Message from hdao

[Anonymous]

Interesting article with a western perspective on the aspirations of young Vietnamese. I always thought Vietnam was unique in the way good and services were organized in and around a community. The desire for a shopping experience similar to the west is definitely evident in the foot traffic registered at the Coopmarts, Big-C and other box store shopping centers, but when what typical Vietnamese use and consume in their everyday lives can be found by simply walking a few meters in any direction from their front door, I'm not inclined to believe that the culture of Vietnam is going to change. Perhaps, it may get a make over, but the values and practicality of the Vietnamese are deeply ingrained. The article is correct in correlating the change in spending with the rise in income of the average Vietnamese worker, however, young Vietnamese who aspire to have a good life, do not necessarily want a western life. I can use this article to start a discussion on sustainable development, addressing the question: how do countries develop and how should they develop?