Job Discussion Forums

[thebluecuckoo]

Hi folks.

I am a 29 year old who has just finished his CELTA. I am looking to go to Vietnam with my girlfriend (an experienced ESOL teacher). The problem is that people seem to be very negative about this country.

I have spent several hours reading the old posts and have come to the following conclusion. I have not intended to offend anyone, but can you tell me if my conclusions are correct?

Negative posts tend to be from US people in their early 20s who are horrified that people don't immediately revere them because of who they are and where they come from.

The Brits seem to fair better, not living in a society where big smiles that are not always meant proliferate.

I have lived in Japan and my partner in Korea. Korea is supposed to have an especially bad reputation, but my girlfriend had a brilliant time. She said that the people were receptive if you made an effort to get to know them. She helped prop up the bar with many miserable Americans who couldn't understand why people didn't idolise them (like they do in Japan).

This post is not supposed to be xenophobic towards Americans. Rather, I am trying to figure out why such contrasting opinions on Vietnam seem to be polarised around people's nationality.

Is a pragmatic Irishman likely to love or hate Vietnam if he goes in with the view that he isn't walking into paradise?

[going_places]

Not for nothing my friend, I do find your comments a bit xenophobic. As an American living in Korea, I don't find myself sitting in the corner of some cliquey bar sulking because I don't feel "revered." Personally speaking, I don't much care what the locals think of my character if they are judging me from their own preconceptions of my culture. This said, such an attitude from the natives, not only other Non-Americans expats, can wear on a person, especially when every kid you met assumes that all foreigners in their country are Americans because of common physical traits, language, and whatever they may have seen on T.V.

I feel just as much an outsider as anyother foreigner here and I don't expect anything more by virtue of the fact that I'm an American. I don't appreciate this stupid stereotyping of Americans being "ethnocentric," please, get over it. If you have found a few immature types on this board, please don't let that speak for the whole of us living abroad. "People are people" as the song goes, immature, unprepared types are just that, you will find them in many cultures. Although I can't say that this isn't a factor in my wanting to disassociate with my homeland. Many of us reject a small world in a bubble, media and product consuming notion of existence and have chosen other paths--i.e. living abroad. And for the record, I don't feel like I was treated any differently in Japan.

As for Vietnam, I have nothing to offer having not been. Good luck, and remember, it's not that I'm an American, it's that I'm an expat is why I'm here in Asia. Maybe you should rephrase. Also, again for the record, I'm of Irish heritage.

Cheers.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

This forum is about living and teaching in Vietnam.

It is not here for the purpose of bashing teachers of a particular nationality.

Nor is it here so that threads can degenerate into a slugfest regarding nationalities.

If and when this thread is unlocked, it will be moderated closely to insure nationality bashing and other inappropriate postings do not occur.