5 ms·

beautiful but also sad for obvious reasons. having been to vietnam (a couple times by now) one of the first things i noticed was how life and work are not just

beautiful but also sad for obvious reasons. having been to vietnam (a couple times by now) one of the first things i noticed was how life and work are not just seemlessly connected there but in fact appear inseparable and in some cases practically identical. this is somewhat common in many developing countries of course but for vietnamese people entrepreneurship seems to be part of their dna. even in other asian countries i didn't see so regularly families having dinner in what was a shop for clothes or a garage just an hour ago. almost every business there is a family business. so, it's no surprise that this young fellow just naturally decided to financially support his family by following in his father's footsteps when he got sick. i'm absolutely sure there was no sensationalist interests or seeking of danger at play. he probably would have preferred to go to school and play with his friends. it was simply the natural decision to take in times of uncertainty and danger.

makeitdouble 3y ago
Mostly agree, just a minor nitpick > he probably would have preferred to go to school and play with his friends. Not all kids want to do kiddie things. At 10yo or so, if I had the competence and choice between doing actual work for 8 hour at my dad's office, and going to school with the other kids, I'd totally have chosen the former. I don't think kids should work or skip school, but their personal preference is probably more varied than we account for.
- LtWorf 3y ago
  > I'd totally have chosen the former. Yeah, for 1 day… then you'd know what it was about and would have preferred the less boring alternative.
  - makeitdouble 3y ago
    Honestly I always preferred to be doing something than sitting in a room listening to lectures. In college I pulled all the tricks in the book to convert real projects/internships into units, and I'd be seriously depressed if I had to go back to school. I think that's also why I have such a hatred for regular in-person corporate meetings.
    - 2-3-7-43-1807 3y ago
      maybe you should watch a documentary about the vietnam war if you believe a child prefers that over a peaceful upbringing.
  - qball 3y ago
    >and would have preferred the less boring alternative Work pays a wage and you're actually doing something objectively useful. That money can be used to make the time you're not at work much better. School [for the people who don't need to be there] does not pay and you're doing nothing objectively useful; it's a time-suck that leaves you broke anyway.
    - LtWorf 3y ago
      > objectively useful I'm not sure most office workers feel this way about their work.
Saigonautica 3y ago
I think that's a fair judgement! There's an expression I've heard here that amounts to "If you lose your job, start a business". People prefer steady jobs, but if that's not available, you either start a business or join the family one. A side effect is that when I go to industrial markets, a lot of the shopkeepers are working for family, and aren't really being "paid" per se. So they can be a bit cranky at times, there are indeed places they would rather be. So I make sure to have my order ready and zero questions :) I'm actually setting up a family business in Vietnam right now. Many families have one, but mine does not. I've got relatives coming back from jobs overseas and I want to offer them something better than being a receptionist for USD 250 a month. Or at least something in addition to that.

makeitdouble 3y ago

Mostly agree, just a minor nitpick > he probably would have preferred to go to school and play with his friends. Not all kids want to do kiddie things. At 10yo or so, if I had the competence and choice between doing actual work for 8 hour at my dad's office, and going to school with the other kids, I'd totally have chosen the former. I don't think kids should work or skip school, but their personal preference is probably more varied than we account for.

LtWorf 3y ago
> I'd totally have chosen the former. Yeah, for 1 day… then you'd know what it was about and would have preferred the less boring alternative.
- makeitdouble 3y ago
  Honestly I always preferred to be doing something than sitting in a room listening to lectures. In college I pulled all the tricks in the book to convert real projects/internships into units, and I'd be seriously depressed if I had to go back to school. I think that's also why I have such a hatred for regular in-person corporate meetings.
  - 2-3-7-43-1807 3y ago
    maybe you should watch a documentary about the vietnam war if you believe a child prefers that over a peaceful upbringing.
- qball 3y ago
  >and would have preferred the less boring alternative Work pays a wage and you're actually doing something objectively useful. That money can be used to make the time you're not at work much better. School [for the people who don't need to be there] does not pay and you're doing nothing objectively useful; it's a time-suck that leaves you broke anyway.
  - LtWorf 3y ago
    > objectively useful I'm not sure most office workers feel this way about their work.

Saigonautica 3y ago

I think that's a fair judgement! There's an expression I've heard here that amounts to "If you lose your job, start a business". People prefer steady jobs, but if that's not available, you either start a business or join the family one. A side effect is that when I go to industrial markets, a lot of the shopkeepers are working for family, and aren't really being "paid" per se. So they can be a bit cranky at times, there are indeed places they would rather be. So I make sure to have my order ready and zero questions :) I'm actually setting up a family business in Vietnam right now. Many families have one, but mine does not. I've got relatives coming back from jobs overseas and I want to offer them something better than being a receptionist for USD 250 a month. Or at least something in addition to that.