AIESEC Vietnam Intern Guide www.aiesec.org

Welcome to Vietnam

July, 2008

Welcome Congratulations on being matched as an

intern in AIESEC Vietnam! We welcome you with open arms and look forward to both learning from you, and helping you to learn more yourself! AIESEC in Vietnam is a new AIESEC country full of challenges and opportunities, and we can’t wait to share it with you! Best of luck for in your preparation, and we look forward to working and partying with you soon!

The following information is designed to help you to prepare for your internshipexperience. It should be a starting point to learn more about AIESEC in Vietnam, some basics about living in Vietnam, and what you can expect from your experience. Please use it as a resource to discover what kinds of questions you

need to be asking yourself and your host LC to make the most of your time

with us! We recommend that you read as much as possible about Vietnam(guidebooks, history, fiction, books by Vietnamese authors and information from the embassy). Look at maps, talk to people who have

been here or live here. Vietnam, just like any foreign country, can be frustrating at times, especially to a new visitor but believe us when we say the good times more than make up for it! We have found that the most important ingredients of a successful internship are a positive receptive attitude and a lot of tolerance. Once you gain the confidence to handle any situation here, you will have a really great time. So

AIESEC Vietnam Family welcomes you to join us!

Content

General Information

Google Group Contacts

Welcome Message

for

This guide will provide you with basic information you should know about Vietnam. It is intended as a very general guide, so do not limit yourself to it. You should do more research to be well prepared for your stay in Vietnam. The Lonely Planet about Vietnam can be a good resource. Visit the links at the end of this guide.

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Your Responsibilities as an Intern

- Facilitate cultural exchange and discuss your problems with AIESEC members

- Do your job with a positive attitude and to the best of your abilities

- Complete expectation setting with us so we both can ensure we are meeting each other’s

expectations. - Fill in the measurement surveys and give us

feedback - Help us help you this is only possible if you

communicate with us about any problems, concerns and expectations. Many things may not be obvious to us and we need you to tell us. Ask us lots of questions!!!

- Never miss a party, because this is where you

get to interact with the members and interns in

the LC and many other interesting people.

General Information

Our Responsibilities as Hosts

Communicate with you before you arrive to ensure you are prepared for your trip.

- Pick you up at the point of your arrival - Help you with arranging accommodation - Help you with all the regular daily functions (shopping,

taking the bus, getting a bank account, how to use the telephones, how to order food etc.)

- Take you to the organisation on the first day of your internship

- Be there to answer questions and provide support whenever we can

- Help you get integrated into the culture - Provide activities that can teach you about the

Vietnamese culture and lifestyle - Provide you with names and a telephone list of the

AIESEC members in your LC as well as information about upcoming events or activities.

Visa

You will need a business visa to work in Vietnam. Contact the Vietnamese embassy in your country for the details. You will be able to get a 6 month business visa and you can extend it once you are in Vietnam. Scanning and emailing yourself with your passport and visa is a good idea in case you lose your passport.

Medical information

You will find all the medical assistance you could need in Vietnam. There are a couple of international clinics, but it is cheaper to go to Vietnamese hospitals and they are just as qualified. Make sure you buy health insurance which covers you for your whole stay in Vietnam. Scan and email yourself a copy of your health booklet in case you lose it. Also bring it with you to Vietnam. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, you do not need malaria tablets.

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Money

The local currency is the Vietnamese dong. 1 USD is worth approximately 16,000 VND. You can use your bank card from your home bank account at most ATMs to withdraw money. Check with your bank to see if your card is usable abroad. Credit cards (mostly Visa and MasterCard) are taken in tourist places and upper end restaurants and boutiques. It is more common to use cash. AIESEC will help you open a Vietnamese bank account so you can get your paycheck. Bring cash in a major currency to exchange for VND in Vietnam, as VND is hard to obtain outside the country.

Accommodation

AIESEC will help you find a place to stay. Generally, you will share an apartment with other interns and you will have your own room. You can expect to pay 250$ a month for your room. Apartments are not luxurious, but they are clean and comfortable. Vietnamese students usually stay in places that cost 30-75$ a month.

Vaccination

Here is a link with information on which shots you will need:

Flying to Vietnam

There are many international airlines flying to Vietnam, but it can be expensive. If you're from the West, an option can be to fly to Shanghai (China), Singapore or Hong Kong, and fly another Asian airline from there (you can look on www.elong.com). You might need a visa for that though. There are also direct trains from Beijing to Hanoi (2 days ride), or buses from Hong Kong (about 24 hours to Hanoi).

Registration

Once you have found your accommodation, your host will need to register you at the police station. Make sure they do.

Food and Drinks

Food is one of the best things about Vietnam! Generally, a meal consists of rice or noodles with other food like meat and vegetables. You can also find many international restaurants. Some small restaurants can be a little bit dirty, but the food is good nonetheless. Your stomach will get used to street food. Generally, food in the North is salty and food in the South is sweeter. Do not stick your chopsticks in your rice bowl. This reminds people of incense sticks burning for the dead. Tap water is not drinkable in Vietnam. Boil it first, or buy bottled water. You can find many different types of alcohol, local and international.

Toilets

At home or at work, you will most likely have a Western-type toilet. In public places however, squat toilets are not uncommon.

Temperature

The temperature in the North (Hanoi) is quite different from the South (HCMC). In the North, it is hot and dry in the summer and cool and wet in the winter. Bring warm clothes for the winter. In the South, you will be wearing summer clothes all year long. It is hot and wet in the summer and hot and dry in the winter. The humidity can be hard to bear. You will need a raincoat for the rainy season.

Shopping

When shopping in stores, articles will often have price tags. When going to markets or smaller stores, prices are not displayed, so make sure to learn the prices so you don’t get ripped off (ask an AIESEC member to help you with that). Sometimes, you can also bargain.

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Dating, Relationship, Sex

Going out

To have fun, Vietnamese youth likes to go sing karaoke like in many places in Asia. It is not the Western concept of karaoke where people sing on a stage in a bar while they're drunk. Instead, your party rents a karaoke room in a karaoke place with many rooms like this, and sing one after the other. Vietnamese people like to sing well. Another thing they will do is go out for dinner together. Drinking is not a common activity for girls. Guys like to drink beer or vodka in eateries or street side restaurants. Ask them to take you there, it’s good fun to skull beer against old Vietnamese men. There are many Western-type clubs in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but they mostly attract the foreigners.

Most Vietnam AIESECers are 18 to 22 years old, and to some interns they might appear ‘childish’. Most of the Vietnamese students (especially in AIESEC) still have parties with orange juice, and never touch a cigarette. Most Vietnamese people consider the people who go to bars and night clubs as just wanting to hook up, therefore not a very positive opinion (this usually doesn’t apply to foreigners as the Vietnamese don’t have the same expectations of foreigners as they have of their compatriots). So if you want to go to a bar with a Vietnamese AIESECer, tell them in advance where exactly you want to go. If going to a bar, most of your Vietnamese friends will not be able to stay with you late (family rule). Some have a curfew of 8 or 9 PM. Better call the other interns if you want to go out to a bar.

Clothing

A Western size S corresponds to a Vietnamese size L, so it might be hard to find clothes that fit you. It is however possible to get tailor made clothes which will be cheaper than if you buy them back home. This would not be convenient for things like bras though, so make sure you bring what you will need. Finding big shoes can also be a problem. Most people travel by motorbike or bicycle, so women don't wear skirts very often as it is not convenient for this type of transportation. Make sure to bring your swimming suit to enjoy the nice beaches of Vietnam!

In your everyday life, just try to be decent. Wearing a t-shirt and shorts is fine, tank tops and short skirts are not so common. At work, you will most likely wear formal pants and a shirt, depending on the company’s culture. A suit and a tie is not required since it is so hot, however, some of the larger companies, such as MNCs, may require you to wear a tie sometimes.

Hygiene products

In general, you can find most products like toothpaste and shampoo with the same big international brands. P&G and Unilever are well established in Vietnam.

Transportation

Use the public bus (3,500 VND) to go around the city, or take a xé ôm (motorbike taxi). Make sure to agree on the price before taking the xé ôm ride. Usually a ride will cost you between 15,000 and 30,000 VND, depending on the distance. The best thing to do is buy a bicycle (new or second hand) to travel around. They are cheap, convenient, almost as fast as motorbikes, pollute less and give you exercise.

Traffic

To a newcomer, Vietnamese traffic can seem quite scary and chaotic. Don’t worry though, you will get used to it. Cars usually have priority since they are bigger, so be careful as a pedestrian. To cross the street, just walk slowly at a constant pace and motorbikes will go around you.

The Vietnamese take relationships seriously, so they won’t be dating someone just for fun usually. Sex is usually kept for after marriage. Kissing in public is strange. You might find the Vietnamese to be ‘childish’: holding hands, having ‘teenager’ relationships.

A note about ‘childishness’: In China, we had a discussion between Chinese AIESECers and foreign AIESECers as to how each group perceives the other. One surprising finding was that each group perceived the other to be childish: The foreigners thought the Chinese were childish because they giggle, hold hands, have teenager relationships; the Chinese thought the foreigners were childish because they have no discipline: eat junk food and candy, party out late, do things bad for their health, don’t study, do things they want without caring about what others think.

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Holiday in Vietnam In the workplace

The working style will be very different depending on if you are in a Vietnamese company or an international company. You can expect international standards in an international company. Vietnamese companies will often take long lunch breaks because it is common to take a nap after lunch. In Vietnamese companies, you might feel like you do not have much direction and constructive feedback. You will need to be proactive in engaging in communication with your company.

Be careful with your attitude at work. Colleagues will respect you because you’re a foreigner, but if you screw up you will lose their respect and it is hard to get back. The Vietnamese expect a lot from you since you are getting paid more than a Vietnamese employee.

Language can be a barrier, so try to speak slowly with your Vietnamese colleagues. Also, sometimes they will act like they understood, but they really haven’t. Make sure they understand you by making them explain what you want them to do.

Language

Vietnamese is the official language, but there are many other dialects. The accent in the North is different from the South. Nowadays, Vietnamese people learn English as a second language in school, so the younger generations have some knowledge of English. The AIESECers can all speak English very well. People who work with tourists also speak English. Other than that, most people won't be able to speak English. You can also find

people who speak French, as it is a very common language to

study due to

January 1 - Western New Year's Day

January or February - Tet; Vietnamese and Chinese New Year celebration; this most important Vietnamese festivity of the whole year is celebrated an entire week from the first to the seventh day of the new year according to the traditional moon calendar; as the celebration depends on the phases of the moon, not the sun, it is celebrated on different dates of the Western calendar; traditionally, during the Tet days large amounts of food are consumed, because the Tet days are considered an omen for the course of the entire year; the belief is that if you eat a lot during the Tet days, there will be enough food during the whole year.

February 3 - Founding Day of the Communist Party of Vietnam; national holiday

March - day to commemorate the Trung sisters, who in the year 41 of Christian reckoning led a rebellion against the Chinese rulers; movable holiday, as it depends on the moon calendar.

March 8 - International Women Day, which is pretty much like Valentine’s Day for Vietnam. Companies often organise events for female staff, and most men give presents to the women in their life (sister, mother, daughter, wife, girlfriend, etc.)

April 30 - Liberation Day of South Vietnam and Saigon; national holiday

May 1 - Labour Day; national

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Communication

Vietnamese are very literal when it comes to language, so you need to express clearly what you mean. They don’t understand sarcasm. Here are a few tips on communication to make your life easier.

1. Double negatives:

Q: You don't want to be late, right? A: Yes. (Meaning: no, I don't want to be late) Correct question: Do you want to be late?

Q: I think we shouldn't do it. And you? A: Yes. (Meaning: yes, I think we shouldn't do it) Correct question: Do we have to do it? ...or even better: we don't do it.

2. Literal interpretation:

Another great share of misunderstanding with local people also derives from literal interpretation. Never expect them to be empathic, never expect anyone to understand something not evident. This is just a cultural difference; the communication just doesn't always work on the same way all over, especially here.

Q: Did you receive that email I sent you last week? A: Yes. (Meaning: yes I received it. Attention, it does not necessarily mean it has been read) Correct question: Did you read and follow up my email of last week?

Q: I asked you last week to do this, can it be done this week? (meaning: “you are freaking late and I’ve been waiting for a week, can you do it quite fast, max for the end of the week?”) A: Yes (meaning: “yes, I remember you asked it. Yes it can be done this week.” Attention: it does not necessarily mean that it WILL be done on this timeframe.) Correct Question: not a question. Please, do what I asked you last week by this Wednesday 2 PM.

In other words, avoid any double negative and rhetoric questions. Ask clearly about any possible side of the problem, especially that obvious side you think is "normal".

May 19 - Ho Chi Minh's birthday; national holiday

May 28 - holiday in commemoration of the birth, the enlightenment and the death of the Buddha; national holiday

August - Trung Nguyen; Day of the Wandering Souls; on this day the souls of the dead are believed to wander to the habitats of their offspring; celebrations in Buddhist temples; food is spread on house altars for the souls of the deceased and fake money is burnt in honour of them; moveable holiday, as it depends on the moon calendar.

September 2 - National Holiday

September 3 - Day to commemorate the death of Ho Chi Minh in 1969; national holiday

September - Trung Thu - autumn celebration at which children parade through the streets with lanterns; for this celebration moon cakes are baked; moveable holiday, as it depends on the moon calendar.

November - Birthday of Confucius; moveable holiday, as it depends on the moon calendar.

Holiday in Vietnam

Safety

You do not face big dangers other than being scammed or robbed in Vietnam. People who work with tourists will often try to rip you off. There are also many pick pockets. There are even thieves on motorbikes who will grab your bag while passing by. Watch your stuff in public places or on the bus.

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Cultural aspects

Collectivism: Vietnam is a collectivist society, meaning the group is more important than the individual. In everyday life, it means people will always consider the opinion of family, society, peers in general before taking a decision. The notion of privacy and personal space is very different since many people live in a concentrated area. This notion of collectivism is also observed with food: dishes are often shared.

Family: Family is very important in Vietnam, like in most of Asia. It is normal for the Vietnamese to ask you about your family or if you're married. It is a way of showing interest in you.

Don’t feel weird when you ask a Vietnamese friend to go out at night and they respond: “Sorry, I have to be at home by 10pm, sorry I have to go with my mom, sorry I have to have dinner with my family, I have to stay home do housework.” As other Asian people, Vietnamese students live with their parents until they get married and sometimes even forever (a man can live with his wife and his family). Contrary to Western countries, Vietnamese students rarely stay out independently. As a result, family takes a very important role in their lives and they need to take a lot of responsibilities in their family.

Age: Don't be offended if people ask about your age. Age is very important and people will address each other differently depending on if they are older or younger. Always show respect to someone who is older than you, even if they are working under you. It is very common for Vietnamese managers to be younger than the people working under them, as the younger generation is more educated. However, they always show respect to people older than them. Even though you are a manager but you lead an older man, a nice and respectful manner to him is always highly appreciated. One Vietnamese saying goes: ”you can live longer if you respect the old people”, thus, old people are the most respected. When you meet an older person, don’t forget to nod your head with a smile and greet them.

Hospitality: Most Vietnamese are very friendly to foreigners. They are proud of their country as they have a great history of victories against the invaders (Chinese, Mongols, French, Americans). They will be very happy to help you discover their culture. A host will always do everything to make their guests happy, so do not abuse this. A host most likely won’t tell you if you’re doing something they don’t like, but you will look bad in their eyes. A good present to bring to a host is fruits, a cake or souvenirs from your country. Do not bring milk, as milk is something you usually bring to sick people. If you are invited to sleep over, hosts will often give you their bed and sleep on the floor. It might seem weird to you, but you should just accept because it is very important for them to be good hosts.

Non-confrontation: Vietnamese people are non-confrontational, meaning they won’t tell you if they have a problem with you. For Westerners, this can sometimes be interpreted as hypocrisy, but it is really because they do not like confrontation and do not want to hurt you. If they don’t like the way you are behaving, they won’t tell you “You shouldn’t do this, you should do that”, etc. Instead, they assume you should be aware of the basic ethical norms and acceptable behaviours. This means you have to be alert for clues and pick up on very subtle messages. Also, they hardly say no if their answer could offend you. If you ask them to do something, they won’t say no since they don’t want to confront you, but it doesn’t mean they want to do it, or that they will even do it! Be careful not to pressure people to do things too much, because sometimes they will end up doing it to satisfy you, but they will be highly annoyed by you (but won’t tell you).

Hiding feelings: Due to the non-confrontational aspect of Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese people are more closed, they hardly express what they feel and think in fear of making someone feel hurt, disliked, looked down upon, etc. For example: if you invite a Vietnamese friend to your house, you have food, and you invite your Vietnamese friend to have a meal with you, most of the time your Vietnamese friend will respond:”I’m ok, I don’t feel that hungry”. Well, it is not as simple as what the Vietnamese speak out. They may feel hungry, but feel shy if you share food with them. If you ask twice or more, or convince them, they may say YES (when they feel you are really willing to invite them).

Another story: a Western guy invited an Asian girl to go to a movie. She responded:”Sorry, I have work to do that day” even though she really wanted to go with him. Well, the guy thought she really couldn’t come, then answered: “Well, ok, hope you work well”. That girl felt really disappointed.

Saving face: Honor is very important in Vietnam, so people do not like to lose face. This means you should be careful not to criticize someone in front of other people, as it will make them lose face in front of everybody. It is best to give negative feedback in private. Making someone look bad in front of other people is highly humiliating.

Customer Service: In your home country, you might be used to the customer being king, but don’t expect the same here.

Google Groups

We have Google Groups for the AIESEC community (members, interns, alumni and friends) in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to communicate. Join them!

Hanoi: http://groups.google.com/group/aiesechanoi

Ho Chi Minh City: http://groups.google.com/group/aiesechcm

Useful Links

http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/country_overview-en.asp?lvl=8&ISO=VN

Cultural information from the Canadian perspective

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/

Viet Nam News, Vietnam's news in English

http://newhanoian.xemzi.com/

The New Hanoian: resources for expats in Hanoi

http://so-saigon.xemzi.com/

So Saigon: resources for expats in Ho Chi Minh City

http://www.livinginvietnam.com/

Another Guide for Expats in Vietnam

There is a TV program on VTV4 at 10PM which talks about how to live in Vietnam. The name is Living in Vietnam.