Sign In or Sign Up To Be A Member
Search Hanoi's Anything Places / Things Jobs Events Groups Lists Questions Newsletters Classifieds for
Not: I’m traveling Southeast Asia.
Not: I’m teaching English.
Not: Because my parents screwed.
Why are you here?
question (add tags) Why? Details of tags
answered about 2 months ago by teacherman
An a propos question, and one that has intrequied me as well. Almost all of the tay or người nước ngoà I've come across in Vietnam, this is the first Asian country they've every travelled to or lived in. Heck, a great deal of them had never even left Australia, Europe, or North America before. ... and yet they all felt drawn to Vietnam, which is far from the easiest non-western country to adjust to, and still at fairly low level of economic development. Why?
answered about 2 months ago by natinnam
Was sent here by my 1st company in Sept 2000, loved the place. Got married had a son, bought a place for family. Work finished in 05, went to Qatar, crap compared to VN, so jumped at the chance to come back in 06, and still here working. So answer to question, family and money is why iam here.
answered about 2 months ago by Aaron
Are people teaching English not allowed to answer this question? For me it was cheaper to move to another country than to move to another large city in the US. Which is ridiculous.
answered about 2 months ago by granteralus
Of course English teachers are allowed to answer. But that's not the REASON you are here. I won't accept that as an answer unless you had childhood dreams of teaching in Vietnam, went and got your education degree with TEFL certifications, and flew over here having dreamt about it for 10+ years. If you fall in that category, I'll take "I'm teaching English" as a valid answer.
answered about 2 months ago by hippo
I am here trying to avoid people asking stupid questions like "why are you here?"
answered about 2 months ago by HanoiAnon
So let me clarify this... You came here to "avoid" questions such as this, and yet you felt an overwhelming compulsion to answer. Interesting. Move along, trollboy.
Hmm... Well it seems like an honest question to me. I was hoping to get some meaningful or funny stories out of the community. What exactly is stupid about that?
answered about 2 months ago by loominpapa
Nothing at all is stupid about that, Granteralus. I'm still thinking about why I'm here.
answered about 2 months ago by Atomic
HanoiAnon - exactly. Granteralus - surely you're not offended by a negative comment from our resident asshole. I find it easiest to ignore any and every thing hippo posts in these here parts, and know I'm not alone. Hippo - why not move on to greener pastures? You're obviously one miserable son-of-a-bitch here.
I am not miserable at all, I find it amusing how a group of sad expats have to come on here and coddle each others nuts... I am here because the place would be a lot more boring without me.....
answered about 2 months ago by virezo
granteralus: I think your question is really interesting. I even thought TNH should take this question as a topic (of course, if it's possible). I've been watching how people answer it since teacherman's post. To be honest, I've been wondering why many foreigners can accept Vietnam beside a lot of Vietnamese just want to flee. You have a look from outside that we don't. Please keep going on. Aaron: you can choose another *cheaper place*, I'm sure you can. Just take a look on the world map. hippo: you just couldn't see granteralus' humane thought, did you?
I wouldn't say iam a sad expat, far from it, had shit loads of fun in VN with the mates ive made here. I've seen some of the members on here in the flesh, and i certainly wouldn't coddle their nuts. Although your right on the last point, discussion boards do need there ar*eholes, or they do become stale.
answered about 2 months ago by groovyfox3001
cuz i was born here 2 listen 2 yr complaints & moanin'. lol
answered about 2 months ago by mcfromao
...love :) my boyfriend is Vietnamese.
answered about 2 months ago by TscTempest
I "live" here, because I choose to live here. South East Asia is the place I've chosen to make my home in, for now. After eight years in China, I plan for a min. of two more here. ROFLMAO @ hippo. What else can I do? coddle nuts? I don't think so. Get jaded? been there done that, been flushed out the other end too. At some point you've just gotta get on with what ever it is you do from day to day and make it work in whatever environment you happen to be in. It just so happens that, for what ever reason, this is the one, I'm trying to make it all work in this one. Cheers.
answered about 2 months ago by markt103
I couldn't take the Chicago Bears starting Kyle Orton so I came to the one place where you can't get American football. Then i realized he's actually pretty good, but now I'm stuck here because I bought a one way ticket.
answered about 2 months ago by Shrimp_Whiskers
granteralus marked this as a good answer
i am in Vietnam because i like to learn about new cultures, hands on. i have been interested in Vietnam for as long as i can remember. i am in Ha Noi because of two sorta funny reasons. i was in saigon while the BF was taking the CELTA. saigon was too crazy, so we decided on Hai Phong. when he was finished with the course, we booked a ticket to Hai Phong and packed our bags. but, alas, the flight was overbooked and rescheduled for the next morning. so we did what any red blooded anyone would do...drink! too much, in fact, as we over slept the flight to Hai Phong. we bolted to the airport like in a sitcom and still missed the plane. the ticket lady said the next one wasn't leaving until the next day, so we said "whatta ya got?" there was a flight to Ha Noi leaving in an hour. we got on it, thinking we would take a bus to Hai Phong from here. in Ha Noi, we sat down at a cafe next to St. Josephs and remembered that we had seen a realtor on our vacation in Ha Noi last year. we went to her immediately and then bought a cell phone. we had a house in two days...and that's that. oh, i am a teacher, but whatevs.
Great story.
answered about 2 months ago by hnboy78
Why am I here? I am not sure why I am here, but I am sure that I will leave here...that why I dont know why I answer here. lol.
answered about 2 months ago by Ganja
Well, for me, foremost, it is the dynamics, the energy of the place - everything is in a constant flow, and people are still eager to advance. Also, the quick understanding - without having to use too many words, the brightness of the Vietnamese, the kindness of so many (those who have been to Laos - a beautiful country though - will understand). It is also the progress, I see, compared to 'stagnating' Phnom Penh. It is the place where I had my first job overseas in development cooperation, some years ago. It is also the place where, like 'mcfromao', I have found love (though not Vietnamese). Kind regards from good old, cold Europe (with lots of snow). Back in Hanoi very soon.
answered about 1 month ago by bartkus
I came to work with a financial firm here because unlike working in the States or another OECD country, you can go straight from college to a position where you get a lot of responsibility and freedom in terms of the work that you do and the input that you have on a company, while maintaining a similar level of comfort and working much much shorter hours.
answered about 1 month ago by newcham
the overwhelming beauty of it all
answered about 1 month ago by preeko
pho ga
answered about 1 month ago by hinotori
The first time I came to Vietnam, and Hanoi in particular, was for a week-long business trip in 2002. I found the city familiar yet strange at the same time. I've actually never thought about coming back here, let alone staying longer than one week, yet here I am on my seventh month in the country. It actually reminds me a little bit of home so I don't get that homesick plus the locals are generally friendly. I still find it a little strange but it's becoming more familiar with each passing day. I'm glad the universe brought me back here.
answered about 1 month ago by de2facon
It's very tough being away-even for a short while. For me, sometimes the posted question is answered by parts of Thomas Fowler's opening lines in the movie version of The Quiet American.
answered about 1 month ago by granteralus
Some interesting responses. I had intended this thread to be more focused on the "why" rather than the "how", but since several responses have focused on "how" someone arrived here, I suppose I'll add mine to the mix...
Written previously but edited for this site, I have decided to entitle this one "The X-Factor" or "Channeling Soze".
So... I should say a bit about my untimely exit from Taiwan. I was in mid-lecture with my ten year-old English class on a peaceful Friday afternoon in June, 2005, when suddenly six officers of the law waltzed into my classroom. They included two Board of Education officers, two Foreign Affairs officers, and two plain-clothed Kaohsiung City police officers. They pulled me out of class and into the lobby of our small school. One of the officers even took out his handcuffs, so I immediately sat down and declared that I had no plans to run away. They asked for my passport, which I had on me luckily, and started drilling my Taiwanese co-workers with questions in Chinese. Two girls who came in with the officers were snapping digital photos of me, the students, and just about everything else in the school. The textbooks, the marker boards, the goddamned stuffed animals. It looked like an episode of CSI, but without the rotting corpse. I sat there on the ground for thirty minutes, continually on the verge of major heart failure. For those of you who don't already know, it was entirely illegal for me to teach in Taiwan. The government requires that each teacher posses a Bachelor's Degree (in any field), which I didn't have. I was in Taiwan on a visitor's visa, and therefore it was illegal for me to make money. I was busted. The circumstances that led to my arrest are another story entirely. My boss finally showed up and settled them all down a little, but it became apparent that I would be forced to go downtown with them. They put me in the back of their cruiser and took off as my boss made a feeble, although much appreciated, attempt at settling my nerves. The cops dragged me downtown to the Foreign Affairs office and began to sock it to me. I was informed that I had been caught teaching red-handed and that the consequences would not be pleasant. Imagine the expressions on their faces when I informed them that I wasn't teaching, and that there would be no unfortunate consequences for me. As fate was still partially on my side this day, the cops unknowingly made a critical error just prior to interrogating me in their office. It took them a good twenty minutes of preparation before they were ready to begin. In the meantime, they allowed a couple of cute 20-year old public-service volunteers to come in and have tea with me. They both spoke some English, which gave me the perfect opportunity to calm my nerves, warm up the bullshit engines, and do some innocent flirting in the meantime. Critical flaw on their part. They brought me into their dingy interrogation room and slammed me with question after question. Bright lamps hung down from the ceiling and clouds of cigarette smoke filled the air, but it would not phase me. I was already prepared for everything that they threw at me. They repeated several of their questions, some of them five or six times. Both of the officers seemed quite surprised at one of two possible things, in my estimation. Either they hadn't even considered my story to be a possibility earlier, or they were floored by the fact that I had concocted such a brilliant fabrication right in front of them. Thank you, "Keyser". It went something like this... I'm not a teacher. I don't know anything about teaching. Back when I was picking beans in Guatemala I met some teachers, but I've never had the aspiration to become one. I came here a year ago and fell in love with the place. I don't want to leave. I was in no way being compensated for being in that school. The school director just happens to be a close friend of mine! When I came here a year ago, we met at a dinner with mutual friends. We became very close. She introduced me to her husband and children, and we met often to share each others' culture. She showed me aspects of Taiwan that I never would have discovered on my own. And if I needed assistance with a doctor, a dentist, a barber, or a clothing store, she would help me out. In return, I would come to her school and play games with her children as a special treat for them once or twice a week. No money was ever exchanged. It was that simple. "You've been here for a year!" they exclaimed, "Surely you've made some money during your stay!" I pointed to their photocopier across the room. "Have you ever heard of Xerox?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. They had. "I worked for them for several years. I don't mean to boast, gentlemen, but please trust me, money is not an issue for me. I won't have to work again for a very, very long time. And furthermore, my parents are quite well off themselves." Hook, line, and sinker. (This was not entirely untrue, as I had worked for Xerox as a technician, but was fortunately laid off along with 3,000 others in the summer of 2003.) They glanced at each other and almost seemed ashamed that they had brought such dishonor upon their department by detaining me and wasting valuable time of mine. After almost two hours in their office, I was released without any penalty or fine. They did caution me that it would be unwise for me to be seen in a classroom again during my stay. They also stated that they would speak to my boss >>in a few days<< (seriously?) to confirm that our stories matched. I met with my boss later that night to get everything in line. She went to the office the next Tuesday morning to give her statement, and everything was taken care of without any penalty on either side. The one minor catch was that I could no longer afford to stay in Taiwan. I couldn't work there, and I didn't have the money to get home. I would have to find another option. "...Vietnam has English schools. I know good people in Vietnam. People who will take care of me..." My friends in Kaohsiung and I (even those blasted Canadians) partied like fiends for an entire week. And like that, *poof*, I was off to Vietnam.
answered about 1 month ago by VietSam
I wanted to go overseas and have an adventure. Vietnam seemed a good place to start.( applied in mongoli, vietnam, china and korea) And I am a teacher but a "career" one, where I love my job, and I wanted to start teaching in international schools. I stayed because.. Good House, Good People, Good job, Good food, Good life, Good money. So even though I have a long distance relationship thanks to the use of skype i am still here after 1 1/2 years and another 1 1/2 is looming. Maybe I just love Hanoi!
then there's the upcoming Hanoi millenium,which should be interesting..
answered about 1 month ago by Atomic
HATED Korea, loved Asia. Vietnam called and I answered. I chose Hanoi over the other cities because of: 1)Weather/seasons 2)Architecture 3)Population I spent a few days in HCMC when I first arrived and couldn't be happier about my decision. HCMC is vibrant and wonderful, but it's not Hanoi.
answered about 1 month ago by kenteoh
I'm here because I was (am) young and stupid and didn't know what I was getting myself into.
Care to elaborate?
answered about 1 month ago by HanoiAnon
1. Jimbo 2. Hippo 3. Riki To be continually blessed with their golden nuggets of limitless knowledge and wit is reason enough to be here.
answered about 1 month ago by teacherman
Back to the orginial question, For me it comes down to genetics and kesmit. A long time ago, in a another country far, far away. My grandmother said to me, our family is cursed, you come from a long line of teachers who are driven to wander the earth. Your grandfather tried to fight it, your father tried to fight it, but to no avail. My advice to you is to accept it, that is just who we (my last name) are. So ... three and half decades on, here I find myself in here in Vietnam.
answered about 1 month ago by mackyhernandez
Because of Brownie
answered about 4 weeks ago by Finnmaccool
Because I murdered my wife in what was supposed to look like a freak sky diving accident in order to get her inheritance but those bloody forensic guys are good! So now I am on the run cleverly evading capture by posing as an English teacher. Nice place though.
answered about 4 weeks ago by hippo
I like seeing 5 girls on a motorbike. The beer is cheap. The term PC doesn't exist except for a few sad xpats. Street food rocks and I love spiting bones on the floor. I can cut in line anywhere I want and no one says anything. The serious and deep look on the custom officials face "Are these DVD's real? Do you have a receipt for them?"..."Of course they are real, they don't sell copies in Hanoi, do they?" I says back even more seriously. Favorite reason for being here: Seeing all the nuthuggers get bent out of shape because of their UR score and me...lol
answered about 4 weeks ago by schlepperex
Avoid Hipsters and break traffic laws
answered about 4 weeks ago by Shrimp_Whiskers
so i can say stuff to people who break in line and curse folks who break traffic laws! i like to avoid hipsters, as well. coming from Seattle, it's mighty refreshing!
