kntrinh
American expat in Vietnam
Forum posts
53
Contacts
8
About me
American
Lives in Saigon
Speaks English. Vietnamese
Registration: 14 November 2012
Looking for Tabletop-Roleplayers in HCMC (DnD,Pathfinder,WoD,SW) by GuestPoster27
Hi, I麓m looking for a group of fellow nerds (and I know my chances are slim on this forum) to get some gaming on. This is just a preliminary survey of interest, things like place, time and other things will be decided if we get enough people ...
I arrived yesterday D: sorry I won't be able to procure any for us...but let me know about a meeting if we have one this week! Read More
Apartment Complex Swimming Pools by kntrinh
I'm apartment hunting right now and one of the key features that I'm looking for in a complex is an attached swimming pool. Now my question is: If the apartment complex that I live in is equipped with a swimming pool, do I have free access to the ...
I had heard that hotel swimming pool hopping was a thing in HCMC, but I've never considered 'sneaking' into apartment complex swimming pools...haha I'll keep trying to find a nice complex that includes pool entrance in the rent...apparently HAGL ... Read More
Apartment Complex Swimming Pools
I'm apartment hunting right now and one of the key features that I'm looking for in a complex is an attached swimming pool. Now my question is: If the apartment complex that I live in is equipped with a swimming pool, do I have free access to the ... Read More
Looking for Tabletop-Roleplayers in HCMC (DnD,Pathfinder,WoD,SW) by GuestPoster27
Hi, I麓m looking for a group of fellow nerds (and I know my chances are slim on this forum) to get some gaming on. This is just a preliminary survey of interest, things like place, time and other things will be decided if we get enough people ...
I land in HCMC next week and would love to give some of these games a try! The closest I've ever gotten to games like these is like...Bang...Munchkin....are those games similar to the ones you're talking about? I had a lot of fun with those! Add me ... Read More
English Club - Ho Chi Minh City by tomkat70
I know that there are many threads regarding English Club in Ho Chi Minh City. I just want to post this topic for those who are interested to join and would like to improve their English skill. The club meeting location will be in District 10 & 11, ...
I'm a native English speak that would love to drop by to help out in English clubs such at this! I land on Tues next week though, so I think I'll miss the first meeting...regardless I think this is a great idea and I'd love to be a part of it when I ... Read More
Good Hair Dresser for foreigner hair? by kimngan
hi everybody..could you tell me where my boyfriend can get a good hair cut in hcm city? he is from australia ,and really wanna know hair salon ,or hair stylist ,who can speak english and good in foreigner hair....thank you
haha love how we're bumping this old thread....but thanks for the tip! I was planning on cutting my hair before I came to VN but maybe I'll wait....was your hair cut (I'm assuming individually yours would have cost around 300k vnd?) just the ... Read More
Yoga in HCMC by Satran
Hello, There's probably the same thread somewhere but i couldn't find it. I used to do Yoga in the past but haven't done it for quite a while now. Kinda need to do it again to get back in shape, afterwork or during weekends. Could anybody ...
I've heard of weekly free yoga classes but never went....not sure of the quality of the class but maybe its worth checking out if its free? I'll dole check my sources and get back to you on that... Read More
Looking for a sharehouse in D1 or close too.... by AutumnTran
Hey Guys, I'm basing myself in HCMC for the next 3 - 6 months. I've been here a week now. Looking for a sharehouse (did not think it would be this hard!) Ideally D1 or D7. Budget is US$300 Max. I'm here to improve my Vietnamese - so am totally open ...
Sent you a PM- I'm also looking for a place to stay in a similar same budget range so maybe we can hunt together :] Read More
Is teaching English a good job for expats in Saigon? by mikeymyke
I was wondering how viable a job teaching English is for someone who doesn't know much Vietnamese, was born in Canada, and is married to a Vietnamese woman? Does it pay well and have enough hours working? Also are there a lot of opportunites? ...
To my understanding, (most of) the schools themselves don't really care whether or not you have a bachelor's degree, but you need one in order to obtain a work permit- and the schools want you to have this work permit. I've had friends who were ... Read More
Is teaching English a good job for expats in Saigon? by mikeymyke
I was wondering how viable a job teaching English is for someone who doesn't know much Vietnamese, was born in Canada, and is married to a Vietnamese woman? Does it pay well and have enough hours working? Also are there a lot of opportunites? ...
In my personal experience, teaching English is an EXCELLENT job for expats in Saigon. I worked for 15 hours a week and made more than three times the amount my local Vietnamese boyfriend made as a surgeon. So you make enough to live a very ... Read More
American Television Programs. by bta87
If any of you need your fix I just learned of a site that is quite good. The name of it is ustvnow.com. They have all the major channels for free. I upgraded on have all the channels plus the ability to record via their DVR. At time on my internet ...
On the topic of TV, would anyone happen to know any sites that stream American shows/movies with Vietnamese Subtitles? I've been Googling 'movie title + vietnamese' and it generally works but if someone has a more convenient/comprehensive site with ... Read More
Want to learn more Vietnamese by DougVietnam
What is the best way to find someone to help with conversation Vietnamese? I am English speaking wanting to learn more Vietnamese.
Is there anything in particular that we should do in order to attract the attention of such students? I've walked around/ sat in the park a couple of times by myself and no one has ever approached me....I'm guessing it's because of my black ... Read More
Sushi by Jquinoq
:huh: any recommendation for a good sushi restaurant? Not the chain Places but either a family owned or smaller place. Thanks in advance ,
Japanese style sushi .......I think she's asking whether you're looking for cooked rolls or raw fish. When my local Vietnamese friends think of 'sushi,' they're thinking about cooked stuff. I ordered a raw fish roll once and they said it wasn't ... Read More
Any anime fans? by NinaVamp
I'm a fan of anime, manga, video games, Japanese stuff in general and am looking for expats with similar interests. I know it is big here in Vietnam but sadly I do not speak Vietnamese yet to converse with locals. :( I'm pretty much a fan of nerdy ...
Those are exactly the type of places we're talking about! Thanks! It's great to have a local around who knows where to look :] Do you know about any conventions that are in Vietnam? It's where a lot of people dress up as different characters and ... Read More
Any anime fans? by NinaVamp
I'm a fan of anime, manga, video games, Japanese stuff in general and am looking for expats with similar interests. I know it is big here in Vietnam but sadly I do not speak Vietnamese yet to converse with locals. :( I'm pretty much a fan of nerdy ...
The sheer length of One Piece put me off from ever starting it...haha I don't doubt that its one of the greatest series ever though. Are you a local? Would you be able to tell us about conventions in Vietnam? Anything coming up? @Nina: Are you ... Read More
Any anime fans? by NinaVamp
I'm a fan of anime, manga, video games, Japanese stuff in general and am looking for expats with similar interests. I know it is big here in Vietnam but sadly I do not speak Vietnamese yet to converse with locals. :( I'm pretty much a fan of nerdy ...
I'll land Feb 25th. Yeah I also saw pictures of conventions and such around HCMC. Ahaha with all the tailors around imagine how easy cosplay ing will be! We'll have to find out about more conventions.....I'm also big on final fantasy....and of ... Read More
Any anime fans? by NinaVamp
I'm a fan of anime, manga, video games, Japanese stuff in general and am looking for expats with similar interests. I know it is big here in Vietnam but sadly I do not speak Vietnamese yet to converse with locals. :( I'm pretty much a fan of nerdy ...
I've seen a ton of manga shops but all the books are in Vietnamese :/ at least there's always the option of reading/ watching online right? :D once I land in VN I'd be glad to nerd it up with you! Haha I searched all last year for a place to play ... Read More
visa on arrival by MarkinNam
with all these e comapanies advertising " visa on arrival" has any one travelling from Australia to Viet Nam, heard of a knock back (refusal at the airport) The embassy in Aus has posted some company names , who they do not endorse
Just putting it out there incase any viet kieus are unaware or anyone else might be curious :) I wish someone had told me the first time I went to Vietnam.....would have saved me a lot of money/trouble.... D: Read More
visa on arrival by MarkinNam
with all these e comapanies advertising " visa on arrival" has any one travelling from Australia to Viet Nam, heard of a knock back (refusal at the airport) The embassy in Aus has posted some company names , who they do not endorse
I have the same thing as OBB actually- I also went through my travel agent who was able to get the ticket and my 'visa' for me- what we got is the 5-year visa exemption that's available to overseas Vietnamese and their spouses/children- OBB got it ... Read More
Staring by Jquinoq
:mad: why do vnese stare so much? I walk in D1 and it seems so many eyes are in me, I notice people just watch me walk by and follow with their head turning, so now I've started to yell " amigo" which is Spanish for friend, every time I see someone ...
Haha you're really lucky! Or maybe I just have the bad luck of always running into the most creepy xe 么m drivers ever...I always get grabbed on the buses too....the ticket collectors always have to be very handsy when 'helping' me on or off the ... Read More
Looking for an apartment to rent in HCMC by Daly gana
Looking for an apartment to rent in district : - B铆nh thạnh - quận 3 , 4 , 10 - ph煤 nhuận DETAILS : The apartment with 2 bedrooms Starting from 1st February Budget : 6 millions ( all inc )
Thanks for the link! I PMed you :] I'm also looking for a room on the cheaper side (less than $200 sounds GREAT!) so maybe we can go apartment hunting together when I get to Vietnam! That won't be for a few more weeks though so maybe you'd be moved ... Read More
souvenir
My sisters always ask me to bring fans back for them....so if you have younger girls (or any females) in your family, fans are a fun idea. If you can get it into your country, snake/scorpion wine is a good choice too. Otherwise I usually gift the ... Read More
just in HCMC
Just walk around the city and excitement will find you! Haha watch out for bag snatchers and stuff like that though...if you're really at a lack of ideas, check out the War Remnants Museum or Ben Thanh Market. Read More
Staring by Jquinoq
:mad: why do vnese stare so much? I walk in D1 and it seems so many eyes are in me, I notice people just watch me walk by and follow with their head turning, so now I've started to yell " amigo" which is Spanish for friend, every time I see someone ...
The staring is something I've gotten over but the lack of respect for personal space is something else....as a young American girl it REALLY makes me uncomfortable when xe 么m drivers will grab at me/caress my arm to try to get me onto their ... Read More
Tips on hiring a maid by milkybunnyHCM
I haven't seen any threads on this, so thought I'd ask. Hubby and I have been discussing hiring one on and off for awhile but never actually did it. My husband asked his family once on how to go about it here in Vietnam, they said "You hire family!" ...
Thanks for the input! Do you usually have your maid(s) come while you're at home so you can let them in/supervise? Or do you give them a set of keys to get inside? I'm in and out a lot so while I prefer to be at home whilst a maid is cleaning, I ... Read More
Tips on hiring a maid by milkybunnyHCM
I haven't seen any threads on this, so thought I'd ask. Hubby and I have been discussing hiring one on and off for awhile but never actually did it. My husband asked his family once on how to go about it here in Vietnam, they said "You hire family!" ...
I'd just going to piggyback on this thread and ask some questions about maids as well: I haven't had a maid before mostly because I've heard a couple of horror stories where people had found their ipads/etc to go missing and their maid would quit ... Read More
Looking for an apartment to rent in HCMC by Daly gana
Looking for an apartment to rent in district : - B铆nh thạnh - quận 3 , 4 , 10 - ph煤 nhuận DETAILS : The apartment with 2 bedrooms Starting from 1st February Budget : 6 millions ( all inc )
Thanks for the tip! Could you recommend/link us to any VN websites? I'd appreciate a PM if you aren't comfortable posting here :] And would foreigners be allowed to live in these places? Someone said in the other thread that there are some places ... 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. ...
I think it definitely has a lot to do with racial profiling as stated before- I speak horrendous Vietnamese, but with my black hair and brown eyes, people always seem to comprehend what I'm saying better than when my white coworkers say the same ... Read More
2014 English clubs by I do believe
I salute those that start and maintain English Clubs. Anyone who who has current information can help those wanting this involvement by posting up to date information on this thread. Today is January 20, 2014. I would be willing to help any start ...
Hey I'd love to join one of these and help out once I land in Vietnam- could someone explain to me the logistics? I'm sure each club differs on a case-by-case basis but in general, do the English speakers just come and hang out with the locals? Are ... Read More
Taekwondo by lilwalky
Hi guys! Me and my parents are soon going on a vacation to Vietnam (our home land) and I will like to try Taekwondo there! First of all, I've been training taekwondo here in Norway since I was 9 years old, but I need to get inspiritaion from other ...
Hi lilwalky- I'll be headed to HCMC in Feb and am lookign for tkd- where can I find this national poomsae team? Can anyone just drop in and practice with them? I'm a 2nd Dan with ~10 experience but I'm not exactly national poomsae team ... Read More
Looking for travel partner????? by fastersaec
I'm planning to travel to Ha Noi, Sapa and Ha Long etc.. for 6nights and 7days. .from 29-Jan to 4-Feb. Is anyone interested, please PM Me.. i'm planning to book by end of tomorrow
We're (me and my girlfriend) will def. travel to Danang - Hue - Hoi An from the 18.03. to 21.03. If you wanna join us drop me a message. Will travel for two weeks across Vietnam starting in SGN - DAD - HUI - Hanoi - Ha Long - Ninh Binh & Sapa. Then ... Read More
Looking for travel partner????? by fastersaec
I'm planning to travel to Ha Noi, Sapa and Ha Long etc.. for 6nights and 7days. .from 29-Jan to 4-Feb. Is anyone interested, please PM Me.. i'm planning to book by end of tomorrow
I totally want to do this but I won't be available until late February D: Have fun and let me know how it goes- good spots to check out/travel strategies and whatnot- so that I can plan for my own trip in the future. if you want to do more trips in ... Read More
Monthly budget by Jquinoq
:/ I'm trying to figure out how much of a monthly money transfer / budget I will need while living in HCM, I already paid my rent for a one year lease in full, so other than that, how much spending $ should I plan? I don't drink alcohol, I'm ...
The obvious answer will always be 'it depends' - based on what kind of lifestyle you want to live but here's what it has been like in my experience- keep in mind I don't claim that this is true for everyone- just for me. And even for me, spending ... Read More
Dual citizenship in Vietnam for a Viet Kieu? by sofimofi
Hello all, My parents were born and raised here but moved to Canada in the 70s. I was born in Canada. Is there any way I can apply for a dual citizenship in Vietnam? I have been living here for about 1.5 months and intend on living here for the ...
I as well need some help in this process D: I'm trying to get Dual citizenship and it's proving to be very difficult. My parents were born in Vietnam and renounced citizenship on arrival to America. I was born in the US after my parents were ... Read More
Valentines Day Dinner Date
Check tripadviser.com. The restaurant rankings for HCMC will give you a ton of great options. My personal recommendation off that list is Ciao Bella. Excellent Italian food, complimentary champaign, and the atmosphere is so romantic! I haven't ... Read More
Dating/Marrying Tips for Expats :/ by OBB
when first dating local women i didnt heed the sage advise of my local relatives and went off on my own. being arrogant and confident i thought i had nothing new to learn considering my advanced age. i was humbled. several posts have inspired ...
I feel obligated to post since apparently I'm one of the few female expats who has dated Vietnamese guys. I dated two guys (mid twenties) over the span of a year so that's not a large sample size, but I'll share what I've gathered thus far. I guess ... Read More
Best way of learning Vietnamese by Dannytan
Hi All, Like to ask the question from expat who have been learning Vietnamese in the past. Which is a better method. 1) Find a school that teaches, once or twice a week 2) A group get together to learn from members 3)Also I was able to find a book ...
Great Question Danny, I was wondering the same. Going to try to learn to write/read myself. I have the Rosetta stone for Vietnamese but I don't really like it thus far :/ @missmae: I think I'm in a situation similar to yours in which I'm decent at ... Read More
First dates by Jquinoq
What are some impressive resturant to take a first date in HCM? Any other advice for first dates? :P
Pizza 4P's (Fanzy Japanese/Pizza) or Ciao Bella (Italian) are both very nice/impressive restaurants that would have won me over on a first date. I'm an American girl though and the Vietnamese dates that I've taken to these places have not been so ... Read More
Martial Arts in Ho Chi Minh City by mashamariachernova
Hi Guys, was wondering if someone could recommend martial arts school in Sai Gon, where foreigners could join for trainings. would appreciate ANY help&recommendation!!! Warmest greetings,Masha Maria
@ Marsha: I'm an American girl practicing vovinam in d4 and MMA in d7. Both places welcomed me as a foreigner although there are language barriers at times. Usually a quick demonstration by the instructor or a fellow student can achieve what words ... Read More
Looking for Hospital Volunteer Work by kntrinh
Hi Long story short: I'm looking for hospital suggestions and for people who would be willing to take me with them to their already established volunteer gigs/go with me to look for new volunteering/shadowing opportunities in hospitals. Long ...
@ Harmonie/Jaitch: Thanks for the responses and the suggestions! The point of this post was really to see if I could find any other expats/locals that were already established in hospital volunteer programs and are willing to share their ... Read More
Looking for Hospital Volunteer Work
Hi Long story short: I'm looking for hospital suggestions and for people who would be willing to take me with them to their already established volunteer gigs/go with me to look for new volunteering/shadowing opportunities in hospitals. Long ... Read More
Moving to HCMC to Teach English- Could use some Advice :]
Hello! (I am reposing this from the Saigon forum because I was not too sure which forum to post it to, seeing as these two forums are for the same city...) My name is Kristina (Vietnamese name Nga) and I will be moving to hcmc Dec 1st! I'm 22 and ... Read More