Job Discussion Forums

[buddy bradley]

After 6 months I finally left and returned to Korea.

I hated the traffic, the food, and the people (in no particular order).

Enjoy your stay in Ho Chi Crap City!

[sigmoid]

This is pretty common. Most people can only take about 6 months of HCMC, mostly for the reasons you mention plus the lack of many positive aspects.

But I'm always curious when people say "I hated the people".
Did you hate all of them? What did you hate about them?

While I agree about the traffic and food, I like a fair number of the people, especially my students and the staff at my school, my motorbike driver and numerous other people that I encounter on a daily basis. Of course, there are plenty of annoying folks too, like those massage guys with the shakers on their bikes.

So, which people did you hate and which did you hate the most?

Also, how do the Vietnamese compare with Koreans?

[ClaudeRains]

The food?

The traffic, yes. The people--if you were naive enough to believe that everyone is smiling because they just naturally like you--yes. But the food? Didn't expect that one.

I bet you think Marilyn Monroe was flat.

[The Franchise]

And stay out!

[Mr Wind-up Bird]

Traffic - yes it's chaotic but I'll take my daily motorbike ride over half an hour on the tube or cycling through the London traffic.

People - they can really get on your nerves (I know, I married one ) but it's good to see so many smiles after living in London for 10 years, even if many (most?) of them are fake. And I like the fact that I only need to visit a bar once for the staff to remember my name and my usual drink - I visited the same pub in London every week for 3 years & never even got a nod of recognition. But having just returned to 'Nam after a year away, I went back to one of my regular haunts and they not only remembered me but produced a large Tiger before I even ordered.

Food - agree with you on that one. Absolutely foul. Just as well there are plenty of good Thai, Indian & European restaurants.

[Cyan]

To "The Franchise":
I think everyone has their right to be candid on this forum


Good Luck in South Korea - Buddy Bradley

I would agree with the Traffic and the Food but undecided on the people. I can't say I REALLY know any Vietnamese people. I do interact with students everyday and I do speak to my landlord now and again but I couldn't make a confident statement on anyone else.

[/quote]

[Mr Wind-up Bird]

HCMC's like any big city, it's got good people and bad people. Problem with living in a foreign country is that it's not always easy to tell them apart.

But the hospitality I've just had from my in-laws down in the Delta during Tet was out of this world. Whisky at 9am....

[jibbs]

Hey Buddy.

Welcome back.

I thought the food was fine. I miss the variety. I rarely ate at the local cheap Vietnamese restaurants, but ate a lot of variety in more international food (esp. Italian and Mexican). Some restaurants had a good hundred choices of good grub. And the more expensive Vietnamese restaurants were good too. Better than Korea. I ate well there.

The traffic and the locals in HCMC were annoying though.

Good luck!

[jibbs]

[huxter]

I much prefer Korean food and eat it as much as possible here in Hanoi. I feel it has a real identity sorely lacking in Vietnamese food (which is all too often swimming in oil)

About the people - I agree Koreans are much more highly-strung than Vietnamese but are also the most honest people I've come across. You won't get fleeced in Korea like you will in Vietnam.

[Tiger Beer]

Welcome back to Korea, jibbs and BB!

I'm curious about the Vietnamese food though. Few seem to like it? I loved Vietnamese food back in western cities like San Francisco, New York, etc. My favorite food by far back in the West.

But whats up with Vietnamese food in Vietnam? I've been to Vietnam twice (a month each time), and the food REALLY isn't even remotely close to being as good as back home. Downright sucked.

Its the exact opposite of Korean & Chinese food which are as good as they are back home, they just get better and better in the country of origin.

Regarding Vietnamese people. Yeah, I loved Vietnamese culture and architecture.. but absolutely HATED being harrassed and annoyed by the people everywhere. Koreans do just leave you alone. Koreans are odd fish as well, but most encounters with Koreans and they are giving unselfishlessly, which economically understandingly was the exact opposite in Vietnam, and annoying so.

[jibbs]

Yeah the cheap food (under a buck often) was usually not so good. But for $2 or more most meals were good. I thought the noodle dish (Pho) was overrated.

[gjan45]

Wow!!


I've been living here in Vietnam for the past 6 months and while I don't love it I wouldn't go as far as to say I hate it. Come this summer most likely I'll be out of here. While I've been here I have met ppl that either love or hate this country and I have to say most of the foreigners I've spoken to don't like it.


The food IMO it's pretty good though it's true that it can be oily like chinese food. About the ppl they are ok to me, I've met friendly vietnamese and I've met some I don't even want to bother with.


Not eveything for me in here has been positive and by the same token not everything has been negative. When I leave this country I want to look back on it as a positive experience, a place where I was fortunate enough to live and experience first hand regardless of how the ppl are.


regards to everyone and Buddy all the best in Korea.

[Snaff]

[jibbs]

I think one needs to be level-headed and fairly serious to do well in that city for a year or more. I spent 5 months there but didn't really get out of toursit/party mode. I didn't treat the work or anything very seriously and that resulted in my departure. I don't blame the place. It has some good points. You can have a good time. But I think one needs to be on the ball to do well... anywhere. Korea's different in that you can be a slackass fool and still get along as long as you show up for work. That doesn't seem to work so well in HCMC.