Face masks cover the sun and black teeth

I noticed that a lot of Vietnamese women wear face masks similar to the women in China, so I assumed it was for the same reason - protection against pollution. But for Vietnamese women, it's a lot more than that. Yes, they want protection from pollution but they also want to cover themselves so they don't get tanned. As you can see, their masks don't just cover the mouth, but rather cover everything but their eyes. And similar to most Asian cultures, pale skin is considered more beautiful than tanned skin.
Lastly, in the past, women used to chew betel nuts (Bing Lang). I'm not familiar but its suppose to have a black licorice flavor and give you a caffeine high. At the same time, it turns your teeth black. It used to be considered beautiful for women to have dark teeth. Now, because white teeth is considered beautiful worldwide, Vietnamese women who used to chew betel nuts cover their less-attractive darkened teeth with face masks.
Just as a side note, have you heard of the Betel Nut Girls in Taiwan? These are scantily-clad women who sell betel nuts on sidewalks, targeting mostly male drivers. Now the Taiwanese government is trying to crack down on these women, believing they wear too little clothing. Check out this article and decide for yourself: http://www.stewpig.com/sexy/taiwan-betel-nuts-bing-lang-girls-26-photos/2009/10/09/.

Titop beach

Somewhat off the beaten path in Ha Long Bay is a little beach called Titop beach. It is very very tiny and you're able to climb up the mountain to get a full view of the bay. There's an extra entrance fee. Our tour guide was insistent on us going. I have to say that although it was beautiful, it was not a "must see." Also, the changing rooms were gross and stinky. If you go to Ha Long Bay and have a limited amount of time, this is a place you can definitely skip.

More of Ha Long Bay

Vietnamese specialty: green pea cake

It has a powdery, cakey feel and a subtle flavor. I've grown up eating it in China, but I'm not sure if it's everyone's cup of tea. Just remember that it's good for you!

Buildings as skinny as the people

Excuse the blurry picture, I tried to capture the skinny architecture in Vietnam. Pictured are some private residences which are tall and narrow and can be as long as (and sometimes longer than) their height. The narrowness is because land is very expensive and you're taxed according to the width, not the length, of your building. Thus, all of the houses are built like supermodels.

Ha Long Bay

It took us almost 3 hours to get to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi because there are virtually no freeways, so all tourists have to take local roads to get to this famed bay. Worth the trip though, it was gorgeous as expected!

What Vietnamese women look for in a man

It really is true that grass is greener on the other side. Vietnamese men tend to be on the smaller side due to the hot climate and vegetable-heavy diet (meat is also expensive). So what do Vietnamese women look for? Men with big bellies to show wealth; that they're able to afford to eat a lot of food, especially meat. And as an added bonus, men with glasses are considered extra attractive because glasses show an abundance of knowledge; a well educated man.
With these requirements in mind, the guy pictured above from my tour group should be able to pull some major ass in Vietnam.

Bathroom tango

Similar to how we say "#1" or "making a deposit," the Vietnamese also have nicknames for doing your bizniz. "To sing" is #1 and "To dance" is #2. The bathroom is considered "The disco.".
I hope you all dance at least once a day.

We've arrived in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam!

Why no mixed people in Vietnam?

There are many Vietnamese-American or Vietnamese-French people in the world but very few reside in Vietnam. According to my tour guide, mixed Vietnamese-Americans were considered shameful back in the day due to the violent history of the US army in Vietnam. As a result, many of these kids were abandoned. But when Vietnamese citizens were unable to travel abroad due to government restrictions, they found use for the mixed kids. It was legal for anybody with mixed blood and their relatives to travel abroad (from my understanding it was established for these kids to be able to visit their birth parents). Because of this, many Vietnamese citizens would adopt these mixed kids as a ticket to go abroad. Now, most of the mixed population lives abroad.

Dating in Vietnam

There's this large open grassy area in Ho Chi Minh city full of young couples lying out with their motorcycles close by. A typical date could involve cruising the streets on the guy's motorcycle, lying out, and then getting some coffee at a curbside cafe. Sounds like a perfect date except I would like to end the date with some ice cream!

Good morning, Vietnam

Another hot, humid but gorgeous day in Ho Chi Minh City.

Help me name this fruit!

Vietnamese nuts

Lotus flower seeds and shelled cashews. Quite delicious, indeed.

We've arrived in Ho Chi Minh City