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It is currently Wed Apr 17, 2024 10:21 am
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How To Meet The Neighbors?
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dreadi
Site Supporter / FFL Dealer
Location: Tacoma, Washington Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2014 Posts: 8351
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We’ve been in our home for just over a year and half. The majority of my neighbors across the street are for a lack of a better word, “Asian” and English is not their first language. I’m fairly certain some of them are related or at least they knew each other previously to all three households living on the same street. I had a good interaction with one of the males a little over a year ago when he wanted to check out my electric mower. We got through the language barrier, he checked it out and bought one that day. So he’s cool.
The question is, how do I get to know my neighbors? It’s a different culture, different language. All I know is that at least two of the homes out of three are owned by different families with the last name “Dang”.
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Wed Aug 15, 2018 9:52 pm |
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roadtechatlarge
Location: TriCities Joined: Fri Feb 5, 2016 Posts: 137
Real Name: Tony
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BBQ!
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Wed Aug 15, 2018 10:02 pm |
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TacticalTuna
Location: Renton Joined: Tue Apr 24, 2018 Posts: 597
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Do you know what flavor of Asian they are? Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino etc. Honestly learning something about their culture might be a good ice breaker. Typical greetings, making note of special holidays go over really well (oh hey happy Chinese new year!)
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Wed Aug 15, 2018 10:13 pm |
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Col_Temp
Site Supporter
Location: Lake Stevens Joined: Fri Jan 3, 2014 Posts: 6211
Real Name: Paris
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foofoobunnypants wrote: Do you know what flavor of Asian they are? Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino etc. Honestly learning something about their culture might be a good ice breaker. Typical greetings, making note of special holidays go over really well (oh hey happy Chinese new year!) Being married to an Asian myself. The above advice is very good advice. Knowing from where they came from will go a long way to understand what holidays they celebrate. Also, if at all possible get to know the kids. If possible if there are some old enough get them to help wash your car or mow the lawn or something. The kids are usually the most fluent of the bunch. And once you know the kids they will introduce you to the parents. ONE absolute, though and this holds true through out Asia. If they are older than you show great respect. BTW having met you before find a way to meet up somehow where you don't scare the crap out of them! (I say that somewhat tongue in cheek but you have to realize they probably have very little experience with someone like you. Dreadlocks are not something you see in Asia!) Either good luck and engage them on a holiday or one of their. BTW if they are Chinese make sure you have Mandarin oranges around for Chinese new year. Bring them and give them. So let us know where they are from and maybe I can help you along. I've got good connections for Malay, Indonesian, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, and a few others through various friends of my Wife in Singapore and elsewhere. (And yes we have friends of all of those!) (BTW feel free to PM me. That goes for Dreadi as well as anyone else!)
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Wed Aug 15, 2018 10:47 pm |
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Wetpaperbag
Site Supporter
Location: olympia Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2013 Posts: 3784
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Continue to be nice. Go over and make conversation as best as possible. In my experience most Asian cultures like cognac, you could always invite them over for a drink. If you do have food ready too. Some Asian cultures expect to be fed when you invite them over. I know I never went hungry when I would go over to my Phillipino friends houses. Even if I just ate they would still have something on hand. I learned to just eat regardless, or not eat in advance if I could.
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Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:02 pm |
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Mr. Q
Site Supporter
Location: S. Everett Joined: Thu May 2, 2013 Posts: 3042
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If their last name is Dang, most likely they are Vietnamese.
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Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:08 pm |
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Old Growth
Site Supporter
Location: Nisqually Valley Joined: Wed Oct 5, 2016 Posts: 4834
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I thought neighbors were there to borrow things from? lol
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 12:10 am |
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O_Kellogg
Site Supporter
Location: Yelm Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2013 Posts: 1403
Real Name: Owen
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I work with a Dang, lives somewhere in Tacoma - no telling if same... Mine's Vietnamese, super nice guy! Drives Toyata pickup, vegetable garden, really broken english - hard to understand till you've spent some time.
The above advice is good. I'll see if I can dig up any good tips...
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 12:51 am |
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Pablo
Site Supporter
Location: Everson, WA Joined: Sun Jan 6, 2013 Posts: 28175
Real Name: Ace Winky
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FOOD!!
Make some tasty treats, BBQ, etc....
And guns!!
Take the dad guys shooting.
_________________ Why does the Penguin in Batman sound like a duck?
Because the eagle sounds like a hawk.
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 2:37 am |
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Guntrader
In Memoriam
Location: Mukilteoish Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2011 Posts: 11595
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Most older Vietnamese guys that came over here in the 70's know how to shoot.
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 3:08 am |
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joao01
Site Supporter
Location: Midwest Joined: Thu Oct 2, 2014 Posts: 8645
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You can look up who owns the property on the Pierce County assessor's site. First names may give you a clue as to culture. Agree with others that the Familial name sounds Vietnamese.
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 3:36 am |
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delliottg
Site Supporter
Location: Duvall Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 Posts: 4604
Real Name: David
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Also being married to an Asian, there's good advice above. Rita is Malaysian and ethnically Chinese. Similar to Col_Temp, we have friends from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, etc.
Reverence of the older folks is universal. Always greet the oldest male first, then work your way down by your best guess at age. In Chinese, everyone who's older than you regardless of family lines is either "Uncle" or "Aunty". Even your cab driver is "Uncle" if he's older than you.
They will typically have multiple names so don't be thrown when you hear different people refer to the same person by different names. For instance, Rita's name isn't Rita, it's a western nickname her father gave her when she was a child, after Rita Hayworth. Her family rarely call her by Rita unless they're trying to get her attention, they call her "Wah", which also isn't her real name, it's a family nickname, and they all have them frequently prefixed with the word "bu", so she'd be "Bu-Wah", this is the most common way she's referred to, and how she refers to herself to her family (without the "bu" part). Then there's her clan name (which also happens to be part of her real name, but this isn't always the case), and then her surname
Food is also pretty universal. The idea of a BBQ is a good one. I wouldn't worry too much about your dreadlocks, Rita says she was more intrigued by them than put off. Throw a block party and get them involved with helping make the food.
Make a point of wishing them a happy new year (in their language) when it's their time to celebrate (make sure you know where they're from because lunar new year happens at different times for various cultures, for example Thai new year is roughly a month after Chinese new year). CNY is equivalent to Thanksgiving, Xmas & New year's all rolled into one that goes on for two weeks.
Asians can be pretty insular until you get to know them, then they become pretty inclusive. Have you watched Gran Torino? The way Clint goes from being antagonistic to basically part of the family is pretty close to my experience (without the gang violence part). Rita's family originally didn't want much to do with a gwai-lo (foreign devil) in the family, but once they got to know me, I feel very comfortable around her family and I think they feel the same about me.
_________________David Unique Treen
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:42 am |
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ironworker78
Site Supporter
Location: puyallup Joined: Sat Nov 3, 2012 Posts: 1146
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I shot my new neighbor with a nerf gun then threw a loaded nerf gun over the fence like a grenade and shouted DEFEND YOURSELF! He yelled at his kids to get their guns and we had a multi yard shootout. May not work for everyone.
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:47 am |
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AR15L
Site Supporter
Location: Nampa, Idaho Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 Posts: 19462
Real Name: Rick
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I have to reference Gran Torino twice in two days?
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:52 am |
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glockgirl
Site Supporter
Location: Bellevue Joined: Tue Aug 6, 2013 Posts: 4895
Real Name: Jennifer
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Dang is Viet. So maybe a BBQ and learn to love yourself some bahn mi? Dang, Nguyen, and Ng are the "Smith" names of Cambodia and Vietnam. Yah, I vote BBQ.
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Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:52 am |
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