A good friend and his brother came into HCMC today. He was with family so the time I could see him was limited to an evening. The brother is dating a girl in HCMC (who is Vietnamese) and the two families wanted to meet.
So where do we go to meet. A small piece of commericialized Americana called the Hard Rock Cafe. Where the booze, food, and music was American (even though the band was from the Philippines). They did three sets of music from 9 to midnight. The first set was pop music that thankfully we missed. The second set was heavy metal, I was rocking out as the rest of the group (Thai and Vietnamese) could not make heads or tails of the music except for the Prince.
The Booze
I went for a 20 oz draft, I missed the taste of something not from a can or a bottle. But it was Carlsberg (a far cry from my memories of Fat Tire or Sunshine Wheat). Tram ordered a margarita (first time for her) and enjoyed it (I think the combination of sour and salt and the sulfur of the tequila made a good combination), and the Prince ordered his favorite (Jack and Coke). The rest of the group ordered mixed drinks but I have no knowledge of what they were.
The Food
Nachos and French Fries were ordered. The French Fries were eaten in the standard SE Asian manner, dipped in ketchup and chili sauce. But the nachos were very unfamiliar to them. When a sauce was made by mixing ketchup, chili sauce, and a small amount of salsa to dip the chips in, I knew a Mexican would of slapped them. The guacamole was untouched because of the garish green color, but ironically avocados are much loved as a food (a brief taste was made but not explored further). At the end the fries disappeared and the nachos remained (sadly I was not hungry or it would have been a nacho apocalypse).
The Music
The Filipino band was good, it was a drummer, a bass guitarist, a lead guitarist, and two singers (a man and woman). The singers put forward a good stage show, but the rest of the band just played the music and had little stage precense. Some of the songs in the second set (the set I enjoyed) were: Stupify by Disturbed, Highway to Hell by AC/DC, One by Metallica, Welcome to the Jungle (I am bored with this song), and other seriously heavy songs.
In the third set, it was all request songs. One individual on the table put in the request of November Rain by Guns n' Roses. I was then requested to play stump the band, so I put in the requests of: Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne, 21st Century (Digital Boy) by Bad Religion, Promenade by Street Sweeper Social Club, and Freedom by Rage Against the Machine. All these songs have faced radio play and should be known, the only one that would seriously stump the band is Promenade. I could have done songs by Bowling for Soup, They Might Be Giants, Atreyu, All That Remains, Hatebreed, Lamb of God, etc. But I wanted to ensure it was a challenge, not impossible.
But as the requests came in and the band played pop songs. /sigh Pop... Hard Rock Cafe....Pop Music. The hardest song played was 21 Guns by Green Day. Before our songs could play the rest of the group decided it was time to call it a night. I wanted to see them attempt one of the requests.
Oh well, it was a fun night out. My complaints are non existant, not wanting to go out because people eat food differently or the some of the music you hear is not entirely enjoyed will turn you into an elitist misanthrope.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
What is there to drink...
I spoke about alcoholic beverages in Vietnam, but not the non-alcoholic drinks. Which I think are more interesting and with a greater variety.
Sinh To: One of my earliest posts is about sinh to, I will not go further about this, but I will mention you can get this at a coffee house or on the street. Many flavors of fruit and vegetables are available. But making it at home is better than on the street. But it is best on a hot night after a good meal. The best flavor is a balance of sweet, sour, creamy, cold, and smooth.
Nuoc Ep: It is a fancy term for juice. Most of the time it is the same flavors as sinh to, but not as sweet, rich, or cold.
Nuoc Mia: Sugarcane juice, this is addictive, especially with a small bit of pineapple or lime to squeeze with it, making it slightly sour. It should always be fresh, for it ferments/goes off quite quickly. So when you order a glass of sugarcane juice you will watch the vendor squeeze the juice out of the sugarcane right in front of you. An absolute must at least twice when you visit Vietnam.
Rau Ma: Pennywort drink. Very healthy, but....well to me it tastes like a drink of green beans. I like eating them, but not drinking. The health benefits are great though.
Coffee: Vietnamese coffee is known to be one of the best in the world (much to the chagrin of the Brazillians). The filter method of Vietnamese coffee leaves it thick and strong in flavor, one shot makes a shot of cappucino pale in comparison. To make it weaker to drink, many Vietnamese will pour it over ice in a large mug. To add flavor and sweetness, the coffee will be mixed with condensed milk (most common), yoghurt, or Baileys. I warn you that one mug is enough, two will more than likely upset your stomach.
Tea: Vietnamese tea borrows many flavors from China. But modern style bubble tea houses that was made popular in Taiwan. One of the more traditional Vietnamese teas is artichoke tea, where all artichokes come from a mountainous area famous for fruits, vegetables, flowers, and romance (Da Lat). The traditional ceremony is less structured or formal as the Chinese or Japanese tea ritual, the only importance is the elders are served first. How to drink it and when is not so important. But tea is seen as a simple luxury for everybody. One of the experiences I was not familiar with was called fresh tea, where the tea is made from fresh tea leaves, not dried. It is a bit more complicated to make and water temperatures and steeping is a little more difficult to minimize the bitter flavor.
Yoghurt: The most common form of a yoghurt drink is yoghurt mixed with ice, sugar, and fruit. The melting ice thins out the yoghurt and the fruit adds a nice flavor (usually strawberries).
Sua Bap: Corn milk, I don't know how it is made and we asked and they don't reveal their secrets. It is sold in reused water bottles, it looks like a yellowish milk. But when you drink it tastes...well...like sweet corn. Worth a try if you like corn.
Soy milk: It is much better than what you had from the health food store. They add sugar and flavor to make it edible. So try it again, I personally like it mixed with black sesame seed for a great flavor. In the north and in the mountains, to warm up, they serve it hot. But remember to get it fresh.
Coconut juice: This is common in Vietnam and people on bikes or carts will wander the streets and sell fresh young coconuts. Some vendors will have them in ice to make the juice cold, but that is rare. It is best to get a few, store in ice or in the fridge and have a nice treat later. I won't mention coconut milk as a drink, because it is meant to make and serve with desserts.
Bird's Nest Drink: This is a drink made from the nest of a swallow. It is only served in a can and there are a few companies that make it. It is believed to be very healthy, but it's flavor or the treatment of swallows, may cause many not to drink this drink.
I hope this helps, going to Vietnam means much more than seeing sights and eat some food, but having a good drink while wandering around.
Sinh To: One of my earliest posts is about sinh to, I will not go further about this, but I will mention you can get this at a coffee house or on the street. Many flavors of fruit and vegetables are available. But making it at home is better than on the street. But it is best on a hot night after a good meal. The best flavor is a balance of sweet, sour, creamy, cold, and smooth.
Nuoc Ep: It is a fancy term for juice. Most of the time it is the same flavors as sinh to, but not as sweet, rich, or cold.
Nuoc Mia: Sugarcane juice, this is addictive, especially with a small bit of pineapple or lime to squeeze with it, making it slightly sour. It should always be fresh, for it ferments/goes off quite quickly. So when you order a glass of sugarcane juice you will watch the vendor squeeze the juice out of the sugarcane right in front of you. An absolute must at least twice when you visit Vietnam.
Rau Ma: Pennywort drink. Very healthy, but....well to me it tastes like a drink of green beans. I like eating them, but not drinking. The health benefits are great though.
Coffee: Vietnamese coffee is known to be one of the best in the world (much to the chagrin of the Brazillians). The filter method of Vietnamese coffee leaves it thick and strong in flavor, one shot makes a shot of cappucino pale in comparison. To make it weaker to drink, many Vietnamese will pour it over ice in a large mug. To add flavor and sweetness, the coffee will be mixed with condensed milk (most common), yoghurt, or Baileys. I warn you that one mug is enough, two will more than likely upset your stomach.
Tea: Vietnamese tea borrows many flavors from China. But modern style bubble tea houses that was made popular in Taiwan. One of the more traditional Vietnamese teas is artichoke tea, where all artichokes come from a mountainous area famous for fruits, vegetables, flowers, and romance (Da Lat). The traditional ceremony is less structured or formal as the Chinese or Japanese tea ritual, the only importance is the elders are served first. How to drink it and when is not so important. But tea is seen as a simple luxury for everybody. One of the experiences I was not familiar with was called fresh tea, where the tea is made from fresh tea leaves, not dried. It is a bit more complicated to make and water temperatures and steeping is a little more difficult to minimize the bitter flavor.
Yoghurt: The most common form of a yoghurt drink is yoghurt mixed with ice, sugar, and fruit. The melting ice thins out the yoghurt and the fruit adds a nice flavor (usually strawberries).
Sua Bap: Corn milk, I don't know how it is made and we asked and they don't reveal their secrets. It is sold in reused water bottles, it looks like a yellowish milk. But when you drink it tastes...well...like sweet corn. Worth a try if you like corn.
Soy milk: It is much better than what you had from the health food store. They add sugar and flavor to make it edible. So try it again, I personally like it mixed with black sesame seed for a great flavor. In the north and in the mountains, to warm up, they serve it hot. But remember to get it fresh.
Coconut juice: This is common in Vietnam and people on bikes or carts will wander the streets and sell fresh young coconuts. Some vendors will have them in ice to make the juice cold, but that is rare. It is best to get a few, store in ice or in the fridge and have a nice treat later. I won't mention coconut milk as a drink, because it is meant to make and serve with desserts.
Bird's Nest Drink: This is a drink made from the nest of a swallow. It is only served in a can and there are a few companies that make it. It is believed to be very healthy, but it's flavor or the treatment of swallows, may cause many not to drink this drink.
I hope this helps, going to Vietnam means much more than seeing sights and eat some food, but having a good drink while wandering around.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Travel in HCMC and Vietnam
Traveling in HCMC
In HCMC there are many ways to travel. But public transport is not as easy or accessible as it is in Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Taxi
This is a standard in almost every city. There are many taxi companies along with counterfeit taxi cabs. Many taxis will have a meter, but there will be several rates depending on location and how foreign you look....in short the taxi driver will overcharge you.
Only Vinasun and Mailinh taxi companies do not overcharge for any reason. The drivers are well trained and fair. But because of this there are many independents that counterfeit the taxi cabs exploiting the reputation. I have seen Vinasum and Mailim taxi cabs. The best way to look is not only the name, because even less legitimate cab counterfeits will have the same name. The details to look for are phone numbers and dress of the taxi driver. Mailinh and Vinasun have set phone numbers, if you know the phone number than it is obvious. But as a tourist, you will not have the phone number memorized. So the other detail is the dress of the driver. The Vinasun and the Mailinh taxi driver is paid a bit better than other drivers and because of this they have higher uniform standards, and in this uniform is a tie. If given a preference, the Vietnamese man will not wear a tie. The driver of a counterfeit cab will not wear the tie or take it off when he leaves the garage and the watchful eye of his supervisors.
An average taxi drive should never cost you too much money. It should cost about $10 to cross town.
Bus
The city bus system is fast, cheap, and efficient. The buses are a bit old, but they are all air conditioned. But because of the heavy traffic and the schedules, it may seem a bit crazy for you. Many times there is not enough room or space for a bus to pull over, so you may have to get out in the middle of traffic. And if you are young, the bus may not really stop, just slowly roll, so you must run and jump on the bus. But the cost of the bus is about 15 cents. So it is hard to complain.
During rush hour (aka peak traffic), the buses wil be crowded, but the bus lines wil compensate by having two buses on the route instead of one. But even then you may not get a seat and have to stand. Another problem with a bus is that if you don't know where to get off, and know the exact route, then you will have problems. Unlike many other buses where you will get off the front door, in HCMC you will get off the middle or second door. You stand near the door to signal you want off the and driver will pull over, again if you are young(ish) you will only get a rolling stop.
Xe Om
Xe om is Vietnamese for a motormike taxi. These drivers are all over HCMC and if there is just one of you, it can be much, much cheaper and faster. But you have to negotiate the price. The cost of going across town is about $2.50. But if you have any emotional problems about riding a motorbike, forbidden from riding on something with only two wheels or easily scared, then the xe om is not for you. But if you want a true Vietnamese experience, you must ride one of these at least once in your life.
Traveling in Vietnam
Van Rental
You can rent a van and a driver. You can arrange this option for a road trip where there is a large group of people involved. The problem is that there is one driver, and if you decide that you want to travel overnight, then be aware that around 4 am your driver will be falling asleep and may cause an accident also. So if you are with a group that wants to travel overnight with one driver, just refuse. The rented van is comfortable for about four hours at most. After that, find another form of transportation.
Bus
The travel bus has two forms, the seat and the sleeper. The seat is a comfortable and cheap form of travel. The other option that is a bit more expensive called the sleeper bus. You will get in a seat the reclines and you travel overnight so you can sleep as you travel.
The main problem with this form of travel is the length of time it takes to get from one part to another. The infrastructure of Vietnam is still developing and the road system is not efficient. There are no highways, thus you have to travel through municipal areas and the speed limit will rarely exceed 50 mph. Because of this a trip to Da Lat is about 280 miles and it will take 8 hours to get there. The cost for a trip like this is about $5.
Plane
Plane is the quickest form of travel, and it is best and quickest and most comfortable. But the downside is the expense. It will cost you $50 to $70 to travel from one part of Vietnam to another. Thankfully there will be an addition to budget airlines and it will open up routes and lower costs for you to travel.
Last Point
Remember that Vietnam is still developing and the infrastructure of the cities and nation are not up to the standards that you will see in many other countries (even other developing nations such as China and Thailand). An extra ounce of patience and planning is needed for travel in Vietnam.
In HCMC there are many ways to travel. But public transport is not as easy or accessible as it is in Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Taxi
This is a standard in almost every city. There are many taxi companies along with counterfeit taxi cabs. Many taxis will have a meter, but there will be several rates depending on location and how foreign you look....in short the taxi driver will overcharge you.
Only Vinasun and Mailinh taxi companies do not overcharge for any reason. The drivers are well trained and fair. But because of this there are many independents that counterfeit the taxi cabs exploiting the reputation. I have seen Vinasum and Mailim taxi cabs. The best way to look is not only the name, because even less legitimate cab counterfeits will have the same name. The details to look for are phone numbers and dress of the taxi driver. Mailinh and Vinasun have set phone numbers, if you know the phone number than it is obvious. But as a tourist, you will not have the phone number memorized. So the other detail is the dress of the driver. The Vinasun and the Mailinh taxi driver is paid a bit better than other drivers and because of this they have higher uniform standards, and in this uniform is a tie. If given a preference, the Vietnamese man will not wear a tie. The driver of a counterfeit cab will not wear the tie or take it off when he leaves the garage and the watchful eye of his supervisors.
An average taxi drive should never cost you too much money. It should cost about $10 to cross town.
Bus
The city bus system is fast, cheap, and efficient. The buses are a bit old, but they are all air conditioned. But because of the heavy traffic and the schedules, it may seem a bit crazy for you. Many times there is not enough room or space for a bus to pull over, so you may have to get out in the middle of traffic. And if you are young, the bus may not really stop, just slowly roll, so you must run and jump on the bus. But the cost of the bus is about 15 cents. So it is hard to complain.
During rush hour (aka peak traffic), the buses wil be crowded, but the bus lines wil compensate by having two buses on the route instead of one. But even then you may not get a seat and have to stand. Another problem with a bus is that if you don't know where to get off, and know the exact route, then you will have problems. Unlike many other buses where you will get off the front door, in HCMC you will get off the middle or second door. You stand near the door to signal you want off the and driver will pull over, again if you are young(ish) you will only get a rolling stop.
Xe Om
Xe om is Vietnamese for a motormike taxi. These drivers are all over HCMC and if there is just one of you, it can be much, much cheaper and faster. But you have to negotiate the price. The cost of going across town is about $2.50. But if you have any emotional problems about riding a motorbike, forbidden from riding on something with only two wheels or easily scared, then the xe om is not for you. But if you want a true Vietnamese experience, you must ride one of these at least once in your life.
Traveling in Vietnam
Van Rental
You can rent a van and a driver. You can arrange this option for a road trip where there is a large group of people involved. The problem is that there is one driver, and if you decide that you want to travel overnight, then be aware that around 4 am your driver will be falling asleep and may cause an accident also. So if you are with a group that wants to travel overnight with one driver, just refuse. The rented van is comfortable for about four hours at most. After that, find another form of transportation.
Bus
The travel bus has two forms, the seat and the sleeper. The seat is a comfortable and cheap form of travel. The other option that is a bit more expensive called the sleeper bus. You will get in a seat the reclines and you travel overnight so you can sleep as you travel.
The main problem with this form of travel is the length of time it takes to get from one part to another. The infrastructure of Vietnam is still developing and the road system is not efficient. There are no highways, thus you have to travel through municipal areas and the speed limit will rarely exceed 50 mph. Because of this a trip to Da Lat is about 280 miles and it will take 8 hours to get there. The cost for a trip like this is about $5.
Plane
Plane is the quickest form of travel, and it is best and quickest and most comfortable. But the downside is the expense. It will cost you $50 to $70 to travel from one part of Vietnam to another. Thankfully there will be an addition to budget airlines and it will open up routes and lower costs for you to travel.
Last Point
Remember that Vietnam is still developing and the infrastructure of the cities and nation are not up to the standards that you will see in many other countries (even other developing nations such as China and Thailand). An extra ounce of patience and planning is needed for travel in Vietnam.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Why I Decided to Stay in Vietnam
I put many posts warning travelers about being careful in Vietnam and all the potential problems a person can face. I have probably scared you away. Now I will tell you the reasons, other than my fiancee, why I am staying in Vietnam.
Friendly People
The Vietnamese are exceptionally friendly. They are willing to help and assist you, especially a foreigner as best they can. My fiancee has given assistance to many foreigners without a second thought, just because she knew enough English to make everything easier. I have seen this with many Vietnamese. They understand the strength of tourism and try to promote it as much as possible.
In many other big cities when you are walking around people will come up to you and speak English to beg for money. In Vietnam they come up and speak English just to practice English with a foreigner. When you walk down the streets, you will get large groups of people saying "hello" and laughing afterwards, if you don't mind minor interruptions of friendliness, then it is quite enjoyable.
Food
Vietnamese food is brilliantly good. The majority of the food is not as complicated as some other cuisines (specifically the royal Asian cuisines). The Royal Vietnamese cuisine almost died out due to many reasons, but it is finding a resugance with a few people that learned how to cook for the long dead royals many years ago.
Vietnamese food has become so strong that the word pho (pronounced fuh) has become an English word (the definition has changed from a specific type of Vietnamese noodle/broth dish to all Vietnamese noodle/broth dishes).
But there are many more dishes which I will describe later.
Striving for a Better Future
This is something I noticed in China, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Everybody strives to be better as a person. The country strives to be better, they want to be better. That is something that disappeared in the USA many years ago. We lost it when the Cold War ended, no one to compete against, no challenge, no competition. Americans have lost the edge, it is the best...but what does that mean. And now that we don't know what it means to be the best anymore, we have lost our direction for the future.
Simplistic
The Vietnamese enjoy simple over complex, they enjoy concrete ideas over complicated and intricate ideas. And you see this repeated over and over again in their culture. Their art may be difficult and intricate but the image is very simple and direct. The food is nothing using expensive, just exploiting the best flavors available. The simple dress and clothing style is evident and practical. The most complicated is the ao dai (I will cover that idea later and explore that concept also).
Focus on the Family
The focus on culture is family over personal. As I stated before, if the parents request something from a child, their opinion whether it is good or bad is not a factor. But remember this, when a girl marries into a family, she becomes part of your family. Demands from her parents are options that you will follow, demands from your parents (as the husband) are commands.
Religious But Not Fanatical
The fanaticism that I see all over the world for religion scares me, scares me alot. Watching the few extremist Muslims and Christians scaring the world and may take the world to a war that no one can win. Watching hatred and ignorance in the name of religion (whose foundations and messages are contrary to these statements and actions) makes me angry, upset and scared.
The Buddhists and Catholics are very understanding and accepting about people and their faith. They don't strive to convert or censor you because your beliefs are different. They are fearful of Muslims, sadly, because there are very few in Vietnam and the media is infamous for painting a poor image of the Muslims. I would like to see a movie of a devout Muslim being a hero, not a victim, not a monster, but a hero. There are many heroes, humanitarians, and great people in the world and their religion is not a factor, but the message they learned compels them to be this great person. I have never hear anyone claim a person or a faith as Satanic or evil. The Vietnamese language does not even have Satan or paganism in the language. They do have words for devils and demons, but they are viewed as archaic things of superstition.
Focus on Education
Education is a valuable in the Vietnamese culture. They have morality tales about regret about not being good at school. They actually observe teacher's day where the teacher gets gifts of food, money, and more than likely a free meal out of it. One of the most respected positions is to be a teacher. But sadly the pay does not reflect the respect.
They also respect intellectuals as long as you are not pompous and down to earth about your knowledge.
A Few Surreal Moments
Watching the dragonflies come out after a large rainstorm and hover like a cloud over the green grass.
Driving through torrential rain in one part of the city and two minutes later to be in another part that is hot and dry with no rain at all.
Being treated like a minor celebrity at a dinner party or wedding because you are a foreigner.
The beautiful flower displays during the flower festival in Da Lat. (I will explore Da Lat later, a place that is ignored by foreign tourists, but loved by the Vietnamese)
Watching an entire city virtually shut down for two weeks a year for Vietnamese New Year.
The lazy jazz band backed by Chinese percussion playing Christmas songs before Christmas mass.
The smell of flowers, incense and burnt paper permeating the air on the first day of Vietnamese New Year.
Friendly People
The Vietnamese are exceptionally friendly. They are willing to help and assist you, especially a foreigner as best they can. My fiancee has given assistance to many foreigners without a second thought, just because she knew enough English to make everything easier. I have seen this with many Vietnamese. They understand the strength of tourism and try to promote it as much as possible.
In many other big cities when you are walking around people will come up to you and speak English to beg for money. In Vietnam they come up and speak English just to practice English with a foreigner. When you walk down the streets, you will get large groups of people saying "hello" and laughing afterwards, if you don't mind minor interruptions of friendliness, then it is quite enjoyable.
Food
Vietnamese food is brilliantly good. The majority of the food is not as complicated as some other cuisines (specifically the royal Asian cuisines). The Royal Vietnamese cuisine almost died out due to many reasons, but it is finding a resugance with a few people that learned how to cook for the long dead royals many years ago.
Vietnamese food has become so strong that the word pho (pronounced fuh) has become an English word (the definition has changed from a specific type of Vietnamese noodle/broth dish to all Vietnamese noodle/broth dishes).
But there are many more dishes which I will describe later.
Striving for a Better Future
This is something I noticed in China, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Everybody strives to be better as a person. The country strives to be better, they want to be better. That is something that disappeared in the USA many years ago. We lost it when the Cold War ended, no one to compete against, no challenge, no competition. Americans have lost the edge, it is the best...but what does that mean. And now that we don't know what it means to be the best anymore, we have lost our direction for the future.
Simplistic
The Vietnamese enjoy simple over complex, they enjoy concrete ideas over complicated and intricate ideas. And you see this repeated over and over again in their culture. Their art may be difficult and intricate but the image is very simple and direct. The food is nothing using expensive, just exploiting the best flavors available. The simple dress and clothing style is evident and practical. The most complicated is the ao dai (I will cover that idea later and explore that concept also).
Focus on the Family
The focus on culture is family over personal. As I stated before, if the parents request something from a child, their opinion whether it is good or bad is not a factor. But remember this, when a girl marries into a family, she becomes part of your family. Demands from her parents are options that you will follow, demands from your parents (as the husband) are commands.
Religious But Not Fanatical
The fanaticism that I see all over the world for religion scares me, scares me alot. Watching the few extremist Muslims and Christians scaring the world and may take the world to a war that no one can win. Watching hatred and ignorance in the name of religion (whose foundations and messages are contrary to these statements and actions) makes me angry, upset and scared.
The Buddhists and Catholics are very understanding and accepting about people and their faith. They don't strive to convert or censor you because your beliefs are different. They are fearful of Muslims, sadly, because there are very few in Vietnam and the media is infamous for painting a poor image of the Muslims. I would like to see a movie of a devout Muslim being a hero, not a victim, not a monster, but a hero. There are many heroes, humanitarians, and great people in the world and their religion is not a factor, but the message they learned compels them to be this great person. I have never hear anyone claim a person or a faith as Satanic or evil. The Vietnamese language does not even have Satan or paganism in the language. They do have words for devils and demons, but they are viewed as archaic things of superstition.
Focus on Education
Education is a valuable in the Vietnamese culture. They have morality tales about regret about not being good at school. They actually observe teacher's day where the teacher gets gifts of food, money, and more than likely a free meal out of it. One of the most respected positions is to be a teacher. But sadly the pay does not reflect the respect.
They also respect intellectuals as long as you are not pompous and down to earth about your knowledge.
A Few Surreal Moments
Watching the dragonflies come out after a large rainstorm and hover like a cloud over the green grass.
Driving through torrential rain in one part of the city and two minutes later to be in another part that is hot and dry with no rain at all.
Being treated like a minor celebrity at a dinner party or wedding because you are a foreigner.
The beautiful flower displays during the flower festival in Da Lat. (I will explore Da Lat later, a place that is ignored by foreign tourists, but loved by the Vietnamese)
Watching an entire city virtually shut down for two weeks a year for Vietnamese New Year.
The lazy jazz band backed by Chinese percussion playing Christmas songs before Christmas mass.
The smell of flowers, incense and burnt paper permeating the air on the first day of Vietnamese New Year.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Paperwork for Marriage
One of the most trying things for people is paperwork. If you are going to be married in Vietnam, you will have a lot of paperwork and about one month in time and some money.
First off the paperwork you will need will differ from province/city the Vietnamese citizen comes from. HCMC is the most lax compared to other provinces.
The Bulk of the Paperwork
Both of you will need a medical check up at an approved hospital, and if you are a non-Asian, the cost will be higher. It is a simple blood check, overview/review with a doctor, etc. Nothing detailed nothing problematic. A further check is needed if you are French, but I am unsure what exactly that entails since I am not French.
You both will need a piece of paper declaring your status that you are single. You may need to get it from the state government you are from and not the consulate/embassy of your nation. The single status paperwork, then needs to be translated and stamped/approved by the Ministry of External/Foreign Affairs.
Your passport will need to be photocopied with every stamp and be stamped by the local authority. The Vietnamese citizen needs their family red book photocopied and approved/stamped and their government identification card photocopied and approved/stamped.
You will fill out a CV (depending on the requirements of the provincial government) and a profile with passport size photos.
After filling out all paperwork, you submit it to the proper authorities (Ministry of Justice) along with a set amount of money. They will give you a piece of paper for an interview.
The Interview
For the interview you will need a translator unless you speak Mandarin or Korean (according to the statement on our sheet of paper, your sheet of paper may be different). Find a good translator who is nice and a bit charming. They will ask questions about where you met, what you have done, details about family. And a few times they may ask for some extra money to make things quick or approved (it is up to you, you don't have to pay). They will then submit the interview information and wait. They may ask for further information, pictures, plane tickets, and other things to prove your information/story.
After the Interview
You will have to come back in another two weeks to see if you are approved.
Once you are approved, in four to five weeks you will get your marriage certificate. The marriage certificate means you are approved by the government to get married. Double check all information, because your information is foreign, mistakes may happen. Sign and get your piece of paper. Cover it in plastic (at a local photocopy shop) and also get official government copies ordered at the Ministry of Justice at the same time.
Benefits of the Vietnamese Marriage Certificate
You can be officially married by a church. The Catholic Church will ask for more paperwork (proof of your Christianity, her visa if you are moving to another country, or proof you are staying in Vietnam, plus paperwork you went through marriage lessons). You can get a visa exemption stamp, it is a five year stamp that you renew every three months that replaces all other visas. This stamp and the renewals are significantly cheaper than a tourist/business visa.
You can also reside legally in a house that is in your spouse's name (rented or owned). Before that you have to reside in a home that is governmentally approved for foreigners and the contract maximum is three months (and usually more expensive to rent).
This is also the first step to get you a work permit, temporary residence card, and eventually dual citizenship.
The work permit needs: a letter of invitation/contract from a business, an authorized diploma, a government criminal background check and a health check.
Temporary residence needs: a work permit, relation (marriage, parent, child of VN citizen), a house (owned not rented), a health check, government criminal background check and proof of reasonable income from spouse (she or he has to make enough to provide for you if you are unemployed).
Passport/dual citizenship: almost the same as the temporary residence, along with the temporary residence card.
The most difficult thing about the paperwork is that it has a 6 month life, so find out how long it takes for everything. For example, the criminal background check is approx 5 weeks, but it will take longer because of information from the foreign nation. Your diploma approval is dependant on the nation you graduated from (ie: AU is 2 weeks, and the USA is about 2 months, AU has a central database that can be done overseas, the USA is dependent on the state so you have to send your diploma to the state you graduated from). The health check takes one week of processing after 4 hours of testing. And this is compiled with the letter of offer (most than likely the company will have a template with the blank date to ensure all is done well). The big problem is with being a teacher in an overseas country is that you have to get approval from both the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Education. Sometimes a lawyer can help, but most of the time they are expensive and sometimes give false information. If you have the time and the patience, you can do it yourself. As with most paperwork with the VN government.
First off the paperwork you will need will differ from province/city the Vietnamese citizen comes from. HCMC is the most lax compared to other provinces.
The Bulk of the Paperwork
Both of you will need a medical check up at an approved hospital, and if you are a non-Asian, the cost will be higher. It is a simple blood check, overview/review with a doctor, etc. Nothing detailed nothing problematic. A further check is needed if you are French, but I am unsure what exactly that entails since I am not French.
You both will need a piece of paper declaring your status that you are single. You may need to get it from the state government you are from and not the consulate/embassy of your nation. The single status paperwork, then needs to be translated and stamped/approved by the Ministry of External/Foreign Affairs.
Your passport will need to be photocopied with every stamp and be stamped by the local authority. The Vietnamese citizen needs their family red book photocopied and approved/stamped and their government identification card photocopied and approved/stamped.
You will fill out a CV (depending on the requirements of the provincial government) and a profile with passport size photos.
After filling out all paperwork, you submit it to the proper authorities (Ministry of Justice) along with a set amount of money. They will give you a piece of paper for an interview.
The Interview
For the interview you will need a translator unless you speak Mandarin or Korean (according to the statement on our sheet of paper, your sheet of paper may be different). Find a good translator who is nice and a bit charming. They will ask questions about where you met, what you have done, details about family. And a few times they may ask for some extra money to make things quick or approved (it is up to you, you don't have to pay). They will then submit the interview information and wait. They may ask for further information, pictures, plane tickets, and other things to prove your information/story.
After the Interview
You will have to come back in another two weeks to see if you are approved.
Once you are approved, in four to five weeks you will get your marriage certificate. The marriage certificate means you are approved by the government to get married. Double check all information, because your information is foreign, mistakes may happen. Sign and get your piece of paper. Cover it in plastic (at a local photocopy shop) and also get official government copies ordered at the Ministry of Justice at the same time.
Benefits of the Vietnamese Marriage Certificate
You can be officially married by a church. The Catholic Church will ask for more paperwork (proof of your Christianity, her visa if you are moving to another country, or proof you are staying in Vietnam, plus paperwork you went through marriage lessons). You can get a visa exemption stamp, it is a five year stamp that you renew every three months that replaces all other visas. This stamp and the renewals are significantly cheaper than a tourist/business visa.
You can also reside legally in a house that is in your spouse's name (rented or owned). Before that you have to reside in a home that is governmentally approved for foreigners and the contract maximum is three months (and usually more expensive to rent).
This is also the first step to get you a work permit, temporary residence card, and eventually dual citizenship.
The work permit needs: a letter of invitation/contract from a business, an authorized diploma, a government criminal background check and a health check.
Temporary residence needs: a work permit, relation (marriage, parent, child of VN citizen), a house (owned not rented), a health check, government criminal background check and proof of reasonable income from spouse (she or he has to make enough to provide for you if you are unemployed).
Passport/dual citizenship: almost the same as the temporary residence, along with the temporary residence card.
The most difficult thing about the paperwork is that it has a 6 month life, so find out how long it takes for everything. For example, the criminal background check is approx 5 weeks, but it will take longer because of information from the foreign nation. Your diploma approval is dependant on the nation you graduated from (ie: AU is 2 weeks, and the USA is about 2 months, AU has a central database that can be done overseas, the USA is dependent on the state so you have to send your diploma to the state you graduated from). The health check takes one week of processing after 4 hours of testing. And this is compiled with the letter of offer (most than likely the company will have a template with the blank date to ensure all is done well). The big problem is with being a teacher in an overseas country is that you have to get approval from both the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Education. Sometimes a lawyer can help, but most of the time they are expensive and sometimes give false information. If you have the time and the patience, you can do it yourself. As with most paperwork with the VN government.
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