What makes a layout 'look' the part?

As I add some bits and pieces to my module I have to keep on asking myself what will I need to add to make it clearly a segment of a city in modern Vietnam?

Now that the basic track is laid I need to start thinking about all those little touches that clearly tell a viewer that this is Vietnam, not China or Japan or Sydney, Australia. Part of it is the vegetation of course, so I'm trying to find out a bit more about that aspect of Vietnam. But I also need to consider items such as road signs, walls, fences, footpaths, other public signs, posters, advertising and railway signs as well.

I can get a lot of this information through looking at images found on the web and through my own observations. But it's not easy. If I wanted to see road signs in Australia I'd get a driver's handbook, but what is the equivalent in Vietnam, and is there an English version?

I've recently been surfing the net (do people still do that?) to find typical outdoor posters etc. to be displayed on the module. One thing you notice when you go to VN is that despite the rapid move towards a market economy Vietnam is still a very political country, so many of the posters, statues etc are of a political nature. Still if the module is to be accurate I need to have to place a couple of political posters beside the roads, as well as Vietnamese flags, which are quite common on buildings.  My only concern is that if I ever display this module to the public here in Australia, it might cause a problem when viewed by those who are less enthusiastic about the current Vietnamese Government.

Oh well, I'll worry about that if it ever occurs.

The problem is that I can find plenty of political posters but not so many advertising type posters. When I go to Saigon at the end of July I'll have to take many photos of advertising posters so that I can select a few for the module.

I will also need to construct a typical level crossing as well, as I have one crossing three tracks! I'd really like to build those gates with wheels on the bottom, that are rolled across to stop road vehicles. I have some photos so at some point will 'have a go'. I've started to build up a collection of motor bikes and bicycles as well as other road vehicles, but still need a lot more.

Mmmm. Maybe that's what makes the scene Vietnamese. All those motorbikes!