Anyway, enough about me and my dull evening down-time. And onto the main point of this blog post: questions you guys have been asking me.
On the i-to-i Chalkboard Forum, I told people they were more than welcome to inbox me any questions they have about Vietnam and to my surprise, people actually took me up on that offer. I've had quite a few messages from people, and a lot of them seem to ask similar things. So I decided to do this blog post, and see if I can answer some of them.
Today, I got a message from Annabelle (hi there!) with a few questions in, and so I'll use hers as an example =)
"1. Insurance? What did you do? and what would you recommend?"
As far as insurance goes, I got mine with FOGG, through i-to-i. I shopped around a bit before hand, but couldn't find any other policies that specifically covered you for travel and work at a reasonable price. It's also simple to sort out, with a quick phonecall to i-to-i.
"2. What would you recommend I prioritize in my 'requests' when applying? - Location/Number of people at placement/ Age of kids?"
When I applied for the internship, I didn't specify a location, or the number of people at my placement. I would rather not have been alone, and was told by TTV that I would be placed with at least one other person. My preferences for age were (in order from what I wanted most, to least): Primary, Kindergarten, High School, University. I ended up with High School, but I'm not disappointed. In fact, I'm ecstatic to be working with older kids. I think I actually like it better than teaching younger children.
The main thing to remember is: even if you put down specific preferences, it's not guaranteed that you'll get them. So head into it with an open mind. You may be surprised.
"3. What happens money-wise? Do I need to get organised with a cashcard...?"
I came to Vietnam with my debit card from the UK, and about US$300. Because things are so cheap, I barely spent any money! I bought my card for emergencies. When you withdraw cash from an ATM here, they usually charge you. And of course, your bank may charge you for using your card abroad as well, so keep that in mind.
As for paying for things here: everywhere deals in cash. It's very rare for people to use a card to pay for anything, and some places won't have the facilities to use a card. I get my wages paid to me in cash. I will be opening a Vietnamese bank account at some point, but only because I intend to stay here. I don't think it's a necessity if you are only staying 5-6 months.
"4. Is there anything I should be asking for for christmas - a wish list type thing!?"
Girls: stock up on makeup, like foundation and powder, because it will be hard to find stuff pale enough here (especially if you're stupidly white like me). I'd also recommend bringing tampons, as they can be hard to find.
If your family want to help you by buying you things for Vietnam for Christmas, ask them for practical stuff like: a mosquito net, smart clothes for teaching, maybe a travel hairdryer or iron.
"5. Are there any cultural taboos I should know about?"
The biggest things I can think of are as follows:
- When beckoning for someone to come towards you, do not do so with your palm facing upwards, as this is essentially telling that person you want to sleep with them. Instead, turn your palm downwards, and make a sweeping gesture towards yourself.
- Women don't smoke here, and it's seen as very rude for them to do so.
- Touching a child's head (when you don't know them) is seen as rude.
- Always take your shoes off when entering someone's house.
- Public displays of affection, or PDAs are kinda a no-no. Although you do see young, Vietnamese couples sneaking a few kisses in parks after dark.
"6. Are there any books I should read? Experiences I should try and get before arriving?""
Before I came here, I read:
- The Rough Guide to Vietnam: much better than the Lonely Planet's guide. Very informative and interesting. This is a must buy.
- The Quiet American by Graham Greene: "Into the intrigue and violence of Indochina (Vietnam) comes Pyle, a young idealistic American sent to promote democracy through a mysterious 'Third Force'. As his naive optimism starts to cause bloodshed, his friend Fowler, a cynical foreign correspondent, finds it hard to stand aside and watch. But even as he intervenes he wonders why: for the sake of politics, or for love?"
- The Lover by Marguerite Duras: "Two outcasts--an adolescent French girl and her Chinese lover--struggle to be together during the waning days of the colonial period in Indochina (Vietnam)."
I also watched these films:
- Indochine
- Apocalypse Now
- The Deer Hunter
As for experiences: Practice with chopsticks. See if you can find a Vietnamese restaurant near you, and try some of the food. Find out more about the American war. Get some knowledge of K-pop (your students will love you for it - focus on Big Bang and Super Junior).
I hope these answers have helped people. Let me know if you find them useful or not.
And to send you on your way, here are some pictures of my students at karaoke on Saturday night:
Thank you Millie, you are a star :)
ReplyDeleteGreat Millie, as usual! Really glad you covered the bank/card situation. I had been thinking of swapping from Natwest to HSBC coz they seem to be a global bank but I've got a Lebara Money Card which I would recommend to people if they want to be able to send money home or get the parents to send some cash or have an alternative to their bank card (extra insurance incase you loose a card)! I have one as I transfer money to Ireland frequently and its the cheapest way to do it from the UK. Basically they only charge you a small currency exchange charge (really cheap compared to the banks rates) and every time you withdraw via ATM they charge a standard £2 fee (so withdraw larger sums rather than more frequent smaller transactions). You can use it globally. I think I paid £10 for it, I got one card and a family member got another. We both can access our account online and its really easy for us both to transfer money to each other. I think you can load up to £3000 if you wish to use the card as a credit card. It's also a debit card so I'd recommend people to look into it if they do wish to bring cards with them as back-ups and you know how parents worry! This way they know they can get money to you fast if needed!
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