In Vietnam families live together. Kids live with their parents as well as their grandparents. The young Vietnamese generally live with their parents until they get married. From what I can see they are very respectful of their parents and will always respect their decisions. A friend of mine, who is 24 and lives at home, wanted to go on a holiday with her friends for the approaching TET New Year celebrations. Her parents refused, saying it was family time, and she, despite being disappointed accepted without debate.
What I don't know is how the young Vietnamese get some alone time once they are in a relationship. Many are in relationships; all living with their parents. Of course they can go outside together; to cafes, restaurants or to the cinema but what if they want a bit of alone time? This obviously happens before they get married and move in together but I assume their busy house filled with family members is not the ideal place.
Is this where the Nha Nghi (guesthouse in English) make their money? You will see a sign for guesthouse accommodation a lot in Vietnam, especially when you get out of the city centres. Driving around Vietnam I saw them everywhere and wondered how the hell they ever made any money; sitting on a back street in an outer suburb of town. On my street in Hanoi they are at least 5 or 6 guesthouses over a few kilometres.
So, if the Nha Nghi the solution for a bit of one on one time?
You will also find hotels (khach san) that advertise an hourly rate. These are probably nice once in a while for married couples to enjoy a bit of alone time with each other. Khach san and Nha nghi in Vietnam serve a similar function to the "Love Hotels" in Japan. I have spent my share of time at these types of hotels in Vietnam, and can tell you that at night they get busy and you can sometimes hear noises from the adjacent rooms.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Vietnamese are generally quite discrete when it comes to sex. Unfortunately this may have other negative consequences: youth not getting enough sex education, and a high rate of abortion. Pornography is prohibited and Vietnamese are not very open about sex.