New members of the Vietnam forum, introduce yourselves here - 2019

mepif wrote:

Morning folks,

Not sure to call myself an expat. I grew up in Ho Chi Minh and moved to the States as a young adult for almost 15 years. Now have returned..........

Not only should you call yourself an expat, you are a double expat.  People like you have the opportunity to lend a unique perspective.

mepif wrote:

Not sure to call myself an expat. I grew up in Ho Chi Minh and moved to the States as a young adult for almost 15 years. Now have returned and still adjusting to the culture, traffic and the heat (yes, I have been spoiled by the PNW.)

I would say that if you gave up Vietnamese citizenship and spent 15 years in the States as an American or an Overseas Vietnamese, not as a Việt Kiều (Vietnamese sojourner), then you're now an American expat in Vietnam.

Apart from everything else, I realized I was an expat when I had to ask the meaning of every other word I heard (still asking, 2 years later), and that I spoke more Vietnamese in the first week upon my return than I did during the entire 42 years in the States and Europe.

Ciambella wrote:

I spoke more Vietnamese in the first week upon my return than I did during the entire 42 years in the States and Europe.

You obviously were not living in Orange County, CA.   

THIGV wrote:

You obviously were not living in Orange County, CA.   

Nope.  We lived in many states including CA. but the closest we were to a Vietnamese community was 2 hrs away when using toll road and without traffic.  Much quieter life that way.

...as an American or an Overseas Vietnamese, not as a Việt Kiều...

I thought any Vietnamese spending some years abroad returning to Vietnam is automatically labeled as Việt Kiều

Welcome to bad you do not live in my building, I could use a interpreter ha, I'm from California,  welcome back whatever they call you

THIGV wrote:

mepif wrote:

Not only should you call yourself an expat, you are a double expat.  People like you have the opportunity to lend a unique perspective.

Well, I'd like to think so. LOL. Thank you THIGV.

mepif wrote:

...as an American or an Overseas Vietnamese, not as a Việt Kiều...

I thought any Vietnamese spending some years abroad returning to Vietnam is automatically labeled as Việt Kiều

Việt Kiều is a Vietnamese citizen residing temporarily outside of Vietnam with a definite goal to return to his home country.  Kiều is a person who temporarily stays in someone else's home until he can return to his own.  The English term for Việt Kiều is Vietnamese sojourner.

Người Việt Hải Ngoại is a Vietnamese who resides permanently in another country as a citizen of that country (with or without maintaining his birthright citizenship).  The English name for Người Việt Hải Ngoại is Overseas Vietnamese.

An American (substitute the name of the country) citizen of Vietnam birth or of Vietnam descent who resides in Vietnam is an American expat.  The Vietnam government calls us người nước ngoài gốc Việt (foreigners of Vietnamese roots).

Hi, my name is Rob from Canada, I've been spending my last 9 winters travelling Asia. Been mainly looking at Thailand for my retirement, but with the visa rules, decrease in currency, rising costs etc, I have had second thoughts. Travelled to danang this winter, and a big thumbs up! It ticks all the boxes , so much better value than Thailand. Love it here, hope to be spending my winters here or a 6-6 basis.
Looking forward to it.

Y'all,

I couldn't contact a member for apartment sharing but received a quite raunchy message from another member. Is it spam or just the way newbie is welcomed to the forum?

twinsguy20 wrote:

Welcome to bad you do not live in my building, I could use a interpreter ha, I'm from California,  welcome back whatever they call you

You can call me a virtual unpaid interpreter

mepif wrote:

Is it spam or just the way newbie is welcomed to the forum?

There was a raunchy spam PM that came out a few weeks ago.  First time I have seen that on this forum but I am sure the moderators are on top of it.  Welcome anyway.

Hi, expat from the states. Been working and living abroad since 2012. Been in Vietnam since 2017.

Hi, I am planning to move to Danang Vietnam the first week of September 2019.  I will be needing to find a nice place to live near the beach and an English teaching job, hoping it will not be too difficult. Any suggestions on either I would greatly appreciate it!  I have a BA in TESOL and a TEFL Certificate as well.  Also taught English on and off for a number of years in various places; not very recently though.  Would be great to meet some new friends as well once in the area.

Hi, I lived in Hanoi KTX. I'm from Cameroon (we have two national languages, english-french). I am in Hanoi may be for two years. I speak chinese, I have HSK 4 certificate and a HSKK2 certificate. I will be proud to teach english classes or french, once or twice in a week.

Greetings from South Africa, we are in the process of selling everything to make the move to Ho Chi minh city.

Hi
I am currently working in Canberra for the Federal Government, but I am looking for a role in Vietnam, preferably in Ho Chi Minh City. I have spent the last 5 years travelling to Vietnam, initially exporting coffee to Australia, and now dabbling in a Vietnamese commercial windows and dooors business, that want to expand into the Australian construction market.
My expertise is in Commercial property and facilities management, and I also have a construction background dating back some years.
Ho Chi Minh is my favourite town, but can be convinced otherwise.
I have found the recruitment sites on offer very limited, and I am probably erring on the side of the old adage, 'it is who you know'.

JOliverK wrote:

Greetings from South Africa, we are in the process of selling everything to make the move to Ho Chi Minh city.

Just in the last year seeing so many South Africans coming here. Ones who can afford to leave. Choosing Vietnam because of the extendable visa? Life here is not bad. Good luck. 

Hi,

It's Murat Bostanci from Turkey. Manufacturing and Lean professional, engineer and head of consulting and training dpt. of a consulting firm in Binh Duong. Have been living in VN since 2015.

Cheers.

Hi everyone,

My name is Tiemen and I've been living in Vietnam for about 5 years. I've moved around the country, from HCMC to Hanoi and now back again.

I'm working as a Business Development Manager for Compass Group, who specialize in flex office space. With the fortunate position to have offices in both Bitexco Tower and Landmark 81 I get to meet a lot of expats that work in start-ups and international companies.

My intent is to share my knowledge and expertise here on expat.com and in return learn from others and their experiences.

Cheers

Hi I'm Curt from Cape town, living in hcmc
Dreams of making hcmc home ,wanting to make friends with entrepreneurs like myself.

Hi Curt,

Welcome to Saigon! What are your plans for this amazing city?

Tiemen

Hi Tiemen,

Like most expats here ,I'm currently teaching.
Really loving it,but I'm almost a year here and looking to do something bigger.
Exporting from Vietnam to South Africa seems like an option,as I've seen so many unique products here that could hit potential markets back in South Africa.

Only thing that's been hindering me is my lack of knowledge and experience of how the system works.

Hi everyone i am Mihail coming from Bulgaria working and living in Vn over 3 years also married with vn girl i live in nha trang

Hello everyone,

I'm Joel from France. I've discovered Vietnam last january and i can say i've fall in love with the country.

So now i'd like to settle down here and be able to work in social media/web marketing.

I would be happy to meet you and have a drink somewhere anytime !

See you ! :-)

Hi.
Am English, born in Asia, have travelled just about all my life and settled pretty much in Vietnam for the last 6 years. Been through all the usual traumas, visas, residents cards etc etc and have recently married to my Vietnamese wife which I have to say seemed daunting at first but was actually quite simple without using any of the so called agents. We have been together for 9 years or so without bothering to get married but got tired of keeping the monkeys happy everywhere we went so finally got married and with it the 5yr Visa, which again was quite simple.
Currently living at the Celadon complex which was fine when it was near empty, but now its a nightmare so am looking to move at the end of the month to somewhere less expensive and more quiet, not an easy task here.
All the best to everyone.

Hi,
Have run my own business here for around 6 yrs now, been through all the hoops so if there is anything you want to ask I will try and guide you.
All the best.

Hey everyone I'm Bre, I'm not necessarily new (moved to Hanoi from New Zealand last September) however I've led a fairly sheltered 8-9 months here courtesy of my Vietnamese partner and his family (so now I'm desperate to start work out of boredom). I'm going to try and find English teaching work while I'm here and my partner turns bespoke wooden fountain and calligraphy pens. I had never traveled out of NZ before moving here spontaneously after my partner's visa expired, and he decided he'd like to try living closer to his family so here we are! I've been super lucky that my partner and his parents have made the move go so smoothly and I'm looking forward to 2 more years here

Hi all,
I am a Cameroonian by nationality currently residing at HCMC. I have been in Vietnam for less than a week hoping to find an English teaching job in any part of the country.
Hope you guys can help me in any way you can.
I look forward to receive your support soon.

Thanks
Best Regards.

Good afternoon All!

Nice to become a part of Expat forum. I have been living in Vietnam for over 4 years and currently settled in Da Nang. Right now I am looking for a new challenge in Hospitality industry. Passionate, creative and hardworking Hospitality manager with over 7 years' experience in Hotel Operations, Food & Beverage and Business Development, who feels that his greatest strengths are his strong commitment to providing the highest level of loyalty and service to his employers, colleagues and hotel patrons. Combined with his ability to gain an in-depth understanding of employer's needs, goals and ambitions. Coupled with a habit of constantly reviewing processes and identifying ways to improve efficiency, thereby reducing overall costs.
Kindly let me know if you have an interesting offer in Hospitality industry.

With warm regards,

Andrey Parshukov

Hello everyone. I'm Mike, currently getting ready to PCS from Albuquerque to Germany. Looking at retirement in a few years and my wife and I have decided on Da Nang. She was born in Saigon, still speaks Vietnamese. We are looking for a decent place to live comfortably on my Military retirement. Also interested in teaching or possibly starting bikepacking tours. We would like to purchase some property soon

wspanicrunner wrote:

We are looking for a decent place to live comfortably on my Military retirement.

Most military pensions would give you that and more if you're not extravagant.

Welcome to Vietnam forum, Mike.  And a (soon to be) welcome back to the old country, Mrs Mike.

A poster just sent me an IM saying he didn't believe Vietnam is an old country at all so I shouldn't use the term to call this land.

I don't have time to pull out history books to show the exact proof, but when I was 8, my father introduced me to a bible of Vietnamese history called Đại Việt Sử Ký Toàn Thư (Complete Annals of Đại Việt) by Ngô Sĩ Liên, the 15th century historian who was revered beyond all reverence.  The lesson I learned that year repeated itself every year later in history classes during my grade school and middle school:

Egypt is the oldest culture in the world, with its first dynasty established somewhere in 3100 BC.  Not too far away on the same continent, Vietnam quietly had its first dynasty some 200 years later, between 2875 - 2880 BC.   

That makes this strange land a very old woman whose age, if we must be rude to ask, is almost 4900.  Pretty old, I would say.

If the data I learned 60 years ago was false, I hope someone will educate me.  I probably won't have time to enter into a debate, but I'm willing to read and learn everything that comes my way.

In the meantime, thank you for your IM, Mr Longtime Lurker.  You could have asked me that question on the forum, but I appreciate your discretion.  Who knows, I could've been a fibber through and through and you were simply trying to help me save face by not exposing me.  Thank you again.

I suppose the difference is between civilizations, countries, and governments.  The concept of a country is a fairly modern one having evolved in Europe with the Peace of Wesphalia in 1648.  Most of the countries in Europe have only existed as nation-states since that time, in late Renaissance, and the governments are far younger.  In fact most came into existence after WWII.  By the governmental measure, the US oddly enough may be one of the oldest in the world even though we like to see ourselves as a "young" country.  England may be the oldest government in Europe going back to 1066, although even that line was broken by Oliver Cromwell. 

What western historians call the dynasties of China seemed to perceive of themselves as distinct countries.  This may be because the new dynasties tended to start with invasions from the periphery or from regional revolts and for some periods controlled different parts of China simultaneously.  Thus when Ching, from Manchuria, overcame Ming, it was seen as a new country.  I expect that the Viet dynasties may have had similar self perceptions, particularly as some or most did not control all of what is now modern Vietnam at the same time.

Of course as you point out in the case of Egypt, civilizations can be far older than nations occupying the same lands.  The Islamic Republic of Iran which was founded in 1979 considers itself the heir to the Persian Empire but that entity lasted only about 200 years and fell in 330 BCE.

Hi my name is Celestine.am an English teacher and an instructor too.i have lived 8years plus in Vietnam. I do home tutoring and character building training.

Hi All

I'm Le Tien Dat. I come from Sigapore but now i'm lawyer in Vietnam

Hi All
If you have any questions to ask about Vietnam, I would like to answer as a friend  , especially if the issue you are concerned about is [link moderated] for expat in Vietnam. Because many people come here to travel, work, they come to me to extend the visa to stay in Vietnam longer. I hope for the love of foreigners for Vietnam 

Hi all, i am William Yang, a Hong Kongese student currently living in Vietnam

Hello, I'm Reteithe Theko. You can call me Ricky. I'm from India and just recently moved to Hanoi. I'm into content marketing and currently on the lookout for job openings in the city.