful legs, right? Like I got cause I was I'm so used to racism and people saying these things to me that to me that's like wow, that's that's level one like races like I thank you for not going back. I appreciate this. Right right and then but my friend that was the first time we her whole life. She's our crises are calling your boyfriend. Yeah, it was it was crazy because she's Chinese difference between Chinese girl. Or the other you know and both very good reasons to have yeah, just chug your head you smash it and then go that's true. If she said that to them he's been my instinct when know when people fight when people come at me my instinct is to fight back. I love it has that ever happened that night? Okay could have never been enough that it's warranted. You know what I mean? Like it's like it's a cost-benefit analysis like gotta get me. It's like am I Really Gonna Write about possibly end up on World Star for this? No, no. No, and also I don't know how to fight which is the one thing that's keeping me from achieving my true potential of the Vietnamese girl. If I don't know how to fight. You know, what so you never got into any fights going on. You know what me? I like dude, like well, we grow with mostly Chinese friends. Yeah, cause like at my high school when I was still in Vancouver eyewitness at least two fights and I was only at that high school for a year and a half right and one fight. There were these two girls a ring a ring of Steel around the girls and the one girl Like her cousin was one of the two girls in the fight so that girl people had to pull the cousin away be like no no. No, this is a fair fight what they're going at it like one jumped on top of the other. Oh my God, like like like they fought like men and they start smashing her face and I was like, oh my God, these girls are ratchet creation that I talk about all the time. But I am kind of a frog's I don't do that shit. So I actually went to Vietnam for like a Six-Day trip with my friend. So the first time I was in Vietnam in like 10 years and I went with my friend, so I was like, okay, this is great. We rented a motorbike. I've never driven a motorbike ever in my life. She's I don't even know if she had a license like in Vancouver at the time right? You don't need a license, right? I just right? Yeah, so I just I just got on and I drove in Hanoi traffic my first You know, I'm crazy. I'm like it crazy crazy and I just did it my friends behind my friend. Am I crazy or is she crazy for getting behind the bike with me? Yes my cousin on the other side of her family. She fell in the middle and she's a Saigon native fell in the middle of traffic a truck going the opposite direction. Rubber head. No, she's dead. She's dead. Yeah, she's dead. Oh my God. This is why I'm like you're ringing looking driving in Vietnam. I would never yeah, I could never PSA do not don't do it. Don't do it. Do it only in District 1 in Saigon guards mainly tortoise. That's true. Don't like anywhere else. Yeah. No, it's very dangerous. Just look at any sort of video on YouTube about traffic in Vietnam. But yeah, I'm like also very rebellious and I like I kind of wish I grew out of it, but I think it's only getting worse than the older. It don't think it's only going to get worse. You're like I'm gonna dull people can't tell me what to do. Exactly. Oh man, that's my problem. I can think for myself. Yeah. Yeah. I can make my own decision. If I die I die. Yeah, I'm gonna die. I die. Yeah. No, but I totally drove there and I even did like motorbike road trips like 300 kilometers. Plus I myself one. Way because I'm just like insane. But yeah, I think it's just partly the reason is because like I grew up with mostly like like I don't have any sisters and I have a lot of brothers. So I think I just grew up very like around a lot of guys and very independent and stuff like that. I do wish I was more feminine, but you know, I'm okay. All right, just some crazy shit. Yeah. Yeah, but we have Vietnam turned out not to be like Korea at all, of course so different but you know Awesome. What are ya so many fucking Koreans are you? Oh, I guess you're with your family so you don't really notice it but I lived. Yeah, I lived in Saigon and district 7, like I said is like just Koreatown like that's what the I know there's one district with a lot of like non babies people living. Oh, there's a lot of foreigners living there's there are a few District Two is like we're all the foreigners that have money come to live. So like the Spanish our European families come and all the international schools are there. In the city where it was like it looked like it was from Korea. I think it's just such a Rises and yeah the wide streets and then like the sidewalk and then like the convenience. I think that was lime district 7 then yeah. Yeah because I'm a lot of I don't know if people know but Korea is Viet nam's number one foreign business partner. Oh, yeah, sacri invest a lot of money in Vietnam with Japan because Japan put a lot of money into development. So I think what Japan it's more tile on. So it's like Japan Thailand Vietnam Korea. Those Japanese malls. Okay. I'm all they do. I don't yeah, I know. I don't even know what's going on. But yeah, it was a very not like Korea and I was like come here for this right right and cover for this and I was like, I'm gonna like I'm going to try to learn about my culture. Like I'm just on my parents and you like everyone here shut up asshole. Everyone here is an asshole. But now I also understand why my dad was such an asshole and I always say yeah really blunt. They're really blue. And they'll tell you shit straight to your face. They're straight Savage. Yeah, I don't know how to say it in any other way. It's brutal and like it's you know what? I think it's because they grew up with like just a jewel or and say yeah, but maybe Rachel it's always the Survivor mentality. Like they'll just straight up tell you like they don't even know your name. No. Hey, haha you fat and then like have like in restaurants? It's insane. Oh my God. When my family came here to visit I was like, oh my God, I don't want to take them out to a restaurant because they're just going to be insufferable. Oh, it's always be like Emma Emma Emma. Yeah, I got this. Can I get back? Yeah. Yes and then like two seconds later Emily. Where's my food? Yeah. Yeah quite demanding are you not they don't they're not used to waiting exactly. The competition is so high for restaurants and then they're like, I want my food now and it better be damn good. Yep, and you better like give me the best service you're paying like, you know, Million dollars, right? Right. Yeah, so that's like the culture. It's very much very go go go. Give me my shit now exactly and go somewhere else. Right, right. Yeah it so it's it's not hustle mentality and like when you said it's very competitive. It's because like everyone in Vietnam like owns a business. Yeah great. Great. That's kind of crazy. Like every family owns at least one business. Yeah. That's what I learned when I was I was like, holy shit. It's like you see like Port like this poor little skinny Grandma Sheila. This honor she wants she might have a tiny little cart that like some tea or some shit. But yeah, she hustling she business on honey. She-she-she CEO of like, oh old lady opiate my own something. You know what I mean? Yeah. So I really like learned about the Vietnamese like Aunt entrepreneurial Spirit when I was there and I was like, we don't have that in Canada at all know what I mean. Yeah, and then I was like, oh, that's the third time I've ever seen that store open in my head. I'm like cause it's a money laundry. Yeah like yeah like yeah, there's no way you can't be like, you're not open a cash cow only nokotta nokotta. But but it know what else you had approached. My mom ages ago when I was little too like puts put up a bakery or restaurant or something and they launder money through it and I'll cut ya mom said no and that's why we're still poor guy last night lesson learned take the cut from the gangsters. Yeah, really, right? Yeah. Yeah do that, but what I'm saying was the the entrepreneurial Spirit it doesn't exist a lot in cat-like with young people. Young people young people because when I what really shocked me when I lived in Vietnam was like young people like 18 19 20 year-old. They were business owners. So Iowa, I stayed at an errand be one time and the owners of the air B&B were younger than you. They're all young. There were five like 19 year old kids and I was just like no I was like a dumbass. An Airbnb. Hey, so these like 90 like five nineteen year old kids run this Air B&B. They don't touch it. They never go to it and they hire these like old grandmas like and they pay the Grandma's to clean it. So that like they run their business. They're not even there for Grandma. Oh my God for people who don't know the average monthly wage in Vietnam has around 200 US dollars. That's about 2,000 u.s. Dollars a year, right? It's small, but I think that's part of the reason why everyone has A side hustle. Yeah, because like you can't live on two hundred US dollars in Vietnam a month. Like it's you you can't I don't people that do it. I don't think they're real like there's no there's no way there's no way because even like Ebola father is like I don't know in Vietnam is like 2 3 up to like five six dollars. Really? Yeah. Don't remember the conversion, but I'm not surprised. Well also our Canadian dollars likes it's like so yeah. But yeah, yeah, it was crazy. So many entrepreneurs I met these two girls in Hawaiian. Have you have you been to Central Vietnam? I have not. Okay, you should visit it's really nice to have ya. No. No, it's really nice. A lot of people. I like all the white people go to Hoi An and I think it's like because I'm super like white or white wash or something. I actually lived in Hawaii on to for like a month like a little over a month and I was doing this like volunteer thing, but there's this Cafe in Hawaii on called Rosie's Cafe and it's run by these two. Enemies girls like like from the countryside. So there they live in the countryside of Hoi An and Hawaii on its is the countryside so it's like their country country. Right? And I think they were like 20 or 21 and they partnered up they borrow like the equivalent of like ten thousand US Dollars on like friends and family. Wow, and they money it's a lot of money for Vietnam considering how much money they're making stuff right and they like rented this space and they opened a coffee shop and first they started off with only like I think five items right like The milk coffee blah blah blah now, they blew up the coffee shop is like huge and because Han is a very like Foreigner area. Yeah, their menu is huge and you know what they serve now, they went from coffee to like a sigh Ebola. I'm not joking like chia-chia. She like smoothies Ava Ava kado toasted they know There's no way yeah, and they actually they named it Rosie's Cafe after that movie Love Rosie. I don't know if you've seen it. I never I've only watched it after I talk to them good for those. But yeah, they did it with their like 21 22 and now they're still there. They're like everyone at Hawaii on knows them you go on like Google Maps and you look them up. They have like so many reviews, but but they're killing it. So I'm like I'm like wow like young Vietnamese people we're crazy, but Easy can also be you have a crazy to be like a business owner because that's high-risk ready. Yeah, it is high risk is super high. What if they borrowed that time that $10,000 and then like oh my God. Oh my God ambling when somebody gotta gamble. Oh, no, that's very very well. Then. I have enemies men so they want them to think. Like when I was called for the first time, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know what? I remember what it stink. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Nice smells all the smells like it's just it was so hot and it's harder now than I was back then food poisoning in Vietnam. Yeah. Oh, no, it was it. Was it from probably because I'm okay. I was like, oh, yeah, I'll be fired like to it was two weeks in right? I think I'll be fine. I can eat whatever, right? Yeah two weeks fucking lying to a buffet and when nice and then like, holy shit. Did you almost die? I don't know. But I was like it was awful. And then since then my stomach has just been really messed up. Oh, no, usually people when they get food poisoning Vietnam, I find that it's usually from Oak like a little snake sea snails or whatever because it was a buffet with my sitting out. Yeah, I would rather eat up from like a restaurant right does the street vendors that do it right then and exactly exactly. Yeah. It's freshly cooked. That's a that's a good tip for people that want to go to Vietnam and they want to try something with they don't go to a buffet and Going to extra food make sure they cook the food right in front of you while it's still hot because you don't want to eat stuff that's been sitting out. Nope. Yeah. Yeah. No my brother. He feel like every single time. He goes to Vietnam. He almost dies. It's so it's so bad like the last two times he's gone extreme food poisoning like Mom now gets food poisoning every single time your mom when she goes mom and my mom is like Saigon native. So then that's why it's like real person just like yeah her stomach's like built. I know right or Vietnamese exactly, but But like every time she goes, oh my God, I can't stay longer than two weeks now like it's just it's kind of look me up now. It's a looks at that every time but then she goes for four weeks and yes back and then she says she's gonna and then sure. It's just like it's just like yeah, she's like love. Hey more you love to hate me more or less when your parents your pants and come back with you to be there right there. You know what when I was young when I was young, but like I've only gone by myself as an adult when when's the last time they went Like all like since like know it's been it's not one but they don't go. Oh, yeah. No, no. No, you don't want to go. No. No, do they have it any family still jaw family, but just just know just know just because like, I don't know about you growing up. My dad really didn't like it when I spoke Vietnamese really because because his philosophy was like I brought you here, right Canadian girls write English well and like I feel like not just him but I felt like other Vietnamese parents also had the idea that if you speak like if you're really good at Vietnamese, you're going to be shitty at English, right? So they're like so only speak English, right but then growing up now I am like should he have enemies and I was like, but what I want to hear right, he's got really good when I was when I went to Vietnam for the first time. I spent a month with my cousin speaking only it's about muscle memory. Yeah. It's people always comment like your daughter is really good. Biggs but I still get the word for environment and economy mixed up you wait, I don't even know the words for that. Okay. One of them is mortal and the other one I already forgot how it how did you how did you even know like what they say one of them is can say I think economy is getting say and then want to environmental what kind of conversations are you having when you go back to Vietnam? It's just me talking with my cousin's here. Oh shit. What or me talking with my mom here. Like I'll be like, oh we have to protect the environment and the man. Mama's like wow. Yay. I think it's see. I don't even know if he's still don't know. I still don't know dude, you know, it's like I feel like you're one of the maybe few like Vietnamese Canadians. I've met that are actually like proud to be Vietnamese. I wasn't always really okay what happened before and watching. I mean we grew up with not a lot of Vietnamese people. We're going to most Chinese. Yeah, honestly when I was little I was like I want to fit in with my friends like, I don't know. I don't know captain. Was I want a tiny bit of a Chinese Grandma took care of me, dude, you know how to count to 10 in Cantonese. I can only do three. Yeah. Yeah, some say well. Yeah, I was like, well, I want to be like my friends right exactly. It wasn't like I want to be white, but I'm sure if I was around white people, I'd be like I want to be yeah, I mean but yeah, I always I never really felt like I fully fit in race wise. I mean, I did feel like I had friends and stuff again. It was diverse ethnically like my friend group, but I never felt like I really fit in ethically, like people didn't understand my culture. Right? Right. So that was like weird and then high school was the same because I went to high school right across from my elementary school. So the same group Single people didn't really meet a lot of Vietnamese people. Try to think about like how many does one who three? For what you're counting on these five how many people were in my graduating class? Oh Jesus that's likes out of 50 or something. Yeah, a lot of Filipino people voted. Yeah. Shout out to the fans. Yeah, they're underrated. Don't really hope he knows need love. So underrated. Yeah, there is no reason why Hollywood has not been taken over by fellows real talk real. Oh my God. Yeah Philip like Every single Filipino person I've met has a great voice. I don't know why they can all sing. That's amazing. Whereas like are the yeah. It's wailing it swelling and it's not a key. Anyway, yeah growing up out of high school still not around a lot of Vietnamese people go to university still not a lot of Vietnamese people waiting fewer. I went to SFU. Oh, yeah. I love you. People are so few. No. No. To from going from East Van to I went to UBC. Hmm. I was surprised at how few Vietnamese people in Filipino people there were because I was used to seeing a lot of Filipino people but now there's like no Filipino Korean so many criminal in China. Yeah, like mainland China was a was a China number one. I was not covid them alone. Miliar with a lot of mean like like Mainland Chinese Roger never met and we know we know way more about can't oh, yeah culture. Yeah, because Vancouver immigrants from Hong Kong the 90s. So then going into University also know get people sounds like did you feel like a shame to like tell people you're Vietnamese, you know, I never mentioned it to anybody but I didn't okay. Okay. It's just like a non Converse it not a conversation topic, right right, and and then I got into pharmacy school. So I sell drugs. Okay, that's a business of my people here in Canada. I do it legally no nice nice the family business legit your you should get to the white people so I sell drugs so when I got into pharmacy school, that is nice. So one of the first people that I met was a Viet guy who also lives in this area. Okay. Yeah, he was really friendly I made friends with him and then he ran for like student counselors worth your Pharmacy, right all babies. Yeah. I mean, so we're all new we don't know each other but I knew him and then when he was making his speech at the beginning of class because you have to get elected like I walked in late because I'm getting me sick. Filipino time between this time and this time they came same yeah same time zone. Yeah what he starts at 7:00. They mean it starts at 9:00. Oh, yeah. Yeah, like I'm still doing my hair and makeup. Yeah, he's like, oh, yeah, like I'm Vietnamese. I'm from east van and this is this is one of my other friends memories about me is me walking down late to class my friend at the front saying how he's getting me some from East bad. Yeah and me the obnoxious Vietnamese girl going. Whoo. Yeah. Memory of me and she she's from the island, right? Thank you ver Island. Oh my God, that is why it's so white. That's our white people go to die. It's not a bad place. It's not a bad place. It's where the parliament it's true that she would like so she's from the islands. So she sees me. This obnoxious be a girl. She's like, oh my fucking God not be friends with her. Holy shit. Stay the fuck away, right? So but then we end and then bring the best friend. She was like, I'd never thought I would end up being friends with you then after that and then we pulled another Vietnamese guy into the group The the one that's half a buck and a half now. Oh nice nice. So then after I was hanging out a lot with them and then that's when I can bring out my true Vietnam. Yeah and be like really Vietnamese could now it's like I find people that aren't exactly exactly and I've just been hella Vietnamese. I've mastered my Vietnamese accent. I love it. So good. Good so good. I'm going what what what changed for you like. Well I could get them. No for me. I just yeah, I didn't have a lot of it welcoming. I didn't have any of enemies friends growing up and then in high school, I went to high school in Vancouver and then I moved to the suburbs where it's all white and then and then from that school the only friends I had were Korean International students, like none of their parents knew they were going to be put in The Bumfuck nowhere in Canada. And yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and then because I guess all that all my friends were like Korean International students. I just ended up like okay. Yeah Korea and then I went to Korea and then I was like, oh Vietnam, but even now I feel like I don't know if I'm still trying to like, what is it appreciate my Heritage and I still Like I struggle with that a lot because I don't have like Vietnamese friends that are like, hey, I'm Vietnamese, whatever because all my friends are like just Korean or like Chinese but but living in Vietnam definitely gave me like so much understanding and appreciation for pennies Heritage, but I have them cousins like they're like me born and raised in Vancouver and they like don't want to go to Vietnam like so they actually taught English in Korea as well don't want to go to Vietnam at all. Yeah, so they lived in Korea and you know Korea's only Ally four hour flight from Vietnam. They visit exactly. Wow. That's a southern hop and a skip girl. Oh quite quite. Yes. Yeah. No, but they so they would visit Japan and Hong Kong and then I was like, oh did you guys go to Vietnam in there just like that? No, I don't want to stab right. So this is like a thing. I've been noticing about Vietnamese Canadian. Yeah, so they're so so Around me like the Vietnamese people. I meet are just like no fuck man. Fuck that. Yeah. Yeah, so I've never even had that so it's like really do go to drug school. They do find their people yet. Is there people? Yeah selling the drugs, you know, I think what helped a lot with Vietnamese means okay. Yeah. Yeah, but I don't have trades follow so it'll be at Raves. I got so much fun. So that's what really makes me appreciate it more too. Yeah, and I think it's good I think It's like because it's not something I can never like get away from and I'm still like China learn understand but it's so like great like talk like I think this is the first time and I don't maybe like years or ever that I push it actually gone to really talk about Vietnamese stuff because when I was in Vietnam the Viet Canadians, I did meet were all guys. Well, that's because women number one her like worth noting in Vietnam. No, right and then if you're a victim, he's like Canadian or Foreigner in Vietnam that you're worth like even less because you're like you're not even Poor little vidi vici girl that they can buy so they just don't even so but when Vietnamese Canadian guys go to Vietnam there like rock stars. Oh, yeah. They're like here marry my daughter. I'll pay you. Yeah, you're hungry shake her take her take her exactly right but but being Vietnamese like Canadian female, it's I didn't meet any and I was there for almost a year, but I've met so many Viet Canadian guys because they're just everywhere. I read an article about how in The Boonies in Korea, there's a lot of men who are paying so marry women, you know and bring them over, you know, so they get paid by the local government because yes the like everyone is leaving the countryside, right? Yeah, then the women have such a hard time there. It's not so PSI. Like I'm I'm so surprised that you you know that I guess it's like pretty big an article came out and it was all yeah. No. No, it's true. Yeah, why didn't I don't know if I saw little I did see it, but I know it's definitely a thing. So what happens in? Is that Korean men that can't like Mary Korean women and then they're also getting older and they live in the countryside and a lot of them don't have a lot of money and some of them even have like mental illnesses or disabilities and then but kdramas and stuff is so big. It's like come to Korea. Yeah, exactly. And I don't know if you know in Vietnam they have like be a Korean man's wife school. I'm not even joking so so like yeah, so like so all the attendees are usually like 15 16 17 year-old like Vietnamese Countryside girls that don't know anything, right and they're so obedient so wine right and then they go and they learn Korean how to read write Customs how to cook Korean food. Like they literally train them to be Korean men's wives and then they go there and then guys like three times their age older than their dad right and then then they're like abuse and there's a lot of violence and I'm not necessarily blaming the Korean men that do this because like if they have mental illness and they're in Do you like people are crazy, right? But there was a time where Cambodia because Korean men would buy wives from Vietnam Cambodia Myanmar, right? And there was a time that Korean men killed so many Cambodian women that the Cambodian government Stalin's look like you can't do this I get no they stopped the marriages. They're like no more International marriages from Korea because you keep killing our women. Yeah, it's so so it's a little bit. It's a little bit crazy. I did read an article that I was a Korean man. He's like stabbed his wife. Yeah. Vietnamese wife. Yeah, it's if you type in Vietnamese, man kills wife on Google there. There's a lot of water. Yeah, but you know like it the ones that I meet that want to leave it's usually they're very poor. But when I was there I met a lot of Rich Vietnamese people and they like couldn't give less of a fuck about living anywhere else. You know what I mean Europe and see you. Yeah, it's crazy. I'm sure you heard about like all the Vietnamese people who died on that truck and London. Oh my fucking god. Okay. Do you know the exact same thing happened like ten years ago literally same exact story like truck Vietnamese people like died in the but I would like the and in the same area same port in England. Like I was like, what are we're in a matrix, but I know in news and Canada in America, we don't really like release like gory details because it's like has to deal with like the ethics of Journalism or something but in but invented meas news, they're straight Savage I did they tell you everything and what happened was invented. He's news there was blood everywhere when they opened it because everyone was trying to scratch their way out. It was like, yeah, it was it's hectic. So so I think in cases like that, it's just like I think some well my thing is also I feel like the Vietnamese government also wants to release the Gory parts to kind of scare Vietnamese. People be like if you want to escape. Yeah. Yeah, you're gonna die. It's gonna be a bloodbath exactly exactly. Yeah. But anyway, it's crazy, but the, you know the rich people in Vietnam, so I don't know if you A car in Vietnam is a hundred percent taxed. I thought the three hundred percent. That's what my cousin is it three no. No, I didn't hear 300 it might be but it's heard that it costs three times the amount of the MSRP that it would be to buy it here. So like I heard okay. So like a Honda Civic here. Let's say is like 25,000 right? There would be 50,000. I heard it was like 60. Oh, but that would be true that the taxes are driving a car in Saigon, you know there but they got money they're loaded. They got me honey Rolla. They're good that Corolla here is like a BMW like yeah, like, you know that Maddie is like a fucking. Oh my God for guinea. Exactly dude. You're not going to see a Lamborghini you get a name like let's be real. No, no, don't be rich now like the rich are really rich, you know how I feel about that income discrepancy. It's fucked up. It's fucked up to say the least but there's a lot of the school. I worked out like a bougie like rich people send their kids here. So like the kids because I was like a before Age six schools Like Preschool and I remember I had like a kid. Well, I'm several kids. He's like to and he's like so cute. Yeah, and then his mom would come pick him up in a Mercedes Benz and I'm like, oh my God 200% I'm like, what are you is that a Rolls-Royce money? So when they're rich they're like scary Red, they really don't give a fuck about their they because it's going to get scratched up in traffic and shit. Like they don't know exactly how able to afford money to buy that. Car and money to not give a shit. I think that's exactly it's gonna be disgusting. It's crazy man is hectic. I'm gonna tell you a story about like me with my family in Vietnam. Yes. Here's the thing Vietnamese people always feel like they can be up in your business. Oh your business so know your business is everyone's business. Yeah. That's what I mean. Like privacy. What is that this? Yeah. It's very even a word for privacy. Maybe somebody please. I think it's a risk but it doesn't even exist in their mind. Like this goes along with Vietnamese people always being really upfront. So they'll be really upfront to you about your own business. Oh, yeah. She go about it, right so back when I was in Vietnam in 2015. I was doing a lot of exercising and I would go to the gym like I would ask my cousin to take me three times a week and then I would I would lift. Oh girl get it. Whatever. It's deadlift bench, press and Vietnam as Asian woman with an Asian woman. Do you realize how much shit I got into by not just my family, but the yeah, they look it's fast and the woman feel like what are you? What are you doing girl listing more than their body weight, right and we're like, what the fuck? You're gonna die. Yeah. Yeah. What are you doing? And stop making me look bad? Yeah, exactly exactly. So like my cousin would go into her workout and it's all You go. Oh, yeah, I would typical girl. I've been as a carrier then I like okay, I'm gonna go do my shit no more pussy shit left and like get strong and then like I could my cousin was like concern right? So she's like you're trying to she's like, can you go over there and just check things out and I would get really pissed because there's a fucking guy like walking over. I don't know she fucking sent you and I know it. Yeah staring at me and I'm just like what you like drop your like you drop your weights really how you're like what? Yeah. Yeah exactly and my entire family. About how like oh, you're gonna look like a man. Right right. It's not too bulky. You guys don't like my boyfriend is fine with it. He likes that I'm doing this. Yeah, but yeah, it was that's an example of like how you should go about your business and my parents now with the marriage conversation. They're like, when are you getting married? Yeah. And I was like, you know, whatever any because I've been with my partner for a long time. Hmm and I was like, you know, you gotta you gotta get married someday. You know that right? You have to get married, right? Why would you like what you have to have get married before you have kids and I'm like why and she's like well, otherwise the adults are gonna laugh and I'm like Who's Laughing? I'm an adult now right friends are laughing laughing at me. Like Mom, it's your friends. Oh, what do you care about what they think right and my moms like no, I don't know if I can why are you telling me to get married right? You're such this is the Canadian Jen talking. What the hell? Yeah, so it's just it's hard. Yeah, people always care what they think they care so much hive mind right? It's so it exactly that's what it is. The hive mentality is like crazy insane. It's insane. It's and I feel like it's bragging but all my mom's always like oh someone so that like, you know, her son is a doctor now. Hmm and like he graduated from SFU and I'm like, there's no fucking med school at SFU mom. Yeah, if you knew anything like it doesn't exist. It's not real. But why did she tell me I'm like, well, can she fucking liar? Who's lying to your face? Damn it? This always happens when somebody says something and I'm like no Mom your mom's just like the person people like fuck. What the hell? Oh my God, and then she's like everybody's done her daughter as a CEO. Is it really that easy to be a CEO? Because then like why don't why does it like, you know, my cousin's kid do that, right and I'm just like Mom the fuck. They're probably the owner of a fucking nail salon, and they're calling themselves. There's a small business owner calling themselves a city home. You're the one you're from Vietnam. Anyone can be a hero kid. You haven't done shit, right? Right there with me a lot, but then they come back and they're like, oh so like, you know, I don't you have like a house or like what are you got married every time she comes back from a wedding? Oh my God. It's like I'm married. She's like so I came down he came back from another wedding. Yeah, you're like, I wish I had like one. I really I really want to go to this one, but doesn't exist. You're just like no no, no, it's different your parents give you that kind of pressure. No, actually my family is pretty pretty T chill and you know like I think are you there what order are you in? I'm in the middle. I'm right in the middle. Yeah, so I'm parents have grandchildren yet. They do they do they really don't give yeah and a girl and they don't give a shit about me. Yeah, that's a hundred percent true. Yeah. Yeah. I would have had a little sister like I got another girl another little sister like about four or five years. Oh my God, can you imagine like my sister would be an ABG legit? Yeah, and that's my boy legit legit. Yeah, there's no other dang. Yeah, so my dad was pretty disappointed when and then like And then she was like cuz he knew your life was going to be harder and I was like no, it's not fine. Yeah. No, it's I think I feel like Asian dad's. I don't know if they it's a Vietnamese thing. It's like there's a saying they want boys. But also they say like if you have a daughter they call like the daughter like the swan or something because once you gets married, she'll fly away from the family, but you know, what's funny what's funny boys take care of their moms. That's true. The mine always taking care of them till they die that and Daughter is take care of them all exhausted. My mom's family. It's like only the daughters take care of my grandma. Nobody else. I'm like sure why the fuck do you cover boys when they're not being gonna take care of you? You're welcome. I was like should be lucky that you're almost like Mom if I was a boy, I wouldn't take care of you guys don't know you don't know you let me exactly there's like very not-so-subtle sexist. Oh, yeah subtle is the opposite and subtle is never a a word you hear with the word Vietnamese Vietnamese mom. She's still like Rockin tight TNA. I've heard that so many times. I've heard I've heard Tzu chuang. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They got a they got to look interesting exactly maintained. In fact, that might be a Vietnamese think Korean thing to like Korean women are very all Korean women are super into their very polished. Yes, super polished. I think it's Asian culture in general. Yeah, I guess so look really polished to maintain your man. Otherwise, he's just gonna find a yo bear. Oh my God. Yeah. Yeah, yeah side home. Yes. I told translation agent. Yeah, but my grandpa my dad side him but Jillian of them saito's mmm gangster. Oh to get it. My dad had a Jeep and he went hunting and like and when he said hunting he meant hansie for women. So yeah. Yeah, it's like super loaded know if your enemies man that has money. Oh, yeah, there is no anyone. You want 100. One chance. Yeah, he's gonna cheat on you, please 100 passionately. Yeah, there's no way he's not given to leave because the money's good. Well the money's good and also like specially if you're the main wife, yeah, no. No, you got to be wife number one have to be white because in Vietnam, I think adultery to this day still illegal. So men that have like wives or side hose and side children those children are undocumented. Oh what because because because because the dad can't put his name on the first of the because he already has a wife and a family in Vietnam. It's still illegal. A lot of people don't know. No, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I'm damn. Yeah, I was like no he gangster. Yeah, he's pretty gangster though. Like he was not liked by any means - Iceman. Yeah, the businessman rich like, oh my God, we got thrown half. If you'd only have to be cut throw you. Do you have to it's just arrived soft? He's like me would not survive. No. No, I lasted barely a year and I lived and What I lived in the white people. You know that but I just want to say thank you Jennifer for being on the pikas. Thanks for having me. This was amazing. I love this. I'm happy to come back anytime. Yeah, I'm not being weird. I'm good. I'm totally gonna have you back. We're gonna talk about Vancouver stuff and news and everything. But your dad I'm not talking to me right now. So let's okay we're done in like six months. It's gonna be my Olive Branch will be like you Thank you so much.
This is one of my favorites. A fellow Vietnamese Canadian girl and I discuss what life was like growing up in East Vancouver. Topics include high school stabbings (2:18), what we ate at home (4:20), McDonalds (6:30), refugee parents (8:05), not understanding Thai (10:26), Viet dads (12:30), nammer girls, LGs, ABGs (14:55), popular websites in the 90s (18:10), visiting the motherland (20:10), surprising a 95 year old grandma (21:55), Viet Kieu disguise? (24:30), Vietnamese pricing tiers (25:20), living in Vietnam (27:20), mien bac va mien nam (29:05), northern and southern accents (33:40), subtle viet traits (36:29), racism in Vancouver (44:30), girl fights in high school (46:42), entrepreneurship in Vietnam (56:10), weird smells (58:35), food poisoning (59:20), not speaking Vietnamese at home (1:01:29), I wanna be Chinese! (1:02:50), selling drugs (1:06:20), accepting Vietnamese heritage (1:09:35), Viet Kieu guys in Vietnam (01:11:40), Korean international marriages (1:12:10), Essex lorry death (1:14:41), rich people (1:15:44), lifting in Vietnam (1:17:20), Viet moms (1:24:37), Vietnamese survival mentality (1:26:59). Song: You Got Beef? 2004; lyrics Chuckie Akenz feat. 