[tooshort]

can anyone tell me a worthy shoring destination in Vietnam? is it still possible there and is it worth the trip ??

[Elim]

(03-11-2014 12:38 AM)Cyclone Wrote:  

(03-10-2014 08:48 PM)Elim Wrote:  

I really hope you get down here ASAP. My understanding is once you do get over here, you will have no trouble finding teaching work assuming you are white and have a college degree.

Aim for Koreans/Japanese living in Saigon to teach, you'll get the most money. 15$/hr is average, hilariously enough I was making over $30/hr in northern Vietnam (supply vs. demand baby) but if you do end up teaching East Asians (in District 7, probably) it should be at least $20/hr.

The one case where it's better to teach locals, is if you teach them in a group, so each pays $5/hr but since they're 10 kids it would be more like $50/hr! The only reason I'm telling you this is because I don't plan on doing it anymore otherwise would keep it secret!
.

My apartment area is majority Korean. My roommate suggested tutoring them on English also. Do you think I could get away with teaching 2 of them x $15?

Teaching locals...is that just you advertising in papers and teaching the in a public area? Did you follow a curriculum?

I don't have my diploma with me, otherwise my roommate says I could easily make $20 to start. Still, it's hard for me to consider this work a real career. I'm a bit torn. I would rather make $60+ in Singapore or the states. I should have been teaching when I was 25.

[Elim]

Also Cyclone:

Any tips for meeting locals?

[Rudra]

Great timing. I'm hitting up Saigon for work in about a month, most likely semi-long term. What's the temperature there now? Hot or hot as fuck?

[Elim]

The temp isn't horrible. I'm from somewhere that gets relatively hot/humid every somewhere, so it's not a big deal to me. I feel I can face almost any weather here on earth. As long as you have air conditioning for sleeping (you will) you should be fine.

It's only going to get hotter as the year progresses, and starting sometime in May the monsoon is coming.

[Rudra]

(03-12-2014 05:02 AM)Elim Wrote:  

The temp isn't horrible. I'm from somewhere that gets relatively hot/humid every somewhere, so it's not a big deal to me. I feel I can face almost any weather here on earth. As long as you have air conditioning for sleeping (you will) you should be fine.

It's only going to get hotter as the year progresses, and starting sometime in May the monsoon is coming.

Alright, cool man. I'd be up for a few beers in a couple of weeks if you're still in Saigon!

Any estimation of the pulling power of blond-haired Scandinavians in VN?

[Laurifer]

Ah! I'd love to do this. I did volunteer work in HCMC about a year ago. First time I'd been to Asia. I want to get back to that part of the world and maybe teach English. Need to stack some cash first.

Quick story:
I remember waiting for the bus once when a guy on his scooter pulled up to his shop/home that happened to be right by the bus stop. In English he asks where I'm from and I say Arizona (not thinking he'd know where that is) then he brings up SB1070 and we start talking about American immigration politics for a few minutes in the middle of bustling Saigon. Wasn't expecting a Vietnamese man to be so knowledgeable haha

[Elim]

(03-12-2014 02:28 PM)Rudra Wrote:  

(03-12-2014 05:02 AM)Elim Wrote:  

The temp isn't horrible. I'm from somewhere that gets relatively hot/humid every somewhere, so it's not a big deal to me. I feel I can face almost any weather here on earth. As long as you have air conditioning for sleeping (you will) you should be fine.

It's only going to get hotter as the year progresses, and starting sometime in May the monsoon is coming.

Alright, cool man. I'd be up for a few beers in a couple of weeks if you're still in Saigon!

Any estimation of the pulling power of blond-haired Scandinavians in VN?

Things seem to be picking up around here. I don't know why I wouldn't still be around. Send me a PM when you get your ticket and know your flight, how long you'll be here, and what you want to do, etc. Let me know if there's anything I can help with.

[Cyclone]

Sorry for the delay - here comes the motherload:

Quote:

Cyclone, what did you mean by "standards do change"?

I mean with regards to quick transport. Once you get into motorbike culture, taking public transport or even a car is unthinkable - before you'd be ok w/ taking 30 mins to get to the city, w/ a motorbike you would tolerate 10 mins maximum. That's why living in D3 is perfect.

Quote:

Also, my original goal was to move to Singapore for work within a year or 2. I plan to visit Singapore (to make sure I would be OK with living there) and Hong Kong before heading back home. I'd also like to check out Thailand and Indonesia, but we'll see. Please do give me your opinion on Singaporean life and the girls. Do you think they're interesting/nice/funny/intelligent?

Girls are intelligent in a lot of ways, dumb in many others. They still haven't transcended a certain level of intelligence that Americans have, but then again, I'd argue that none of Asia has. Life is great, but it relies on "cool districts" to "chill at" with good "atmosphere". Thats it. Expect entertainment to rely on endless conversation, which works well if you're gaming anyway

Job opportunities are phenomenal. When I arrived I got 3 jobs within 2 weeks and even had to quit one that paid $40/hr.

Quote:

My apartment area is majority Korean. My roommate suggested tutoring them on English also. Do you think I could get away with teaching 2 of them x $15?

For some snobbish reason, Koreans/Japanese parents prefer that their kid be taught exclusively, 1-on-1. Unless the parents know each other well, it would be out of the ordinary for them, but give it a shot. You are on RVF, game them.

Quote:

Teaching locals...is that just you advertising in papers and teaching the in a public area? Did you follow a curriculum?

Only if you teach under an institution (which might be the only way to start, until you make connections) will you follow a book or curriculum. When I was teaching locals TOEFL independently (through CONNECTIONS), i created everything on my own, which is honesty preferable. It just depends how much they trust you.

Quote:

Any estimation of the pulling power of blond-haired Scandinavians in VN?

Sorry to disappoint you, but unlike most Southeast Asians, the vietnamese are actually intimidated by the tall-blonde guy look and have difficulty relating to them. They prefer to relate to dudes that kinda look like them (black hair, etc) - unless you are in your late 30's or so, and target other women in their 30s, who would be a bit of golddiggers by then thus they would tolerate the blond deal. I personally appreciate that Viets in their 20's appreciate guys for who they are/humor instead of chasing money (something that cant be said of Singaporeans)

~ Peace guys, hope that helped

[Vacancier Permanent]

Good stuff Cyclone! Awesome to read your updates from the groud!

Would love to hear more about the "phenomenal job opportunities" as you put it. I believe you weRe referring to teaching jobs right?

[Suits]

(03-15-2014 04:02 AM)Cyclone Wrote:  

Quote:

Any estimation of the pulling power of blond-haired Scandinavians in VN?

Sorry to disappoint you, but unlike most Southeast Asians, the vietnamese are actually intimidated by the tall-blonde guy look and have difficulty relating to them. They prefer to relate to dudes that kinda look like them (black hair, etc) - unless you are in your late 30's or so, and target other women in their 30s, who would be a bit of golddiggers by then thus they would tolerate the blond deal. I personally appreciate that Viets in their 20's appreciate guys for who they are/humor instead of chasing money (something that cant be said of Singaporeans)

On the plus side, hair colour is easy fixed. When I'm in China, I have a standing appointment at a hair salon to keep my blond highlights maintained. As there is higher demand for fairer looking individuals in the teaching market, I actually quickly doubled my earnings when I started doing this. Within a month.

If Vietnamese prefer someone with darker hair, go as dark as you can without it looking obvious (i.e. not being a match for your skin tone).

[M-Chill]

I think a lot of 'tall blonde' guys are confusing Asia with South America.

[Suits]

(03-16-2014 08:39 AM)M-Chill Wrote:  

I think a lot of 'tall blonde' guys are confusing Asia with South America.

Negative. In most Asian countries, looking as "foreign" as possible is a perk. Which for some reason means tall and blonde.

[Patriarch]

What if I shave my head? Will people think I am sick? Or will they think I am Xerxes?

[M-Chill]

Haha. Xerxes apparently.

From what I can see from living here for 3 years, the guys getting the most and consistently highest quality Asian pussy in Asia, are, drumroll, Asians.

[Tenerife]

OP, do you speak any Vietnamese?

[Cyclone]

(03-16-2014 08:21 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Good stuff Cyclone! Awesome to read your updates from the groud!

Would love to hear more about the "phenomenal job opportunities" as you put it. I believe you weRe referring to teaching jobs right?

Most of it is stories through what I've heard.. a lot of people i know are recently graduating and they land interviews at an insane pace (compared to USA standards) even when they are a minority. I got a research position in microbiology at their top university despite not having taken a single bio course since I was 15. People ditch their jobs constantly for new/better opportunities.

Despite its reputation, Singapore could use a lot of help from the anglosphere and they know it, so don't be intimidated: My good friend (and wingman) from Chicago, a mechanical engineer with yellow fever, settled for Brisbane 6 months ago because (we) thought SP was saturated.

.

[Elim]

Thanks, Cyclone, for all the info. Are the Singaporeans in their 20's really ALL that bad? I've definitely noticed the Vietnamese girls appreciating me for who I am, and not caring about my money at all.

(03-17-2014 12:27 AM)M-Chill Wrote:  

Haha. Xerxes apparently.

From what I can see from living here for 3 years, the guys getting the most and consistently highest quality Asian pussy in Asia, are, drumroll, Asians.

What, really? I thought all the English teachers were getting it...

(03-17-2014 01:26 AM)Tenerife Wrote:  

OP, do you speak any Vietnamese?

A few phrases.

(03-17-2014 03:44 AM)Cyclone Wrote:  

(03-16-2014 08:21 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Good stuff Cyclone! Awesome to read your updates from the groud!

Would love to hear more about the "phenomenal job opportunities" as you put it. I believe you weRe referring to teaching jobs right?

Most of it is stories through what I've heard.. a lot of people i know are recently graduating and they land interviews at an insane pace (compared to USA standards) even when they are a minority. I got a research position in microbiology at their top university despite not having taken a single bio course since I was 15. People ditch their jobs constantly for new/better opportunities.

Despite its reputation, Singapore could use a lot of help from the anglosphere and they know it, so don't be intimidated: My good friend (and wingman) from Chicago, a mechanical engineer with yellow fever, settled for Brisbane 6 months ago because (we) thought SP was saturated.

.

From what I've heard the Singaporean workforce is a bit crappy. To protect the local jobs, the government has made laws (I believe) to limit the ratio of foreigners to locals hired. I think I might end up doing computer networking work over there, but I haven't looked much into the job availability yet.

[Cyclone]

(03-18-2014 10:59 PM)Elim Wrote:  

From what I've heard the Singaporean workforce is a bit crappy. To protect the local jobs, the government has made laws (I believe) to limit the ratio of foreigners to locals hired. I think I might end up doing computer networking work over there, but I haven't looked much into the job availability yet.

It's true theoretically, but not apparent at all - on a practical level, i see foreigners getting jobs all the time. Also, that law probably only applies to companies of a certain size (100+ employees) . Digital jobs are big here, as is banking obviously. **as for the girls in their 20's, well no they're not all expat-chasers, but those that aren't won't pay much attention to you anyway. I've gotten my hopes up several times in the past few months only to realize theyll never want you as a real prospect, as they care too much about their circle/repuation
.

[Patriarch]

What would you all say is a bare minimum dollar-wise for getting set up after touching down in Vietnam? From reading blogs, it seems that most people wind up scoring a teaching job within the first week of being in Sài Gòn. It's probably even faster in Hanoi. So what I'm really trying to figure out is if I can afford to spend a week in the Phillipines before Vietnam... For "business" reasons.

[Cyclone]

^ What do you mean by "setting up"? You mean survive before you find a job?

I'd say keep $500 for the 1st month. A private room for that length of time should run ~$12/night, motorbike rental $4/day. It's really a complete joke (compared to AUS which i would want to keep $2500 to survive that first month) although i'm not sure if you really want a teaching job, or if yr looking to setup your own business.
.

[Patriarch]

I want to teach at first. After that, I have no clue. Seriously, 500 bucks? I was worried 2500 would be cutting it close. Now I can afford to buy an inordinate amount of clothes and shoes.

[natlex]

Hey I just moved to HCM a week ago, staying at least two weeks here or more if I like. I sent you a PM if you want to meetup. Or if any other locals want to meetup, we can predrink together or meet at a club.

As for this thread, food here is a step up over Bangkok a bit, more different and stuff I never saw back in Canada in Viatnamese restaurants. The girls are a LOT more shy on the approach but often I just get the #. The thing I hate most is I am into 18-26 girls and I find a lack of clubs with these. A lot of the clubs are 25+ or at least the ones I see recommended around. I guess most "world" travelers are older than me...

So far the high end clubs like skybar are a waste of time for me, almost no girls I find cute, all 30+ girls besides the few I talked to under 30.

I was away from D1 with an airbnb apartment to escape having a hotel reception but nooo, the apartment has a security guard... SO I waked around D1 and found a great place with no guard (heavy security but I have all the keys) for $500/month with a kitchen and decently big. There are other cheaper options but they were mostly sold out and I got sick of searching for the perfect place (somewhere without needing to wake up someone when I go home late at night with a girl...)

[Patriarch]

Can anyone currently living in HCMC comment more on the market for teaching English? It's coming down to the wire in terms of my departure date and there seems to be a lot of conflicting information on Dave's ESL cafe from bitter expats. Wages: I hear 15 dollars per hour bare minimum with a degree and TEFL with 20 hour weeks. What is it like getting housing without a work permit? How many jobs are there? Is 500 bucks per month expenses really doable? What about finding a house without security so you can actually bring girls home?

[Beyond Borders]

I may pay a visit to HCMC next month.

Would be interested in meeting any members that have a decent stack of reps.