Job Discussion Forums

[Lee_Marrero]

As mentioned in my previous post I have been here for almost 3 months and things are well. The school I work for is a chain of 5 branches with a total of 4100 students. I also work at a public school. Both positios pay 15$ US per hour. The language school also pays a 3,000,000 Dong bonus per month for teachers who work over 25 hours per week. My apartment rent is 64$ USD per month, serious! It is not a foreigner apartment so I dont have any strict control or curfews like most foreigners have on their residences here. Also you should know that if you have a guest spend the night at your home you must report it to the local police department (this is a socialist country you know) you must report the name of the person length of stay and provide a copy of their passport or VN ID card. Since I live in Tan Binh District far from the "white ghetto" I am the only foreigner around and am watched closely. When I was oriented to my position at the public school I was instructed to "not talk about the outside world too much" and to "never speak negatively about the father of socialist vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, or Bac Ho as he is called".Other than that other things westerners may not like is bars and clubs close at midnight which may leave some yearning for more. I am 28 and recieve an average of 5 wedding proposals per week from girls who want to go to the US. I make about 1,400 USD per month but spend only about 150 on Food. As previously mentioned I drive a 110 cc motorbike around the city to and from work with no problems from the cops, legally speaking you dont need a license to drive a 50cc bike butit seems like the cops dont want to bug folks anyway. For those with the taste you can get ecstasy here for about 16 USD, pharmacy medication (viagra, codeine, percoset and xanax are all sold over the counter no prescription required. Hookers are 6-8 dollars at the massage joints. Now I am not implying these are my activities here just providing you with info to make informed decision whether or not this would be your kind of environment!!! A large bag of pot goes for 3USD, enough for a month. LOL! If you are thinking about coming to work here please be prepared to teach, Vietnamese students study 6 days a week and are as super-intelligent, if you don't know your shit you will be called on it!! Also students are quick to complain about inadequate teachers who are promptly fired or whose hours are sharply reduced. There are millions of Vietnamese living in the US and they communicate with family still in VN. There is a strong connection between the two and Vietnamese students strongly prefer American or Canadian teachers. [email protected] Lee

[dez]

I'm assuming that since you posted your e-mail address you are looking for applicants and will, actually, answer them.

[fat_chris]

I'd be keen on hearing more about teaching and living in Vietnam with periodic posts. I would love to learn Vietnamese and then go.

[Gordon]

Thanks for the info and update Lee. It's very informative, maybe too informative, drugs and hookers etc.. I think you meant that Vietnam is a communist country, not socialist.
How long do you plan on staying in Vietnam?
Are you in Saigon? I am not familiar with the districts.

[Tiger Beer]

Interesting Lee_Marrero

When did the bars and clubs start closing at midnight? My two previous one-month trips to Vietnam had me easily spending all night in bars and clubs.. and the nightlife was very good. When did it change that things started closing at midnight? Its recent?

That being said.. I did notice that things seemed to quiet down around that time or even a couple hours earlier. Every morning around 5am the motorbike roar of traffic was as loud as ever once again. But it also seemed like the nightlife did go on all night or as long as you wanted to. I guess things changed somewhere there.

Pretty elaborate on the women and drugs. There is a definete seedy element to Vietnam.. and being offered drugs and sex seemed to be extremely common there. I did notice that just about everywhere. And yes, even just traveling, the marriage proposals were quite common. There also seemed to be a huge heroin problem as I saw way too many syringe needles lying around.. particularly on the beaches of Nha Trang but also in and around Saigon as well. Women do regularly proposition nearly every foreigner who is bar-hopping at night.. generally they linger around bars and clubs and try to pick you up on their moped if you are walking home. You can avoid them and the more aggresive 'moped drivers' if you have your own moped.

[Lee_Marrero]

Pardon me, OFFICIALLY bars and clubs must close at 12 am, doesnt mean they always do. I have spent a night or two out until 6 or 7 am. If folks think my post was too informative as far as drugs and hookers go don't come to Vietnam. As a foreigner you are automatically targeted as a potential client for either one of the above mentioned on a regular basis, and just for the record I am 28 and decent looking, I don't need to pay for it yet. I tried to help one guy out that I met on this forum with a job at my school, he worked for 3 days then flaked out and said he missed his family, understandable but nontheless it has made me reluctant to help those non adventurous types out who try to secure a job before arrival. This week I was asked to record some practice tapes for ESL students and was paid well. Anyone interested in coming to Vietnam should take note that most private language schools close around Jan 8 and re-open around Feb .3 for the TET holiday.


Lee

[isabel]

I am thinking about where to go next, after one more year in Korea. Vietnam is high on my list. I have two concerns:

First, I am 55 and will be looking for a place where that is not an issue, preferably a place where that is viewed positively.

Second, I prefer teaching at a university.

Any advice on these two points will be appreciated.
Peace.

[daily chai]

Thank you Lee for keeping us up-to-date on the situation in Viet Nam. You've been generous with your information, and it's always nice to read posts where the person is not venting from an overload of culture shock. Bravo!
I agree with you, those who thought knowing about prostitutes and drugs was TMI (too much information) should avoid VN and large tracts of SEA. These individuals will definetly get culture shock. Interesting to read how foreign men can expect harassment from overzealous venders of such goods. I've heard a lot about that. Also women may expect finding a cab at night will be tough, because the drivers know you aren't going to a sex club and they won't get a share for dropping you off there.

Best of luck to you, and keep enjoying HCMC.

[hanisay]

Fret not, there are lots of late hour bars and clubs and even though some of the more well known ones close early, it's easy to stay out until early 'morn. Being a 20-sompin white female, I guess I just haven't been propositioned as much for the drugs, but it's easy to find, especially in the more touristed and seedy areas.

[Cali]

Strange I never had a problem getting a cab at anytime. Motorcycle, yesm but that was because I wanted fair rates . But never had a problem getting a cab if anything it was the other way, had too many trying to pick me up.

[viva]

Thanks for all your information Lee. You mentioned the easy access to shadier things such as ecstacy, weed, and prostitutes. I'm not heading to Vietnam for any of those reasons, however, I'm just curious as to what the penalties are for foreigners caught committing these kinds of offences??

I've spent time in Korea, where drugs are close to non-existant and they deport you for possesion if your urine sample contains traces of THC. I've also spent time in Thailand where a big fat bribe to the cops might help get a foreigner out of trouble if he's lucky. And of coarse we've all heard the "broke down palace" type of horror stories of foreigners getting busted.

I'm just curious as to what the laws and punisments are like in Vietnam?? How stricly are they enforced??

[double agent]

hi

interesting comments. Not ones I would choose to attract the
less desirable teachers, but as you like.

I noticed that you posted a private email address for
teachers to send their CVs to you directly.

Well, i am sure you are not a recruiter. Why don`t you
be good and post
the ACTUAL email or website info of the school that
you claim is looking for all these teachers.

Please don`t turn Vietnam into Thailand.
The Vietnamese only prostitute if you pay...and sadly many
foolish men do.

Be sure that you contribute to the community in a positive
way rather than just being a human NIKE factory and exploiting
these people with your own selfish wants.

Vietnam is awesome. Don`t destroy it.

[Rice Paddy Daddy]

[Galileo]