Princess In Transit

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When the risk of looking foolish is a risk worth taking.

Posted on Aug 10, 2017 in Experiences

When the risk of looking foolish is a risk worth taking.
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What’s important to you when you travel?  Do you have a checklist?  For me, a comfortable bed is non-negotiable, as is cleanliness, security and a good location.  If the destination is Asia, air conditioning is a must but I also love a ceiling fan so I can use the air only when it’s really necessary.

Sounding like I should stay home?  No way!  With a little research and clear communication with potential hosts, all of those things are easily achievable.  And, as much as I love the beauty of Australia, I’m addicted to the adventure of travelling in a foreign country.  Learning about other cultures, trying different food and the daily surprises (good and bad!), shy smiles and big belly laughs that come with meeting new people.  For me, most of those things are enriched by attempting to learn some of the local language.  It doesn’t have to be full sentences and pronunciation doesn’t have to be perfect but chances are, if you make an attempt at the obvious words travellers would need, most locals will quickly work out what you’re trying to say AND they’ll respect you more because of it.  Who knows, you may even receive better service, extra advice or just bigger smiles.  Either way it’s a win win!

I’m currently three weeks in to this trip and I admit that I find Vietnamese the most difficult language I’ve ever attempted.  As with most Asian languages, tone is everything!  There are six tones in the Vietnamese language so every syllable can be pronounced six different ways and a different tone can change the meaning of a word completely.  For example, a word such as ‘ma’ can mean horse, tomb, rice seedling, but, cheek or ghost.  Imagine the confusion if you thought you were asking for a horse and you ended up with a tomb!  And don’t get me started on regional differences!

Having said all of that, I’m proud of my attempts so far and if you’re planning a trip to Vietnam in the future and you want to earn the respect of the locals, I think these are the easiest one’s to start with.  Just remember, most of them sound nothing like what you see here so check the pronunciation online before you start experimenting!

Hello: Xin Chao
Thank you: Cam on
Good morning: Chao boui saang
Good afternoon: Chao boui chiei
Good evening: Chao boui toi
Goodbye: Tam biet
Yes: Vang
No: Khong
Excuse me: Xin loi
How are you?: Ban khoe khong  (unfortunately, if you nail this one, it quickly moves into the “I’m fine, how are you” thing and all of a sudden I’m lost!)
How much: Bao nhieu

I’m proud to say that I’ve even mastered numbers from 1-100 but it turns out this is one of the easiest things to master in Vietnamese – a lot easier than Thai!

If you’re keen and really want to get into it, there are a number of apps available that can run you through some lesson based learning and, more importantly, assist with correct tones.  I use Google translate when I need something specific (menu items, visits to the pharmacy, etc) but you still can’t beat practicing with (on??) the locals.  With the help of the friendly staff where we stay, the lovely girls at the coffee shop, the barber and the baguette lady, who knows where I’ll be in a few more weeks!

If you’re normally a bit shy, give it a go next time you’re in a foreign country.  You might be a little embarrassed to start with and you might give the locals a good laugh but I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

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