Tieng Viet lovers club

[Timetopika]

Not sure if this is the right thread to post. I just want to understand the behavior of typical vietbu so if any pro brother can shed some light please do.

Recently got to know this young vietbu working at coffeeshop zhi char. I was surprised to see such and hence chat with her. Found out she is 22 recent Uni grad (verified from work permit) and on a short 3 month contract. She told me that she came here by knowing the work as it showed management trainee on her working pass but end up in coffeeshop and she was unhappy working here especially not able to speak mandarin and cannot adjust to the food. . Anyway being a nice gentlemen I said I can bring her around when she off.

Fast forward, we met almost everyday after her work which ends at 12.30 am, going for supper or just chatting . I managed to hold her hands and kiss and hug her within a couple of late night outs. This happened all within a short 3 weeks and I asked her to be my gf (thinking can up her) she rejected saying she still young and she don't know what will happen when she goes back but she wants to come back here. I told her the various options that she can work here. I even said I would pay for her (dangle carrot) agency fees etc.

Things got on smoothly but all of a sudden she changed 360 degree. Ignore my SMS and call and I think even blocked me. Went to confront her and she said she has many things to think about and we are just friends (hello?) no head no tail so I left her alone for awhile to let her sort her mind. But she continued to ignore me and even when we agreed to go out on her off she said she was busy and had another appointment.

Now my question is have I been led on? Is this a typical vietbu trap? She had never asked me for money but I would always pay for everything which I am not particular about.

Just got to know from coffeeshop auntie not to waste time on her as she was seeing someone on the sides. But nt sure who to believe now

Hope some brothers can share their experience with vietbu and their so called scams.

[FireShark]

Originally Posted by Timetopika

Now my question is have I been led on? Is this a typical vietbu trap? She had never asked me for money but I would always pay for everything which I am not particular about.

Just got to know from coffeeshop auntie not to waste time on her as she was seeing someone on the sides. But nt sure who to believe now

Hope some brothers can share their experience with vietbu and their so called scams.

The Coffeeshop auntie had already informed you that she is seeing someone why u still insist to be with her. Don't be too naive. How can a grad be working as a stall assistant?

[jackbl]

What do expats think about Hanoi plan to lift midnight curfew?

Editor’s note: Two expats in Hanoi have told Tuoi Tre News their view about the capital city’s plan to extend the mandatory closing time for service-oriented business past midnight.
With all services in Hanoi currently required to close before 12:00 am, too early for many foreign visitors, the curfew lifting move is intended to appease Western visitors and stimulate the capital’s languid tourism sector.

Cameron Lucy (English teacher in Hanoi):
I think that they should not make the curfew later, the thing that makes Hanoi great is that it is a crazy and noisy city, but then at night becomes a peaceful place.
Hanoi is slowly becoming more like Bangkok which is a bad thing! If people want to party all night, Hanoi is not the place, let the locals sleep, they work hard enough already!
Bangkok is full of fast food places and convenience stores, the streets are crowded overnight with drunk people which means that there are many pickpockets and prostitutes there.
Of course Hanoi has crime too but nowhere near as much as Thailand!
I have stayed in Bangkok a few times but I am always kept awake by the noise and light pollution there!

Ogbu Benneth Chima (Nigerian, student at British Vietnam University in Hanoi):
The news of extending Hanoi curfew time to early hours is a welcomed development as such will increase and retain the number of visitors.
Night life is a major factor that can positively or negatively impact on tourism, visitors are most likely to choose destinations with great night and of course nightlife encourages more spending which is good for the economy of the host country.
Comparing tourism in Vietnam and Thailand, we notice a great gap.
Thailand has 55 percent returning visitors while amazing and beautiful Vietnam has got just 5 percent return.
The difference could be as a result of various factor, however the most audible of all factors is the fact that Thailand has got a legendary night life which is quite attractive to most visitors.
The city of Bangkok keeps buzzling all night with so much activities. That explains the difference in the statistical numbers.
Improving night life in Vietnam could be a great turning point for the Vietnam tourism industry.
Great night life means more visitors, more jobs, more government earning, and after all, overall GDP growth.

[jackbl]

Wanna lose weight, expats? Vietnamese food should be your choice

How come so many chubby, obese, well-rounded, rolly-polly tourists return home without embracing the Vietnamese diet? Why the tourism authorities don’t promote Vietnam as the ultimate healthy, dietary heaven is something I don’t understand. The only fat Vietnamese are the ones with jobs where they don’t move... that’s it... everyone else is skinny and on the go!
OK, sure, I’m being so unfair, right? Yes, I admit that there are plenty of young backpackers in good shape all trudging around with half their life on their backs. Well, of course... that cockamamie Lonely Planet guide must weigh about 40 kilos by itself.
Also: Being fat isn’t always your own fault. That’s OK, you can blame it on the DNA, so get down and mutate.
Forget the ‘Paleo’ diet which encourages you to eat an early caveman – simple fruits, nuts, veggies, fish and meat but no processed food or dairy products such as milk or cheese. That might help you lose, let’s say, 10 to 15 kilos, which is enough for a balloon-shaped tourist to squeeze out of a coach’s door.
The ‘Atkins’ diet favored the idea of cutting out foods such as sugar, bread and pasta and replacing them with food that took longer to digest, making the body hungry so it would start using up the fat stored inside. However, the idea collapsed because people became hungry... duh... so they ate more.

Now the ‘Jenny Craig’ diet features frozen food delivered to your door that is tailored to your dietary needs and is scientifically measured to produce about a 5% loss in weight over a year. Still... if you’re about 120 kilos, it would take you about a decade before you can seduce that 80 kilo love machine dancing on the other side of the room.
Why not have a ‘Lose weight in 90 days’ tour of the country? It would sell like banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) at a street stall next to the traffic lights near a university on a Monday morning. And DO try the cooking classes – it’s fun and yummy and healthier than that pre-packaged stuff back home.
Local food is mostly low in sugar and fairly light on spices and salt, depending on the recipe. A Vietnamese diet can be highly recommended for those with chronic, unending tummy problems, digestion issues and skin problems, mostly due to the high vitamin content of the food. That’s one of the reasons why Asians in general have such thick, strong hair, did you know?
Pho, for example, noodles with meat and fish combinations, is a high energy, low fat breakfast pick-me-up that gets you on the go at 6:00 am in the morning. Why not try com ga or chicken rice; herbs and spices balanced to the region’s climate and season - an anytime of the day energy booster as it releases its energy fast.
Or how about bun cha – rice vermicelli (vermicelli is thin noodles) with grilled pork, often served with chili, garlic, nuoc cham (fish sauce), and lots of fresh greens. Heck, if it was good enough for President Obama (he’s skinny, but..) in Hanoi, it’s got to be fabulous for you!
Hint: this is what bun cha is all about: http://tuoitrenews.vn/lifestyle/3497...ate-for-dinner
Now one dish I highly recommend is canh thit bo, a beef broth (soup or stew) that has lots of variations. This is usually a soup with sticky rice and beef and whatever flavors you choose. It’s brilliant and as great as that late night meal before a hard day in the morning or when the rain is howling down and you’re soaked to the bone.
Yeah... come to Vietnam and stick around for a while. You will lose weight in a comfortable, tasty way that makes the Western diet books look as if they were written by a jealous office worker who never managed to lose enough weight to steal the love of his life away from the gym coach. Really!
Now I should make a disclaimer here by confessing that I love my junk food too but I mix it up with spring rolls, street food and an 11:00 pm banh mi. Still, I’ve lost weight too! Vietnam beats the world again.
Remember if it’s good enough for President Obama to eat in a small café in Hanoi, then that’s your cue to eat like a Vietnamese too.
Personally? I love to finish my day with an Australian Vegemite banh mi washed down by a Red Export Larue beer. I’m sure I lost a kilo just thinking about it.

[jackbl]

Thugs rob, assault bus passengers in southern Vietnam

Passengers on buses traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to the southern province of Dong Nai have fallen victim to several gangs who call themselves merchants of ‘panacea’, forcing people to pay heavily for their products.
Within 30 kilometers of the Suoi Tien Bus Station, in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, people aboard coaches have been easy targets for at least four groups of muggers.
The thugs use several methods, from putting on a show to threatening and assaulting their victims in order to appropriate their property.
The victims are mainly poor people from the countryside who come to the southern metropolis to earn a living or receive treatment for health conditions.
Uninvited guests
According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters’ observation on the morning of November 9, a gang of five men from 25 to 50 years old led by a man named Chanh gathered at the Suoi Tien bus stop at around 8:30 am.
The outlaws dressed themselves in jeans, T-shirts or shirts, and shoes, and held several small pieces of paper advertising a medicine called PIROMAX, which they stored in their bum bags.
After 10 minutes scouting the area, the men boarded bus No.12 toward a stop in Dong Nai and began preparing their daily endeavor.
At around 10:00 am, another of the gang members pulled over a passenger bus, which was carrying some 30 people, before getting on the vehicle.
One of the members started promoting their ‘panacea’ while the other four acted as passengers, whose role was to express enthusiasm for the products.
The 'merchant' then began handing out his blister packs of PIROMAX ‘for free’ as the whole gang tried to shovel the medicine into the hands of the passengers.
Some travelers managed to resist the ‘gifts’ while others with the pills in their hands then became the targets of the scavengers, who showed their true nature.
“Collect the money!” Chanh shouted, before his accessories forced the unfortunate victims to pull out their money and took whatever they had.
After snatching VND1 million (US$44.15) from 19-year-old Thien and another VND1.2 million ($52.9) from a 22-year-old passenger, the group quickly disembarked from the bus.

After comprehending the situation, Thien went to follow the muggers only to be thwarted by the threat of another man, seemingly a member of the gang.
“If you get off the bus, they will stab you to death. They are all drug addicts. Dare to follow them if you do not believe me,” the stranger asserted.
According to the bus driver, many people have become their prey, powerless to resist.
“I could only warn my passengers of the incident. They would attack us if we interfere with their operation,” the driver said.
Using a similar scheme, Chanh’s men had earlier plundered VND200,000 ($8.83) from a 40-year-old woman on November 7 as well as threatening an undercover Tuoi Tre journalist when he tried to stand up for the victim.
Violent actions
The gangs do not just verbally intimidate passengers but do not hesitate to throw fists at those daring to talk back.
At 8:00 am on November 3, Cuong, an experienced merchant of ‘panacea’ and his disciples boarded a bus heading toward Ho Chi Minh City.
They performed a similar play, with Cuong the seller and his followers disguised as passengers.
The scheme was going smoothly until one male passenger in his 30s revealed the scam, threatening to call the police.
Cuong then charged at the man before he could finish his sentence, grabbing his shirt.
“I will beat you to death!” the thug shouted before punching the passenger repeatedly on his chest and head.
“Go ahead and call the police. I can give you the number,” Cuong said before leaving the vehicle with his gang.
On October 28, the groups of Chanh and a man named Son raided a shuttle bus in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai, introducing themselves as medicine sellers of a charitable organization.
One of their victims, 21-year-old Bui Tien Vu, was pressured to pay VND200,000 for two packs of pills.
As Vu said he did not have enough money, he was attacked by four men, resulting in a bleeding mouth, scratched forehead, and broken glasses.
The thugs spared no one, a witness said, recalling an elderly woman who had also been terrified by the criminals.

[alan1999]

Originally Posted by Timetopika

Not sure if this is the right thread to post. I just want to understand the behavior of typical vietbu so if any pro brother can shed some light please do.

Recently got to know this young vietbu working at coffeeshop zhi char. I was surprised to see such and hence chat with her. Found out she is 22 recent Uni grad (verified from work permit) and on a short 3 month contract. She told me that she came here by knowing the work as it showed management trainee on her working pass but end up in coffeeshop and she was unhappy working here especially not able to speak mandarin and cannot adjust to the food. . Anyway being a nice gentlemen I said I can bring her around when she off.

Fast forward, we met almost everyday after her work which ends at 12.30 am, going for supper or just chatting . I managed to hold her hands and kiss and hug her within a couple of late night outs. This happened all within a short 3 weeks and I asked her to be my gf (thinking can up her) she rejected saying she still young and she don't know what will happen when she goes back but she wants to come back here. I told her the various options that she can work here. I even said I would pay for her (dangle carrot) agency fees etc.

Things got on smoothly but all of a sudden she changed 360 degree. Ignore my SMS and call and I think even blocked me. Went to confront her and she said she has many things to think about and we are just friends (hello?) no head no tail so I left her alone for awhile to let her sort her mind. But she continued to ignore me and even when we agreed to go out on her off she said she was busy and had another appointment.

Now my question is have I been led on? Is this a typical vietbu trap? She had never asked me for money but I would always pay for everything which I am not particular about.

Just got to know from coffeeshop auntie not to waste time on her as she was seeing someone on the sides. But nt sure who to believe now

Hope some brothers can share their experience with vietbu and their so called scams.

Bro...what scam are you refering to? There is no scam from your story at all. If i'm right, yes, she is a U grad. If not, they can't come over as MGT trainee. Also i want to highlight to you is that she is not from poor family bcs it's imposbbile to come to Singapore as trainee. Normally u need a lot of connections and money to do that.
Maybe she is still young and wants to explore the world first thus not to commit to anything. Maybe she came to know another guy which show more affection then you.
Anyway if u r really interested in the gal, try going to Vietnam for meetup and have more bonding rather then telling yourself this is a scam.

I have settled down in Vietnam for many years already and thus i know how the lives here works.

[jackbl]

A tribute to all hard-working teachers in Vietnam

Vietnamese Teachers’ Day is November 20th, when flower sales go through the roof and students visit their teachers across the nation to pay their respects.
From the wooden shack classrooms of the cloud-wrapped Western mountains with hardships of poor housing, clothing, little money and fewer opportunities to the growing quality of city education with well-fed kids in over-crowded and mostly under-resourced facilities – the challenges are still huge.
So to work successfully in teaching makes you a pretty amazing person!
But here’s the thing... 20 million students are getting an education and more than a million teachers are doing their jobs. The nation’s education ministry is lifting its educational standards and working on better support for everyone – it’s all happening.
That’s right – teachers are actually doing their jobs as well as they can!
When people mention education, we often moan about too much homework, boring teachers and subjects yet that could be any classroom in the world. Why is it that we don’t seem to remember the best teachers and subjects?
Here’s a challenge for you – can you remember the teacher who made you understand? I can think of about a dozen from elementary school to my master’s degree.
For me, there was Mr Fox, a scary teacher in elementary school who used colored chalk a lot and gave me my first real practical science class – I can still remember the lesson exactly. There was Mr Lowe in high school that encouraged story-telling, drama and the power of writing. And Mrs Goodman, a science teacher, incredibly strict but finally made me understand physics and chemistry.
Teachers will continue the lesson until you get it!
Recently an IELTS student’s face glowed when she talked about a history teacher who made the subject come alive for her by filling out the boring factual content with stories and comparisons – the smile on her face was priceless. She may never use the lesson in a job but what if it motivated her to travel? That’s life changing...
What you learn may surprise you in many ways later!
Not all teachers are inspiring or memorable but without their daily work in doing the lessons again and again, we probably wouldn’t have had the choices in life and work that we eventually took for granted.
So teachers are tough and strong in their hearts! (Even when it’s sooooo... boring.)
A part that’s often poorly understood by parents and outsiders is the amount of organizing, planning, paperwork, grading, marking, report writing, studying, thinking, meetings, lesson plan writing and sudden changes in curricula, timetables, schedules, standards, workloads and outside-school-hour work that is involved in good teaching.
A teacher’s ranges of office skills are often wider than you think!
A good teacher is also partly a parent, policeman, psychologist, scientist and philosopher. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to listen to students’ problems, calm down an excited class or lift the spirits of an unhappy class. There are times when the weather is bad and the students are grumpy (the teacher too!) or the other days when one student looks like the loneliest person in the world and there’s nothing you can do.
Sometimes students will ask you questions about life and you have to philosophize, explain or give an opinion – without imposing your own prejudices on them. This is a very hard one – especially with students around late teenage or early age. The trick is not to judge the student for asking the question but giving them an answer that is honest and fair.
Teachers see things from many points of view! And there’s often more than one answer...
Next to last, knowing your stuff; There’s an old saying, ‘the textbook is only as good as the teacher’ – meaning it takes a teacher to help the student understand the knowledge. All too many teachers go ‘by the book’, relying on the book to get them through the lesson but your special teacher will go much further than the book.
There’s inspiration and imagination to give and young minds to set on fire. It doesn’t happen every lesson or for every student or every teacher – but we can all remember that moment of inspiration. Remember my question from before about who opened your mind?
A teacher understands that school is only half the classroom!
A true teacher knows the world is bigger than the book and many lessons are learnt outside a classroom. If you teach a student to pass an exam then you have only half taught them – if your teacher gave you some ability to think about the unexpected then the lesson is 90% complete. The other 10%? What you think long after your teacher is an old memory...
So before you give your teacher their flowers and gifts, stop and stand or sit quietly somewhere for a moment and just think: What did they teach you that didn’t seem like a lesson, yet you learned something?
If you are smiling when you think about this... then the teacher did his job...
My very best regards to all the hard-working teachers of this nation that I love! Happy Vietnamese Teachers’ Day!

[jackbl]

In Vietnam, three is not a crowd

How many Vietnamese does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: three – one to change the light, another to tell him he’s changing it the wrong way, and a third laughing his head off.
Funny how easily a crowd forms in Vietnam...
People-watching is one of humanity’s great pastimes. Either observing from a distance in the comfort of a coffee shop or standing right next to the action – people become sucked in, like mosquitoes to a light, when anybody does anything, even if it appears to be the most utterly boring thing in the world.
Builders working on a construction site fascinate me. It’s like a convoluted LEGO set with little ants running around. Magically, the LEGO set transforms over a few weeks into something recognizable, yet still an ultimately boring piece of architecture that I had hoped it wouldn’t be...sigh...
Coffee shop Vietnamese-style chess nearly tops the list of intriguing crowd-pullers. It never ceases to amaze me how such a slow-moving game can draw such frowns of concentration and annoying running commentaries.
Don’t you hate it when someone points out what you should have done while you’re playing a game... and why aren’t they slaving over a hot shovel, laptop, or service desk counter?
And another thing, why do most Vietnamese spectators stand with one arm across their back holding their other arm while it hangs down straight? Is it a national way of standing?
It seems Vietnamese do that on motorbikes too; this strange ‘leave the left arm behind’ thing. Do they have weak left arms? I’d better not think too much about that question...
Sport; any sport. Just as I’m totally unable to fight the urge to eat Vietnamese fried banana pancakes (I love those things), it seems any game played at any age level attracts a gaggle of people taking sides, yelling support and generally having a whale of a good time. Frequently football and volleyball fans’ motorbikes end up occupying most of a road lane, causing good natured chaos as honking horns battle it out while supporters cry with delight.
The making of sugar cane juice is a kid’s endless entertainment. Particularly around the southern part of Da Nang (I’m not sure why...) you’ll see kids standing around juice making machines as they churn out the sugar cane for juice. I’ve got to admit I love this display of physics at work too. Sometimes a hot and hard motorbike ride is made just a bit more fun by stopping for a smoke and watching the process. Try it sometime, it’s hypnotic.
Motorbikes are equally bedazzling too. Especially in the countryside there’s a magnetic attraction for males to watch someone struggle to repair or rebuild twenty-year-old motorbikes. Many a time I’ve ridden past a repair shop and noticed a cheerful group of commenters contributing their unwanted advice to a poor lad hunched down on his knees, sweat dripping over an old plate of nuts and bolts at his feet while he attempts to re-assemble the drive train of a ubiquitous Honda cub. I’m surprised that I’ve never seen a mechanic throw the spanner at these repeat offenders and their annoying and largely pointless advice.

I recall an artist living in Hoi An a few years ago who used to wander through the city painting and drawing trees, landscapes, and the old town. She had to give up painting in some public areas because the locals would crowd so close to the canvas that she couldn’t concentrate on her artwork. I can’t remember her name, yet her renditions of Vietnam and its scenery were done in beautiful watercolor.
Yet the event that causes the most chaos in Hoi An is Christmas. Surprised? Each year the large church in town puts on a big display of lights, a Christmas tree, and a choir that (weather allowing) sings its heart out. Unfortunately the church is on one of the busiest corners in town and jams up four streets on nights leading up to the holiday. You know you’ve lived in Vietnam a long time when you can actually remember the annual traffic bottlenecks in your neighborhood.

I can easily attract a mob watching in puzzlement as I do the outside gardening. I only do this when my gardener mysteriously disappears for a week and the paper moon trees are growing faster than Vietnam’s debt. No one ever helps, just parks their bikes and snickers as I struggle with the garden tools. I fancy myself as a DIY handyman but the reality of my clumsiness and inept handling of the equipment shows that I’m clearly a highly talented artist and writer… and a horrible tradesman.
Still it works both ways – I can stand next to someone doing something odd and pass along comments too. “You’ve missed a bit” is always a good annoyance. My other favorite begins in English with much body language, “You know, you should... (followed by a long pause, then the punchline)...” and just walk off with an enigmatic smile on my face.
After all, I’m just another face in the crowd...

[jackbl]

Pee in public and pay higher fines, Vietnam says

Vietnamese officials have decided to intensify a crackdown on public urination in the name of environmental protection.
Those peeing in public will be subject to higher fines, according to a new decree set to take effect next year.
However, skeptics still doubt the effectiveness of the new penalty.
The fiat, which will come into force on February 1, 2017, says that those urinating in public will be fined between VND1 million (US$44) and VND3 million ($131).
The current penalty for such an illegal act is from VND200,000 ($8.7) to VND300,000 ($13).
People who are caught littering cigarette butts in public will be fined from VND500,000 ($22) to VND1 million, according to the new rule.
Those dumping garbage on sidewalks, roadways and into local drainage systems will be charged from VND5 million ($220) to VND7 million ($308), much higher than the current fine, which is only around VND400,000 ($17.5).
Some experts considered the harsher punishments necessary for raising public awareness of environmental protection.
According to Ho Nguyen Le, a Vietnamese lawyer, the current law on environmental protection is not strict enough while Vietnamese tend to turn a blind eye to public hygiene.
Aside from encouraging people to protect the environment they live in, a stern penalty is a must to prevent any violation, Le said.
However, Pham Thi Hoang Anh, chief of the office of Healthbridge Canada in Vietnam, a non-profit environmental organization, asserted that the new fine is not so much of a deterrent.
“Apart from a hefty penalty, competent agencies should also carry out regular inspections and sternly punish violators,” Anh said.
According to Nguyen Huu The Trach, a lawyer, law enforcers should ensure fairness and clarity as they deal with offenders of environmental protection regulations.
Local residents should actively study the new rules to cooperate with officers, in a greater bid to conserve their surroundings, Trach said.
Another legal pundit stated that lawbreakers should also be required to do community service alongside a financial penalty.
Parents and adults in a community must strictly comply with the law to set good examples to their children, he added.

[jackbl]

In Vietnam, is it worth the risk?

Just after I signed up for hospital insurance the other week, I got a brutal reminder about why I need it.
One Saturday morning heading toward Da Nang on the coastal highway, I came across a gaggle of Vietnamese huddled around a fallen motorbike. Everyone was on the phone to someone. As I came closer, I realized there was a young, Western female holding her left arm and crying while sitting cross-kneed in the middle of the road.
Now, it’s a terrible thing that you have to stop and think before intervening in accidents in Vietnam. I’ve heard countless stories of helpful Westerners eventually being blamed for accidents after they’ve only pulled over to assist. In most parts of the world, there is no legal requirement for someone to stop and help at the scene of an accident if they are not directly involved in it; however, most people will feel the instinct to help. So I turned back to the scene to see what I could do.

The poor young lass was badly injured, covered in blood with what I (later correctly) guessed was a broken arm. With the Vietnamese still arguing, a young man from Mai Linh Taxi Company pulled up and I got him to get our victim up to Hoan My Hospital in Da Nang as quickly as possible.
In the end she was patched up pretty well at the hospital with a story to tell when she got home and months of gravel rash pain to get through.
Whilst feeling good about having helped, it did spook me a little as I’d just only finalized this year’s health insurance the day before. I’ve had close calls on the roads myself, threatened by all manners of driver insanity and also had some horrible bouts of illness over the course of nine years in Vietnam, so knowing that I now have some kind of financial protection is comforting, even though I have no idea how effective it will be until something actually happens. I’m ‘knocking on wood’ as I write this!
For Vietnamese readers, ‘knocking on wood’ is part of a Western superstition of knocking on something made of wood to protect oneself from evil spirits and bad luck.
Anyway, I was prompted to get the insurance, which I had put off buying for a long time, after incidents like the accident mentioned above. It isn’t cheap in hospitals here, particularly for foreigners, who are often seen as easy prey with deep pockets.
I’ve signed up with Bao Viet Insurance, a state-run company that was recommended by friends. The insurance guy, Bi Linh, was a very nice fellow who said that my ‘plan 2’ package was typical for many middle-class Vietnamese with some money. My coverage is about 6000 dollars for a year and up to 60 days in hospital – a reasonable deal. Anything more serious and I’m off to Australia, fast!
The process has been largely free of any major bureaucratic red tape and I’ll get my ‘Bao Viet Card’ soon. I wonder how many cards I’ll eventually have in this country?
Although I have no idea how many foreigners have decent health and emergency travel insurance, I’m still quite amazed at the risks young foreigners take on the roads here.
In the space of less than a week, I witnessed backpackers with no helmets, no T-shirts and no decent footwear racing up the highway giggling to one another, clearly over the speed limit, somehow believing that Buddha is looking after them. One fellow I observed wore a Vietnamese conical hat, had a cigarette in his mouth and was barefooted going through a red light not that far from my house. Another I witnessed rode on the back of a bike ridden by his larger English friend with a beer glass in his hand, racing up Cua Dai Road in Hoi An late in the evening with plenty of local traffic whizzing pass them too.
Even for the prudent and sensible, the hazards of disease, traffic and I don’t even want to think what else are never far away, so having insurance in Vietnam (or from your home country) is a ‘must’. Please consider this if you are planning on sticking around in Vietnam for a while.
Even though I hope nothing ever happens, as the saying goes: “life is unpredictable so you’d better be ready!”

[applepen39]

Hi cả nhà.
Mình muốn chơi hàng china thì ở đâu cả nhà. Ngon thật ngon nha.

[jackbl]

Karaoke bars should be banned from residential areas in Vietnam: foreigners

Editor's note: Two people from Japan and Singapore have shared their thoughts with Tuoi Tre News on safety regulations in karaoke bars.
The opinions were given following recently reignited concerns in Vietnam that most karaoke bars are unsafe conversions from residential homes and lack the appropriate emergency exits.
Earlier this month, a fire in a karaoke bar in Hanoi that killed 13 was found to have been started by the careless welding of billboards that caused nearby flammable objects to spark, with the rescue of trapped customers hindered by large iron frames caging the front of the building.

The fatal incident once again raised safety concerns over Vietnam’s karaoke bars, the majority of which are merely converted residential homes.

Some of the bars have only a single doorway that serves as both the entrance and exit, usually between four and eight meters wide.
Unsafe fire conditions kill
I've been to this type of karaoke bar in Vietnam, and as far as safety is concerned, I'm afraid that I never thought seriously about it. I thought that a karaoke bar could make food without using fire and I believed that I would be protected by fire protection laws in Vietnam.
In Japan, the law prohibits the operation of karaoke bars in residential areas, so karaoke venues are located around train stations, in commercial buildings and near shopping malls.
According to the Japanese Association of Karaoke Enterprises, there were 9,555 karaoke bars in Japan in 2015, with 47.5 million karaoke users.
As for the law in Japan, all buildings must obey fire protection regulations. Fire protection laws were enhanced on October 25, 2002, after a fire in a multipurpose building of Shinjuku, Tokyo, on September 1 the previous year. Forty-four people were killed and three injured in the incident, the 5th largest fire tragedy in the 70 years since WWII in Japan.
Causes of the fire included an accumulation of objects in the building’s narrow staircases, the fact that the building had only one evacuation passage from the upper floor, and finally, nobody had inspected the automatic fire alarm and a fire drill had never been carried out.
The fire led to the Japanese government's inspection of the country’s "multipurpose buildings." Violations were found in over 90%, meaning the Japanese government took immediate action and changed fire laws to prevent the recurrence of violations.
Punishment for people who violated the laws changed from a maximum of one year of imprisonment or a fine of up to five hundred thousand yen to a maximum of three years of imprisonment or a fine of up to three million yen.
The result has been fewer incidents since October 2002, with all building owners required to be aware of fire security.

Regular audits prevent negligence on safety
I think karaoke is a fun social activity to get people together. Living here for almost half a year, I’ve been to some karaoke bars in Vietnam. I didn't really pay attention to safety but I remember that the walkways and staircases at one place were too narrow. Another one had 7 storeys and very narrow walkways as well. The lift didn’t look like it had been maintained well either. Not much safety there.
In Singapore, the karaoke bars are in shopping malls or in shophouses, not in residential homes. Commercial businesses can only operate in commercial buildings. You will not see a karaoke bar in a residential building. That is illegal. The karaoke bars follow either the shopping mall regulations or building regulations and are audited for fire safety by appointed government bodies. Firefighting systems such as sprinklers and fire extinguishers have to be in place and clear exit signs put up. These businesses have to pass fire safety audits before they are allowed to operate, and I believe they are audited every year.
If the karaoke bar is new and it fails to comply with safety regulations, it is not allowed to operate. If safety standards are not met after an audit, the karaoke bar will be given a period of time to make corrections and be fined. I'm not sure how much the fine is. Probably you can find out on the regulation websites. If they fail to improve in the given time period, the business will be ordered to shut down.
I believe in safety audits/regulations enforced by the government. This prevents negligence on safety.
There’s another concern related to karaoke bars that I’ve experienced in my apartment a few times. The building across the road has the volume turned on so loud but I have no idea why, as it’s not even a karaoke bar. They were singing from 11:00 pm through 3:00 am? Absolutely ridiculous. There was no conscience in them or manners to think that there are many other people who are trying to sleep. So inconsiderate.
In general, after 10:00 pm/11:00 pm, there should be reduced noise unless you're in a commercial area where people are not staying. It's hard to put a penalty on this. I think people should just be considerate and these kinds of things won't happen. Or they could be made more aware of how disturbing it actually is for the people around them.
It happens in Singapore and we deal with it by calling the police. The police will show up at their doorstep to ask them politely to reduce their volume as it is late at night. If they do not comply and the neighbors call the police again, the police will arrest them for causing a public disturbance. Singaporeans usually won't repeat something after the police show up.

[FireShark]

Originally Posted by jackbl

Karaoke bars should be banned from residential areas in Vietnam: foreigners

Regular audits prevent negligence on safety

There’s another concern related to karaoke bars that I’ve experienced in my apartment a few times. The building across the road has the volume turned on so loud but I have no idea why, as it’s not even a karaoke bar. They were singing from 11:00 pm through 3:00 am? Absolutely ridiculous. There was no conscience in them or manners to think that there are many other people who are trying to sleep. So inconsiderate.
In general, after 10:00 pm/11:00 pm, there should be reduced noise unless you're in a commercial area where people are not staying. It's hard to put a penalty on this. I think people should just be considerate and these kinds of things won't happen. Or they could be made more aware of how disturbing it actually is for the people around them.
It happens in Singapore and we deal with it by calling the police. The police will show up at their doorstep to ask them politely to reduce their volume as it is late at night. If they do not comply and the neighbors call the police again, the police will arrest them for causing a public disturbance. Singaporeans usually won't repeat something after the police show up.

This person who comment this does not know the culture of the Vietnam. Normally; even you call the police; the police can't do anything. For several times; I heard those houses having their Karaoke session from 8pm through 3am then they stop. Most of them will not care cos it their culture unless Government have rulings that after 11pm; you wont be able to have any loud activities coming from your home.

[jackbl]

Expat suggests methods to combat public littering in Vietnam

Editor's note: A Singaporean expat has shared his thoughts with Tuoi Tre News on what Vietnam should do to combat people’s bad habit of throwing trash and urinating on the street.
Dr. Ong Kian Soon’s opinions follow a decision by Vietnamese officials to crack down on public urination and littering.
Those urinating in public will be fined between VND1 million (US$44) and VND3 million ($131), a new rule that will take effect on February 1 says.
People caught littering cigarette butts in public will also be fined from VND500,000 ($22) to VND1 million, according to the new rule.
Anyone dumping garbage on sidewalks, roadways and into local drainage systems will be fined from VND5 million ($220) to VND7 million ($308) which is much much higher than the current fine, which is approximately VND400,000 ($17.5).

Fine is good, but not enough
I’ve travelled to Vietnam many times over the past 10 years, so it’s inevitable that I have seen people littering or relieving themselves in public.
These new regulations are a good start. I am glad that the awareness of the importance of a clean environment is improving and official regulations are a good sign that Vietnam is serious about keeping the environment clean.
Of course when you implement these types of regulations, there will be plenty of doubts and many people may say that such regulations to try and change people's behavior are ridiculous, or will never work.
What Vietnam is facing right now is not unusual. Singapore was in the same situation 20-30 years ago. I remember many years ago when I was growing up in Singapore, there were many "Keep the city clean" campaigns and initially, there was a lot of resistance and many people also thought that such campaigns would never work.
However, in spite of objections to such regulations punishing people who dirty the environment, the government persisted and finally people started getting the idea that it’s bad to spoil the environment.
At one time, Singapore was jokingly called a "Fine" city because there were posters everywhere showing how much you need to pay in fines if you dirtied the environment, e.g. littering in the park, spitting on the ground or passing urine in the lifts, etc.
In Singapore, most people live in government-subsidized housing called HDB (Housing and Development Board) apartments, and sensors to detect urine are installed in all HDB lifts to catch people who urinate there. If these sensors are triggered, the lift door will not open and the police will arrest the perpetuator. If I remember correctly, the fine is $500 dollars.
In Singapore, when a person attracts a fine, police officers will actually take down the person's details and the person will have to pay the fine at the relevant government office. If the fine is not paid, he/she can be taken to court and even be jailed if the person repeatedly refuses to pay the fine.
So, I do think that such regulations are feasible in Vietnam, but the government needs to persist and more importantly implement the fines across the board to anyone and everyone who violates the rules, without fear or favor, so that people respect them.

Surveillance camera
It is impossible to catch violators all the time. In Singapore violators don’t get caught most of the time. The most important thing is that the regulation signals the government's resolve to stamp out such behavior.
In Singapore in the old days, certain places e.g. dark alleys or small deserted roads or car parks that saw lots of people dumping rubbish had cameras that monitored the area. These kinds of surveillance cameras warn people not to litter or pass urine there. It’s not that expensive to install such cameras and deter crime.
Cameras are not used to catch people who randomly pass by the area and litter, they are used to catch people who persistently use the area to dump rubbish. If you see a certain person in the area that dumps rubbish day after day, it’s not difficult to identify them. The camera is used mainly to catch these recurrent offenders.
Actually you see it often in Vietnam too. Certain areas around the back of markets, certain people will dump rubbish in the back lanes and these people do it day after day. Cameras are supposed to catch people who persistently litter and have no consideration for others.
In Singapore, surveillance cameras are often used in high-rise buildings (e.g. HDB apartments and government buildings) to catch people who litter. Usually these cameras are deployed due to complaints by residents that a certain area is dirty because lots of people litter. In a way the government in Singapore is quite responsive in that when people complain to their local town council, the town council will take action by installing cameras in the area of concern.
Other methods
Looking at the bigger picture, I think that meting out fines to people only deters a certain group from violating the regulations. The really effective method is to "name and shame" perpetuators. This one does not involve money and I would say is even more effective than fines.
There were also some concerns in Singapore that rich people wouldn’t be worried about getting a fine and therefore continue to litter, hence the government implemented a scheme whereby the person who littered would need to perform "community service" by sweeping the road around the place the person lives while wearing a bright green shirt. This of course was made to shame the perpetuators in front of his or her neighbors and it was amazingly successful!
Of course, the best way is to educate people on the importance of protecting the environment and keeping our shared living spaces clean.
This type of education should start at a young age. There is no better place to start than in schools. Schools should play an active role in educating students on such issues. In certain schools in Singapore, it is compulsory that students clean their classroom and surrounding common areas even though there are school cleaners who are supposed to do this. It is part of a student’s character building.
The other method is to encourage people's good behavior by giving due recognition to those that go the extra mile to keep the environment clean. For example, when I was studying, the school often organized trips to the beach to clean up the rubbish on our beaches. Such events are often publicized by the media. In this way, the people who participate in the events learn good habits of how to keep our environment clean and also, the event serves as a positive example.

[jackbl]

The slow wind-down in Vietnam

Strange how the stress levels increase as the nation slows down.
Vietnam will slow to a crawl (apart from the traffic!) across Christmas and the New Year heading towards Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
As the twinkle of Chrissy lights switch on across Vietnam, the bedroom lights are also on late into the evening as senior students prepare for their final exams and others, their mid-terms. Luckily, electricity is cheap in Vietnam.
I’m already receiving those frustrated, anxious late night Facebook messages from students freaking out, looking for reassurance and someone to off-load their angst on. Oddly, at the same time, class attendances are falling as my students begin the annual round of school and work parties, not to mention compulsory family get-togethers.
Almost nightly, my students repeat those same old modal verbs of obligation. ‘Hey, Stivi! Can I be absent because I have to/must/should/need to...’ You get the idea... Sigh... Even my IELTS students are abandoning study for the more serious family demands to help out with the shopping or to prepare for their final tests. I’ve never seen so many bags under young eyes before...
I was intrigued to learn that some exams were going to be delayed because the Christian students would be attending church. Maybe they’ll secretly study physics during the sermon. I get the impression it’s all rather metaphysical.
This time of year can be a very distracting time, with all those parties. It can be easy to forget to stock up for Tet, with shops and banks shutting down for at least the last four days of the traditional rituals of holiday.
This year I’m working on the day Australia celebrates Christmas, the 25th, however our students will have a mini-feast. Hopefully there will be lamingtons, a combination of sponge cake, chocolate and coconut that’s never failed to cheer up a stressed student.
I highly recommend anyone reading this who doesn’t know about lamingtons, an Australian invention, to find the recipe on the Internet. They’re incredibly easy to make.
This year I’m planning to enlist the skills of Da Nang’s catering maestro, Tony Hill, to whip up a batch of brownies and lamingtons. As I teach my students; they are ‘delicious, yummy, awesome, irresistible’ and ‘to die for’. The last adjective always gets a look of shock.
Unfortunately due to Vietnam’s incredibly silly visa rules, I’ll be travelling overland to Cambodia on another visa run around the Western New Year. I like Cambodia. It’s a weird breath of fresh air after a year or two of dealing with Vietnam’s labyrinth layers of business permits, contracts and registering a business.
Even getting a Cambodian visa takes ten minutes compared to Vietnam’s slow, time-consuming, crowded, bureaucratic land border procedures. And why, oh why, dear Vietnam, do you have to fill up a whole passport page with a Vietnamese visa? Is it some form of punishment?
As I return in early January, my little school will grind to a halt, as family obligations ahead of Tet demand housecleaning, food preparation for dozens of relatives, gift shopping and pre-Tet parties. I’m kinda envious, but it’s very cool that the Vietnamese will celebrate four events; Christmas, the foreigners’ New Year, a pre-Tet warm-up and then Tet!
For the world-weary, grumpy, old expat the ‘slow wind-down’ is part of the culture we have learned to snuggle into. Having said that, it’s the most intense two-month period of the annual intake of fresh-faced, enthusiastic new expats - all wanting to teach English, find accommodation and start a yoga studio, gym class or gluten-free shop.
I’m sure it will be chaotic at the airport as I set out on my voyage of discovery soon. The bus to Cambodia will be exhausting. The running around in the pot-holed tuk-tuk in Phnom Penh will damage my back and the return journey will be just as infuriating.
Yet the slowdown is a great time to be in Vietnam provided you’re not trying to make money or trying to get things done in a hurry. It’s an excellent time to catch up with long lost friends, think about what you’ve accomplished (or successfully avoided...), savor the warmth of close friends in our drizzly, supposedly chilly winter - that or a Vietnamese hot pot - and simply put off everything until mid-February.
So go with the flow... Slow down yourself and take the time to chill out and look around the world you occupy and the people that you helped, encouraged and loved. Put off the chores for a while and decorate your space.
You might be wearing a big jacket to keep the chill outside, but you’ll feel warm and fuzzy inside. And if that doesn’t work, I do recommend a cold Larue.