rubbish

Yes, the Vietnamese do throw the rubbish on the streets.
It does not mean that it is acceptable. Many Vietnamese are not happy with that practice. Others justify it using the weird logic of creating job for the street sweepers (you know: if the streets are clean then the sweepers would not have anything to do).

I personally refuse to throw my garbage on the streets and it has been a dead giveaway as being one of those Viet Kieus.

In case you are wondering, the other dead giveaways are, among others: say thank to the waiter, wear seatbelt (at least until a few years ago), speak a bit too polite, not have a suntan, wear sandals (instead of those flip flops).

I have seen many foreigners take after the habit of throwing garbage on the streets quite quickly!.

thanks, what is a Viet Kieus by the way ?

Viet Kieu is a person of Vietnamese origin who has lived abroad for many years. The term is most appropriately used for Vietnamese who left Vietnam in connection of the end of the war or in connection with the exodus after it.

It has been used also for those students/immigrant workers (to East European countries and Russia) who live just a few years abroad, though not appropriately.

Public urinating: probably just kids and labor workers do that nowadays in big cities.

ok thanks for that...

Talking about shortage of public WC, I remember reading an article some time ago about complaints the Rex hotel has about tour groups using their toilets for (foreign) bus tours. They don't get any revenue out of it and the tourists create disturbance in the hotel. The city council has long asked the (high end) hotels for their understanding and assistance in making the toilets available since the city does not have any good alternatives.

I guess the tour buses now have a new alternative since the opening of Vincom.