Vietnamese youth changing and not for the better

Tuoi Tre
Updated : Tue, May 3, 2011,9:47 AM (GMT+0700)

I miss the old Vietnamese women who spoke gently, dressed simply, and respected inner beauty and wealth.

Photo: Tuoi Tre

When I was a college student, I used to program my life: graduation, marriage, and work forever in Japan.

But after visiting Vietnam, I changed all my plans. I wanted to live in Vietnam, study from the beginning, and forget the sociology diploma I got in Japan.

The decision I made when I was in my early 20s turned out to be a right choice, one with which my parents agreed when they later visited Vietnam.

Actually, before doing anything, I had to research, analyze, and consider carefully. I realized the need to know Vietnamese and that many Japanese companies here pay well for knowing the native language rather than English.

Besides showing my interests to Vietnamese culture, I also explained to my parents with those reasons and told them when exactly I would return to Japan to visit them.
I also promised to be responsible for what I have done and what I will do.

Speaking of this, I notice there are now many Vietnamese who do not consider short- and long-term purposes in their career and life. They are not also familiar with convincing their parents and explaining why they picked a particular path for their life.

Most young people seem to follow social trends or friends and do not have their own viewpoint. When you observe carefully, look at things from your own perspective, you surely will be more responsible and work things out more efficiently.

In addition, young people in Vietnam also have changed a lot in the way they dress and talk in public. I remember when I first came to Vietnam in 2000, everyone on the street wore simple clothes and hardly made up. Everyone possessed a pure Asian beauty, which fascinated many people from a developed Asian country like me.

Nowadays, when I get out on the street, I am surprised to see young people dressing up, making up, and spending a lot of money like Japanese teenagers.

I am quite sure that the most expensive cars, trendy but weird outfits can be found anywhere in this city. What I don’t understand is how Vietnamese youngsters can throw money like this while incomes and living standards in Vietnam are much lower than in Japan?

I know Vietnam is a developing country but the change in young people’s lifestyles has been faster than the growth of the economy. I do not hope to see Vietnam going on that road. I miss the old Vietnamese women who spoke gently, dressed simply, and respected inner beauty and wealth.

Another thing I want to note young people is to take care of what they say in public. People in a group especially often laugh loudly, run around, and act inappropriately showing no respect for people around. When there is a group of young people coming to sit next to us, we are the ones who have to get up and leave.

Ten years ago, Vietnamese youth were very well-behaved and good-natured. I hope these traits will remain but it seems to me like wishful thinking now.

Nohara May (Japanese, head of representative office Onlink Japan)