Ask A New Hanoian
... is The New Hanoian's Q&A forum. If you've got a question about life in Hanoi that you think you should pose to someone in the know, here is the place to do it.
Search before you post! Many of your questions have been asked and answered before. If you need additional information on a past post, add your question to that thread. Doing so will return the thread to the top of the list.
Condom sizes in Hanoi
Can anybody explain why the condoms you can get in Hanoi are kind of "tight"? And what's so "OK" about them??
Viewed 376 times, answered 11 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 6 days ago by pippasweetie to Culture
answered most recently by pippasweetie about 4 days ago
What the?
Um...this may possibly be in dawnation's dumbass question section (or dumbass dissertation, in my case)
BUT this is how it goes.....
A number of times I have seen a guy on a pedal bike riding outward bound on Au Co with a stack of, what looks like, unfinished pinatas on the back (the frame only, no decoration).
This is what I thought they were, initially, posed a bit like papier mache merry -go-round horses with no manes.
It occurred to me today when I saw them again that I have never heard of a Vietnamese tradition involving pinatas and that there may not be as many childrens rides needing replacement horses as I first thought - and that perhaps they are, in fact,...dog carcasses???. They lie in the same position as I have seen dogs (cleaned and gutted) . Could this be so? If so, why the gay packaging? If not what are they?
Please help me assuage my curiousity...
Viewed 255 times, answered 10 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 6 days ago by pippasweetie to Culture
answered most recently by pippasweetie about 6 days ago
Prebook Tickets?
Does anyone know if there is a way to prebook tickets at the Megastar Cinema over the phone or ?? We have gone a few times quite early before the session and found the "good" seats taken already. Do the locals book in person the day before, or something? (I can't do this, we live too far away) I just can't help thinking there are things I don't know about........
Viewed 124 times, answered 3 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 1 week ago by travelgoddess to Culture
answered most recently by travelgoddess about 1 week ago
New? VN News Website in English
Curious what you guys think of this site. I think its new...
http://wowhanoi.com/
Steph
Viewed 256 times, answered 7 times. View / Post Answers
Deaf Community
I am looking for a Deaf community in Hanoi- Vietnamese Sign Language or American Sign Language or a Deaf school.
Viewed 334 times, answered 5 times. View / Post Answers
Making my life difficult
Why did all my canned Bia Ha Noi openers suddenly turn to pull-tabs?
Viewed 333 times, answered 16 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 22 months ago by hanoichick to Culture
answered most recently by kparsons about 2 weeks ago
Laundromats in Hanoi
Are there any coin-op laundry facilities in Hanoi, with actual dryers? It has been so damp and nasty these last few weeks, drying our clothes has become a problem?
Viewed 417 times, answered 7 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 12 months ago by jestert79 to Culture
answered most recently by hnboy78 about 2 weeks ago
Tet
I'll be a Tet first-timer in February. I've heard from some colleagues that practically everything shuts down for the duration except for a small number of expat places.
So, is this true? Should I stockpile food/toilet paper/etc. beforehand?
Viewed 650 times, answered 5 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 3 weeks ago by granteralus to Culture
answered most recently by cetiomega about 2 weeks ago
Landlord issues
How do I go about telling my landlord that I don't want him in my house for four hours every Saturday?
He uses the excuse of needing to water the plants and burn incense, but it's pretty obvious he just wants to hang around and see what's happening. He's single-handedly ruining my day off.
Anyone else have this problem? How did you handle it?
Viewed 326 times, answered 7 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 3 weeks ago by ChrisRR to Culture
answered most recently by Shrimp_Whiskers about 3 weeks ago
Getting involved in Hanoi
Hi,
I will be living in Hanoi for at least 6 months, and whilst I am there I want to try and get involved in the Vietnamese way of life. Obviously it will be good to meet up with other expats, but I was wondering if people had any suggestions on how to get to get more involved in the Hanoi life. I'm thinking sports, NGO work at weekends, etc.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Chris
Viewed 477 times, answered 15 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 3 weeks ago by charlottetsz to Culture
answered most recently by Shrimp_Whiskers about 3 weeks ago
any vietnamese indie band in Hanoi?
hi,
would like to explore the hanoi's indie.
anyone have info on that? like , where do those band performance.. may be at cafes or at some public space..
*since while i travelled taiwan ( taipei ) city, there are a lot indie bands performance in cafes and bookstores.... wonder if there are any in hanoi.
thanks
Charlotte
Viewed 90 times, answered twice. View / Post Answers
posted about 4 weeks ago by OlMucky to Culture
answered most recently by schlepperex about 4 weeks ago
Neighborhoods
I'm curious about the neighborhoods in Hanoi. I saw an answer to an ANH question a little while ago - the question was about petty theft/scams in Hanoi - and one response suggested that if you're an expat getting scammed you should "probably get out of the Old City and get into the real Hanoi" or something like that. I live in Brooklyn, New York where what neighborhood you live in - people like to think - says a lot about who you are. Like many things, this is partly true and partly false and, of course, each Brooklyn neighborhood is distinct and boasts its own cultural history and unique traits. I'm wondering, as I'll be moving to Hanoi in February, if a similar conversation exists in Hanoi and, if so, what the character of Hanoi neighborhoods is like. If you're an artsy expat, where do you live? Do people interested in Western comforts stick to Hoan Kiem and Hai Ba Trung? Where are you most likely to find cheap rent and "authentic" Hanoi vs. where you'd find a more upscale Hanoi? Is there a debate on gentrification in Hanoi? I'd be interested to get a sense of the scene that would help me decide where to live when I arrive. Thanks, look forward to the discussion.
Viewed 264 times, answered 5 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 2 months ago by granteralus to Culture
answered most recently by Shrimp_Whiskers about 4 weeks ago
Why are you here?
Not: I’m traveling Southeast Asia.
Not: I’m teaching English.
Not: Because my parents screwed.
Why are you here?
Viewed 1154 times, answered 40 times. View / Post Answers
What street foods do you enjoy?
I'm wondering if people would mind giving me a quick run-down of the different types of street food they enjoy? I'm talking all street food, from the 'single vendor on the corner' type operation to the 'slightly more formalised street stall with a roof' type operation. I know all the greatest hits - bun cha, pho, banh bao, nem, my xao, bun bo, com rang... what else am I missing?
Viewed 391 times, answered 23 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 1 month ago by Atomic to Culture
answered most recently by Stosskraft about 1 month ago
Thievery! Tomfoolery! Liary!
Why would a prospective landlord claim the electricity in their beautiful hou came with a 20% foreigner surcharge? And how could they get away with charging it if the bill went to the tenant?
I'm so very confused.
Viewed 266 times, answered 9 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 17 months ago by travelgoddess to Culture
answered most recently by travelgoddess about 1 month ago
Curious about a Reiki sign I saw at the Western Canned Food store awhile ago. It was there for months, but I only just went to check it out this week, and of course, it was gone! boo hoo. If you know this person that was advertising their services or anyone who practices in Hanoi, please let me know. Prefer English speaking person. Thanks, Steph
dstephfuccio (at) yahoo.com
www.travelgoddess.net
Viewed 327 times, answered 3 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 2 months ago by happyvalley to Culture
answered most recently by margie about 2 months ago
Do you trust local people? To what extend?
A person I know complained that she cannot trust ANY local people because she has enough bad experiences about Vietnamese people during her 2 years stay in Vietnam. She said she would rather trust the Chinese than the Vietnamese. I feel pity for her about this and am wondering is this thinking of distrust the same for every expat around here ?(because she claims that all the people she knows share the same feeling) Or is she only an extremist?
Viewed 1453 times, answered 35 times. View / Post Answers
Uniform identification?
Can anyone give me a run down on the identity of the various Hanoian law enforcement officials sporting a most impressive spectrum of uniform colours?
So far I pick police, military, traffic, private security, and parking, however there appear to be subsets of police and military, and I can't quite match them to their lovely outfits in shades of green, blue, tan, peach, black, etc.
Viewed 326 times, answered 9 times. View / Post Answers
Life Drawing?
Hi all,
I'm looking for life drawing classes/groups (that is drawing nudes, in a no-happy-endings, strictly art kinda way!)
Does anyone know if any classes or groups exist here?
Viewed 562 times, answered 21 times. View / Post Answers
posted about 15 months ago by pptech to Culture
answered most recently by hanoimonkey about 2 months ago
Laughs
I am new to Vietnam and would like to know where I can meet single ladies in Hanoi and HCMC.I have heard about Beer Bars and have had a few Vietnamese guys take me to some dark places but I would like to meet girls that can speak english and have a few laughs.I have found that I can learn allot about culture by speaking and having a few laughs with the local girls.
Viewed 925 times, answered 7 times. View / Post Answers
Ask a Question
Subscribe to Ask A.N.H. Feed