Traditions and Customs of Vietnam One misplaced word or gesture and the host is out back polishing the shotgun. Take the French, for instance. They did, after all, invent the term faux pas .
Faux pas are natural baggage for the unwary overseas visitor.
In Japan there are the complexities of the deferential bow. There's the eye-brow raising implications of the weak handshake in England or America. Or the nightmarish consequences of eating food with your left hand at a Bedouin's banquet. The Vietnamese are no different and many of their customs seem impenetrable to the average foreign visitor. For example pronouns, depending on your gender, age, experience and wealth.