Job Discussion Forums

[akmassager]

I am sensative to noise pollution. One of my main concerns about relocating to VN is getting a place where I can't sleep at night because of noisy neighbors/loud tvs/shouting and screaming/horns honking and let's not forget the ever popular, world wide favorite, letting my dogs bark at all hours of the night because they're protecting my house from theives. I've lived in India and Argentina... in INdia I was downing valiums from the barking dogs and blaring hindi pop ... In Argentina I nearly came to blows with a neighbor who decided he was going to let one of his dogs live on his roof, which happened to be outside my bedroom window.
That being said, how bad is it in VN with the noise? (From what other posts say, pretty bad) Are there some areas quieter, or better said, quiet?
Also, one poster mentioned getting a sound proofed apartment. How common is this? Or did they really luck out?
Thanks in advance

[inky]

I really lucked out, I didn't realize soundproofing was available, it never occurred to me to ask. Interestingly, neither my housing agent nor the owner pointed out this incredible feature. I rented the place for other reasons, including the fact that it seemed to be on a relatively quiet lane. I have since noticed a number of places with these soundproof doors and windows, they're sold by a company called EuroWindow, as well as by others. Basically, it's double-glazed glass inside heavy plastic frames which 'seal' like an airlock on the Starship Enterprise. They work amazingly well, sort of like the Bose headphones that cancel annoying background noise. However, if you're a very light sleeper, I don't think this would completely block the piercing sounds of a chihuahua screeching on your neighbor's roof. Yes, Vietnam is incredibly noisy. That fact has caused any number of otherwise happy expats to leave, and it's really the only thing I've ever complained about.

[deessell2]

[asia0708]

Please do us all a favour; do not come here if you are sensitive to noise.
You will have a breakdown! This is what it means to live in a developing country -- the constant sound of construction. Combine that with motorbikes and horns.

Having lived in other 'developing countries' like Laos and Cambodia over the last 3 years, i would say it is relatively easy to find noise-free accomodation (hotel or appartment).
Vietnam is not like the aforementioned countries. The people are just plain LOUD. You only have to sit on a train or bus with them to discover this. At first i thought they were arguementative people, but they are not. they just can't help being LOUD.
I stayed 2 weeks in Hanoi hotels, budget ones around Hoam Kiem. I kept moving nearly every few days. But i failed to find a quiet one. Staff or Vietnamese guests have no respect for sleeping westerners. I don't think they do it deliberatley, they just can't help it. After the two weeks i started to realy feel the effect of sleep deprivation.

But i agree with your last statement...Do not come

[blateson]

Unbelievably noisy, at times. Doors slammed repetitively. Laughing and joking at scream levels. On and on.

The more irritating one is when they sing. They sing to each other, and regularly sing alone to themselves with this badly off tone, out of sync, ear shattering, make you wanna punch the wall screachiness.

I've walked out of my room to tell whoever it is that's making so much noise to please keep it lower. They look at me incredulously, like how could I dare imagine such a thing as to inform them they are noisy. If they are friendly, they'll nod their head in agreement and then start making all the same noises again two minutes later. If they're not friendly about it, they'll make nasty faces and then yell and scream to someone else and complain about you.

[mickeyrex]

Noise? After awhile it all becomes white-noise. Seriously, if you live off a main street it's not that bad. Depends on where you live (city) because during the week Vns generally go to bed quite early and rise (maybe a problem for you) early. Right now I get to listen to the unpleasant sounds of rabbits so I'm sympathetic to your plight.

[KLUH]

Get a fan. About 16" in diameter or upward.

Not the modern, curved-fin efficient whisper-quiet fans. Oh no. That defeats the purpose.

In my many years of work, one of the things I came across was this multimedia-soundstage building I that had white noise generators suspended above the T-bar tile ceiling.

Their purpose was to simply generate white noise. They did not protrude through the ceiling.

White noise is one of, if not THE best active noise cancellation techniques you can use.

By generating your own, LOUD white noise, you will, you WILL, take it from me, get used to it, and you will block out all but the most intrusive howls and screeches, but the white noise will allow you to go back to sleep.

The added plus is freshly circulated air that you can either aim around the room or or right at your sweat-beaded brow, thus saving VND on air conditioning by setting the A/C at a less penguin-friendly setting.

[timservo]

I will also have to say just don't come. I will not belabor the points made by others except to say that the level of noise, at all times, from all sources, is just incredible. I also agree that this is well beyond the levels of developing countries growing pains; the Vietnamese are just LOUD. They not understand or value quiet because they are quite unused to it. Quiet makes them uneasy, even frightened. Don't try going to the parks for relief. The park near my home in Ho Chi Minh City has a kiddie-car ride which recently installed a CAR ALARM which whoops ear-shatteringly whenever the ride starts up. The locals love it. Any department store you enter will have a level of "music" shredding speaker paper and eardrums alike. People leave all doors and windows open because it's so damn HOT, but then seem only happy if the volume on their TV or stereo is on "max". People use their motorbike horns instead of brakes (not a joke).

Also working conditions are really bad here right now. Inflation is more than 50% over the last two years, but salaries have actually dropped. Housing in HCMC (the only city in VN where you can live and depend on enough steady work) has more than doubled. 1-bedroom apts. are going from $500-1000 mo, which is what I was paying in California three years ago, and I sure as hell ain't making no California money.

If you do come here, bring ear plugs. I wear mine about 18 hours a day, otherwise sleep or work would be quite impossible. Don't tell my employers, but I even wear them in class sometimes, as the students are the noisiest part of the day. Also by the way forget the crap you've heard about the students respecting teachers. True for the last generation, laughable now. You will be teaching the children of the wealthy, they are spoiled rotten, and they know how much money you make. You will ride up to the school on your Honda, they will arrive in servant-driven BMWs.

Honest to God, if noise is your peeve, do not come to Viet Nam.

[inky]

timservo: I feel sorry for you and your unhappy experience here in Vietnam. It sounds like it's well past time for you to move on. Among the numerous inaccuracies in what you've written is the statement that HCMC is "the only city in VN where you can live and depend on enough steady work..."

Have you heard of a city named Hanoi?

Another inaccurate comment: "forget the crap you've heard about the students respecting teachers.." My guess is that you lost the respect of your students due to your own lack of self-respect, or your own poor teaching skills or some other cultural/interpersonal issue. Or maybe you were at a really crap school.

You wear earplugs in class? You're a circus clown.

[jhawkguy77]

You wear earplugs in class? You're a circus clown.

Ha ha ha....circus clown!!! Good one inky!

I was thinking how odd it is to wear earplugs in class. I mean WHO does that. It does sound like timservo is a bit burnt out on Vietnam. Inky I am glad you let it be known that his statements are based only on his own biased, burnt out, disrespectful opinion which is inaccurate on many accounts by the majority who live and work in Vietnam.

[blateson]

I personally think that the last two posters, jhawkguy77 and "inky" should have their posts removed and be warned. Inky, you are the guy that habitually attacks foreigners, in the past calling them "foreign scum" among other phrases. Instead of just discussing Vietnam, you attack posters on this forum.

Noisiness is a significant problem in Vietnam. Just as well student-teacher respect is really just an act that falls completely apart in a matter of seconds, dispelling yet another myth that Vietnamese people are "so nice." Incidentally, for this thread here I agree with practically everything Timeservo said. Anyhow I think it's best to discuss Vietnam, and at least try not to resort to verbal low blows.

[timservo]

Inky: As you would know if you've ever used them, earplugs don't eliminate sound, they just cut the volume by about 40%, exactly what Viet Nam needs. Prudent people, not "circus clowns", wear dark glasses in bright conditions and unless you want to return to your home planet with your hearing damaged, I suggest you try ear plugs, too.

Many Vietnamese classrooms are, also, among the loudest environments one will ever have to contend with and still get any work done. The rooms are either open to the street noise (one of mine featured a store promotion with outdoor speakers the size of refrigerators directly across the street), or the constant roar of two air cons and three fans. Students want the TV-DVD-tape whatever played LOUDLY, of course. Add 40-50 students. Shake, don't stir. Serve warm, of course.

The specific instance I referred to was a class of very young (6-7), very sweet but VERY LOUD children. The very young here literally SHOUT during typical listen-and-repeat excercises. You can't tell them to be quiet, you just make them feel bewildered, scared and resentful. Shouting in language school is FUN! At break the sound is an exact mix of infant nursery and Bedlam. Played through amplifiers.

This particular classroom not only featured all the above, but in was also located in Go Vap Dist. in HCMC, a few yards from the beginning of the runway at Tan Son Nhat airport, conveniently located in the heart of the city. Planes landed a few feet above our heads a few times each session.

With earplugs, all these problems were solved! I could still hear the students (no problem, trust me), DVD, everything to do my job as well as I have for 23 years, just at lower volume! And watching the planes land was a cool way to spend break on the cafe roof!

Thus we can see that, although the incident actually happened, this was a joke and not to be taken seriously. Just like you, Inks.

Thanks, Blateson. I honestly feel that people should be given fair warning about conditions here and that it is a dis-service not to mention this side of life in VN, along with the cheap-beer and tropical-beach picture. And I also seem to remember the topic was noise, not me.

Salsipuedes!

[sammie08]

I live in Hanoi and have for about 2 months now
During the day, yes, its as loud as cities come but at night, it is silent. dead silent. my neighbors--and most Hanoians--don't tolerate any noise after 9 or 10ish and the majority of the residential neighborhoods follow this schedule. Busier, more commercial areas will still be busy till a little later but by midnight, the entire town is asleep save a few expat bars. So between 11 and 5am, you should be golden.

However, if you intend to sleep much later than 6am without being disturbed--even on Saturdays and Sundays or even holidays--then either don't come or condition yourself with that fan/whitenoise idea (which does sound like a great idea actually). During the day, starting 6am, anything goes so be warned.