Awesome!
Itās not that bad. Vietnam is completly safe, minus the pollution and the dirt, if you know what youāre doing. I really miss the chaos, friendly people and my high rise apartment with a pool. Taiwanās really boring by comparison. I mean, where else would you get neighbors that throw cockfights in the alley, proper speakeasys, insane nightlife, the best food in Asia (western and Vietnamese) and friendly locals that genuinely want to hang out just to have a cup of coffee.
Iāve noticed that East Asia and SE Asia attract different types of people. I have tons of friends that have moved from Taiwan to nam and love it, but I can also see why the inconveniences would be a deal breaker for a lot of the more settled, more introverted expats here: SE Asia is in your face and Taiwan is all about keeping face.
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I heard Vietnam right now is a bit of a mess due to covid? It sounds pretty damn awesome from what most people have told me, but people said the hospitals are abysmal if you need them?
It sounds like if youāre a single guy in your 20s, Vietnam is a lot more fun and stimulating, but if youāre a boring fart in your 30s or 40s with a family then you want the relative safety (blue trucks notwithstanding) and more developed infrastructure of E Asia. I hear thereās a lot more opportunities in the ESL field in āNam too. E Asia is getting pretty tapped out, and Taiwan, Korea and Japan all have a serious birth rate problem.
Iāve only visited Vietnam once and it was Hanoi and I thought it was great, so Iām curious about your āmistakeā line here. You think the south is much better?
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My guess is that it has had a rather different historical relation with āthe West.ā
Itās also of course the HQ of the Vietnamese Commies.
But I too would like to hear what @Jay2 has to say . . .
Guy
I loved Hanoi. If the rest of Vietnam is better then if/when Covid restrictions end a revisit is called for. Iād like to take the train that goes the entire length of the country.
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Oh come on. Are you really trying to put it in that context? Everyone was super cool and friendly to me there. It was a funky, fun, alive place with great food and a mix of cultural influences. There was none of the coldness I encountered when I visited China and definitely no ideologues. I doubt it has anything to do with itsā communist roots, but Iāll await his answer before I comment further.
Beijing to Shanghai [roughly parallel to] Hanoi to Saigon/HCM City.
Or so I have heard. 
Guy
Best sandwich Iāve ever had was in Hanoi. It was mind-blowingly delicious
Yeah, a good BĆ”nh mƬ is a thing of beauty. I got one as well. At least in Kaohsiung theyāre impossible to find (I had one here and it was awful).
The Pho in Hanoi was also incredible. Itās like having sushi in those Tokyo fish markets. Itās now hard to have it anywhere else now knowing what perfection is like.
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When I first moved to Taiwan in 2012, I did not want to teach, but I didnāt have enough options. My son just turned 1, and I had to generate income one way or another. Boy, it was a messy start. I sucked at it, and I also despised the whole scene because it was oh-so superficial. Being Asian didnāt help me much too. I struggled for about 6 months, and got an offer to work in Japan for a decent-sized corporation in Osaka. After about a year, I realized the salaryman lifestyle isnāt cut for me. Returned to Taiwan, and I started to grind and hone my teaching skills. Got an offer to teach in public schools in 2014, and doing it ever since.
When I was in Pacific NW, I was a GM for a sushi restaurant. I never thought this would be relevant because I would pursue a different career, but now itās more pertinent than ever since Iām trying to run a small shop once the 'rona settles. I still would love to teach, but hopefully, my side gig can generate enough income and options when I start. I actually had a thread about this, and it took me this long to get to where I am. Iām pretty happy where I stand now.
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Has anyone taught in Thailand with the QTS /teacher license/ from the UK?
I have heard the conditions and pay are much better than in Taiwan /salary around Ā£2700 which is $3700/.
I would be grateful for any info. Thanks.
Another foreigner who thinks only teachers come to Taiwan !
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Not any more.
I am currently living in HCMC. Its full lockdown here and people cannot leave their houses. No take away, no delivery. Everything is shut. The only places allowed to be open are grocery stores. Its about 45min-1 hour standing in line to get in and once inside there is hardly anything left. We are experiencing food shortages now. Its turning into a full fledged humanitarian disaster.
The government keeps putting more and more restrictions on everything. Most foreigners were denied visa extensions and told to leave the country by July 1st. Those on work permits could stay but soon found themselves jobless. All schools are closed and the language schools are going bankrupt one by one.
So the days of what you are referring to are over!! It was the way you say BEFORE covid. Now its a disaster and I donāt think it will recover here for at least another decade. So keep the memories of the good times, it wont be the same again anytime soon.
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Oh dear. I hope you will be OK. That situation sounds genuinely awful. 
Guy
I didnāt know they had a La Brasserie in Hanoi.
In all my years living in Asia I have never seen anything quite this bad. One thing is for sure, most of us expats will never return here after we get out!
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Take care!
Guy
Thank you very much! You too there in Taiwan!
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Taiwan: university, a few months
Canada: university, maybe 6 months in total (most of my work was non-ESL in those years)
Thailand: universities, 5.5 years
Saudi Arabia: university, 2 years
China: university and K12, 2 years
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