Living In Vietnam #1 - My Fears Of The Vietnamese Government Not True

Hey Tai , nice video , your honesty is  really funny sometimes lol

I am very naïve to a lot of the politics of Vietnam, but I am very wise to whats going on in the west, and our quality of life here is getting worse day by day, less freedoms, more red tape,, more overbearing government etc...

I loved Saigon and plan to make Vietnam my yearly winter escape for 2 months a year

I recommend Nha Trang, Phan Thiet and most of all, Da Nang for your winter retreats.  They are some of the most magnificently beautiful beach cities in the world!

Yep....and the quarantine camp at Cam Ranh beach is something that dreams are made of.    It's only 30k south of Nha Trang.   

You'll have to walk into town tho......the local bus service has gone broke.

Yep....and the quarantine camp at Cam Ranh beach is something that dreams are made of, and  It's only 30k south of Nha Trang.   

Don't worry, 14 days in a quarantine tent eating steamed rice & fish sauce will trim you down.   You'll be better for the experience.

You'll have to walk into town tho......the local bus service has gone broke...out of service.   

But the lights are still on in town.

Ontheroad57 wrote:

Yep....and the quarantine camp at Cam Ranh beach is something that dreams are made of, and  It's only 30k south of Nha Trang.   

Don't worry, 14 days in a quarantine tent eating steamed rice & fish sauce will trim you down.   You'll be better for the experience.

You'll have to walk into town tho......the local bus service has gone broke...out of service.   

But the lights are still on in town.

very good!

I'd like to understand certain behavior bodering on autism

- IN TRAFFIC: I saw near deaths due to someone being 100% oblivious to the traffic, to honking. Trance like, I've watched a mothe with a young chld run a red light and plough through  cross traffic on an ntersection, as if it was 3 am and no one else was out and aboout.

Myself, I got mowed down and injured. HONKING & SCREAMING didn't stop the driver, with his window down. He had one of these tiny lorries, smaller than a pick-up truck? He would have seen me in both mirrors, of if he had turned his head.. He saw be behind his truck, at a 45 degrees angle (I was right outside my workplace.

A young biker ignored an 18-wheeler. The driver had to slam on the brakes, or else.

Many block a road, to gain those 3 meters or half a second?

NOISE: at the gym, battle of the music. At the hotel, rearranging furniture, yellng, loud TV and banging doors at all hours of the night.

Paty? Open the door, let the whole bulding enjoy the music. // At a village, people turn the loudspeakers away, towards the neighbours, whle sitting indoors. Turn it up, everybody should enjoy MY songs!
^^^

REFUSAL TO THINK: Communicaton can be difficult. I have got different job offers. Alas, no one can be aesed to say what the salary will be?

=> I can't pester them. But it's cruel

One guy keeps calling me Brother, saying "money isn't important", while I'm staring into a financial abyss. (Once credit gets harmed, my life would be OVER.

Trance like, may locals refuse to notice life around them. Why is that?

KruChris wrote:

I'd like to understand certain behavior bodering on autism

- IN TRAFFIC: I saw near deaths due to someone being 100% oblivious to the traffic, to honking. Trance like, I've watched a mothe with a young chld run a red light and plough through  cross traffic on an ntersection, as if it was 3 am and no one else was out and aboout.

Myself, I got mowed down and injured. HONKING & SCREAMING didn't stop the driver, with his window down. He had one of these tiny lorries, smaller than a pick-up truck? He would have seen me in both mirrors, of if he had turned his head.. He saw be behind his truck, at a 45 degrees angle (I was right outside my workplace.

A young biker ignored an 18-wheeler. The driver had to slam on the brakes, or else.

Many block a road, to gain those 3 meters or half a second?

NOISE: at the gym, battle of the music. At the hotel, rearranging furniture, yellng, loud TV and banging doors at all hours of the night.

Paty? Open the door, let the whole bulding enjoy the music. // At a village, people turn the loudspeakers away, towards the neighbours, whle sitting indoors. Turn it up, everybody should enjoy MY songs!
^^^

REFUSAL TO THINK: Communicaton can be difficult. I have got different job offers. Alas, no one can be aesed to say what the salary will be?

=> I can't pester them. But it's cruel

One guy keeps calling me Brother, saying "money isn't important", while I'm staring into a financial abyss. (Once credit gets harmed, my life would be OVER.

Trance like, may locals refuse to notice life around them. Why is that?

Yup, you pretty much nailed it with that post!!

KruChris wrote:

I'd like to understand certain behavior bodering on autism

- IN TRAFFIC: I saw near deaths due to someone being 100% oblivious to the traffic, to honking. Trance like, I've watched a mothe with a young chld run a red light and plough through  cross traffic on an ntersection, as if it was 3 am and no one else was out and aboout.

Myself, I got mowed down and injured. HONKING & SCREAMING didn't stop the driver, with his window down. He had one of these tiny lorries, smaller than a pick-up truck? He would have seen me in both mirrors, of if he had turned his head.. He saw be behind his truck, at a 45 degrees angle (I was right outside my workplace.

A young biker ignored an 18-wheeler. The driver had to slam on the brakes, or else.

Many block a road, to gain those 3 meters or half a second?

NOISE: at the gym, battle of the music. At the hotel, rearranging furniture, yellng, loud TV and banging doors at all hours of the night.

Paty? Open the door, let the whole bulding enjoy the music. // At a village, people turn the loudspeakers away, towards the neighbours, whle sitting indoors. Turn it up, everybody should enjoy MY songs!
^^^

REFUSAL TO THINK: Communicaton can be difficult. I have got different job offers. Alas, no one can be aesed to say what the salary will be?

=> I can't pester them. But it's cruel

One guy keeps calling me Brother, saying "money isn't important", while I'm staring into a financial abyss. (Once credit gets harmed, my life would be OVER.

Trance like, may locals refuse to notice life around them. Why is that?

I understand all of your points, but I think if you move to an entirely different culture, you must expect things to be entirely different. Even in Europe we have difficulty accepting one and others peculiarities.

@Tai Zen

1.    So growing up you prefered living in a drug infested, crime ghetto in the USA than in a fishing village in VN.  You need help, the countryside and a fishing village in VN is heaven compared to a USA ghetto.
2.    You became a criminal and sold drugs = killed how many kids? 
3.    You're an ex con and got free housing and food and education in a USA prison for 14 years.  You won't get that in VN.  Go ahead, try selling drugs in VN so you can experience and comment on prison life in VN.
4.    Communist governments are all bad?  Wrong, the west does not say EVERYTHING IS BAD ABOUT COMMUNISM.  What the West focuses on is the denial of human rights = freedom of speech, liberty, etc. as well as the corruption that is pervasive at all levels of life, not just the government.
5.    Marijuana and Alcohol.  Again, you are wrong.  Since I was growing up (80's) many people and organizations were pushing legalization and benefits of marijuana.  Likewise, alcohol is known to be a drug and kills.  Not sure where you lived but sorry for your lack of education.
6.    Truth about VN is not out there?  Depends on what you consider the truth. 
7.    So you are going to ignore the bad and just talk about the good?   Ok, but you need to take into consideration that many people who talk about the bad, also talk about the good.  Your wrong in making the perception that people who talk about the bad only think VN is 100% bad, your wrong.
8.    Airport immigration employees young?  Not sure which airport you were at, but in Saigon, I see lots of government employees who are not young.
9.    Immigration processing – Not sure what time you arrived, but I have seen foreigners lined up in many rows and deep.  The processing was slow, just like other airports around the world. 
10.    Visas for your kids.  Your watching youtube and getting scared, that is your first problem.  Second, VN has visa on arrival, the USA does not.  So of course, if you arrive in the USA without a visa, of course it is going to be a problem, it is the law and no Visa on arrival.
11.    Bribing the airport official?  Not all employees are corrupt, you just did not get lucky.  But for sure, there are plenty who get bribed, especially at customs check.  Yes, I have family and it happens to them often.
12.    Da Nang – government explained many times what you need to do, but you allege in the USA that it would be different?  I respectfully disagree.  I can tell you from personal experience, when I have questions, most will bend over backwards and explain and help you get what you need.  So what you say about your DAD vs what you experienced, you happened to get a good person, but you are generalizing your personal experience to the whole system.   There are good and bad apples in every group.  Great that you had a good experience.  Live in VN long enough and get back to us when you have experienced hospitals, doctors, education, teachers, employment etc. 
13.    Talking to government official and no privacy?  My experience was very different.  When my wife and I were getting official documents for various reasons, we never had other people in the area chiming in.   We had privacy, even when we were in the open space or at a counter. 
14.    Young employees are all nice?  Wrong.  I can tell you from personal experience that we faced discrimination, delays etc. from young government employees, very unprofessional.
15.    You don't know who is the government in the USA?   Where the hell did you live in the USA?  When you walk into a USA courthouse, it is patently obvious who is the government and who has the power.  Walk into a police station, social security office etc.
16.    Glad to see you have had positive experiences in VN, but you will have the bad as well, give it time.
17.    If you love it, stay.  But I can tell you, my wife who was born, raised and educated in VN, the more she stays in the USA, the more she never wants to move back to VN. 
18.    I like the time I lived in VN as well, but I would not say it is wonderful and beautiful.  It has positives and negatives just like most places around the world.  Good luck

vndreamer wrote:

@Tai Zen

1.    So growing up you prefered living in a drug infested, crime ghetto in the USA than in a fishing village in VN.  You need help, the countryside and a fishing village in VN is heaven compared to a USA ghetto.
2.    You became a criminal and sold drugs = killed how many kids? 
3.    You're an ex con and got free housing and food and education in a USA prison for 14 years.  You won't get that in VN.  Go ahead, try selling drugs in VN so you can experience and comment on prison life in VN.
4.    Communist governments are all bad?  Wrong, the west does not say EVERYTHING IS BAD ABOUT COMMUNISM.  What the West focuses on is the denial of human rights = freedom of speech, liberty, etc. as well as the corruption that is pervasive at all levels of life, not just the government.
5.    Marijuana and Alcohol.  Again, you are wrong.  Since I was growing up (80's) many people and organizations were pushing legalization and benefits of marijuana.  Likewise, alcohol is known to be a drug and kills.  Not sure where you lived but sorry for your lack of education.
6.    Truth about VN is not out there?  Depends on what you consider the truth. 
7.    So you are going to ignore the bad and just talk about the good?   Ok, but you need to take into consideration that many people who talk about the bad, also talk about the good.  Your wrong in making the perception that people who talk about the bad only think VN is 100% bad, your wrong.
8.    Airport immigration employees young?  Not sure which airport you were at, but in Saigon, I see lots of government employees who are not young.
9.    Immigration processing – Not sure what time you arrived, but I have seen foreigners lined up in many rows and deep.  The processing was slow, just like other airports around the world. 
10.    Visas for your kids.  Your watching youtube and getting scared, that is your first problem.  Second, VN has visa on arrival, the USA does not.  So of course, if you arrive in the USA without a visa, of course it is going to be a problem, it is the law and no Visa on arrival.
11.    Bribing the airport official?  Not all employees are corrupt, you just did not get lucky.  But for sure, there are plenty who get bribed, especially at customs check.  Yes, I have family and it happens to them often.
12.    Da Nang – government explained many times what you need to do, but you allege in the USA that it would be different?  I respectfully disagree.  I can tell you from personal experience, when I have questions, most will bend over backwards and explain and help you get what you need.  So what you say about your DAD vs what you experienced, you happened to get a good person, but you are generalizing your personal experience to the whole system.   There are good and bad apples in every group.  Great that you had a good experience.  Live in VN long enough and get back to us when you have experienced hospitals, doctors, education, teachers, employment etc. 
13.    Talking to government official and no privacy?  My experience was very different.  When my wife and I were getting official documents for various reasons, we never had other people in the area chiming in.   We had privacy, even when we were in the open space or at a counter. 
14.    Young employees are all nice?  Wrong.  I can tell you from personal experience that we faced discrimination, delays etc. from young government employees, very unprofessional.
15.    You don't know who is the government in the USA?   Where the hell did you live in the USA?  When you walk into a USA courthouse, it is patently obvious who is the government and who has the power.  Walk into a police station, social security office etc.
16.    Glad to see you have had positive experiences in VN, but you will have the bad as well, give it time.
17.    If you love it, stay.  But I can tell you, my wife who was born, raised and educated in VN, the more she stays in the USA, the more she never wants to move back to VN. 
18.    I like the time I lived in VN as well, but I would not say it is wonderful and beautiful.  It has positives and negatives just like most places around the world.  Good luck

Well said, well put to print & all true. Have you seen his videos on Youtube? this guy sold drugs & seems proud to tell every one about it. Dont you just wonder where all the money came or comes from to allow him to live the upmarket life style he lives here???

Another YouTube bullshitter .

I may be wrong,, but when a bloke pops up on YouTube dressed in a Lamborghini T.Shirt telling you he's done 14 years prison for drug dealing & who knows what else.......then gets out and becomes a stock market guru & crypto' bitcoin millionaire ...........it's time to hit the kill switch.

Obviously no problem getting into Vietnam with a lengthy criminal history eh...

Ontheroad57 wrote:

Another YouTube bullshitter .

I may be wrong,, but when a bloke pops up on YouTube dressed in a Lamborghini T.Shirt telling you he's done 14 years prison for drug dealing & who knows what else.......then gets out and becomes a stock market guru & crypto' bitcoin millionaire ...........it's time to hit the kill switch.

Obviously no problem getting into Vietnam with a lengthy criminal history eh...

Agreed. The things he claims make no sense.