Many well-known eateries in Vietnam stop bothering with cleaning or basic hygiene as soon as they get busy.

The VND7,000 (27 U.S. cents) bus fare never bothered me, but getting free rides would push me to rethink my daily habit of riding a motorbike.

At 18, I failed my university entrance exams. By 20, I was working as a car washer in Vung Tau, asking myself a question that would shape the years ahead: “Will I live my whole life like this?”