do not see the sadness of hunger on children's faces except in extreme cases. They seem almost fearless and fun-loving. An example of this was clearly shown during the 1963 coup d'etat in Saigon when youngsters went right behind tanks and soldiers firing guns, picking up empty shell casings.
Dress
The women of Vietnam have, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful national costumes in the world. It is called the "ao-dai." The over-dress is form-fitting to the waist, with long tight sleeves. At the waist, two panels extend front and back to cover the long satin trousers underneath. Correct fit dictates that the pants reach the sole of the foot, and are always slightly longer than the dress panels. Occasionally lace is sewn around the bottom of each leg. Tradition has kept the color of the pants of the ao-dai to black or white.
The traditional ao-dai has a high mandarian collar and is favored by most of the Vietnamese men for their wives and other family members, as well as their girl friends. Young moderns, however, often choose the newer "Madame Nhu" or boat neckline which is far more comfortable in the tropical heat. After the coup d'etat of 1963 when the Diem regime was deposed, it was rumored that this style ao-dai would be banned, but so far nothing has happened.
The dress portion of the ao-dai is often made of nylon and comes in a variety of bright colors and designs. The extremely dressy ao-dai is usually made from brocade or elaborately embroidered material.
When a woman sits down, she takes the back panel, pulls it up and around into her lap. When riding a bicycle, they often tie the back panel down to the back fender to keep it from getting tangled in the wheels. Often, girls can be seen riding along the streets of Saigon on motor bikes with the back of their ao-dai flying loose, causing foreigners to comment that they look like butterflies, and beautiful ones at that.
Many Americans have become so fond of the dress that they have some specially made to send home to their families. They make excellent hostess gowns.
Many of the Vietnamese wear plain black satin trousers with a short shirt for their everyday work.
In addition to these, one sees a variety of Chinese and Western-type dresses worn in Vietnam. The Vietnamese male however, generally objects to women wearing Western clothing.
The men have a costume that has been almost completely replaced by Western dress in Vietnam today. It is similar to the ao-dai, except the outer garment is shorter and not tightly fitted. They are usually worn by older men or in traditional ceremonies.
Children generally wear Western-type dress until they are teenagers. Little girls may occasionally be seen in the ao-dai on special occasions.
Womens' Hairstyles
Generally, Vietnamese women wear their hair quite long. It is usually very healthy looking, jet-black, and rather fine in texture. Those who can afford it will spend many hours in beauty shops having their hair done in elaborate styles, often upswept. Others will wear it hanging loosely down their back. Older women from the south have traditionally worn their hair pulled back to the nape of their neck and rolled into a bun. Those of the north wear theirs in a roll pulled across the top of the head.
Vietnamese Diet
The Vietnamese is normally much smaller in stature than an average American, with many women weighing under 100 pounds and men weighing between 115 and 135 pounds.
In one day, a Vietnamese will consume only about two-thirds the calories that an American would, but the caloric intake per capita of 2,490 per day ranks among the highest in Asia.
Rice is the staple food. Other foods preferred are fish, pork, various soups laden with noodles, tongue, heart, stomach and a variety of intestines, coagulated blood from animals, spices, hot peppers, a pungent fish sauce called "nuoc-mam," soy-bean sauces, vegetables, fresh fruits, and green tea.
One of the most popular foods is the soup called "Pho" which is sold everywhere on the streets. Pho is the Vietnamese snack, and is eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anytime in between. The Americans have nick-named the mobile soup kitchens "Howard Johnson's."
Fruits and vegetables from Dalat are wonderful and usually are of prime quality.
Sweets are made from rice glutine, fruits, seed, and spices. Coconut cakes are very popular. Children love to be given American candy. If an American starts giving out candy to his little Vietnamese friends on the street, he should be prepared to continue the practice and not mind having hundreds of kids following him around. Chinese food is also popular.
VIETNAMESE SOCIETY
Vietnamese society can be generally classified so that the foreigner can more readily understand the people with whom he might come in contact.
The most important group in Vietnam, in my opinion, is the plain ordinary people, often heard called "peasants." I wish we had a nicer term to denote these fine, long-suffering people. They are very curious about life outside of their own areas and are generally friendly. They are known for their patience and have suffered greatly in the numerous conflicts in the country. They are often the victims of circumstance and of disease. Because of their numbers, they do most of the back-breaking work. These poor people are the backbone of Vietnam and are the main ones about whom this book is written. They may well be the ones who will determine the outcome of the present conflict in Vietnam.
One group which has a limited understanding of Americans and other foreigners and their way of life, and little opportunity to find out, is the working class from the urban and rural areas. People falling into this grouping might be the shopkeeper, low-level civil servant, businessmen, average white collar workers, skilled workers, etc. A lack of understanding of customs and culture both on the part of the Vietnamese and the Americans has occasionally caused friction between the two groups. Better understanding is particularly desired with these people.
Another group might be represented by employees of Vietnamese governmental agencies and private companies. Many of these employees have been greatly influenced by French culture, and most of them speak fluent French, having been educated in French schools in Vietnam or France. Their views of Americans are oftentimes influenced by this French culture and by U.S. movies shown in Vietnam. These people are often leaders in their communities and politically powerful. They are on occasion especially critical of Americans and their culture.
There is also a group of Vietnamese who are quite progressive and change to whatever is in vogue at the moment, and a considerable number of them hold citizenships other than Vietnamese. They are usually quite studious and will make every effort to learn whatever is required to be up to date. Westerners have traditionally mixed easily with this group, as they are anxious to learn Western customs and culture.
Many Vietnamese are working with the Americans either directly in American installations or in Vietnamese governmental positions. They have often been to school outside Vietnam, perhaps in the United States. They understand the Western way of life much better than most Vietnamese and provide an important entree for Americans into Vietnamese culture. However, Americans should not be led to believe that these are traditional Vietnamese. Often, they have become so westernized that they are a class apart from their fellow countrymen. There are those, of course, who have maintained their Vietnamese way of life.
People following Confucian ethics and traditional culture are still greatly in evidence in Vietnam and make up another grouping. They should be handled with all due respect. They sometimes believe that foreigners place too much emphasis on materialism. These people are often the unspoken leaders of small communities and are well respected by their neighbors and friends.
IMPORTANT
