Matt_2
Polish expat in Vietnam
Forum posts
17
About me
Polish
Registration: 03 February 2020
Activity
Why don't Vietnamese understand Vietnamese spoken by a foreigner? by I do believe
Having lived in Vietnam for 6 years and studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities it never ceases to amaze me that if I speak and pronounce a Vietnamese phrase perfectly to most Vietnamese, they don't understand me. ...
My 2 cents: yesterday a gloomy, tense looking woman asked me if I spoke Vietnamese. I said that I didn't. Her response was a broad smile of pure delight and relief.But what language were each of you using?Sorry for not making that clear: English. Read More
Why don't Vietnamese understand Vietnamese spoken by a foreigner? by I do believe
Having lived in Vietnam for 6 years and studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities it never ceases to amaze me that if I speak and pronounce a Vietnamese phrase perfectly to most Vietnamese, they don't understand me. ...
My 2 cents: yesterday a gloomy, tense looking woman asked me if I spoke Vietnamese. I said that I didn't. Her response was a broad smile of pure delight and relief. Read More
Visa Extension Guide? by flothus
Is there a guide somewhere for extending my tourist visa by myself, without one of those pesky agencies? I already have paid more than 300USD for the first two-month extension during the Covid shutdown, but my airline is still not operating and it ...
Second, yes you can. Better yet, you can have your wife do it all for you. You don't even need to be present. Mine got my original VEC for me. I'll have her extend it for me in September.Awesome! Do they do it on the spot? Read More
Visa Extension Guide? by flothus
Is there a guide somewhere for extending my tourist visa by myself, without one of those pesky agencies? I already have paid more than 300USD for the first two-month extension during the Covid shutdown, but my airline is still not operating and it ...
I live in HCM and I have a spousal visa (5-year visa exception). My current visa will expire in about a month. Needless to say, I am not thrilled about the prospect of doing a visa run... Is it true that I can get a visa extension at the Immigration ... Read More
Resorts around HCM
So far I've only checked one: the Grand Ho Tram. Lovely place, private beach, nice pool, beautiful rooms, a glorious breakfast. Still, it's rather expensive, so I'd like to know if you guys know other good resorts around HCM. Read More
Did you renegociate your rent?
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/industries/hcmc-apartment-rent-revenues-plummet-amidst-covid-19-pandemic-4075095.html Read More
Following your life partner in Vietnam by Loïc
Hi everyone, If love can move mountains, it also makes people move abroad, in countries such as Vietnam. Following your life partner in a country with different customs and rules is an act of absolute trust and may require a period of ...
Don't move to VN unless you have spent at least 2 weeks here. The place is wildly different to the West. Read More
Money: a skewed sense of priorities? by Matt_2
Why is it that in Vietnam - a poor, underdeveloped country - there are so many restaurants, cafes etc? How is that the people here all seem to have an opinion about say Japanese food yet are virtually unable to reach the capital of their own country ...
If I understood your comments correctly many of you believe that overall the locals have a sound attitude towards money that will without doubt result in the prompt development of their country. As for making speedy comparisons between spending ... Read More
Money: a skewed sense of priorities?
Why is it that in Vietnam - a poor, underdeveloped country - there are so many restaurants, cafes etc? How is that the people here all seem to have an opinion about say Japanese food yet are virtually unable to reach the capital of their own country ... Read More
An unpleasant brush with the law. by GuestPoster288
Have had a disturbing incident this morning that almost got out of hand. The electricity in my apartment was cut so, being uncomfortably hot, my wife and I went out for coffee to get some air and found a relatively clean cafe. Sitting by the ...
Reading some of the comments I'm coming to the conclusion that some people simply don't want Vietnam to change. I feel like too many expats are infatuated with some idealized image of a wholesome VN local whose precious culture should be at ... Read More
Prejudice and Intolerance. by GuestPoster288
I guess it’s fair to say that most if not all people on this forum are against racial or religious prejudice and consider such intolerance as unacceptable. I have to wonder however, if being entirely honest, how many are really as open minded ...
To be honest, I like maybe 10% of the people here. The rest of the population I tend to perceive as uncivilized to various degrees. For personal reasons I have to stick around here for a few years, so I am just praying that I won't get killed in ... Read More
Maybe ignorance is bliss ? by GuestPoster288
Since being involved with my wife's family for around 12yrs now I have to say that, for the most part, I have been pretty unsuccessful in achieving much despite a valiant effort. Having switched their crop from rice to Coconuts, Shrimp and ...
A nice slice of Viet reality. It's pretty refreshing given how shallow most stuff people say about the locals is ("omg so friendly", "omg so awesome"). I personally try to never help them, even if it involves simply holding ... Read More
'loss of face' in Vietnam by stevenjb2020
You probably have seen the event that happened in Thailand with the military person arguing with his superior then killing him and going on a shooting rampage at a mall - I did not learn the outcome of this event, however to me it seems like a ...
When you say "face" do you mean "maturity"? Read More
Where to buy oatmeal by rand0mwa1k
It seems like none of the big stores stock oatmeal, even in the "international" section. Anyone know where I can buy some?
Found some at COOP the other day (from their own Coop brand). Wasn't even that overpriced. Read More
Viet culture, getting to grips. by MarkinNam
I struggle many times to understand , so I've decided to do some digging, if anyone else finds any constructive info please post it. facebook.com/vietnamcultureshock/ vietnamcultureshock.wordpress.com/
Thank you for the recommendation. I found the book reasonably interesting, although it never really seems to address what, to most foreigners at least, is the true meat and potatoes of life in VN: ie. the chaos, corruption, poor communication, low ... Read More