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

Hi all,

I'm Jenny. I've been here for some times but too busy working and not having time for anything else but work
I really hope to make some new friends here.

Introduction: Hello! I'm Amy and next week (wow, that came quickly!) will be moving to Da Nang to teach. I just finished two years in Lithuania so I anticipate many differences in Vietnam. The school is south of the city so I don't know whether to try to find a place close to work or have a longer commute. I'm having difficulties figuring out the local buses via internet and Google tells me it is an hour (???) from the city to the school. Is that possible? I don't move very fast in the morning so adding an extra hour to get to work will be tough... Any advice is most welcomed. On any subject. Thanks!

hartswicka wrote:

Google tells me it is an hour (???) from the city to the school. Is that possible?

One hour south and you are in Hoi An.

THIGV wrote:

hartswicka wrote:

Google tells me it is an hour (???) from the city to the school. Is that possible?

One hour south and you are in Hoi An.

Thigv is right, Da Nang is not that big!
Google distance da nang to hoi an
Or better, google the school address.

Have to remember to forget distance and think on time for Vietnam, especially in built up areas

Hi

I'm Calvin, I based in Singapore as a Financial Consultant and married to a Vietnamese and currently bought a place in Long Ann, near the border with HCMC. Fly to HCMC very often, hope to make friends in HCMC.

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Have to remember to forget distance and think on time for Vietnam, especially in built up areas

This would not apply in the case of Da Nang.  Even in the central part of the city, the streets are not crowded.  Something is wrong either with Hartswika's calculations or the basic information she got from the school.  Anyway as she said she is coming in one week, she probably knows by now.

Hi Everyone,
My name is Lawrence and i am new to this forum, or any other Vietnam expat forum.
I joined the forum because i am contemplating the move from Angeles City, Philippines, to Vietnam, (probably Ho Chi Minh City). I will need to find employment before or very shortly after arriving in Vietnam, my experiences in Angeles City with business has left me financially embarrassed to say the least, i am currently working as an English teacher at the American English Learning Centre, teaching foreign students from Vietnam, Korea, China, and Taiwan, but i currently do not have any teaching qualifications, TEFL or TESOL etc.
My stay in the Philippines, after 7 years, has come to an end as i know longer have any interest in staying here, so if anyone on this forum can give any advice, it would be very appreciated.

Hope your stay in Vietnam is everything you want it to be.
Lawrence.

lawman16 wrote:

Hi Everyone,
My name is Lawrence...*snip*...I am currently working as an English teacher at the American English Learning Centre, teaching foreign students from Vietnam, Korea, China, and Taiwan, but i currently do not have any teaching qualifications, TEFL or TESOL etc.
My stay in the Philippines, after 7 years, has come to an end as i know longer have any interest in staying here, so if anyone on this forum can give any advice, it would be very appreciated

From what I've read on here, if you can manage to obtain your ESL certification (someone will certainly point out what it's actually called) then you'll find the demand to be high for your services, with the pay among the best and most flexible for expats. I've read $20.00 per hour+ more than once. I'm guessing the cost of living is more affordable in Việt Nam than in the Philippines. If you like living and working in an "inland" City, HCMC may be great for you, though Đà Nẵng is big enough to probably need your services, and being on the ocean, perhaps a bit more pleasant. Good luck and welcome to the forum! I'll be arriving in Hanoi this month, and will soon head to Đà Nẵng after touring the north a bit. Cheers!

Equip yourself with a CELTA qualification at ILA in HCMC and there you go, you can find a teaching job quite easily here

Hello!

I am a Singaporean expat, just moved to HCMC with my husband a week ago.

Currently, I am not working, looking for fellow expats to have coffee during the day, and maybe cafe-hop and explore the city! I can speak English, Mandarin, and of course Singlish.

We are also looking at getting insurance, as we plan to be in HCMC for 3 years. What is the type of insurance that expats would get in a foreign country? Any recommendations, on the insurance provider? Thank you in advance!

Hello,

I have decided to move to VN for a longer period of time. Perhaps a few years as I wrap up my career as a teacher. I would consider permanently living here if I like it. I am in my late 50's and recently visited some of the hill tribes in the north. I work with Hmong Americans in the U.S. and wanted to learn more about their homeland. I would like to marry a vietnamese woman i know who lives in VN and will post a separate thread called "marrying a vietnamese woman" as I have some questions on what the best approach would be.

Nice to join this valuable website and forum. Undoubtedly, i will be using it as a resource for many things.

I currently live in the US and plan on moving at the end of this year. Also, if anyone has any tips on things they wish they had known / done before the move please let me know. My location will be inside a Hanoi - Yen Bai radius but most likely Hanoi.

Again, I would like to live in VN several years and teach (or other job) until my pension and social security payments are larger. i.e. early 60's.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!

Greetings everyone!

I am Rosie, and I am from the Philippines. I will be moving to Danang, Vietnam by the end of September. I am planning to teach English there. I am still a student in an open university here in the Philippines (but I finished 3 1/2 years of BS Accountancy in another school) and I will be garnering a TEFL certification before my move. Also, I want to look for writing opportunities.

I will be with my uncle who's a professor in one of the universities in Danang.

Despite having someone to guide me there, I still want to ask some advice from various people.

I hope you can help me.

Thank you!

Hi! My name is Glenn Perez and my family has been in Vietnam for a little over a year now.  I would like to know if there are opportunities for non-locals for sales and marketing management roles here?  I have a very good career history back home, having worked in different multinational companies with progressive track.  However, it is very frustrating as I couldn't find work here as most companies prefer local candidates.  Any tips on how to get a job here?  I won't be picky. I just need to use my skills and keep moving.  Otherwise, I will just have to leave my family here and return home

gprz168  Maybe go back tothe Philippines, get back on with one of those multi-nationals then ask to be transferred to Vietnam.  I can't guarantee it will work but it may be worth a try.

Jim and Nadine,
I currently live in Atlanta, GA but fell in love with DaNang and surrounding areas when visiting last year.  Thinking of coming for a 3-4 month visit to check it out and see if retirement by the beach is an option.  Loved the people, the food and the beauty.

Gayle

Hi All,

        My name is David and I currently live on the east coast of Queensland Australia, and have been researching my move to Vietnam for 8 months now, I intend to  move to Hoi An in May 2019 all going well.

I have found this site very rewarding with lots of information that has helped me make the decision to move over to Vietnam.

Looking forward to catching up with some of you after my move

Regards
David

galewarning2 wrote:

Jim and Nadine,
I currently live in Atlanta, GA but fell in love with DaNang and surrounding areas when visiting last year.  Thinking of coming for a 3-4 month visit to check it out and see if retirement by the beach is an option.  Loved the people, the food and the beauty.

Gayle

Excellent, a "trial run" is the best idea. Pretend you have already made the big move: Get your US checking account in order to use local ATMS. Pack favorite toiletries, kitchen tools, office supplies, etc. Rent a real apartment and cook at home. Figure out the fresh markets and grocery store. Rent a motorbike for $50/month, roads are not congested there, and carry your groceries home. Try pharmacies for prescriptions. Go find an expat-recommended western medical clinic and dentist, at least to look around and ask about costs. Bring an unlocked smartphone, you might have to pay off your cellular plan, although you could get by with free wifi that is available in all shops. Bring a laptop, use Skype, or Facebook messenger, etc to stay in touch with friends.

Compare to Hue, Hoi An: Da Nang currently has a sewage pollution problem at the beaches, but they will need to correct it. And be aware that the central Vietnam coast is on the edge of the autumn typhoon track. Some real 'gale warnings' 

Learn that you can survive without speaking the language. After 3 months, you will have a real estimate of living costs, and a checklist of what you will need to bring from the states. Good luck.

gobot wrote:

Compare to Hue, Hoi An: Da Nang currently has a sewage pollution problem at the beaches, but they will need to correct it. And be aware that the central Vietnam coast is on the edge of the autumn typhoon track. Some real 'gale warnings' 

Don't forget that with sea level rise, a good part of the district on the ocean side of the Han River (My An?) may be underwater in another 20 years.  For retirees that may not seem like a problem but like Miami Beach, other problems like backing up storm drains may occur first.

Hello fellow travelers.

My name is Manaaki and I live in Melbourne, Australia. Originally from New Zealand I have had the privilege of travelling to Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and more recently Laos. I can't get enough of this cultural and spiritual injection, so much so that I'm considering moving to Asia. I have today been looking at roles that will suit my skill-set and personal attributes and believe I have the attitude and aptitude to adapt to life there. My working career has been dominated by the Finance and Property industries and have held mid-senior level management roles. I was also a Police Officer once upon a time.

I'm really naive as to the transition so would welcome your feedback about what to expect and how to position myself. I have not restricted myself to location although finding work is clearly a priority so would appreciate links to sites that may welcome a sprinkling of positivity and great work ethic.

Thank you in advance.

Manaaki

Hi Cobber, I am sure you will make the right decision of where you will live, I wish you all the very best in your new adventure to Asia/ Vietnam


Best wishes
David

Thanks so much for the useful information on the hopeful move to Vietnam.  I'm excited about all the possibilities. 

Gayle

Hi I'm Jerry coming from Florida to Vietnam on the 20th of August.  Very excited about Vietnam.  Will need a place to stay to give me time to find an apartment.  One of the first things is a visa extension probably one year.  Any suggestions as to a place to look for temporary lodging.  Would like to find some places to meet expats to talk to.  Thanks Jerry

Need more information.  Which city in Viet Nam are you thinking about living at and what's the price range?

Danang/no more than $400 p/m

Hi I am Gaston Rings.
I am originally from Holland, and I have been working as a Science, Physics and Chemistry teacher all over the at International school.
I have a big passion for photography (you can see some of my photos on instagram : @gassiesworld).
I am currently working on an international school in Ho Chi Minh and started this August.
I am an active person I like to walk and bike around (bicycle).
If you are in need of a Science, Physics, Chemistry teacher please let me know.
I Have taught the following curricula over the past fifteen years : A Level, IB, AP, IGCSE and KS3.
I also have a long experience tutoring students.

Have a great day,

Lassie

hello, i'm Agustino. I'm from Indonesia.
I working in buvet, cambodia, but everyweek going to HCMC.
Hope will meet many friends here.

Sorry I am not too familiar with Da Nang,  I actually just visit DN for the first time just recently.  I definitely like it and would like to explore more soon.  It's definitely an option for me in the future.  Good luck in your search.

Gnc wrote:

Hi I'm Jerry coming from Florida to Vietnam on the 20th of August.  Very excited about Vietnam.  Will need a place to stay to give me time to find an apartment.  One of the first things is a visa extension probably one year.  Any suggestions as to a place to look for temporary lodging.  Would like to find some places to meet expats to talk to.  Thanks Jerry

I would take the pressure off and stay at one or two hotels for 2-4 weeks. Book the first hotel for just a few days, you can use Agoda . 3 stars are fine, I've been happy in some 2 stars too. Rent a motorbike from the hotel, get a better idea about neighborhoods, and maybe you will want to change to a second more suitable hotel while you look for an apartment with a long lease. (There is noisy construction everywhere especially at the beach!)

Thank you much

Hi, I'll be there in October. Will you still be there then?

Hi I'd like to adopt a car once I arrive. Can you direct me to the right sns groups?

Not sure if car adoption is popular in Viet Nam.

I should be there. At least that's the plan. Jerry

Hi , my name is maher , i'm from Lebanon , seeking any job in Vietnam ( permanent contract  )
planning to move there in 10 months if i found the opportunity

Hi, I'm Malaysian Expat work and live in Vietnam since 2012, nice to meet you all. Thank you.

Hello   I'm Jerry. Nice to meet you. Where do you live in Vietnam.  Thanks, Jerry

Hi All,

I am Kum Wai, a Malaysian and a newbie in this forum. I have been working in HCMC for more than a year as an IT expat.

Hope to know some of you in this forum and off this forum as well.

Cheers!

Hello,

I might be little bit late to reply on this thread but it's never too late.
My Name is David and I am from India, working in a Vietnamese Trading company as a sales and marketing manager since 10 months. I'm looking for a new job opportunity in Vietnam.
I can be reached at ****

Thanks.