Saigon accent

Of course, I didn't know all the Saigon accents; I was just trying to act like a well-behaved person while wandering around the three streets back when I was in Saigon. And a lot happened to me too.

Back then, I was terrified of someone pointing at me and loudly declaring, "Don't think that just because you're from Hanoi you're so great!" Oh my god, it was a girl with a huge braid, staring intently at a strange guy and yelling that. She helped her mother sell bread from a huge cart. Anyway, I don't need to know how sophisticated she was. I just remember she was quite pretty. So much so that I overlooked her "rude" manner of speaking, which was etched into my young mind, overwhelmed by the "beauty" of this Saigon girl.

Her pouty lips were probably famous throughout the street. So much so that her mom kept scolding her for being too pretentious. But I was actually obsessed with that pretense. Her dismissive "nooo" haunted my dreams. That's enough to give you an idea of how ridiculous I am. My face probably needs a mirror to fully express how funny and naive I look. Kids are always curious and scrutinizing everything they do. And what happens when you miss a girl?

Then that kid wandered around the bread cart. He'd sneak away from the adults to buy bread, unafraid of being caught. He was only thinking about his girlfriend. He was just a kid. He only wanted to play, to see that feisty girlfriend again. Even now, I still don't understand myself. But it's okay. Because it's a memory.

That incident taught me a lot of Saigon accents. Luckily I was a child then; if I were older, I'd probably be quite embarrassed speaking them. Fortunately, I've read several books in the library that say Saigonese people have a subtle charm in their speech. Especially the girls. I don't know why, but every girl I meet seems like a princess, every word that comes from those lovely lips. Really! I suddenly feel a strange fondness when I meet a Saigonese girl.

Especially that moment when my petite friend, with both hands, handed me a huge loaf of bread, then looked straight at me and confidently asked when I took my first bite, "Is it delicious?" I'd never forget it!

Later I realized that Saigon girls are like that, and always have been. "Saigon girls are probably more prestigious than the girls from my area," I thought back then. Everything they said was as sweet as honey. Yet they always liked to find fault with me. Because they knew I was trying to imitate the Saigon accent to avoid feeling out of place.

I know the Saigon accent is the "standard Southern accent." My grandmother, who was involved in the revolution in Saigon, said: "If you consider the Hanoi accent the standard of the North, then the standard Southern accent is definitely the Saigon accent." Even though Saigon is home to people from all over the country, including quite a few people of Northern origin.

When I was wandering around Le Quang Sung Street in District 6, the betel nut market looked really strange to a young boy who occasionally came to Saigon. But what was even stranger was the effort of Northerners like me to integrate into the vibrant life here. It was incredibly heartwarming! Knowing that there are Northerners blending into Saigon life. A strange, touching feeling welled up inside me. The old woman selling drinks by the roadside kept inviting me in when she saw me looking around bewildered. Strangely, she spoke in a Northern accent even though she was clearly from the South. "Come in, son. Come in, grandson." It made the boy giggle uncontrollably. Because she was mindful of her customers' feelings, she deliberately changed her accent to make the young boy feel less awkward.

To understand just how difficult it is to imitate a Saigon accent, you'd have to visit the street near the Lang Cha Ca roundabout and Hoang Van Thu Park in Tan Binh District. Everything you'd find in the North is there. There are so many people from Hanoi, all laughing and chatting happily in a slightly accented Saigon dialect. The street names are also names of places in the North like Ba Vi, Long Bien, and Do Son. They do business using the very trades they brought from the North, like selling goods, trading, cutting hair, and shampooing… And here, it doesn't matter what accent you use… it doesn't matter. It's all about mutual agreement between buyer and seller. Another strange thing is that even if you've mastered the Saigon accent, you'll still be recognized immediately. So it's best to stick to your native accent. It's perfectly fine.

The Saigon accent left an impression on me not only when things were going well. When she was angry, it was just as intense. Once, I was a little late for a date with my girlfriend, and her face immediately fell. Then she flashed an angelic smile and softly said, "That was fun, wasn't it?" I remember guys often use that phrase when they're drinking, but in this situation, it took on a completely different meaning. As a result, she insisted on going home even though I had prepared everything, from booking a restaurant to arranging a movie. It was so frustrating! When I suggested eating or drinking something, she'd say, "I don't know anything at all!" Oh my god, I'm not a local like her! I was annoyed. She even mimicked "yes, yes" to everything, as if to tease me. I knew perfectly well that Saigonese people never use the word "yes" like people from the North. Whether happy, sad, or angry, they just say "yes," depending on their facial expression.

Saigon, you know. I've been there so many times I can't even remember how many. What I remember most is the voice, so melodious and soothing, like singing. Not too high, not too low, not too clear, not too deep. Whether spoken loudly or softly, the Saigon accent is gentle and melodious, subtly entering your heart without you even realizing it. Even the everyday greetings are like that. Whether you're having coffee on the sidewalk, eating rice at a roadside stall, or just meeting a stranger, you'll always get that greeting followed by, "Okay, I'm going home now." Like a sweet dessert of affection, isn't it?

So, if there's an article where I, a Hanoi native, speak with a slightly Saigon accent, please don't be angry with me. And if there's an article where I speak with a Hanoi accent, it's just my genuine feelings about Saigon as a Northerner...

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