Zeb
@zlisik
Canadian expat in Vietnam
Forum posts
49
Contacts
14
About me
Canadian
Lives in Ho Chi Minh City
Speaks English, some French
Registration: 06 January 2015
Road map of Vietnam
take a look at this site. he seems to know what he's talking about he does recommend 2 hard copy publications http://vietnamcoracle.com/ Read More
Floor Tile grout sealer
I'm also interested... Though it might not be something that's popular here. I don't recall any residential building I've lived in that has had sealed grout.... Read More
WHERE TO GO FOR THE BEST HIKING
I'm also interested in this topic. Is there any hiking within saigon or in the surrounding area? Read More
Where to buy Yunnan clay steam pot
Hi, does anyone know where to buy an unglazed Yunnan clay steam pot? It's a piece of Chinese cooking equipment. Has anyone ever seen one for sale here in Saigon? http://www.study-in-china.org/UploadFiles/2016061709481089459.jpg Read More
chinese food in hcmc by eclipsemod
As a long time former New Yorker I sometimes miss Chinese takeout. Any one know any decent Chinese restaurants in hcmc that serve dishes like general tso chicken, chow mein, lemon or orange chicken? I sound fat... haha :D
Hi, I'm also a former long time NYer.... I'd love to have some dirty, american style Chinese food. I've heard that in Beijing they have American Chinese restaurants. I've yet to find anything that satisfies that nostalgia. If you ... Read More
BOOK CLUB by Mary.bulgin
Hey, I'm looking to join some sort of English expat book club! Would really like to discuss some good literature. Anybody know of any book clubs in Saigon?
I have a meeting in d1 at 630p, so that would work for me. I doubt I'll get much reading done between now and Sunday however xD Read More
BOOK CLUB by Mary.bulgin
Hey, I'm looking to join some sort of English expat book club! Would really like to discuss some good literature. Anybody know of any book clubs in Saigon?
Ahh... I moved, went on a visa run to Cambodia and have been furnishing my apartment. but im back now and things have calmed down! =D I want to join! Should I start reading this book or wait for the next? haha Read More
BOOK CLUB by Mary.bulgin
Hey, I'm looking to join some sort of English expat book club! Would really like to discuss some good literature. Anybody know of any book clubs in Saigon?
The more the merrier I say! Not sure where this cafe is, google maps is being troublesome right now =D I'm moving to T芒n B矛nh so I would prefer something more central on occasion; I'm not opposed to driving to Q7. I have to go to ... Read More
BOOK CLUB by Mary.bulgin
Hey, I'm looking to join some sort of English expat book club! Would really like to discuss some good literature. Anybody know of any book clubs in Saigon?
Some types of books I have no interest in, like a biography or harlequin romance ! but detective and kids books, i like those =D I haven't read many detective novels and I'd be happy to learn more about that genre. I agree that ... Read More
BOOK CLUB by Mary.bulgin
Hey, I'm looking to join some sort of English expat book club! Would really like to discuss some good literature. Anybody know of any book clubs in Saigon?
What kind of literature? Aren't book clubs composed of people with a similar literary interest? :) I like modern fiction for the most part, post colonial is my favorite. I'd be very interested in reading any fiction from nominees of literary ... Read More
Shocks and Yamaha dealership
I'm a big western guy that just bought a used bike, want to upgrade the shocks on a nouvo 4 recommendationa for parts, source and labor? I'm thinking YSS G 310... But I don't really know, dr Google has failed me xD Can anyone ... Read More
Is this a good deal on a Nouvo 4?
Many thanks all!! This reaffirms what i was thinking and helps me make a more informed decision. my biggest worry in buying used is the foreign mark up, and the trustworthyiness of the seller. So I have a good friend, whose husband has a good ... Read More
Is this a good deal on a Nouvo 4?
A friend of a friend is selling a bike, they say its been extremely well cared for. They're asking for 17 Tr for a Yamaha Nouvo 4. Is it a good deal if it is as they say it is? And I've never inspected a bike before, what should I look for ... Read More
AirBNB accommodation in HCMC by lbirt23
Chao Buoi Sang, Just want to find out what peoples experiences were with using the AirBnB website. I visit HCMC a lot and will be back in October for 3 weeks for a friends wedding. I am booking an apartment through AirBnB and have found some ...
I've used it to find 2 apts. some are people who own their own house or lease their own place and want to rent to foreigners. there is def a foreigners mark up, but its the same as elsewhere (not specific to air bnb) -- otherwise i think its ... Read More
Reggae/SKA/Dancehall by hgriffy
I'm a big fan of "island music" I was pleasantly surprised to find a several weekly reggae functions while living in Makati. Are there any similar scenes in Ho Chi Minh City? I search facebook for "reggae vietnam" but I ...
Check out Borma 41 Nguy峄卬 Hu峄� They have reggae sometimes. Read More
Best place to find English books (novels) in Sai Gon
Excellent, thank you so much! =D Read More
Best place to find English books (novels) in Sai Gon
Hello, I have plenty of ebooks but I really want to browse a book store. Are there any good places in Sai Gon to buy new/used English novels? thanks in advance, Zeb Read More
Mailing a package of meds to the USA
Idk-- importing is a term used for trade and commercial intent. This would be like 6 months supply of medication-- some OTC, others prescription. It'd certainly be declared in the customs forms since the VN post office packs it. But I've ... Read More
Mailing a package of meds to the USA
Hi, A friend asked me to mail her a box of meds back to the USA. Any idea if this is done? She just wants some basic things like prednisone, a steroid for her asthema, ventolin and tylenol w/ codein for personal use. She's uninsured. Does ... Read More
Accommodation for 1 month
Agoda.com and booking.com are an effective way to find hotel listings for Saigon. If money is a concern, I suggest booking a hotel for a couple days and then going to see some in person-- hotels and airbnb would both be cheaper if you negotiate in ... Read More
How to hire a nanny in Canada? by PatriciaHerr
Hi, We recently moved to Canada regarding my husband's work. Now I am ready to start working and is in search of a good nanny. We have spoken to a nanny placement agency here in Calgary called Diamond Personnel. And they are sending in ...
Hi, I grew up in Canada but was never involved in having a nanny myself, though my friends had such services and I was involved in some childcare in the USA... which is often separate things in Canada. Childcare, cleaning and cooking are separate ... Read More
Hue food recommendations in Saigon
Hi, a friend recommended Mitau -- can anyone recommend other places for hue food? I used to live near a little hold in the wall place and really enjoy it. I've been to the places behind banh tan market, going through the salon alley way. Maybe ... Read More
Expat blog HCM August monthly gathering Saturday 22nd August 2015 by Richard Loo
Hello everyone. This month gathering will be held on a Saturday. Due to some requests , we will make this a Saturday gathering to see how the respond would be. Date: 22/08/2015 SATURDAY Venue: Highland Coffee ...
Hi Richard, I missed the last one but I'm going to try to make it this time Read More
Meal choices..your thoughts by Cloud9
I wonder what y'all (expats) typically eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. I know VN has a lot of cuisine choices but do you follow your diet as if you were living in your home country? For me, I typically start with a ...
breakfast: I like a banh mi or broken rice -- or something more simple, like yogurt and fruit. hot/cold coffee and orange juice from the local green oranges. lunch: banh mi, something wrapped in rice paper, various other VN foods (whatever i ... Read More
Thanksgiving dinner in VN
flour is very common in the grocery stores. I've seen canned pumpkin in Giant. You can get imported or VN potatoes. I've seen both waxy and mealy potato varieties locally grown but they're usually very small. I like citimart, Giant in ... Read More
Where to buy a ADSL routers, ethernet cables, in HCMC? by buzz802
The router my ISP provided is rubbish and I wish to buy a better one. Where do people go to buy new, quality IT equipment in Ho Chi Minh?
I forgot to update this. Compro took a look, saw what happened and asked me to come back in 2 hours. I think it must have been the owners in on that Saturday. They were helpful and kind-- I came back and everything worked out fine. the router works ... Read More
I find people interested in cooking/baking and exchange language by Trang ?inh
Hello everyone, A little bit about myself, I'm Trang, Vietnamese student living in Ho Chi Minh city. Since i have a gap year, i decide to make something funny and helpful for people and for myself. I share my cooking passion with all of you ...
I'm interested. I'm a native English speaker from Canada and the USA, I also studied French 12 years through school in Canada (but haven't spoken it much since). I also studied culinary arts in New York City-- American cooking with ... Read More
Best Way to Search for Apartments in HCMC? by mtgmike
I know there are adverts in the housing section of 大咖福利影院, but can I get some recommendations for other resources to search? I've found plenty of Vietnamese language web sites with listings. Can these typically be rented by foreigners?
not sure if this was mentioned; but another consideration when renting from someone who has not rented to expats... there is a bit of paperwork to do/register -- some viet landlords may want to rent to you but might give up when trying to get their ... Read More
Taste Bun Mam in Saigon
I'm interested!! I've never had it before....when were you thinking of going? Read More
Where to buy a ADSL routers, ethernet cables, in HCMC? by buzz802
The router my ISP provided is rubbish and I wish to buy a better one. Where do people go to buy new, quality IT equipment in Ho Chi Minh?
I went to compro looking for an AC router with WDS; the TDLink products looked good to me. I decided upon a TDLink C7 AC1750 for 2250,000; they didn't have any and asked me to come back the next day. I came back the next day and they did not ... Read More
Moving to HCMC in 3 weeks. Need help! by Emiliee21
hi! Moving to HCMC in 3 weeks to teach English, and I need a lot of help and advice. 1) vaccinations. Which ones should I get? They are pretty pricey so I don't want to splash out on ones I don't really need. 2) money. I assume I'll ...
bring a recent criminal background check, original hard copy (no digitals accepted; UK flatmate made the mistake of getting the digital and his local embassy would not authenticate it), signed/stamped/raised seal-- if there's a question of ... Read More
Business cards required
Hi, I'm also interested in this -- OP could you report back on how this goes? (and hello Canada =D ) Read More
What are your favourite food in Saigon ? by toonblake
Saigon has something so special I can't explain. Like you wander for a while and see lots of things to try, from the street food to the luxury restaurants. So tell me what are your favourite food in Saigon you would try immediatly ?
I love anything that goes well with chillies-lime-salt! haha... grilled foods, fruits and fish sauce I really like. But also anything I have not tried before =D Read More
Looking for fillo and puff pastry.
I saw puff pastry in the Giant grocery store in Crescent mall in District 7 Read More
Gym suggestions
Hi, I've been to a good gym in D4, which is walking distance to D1. I went on a week trial but decided not to get it since there was a much cheaper gym closer to my home (walking distance but no AC!) it was really nice, they have sauna and ... Read More
Expat blog April Gathering on 19th April 2015 by Richard Loo
We are back. Many has been asking for the next gathering. This month gathering will be as follows: Date: 19/04/2015 Sunday Venue: Highland Coffee 181 Ham Nghi, P HguyenThai Binh, ...
Thanks for a great time everyone. Met lots of interesting people, wish there had been more time to meet more. Thanks for organizing Richard! Read More
Expat blog February Gathering on 8th Feb 2015 by Richard Loo
We will meet up before everyone go back for TET holidays. February monthly gathering will be as follows Date: 08/02/2015 Sunday Venue: Highland Coffee 181 Ham Nghi, P HguyenThai Binh, ...
hi Richard, thanks for organizing. I had lots of fun laughing and meeting so many people =D Read More
Charles Schwab Account in Viet by zlisik
Hi, I'll be traveling and living for little while in Vietnam -- I have a Charles Schwab bank account -- does anyone have any experience with using this account in Vietnam? Have you had any issues? I'd only be withdrawing funds -- all my ...
And yeah, I've got the Google voice acct, and it was the reimbursement of bank fees which led me to charles Schwab; They seem to be fairly well regarded with the USA travel community. Read More
Charles Schwab Account in Viet by zlisik
Hi, I'll be traveling and living for little while in Vietnam -- I have a Charles Schwab bank account -- does anyone have any experience with using this account in Vietnam? Have you had any issues? I'd only be withdrawing funds -- all my ...
I recall having 3 or 4 different cards but they only worked at Citibank ATMs. The other ATMs just failed, I don't recall the specified error. I'm actually in Canada right now and my cards fail at most ATMs, but they always work when I'm ... Read More
Cell Providers -- do they work in other countries? Roaming rates? by zlisik
Hi everyone, I'll be living in Viet for several months but hope to keep traveling to other countries in the region. Are there any providers that work in other countries without expensive 'roaming' rates? Thanks!
Ahh sorry, I think I did not explain myself well. Do any telcos operate in multiple countries? Or is it a new SIM every country? Do some SIMs work in multiple countries without penalties? Thanks! Read More
Charles Schwab Account in Viet by zlisik
Hi, I'll be traveling and living for little while in Vietnam -- I have a Charles Schwab bank account -- does anyone have any experience with using this account in Vietnam? Have you had any issues? I'd only be withdrawing funds -- all my ...
Thank =D Last time I was in Asia (a long time ago, Philippines) I had so much trouble with the ATMs -- do you have any tips? Does it matter which ones you use? Read More
Cell Providers -- do they work in other countries? Roaming rates?
Hi everyone, I'll be living in Viet for several months but hope to keep traveling to other countries in the region. Are there any providers that work in other countries without expensive 'roaming' rates? Thanks! Read More
Charles Schwab Account in Viet
Hi, I'll be traveling and living for little while in Vietnam -- I have a Charles Schwab bank account -- does anyone have any experience with using this account in Vietnam? Have you had any issues? I'd only be withdrawing funds -- all my ... Read More
eye exam and glasses
Can anyone recommend a place for an eye exam and glasses/contacts in HCMC? thanks Read More