An American Woman in her forties independant to live in Hoi Ann?

Stay away from expat haunts, get out and meet the locals. Too many come here and all they do is socialize with their countrymen and live in expat areas.

colinoscapee wrote:

Stay away from expat haunts, get out and meet the locals. Too many come here and all they do is socialize with their countrymen and live in expat areas.

Perfectly said.

This forum is my only contact with expats and it works well.
You will have to learn some Vietnamese.

I am working on this thank you !!

Great advice Thank you!! I think when we are in different situations in other countries sometimes it is comforting to have a person who speaks our language.

Veterancat48 wrote:

I am relocating to Vietnam soon. I am booked to come in March 2019, but this is an investigative fun kinda trip. I would like to know what it is like for a Caucasian single American woman in her forties to live here. Independent not looking to date or anything. I am interested in finding work and traveling around. Anyone have advice?

I'm doing my first Hội An excursion this Sunday (very close to Đã Nâng). I'm supposed to cross paths with two Expat women there, and I'll ask.

I was at a couple of music events last week with some VERY independent Expat women in Hà Nội. My sense is you can be as independent as you chose to be, yet still have a safety net of Expat contacts available, should you need them.

Also, one of the American women and I were befriended by the same Vietnamese hotel owner, and he has proven (so far) to be a very valuable contact for both of us to have.

It shouldn't take too long for you to find a situation in an apartment or hotel where you click with your neighbors, be they Expats or Vietnamese.

Cheers!

Thank you great advice and feels comforting to know I am not the only one who would like to experience this adventure on my own!!!

Veterancat48 wrote:

Thank you great advice and feels comforting to know I am not the only one who would like to experience this adventure on my own!!!

Just occurred to me...

We have one member who has been dealing with the need for skilled nursing care for a family member...also a recent poster in the Da Nang forum was asking about nursing home care there.

Just to say that I'm sure there are needs for home health care that might require some regional travel, which you are seeking.

I don't have a clue where to point you for further info; perhaps someone else has an idea.

BTW, I'm an R.N. (retired) and an Army veteran (noting your username). Hopefully the universe will provide some ideas to share with you.

Thank you!!!

Why Hoi An? Can it be a different city? I would stay in a bigger city like Saigon or Hanoi initially and then venture out to smaller city afterward. Not all expats are cut out to live among the locals. Some choose to assimilate and others prefer to hang with their own clique.

I do not like the city I am a country woman:)

QuidProQuo wrote:

Why Hoi An? Can it be a different city? I would stay in a bigger city like Saigon or Hanoi initially and then venture out to smaller city afterward. Not all expats are cut out to live among the locals. Some choose to assimilate and others prefer to hang with their own clique.

Hội An is getting good press lately:

Vietnam's Hoi An Among World's Best Places For Expats

PLUS, it's a fairly short drive away from Da Nang, which is plenty big enough for the average person, and they are both at/near the ocean.

Well, I'm a man and have a grim view of many Vietnamese folks. But there are sensitive, empathic and kind people to be found, too.

Professionally (I take it that you will be invited to teach), weed out lunatics. Last week, an "agent / manager" wanted me to do a demo class. Why not?

* she demanded all the records & documents up front.
* she knew in which of the top 10 cities I have been residing.
* she talked about GRAB and sending a taxi... then cancelled
* only to re-schedule for the following day.

At some point, she stopped her games and proclaimed you are not in Hanoi. I cannot work with you

Liars, freeloaders (others shake hands and never give you a contract or one Dong)., embezzlers. Check employers out, don't believe what someone might say.

HANOI seems to be the place to make money working for different centers. Me, I prefer smaller towns. PM me if you would like a recommendation.

Closing, get the right data SIM card (mine is for 2 GB / day) and some hotspot device, if you don't have a 2nd smart phone. Bring a small computer (I have a 3.5 kg unit). And learn about delivery services from delicatessen to dry cleaning.

Hope this will be an awesome time!

Wxx3 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Stay away from expat haunts, get out and meet the locals. Too many come here and all they do is socialize with their countrymen and live in expat areas.

Perfectly said.

This forum is my only contact with expats and it works well.
You will have to learn some Vietnamese.

Can't explain it, but unlike Thai, Vietnamese eludes be completely. It's lack of clarity etc., I just won't even bother at all, TBH. and I'm sure I can learn Thai 100 x faster

Thank you !!

I'd like to add something. The other night, we were having street food. A vietnamese couple and me. I happen to know the exact price of the food (no drinks were ordered).

Well, the woman paid and then padded the bill by 50,000 d. YMMV, but please be aware that normal morality doesn't apply when it comes to even a small amount like $ 2.15 / 50,000 d. => don't trust blindly.

OTOH, incredible genuine hospitality and true friendships are also found.
...

There will be tiny "language centers" in rented rooms, run by teachers. Shoe-string operations. If you like the experience (and it will be worth it !), you may work for food, figuratively speaking. 50 k for 30 minutes at a kindergarten?

Some centers let poor kids study for free... It's not all black and white.

Enjoy your time!

Chris

Hi,

I'm American in my late 30's and have been living/working in Hoi An for a few years now.  I specifically chose this location because it's relatively quiet compared to the major cities, it has a beautiful beach and it's not far from Danang, where major grocery stores, cinemas and overall city life is.  Minus what I assume any female deals with in a typical city, I think it is overall incredibly safe for anyone.
There is a huge expat community here, so you will be fine if you want to meet others.  Honestly though, I find that the social scene is a bit young for me, but I enjoy socializing on the rare occasion when I want to be around familiar cultures. There are plenty of foreigner owned restaurants and cafes where you can meet expats.
To save you some trouble, I'd advise you to not sign more than a 3-month lease on a house until you've been here a while and have found an area you like.  Renting here is much different:  Landlords don't have the same boundaries as in the West, so don't sign a year lease until you know you are comfortable with the home/apartment owners.  Vietnam is booming, so if you sign a lease and there is a vacant lot next door, there is a good chance there will be noisy construction there soon.  Also, you need to know how much your neighbor loves to sing karaoke because a lot of them do and they do it loud.
Like the others mentioned, definitely introduce yourself to a lot of locals and especially neighbors.  They are usually incredibly kind and will be an amazing help during the first few months.
Most importantly, have patience. There has been days when simple errands turn into day long journeys that end with nothing accomplished.  But overall it's a beautiful place and the quality of living is something I wouldn't trade for any place in the U.S.A right now.   Hope I was of some help. See you in Hoi An!

Thank you for your input!!

Thank you!! I will be bringing my laptop and mac computer do you think this would work ? MAC is difficult here so, I wanted to know whet your thoughts were on this?

Thank you again

Cat

Patience is a virtue haha!!

Well said!

Veterancat48 wrote:

Great advice Thank you!! I think when we are in different situations in other countries sometimes it is comforting to have a person who speaks our language.

Yes, I use MacBook.  There is an authorized MacBook repair shop in Danang.  Happy to answer your or anyone else's questions.   There is a bit of a learning curve at the start.  I am grateful I had people to help me.

Thank you ! Mac is complicated. My laptop is Dell I do not see a problem with this but, I also have an Ipad as well I like to watch Netflix!! LOL

CAT

I accidentally packed my mom in my suitcase when I moved here, she's in her late 50's. She's pretty happy here, has a few local friends and a few foreigner friends. I'm kind of skeptical that you will make many foreigner friends that actually live in Hoi An as opposed to Da Nang (Not talking about people travelling through). Depending on what kind of social life you need to maintain sanity, perhaps one of the major cities would provide a better quality of life for you.

I do not like crowds and like to meet people on my own terms so, I think Hoi An may be a good fit for me. If not I can always venture further out. I like my privacy but, occasionally like to be social.

Thank you

Cat

Veterancat48 wrote:

I do not like crowds and like to meet people on my own terms so, I think Hoi An may be a good fit for me. If not I can always venture further out. I like my privacy but, occasionally like to be social.

Thank you

Cat

I think you are on the right track.
i found Hoi An touristy, (many Vietnamese) but I was only there a day so could be totally wrong.

I also like the idea of small. The smaller the town, the easier it is to meet locals and become immersed in the culture, and that's why you are here or will be here.

On a different note, in terms of an apartment lease, even though I sgned a one year lease, it was easy to leave at the 9th month. YMMV

Good luck and don't worry.