Job Discussion Forums

[Teachurrrr]

Hello. Teachurrrr here.

Well, guess who's coming to dinner?

I finally secured a job in Vietnam. I will be teaching in Can Tho and will arrive tentatively in Ho Chi Minh City on July 26th.

I have been lurking on this board for the past 3 months. I have read comments about living there, locations, finding a decent school, salary, qualifications, work visa process and associated headaches, apartment options, etc. etc.

Thanks for all the information from many posters (especially Londo and Snollygoster). I feel like you guys have painted a solid picture concerning the many facets (the good stuff and the hazards to watch out for) of teaching ESL and living in Vietnam. This has helped me make a more informed decision (at least as much as possible for someone who has never been to Vietnam).

After 6 years teaching in Korea and 3 years teaching in the Philippines (Cebu), Vietnam seems like a nice change.

Are any posters here on Dave's living and/or teaching in Can Tho? I would be grateful to hear from anybody willing to share some experiences about Can Tho (things you love, things that drive you mad, etc.).

Can Tho seems like a good location (near Saigon, near Phnom Penh, beaches not to far away, fishing in the Mekong).

Via the Internet, I have actually found two restaurants in Can Tho that have fishing ponds in the back, thus on a weekend, one can pay a few dollars and go fishing. How I miss fishing! Some people see a priest, some people see a shrink, and some of us FISH!

I was also happy to see Can Tho has a lot of the fruits found in Mindanao (Philippines) like Jackfruit (Marong), Durian, etc. That's a bonus for me.

I can't wait to try the local cuisine. I think I will try the "Elephant Fish" dish when I get there. I hope they have at least a few spicy foods.

My best guess is Can Tho is probably rather quiet concerning an expat scene (compared to Saigon), which is okay for me. Yet, it would be great to find a nice cafe to visit, have a brewed coffee, and possibly read a paper amid all the noises that try to distract one.

Is anyone familiar with beaches in nearby towns that are nice to "get away" for a day or two on the weekend?

Anyway, I can't wait to get there. I hope to hear from some of you.

Cheers.

Teachurrrr

[snollygoster]

Great choice- Can Tho is a good size city in the Mekong Delta- It is quite cosmopolitan in a smaller way than HCMC, and pretty well up to date.

Great river front cafes etc, good climate. Most things are well priced, and now with the new bridge open, easily connected to the rest of the world.

Housing is good at reasonable prices. 4 m will get you a rather nice house.
I have not lived there but have experience living very near by.

Biggest problem is salaries are a bit low generally, but cost of living is low also.

If you want country living in a place thats big enough to be a real city, Can Tho is a great place.

Beaches? Well they are not exactly "near" when one considers the route you need to take to get to them. Best known is probably Vung Tau which has a few quite good beaches except on the week ends when the Saigonese fill the place up and pollute the beaches with their very careless attitudes.

If the salaries were better, I wish I was you.

[Buffalo Boy]

I worked in Vinh Long, the province just north of Can Tho, for nine months. I agree with Snolly that Can Tho would be a good place to live. It's big enough that you don't get stared and yelled at in the street the way you do in other Delta towns, and has all the amenities you need.

The problem is that the schools are terrible- low pay, no academic management, no teachers rooms or resources, slave driving owners with no morals. I approached every school in town and there wasn't one I would want to work for.

I covered some classes in Can Tho for one of the schools I worked for in Vinh Long. One was an IELTS class with three students and the other was a business class with four students. Not much demand for English down there. If you teach kids there would probably be bigger classes.

Can Tho is in the heart of the Delta and the whole Delta is pretty much the same. An endless labyrinth of canals and paddy fields. The nearest beaches are Vung Tau (not that nice) and Phu Quoc Island to the south. Both would be a stretch to reach in a weekend.

[chim35]

You are lucky, Can Tho has a big Maximark -- the best supermarket chain in VN. Also a big Co-op Mart supermarket.

[AmanJivan]

No brewed coffee there! But a very nice town. Also it is a very quiet town, the locals go real easy on the horn compared to northern cities

[Teachurrrr]

Thanks for the feedback!

Snollygoster, great riverfront cafes, good housing prices, Vung Tau weekend - Saigonites, better salary - wish you were me, check!

Buffalo Boy, people don't yell at you, labyrinth of canals/paddies, beaches a "stretch," slavedrivers, low pay, check!

Chim35, big Maimark and Co-op Mart, lucky, check!

AmanJivan, no brewed coffee, quiet(er), easier on the horn, check!

My checklist is complete! I'm there!

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Just joking guys. Thanks for the insight.

Can Tho sounds better and better. Having available amentities will be good. I guess beach visits will have to be a "once in a great while" thing. Well, as long as I can fish, I'm happy. Shame about the brewed coffee.

Though I have tried to be thorough about my contract, hours, salary, etc., I'm sure it's "not up to speed" to what you guys make after 'learning the ropes" there. That being said, what do you guys consider a good salary (just generally) to be (salary/hours) for a place like Can Tho for an experienced teacher with all the typical trimmings (degree, tefl, etc.).

I have a contract for $2,200 gross a month (maybe $1860 after tax, etc.) for 30 hours a week. Is this Good! Bad!! Ugly!!! This is not far off from the hours I teach and what I make in Sparkling Korea.

Anyway, thanks. Much appreciated. It goes without saying that after I am in Cantho (July 27th) and get settled in, if you guys plan to come to the area, PM me. I would be happy for the company. Cheers.

Teachurrrr

[snollygoster]

For CT that seems about the ball park figure all considered.

[Buffalo Boy]

It's not Kraplan Brightstar is it?

[snollygoster]

Good one Buffalo. Hes right- If its Kaplan etc- RUN