Funny in Vietnam

Not a sticky but I had one a couple of years ago.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=848805

When you are driving on the road , in the right lane , going with the flo ,
there is always someone to cut you off to turn right !!!
May the strength of Bubba give me peace

Had never seen that thread. But some doozies. Thanks.

Many, when the deceased is laid to rest put rice and a piece of gold in their mouth. Of course, the obvious conclusion of the practice is that it has leas to grave robbers in poorer areas. It was told to me that this analogous to having a little spending money for the trip . Perhaps they may get hungry or pass a toll booth.

First Port of call when ill is to visit pharmacy and ask pharmacist. She recommends meds. If those meds don't cure, then visit doctor.

Was having the lower cabinets put in the restaurant and asked the little lady at what height she would like them . Can not recall the exact number ( not the traditional 80), but very very low. At any rate they got built and someone came and looked at them. Measured them and said OMG you can not have them that height . Why we asked.
“ anyone who uses it will become ill” they said. Say what? So he pulls out his tape. Measure to prove it. Sure enough on the back of any tape measure is a guide to “lucky” lengths and unlucky: on the back are numbers and writing in red and black. If it aligns with all read your one lucky person and good to go. But heaven forbid if the number aligns with any black it list the word in VNese of the bad luck that will haunt you.
I would include a photo, but do not know how....my unlucky  day

Diazo wrote:

Why we asked.
“ anyone who uses it will become ill” they said. Say what? So he pulls out his tape. Measure to prove it. Sure enough on the back of any tape measure is a guide to “lucky” lengths and unlucky: on the back are numbers and writing in red and black.

What your worker said was both true and untrue.  Feng Shui is believed to be very important to bring harmony into life, especially in business.  That belief is not limited to Vietnam; Feng Shui is also practiced in North America and Europe.  The measurement of the main fixtures (not all) in houses and businesses is part of Feng Shui. 

I'm not a superstitious person; I walk under ladder, open umbrellas indoors, not bothered by a broken mirror, trim my nails at night, put my handbag on the floor, not afraid of number 13, and I don't throw salt over my shoulder.  Still, I practice some aspects of Feng Shui when it's convenient for me to do so:  I followed the rules of measurements when having a Buddhist altar built and installed in my apartment three years ago.

If I were you, I wouldn't change the cabinets because they're not the main fixture in a restaurant; the stove is.  If the measurement of the stove doesn't show harmony or prosperity, then I would change it.

After seeing the flow of several businesses altered by a slight move of the owner's or major employee's desk, I no longer doubt the effect of Feng Shui.

Diazo wrote:

Was having the lower cabinets put in the restaurant and asked the little lady at what height she would like them . Can not recall the exact number ( not the traditional 80), but very very low. At any rate they got built and someone came and looked at them. Measured them and said OMG you can not have them that height . Why we asked.
“ anyone who uses it will become ill” they said. Say what? So he pulls out his tape. Measure to prove it. Sure enough on the back of any tape measure is a guide to “lucky” lengths and unlucky: on the back are numbers and writing in red and black. If it aligns with all read your one lucky person and good to go. But heaven forbid if the number aligns with any black it list the word in VNese of the bad luck that will haunt you.
I would include a photo, but do not know how....my unlucky  day

I've noticed Some bathroom door frames are really low I had to bend down (alternatively do  the limbo dance) or hit my head entering bathroom.

That's not done that way due to superstition I take it? House or building especially built for local person's height perhaps?

Btw, does the tape measure heights only apply to restaurant cabinets? Not house or apartment cabinets, tables and kitchen worktops? Because, my dining table and kitchen worktop would be a bit more comfortable using if they were a couple of inches lower (kitchen table) and higher (kitchen worktop).

Re. Vietnamese superstitions. Apparently, a geomancer is consultated to make sure shops are situated auspiciously:

http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-as … -3381.html

More superstitions:

Www.theculturetrip.com/asia/vietnam/art … e/%3famp=1

My favorites are not allowing kids to wear helmets as their brains would stop growing, no haircuts before exams, pregnant woman should not step over hammock or her kid would become 'lazy'.

No, as I understand it it is applied to everything. That is why stair steps and risers are not the equivalent to  7”/11”. As I understand it it is Buddhist based So the Catholics etc. have no issue with bad luck. I suspect if you measure yours they will comply with the red indicators the entire width of the tape. I wish I knew how to post a photo here I would show the backside of a VNese tape. But I do not think it accounts for every odd ball dimension e.g your bathroom door. I say that because you you do not have to move to far up or down from your desired measurement to hit a lucky number. BTW I measured my very short wife. Turns out she has to have a bit trimmed off her legs. No wonder she had the bad luck of getting me.

Diazo wrote:

I wish I knew how to post a photo here I would show the backside of a VNese tape.

This listing on Amazon shows 4 different views of a tape measure:

amazon. com/Luban-Measure-Metric-Inches-fengshui/dp/B07RYP8W9V/

That was a link found in this blog:

fengshuied. com/feng-shui-ruler

The Amazon tape would have no meaning in VN. But that is the gist of the tape. A local would never know what bad luck is entering their lives, nor good luck for that matter. If you had a choice between 23cm and being rich or 22cm and getting a terminal illness, you would probably do some appropriate adjustments.

Diazo wrote:

No, as I understand it it is applied to everything. As I understand it it is Buddhist based So the Catholics etc. have no issue with bad luck. I suspect if you measure yours they will comply with the red indicators the entire width of the tape. I wish I knew how to post a photo here I would show the backside of a VNese tape.

My niece-in-law is Catholic, pure, pure Catholic, as in "we're the 600k Catholics from Ninh Bình, Nam Định, and Thanh Hóa; we brought our faith and our churches with us to the South in '54, formed a village in Đồng Nai, recreated our old life, raised our children in the same tradition, and never will we alter from it".  The main fixtures in all of her siblings' and relatives' homes adhere to Feng Shui measurements. 

In theory, Catholics do not believe in bad luck.  In practice, they don't do anything that may bring bad luck into their lives.

Here are the images of the tape:

Thước Lỗ Ban 1

Thước Lỗ Ban 2

Diazo wrote:

If you had a choice between 23cm and being rich or 22cm and getting a terminal illness, you would probably do some appropriate adjustments.

The options are not between rich and terminal illness.  They're more than likely between harmony and obstacles, smooth sailing and struggling.  That's why I said your worker simplified the issue by saying "anyone who uses it will become ill."  It's untrue what he said, but it's true that difficulties *may* happen to the business (not the people).

Thanks for the pics ole clever one. This fool is computer stupid. Yupper that is what the tapes look like and say. I am really clueless to all the good luck/bad luck thoughts. Not sure if the tape is related to the Feng Shui gentlemen.

It is rather ironic they plug these good/bad luck ideas into business also. Grand opening on a lucky day, first person in does not buy bad luck, ask a question and do not buy bad luck. Never crosses their minds to treat customers fairly, kindly etc. and you will have more customers. Which could be considered good luck. But never crosses their mind. We had bought our liquor for or business for a long time. I was always the one that picked it up. To the better half once. While I was chatting with the owner the my wife  picked up a bottle and looked it. The owner jumped dead in her.....! She said “ by the looks of the way you dress you could never buy it, so do not touch”. So I told her, “ yes, my wife is an unpretentious simple dressing, kind women, and you young lady just lost a customer”. She probably chocked it up to bad luck. We have a friend who ranks right up there with the wealthiest people in our city. She dresses simple and gets the same treatment all the time.
Gosh I am long  winded.

Ciambella wrote:

Diazo wrote:

No, as I understand it it is applied to everything. As I understand it it is Buddhist based So the Catholics etc. have no issue with bad luck. I suspect if you measure yours they will comply with the red indicators the entire width of the tape. I wish I knew how to post a photo here I would show the backside of a VNese tape.

My niece-in-law is Catholic, pure, pure Catholic, as in "we're the 600k Catholics from Ninh Bình, Nam Định, and Thanh Hóa; we brought our faith and our churches with us to the South in '54, formed a village in Đồng Nai, recreated our old life, raised our children in the same tradition, and never will we alter from it".  The main fixtures in all of her siblings' and relatives' homes adhere to Feng Shui measurements. 

In theory, Catholics do not believe in bad luck.  In practice, they don't do anything that may bring bad luck into their lives.

Here are the images of the tape:

Thước Lỗ Ban 1

Thước Lỗ Ban 2

Diazo wrote:

If you had a choice between 23cm and being rich or 22cm and getting a terminal illness, you would probably do some appropriate adjustments.

The options are not between rich and terminal illness.  They're more than likely between harmony and obstacles, smooth sailing and struggling.  That's why I said your worker simplified the issue by saying "anyone who uses it will become ill."  It's untrue what he said, but it's true that difficulties *may* happen to the business (not the people).

Oh I have no clue what will befall them. And I probably misunderstood his meaning. But for me it remains a bunch of silliness that I enjoy watching. They take it rather seriously. I wish one could see the height of my counters. Unusable to me and quite humorous to all that see them.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Diazo wrote:

I wish I knew how to post a photo here I would show the backside of a VNese tape.

This listing on Amazon shows 4 different views of a tape measure:

amazon. com/Luban-Measure-Metric-Inches-fengshui/dp/B07RYP8W9V/

That was a link found in this blog:

fengshuied. com/feng-shui-ruler

Thanks for the link explaining it all. I never knew it to that length ( no pun intended). I just enjoy the humour.

Diazo wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Diazo wrote:

I wish I knew how to post a photo here I would show the backside of a VNese tape.

This listing on Amazon shows 4 different views of a tape measure:

amazon. com/Luban-Measure-Metric-Inches-fengshui/dp/B07RYP8W9V/

That was a link found in this blog:

fengshuied. com/feng-shui-ruler

Thanks for the link explaining it all. I never knew it to that length ( no pun intended). I just enjoy the humour.

We go the distance on this forum. Not make short shrift.

Notice how many of these tape measures subtly rip off the Stanley brand with their color schemes without actually using the brand name.   I wonder what the Feng Shui is for being a brand counterfeiter.

Sorry, there is no way I would alter the height of a counter top because of a lucky number.  If I'm paying for and I'm using said item it would be sized by the debtor, not an arbitrary mark that doesn't take into account the height of the user.

And I tried to read the fengshuied.com link and I actually got tired shaking my head at the seriousness of the concept.

Diazo wrote:

.... I would show the backside of a VNese tape. ...

This quote with "..show the backside.." is what we should do to all superstitions. Or flip the bird.

Diazo wrote:

....
I would include a photo, but do not know how....my unlucky  day

I remember starting a thread about how to post photos a while ago:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=725193

there should be a sticky post on this really. Maybe there is, and I've not seen it.

no. odd measurements are because of incompetent and lazy builders. we hv them in AU too.

'short shrift' does not quite mean that ... in usage (which of course like all English is rapidly 'going down the gurgler') means more impatient, critical, peremptory, arrogant, imperious

myvietnam wrote:

no. odd measurements are because of incompetent and lazy builders. we hv them in AU too.

Perhaps you did not understand the belief here. Has nothing to do with competence, nor laziness. Sorry if I did not state it clearly.

myvietnam wrote:

'short shrift' does not quite mean that ... in usage (which of course like all English is rapidly 'going down the gurgler') means more impatient, critical, peremptory, arrogant, imperious

I did say NOT...

P.s this has to be my shortest post in a while. 

I looked up "short shrift" and was surprised that it comes from "shrive", a term for the act of confessing to a priest, and "short shrift" originally meant to give a short confession so they could execute someone more quickly. 

My understanding of current usage is that it means to not give adequate time or attention to something, or simply to do something quickly.

https://youtu.be/Q7LKJXvf_do