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As a yoga instructor, you know that the problem is NOT with Vietnam. It's how you (and, in truth, I) react to it.

I'm almost through my first year and I'm getting better at letting things slide, so I just decided to give it another 6 months to see if I can get past my reactions. Re the megaphones, there are quieter areas... maybe one of those would be a better place for you to live?

On the topic of blocking the sidewalk, I do what I can to use my 400cc bike to block the scooter blocking the sidewalk. Then I watch the guy try to move his bike without touching mine--and just smile when he looks to me for help. Simple pleasures...

Good luck!

Did you consider moving to Phú Mỹ Hưng? Maybe a high floor in a tower apartment building? Should eliminate your annoyances in paragraph 3. You chose the most congested, noisy, dense city in Viet Nam - funny. There is plenty to aggravate in the US too, just different.

I like the street sounds, the occasional shouting ladies, kids from school going to the pool, I especially like the Viet singers from the beer bars across the river after midnight. Yeah the megaphone bikes are tiresome. In a hem in Binh Thanh once, a lady on a bike went by speaking _her_ jingle, made my day! Somehow I mostly tune out the motorbike background roar, but you can definitely find quieter places to live.

It takes a while to completely change your way of life, and as a yoga instructor you should have more patience than most, but...

This is a different society with different rules and a different way of life - Those who can adapt well will be able to ignore some of the things that would drive you wild in the West (or even in Singapore - where there are other things that drive ME wild) but  if you can adapt you can have a lovely life here.

IMO you should not make a decision like this unless and until you have spent a year here and you r business is up and running.

Hi John,

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure of what I was looking for when I posted my question. I'm near a choice point and seeking insight I suppose.

Making commitments 6 months at a time seems like a good approach. That is what I'm leaning toward today as well. Funny, when I commented about motorbikes on the sidewalk I was thinking about driving motor bikes on the sidewalk, not parked bikes. So your response reminded me that perspective is important. 

I do keep reminding myself I am a visitor here and must do my best to be gracious and accepting of the Vietnamese ways.

Dear gobot

I've found central Vietnam nice: Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An. Even Hanoi seemed less hectic than HCM.  So if I decide to stay here I will certainly think about living in a less congested place one day.  I'm planning on visiting Dalat soon as well.

But for now I'm in District 1 in an alley off Lê Thần Tôn. My building and location are perfect for my enterprise if I do go ahead with it.

I was on the phone with my daughter in New York City recently.  We had to pause our conversation while a fire truck with a screaming siren went by.  So I agree. There are annoyances everywhere and patience and acceptance seems the best solution.

Thanks Old Saigon Hand,

The closing paragraph - your opinion - resonates with me. 

A dominant feature of nearly all commercial yoga studios and gyms are memberships. People pay for memberships anywhere from a week to lifetime memberships.  It's nuts. It puts the Studio owner in debt from day one. They owe future services for immediate payment. It makes a smooth exit plan impossible.

Changing that model would be one of my big changes amongst some other innovations I have planned i.e.training new teachers for free. Because of low cost space here I can charge very little for people to attend my classes. And I will not sell packages, one class, one price.  I do not wish to be indebted. By training teachers, I could have my own replacement available quickly.

How does this relate to the opinion you expressed?

I can open my business and leave in six months if I so choose. That's something that would be impossible under the standard model most yoga studios follow.  I had two studios in Massachusetts. I decided to sell them in 2008. I took me nearly two years to unload them.  I had to find buyers to cover existing memberships; I could not ethically close the businesses.

So thanks, everybody, for you comments. Reading and responding to them have helped more than I would have expected. I am leaning toward staying.  WTF, I'v come this far, I'm ready to go, I may as well give it a go. Why let a few annoyances get in the way? 

In six months I could always change my mind.

Hey John,

I had to look up Phú Mỹ Hưng. I did live there for a month last April when I first arrived. I stayed at the Crown Diamond Hotel. I found myself traveling into Dist 1 frequently. So while I liked living in Dist 7, I want to avoid traveling back and forth.

Hello,
I'm very interested in Yoga and I really want to become yoga teacher. Could you share a bit experienced for me? Or can i come your studio to learn yoga?
Hope hear from you soon!
Regards,
Trang

Dear Trang Bread:

I sent a request to add you to my contacts on ´ó¿§¸£ÀûÓ°Ôº.  I am leaving to visit the US soon. I will return on 5 Dec and will contact you if I decide to open the studio. 

Charlie

Thank you,
Have a safe trip and hope hear from you soon!

OT: how do you view Thailand? I could see you do this in Chiang Mai.

You have the money to move to nicer digs?

Hi, Testing.

Hi Mr Kerinkris!
My name Hoang Yen, I live in Distrist 1, HCMC and I do yoga in Yoga Living Club for 1 year. I work in a Bank as a RM. My English not good.
My plan is become a Yoga teacher.
Could you share a bit experienced for me?
Hope hear from you soon!
Regards,
Yen

come to Nha Trang...nice beaches....cleaner...less noise...less bikes.....less pollution....perfect weather compared to all other places....its the BEST place in Viet Nam

Hi,
Have you been to Da Nang or Nha Trang?
I think these cities would suit you better for retirement.
I live in Da Nang and would never consider living in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, too big, too noisy and too much pollution.



Jeff

I think you could enjoy Vietnam without being in the one spot where you will be overwhelmed by all those things.

I spent a few days in HCMC and felt the same. Im out in the coastal city of Vung Tau now and find the air cleaner, crime lower, streets much less busy. HCMC is just a 1.5hr drive away but I have yet to need it. You can go to the ocean anytime you like and over all your costs are less!

Hi Lross.
I've been coming to HCM for 5 years now, got married, and live with my wife here.
HCM is a great place, but would like something a little quieter, been to Vung Tau on day trip, like it very much.
When you say "it cost less to live there" does that include buying a house and/or a business.
Is there a decent hospital and schools there, supermarket.
I'm retired now but very active, so like to be busy.
Cheers for now

To Old Saigon Hand
Just curious to know what is it in Singapore (Little Red Dot) that irritates you.
Its the perfect city to live as everything WORKS well there!!
Its alos the best place for business and its the wealthiest in SE Asia..
Its just a bit costly these days but still you can eat cheaply enough..

I understand you are an experienced studio owner in USA and you already spent time here in VN.  All that said, I after being on the ground in VN for six weeks now have really come to realize that there are lots of unknowns until you actually do it.   In some cities/towns there is little to stop you from doing almost anything as long as it's small and legal as the locals don't care.  Big cities it's just all over the place it seems.  Prenty of good and bad experiences by those who came before us.   Unfortunately, those who had bad experiences or failures are usually gone somewhere else and you won't ever meet them.  No one wants to revisit or be reminded of failure, myself included.  So my concluding comment is ...do it all on paper first, make a full dry run, do everything like your ready to sign [but don't sign yet] and complete a written plan with every stone overturned to make sure you know everything it takes before you start sinking money into a startup...well unless you just have lots of money to spend IMHO.

Hi Kerrinkris wish you have nice day!
I just read your comments about VietNam. I am VietNamese. I can understand your feeling when the first time you visit VietNam. But I sure with you that if you live in VN long time you will love this country very much. I think your yoga will very poppular in VietNam. I am a person who very like Yoga. If you open yoga in VIetNam, I hope you can contract me. I would like to study Yoga and become yoga teacher. I was find down some yoga class in HoChiMinh but they are not good(Open by Vietnames and want so much of money for teaching, a importand thing that they just same like cheating person).