How do poor Vietnamese live?

Body translation

How do poor Vietnamese live?

How do poor Vietnamese live?

Comment translation

Tam Yu

I cannot speak for all poor Vietnamese. I came from a poor family, so let me tell you how do we live.

I’m from Hai Phong, a city in the northern region of Vietnam. My family lived in the countryside, near the sea. My parents raised shrimp and crab for living, it used to be good and provide us a comfortable life, but things gradually became worse because of environmental issues, we had to grow rice, raise pigs, chickens, and work as part-time construction workers beside the shrimp and crab farming industry.

My parents wake up early, around 4–5 AM, and also go to bed early, 8–9 PM. For breakfast, we have rice and left over food from the dinner before. Nothing special for lunch and dinner, every meals must have vegetables or vegetable soup ( I think this is typical for Vietnamese ). We use both gas and wood stove for cooking. We have dogs as guards.

So basically, we can supply food ourselves, except for dairy products - it’s quite luxury to our standards, we just need money for school, to buy a motorbike, or to build/maintain our house.

The situation is the same for our neighborhood, when things went too bad, we sold a piece of our land to pay the debt. The children are sent to school for the hope of a better future and they’d support their parents when they have jobs.

I cannot speak for all poor Vietnamese. I come from a poor family, so let me tell you how we live.

I am from HaiPhong, a city in northern Vietnam. My family lives in the countryside by the sea. My parents were good at raising shrimp and crabs for a living, which provided us with a comfortable life, but due to environmental problems, the situation became worse and worse, and we had to grow rice, raise pigs and chickens, and work part-time construction workers next to the shrimp and crab farming industry. My parents got up early, got up around 4-5 in the morning and went to bed at 8-9 in the evening, also early. For breakfast we ate rice and leftovers from the previous dinner. Lunch and dinner are nothing special, and you have to eat vegetables or vegetable soup at every meal (I think this is typical of Vietnamese). We cooked with gas stove and wood stove. We used dogs as guards. So basically, we can provide our own food, except for dairy – dairy is quite a luxury for us and we need money to go to school, buy a motorcycle, or build/maintain our house. The same is true of our community, when things got bad and we sold a piece of land to pay off the debt. Children are sent to school for a better future, and when they have jobs, they support their parents.

As I am writing this, I don’t know what is the difference between the poor and the rich, I only know the poor life.

Now I have a job, live far away from my parents and I am also poor, just in a different way with my parents. I am an engineer, have an okay life with my salary. I support my parents by covering my bother’s school fee and monthly expense, so I do not have much for myself. I do not have a motorbike, I commute by public bus. Rarely travel, go to watch movies, eat out in KFC, restaurants, etc. For clothes, I have a limit for the price and always try to buy sale off products, etc. As I get used to this poor life, and to have a job a an engineer is a dream came true to me, I am okay with this life.

I hope this answer is helpful.

Thank you for requesting an answer from me. It’s a chance for me to look back our lives and think about where we are.

When I write this answer, I don't know what the difference is between the poor and the rich, I only know the lives of the poor. Now I have a job that lives far away from my parents and I'm poor, just poor in a different way than my parents. I'm an engineer and I'm not badly paid. I supported my parents by paying for my brother's tuition and living expenses, so I didn't have much money to keep for myself. I don't have a motorcycle, I commute to work by bus. Rarely travels, rarely watches movies, rarely eats at KFC, restaurants. For clothes, I have a price cap and always try to buy discounted products. When I got used to this kind of poor life, having a job, becoming an engineer was a dream come true for me, and I was very satisfied with this life.

I hope this answer is helpful to you.

Thank you for your question. This is an opportunity for me to look back on our lives and reflect on where we are now.

Shaipudin Shah Harun (reply upstairs)

Malaysian here. That was my life when I was a kid. The best years in my life. We were poor in money but rich in life. My grandparents were padi farmers. We had our own rice and chickens and ducks were range free. None of those commercially reared. Sweetest meat ever. My grandfather was a hunter and I grew up on a diet of wild venison. Beats wagyu beef anytime. Now my children and grandchildren know nothing of this and my stories are but “tales of the ancient”. So for those who are still living this lives savour it, for it will go away and only faded memories remain.

I am Malaysian. That's how I lived when I was a kid. It was the best time of my life. We are poor in our pockets, but we live in abundance. My grandparents were farmers. We have our own rice, chickens and ducks are free-range, not commercially raised, and the meat is delicious.

My grandfather was a hunter, and I grew up eating game, which was better than wagyu beef at any time. Now my children and grandchildren don't know anything about it, and my story is just "ancient story." So, for those who are still alive, savor this life, because it will disappear and only faded memories remain.

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One day you will look back and see how very rich you were coming from a self-sufficient background. Like you, I would say I can from a working poor class family by economic definition. We did not own land. My dad had an eight grade education, my mom did not finish her last year of college, because they got married and I came along. . Somehow my dad finish his education and became a civil engineer for a university. He was a natural at physics. Imagine that? My mom was a fashion Illustrator for a famous department store and we were still working class living from paycheck to paycheck. To keep us off the streets, my mom put us in music and dance. We spent our weekends in museums and hated it, but it did enrich our lives. They saved for a house and we entered the lower middle class in the suburbs. My sister became an accountant and I studied economics, because we never, ever wanted to be poor. We entered middle class. Yet, I became an international banker still poor in a city with crazy rising prices. So I get you. When the economic collapse happened, international banks purged and I learned how much a degree was worth, but coming from a place where people worked their butts off to achieve high standards, losing hurt, but was not scary. Instead with what I learned in college and life struggles, it was a freeing moment to re-create and learn how to be self-sufficient. Being poor has it advantages, but self-sufficiency is not easy. Nevertheless, your inner drive just kicks into gear. Now, I live in a rural area where people raise chickens and cows on the outskirts of my town and I think how wonderful.

One day, when you look back, you will find out how rich you were. Like you, by definition, I come from a poor working-class family. We don't have land. My dad was in eighth grade, and my mom didn't finish her last year of college because they got married and I was born. Somehow, my dad finished school and became a civil engineer at a university. He was naturally good at physics. You know what? My mom became a fashion illustrator at a famous department store, and we were still working-class people living on a salary. In order not to let us live on the streets, my mother let us play music and dance. We spend weekends at museums, and I hate museums, but it does enrich our lives. They saved up money to buy a house, and we went into the lower middle class in the suburbs. My sister became an accountant, and I studied economics because neither of us wanted to live in poverty. We entered the middle class. However, I became an international banker and remained poor in a city where prices were rising wildly. When the economy collapsed and international banks were liquidated, I learned the value of a degree from a place where people were desperately working to meet high standards, and losing would hurt, but it wasn't terrible. Poverty has its benefits, but self-sufficiency is not easy. Now, I live in a rural area where people raise chickens and cows on the outskirts of my town, which I think is fantastic.

Anuj Saxena

Good luck my friend, you are a light for your parents, keep working hard. I appreciate that you have given the answer very honestly. I have been living in Vietnam for the last 17 years and as per my experience, people look very much satisfied with their work (whatever they do) but most of the people are financially tight because they have high sense of responsibility and take care of the need of their family left behind.

Good luck, friends, you are a beacon for your parents, keep up the good work. I appreciate that you were very honest in your answer. I've been living in Vietnam for the last 17 years and in my experience, people seem to be very happy with their jobs (no matter what they do), but most people are financially stressed because they have to take care of their home, so there needs to be a high sense of responsibility.

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Where did you learn English? Your English Writing skills are really good. Not many people in Vietnam can speak English as it can cost a lot to learn

Where did you learn English? Your English writing skills are really good. In Vietnam, not many people speak English, because it costs a lot of money to learn English

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You have a same life just like many normal Vietnamese people who grow up from countryside but one thing that different is motorbike. Mostly people even they could be called poor but they have a motorbike for moving. You’re an engineer and you have full ability to buy one. Maybe you like moving by public transportation, that is a good idea too

Your life is the same as many ordinary Vietnamese who grew up in the countryside, but one thing is different, and that is motorcycles. Most people can be called poor, but they have at least one motorcycle to ride. You're an engineer and you're perfectly capable of buying one. Maybe you prefer to take public transport, which is also a good idea.

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Yeah. I have one now. I just did not like the idea to borrow money to buy a motorbike. I only want to buy it with cash. That’s why I kept delaying. Normally a used mortorbike is about 10mil VND. I bought one for 3 mil. Since normally many companies provide shuttle bus, and if not I can use public buses. It is also safer than riding a motorbike to work.

yes. I have one now. I just don't like borrowing money to buy a motorcycle. I just want to buy it with my cash. That's why I keep procrastinating. Usually a used motorcycle is about 10 million VND. I bought one for three million. Because usually many companies offer shuttles, if not, I can take the bus. It's also safer than riding a motorcycle to work.