Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

It's easy in Vietnam.  I withdrew a cool million from the ATM the other day and then went back for some more.  I've never felt  so rich in all my life!  Did I mention their currency is in Dong?  Right now the exchange rate is about 20,000 Dong per U.S. dollar.  So, withdrawing 2,000,000 Dong is roughly equivalent to $100 U.S. dollars.  Since Vietnam is largely a cash-based economy, one needs to carry money with them all the time.  So leave the credit cards at home, most stores won't take them anyway.  Things used to be this way in America too about 100 years ago! 

The exchange rate is still a bit confusing, especially for quick purchases made on the street.  Sometimes I have to think for a few minutes before making the transaction, much to my dismay.  Frequently the cashier does NOT speak English.  So, they just tell me the price in Vietnamese.  That sounds reasonable, but I can't understand it - even if they speak slowly.  So, I motion for them to write it down.  This works occasionally.  Other times, I flash them five fingers to communicate.  This seems to work too and they flash the price back to me.  Then I have to remember to multiply whatever they say times 10,000.  Five fingers means 50,000 Dong, which is about $2.50 U.S.  You see this can get a bit tricky, especially for higher numbers (I purchased a currency converter for this purpose). 

I'm convinced that Vietnamese just love to see me coming since a fool and his money are soon parted.