Job Discussion Forums

LettersAthruZ · Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 466 Location: North Viet Nam

In Ha Noi, I'd seen pure 100% maple syrup at L's Market in Tay Ho before......but it was NOT cheap by any stretch.......

GemGem · Joined: 16 Oct 2010 Posts: 13

Thanks everyone for all your enthusiastic responses! Have to admit the Duck Tape thread seemed a bit bizarre but you are right - you never know when you are going to need it Wink

Toaster...hmmm...my 38 litre rucksack may not stretch to that but all of the travel brochures, pictures of family, types of games etc suggestions are REALLY useful. Shall definitely look into getting these.

I'm a size 6 UK shoe and think that's an 8.5 US size so hoping I'll be OK!

And good to know about the honey/chocolate/marmite situation out there...all VERY important stuff Cool

If anything else occurs let me know as I'm spending the next two weeks before I go getting stuff like this together and tying up loose ends.

Thanks again everyone!

Ryan425 · Joined: 11 Mar 2010 Posts: 11 Location: Ho Chi Minh City

I've had the hardest time trying to find malt vinegar. I went to both Veggy's and Annan in District 1 i(HCM City), and they didn't have any. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine found and purchased a bottle of Sarson's Malt Vinegar. but she couldn't remember where she had bought it. So, unless someone posts a store where you can find this vinegar, you could try to bring some in, but I don't think it would make it through Customs.

snollygoster · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 478

Cant brinbg them with you, but I DO miss good Doner kebabs.
Some street vendors have them here but their interpretation of what a kebab is...well lets just say that a Trabant is not a Mercedes Benz, but its still a car.

chim35 · Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Posts: 35

Didn't know there's a Veggy's in District 7, but there's one in District 1, as well as Annan's which has a lot of great stuff.

There's also two shops on Ham Nghi Street, near the huge new building shaped like a lotus bud (forget what it's called -- oh yeah, Bitexco tower) that sell all kinds of imported food for expats, and I'm sure I've seen maple syrup there. They also have whole grain bread daily. forget the names, but they are right near the tower and a few doors down from Nhu Lan restaurant/delicatessen.

snollygoster · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 478

Sorry, but your name "chim" makes me smile. I guess you don't speak Viet.

LettersAthruZ · Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 466 Location: North Viet Nam

snollygoster · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 478

EARPLUGS- Bring EARPLUGS-Total necessity. The type that go deep into your ear. Believe me- Hanoi is the noisiest city ever, and I know people who go crazy because they cant sleep because of the constant noise.

ragazzo gallese · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 47 Location: Saigon, Vietnam

I've really struggled to find foot/shoe deodorant, such as Scholl. I've tried dusting my shoes with baby powder, but my sandals and flip flops are smellier than I'd like. Yuk! Does anyone know where to buy it in HCMC?

I also haven't found full-size British teabags. You can get Twinings and Tetley in Veggy's/Annam, but they are still of the 'postage stamp on a bit of string' variety.

When I go home next month, this is what I'll be stocking up on: Scholl spray, teabags, earplugs, electric toothbrush heads, shaving gel (not foam!) for sensitive skin, British chocolate, a real football shirt, some local realia (thanks for the tip) and a bumper sticker for my Honda Wave so I can find it amid a million other Honda Waves. I might treat myself to either an Amazon Kindle or a Samsung Galaxy phone/tablet - the former would be unavailable and the latter more expensive here.

deadlift · Joined: 08 Jun 2010 Posts: 267

For foot deodorant, look in the basement supermarket in Vincom.

Amazon will ship a Kindle to Vietnam, no problems there. So they're as "available" as in any other country, as they're not sold in shops, only online.

Beautiful Loser · Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 80

LettersAthruZ · Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 466 Location: North Viet Nam

Beautiful Loser · Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 80

LettersAthruZ · Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 466 Location: North Viet Nam

mark_in_saigon · Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 837

Yes, there are size 12 shoes at this store! Lots of expats coming here, so the store seems to be really trying to capture this market. Being close to the 5 star hotels, be prepared for some high prices, especially on the street level. The first shoes I picked up were about 175 bucks. Do any of you guys pay that much for tennis shoes? I don't. HOWEVER, the second floor got a lot more reasonable. Did not really look over the whole place, I had been there before and not really liked the fact that it is so expensive downstairs, but anyway, if you are satisfied with the old canvas Converse All Stars, which was a great shoe in its day, they go up to size 12 (46 I think) with various colors and like 30 bucks or so. I thought I would NEVER find an honest 11 in VN, and lo and behold, the 11 fit and the 12 was too large. I noticed they were stamped as made in VN. I am rather sure that Converse shop had some more modern looking shoes in larger sizes as well, cheapskate that I am, the All Stars seemed like I had struck oil and so I looked no further.

Any of you go over to that Russia market thing? The Tax Store is the site of the old Russian market, from what I have read. Apparently the Russians had a real market here, probably when they were more closely tied to VN. Not sure what the new Russian market is about, but they may also have large sizes if they actually have anything to do with the Russians now.