暗网禁区

Ciambella wrote:

None of our food has been displayed on the street markets or arrived in a Lotte plastic bag.聽 We know our fishermen, farmers, and growers.聽 We know the true sources of ALL our food.聽

There are better options out there, you don't have to live and eat like the kind of 暗网禁区s who accept the readily available instead of taking the time to search for quality.

Wouldn't you concede that part of what makes it possible for you to source your food the way you do is your ability to speak the language.聽 I suspect it would be tough for a single 暗网禁区 to negotiate for fish straight off the boat or vegetables straight from the farm.

THIGV wrote:

Wouldn't you concede that part of what makes it possible for you to source your food the way you do is your ability to speak the language.聽 I suspect it would be tough for a single 暗网禁区 to negotiate for fish straight off the boat or vegetables straight from the farm.

Speaking the language certainly helps to pave the way, but I don't deal with any vendors/producers myself right off the bat.聽 Everyone can tell that I'm an Overseas Vietnamese just by looking at me, once I open my mouth, their guess is confirmed, and Overseas Vietnamese are often cheated worse than foreigners.聽

Many Vietnamese think that there are two types of foreigners:聽 T芒y c贸 ti峄乶 and T芒y ba l么, but when it comes to retired Overseas Vietnamese, there is only one thing to which the locals pay attention:聽 our guaranteed retirement income.

In addition, T芒y ba l么 are more than likely would walk away as soon as they hear the price, but we still have to save face.聽 Abandoning the bargaining process before it satisfies both parties is considered arrogant, one that the locals can do any day of the week but not a privilege that we can enjoy.

So, my ability to speak the language isn't always a good thing.

As far as dealing with fishermen and farmers, believe it or not, there is every little bargaining involved as they don't have time for that.聽 I paid what I was told, and still, the price was always much lower for much better quality goods.聽

Fishermen and the first level of vendors (the people who have the first right to the fish who take it IMMEDIATELY to a gathering place and sell them to people who are waiting -- the second level are the ones who buy the leftover catch to sell at wet markets) quote the price and buyers pay.聽 Bargaining time means reducing the freshness of the fish.

Farmers are even stricter with their prices.聽 Bargaining never helps as the price they quote is for the best fruits.聽 If you want to pay less, they would sell you the second quality fruits so what's the point?

Example:聽 in the last 3 months, I bought a total of 40 kg (88 lbs) of xo脿i c谩t (20 kg each time) from the same man whose parents own a xo脿i c谩t farm in/near 膼岷�t 膼峄� (B脿 R峄媋).聽 The price he told me was 45k/kg.聽 I agreed.聽 That's 900k and he delivered to the apartment.聽 I gave him 100k tip.聽 For 1M, I had 47- 51 mangoes that bore the marks of leaves on the skin, the sign that they're not tampered with by any kind of injected chemicals.聽 The fruits at Vung Tau Market (without leaf's marks) were sold for 80k - 85k.聽 Even with tip, I paid was 45k - 50k less per kilo, and I knew for certain that I consumed pure sweetness from the soil, the sun and not from a syringe.

No, I don't think it would've been too difficult for single 暗网禁区s who didn't speak the language to buy what I bought.聽 The 暗网禁区s would have to rely on a local to make the first order the same way I relied on a local to do that for me.聽 Taking time and efforts to know and befriend the locals in the country one lives isn't difficult but the result can be very rewarding.

Annetteadam wrote:

Where I I鈥檓 there鈥檚 not much to do at all and it鈥檚 too hot and humid to be out and about after 10am.聽 聽Power cuts are often, people constantly peeing, spitting clearing their throat and nose in the street 馃ぎit is disgusting . The flavors of the food are very nice but you won鈥檛 see聽 a nice bit of breast chicken here unless you go to a western place to eat or a high end restaurant, I couldnt tell you what part of a chicken the meat comes, but if you don鈥檛 mind the bones and picking through to find meat it is very tasty.聽 聽 I laugh to myself when I hear the sentence the food is very fresh, the meat and fish lays in the heat for hours outside on the street markets and it worries me what kind of out of date chemicals are being used by these poor farmers to successfully produce their products, meat, fish and vegetables.聽 The people are always trying to keep their聽 area well swept and tidy but there鈥檚聽 not many bins about so rubbish laying about can be bad. I live near the beach and it is very sad to see more聽 rubbish left behind from holiday makers from the country or the big cities also聽 the plastic that floats about in the sea. The weather聽 is bloody hot and humid, not for me.

These are all quite legitimate complaints and represent the main challenges that people experience when living in Vietnam: the weather, the environmental concerns, health and safety, and especially the food. Other posters have mentioned the traffic and noise as well as the driving habits of the locals.

Anybody who is thinking about living in VN should know that no, it's not a "paradise" and no, most of the food is not "delicious". The beaches and Islands aren't that great and the cities are quite miserable.

However, if you want to live in Asia long-term and start comparing with the other countries, then Vietnam begins to look pretty good.

I've left and come back to VN three times since 2004 (back to Bangkok, moved to Vientiane, Laos and also Phnom Penh). In those 15 years, VN has improved while others seem to be sliding backwards.

So, no I don't regret moving to Vietnam, but I would definitely hesitate to recommend it to anyone else.

My thoughts exactly...agree with both Annette & John.

I鈥檓 now alternating within the region & back to Australia a few times a year as well.聽 聽 Just short stays away聽 , it refreshes your outlook & gives you a break form the things that can 鈥� niggle鈥� here.

In saying that..I鈥檝e just got off the plane from a visit to Australia .聽 聽I was glad to get back. It鈥檚 so full of life here.聽 聽 Back in Oz ....especially walking around Sydney ,,the place is tired,& the people look tired.聽 聽

It鈥檚 pretty good here ( depending on where you are) .聽 I couldn鈥檛 live in Saigon though....the place is a dump.聽 Let鈥檚 be honest...the only people that talk it up are usually 鈥渟tuck鈥� there for all sorts of reasons and don鈥檛 have options.聽 聽

Anyhow, since Yogis back he might get out there , walk the streets and photo bomb some of those Chinese鈥檚 tourists.

Yep...I鈥檇 come here again.聽

But Yogi has found a place up north that鈥檚 amazing & id have no trouble living there long term.聽 聽It鈥檚 quiet ,聽 geographicallly beautiful, and nice people.聽

And I鈥檓 not telling .

When your on a good thing....keep ya mouth shut. 馃槅
You too Boo Boo

In regard to food in this topic, I have too suck egg, the family I live with produce a pickled cabbage concoction, I learnt they draw water from ( I presume) a shallow bore, this morning I looked in the drum it鈥檚 pumped into, there is a film of oil on the water, clearly contaminated, errrrrk

Ciambella wrote:

my husband is one of those old retired Western you mentioned.聽 However, his belly is still flat, his skin isn't sagging (although he's wrinkly after living by the beach for 55 of his 70 years), he doesn't even own a pair of socks (blame it on the California culture), he's fitter and healthier than a great many European, Australian, and American two decades his junior.聽 In fact, my money is on him against many younger men on any ski, surf, mountain bike, and swim contests.

I believe you. I'm "only" 44 and I've been doing this high intensity workout called "Insanity" for the past 8 years. It's really keeping me in shape, cardio-wise and body-wise. I'm trying to eat lots of proteins (smoothies with protein powder when I'm in Canada) but in Vietnam I can easily get proteins from fish and meat. Anyway, I can see many younger men who look much older than me. So I'd also bet on your husband, even though I've never met him. For most people, being in good shape requires life decisions that many are not willing to make.

Absolutely. Great place to live for the most part.

Congenial people, good food, can make lots of friends, many women are available to date, etc.

WillyBaldy wrote:

Ciambella wrote:

my husband is one of those old retired Western you mentioned.聽 However, his belly is still flat, his skin isn't sagging (although he's wrinkly after living by the beach for 55 of his 70 years), he doesn't even own a pair of socks (blame it on the California culture), he's fitter and healthier than a great many European, Australian, and American two decades his junior.聽 In fact, my money is on him against many younger men on any ski, surf, mountain bike, and swim contests.

I believe you. I'm "only" 44 and I've been doing this high intensity workout called "Insanity" for the past 8 years. It's really keeping me in shape, cardio-wise and body-wise. I'm trying to eat lots of proteins (smoothies with protein powder when I'm in Canada) but in Vietnam I can easily get proteins from fish and meat. Anyway, I can see many younger men who look much older than me. So I'd also bet on your husband, even though I've never met him. For most people, being in good shape requires life decisions that many are not willing to make.

Smoking has a big part on looks, I see people that smoke that look 100 years old, it literally sucks the life out of you.