I introduce myself as a NOOB, but I have been "here" a few times. My perspectives deal mostly with things unique to Vietnam versus Thailand, Laos and Cambo as my Western experiences are becoming aged and may be irrelevant with the changing times. So, if you're making a jump from another SE Asian country, you might want to check this out and save a few bucks and/or some time skipping my mistakes.
My first impression was like going way back in time in Thailand's Kao Sarn. Much cleaner though. That's right, straight to the backpacker's strip. I needed the PC set up, so hostels were out, so $8 a night for a room. Cut a deal for 10 days and paid $7. Worked and is working fine. No problems, no worries. The close-by locals have started to numb to me finding me strange, but less and less interesting. They relax. You gotta remember, these people see some whack sh#t over the years. Its a barely perceptable tension you can't really see 'till it starts to fade. I totally understand. I stare at the foreignors, too.
I might update with apartments at some point, but I'm not near there and might have reason to stay anyway. They are cheaper, but I've discovered a unique feature to this particular room possibly upping it's value and I hate breaking in new neighborhoods.
The main tangible benefits to breaking in new neigborhoods are sellers will know what you want with a nod and all the touts and moto drivers will either know you have a moto or where your spots are leaving your walks remarkably undisturbed. Only catch is, it doesn't work if you do make a show. All these people in shopfronts and outside ain't got alot of entertainment, so if you're "freakin'", whatever that means to you, it won't work. That don't mean you can't be strange, just not the center of drama. Fighting, screaming, extreme drunkeness and even those passive things where you may see yourself as the victim, such as being beaten, robbed, crashed your moto or whatever.
So, I pay $10/day for rent and moto for $300/mo. overhead.
Food is really easy here. Some faves within a walk for me are a 3-egg sandwich for a dollar, a falafel (wish they had tahini) for 1.5, and the eggs with pork and rice for just over a buck and a half. Bakeries are worth checking as they're all different. I'm not a soup eater and find good food everywhere pretty cheap, but if your thing is soup, You'll not try them all in this life. Viets love soup.
I read about alot of scams and robberies before coming and was skeptical. I find it more interesting than scary though as I grew up on the streets and have yet to feel a moment's fear in Asia. My perspective is as one who remembers Pacoima, where the best sacks were, and where the "drive-by shooting" was being copyrighted at that very time. Asia is Disneyland. 1000s of hours walking the dark streets of Banfkok and Phnom Penh made me quite skeptical indeed as they'd said the same of those as well. I have seen robbers, though. 3 even aproached me. As usual, I replied, weighed'em up. Thats all you gotta do. Weighing up is exactly what they were doing. Like predator and prey in a forest, a predator reacts to the reaction. They want to see the eyes dart for help or a way out. For those without years of training, if you're real good, you might fake it. All in the eyes. Anyway, they are out there. If you're not trained, get a good moto guy for when you want to go out and keep his number for the way back and if you wanna walk thru the parks and streets at night, hook up with a few others and no worries. No sign of guns.
Haven't seen any bad police stuff like I read about, nor did I ever see any in Cambo or Thailand. I've never nor has any friend of mine ever been harrassed, extorted or done much of anything with police in Asia but drink with 'em. I was harrassed monthly on average for 20 years back home, but have never had such in all my years in Asia. The police here seem really to want to catch real criminals most living with thier families in the districts they serve. Mostly real good guys and they deserve a good drink so buy 'em one sometime. You'll find them in thier off time at the best local food and drink places. In fact, if you see a group of 'em eating somewhere, definately try it. They know where its at.
I can't speak for the normal shift jobs as I'm on language school schedule meaning all weekend and 4 evenings a week. For language schools though, you'll likely need to fit a moto rental in the budget or one of the cheap $200 bikes people sell here. I've seen a few of these $200 bikes and they run the whole gambit having only age incommon. Some are quite classic. Old steel Hondas and Ruskie bikes. I think about restoring a classic Honda, but continue to rent as for me it would be $200+ tools. A past lesson learned is that even a flat can cost you $20 or more. On your way to class BAM! Now you walk to a fixer and wait. Class missed and if the walk was long, maybe two. So, I pay $90/m. for a new Honda Dream with new tires. Again, it started at $5/day and I suggested a better rate at ten days meaning $30/10 days.
The Viet do have a unique riding style that assumes all on the road to have grown up on motos. It'd be too easy for someone to crash here and not realise they were at fault. If someone cuts you off at regular speed clipping your front and dropping you, its your fault for allowing you front to line up with their rear. If you're not experienced on motorcycles, practice in the country untill every aspect is spontanious as if the moto were part of your body. Than you can focus on the traffic and you should be fine. And do remember, the viet don't drive slow because the bikes are small, they do it because its stupid not to. Seen more that a few who thought that their big bike meant they should go faster and find out the hard way why you don't go fast here. Big bikes are damaged by constant use of only first gear, so get a small one. Be predictable and if ever there's question, stop. Those with freestyle experience will get more outa sidewalk shortcuts when the road clogs. I actually get a kick out of it sometimes. Always liked obsacle riding. Gas costs me about a half dollar a day.
I had been interested in on-line teaching for some time, but bandwidths in Cambo kept me from really persueing it, so when I found on-line services here, I checked 'em out. I tried one outa Hanoi. Lotsa problems with crashes and lost connections. They use Windows, Java and Thebluebutton program on thier one lone server along with thier own program dependant on Java and Windows. No wonder they crash. Far superior ways are available. It should be run on a stripped down non-Windows OS, Java is totally unnecessary as well as thier program and there should be at least 2 servers using different net services and power grids. I wasted most of a week with them, but learned a few things, so not a total waste. I am now considering giving them some superior competition now, though and it should be quite convenient to my room as on the other side of my wall is the next-door power grid and with a second computer I could have it all right here for a small hole in the wall and a payment to the neighbors. One of my many projects. In a nut shell though, you should probably give the on-line teaching services a pass for now. They pay small and when they can't connect, you don't get paid and when you can't connect, they'll likely dock you. Or make your own.
Websites : I'd hoped for an easy database like Ajarn in Thailand, but no such luck. Sites like this are worth a look, but not where you'd put or read the classifieds. I did get a link on this site from a post where I asked for just that. A good Viet one with a long list of schools allowing me to line them up on a map and canvas areas as well as email CVs. That site led to work quick. Its easy to open Viet sites in English. Just open Yandex translation, copy the url, and the whole site comes in English. First time I used it for a whole site and it worked perfect.
I don't know how it is in the west now, but had a torrent coming in at 7/mb. per s. and coming from Cambo, It quite amazing for me. Viet net is good.
Entertainment comes in many forms, but the majority revolve around drinking. Drinking selom, I do like to just cruise the streets on foot at night or sometimes the moto and trip on the freaks that come out. Like roulette, you reallly never know, but thats been the case with any decent city. People are amazing. On a rare occasion, I might run into a mate drinkin' and join 'im or her before movin' on. Shootin the sh%t with the dudes while getting amorous with any nectar who's eyes seem to say she's game and joking with the rest. When I get home, its all about crankin' up the dubstep and trap and going rasta. Maybe kill a few aliens in X-com. Lifes all right.
Getting along with people is easier with understanding, so here's something that might explain alot. As a Taoist who also studies Confucionism and Buddhism, it became immediately apperant that even with the Viet Catholics, the traditional culture is very much influenced by confucionist though. Study in this will greatly help your ability to understand why they do what they do. I love this aspect of thier culture. I find them to be some of the easiest people to get along with I've ever encountered as well as some of the most logical. Some great people here.
Overall, I like my sit.. I can wake up at noon 5 days a week, haven't seen any drama or problems and should be able to save a bit. I required about a month and a half's expenses to get it started, but much time was wasted on dead ends. This post should help you skip a couple and do it faster.
Hope this helps a few other NOOBs.
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