Agree w/ you buddy, street food is the way to go, authentic and tasty. I am currently in Hanoi and the street food here is ridiculously good. Going to Halong Bay on Sunday for 2 nights, one night on cruise boat, 2nd night on an island sleeping in a bungalow. Looking forward to it!

2. Somewhat disagree on the quality of Internet here. At the best of times it is semi-decent, but sometimes it can be really frustrating. I have a fiber-optic line installed in my house which I think is the fastest you can get here. I get 90Mbps download speeds when I test it with a server located in Vietnam, but only 3Mbps currently when I test it with a server in the States. A problem is that almost all of the traffic going in/out of Vietnam goes through a single line. If this line is having problems, then any international internet use is adversely affected. Two times since I have been here that line has been cut and, while I could still browse the net, disconnects from Stars made it too frustrating to play during that time.

With my current connection I still get disconnects once every week or so. The previous two places I lived I would get disconnected from Stars at least once every day.

8. Bodily, you are quite safe from criminals here. However, theft and scams are extremely common here (but usually of the non-violent type). So you need to be careful with your belongings and cash. If you don't look Vietnamese, you are a much bigger target than our Viet Kieu brothers. I'm basically not at all concerned about being beaten, stabbed, or shot (nobody has guns here except police) while walking late at night down any street here. As others have mentioned, phone/bag/purse snatchings by thieves on motorbikes are quite common. Pick-pocketing happens but it is not too common. Home burglary and motorbike theft happen. Scams of many varieties happen. You need to always be careful and careful of who you trust.

Any chance you are doing the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel Booze Cruise? That's the most fun and definitely the #1 thing i'd recommend doing in Halong Bay for anyone under 30ish.

Dude I envy your lifestyle. Sometime I wish I can just enjoy the simple life in Vietnam. Just too much bull**** with dealing with locals here. I don't like the formal greeting with family-friends. I am getting sick of other people problems why can't i just be a selfish bastard that I am and not have to worry what I say or how I act. too much politic here. I hope you guys are not scared off but most people won't have to deal with this bull**** until you marry a Vietnamese wife so don't worry.

I get what you are getting at Don. I go through the same thing but I still basically do what I choose to do and if they think otherwise, they can go suck it. Family or whoever. I could be different because I never knew my family until I got to VN 6 years ago. Even if it wasnt the case, they can still go suck it. Same goes to the inlaws. I am not here to make their life lavish.

I was never VK when I arrived here. I just do what a regular joe would do here. They got the picture eventually. I paid the bills when we went out at first. When I saw that they were abusing it I stopped. I help them when they in trouble but its a loan not a gift. If they need help again and they havent made a decent attempt to repay the original loan. Tough ****, I aint no charity case.

When I get introduced to people, I used to be extra polite and spend a lot of wasted time doing this and that esp drinking; now I just sit/chat/drink for like 15 minutes and excuse myself. ETc Etc.

It is what you make it. **** that VK/foreigner expectancy stuff. If you need to prove your big; to all their own. All I know is it is my opinion that if u do, you are falling into their trap. Its the same thing when you walk into any place or meet new people. They show you the Bull**** fake expensive liquor or expect you to pay for things. Make it seem like you should buy this/that if you are a somebody and if you don't; your not elite. **** that noise. I do what I want and wont be manipulated and if you think otherwise, I never cared what you think anyway.

You all seem like very cool guys and one of the reasons why I never attended a meet yet is because like a poster stated above; all the meets were in higher end places. Dont get me wrong, I go to these type places also ever so often myself but I been here too long that my gut response to people who always go to these type places, I just rather not bother.

That's the problem with marrying a Vietnamese girl. You aren't just marrying her you are marrying her family. Djle2 has it right, one time loan and then you are done. No you aren't paying for her cousins to learn English or to help her uncle start a karaoke equipment store etc. I would imagine it has to be because you are a big fish in a small pond out there. I know when I go to Bac Lieu, all my relatives literally do all day is scheme how to get money out of our other relatives. I look at my relatives that made it out and are in the US and its a complete night and day difference... how did these two groups of people come from the same mother and father? Personally, I don't talk to any of my relatives except those from my grandfather's last wife(had 7 wives.... that we know of.. pimp i know).

DonJuan - you can't be a selfish bastard because the money is relatively insignificant but with each passing request you are getting that nasty feeling in the back of your head that you are getting taken advantage of. It doesn't stop even after you say no... the schemes just get more elaborate. Why not remove yourself from the situation and move to hcmc?

Bwuce Wee, I wish I had met you earlier in my travels. It was really cool getting to know you in HCMC, man, and I hope the TNT is blowing up.

EZ, you referring to TNT BBQ?

I always thought of trying it out but never pulled the trigger yet. If that is what you are talking about, I def go try it out. Only because my impression of you is you are a man of few words which seems to be lacking here.

Yeah man wish I would have gotten to know you sooner in your travels here, would have made sure you stayed here If you come back here I found a perfect way for you to use Soda to hit up girls! TnT is going well, we are looking for a location to open up in. Another BBQ joint opened up here and they kind of sped up our plans.

Yep he's talking about TnT BBQ but we are delivery only right now. We decided to do delivery first to make sure the food was perfect before we opened a sit down location.

Yea thanks for the advice guys. so true about the way people here think.been thinking a lot and decided to moved back to Saigon in a year. Going to start searching for place to buy. Probably would be good for my health too since all I do here is go on binge drinking session. Hope everyone had a good mid-year celebration

Life is way too short to live to appease others. We must dance to our own tunes. 1st rule of being a human: never loan money to family or friends. 2nd rule: be urself and let the chips fall where they may. Live. Love. Laugh. Read. Think. Write. Express urself and be who you are. Live on. lol

word

TNT BBQ is the nuts.

Hello, I'm in HCMC for 4-6 days. Does anybody know live poker game here? 1-2$ or less will be ok.

I used to go to au lac do brazil a lot 2-3 yrs and we had a few 2+2 poker dinners there but then they changed the cook and food was not so great anymore so I havent been in a while now. Dunno about this galbi brothers though.

I go to higher end places like once every month and a half or so (my personnal favorites are "la villa" and "new-york steackhouse"), its not like i spend all my $ on food! The thing with french places in Vietnam is if you go cheap it will be terrible so you better choose another type of cuisine if you are not prepared to pay top dollars.
Most of the time I just eat home, my wife is a great vietnamse cook!

I must say thats a pretty lame excuse for not meeting us for so long! And we still do plenty of cheap-ish sushi/vietnamse/indian food dinners as well. I will admit there still was no 2+2 dinner at some pho24 or pizza hut type place so far though.
There was no 2+2 dinner lately so I'll suggest we try to organize one later next week. And you are free to choose date and place so you have no choice but to come out and meet some other 2+2 members now!

I say we meet at Bo Tung Xeo, one of my fav places to eat, drink beer, and have a merry time. Cheap!

Thanks for the compliment UM!

I'm down for some Bo Tung Xeo. I don't think djle2 is talking about price. A lot of the higher end places chosen seem to just not be an enjoyable place. Now Bo Tung Xeo or any of the ones on Nguyen Tri Phuong. That looks like a place where a bunch of guys/girls can meet up, drink a few cases of beer and shoot the **** for a few hours.

Still in Hanoi. Will be back to HCMC on Monday night so I am down for Bo Tung Xeo next week.

hey heading to saigon. you guys want to meet up late tonight? maybe drinks some beer and watching the world cup :P

I am in!!! How about at The Backpacking District, cheap ass food and plenty of Westerners to talk with!

going to stanten warriers at lush for mates 30th. should be good night. will catch up with 2p2ers if you fancy it as well. free entry and 2 for 1 drinks. can let you know where to grab some pills as well if its your bag

No pills for me brotha. I am all about the young ladies sightseeing ventures and booze consumption. lol no pills or smokes for me. Bring on the ladies and da beers! lol

fair enough. lots of ladies at lush tonight though, decent music and 2 for 1 drinks. better than sitting on pavement talking about tubing

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