What’s this blog about?

Welcome to Vocal For Vietnam!

"Vietnam is an underdeveloped and war-torn country".

"The majority of Vietnamese people don't understand English".

"Vietnam's cuisine only has Pho".

Vietnam this Vietnam that...

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I can't say I've not fallen prey to some of these assumptions and misconceptions before. From a young age, I had spent my childhood in Uzbekistan, a foreign country far from Vietnam, my hometown. Growing up influenced by Western culture and being separated from my roots, I did not know much about Vietnamese culture and our customs.

Therefore, when I heard I was going to move back to Vietnam in 5th grade, my mind, filled with misconceptions about my own country, drifted and cringed as I didn't want to move to an "underdeveloped" country.

However, after moving back to Vietnam and actually living the "Vietnamese experience, through many awkward "incidents" and learning lessons, I have been able to not only correct a lot of my previous ungrounded misconceptions about my own country but also been able to appreciate the beauty and meaning in Vietnamese activities and objects that other people don't like.

That's why I've decided to open up this blog. I want to use my voice and my keen interest in speech and debate to actually SPEAK UP and bring attention to the major misconceptions I find people have of Vietnam while promoting a better, more beautiful image of my home.

Self-introduction

Oh. I was so caught in introducing my blog that I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dieu Anh and I'm currently a rising sophomore in Hanoi. It's pronounced /Zeeu anh/ by the way, not a /dee/ sound.

I have always had an interest in Southeast and East Asian countries and culture in general as I have had the amazing opportunity to travel to many magnificent countries such as Thailand, Korea, Japan, etc. But of course, as a Vietnamese person, I feel the strongest ties to my own home country, and so I want to utilize what I have to share about Vietnam.

Future plans

I will be uploading once a week - each "normal" post will address a common misconception about Vietnam as a whole. However, because I do travel within the country, I will also upload "special" posts to correct misconceptions of a SPECIFIC country/region.

See you soon!

The whole point is: don't fall prey to the wrong baseless misconceptions! But also, keep an open mind and open heart to learn more about my country through my blog.

I'm also going to work my hardest and discover more hidden aspects of Vietnam, sharing both my experiences as well as academic facts for you guys.

Like the Vietnamese proverb "A day of travelling will bring a basketful of learning", I hope to be this traveller, embarking on my special journey.

Look forward to future posts!

Meanwhile, enjoy this picture of me on vacation in Da Nang :)!