5 good reasons for living in Vietnam

1. Warm climate year-round, with sun and blue sky most days.
2. Beautiful, friendly, available, Vietnamese ladies. (I'm already married, but if I were single....)
3. Use of English language is a little more prominent than many non-English speaking countries.
4. Cost of living is reasonable for foreigners.
5. Freedom of personal transportation (relatively easy for foreigners to ride motorbikes if they choose to do so).

1) Wonderful people--beautiful and friendly.
2) Great growth--personally and professionally.
3) Relatively low cost of living.
4) Excellent personal services--personal drivers, groceries delivered to your doors, etc.
5) CHEAP medical cares--I mean really cheap.  But, if one can maintain reasonably good health, no major procedure is needed, Vietnam is an outstanding place to be.

Wild_1 wrote:

But, if one can maintain reasonably good health, no major procedure is needed, Vietnam is an outstanding place to be.

I had surgery (for a non-life-threatening issue, but still what I would consider major, given I was cut open) at FV Hospital about 3-1/2 years ago. Procedure was performed by a French doctor who was assisted by a Vietnamese doctor. I thought they did an excellent job. (I'm still here!) Staff was very professional, and although my insurance did not cover the cost of a private room, they never put a patient in the other bed in my room. Stayed there 3 days. Good experience for me.

Saigonmonkey,

I never want to see a hospital in my life, not even to visit someone.  But, I learned that FV is one of the better hospitals in Vietnam.  If I had to REALLY REALLY go under the knife, and there is no way around it, then that is the place I would want to go to, in south Vietnam.  I am not too sure about the north and central parts of the country.

Regardless, even if you have to pay, it will be nothing like in the States...  No more hospital talk, my friend!  I am depressed already.

1. No need to queue, (I tried and it does not work)
2. I get paid to teach a language I can speak.
3. Police officers take bribes
4. When crossing the road, you never need to stop, look or listen
5. Sleeping on the job is accepted. Just not while teaching a class.

1. great weather even in the wet season.
2. great food, especially seafood.
3. great cheap massages (ligitimite or otherwise)
4. great friendly females who dress elegantly
5. freedom to ride a bike and actually feel safe doing so. In Australia motorists are not bike conscious and will not see you even with your light on!

While I am on the subject of riding motorbikes in Vietnam, here is a humourous take on Vietnam road rules.
Road Rules for Vietnam

1 - Use your horn constantly to tell people where you are and what you are doing. It is more important than your indicators.
2 - When the police yell at you and wave their rather large truncheon ignore them and keep riding, they will not follow.
3 - Street signs are a suggestion only, so are traffic lights
4 - There is no such thing as a one way street no matter what the signs say
5 - Pavements are or riding on if you want to overtake someone
6 - Whomever is the biggest has right of way. Buses and trucks rule... pedestrians are at the bottom of the feed chain
7 - When turning or changing lanes do not look. It is up to everyone else to get out of your way
8 - Both sides of the road can be ridden in any direction

Whatever you do keep following rule number one

1.    HCMC  has perfect weather, you know what you get all year round.
2.    Hot women, all the girls are fit !!
3.    Business Opportunites
4.    Low cost of living
5.    Corruption

Some of previous posters said not watching the traffic as they cross the street. That's stupid and suicidal.

I'm local, and I've never crossed the streets without watching the coming traffic. We locals are not nervous when crossing the streets but we do watch. Maybe because we aren't so nervous so we don't really need to turn our heads and stare at the vehicles that's going towards us and so you guys mistook the we don't. 

"When turning or changing lanes do not look. It is up to everyone else to get out of your way" <-- this is, again, stupid & dangerous.

Some of locals, especially ladies, are truly awkward at riding things, and so they don't look, and those will be the first ones who get accidents. Other times, you may feel we turn without looking, but I can tell you some of us stop briefly, turn head to look, or just look in the mirror, and if we feel we can be aggressive and the coming traffic will make way for us then we just turn.

Bottom line is we may not always follow rules but we do use the common senses while on the roads.

vantnguyen wrote:

Some of previous posters said not watching the traffic as they cross the street. That's stupid and suicidal.

I'm local, and I've never crossed the streets without watching the coming traffic. We locals are not nervous when crossing the streets but we do watch. Maybe because we aren't so nervous so we don't really need to turn our heads and stare at the vehicles that's going towards us and so you guys mistook the we don't. 

"When turning or changing lanes do not look. It is up to everyone else to get out of your way" <-- this is, again, stupid & dangerous.

Some of locals, especially ladies, are truly awkward at riding things, and so they don't look, and those will be the first ones who get accidents. Other times, you may feel we turn without looking, but I can tell you some of us stop briefly, turn head to look, or just look in the mirror, and if we feel we can be aggressive and the coming traffic will make way for us then we just turn.

Bottom line is we may not always follow rules but we do use the common senses while on the roads.

Maybe I should've highlighted the title in bigger letters "here is a humourous take on Vietnam road rules."

Maybe because English is not my 1st language, but my understanding is being "humorous" doesn't mean it's not what you believe and exercise on the streets.

The other day, I was walking to work and was grabbed by 2 tourists asking for direction. I told them which direction to go, but they didn't know how to cross the street - it was a 6-way traffic circle so on the outward lane of each street going in the circle, traffic never stopped. So I decided to take them to the other side. But upon stepping down from the curb, one of the guys just kept walking so fast without looking left or right for traffic. I told him many times to stop, and stepped back as he blocked my sight of incoming traffic. What were he even thinking?! Now, that's not humorous, it's very dangerous. He even endangered my life by doing so.

I grew up outside New York City and crossing the street there is the same as in VN.  But it is easier in VN because there are more motorbikes.

vantnguyen wrote:

Maybe because English is not my 1st language, but my understanding is being "humorous" doesn't mean it's not what you believe and exercise on the streets.

The other day, I was walking to work and was grabbed by 2 tourists asking for direction. I told them which direction to go, but they didn't know how to cross the street - it was a 6-way traffic circle so on the outward lane of each street going in the circle, traffic never stopped. So I decided to take them to the other side. But upon stepping down from the curb, one of the guys just kept walking so fast without looking left or right for traffic. I told him many times to stop, and stepped back as he blocked my sight of incoming traffic. What were he even thinking?! Now, that's not humorous, it's very dangerous. He even endangered my life by doing so.

Lighten up, humourous means funny, I earn a very successful living as a stand up comedian internationally. You need to relax a little and see the funny side of life. That whole postings was a funny look at traffic in Vietnam. The money I make outside of Vietnam funds all my charity projects in Vietnam.

Women say:
- Good food
- Low cost
- Friendly people
- Interesting culture
- Nice beaches


Men say:
- Sexy girls
- Good food (and sexy girls)
- Beautiful nature (and sexy girls)
- Culture  (and of course sexy girls)
- Interesting life ( because the sexy girls)

lol...ha ha... just for fun... (^_^)...

In New York, people drive on the right.
In London, people drive on the left.
In Sai Gon, it does not matter....

Don't worry Pierre, I get your humour,