docwood
Canadian looking for information about Vietnam
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Canadian
Speaks French
Registration: 27 November 2009
Living with Vietnamese girlfriend....what problems may I encounter? by divedog49
I am thinking of living with my Vietnamese girlfriend for one year in the Hoi an area . I am American and she is a citizen of Vietnam. Will it be problematic to live together there ? I would appreciate any advice.
"Tien Cafe", about the cost of a Starbucks latte, will put a quick smile on the green guy's face. It's not just a cultural courtesy for them, but it works 99.9% of the time. Tien means money and cafe means coffee. handing it ... Read More
Dogs deterrent by JenneSaisQuoi
i got a problem with a neighbor who lets her dogs run wild pooping and pissing all over in front of my door. I'm tired of being diplomatic. Is there a shop in HCMC that sells a deterrent spray or something that keeps these dogs from coming over ...
Ammonia will keep the dog away. Put some in a spray bottle with water and spray the area.Ammonia is the better choice. Since dogs can smell hundreds of times humans do, a low concentration of ammonia with lots of water is sufficient. Higher ... Read More
What concern you the most to live and do business in Vietnam? by Tiennguyen2582
Being a Vietnamese , I welcome all of expats to come and live in our country. I think that you have been helping us a lot to improve ourselves. Thanks to all of you. However, living in a foreign country may cause you some difficulties. If you do ...
What's happening is not rants or whining as suggested. It proves the point of what you guys are dealing with. If the guys don't care about sweeping garbage into the gutter or people drown in flood water and other stuff (the list is ... Read More
What concern you the most to live and do business in Vietnam? by Tiennguyen2582
Being a Vietnamese , I welcome all of expats to come and live in our country. I think that you have been helping us a lot to improve ourselves. Thanks to all of you. However, living in a foreign country may cause you some difficulties. If you do ...
There were also a number of canals (Thank goodness not all of them) filled with dirt and turned into homes. Canals are even better to hold rain water. Besides holding water, it serves to filter out toxic and retain good ground water to support a ... Read More
What concern you the most to live and do business in Vietnam? by Tiennguyen2582
Being a Vietnamese , I welcome all of expats to come and live in our country. I think that you have been helping us a lot to improve ourselves. Thanks to all of you. However, living in a foreign country may cause you some difficulties. If you do ...
The street sweepers sweep trash into the street gutters right before dusk. This is obviously sanctioned by big brother (Out of Sight, Out of Mind). Lands are valuable in HCMC, so most of the water ponds were filled with soil to be sold for ... Read More
What concern you the most to live and do business in Vietnam? by Tiennguyen2582
Being a Vietnamese , I welcome all of expats to come and live in our country. I think that you have been helping us a lot to improve ourselves. Thanks to all of you. However, living in a foreign country may cause you some difficulties. If you do ...
If they just band the used item street vendors and waste material peddlers and the waste material processors that buy from the peddlers, they can cut down a bit on social common-good problems. The whole country is a garbage can because, there are ... Read More
What concern you the most to live and do business in Vietnam? by Tiennguyen2582
Being a Vietnamese , I welcome all of expats to come and live in our country. I think that you have been helping us a lot to improve ourselves. Thanks to all of you. However, living in a foreign country may cause you some difficulties. If you do ...
So this alley is wide enough for cars like the ones nearby Le Van Sy street. I have seen problems with a 1.5 meter wide alley leading to a dead-end, that a bully resident actually blocks the whole alley with his stuff in the middle of the alley, so ... Read More
What concern you the most to live and do business in Vietnam? by Tiennguyen2582
Being a Vietnamese , I welcome all of expats to come and live in our country. I think that you have been helping us a lot to improve ourselves. Thanks to all of you. However, living in a foreign country may cause you some difficulties. If you do ...
The motorbikes parking at right angles to the house in tiny alleys (hem in Vietnamese), have nothing to do with common sense in VN. It’s done on purpose. Corruption trickles down to every problem in society. The Hem is “free ... Read More
What concern you the most to live and do business in Vietnam? by Tiennguyen2582
Being a Vietnamese , I welcome all of expats to come and live in our country. I think that you have been helping us a lot to improve ourselves. Thanks to all of you. However, living in a foreign country may cause you some difficulties. If you do ...
I believe all your comments above are candid and correct. Most problems in VN will never be learnt and fixed unless corruption is eradicated. We are all powerless to the 1 party-rule which maintains the corruption process in tack. Corruption ... Read More
Why don't Vietnamese understand Vietnamese spoken by a foreigner? by I do believe
Having lived in Vietnam for 6 years and studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities it never ceases to amaze me that if I speak and pronounce a Vietnamese phrase perfectly to most Vietnamese, they don't understand me. ...
MatthiasB wrote: It's not just the northern/southern/central sounds, nor the accents. It's the cadence of the language. Without a natural flow (as emmy.vn points out, the gaps), it's difficult for native speakers to properly identify the ... Read More
Chinese New Year in Penang by CapturingPenang
Great time to head up to Penang for a long weekend. Just a couple tips - Be sure to head to the Chew Jetty in George Town on Thursday night, Feb 10th, for Thni Kong Seh (Jade Emperors birthday). One of the highlights of Chinese New Year in ...
It's good to know. I am planning on going there for a week in the next Chinese New Year! I am assuming that there are many Teo Chew folks living there. Read More
Walkside Foodcart business in HCMC by My-tranle
HI Everyone, My friend who is living in the US does not believe me when I told him that walkside foodcart business ( hawker ) is not legal in HCMC and also in VN. He told me that he saw thousand of people is doing this business in the street and he ...
Well all the above comments have some truth to it more or less. It's all about making a living from all sides. In VN the cops usually don't put in much effort if there is no money involved. Their gov salary is not enough to catch up with ... Read More
Coffee peculator by j.keats
Hi all, I'm living in Saigon but I want to buy a coffee perculator so I can make my own good - and strong - coffee. Do you know where I can buy one? They look like this http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Moka2.jpg And what about ...
Unei_Nguyen wrote a few months ago . . . I believe what u mean is "Cafe Chon"!! "Chon" (which means "weasel") is a kind of animal who eat coffee beans and, therefore, have coffee beans in their poo. People realize that the very special coffee in ... Read More
Recommend a good hotel (3/4 star) in vung tau by vicci0606
hi all, i am planning to visit vung tau for a couple of days next month. i checked several websites and i found the same 4-5 names. i am planning to stay on the back beach (thuy van st.). can anybody recommend any good 3/4 star hotel? (from your ...
Vicci, Like ScamBuster said, you should come and look around to see what's up. The only thing good about Back Beach is easy accessibility to the beach. I would not swim in any water near Back Beach. If you come out right before dawn and observe, ... Read More
Teaching in Ho Chi Minh, with a CELTA, but no degree by Olin
Hello, I'm Oli 32, from London. I have recently passed my CELTA, and I really want to teach in Ho Chi Minh, for about a year. I love Vietnamese culture and the food! My one problem is that I don't have a degree...yet! Is it possible to find ...
Hi Dan, Actually there are many age discrimination for both blue and white collars in Vietnam but Teaching English seems to be an exception. Teachers are revere here. Vietnam is one of a few Asian countries that still honor Confucius Teachings. Read More
How to get a motorbike license? by Doda23
Hello to all members who read this, Cab driving is more expensive and takes more time, thats why I need a motorbike license asap! I already checked all possible ways to get one, unfortunately its not allowed to have a translator in the ...
Hey LaidbackFreak, Actually I have the Airblade for 1.6 million a month. I think the AirBlade is a little better than the Yamaha Nouvo. So I was not really taken that much. The AirBlade is more fuel efficient than the Nouvo also. Read More
How to get a motorbike license? by Doda23
Hello to all members who read this, Cab driving is more expensive and takes more time, thats why I need a motorbike license asap! I already checked all possible ways to get one, unfortunately its not allowed to have a translator in the ...
LaidbackFreak, I am glad to hear that you got it for 60 USD a month. I now know I was taken that I thought it was reasonable because I had nothing to compare. I was not bargaining hard enough. Thanks for sharing. Read More
English Corner by garyww
We have recently started an English Corner in Nha Trang. We meet every Sunday Morning at 09:30 at the Vien Dong Hotel coffee shop. It is forum where Vietnamese can come and practice speaking english with foreigners. It is free for everyone. You ...
Hey Garyww, Thanks for the heads up sorry to change the subject again . . . Thanks Anata for expanding our horizons. I think it's good for the younger local folks to know that most Vietnamese have Chinese Ancestors. Those Chinese who migrated to ... Read More
Help help help me, please! by Crazy Sally
Hi everyone. Im writting this topic because I wanna make friends and improve my English skill. hiz. Futhermore, I think I can help u learning my mother language Vietnamese and guide u around the Hcm city or my country.^^ Please help me guys @@
Hey Crazy Sally, You are doing fine. Your English sentences are well written. Grammar is fine also. I don't see any flaw at all. But you sounded like you were drowning in the title.:):lol: Read More
How to get a motorbike license? by Doda23
Hello to all members who read this, Cab driving is more expensive and takes more time, thats why I need a motorbike license asap! I already checked all possible ways to get one, unfortunately its not allowed to have a translator in the ...
Hey Doda23, the other option for you is to rent a bike for longer term. The cost is around $80 to $130 per month depending on the brand and age. The guys in the bike rental business seem to have known some body and get used to handling regular ... Read More
How to get a motorbike license? by Doda23
Hello to all members who read this, Cab driving is more expensive and takes more time, thats why I need a motorbike license asap! I already checked all possible ways to get one, unfortunately its not allowed to have a translator in the ...
Ed Wright, Bribe is an ugly word in VN and should never be used. We set aside some tea money or coffee money for practical purposes. Read More
How to get a motorbike license? by Doda23
Hello to all members who read this, Cab driving is more expensive and takes more time, thats why I need a motorbike license asap! I already checked all possible ways to get one, unfortunately its not allowed to have a translator in the ...
Vietaust wrote . . . If you really have to ride a motor bike, you need to understand the traffic rules. Study that. The VN people are IMHO the best motor cyclists in the world. Good luck you will need it. Wow, the best motor cyclists in the world?? ... Read More
How to get a motorbike license? by Doda23
Hello to all members who read this, Cab driving is more expensive and takes more time, thats why I need a motorbike license asap! I already checked all possible ways to get one, unfortunately its not allowed to have a translator in the ...
Howie wrote . . . Major accidents? Without proper documents? God forbid... You will be in (moderated). But again, your attitude will be taken into account when the punishment or fine is considered. In Vietnam, the lady of the law is not ... Read More
How to get a motorbike license? by Doda23
Hello to all members who read this, Cab driving is more expensive and takes more time, thats why I need a motorbike license asap! I already checked all possible ways to get one, unfortunately its not allowed to have a translator in the ...
There is no straight answer in town when it comes to getting motorbike licenses. I believe all these different comments from folks are true. It's mostly about who can pull what strings. 5 years ago, my driver did all the paper work and procedures ... Read More
Moving to HCMC in July by wrightEd
Since this is my first post I will introduce myself. My name is Ed and I am from Richmond, VA in the U.S. I am 26 years old. I am planning on moving to HCMC this summer to teach English. Planning is as far as I have gotten and I have yet to find a ...
Hello Ed, You should check out this link below. Scroll down slowly and find the right posts. Unless you come with a large bank roll, district one rent is generally expensive for a new comer English Teacher. The neighboring districts are cheaper ... Read More
English Corner by garyww
We have recently started an English Corner in Nha Trang. We meet every Sunday Morning at 09:30 at the Vien Dong Hotel coffee shop. It is forum where Vietnamese can come and practice speaking english with foreigners. It is free for everyone. You ...
I don't mean to change the subject but there is a history to phrases being used. Jaitch wrote: Gwei Lo (Foreigners) . . . "Gwei Lo" generally refers to Foreigners in a Cantonese phrase. particularly "Gwei Paul" refers to a female caucasian and ... Read More
Teaching in Ho Chi Minh, with a CELTA, but no degree by Olin
Hello, I'm Oli 32, from London. I have recently passed my CELTA, and I really want to teach in Ho Chi Minh, for about a year. I love Vietnamese culture and the food! My one problem is that I don't have a degree...yet! Is it possible to find ...
Hi Oli, check out this link . . . https://www.expat.com/en/jobs/asia/vietnam/ho-chi-minh-city/language-teacher.html Read More
Teaching in Ho Chi Minh, with a CELTA, but no degree by Olin
Hello, I'm Oli 32, from London. I have recently passed my CELTA, and I really want to teach in Ho Chi Minh, for about a year. I love Vietnamese culture and the food! My one problem is that I don't have a degree...yet! Is it possible to find ...
Hi Jolly, If you google "Rent a White Man", you will get a bunch of links about white faces being rented in China for events. It seems to work the same way in Vietnam that people have the perception that anything white is worth more. Bleach or ... Read More
Buying Tour-Motorbike HCMC->Hanoi by DanBone
Hey guys! I am going to ride from HCMC to Hanoi in August and am looking for a proper motorbike to this trip with. I guess a used tour bike or an enduro bike would be optimal, but I am open to any suggestions as to which ones are the best, most ...
Hey Laidbackfreak, I just sent you a private mail from here. Docwood Read More
Renewing WP by Halfway
Has anyone come up with a way of overcoming article 4 of the new decree-46 which states that a Vietnamese must have a signed contract to be training for your job. I ask this in relation to the job status, "native English speaker"
Well Mark since were being picky today Howie's user name is Wild_1, please stand corrected. RickHey, Can someone spot this one?:P Read More
Coffee peculator by j.keats
Hi all, I'm living in Saigon but I want to buy a coffee perculator so I can make my own good - and strong - coffee. Do you know where I can buy one? They look like this http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Moka2.jpg And what about ...
Unei_Nguyen oi, It depends on the brand and type of coffee. I usually get my whole coffee beans at the Cafe Trung Nguyen on Nguyen Trai St. (North side) near by Le Hong Phone St. in District 5. The best one in town is called " Cafe Chong" which ... Read More
Unlock iPhone 4s by tuhang
Hello: Does anyone know where I can go to get my iPhone 4s unlock in Saigon? Thank you in advance.
Thanks Howie, I am in Nha Trang this week. I will check out the Mobifone on Hai Ba Trung St. when I get back next week. Docwood Read More
Unlock iPhone 4s by tuhang
Hello: Does anyone know where I can go to get my iPhone 4s unlock in Saigon? Thank you in advance.
TuHang, If you still need your iPhone 4 unlocked, try the FTP shop at 227 Hau Giang Street in District 6, nearby the Binh Tay market. They sell internet subscription and other computer related parts and devices but the guy in there name "Anh Quang" ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
Thanks Anatta, VN is moving in the right direction but having numerous challenges to sustain growth. They will soon have competitors like Burma and Cambodia and Laos competing for cheap labor. Increasing productivity is one of the major keys to ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
I have read this interesting press publication sent by Anatta (Thanks again), about how innovation and technological development tend to force changes that the government is reluctant to make due to fear of losing control of the Vietnamese people ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
Thanks very much for the research, lucasjans. My observation is that the site is using proxy servers hosted by FPT Vietnam, another national internet service provider. It looks like they use dot net to make it look like it's from the US and ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
Thanks very much Anatta for the article. This is truly a success story. I was the eyewitness to this development. I was working for a MNC in the 90's in Saigon. It was costing lots of money to dial an international number to replicate our Lotus ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
laidbackfreak, Thanks for the story. I guess reckless do happen every where. Anatta, Thanks for the great research. You got me indeed. I owe you a steak dinner, if I ever get to meet you personally. This looks like some improvement from the ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
Anatta, http://vnexpress.net is an overseas site although in Vietnamese. There are hundreds of sites in VN language but they are registered outside of VN. Only .vn is registered in VN. I am sure there are many more translation of of this news ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
Thanks for the correction Halfway. Well I believe what Jaitch's comment about plastic piping is true. I have never seen it but based on my experience with VN, it's most likely true. Back in those old days of being a university student in NY, one ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
It seems that women coming from the countryside have no problem squatting in public. I witnessed a woman squat right in the middle of the median lawn on Nguyen Hue Boulevard. She practically mooned the public. This is supposed to be an upscale ... Read More
Did you hear the true story of a Vietnamese man, woman, child & door? by Jaitch
The three were seated in a row, and the child was acting uo, screaming at the top of it's voice and causing a general ruckus. She asked the man if he wouldn't mind opening the door for a little fresh air. He obliged. His act of kindness might cost ...
Well, by now the whole world knows it. Because it's all over the media worldwide. This is because it happens to an airplane that this is easier for the media to jumped on it. Being inconsiderate to others around is nothing new all over Vietnam. ... Read More
Tet by remawe
Another newbie who is dumb and hasn't booked Tet yet. I've been so busy with settling in, that I haven't done any planning. I understand the city will be cool, but considering work never gives off this much time, I need to take advantage and get out ...
Hello Remawe, If you want to see SaPa, the best way and the most economic way is to take a flight to Ha Noi. Go to their backpackers' enclave located on Ly Quoc Su street where there is a Youth Hotel in Vietnamese it's "Khack San Thanh Nien". Near ... Read More
Tet by remawe
Another newbie who is dumb and hasn't booked Tet yet. I've been so busy with settling in, that I haven't done any planning. I understand the city will be cool, but considering work never gives off this much time, I need to take advantage and get out ...
Hello Remawe, All the Amusement parks are way too crowded (packed with locals) during Tet, so it's best to avoid them at this time. Since you didn't plan anything, the best place to go is DeTham Street in district One. This is the backpackers' ... Read More
Parks in Ho Chi Minh City for walking a dog? by TanJoeRoberts
My husband and I are relocating for the next year to Ho Chi Minh. We are bringing our 50lb. Rhodesian Ridgeback mix and are curious if there are any places to take her to run or relax, such as a local park? I usually take her for a run every day ...
WideAwake is Absolutely right. Please read the link he provided here again: forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=85474 Believe it or not, this is really bizarre for Western folks. Dog kidnapping for ransom is on the rise. The uniform people ... Read More