I've been living in Vietnam for little over a year.

[Brianandphuong 0]

I agree im not big but tall im 6'3" and everyone always looked at me as if im a giant when i was in Vietnam. Though good thing about it people get the hell outta my way for the most part LOL. I hate the dirtyness of the country compared to here in Texas. Traffic is Stupid crazy but better than in Bangkok. You can find some food here and there that will remind you of home, Pizza hut was pretty good and I found a small cafe that made good spaghetti......

[Dai. 7]

Another thing that bothers me that I saw this morning going to work is when people use their moped/scooters to transport big or plentiful amount of things like it's a pickup truck. This morning I saw someone transporting a freaking big refrigerator. This picture I found just sums it all up:

[Teacher Mark 53]

Well my $12 a night hotel doesn't have in room WiFi so i haven't had a chance to respond. Here goes.

I feel 100% more comfortable on this trip. I knew what irked the sh!t out of me coming, so it gave me a chance to brace myself. I did most of the bracing during the 12 hour layover in Chicago! There have been 2 incidents since I've been here that shocked me though.

1.) We were at a nice restaurant in Saigon. I went to the bathroom and was taking care of business at the urinal when a kid that was at least 6 walked up to the guy beside me and grabbed him by the wanker. The guy shooed him away, but when he finally started pissing he called the kid back over (I'm assuming they knew each other). The kid lost interest in him and turned his attention to me. He stuck his head close to me and I said "Get the hell away from me kid!". Well that got everybody's attention and the kid backed off. He then went back to the other urinal and crammed his hand in it. To his Father's? credit he did wash the little pricks hands! When we were leaving I saw the same kid pounding on the elevator button. I told Thuy we would take the stairs and explained why.

2.) I was in Quan 1 yesterday having lunch with a friend. We were outside talking and heard a crash. A car (nice Mercedes) hit a motorbike rider beside the cafe. The driver slowed down a little and actually had a smirk on his face. The rider got up and appeared to be OK.

Things are definitely different here, but I am doing everything in my power to stay. I spent a year in a semi with very little time off, so i feel like I've been sprung! I'll deal with what i have to so I can stay with my Wife. If I land a job our plans are for us to stay here a few years then return.

[Dai. 7]

I would have pissed all over the kid if he was trying to grab my wang. Some people don't know how to teach their kids.

The guy has a mercedes cause he's probably rich and powerful and knows that he can probably get away with anything since he has all that money.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Another thing that bothers me that I saw this morning going to work is when people use their moped/scooters to transport big or plentiful amount of things like it's a pickup truck. This morning I saw someone transporting a freaking big refrigerator. This picture I found just sums it all up:

I take the opposite stance on that one. I took a load from Idaho Falls, Idaho to Glen Burnie, Maryland a few months ago that was slightly bigger. It was an incredible waste of fuel IMHO ($1500). The company said to do it though, so I did. These folks are just making due with what they have.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Joe Six-Pack

[What's next 1]

How about traveling within Vietnam? how they cram you in those minivans? how they stop on the side of the road to pick up more people? what bugs me the most are the people on the side of the road haggling the cost of the fare and the driver trying to pick them up with a full load of passengers already.

if pissing anywhere is a crime, i'm guilty as charged. i don't go caveman style everywhere, but if you're drinking if you're drinking outside in front of the house, i feel it's ok to discetely water a near by tree.

as far as tv, they have some decent stuff. they show yankee games, mythbusters, man vs wild. they have espn, but it's all soccer all the dam time. American tv is not all original programming. some of they shows like millionaire are copies from england. I don't care to much for vietnamese tv shows though.

my list of fav things to do:

an nhau

bia om (not everyday)

[Dai. 7]

How about traveling within Vietnam? how they cram you in those minivans? how they stop on the side of the road to pick up more people? what bugs me the most are the people on the side of the road haggling the cost of the fare and the driver trying to pick them up with a full load of passengers already.

if pissing anywhere is a crime, i'm guilty as charged. i don't go caveman style everywhere, but if you're drinking if you're drinking outside in front of the house, i feel it's ok to discetely water a near by tree.

as far as tv, they have some decent stuff. they show yankee games, mythbusters, man vs wild. they have espn, but it's all soccer all the dam time. American tv is not all original programming. some of they shows like millionaire are copies from england. I don't care to much for vietnamese tv shows though.

my list of fav things to do:

an nhau

bia om (not everyday)

Does you wife know you go bia om?

[What's next 1]

She doesn't have a clue, she thinks we go an nhau.

[What's next 1]

another thing i like is the fact that you can get a case of beer delivered to your house. and you can just put it on your tab. lazy alcoholic paradise.

[Teacher Mark 53]

I knew what irked the sh!t out of me coming, so it gave me a chance to brace myself.

I sat at a cafe yesterday posting that. I paid and then came back later. My order was 3 cups of coffee and 2 pots of tea. I was charged 30K VND all together and I tipped them 10K. When I got back to the hotel Thuy brought up the price. She had paid 5K per coffee the previous day. I sent her over to ask why and they said "Well he sat here a long time.". I was there 1.5 hours total and would have actually drank more coffee if the service wasn't so lousy. On top of that the freaking place was empty. She gave them a tongue lashing and told them not to expect us back. They got me for 20K VND and lost business in the process. Unbelievable.

[Dai. 7]

Yeah I agree with you that another thing that bothers me, They take advantage of Viet kieu's and foreigners on the prices and scam us all the time. No customer service what so ever. They seem like they don't care if you don't come back or not. Their all like soup nazi's!

[Teacher Mark 53]

Yeah I agree with you that another thing that bothers me, They take advantage of Viet kieu's and foreigners on the prices and scam us all the time. No customer service what so ever. They seem like they don't care if you don't come back or not. Their all like soup nazi's!

"The customer is always right may be a sucker ."

[aaron2020 11,651]

I paid $2 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks today. Vietnam is more capitalistic than Starbucks and Walmart combined. You were willing to pay 30K dong for three cups of coffee and 2 pots of tea. Price is what a willing buyer will pay and what a willing seller will sell at. You had no problem with the price until you found out what someone else paid; this case your wife.

There have been plenty of time that I have negotiated a price and then hear that someone else has either paid significantly more or significantly less. It's the way the world works.

I provide professional service in the U.S. and I charge what I am worth (depending on what price I think the buyer will hire me at). It can vary by 100%. The fee that I charge is small considering the amount of money that I save my buyers.

Edited March 3, 2009 by aaron2020

[Teacher Mark 53]

I paid $2 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks today. Vietnam is more capitalistic than Starbucks and Walmart combined. You were willing to pay 30K dong for three cups of coffee and 2 pots of tea. Price is what a willing buyer will pay and what a willing seller will sell at. You had no problem with the price until you found out what someone else paid; this case your wife.

There have been plenty of time that I have negotiated a price and then hear that someone else has either paid significantly more or significantly less. It's the way the world works.

I provide professional service in the U.S. and I charge what I am worth (depending on what price I think the buyer will hire me at). It can vary by 100%. The fee that I charge is small considering the amount of money that I save my buyers.

Yes, I was willing to pay 30K dong (total) ONCE. I just went down the street and paid the normal price, not the "Westerner" price. Bottom line is they ripped me off for $1.10 and have lost my business permanently because of it. I hate petty thieves, which is what the proprietor is IMHO. There is a cafe on every corner here. I will learn who the thieves are and who the honest businesspeople are and frequent the latter.

The services you provide is a case of apples and oranges. I doubt you have a competitor on every corner.

Edited March 3, 2009 by Joe Six-Pack

[Dai. 7]

That's just stupidity, they would rather get $1.10 once from you and lose a potential long term customer rather than give good customer service and you might have given them the extra money anyways. That's the problem with the people here, no forward thinking, just worry about now. Not a lot of people know how to save money here and they just live paycheck to paycheck, per say. Kind of sad. That also brings up another thing for me, the labor at industrial areas makes about 60-80 US dollars a month, but i see most those workers have really nice phones. It makes me think they live off ramen noodles and don't know how to save money.