Cleanliness

While eating dinner the other night at a local restaurant a small mouse ran over my shoe.  The situation was a bit unnerving, but there was nothing I could do about it.  I do not know how to say "mouse" in Vietnamese and even if I could, it wouldn't make any difference.  I've eaten at this restaurant before.  Apparently the mouse has too.

The scene reminded me of a recent trip.  My host asked what I wanted for dinner.  Casually, I said I'll eat most anything.  Next time I'll be more careful with my choice of words.  I was thinking beef, chicken, pork, or fish.  Instead, they asked if I wanted turtle.  I said no thanks.  Then, they asked if I wanted to eat a mouse.  I almost died.  Quickly, they said it was a "clean" mouse.  Bewildered, I asked how one could tell the difference.  They said it was a mouse that lived in the rice fields, not in the city. I was comforted by their explanation, but politely refused.  It's amazing how some cultures value things that other societies consider to be repugnant.  Based on this logic, the restaurant mouse was not a clean one.

In fact, most everything in Hanoi is dirty.  And I'm talking about "old" dirt, not "young" stains.  Hanoi just had a birthday party - 1,000 years old.  Perhaps its showing some age.  What will our cities look like in 1,000 years?  Although beautification efforts were at an all-time high, much dirt and litter still remained.  On hot days, the stench can be overpowering when combined with the smell of food and exhaust.  For Westerners, grime and filth are probably the greatest contributors to culture shock.  But cleanliness is a relative term and cultural standards will vary.    

On the other hand, most Americans are obsessed with cleanliness.  Of course, germ-free conditions are good - especially in places where you expect it to be spotless, such as hotels, restaurants, and hospitals.  It makes me wonder how people can live in such conditions and not get sick.  I'll let you know if I make it back alive.  I've heard some American doctors say that bacteria is good for our health since it keeps our antibodies stimulated.  If this is true, then Vietnamese must have well-developed immune systems.  In Vietnam, people have a curiuos habit of wiping off their soup spoons and chopsticks with a paper napkin before using them.  I'm thinking if they need to do this, then the utensils must not be so clean when we sat down. Perhaps it is similar to our 5-second food rule.  It doesn't make a lot of sense either.

I imagine that most Vietnamese are shocked when they come to the U.S. and find most everything to be "sterile" by comparison.  We even have anti-bacterial soap!  Perhaps it is a good form of culture shock for them and others who visit.  Hope so.