Job Discussion Forums

[buddy bradley]

Man, I regret starting this thread. Vietnam's great - I love you all!

(Including the two thieving Vietnamese girls who stole my cash on that sorry, painful night.)

[hoodooguru]

After 6 months I finally left and returned to this forum.

I hated the ignorance, the gossip and negativity in no particular order.

ENJOY your stay on this oh so crap thread

(what do you expect Buddy Bradley)

[englishgibson]

Hey buddy bradley, with regards to those two thieving Vietnamese girls, what kind of a night are you talking about? Sorry, I'm just currious.

I bet that some people might be quite a bit distant and rather uneducated there, so I understand the feelings of some of the unhappy teachers in Vietnam.

I have been in China for past four years and I am wondering about Vietnam a bit. How strict are the working visa procedures in HCMC?
I have heard that they want a police check now. Is that true? Not that I am a criminal, but I just feel it's kinda strict. China is still much more easygoing with respect to that issue and some others, and China is supposedly more developed than Vietnam.

Cheers and beers

[Blade]

[mr.pete]

[glace]

OP, Di di !

[skinhead]

I wouldn't mention Buddy's mother if I were you.

[Sonic]

I'd just like to put some more positivity into this thread. I feel that the OP clearly had a bad run of it here. While there are times and circumstances in which anyone working in a different county can feel this bitter I'm sure, I, for one, have fallen head-over-heels in this sea of motorbikes known as Saigon.

Let me start by saying that I'm not a teacher, although that was my original plan when I came here - in my first couple of months I took the CELTA at RMIT in district 3. So far, I have not had a strong enough reason to seek employment teaching, as I have found various other means to make money here. There is a thriving economy in the making. There are great many opportunities for those of all skills. My many teacher friends are happy and wealthy, however.

As regards the transport issue, I absolutely adore the motorbike society. I would far rather drive my bike through endlessly-changing crowds of friendly, smiling, beautiful people who greet and talk with me at every junction, all the while in the bright sun, than stand sweating on a bustling tube with a businessman's armpit for company. I can drive anywhere in the country here by motorbike as the roads are excellent, and the myth of danger is not nearly as true as some might have you think if you drive sensibly and learn the quirky customs of the road. It is the speed-demons who invariably have the accidents. Driving up along the coast to Nha Trang or up to the mountains in Da Lat is one of the most exhilerating and scenic experiences I have ever had, and I am well-travelled!

The food, in Saigon has its ups and downs. In general I love it, but I only eat seafood, so this limits a lot of the street-food I can eat. A shame really, as I hear most of it's great. However, I love Japanese cuisine, and there are many great restaurants of all styles. I know of good Indian and Thai restaurants, incredible gourmet Vietnamese ones and then there's the really haute cuisune in the form of colonial-style French restaurants. So that is not a problem for me.

The people? Well, this is where I believe Vietnam really shines in fact. I don't believe in stereotypes, but there are such things are cultural traits of course. From what I read on this board, the Japanese might be criticised of being in some ways two- (or three-) faced, the Chinese might be considered to be hostile to outsiders, the Thai's smiles might be construed as false... but it seems to me as if the average Vietnamese has a very genuine smile - amazing when you consider that this is the country most recently at war with the west of all the above-mentioned. I should point out that I'm British, and although some Vietnamese admit to being happy when then they hear this, but most welcome the Americans just as much as me. I have had so much fun with the people here, many I believe I can genuinely call friends (unlike so many posts I read on here), especially since learning the language. Of course there's the odd racist idiot, but, I feel, a lot less than in England.

I would agree with the comment about stealing. Be sensible, again, but also be prepared to lose the odd telephone / camera / laptop / bag (get insurance on the expensive items!) This is a very poor country, and many do resort to theft. But it sounds like you got fleeced by two prostitutes (please correct me if I'm wrong), so you only have yourself to blame there!

The government is oppressive, and it is frustrating sometimes to see the enormous censorship and propaganda, however attitudes in the young are changing very quickly, and there is all the excitement in them of a country about to explode with progress, as China has done in recent years.

So basically, OP, what I'm saying is that: it might not have been for you, but you were dishing out some very general slurs that I think were unfair. I am one of the many people I know living in this country because we love it.

If you're reading this and are unsure about VN, then just give it a try. To me the pros far outweigh the cons. It's been the happiest two years of my life so far!

[sphinx]

I've been in Vietnam for only a week and I already feel that I have had enough. My biggest gripe about Vietnam is the chaos that pervades all the Vietnamese cities that I have been to. It's a little different once you get out of the city centers and into the suburbs, but that is a trip few foreigners will ever make.

Even just a week in Vietnam has left me wondering about the character of the Vietnamese people. The bus I was traveling in from Nha Trang to Hoi-an was involved in a hit and run incident. The motorcyclist who crashed into the bus at one of those gorgeous seaside turns wasn't wearing a helmet and had obviously sustained serious injuries. The bus driver took one look at the rear view mirror and simply sped off; he didn't even slow down. Such a blatant disregard for human life is disturbing to say the least.

A week in Vietnam and I have to admit that there is much which I do not get to see. But I cannot help but get the sense that there is a general unfriendliness towards foreigners. With their tortured history of the last 100 years, a little xenophobia is probably to be expected. For the Vietnamese who accepted me as friend, the warmth was almost embarrassingly effusive. For the others, the hostility was palpable.

[Stosskraft]

Hey Sonic, great post !

I have been debating whether or not to take a position in Hanoi these last couple days. After reading your excellent post, I have decided to take the plunge and accept the offer.

Now the offer is not really great, given my experience but I guess getting my foot in the door is the most important issue right now. I have lived in Thailand, China and Japan so I am not really worried about the "in your face" lifestyle Vietnam seems to present. After being in Japan for a year, some warm hearted smiles would be a welcome sight !

Thanks for the positive post, and I'll be seeing you come February!

[London10]

I liked and appreciated your post sonic. It has given me itchy feet about going to Vietnam after reading it. I have wanted to go there since I was a kid. I will go there after I've got some experience in the UK. One just has to accept that some poeple (the negative posters) find it hard to adapt to places and different people like different things. I remember when I was a kid and I was living in Nigeria, I used to love the place, it flowed through my veins yet many people would have a nervous breakdown just going through lagos airport. Anyway good post, I've been wanted to read stuff form poeple enjoying themselves out there after reading so many negative things posted in this forum.

[spook]

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[spook]

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[Stosskraft]

Ok, why are you defending the Vietnamese (notice the spelling and the Capital "V") by making general comments about Canadians (or anyone else for that matter)?

I'm Canadian and probably in ten times better shape than you, so stop the stupid generalizations. Your derogatory comments only serve to take away from your post, and make you seem like an a$$.

PS. Look for the "shift" key on your keyboard. There are 2 if you are really having trouble finding them

[Porlestone]