Vietnam is a place that will frustrate the hell out of you, but also a place that you will really miss when you leave. It’s special in many ways — some good; some bad — but it will keep you guessing (and many times frustrated), but rarely bored.
Many times being a Foreigner in Vietnam is a “gas.” You can get away with many things that the Vietnamese cannot.
Police now rarely bother Foreigners because the tourist trade brings in so much money.
Even streets that I travel daily, people still shout “Hello” as I speed by. And I respond by nodding my head and saying “Goodby” and I zip along, and they frequently laugh.
I love waving at kids and watching their reactions. I say “Chau Ba” to the old women and “Bonjour, monsieur” to the old men and watch them smile (sometimes with only a few teeth).
I love making the Vietnamese laugh. I had four three-year-old-ish girls at my friend’s house tonight giggling their heads off. It was GREAT FUN!