Exotic Vietnam, same same but better !

Temple in Hanoi

The Vietnamese use bikes to transport everything

Yes, Vietnam is part of Southeast Asia and shares similarities  to other Asian countries Ive visited , yet it does have a truly distinct flavour of its own. I am skipping to the last country on my big trip as its in direct contrast to the serenity and order of France even though the French did occupy Vietnam at one point in history. There are still reminders of the French occupation in buildings seen in certain Vietnamese areas. This wonderful country is not for the faint hearted traveller. One must deal with extreme traffic noise, the risk of being run down by throngs of motorbikes wherever you walk, even on footpaths, unbelievable humidity, if visiting in the monsoon season, like we did and of course and being harrassed constantly for all sorts of services and goods.

The process of purchasing something Vietnamese is very entertaining though. This leads me to explain the same , same but better or different expression. I have published below an example off the net which sums up the meaning of same, same from the Lonely Planet.

It's used all over South East Asia. The "same same" part could be based on Malay/Indonesian sama sama (meaning same same) and/or a similar expression in Thai, and the "but different" part was allegedly tacked onto it by tourists who found it funny. 

Who knows why it got popular, but tourists and people in the tourist industry all over the region (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, maybe other countries as well) have adopted it enthusiastically. People wear the phrase on T-shirts and bags, and there are restaurants and guest houses that use it as a name. 

My guess is that "sameness" is simply a concept that comes up a lot while buying things and haggling about the price. I'm sure everyone who has traveled a bit can't count the number of times s/he has had something same same but different from the following conversation with salespeople with just enough tourist English to get by:

Gorgeous silk lantern shops adorn the streets of Hoi An

Buyer: How much is this?
Seller: 50
B: And this one?
S: 80.
B: What is the difference?
S: No different. This one bigger.
B: And this one? Is it the same?
S: Same same this. 
B: Oh. 
S: This and this: same same. This and other: no same same. 
And before you know it, you start doing it too:
B: Ah, so this and this also same same?
S: No! No same same this. This and that one yes same same. 
B: Ah, this and this same same?
S: Yes! Same same!
B: Same same! Good! 
Smile. Pay. Smile. Walk away with new "same same" vocabulary.

Now that you understand, the same, same concept, I suppose I better add a creative aspect to this blog. Apart from great food, interesting history , Vietnam is a photographer's delight with its stunning landscapes, varied art and crazy cities. Enjoy my photos!

Tribes person from Sapa village

Closeup of an umbrella

Sapa village baby boy

Sapa countryside