Job Discussion Forums

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

Let's stay on topic, please. If you want to discuss Thailand, please do it on the Thailand forum.

[jayasia]

dude, stop fretting and wear a face mask like everyone else.

give me an update on your experiences, please.
too many people come on and ask for info but few return to regal us with their exp.

and don't believe the taxi driver if he tells u the backpacker district is closed or under renovation.

[withaciderinsideyer]

i'll bring my bin laden mask

i shall certainly let you know how i fare after i touch down.

[anhhoabinhvn]

I am an American who has visited Vietnam three times. I have been living and working in HCMC as a teacher for the past 1.5 years. I have been everywhere from the northernmost parts to the southernmost. I have been in large cities and in jungle villages that were so small there was no electricity or running water.

I have never, ever (not even once) been spat upon, called a vulgar name, accosted in the streets, told to MOD EDIT for that matter) or treated in any way but with the utmost respect. Now, I am not so naive as to believe that every Vietnamese person just absolutely loves me to no end, and I'm certain that perhaps some things have been said about me in Vietnamese that I have not understood. But I have never had an unpleasant encounter with a Vietnamese person.

In fact, the only unpleasant dealings I have had have been with Western ex-pats, who can indeed be absolute MOD EDIT. Really, my only surprise is that the locals put up with these jerks as much as they do.

I can tell you this: If you treat the Vietnamese with the dignity and respect that they deserve, you will receive it back 10 times over. I'm also not saying that every Vietnamese person is the model world citizen, but I have been to over 20 countries and I have yet to meet a nicer, warmer, friendlier people than the Vietnamese.

TimkinMS, What you are experiencing with your wife is just due to jealousy and yes, it is probably heightened by the hardships people are facing due to the economy. Your best bet is to continue to ignore these insults.

withaciderinsideyer, Don't worry. No one is going to spit in your face.

[mickeyrex]

^ I completely agree with the above post. I never experienced anything overt negative during my 2 + in Nam; other than the brown shirts. It's a beautiful country, once you get out of untamed Saigon, the people are very warm. I'd prepared myself for the worst as an American, but nothing ever came of it. Mostly, it's other limpid foreigner's that'll give you grief. That said, don't judge every expat downing beers in PNL as a general reflection of their character. If you get in the countryside, as I have done, you'd be amazed at the kindness you'll receive. My two cents. : ) Please be aware of the new visa (longterm) issues at hand. I shall return.

[menso35]

[Green Acres]

"...the times, they are a-changing!"

Vietnam used to be a good place, and there are still good people there, and one can still have a good time, but....

careful with that axe, Eugene.

[withaciderinsideyer]

so far my experience (24 hrs in) is that the vietnamese are alright. they just think you owe them money for some reason. walk down the road and people just hold out their hand asking for money. i have been offered "help" in the form of a motorcycle at least 200 times now and it is getting on my nerves.

a young girl in a shop lied to me and doubled the fee for a sim card even when i protested and told her the real price. she insisted that i was mistaken and that i was talking about phone credit.

so i am not tipping any vietnamese. this way it will even out the skankings i am set to be on the receiving end of.

besides, i am mid-thirties with no savings at all and debts. i think that makes us even.

[inky]

"...she insisted that i was mistaken and that i was talking about phone credit..."

She was right, you most likely misunderstood. 50,000 for a sim card is unusually cheap. New phones do not come with sim cards, the cards are always extra. You may be guilty of a very common new arrival problem, the self-fulfilling rip-off. You arrive with your head filled with warnings about scams, and you see scams everywhere, including when there aren't any, when they are often simple communication mishaps. Vietnamese people have no obligation to understand your English.

In town for 24 hours and it's getting on your nerves? You need to get out of the DeTham hell-hole (if you're in SGN) or out of the Old Quarter (if in Hanoi) and actually arrive in Vietnam.

[withaciderinsideyer]

the locals are under no obligation to understand my english - true - i suppose i am just used to the general populace being a bit more proficient, as in bangkok

could well be the self-fulfilling rip-off, yes. only, i enquired as to the cost of a mobi sim at another store later and he pulled one out which had 60,000 written on it

i've cracked already. the sight of the poor young ladies busting tables in the all you can eat pizza buffet and i couldn't help but bung a 10,000 their way. and i've been hating myself ever since for it.

[withaciderinsideyer]

but yes it is the "de tham" hell of which you speak

i want to get out - i came to see vietnam; it has long been an ambition of mine to visit this country

[lucreziaborgia]

withaciderinsideyer, Maybe you should leave the country as you are the kind of ignorant Westerner who makes life difficult for the rest of us who have lived in Vietnam for a number of years. You are in no position to comment about this country as you are a bigot; and you have been here what? - a week? a month?
I rejoice when thugs like you have a terrible time here. May a charming Xe Om driver relieve you of your wordly possesions as you drunkenly lurch through PNL or the dark streets of Hanoi after curfew. You deserve the worst possible time in this country and any other Asian country you may wash up in.
Those 'little old men' you mention more than likely have had lives that make yours seem like a complete irrelevance. I suggest you 'get one' or get out.

[magistra]

Being a foreigner, even in relatively privileged circumstances, generally involves some kind of negative response from some people. I never experienced any strong reaction in Hai Phong, just the occasional idiot asking why we were eating at street cafe.
My general experience of VN people was VERY positive, which I think is amazing given their history.
Occasional, unpleasant experiences with cultural difference, aggression or cheating are part of the package of travel and, especially if you're feeling low, can be really upsetting. They are no excuse for becoming an obnoxious racist. Obviously most of the respondents to this thread have survived.

[withaciderinsideyer]

[withaciderinsideyer]