[jackbl]

Why deny pure Vietnamese beauty?
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By Oliver Kolasch , Student

One of the biggest differences about Vietnam I've noticed and puzzled over is that some Vietnamese youth deny their pure Vietnamese beauty!
I came to Vietnam for two months to conduct research into oriental youth culture. Before Vietnam, I was in Thailand, Japan, Korea, Cambodia and other countries so I partially understand some of the differences and similarities of Asian countries.

In Japan and Cambodia when someone is praised for their beauty, the admirer says something like: "he/she is so beautiful" or "that child is wonderful." But in Vietnam, I usually hear: "she's as beautiful as a Korean movie star," "that boy looks exactly like a Westerner" or "this beauty queen is as beautiful as a French person."

Perhaps, to many young Vietnamese, this way of praising others is normal and they probably feel extremely happy about these flattering words. But for me, I find myself choked when thinking about Vietnam with its wonderful landscapes and friendly people - who are physically as beautiful as anyone in the world - and wonder why some of its citizens do not realize and appreciate this.

Walking along the streets in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, I saw groups of teenagers with straightened hair wearing short skirts, ties and multicolored glasses.

I asked my translator about the teens. He said they were dressed in "popular Korean and Japanese trends" that people who craved attention wore. He also emphasized proudly that young people in Vietnam kept themselves abreast of foreign fashion trends, often adopting them right behind the country of origin.

As I was watching teen TV channels, I was assaulted with a barrage of Korean teen colors. The only thing that's left is that the language in use is Vietnamese.

Much to my regret, the ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long shirt) and natural hair styles are rare in Ho Chi Minh City now. Perhaps, those are the most beautiful pictures from your country.

I still remember a joke from a Cambodian little girl that I met: "we have a unique dark and ugly skin." These words made a listener like me both amused and happy. Because at the very least I know that a Cambodian girl is proud of what she has and does not yearn for things that will never belong to her.