New members of the Vietnam forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018

Hey all!

I'm Peter, from both Canada and Kenya, though more recently Canada. I'm getting to Hanoi this month and should be there at the very least a month, but could be 3 months.

Back in the great white north I work in video games on the art side of things, but on the move for over a year now, I've been working on a literary project of my own and illustrating/animating stuff for myself and for people! Would be good to meet some of you for a bevy sometime!

Or some snake oil, or whatever it is that you're into.

Cheerio!

Hi. My name's Chris and I joined this forum a year or two ago and forgot about it so I'd like to remedy that and Introduce myself now.
I'm from the UK but lived and worked (advertising & marketing) in the USA for several years. What brought me here is the chance to reinvent myself post-divorce. I'm consulting with a firm in London and teaching part-time.
Perhaps the members of this Group can help with a couple of things.
First, is there an Arts scene (e.g. theater, music, independent film) that doesn't involve disco or the latest blockbuster movie? In a city the size of Saigon, there must be something, somewhere wouldn't you think?   Second, is there a 'business networking group' that doesn't involve someone trying to sell me an apartment somewhere?  I have an Oxford M.A that's getting moldy from inaction.

Hello Chris,
Welcome (back) to the forum.

As for the Arts scene in Saigon, here are a few leads you may wish to follow up.

- Ho Chi Minh City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra
- Saigon Opera house
- Independent Films in Saigon (from Saigoneer)

Please have a look at Saigoneer Events to stay update.
There are also many small theatres that host Vietnamese musicals (Cải Lương) etc.

Cheers!

@Senwl's Saigoneer suggestion is good.
There are galleries in hidden D1 alleys.
Google "arts saigon -hotel"
You need to subtract hotel else you mostly get hotel ads.
I don't know how to google that in Vietnamese tho.

CHRISLANGTON wrote:

is there an Arts scene (e.g. theater, music, independent film) that doesn't involve disco or the latest blockbuster movie?

Ditto on what Senwl said.

In addition, here are some info that you may find helpful.  They're in Vietnamese, however.  I probably could come up with the English version with a bit more time, but we're on a trip and I can't translate or do more searching at the moment:

Indies
HBSO
The Mist
Ticket Go
À Ố
VOH

Hello all--David here. Just moved to Ho Chi Minh City, coming in from Shanghai, my home for the last 6 1/2 years. While I have lived in the USA for some of my adult life (mostly Seattle and San Diego), most of it has been spent traveling and living overseas. Have been working as an IELTS Examiner for the past several years and was hoping to do the same here, but it is now looking like my 'active status' will expire before I can acquire the needed work permit. Whatever, there are still plenty of other options, I imagine. I also do a lot of photography, mostly street photography, although it is the more 'picturesque' types of shots that seem sell more regularly at Alamy, the online stock photo agency. Am living in District 1 right now but may make a move to District 2 before too long--just too many motorbikes flying down the sidewalk in this part of the city! Have been meeting some good people at gatherings like those hosted by Internations, but am looking forward to meeting a lot more. Anyway, so far, so good but yes--the heat, humidity and ground-level fumes will definitely take some getting used to.

Hi!

Rolly Nunez here all the way from the Philippines.

I am currently looking for a job in HCM, to follow my wife because she's working there.

I am an Electrical Engineer here in Philippines and working as Distribution Design Engineer in largest distribution utility in the metro.

Can anyone from the group can help me?

Hi, My name is Sebastian from Singapore. I'm 54 and have been in corporate IT for my whole adult life.
I'm planning to semi-retire in Hanoi with my Vietnamese wife in Apr 2018. Going to be a whole new journey for me, so wish me luck.

PS: After a few months of Sundays, trying to pick up Vietnamese language and way of life, I'd probably be looking for things to do. What would be a good biz to do?
a. Picking up TEFL and teach for poor students (what is an acceptable rate)
b. Going into a small biz.

Hello all,

Hope everyone is enjoying Vietnam. My name is Hai, I'm from New York. I am planing to move to Ha Noi this summer to be with my partner.

I'm an Executive Casino Host Manager in New York. Worked in the casino and resort industry right after I graduated, so hospitality is my specialty. Hope to connect with you guys.

I'm looking for a job in the hospitality industry to familiarize with the Vietnamese culture before starting my own coffee/juice bar business. I was wondering if anyone in the group can help me out?


Best,

Hello all!

Glad to be part of this community!

My name is Cesco and I will be moving to HCMC in the next 2 weeks.

I was wondering if I could trouble you all for a bit of help. I will be working in Thao Dien and am looking for a place to stay that is within the area. Any help would be so much appreciated.

Thank you so much everyone!

Hello!
My name is Te, a Melbournian moving to Vietnam in July.
I am going for 13months (minimum) to get my TESOL qualification and complete a 12month placement teaching English.

I have traveled a fair bit (including Vietnam), however, I have never moved to another country. The prospect is both exciting and daunting, especially as I will be making the move on my own. Any advice or guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Te

Hi, my name is Robert, I am from Australia. Thank you for letting me join your group. It's fantastic information available from your many experienced followers. My plan is to travel Asia on my motorcycle, and of course Vietnam seems to be the place I leave it at the border for my duration there, unless anyone can tell me that the rules have relaxed, as my bike is an off road 750cc Honda. It is not going to be allowed to enter as far as can gather.
Safe Travels
Regards Rob.

I briefly looked into this, and my research suggests that it is a huge pain in the butt to import cars and motorbikes.

You need documents to prove that you are the first owner of the vehicle l, it can't be more than XX years old, and once here, customs give you then run around, the end result is you paying a gift (bribe) to get it released.

Every time I make enquires about this with locals I get stopped short and told not to bother.

Hecate01 wrote:

Hello!
My name is Te, a Melbournian moving to Vietnam in July.
I am going for 13months (minimum) to get my TESOL qualification and complete a 12month placement teaching English.

I have traveled a fair bit (including Vietnam), however, I have never moved to another country. The prospect is both exciting and daunting, especially as I will be making the move on my own. Any advice or guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

I doubt you will be unaware of the (fabulous) advantages  you own simply by being a young, beautiful blonde in (any) Asian country.   But know this:

Mountains will be moved to accomodate you. 

  Doubt?   Read the relevant posts...     

Bazza139 wrote:

Mountains will be moved to accomodate you. 

  Doubt?   Read the relevant posts...     

Hi Bazza,

Thanks for your reply!
Which relevant posts are you referring to? I'm super new here and don't really
know my way around yet lol

Cheers,

(Smirk)  ..the ones referring to the blondies...   

Seriously though, YOU will find it much easier than (us) b'cos we minions are just part of the common herd...   

Young, blonde, beautiful...   (despicable!!!)     

(Just Jealous)   

Jobwise, you will be able to choose the best offer.    Enjoy.

Today's my day to say Mabuhay to all! xx 1st, I want to say.. I am glad to be reading those wonderful intro's from the past and that I am so so happy to have found this webby! so what does actually Mabuhay means? Mabuhay is a term we use to warmly greet any guest and visitor in the Philippines. It translates to as a very warm and welcoming Hello. I am as of the moment really in quite a big dire if I should continue this or not. What I meant by that is if I would really continue moving & working to Vietnam to teach. I must say, I was pretty stressed out about a 100% knowing that I will be really doing this all alone like my on my own. But it all changed - after I checked this webby & I am very very happy for that! This is my 1st time working abroad and being an expat and with the help of all you beautiful beings, I am sure its going to be worth it! Hoping to hear all pro's & cons of being an expat in Vietnam and tips starting out. Peace out! xx

eugeneli wrote:

Today's my day to say Mabuhay to all! xx 1st, I want to say.. I am glad to be reading those wonderful intro's from the past and that I am so so happy to have found this webby! so what does actually Mabuhay means? Mabuhay is a term we use to warmly greet any guest and visitor in the Philippines. It translates to as a very warm and welcoming Hello. I am as of the moment really in quite a big dire if I should continue this or not. What I meant by that is if I would really continue moving & working to Vietnam to teach. I must say, I was pretty stressed out about a 100% knowing that I will be really doing this all alone like my on my own. But it all changed - after I checked this webby & I am very very happy for that! This is my 1st time working abroad and being an expat and with the help of all you beautiful beings, I am sure its going to be worth it! Hoping to hear all pro's & cons of being an expat in Vietnam and tips starting out. Peace out! xx

I would encourage you to work on your English language syntax.

As with many wonderful people from your beautiful country, your use of the English language is somewhat disjointed.

If you are going to Vietnam to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) your competition for employment will be many expats from England, the U.S.A. and other locations, and their command of the English language is not only fluent, but also fluid.

I do wish you well and hope that you will be happy and at peace with whatever decisions you make.

@JimBate Welcome to my City! Have a great time here! :-)

Hey there, I'm new to Hanoi and this forum.  I arrived in Hanoi in mid December and really don't have any friends here and have seen little.  That is because I have been swamped with work and travel.  I hope that will change a little bit.  I am American and would love to meet other like minded international expatriates like myself and Vietnamese who like hanging out with us.  Thanks.

Good luck with retirement....I hope to do the same soon.

Still in the states but soon coming to visit. I am looking for someone who can give me dos  and don't advice. Common sense tells me to pack light and for humidity.. lol  ATM, or exchange?  Phone  works or not?

It's not all that grim, Tymn. 

The only things you (really) need is common sense & courtesy,
(or, if you happen to be a backpacker, maybe your parents..?)

But jokes aside, (nearly) everything is not only available here,
but cheaper than anywhere else (that I can find), and quality
often better.   Caveat Emptor still applies, of course.

Yes, pack light, humidity is contingent on where you wanna go,
ATM'S only until you find where the locals do it much cheaper.

Phones are about the same price, research carefully to ensure
compatibility, unlocked obviously, carriers? - personal choice.

*The rest of the world runs on 220-240 volts, so be sure to
bring a transformer BEFORE you plug in yer 110 volt stuff here,
fried laptops being quite common for American Expats...

Medicines can be iffy & expensive unless generic, the postal
service does not exist, and DHL & Fedex super expensive, so
be sure to bring a good supply of prescription meds until you
find a reliable source here. 
The rest is the common sense you already possess.   

The culture is co-operative, not competitive, so smiles are the
order of the day.   There are no rules, so trust your intuition
until you align your values with theirs.  Road traffic especially.

You WILL enjoy the freedom, the country, the people, the lack
of social strife, with no colour, class, caste, creed or religious
intolerance to be concerned about.

But I may be biased.  It's Utopia for me.

Hope you find yours too

It gets cold in the mountains in winter and it sometimes snows in Sapa. Even as far south as Nha Trang I wear warm clothes of an evening in winter. Summer is very hot and humid

Hi, I'm Vijay (VJ) from India here relocating for work. Work as Forensic Technology professional with a big auditing firm. Here to catch some football and make some friends. Enjoying Saigon until now

Hi!  I'm moving to Ho Chi Minh City in August with my partner who has been there for the past several months.  We're planning on being there for at least a couple years.  I'm hoping to make some connections before heading over to help ease the transition.  I don't want to become too isolated after leaving my friends and family behind. 

I'm looking forward to connecting with people who are either planning their move to Vietnam, or have been through it already and can share some words of wisdom!

Thanks!

Hello sonnyfoodie
I, m very  new on here as I recently decided to live overseas again, having previously lived in several asian countries, and Hanoi being 1 of 2 probable options.
like you I will not really be interested in the bar scene.
I hope to have a serious long term life there and part of the successful equation will be to have a good circle friends.  I have varied interests and really enjoy an interesting and ecclectic conversation.
I intend to do my best to learn the language, though I dont really have much experience with tonal languages, I do have knowledge of other asian languages, I am fairly proficient in japanese.
so i look foward to hopefully meeting a good bunch of fellow internationals whether they be vietnamese or non vietnamese is probably irrelevant,  though in my country of australia there are many vietnamese, I havent as yet known any vietnamese well enough to call a friend.
anyone interested in this email please contact me, I hope to make landfall in about 6 weeks.
all the best.
toby

Hi everyone, I'm a South African living and working in Azerbaijan at the moment as a small vocational training school director. At the moment we're looking at the possibility of teaching English at a VATC school in Can Tho, just heard from them this morning.  If anyone can give us a heads up on this school, and the location, I'd be most appreciative.

Hello All,
I am an expat from USA.  I have been living in HCMC for over a year now.  I am here for business ventures.  I am open to meeting new friends or business minded people.  I am willing to share what knowledge I have if you are interested.  My dad is Korean and my mom is Vietnamese.  I can speak English, Vietnamese, Korean and broken Spanish.  Just inbox me

Hello yong mun
just saw yr post
what an interesting family life you must have had, having parents from korea and vietnam
I, ve spent some time in korea, but only speak a very few words
I, ll be moving to VN  soon, but not sure where yet, possibly to Ha noi as it seems less humid
I dont know many ppl in VN  but look forward to making interesting new friends
NANUN HOCHU SARAMIMNIDA
TOBY IMNIDA
CHALBUTAKAHMNIDA

Hi Everyone,

I'm Damien from Singapore who had just moved over to Saigon last month for a role in a mobile marketing agency. 

Looking forward to meet some new people, find a football team to play (ex semi-pro player), share my love for food (cooking) with like minded people and most important take the opportunity to travel around Vietnam.

Cheers
Damien

Hello there,
I am from Indonesia, have been moving and living in DaLat and frequently travel to Hanoi.
Good luck with settling down in Vietnam
Cheers
Vivi

Hi everyone, just moved to Hanoi since this Jan, Would like to meet up with people and get to know more about this country, its people and culture.

Hi,

I'm Ryan Barshop, US Immigration Lawyer. I am a  member of the New York State Bar and the American Immigration Lawyers Association,  licensed to practice immigration law throughout the United States and federal territories.

Thank you.

Hello Everyone,

I am Josh. Born in Florida, raised in Upstate New York. I am a former state employee, and have resided in 36 nations in the past 9 years due to work  ( does that make me a "Serial Expat"? ).

My Employment has been "colorful" as a lack of any alternative word to describe it. I originally got into IT at the age of 14, and somehow ended up as a Department of State employee by the age of 19. I currently earn income that ranges from Tech ( Government Contracts exclusively ), to Pharmaceuticals ( whatever i can get my hands on ), and yet still do some freelance Analytics ( I am just as confused as you are ). I am currently participating in the development of 11 Digital services in Vietnam, only of which 2 have launched while the rest are currently in development ( I absolutely despise the lacking tech infrastructure here )   

I have been in Sai Gon for about 15 months, and am prematurely in retirement here ( low cost of living ). For those that are doing the math, yes I am way too young to "legally retire", however considering how my income is generated, I simply do not have to work like others my age. ( I simply did not replicate the poor choices of others )

My interest in this site is purely from an Expat perspective, and I have NO INTEREST in networking with anyone that is NOT an Expat. I am however interested in meeting Expats that are over the age of 50. I generally find that "older generations" tend to have way too much accumulated knowledge and experience that simply gets ignored by society which is exactly how I managed to avoid making poor choices in life.

PS: To Moderators & Staff... I want to thank you for the effort & service you have provided attempting to shield expats from domestic false marketing ( Unlike Internations ). I realize that it is inevitably a loosing battle, BUT your efforts have been noticed, and I appreciate them.

I am "well over" 50 and have been living in Vietnam for 4 years (I now own a residence in HCMC where I have been for 2 years). I am married to a Vietnamese girl much younger than I but we share many of the same philosophies. I am a full time English teacher. I feel the same as you about meeting people. Let me know if you are interested in getting together... [email protected].

Would love to catch up for coffee ( Oddly, i rarely drink beer ).

Personal Advice: you might want to remove your email from public view, unless you don't mind spam email. It's also too easy to track people via personal info
(  " Visa Transfer
I already have a Chinese visa. However, my passport expired and I need to have it transferred to my new passport. Do I need an appointment for this? Is there a fee?" ) as an example.

Please dont post your contact info publicly.

JayJones wrote:

older generations tend to have way too much accumulated knowledge and experience that simply gets ignored by society

Such a wise youngster, this JJ.    Yeah, we older Muricans can't catch a break. High school students are the new thought leaders. Some famous guy yesterday said "a lot of today's problems are caused by old men”. Google that with the quote marks. I'm happier being 9 time zones away from the left coast.