What's the difference?

Anyone from the West planning to visit or teach English in Vietnam really should be aware of the cultural differences. The thing is: The differences are ever-shifting. Workers (that's what employed people call themselves here) at some coffee shops or chicken stands view a tip as an insult. In fact, they won't accept extra money. But moments earlier, they reached into your wallet to make sure you paid the proper amount. If your tip is accepted, which it is sometimes, a handful of workers then expect a tip all the time from you and become indignant when you don't tip. And I'm a regular at these places.
Money is something of an obsession here, which is understandable in a country where there isn't a lot of money floating around. When I've met people, they've asked on quite a few occasions: ''How are you? Where do you live? How much is the rent? Where do you teach? How much do you make? I like your haircut; how much did you pay for it?" I guarantee you'll get these questions. But the people here are very nice, and incredibly helpful and generous. So I dance around the tough questions and change the subject. "Sure is hot today," I'll say. Weather is usually free. After a short game of dodge ball, they'll get the idea that I'm not talking money. These are wonderful, decent people.
Expect brutal honesty here. I'll bring my beloved students a treat, and they'll complain it's not chocolate, or that they wanted something salty, not sweet.  Usually I can wear them down and they'll take it, but some students stick to their principles and refuse my offer. I try to use this as a teaching moment, and tell the students that when someone offers them a treat, they should say thanks, take it, and then give it away or toss it if they don't like it. I don't know, maybe the students are right.
I'm doing my best to introduce "ladies first" -- something my mom drilled into me -- and I've actually had some success. I make sure girls get the first pick of crayons, and that they get to leave the classroom first. It wasn't easy because line-cutting is a way of life here. No one has ever really yielded to me, or given me the right of way, on the motorbike. It's dog eat dog (and people really do eat dog here).
At one time, I planned to leave Vietnam and quit my job at VMG. But that's not going to happen ... I hope. VMG has been very good to me and Vietnam kind of gets under your skin in a good way. And the students are absolutely awesome. Really. The kids learn lightning-fast, the teens are, well, cool teens, the university students are extraordinarily bright, and the adult students are very serious about improving their English. There's going to be cultural bumps along the way. After all, I'm a pasty-white, stubborn American. But I'm learning the culture here better. I hope the students are learning some English.
I'm returning to the U.S. for much of December and January to see family and friends. Then I'll return to Vietnam and VMG to hopefully resume teaching. Sounds like a plan.