The Signs of Vietnam

In a nation where the national currency is the “dong,” I’ve come to expect signs that perhaps would be a tad too racy if they appeared on a shop front back in Canada.

The combination of monosyllabic words and English close equivalents conspire to give the message that, well, the Vietnamese are obsessed with the penis. At least that’s how it appears on the surface.

And since I’ve already talked about the sights of Vietnam, and the sounds of Vietnam, I figured I should put together a post of some of the signs of Vietnam as well.

Here’s a look at some of the innuendo in the signage around the country. And please, let me know if you think the same way too, or if I’m just stuck at Freud’s third stage of psychosexual development.

(Hover your mouse over each photo to see where it was taken.)

The award for the most ballsy sign (pardon the pun) would have to go the next one. This is the sign on a shop door front in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. There’s so much happening in that part of town, that I don’t think many people noticed it.

Ahem. Zooming out you can see what the store owner was referring to.

I wonder if anyone has ever told him what message he is sending with that choice of acronym. Or maybe the crafty shop owner was deliberate in his word choice — there is a lot of “stiff” competition among vendors in Hanoi.

Have you seen any signs like these in your travels?