Matt_Stevens

I've bought clothes in Vietnam that are still going strong a fill five years later. Ya just gotta know what you are buying.

Now one cool thing about Vietnam is the ability to have shirts or pants tailored for you. I have some silk shirts that my friends and family are really impressed with. They are just perfect for me because they were tailored for me.

Can't wait to go this Fall and have an entire suit made for me. Maybe two or three.

When did I say anything like "Hey you're body looks great" is flirting or that it is okay to say something like that?

Answer: I didn't.

Political Correctness has made society overly sensitive.

If a co-worker comes in with a new hair style and it looks nice, it is not wrong to say, "I love what you did with your hair. It looks great." But today women are taught to think that any compliment from a man is an unwanted sexual advance and men are taught that if they give a compliment, they are a pig.

Sorry, but in my view, that is blatantly stupid.

the above to me is a joke...and not a flirt.

flirting would be you to one of your wife's gf "hey i like how you did your hair today...". one is funny, the other is just awkward.

I compliment my wife's gf's from time to time. That's not flirting. That's just being nice. It helps they are all easy on the eyes.

Some of you are pretty serious.

Now, I will give you an example. My wife is here with three of her girlfriends. I come in from a run. I'm hot, sweaty, it was a good run. They all say "Hi, Matt!" and engage me in conversation.

I then say, "Well, I really need a shower. Who's taking on with me?"

The girls all start laughing.

That's flirting and it's harmless. It doesn't mean anything because it's just a simple joke. My wife laughed just as hard as her girlfriends.

But I don't flirt on a level that some of you here are likely thinking. No need. I have a super hot wife. I prefer flirting with her.

That is what I thought and mine came from Japan but my DVD movies I brought from the US both the original and copies would not play due to a region error, but all of the dvd's from the local stores played no problem

Ahhhh... Blu-Rays are fine. DVD's are not. Japanese are Region 2 or 3, I forget which. Blu-Ray doesn't have all the regions that DVD has. Just A, B and C. Asia and America are A, Europe is B.

PS3 will be for streaming content fro my computer to the TV and Blu-Rays. I'll get a region free DVD player for regular DVD content.

My wife is still unaware when guys flirt with her, other than when they flat out ask her for a date. She doesn't really have the life experience to understand it all. At times this makes me laugh. She is just clueless.

For me, flirting is fine, as long as it remains light flirting with no real intent. When a group of us are all together the guys and gals flirt, but it is all harmless. Adults know when they are flirting vs when they are FLIRTING.

They have PS3 here for about 9 million, and you need to understand that they are regioned so if you are bringing blue ray movies then I would strongly suggest you get on ebay before you come and order a replacement blue ray drive for one that is multi region, this way you can watch your movies.

That's strange about th PS3. Vietnam and all of SE Asia, Japan, Hong Kong is supposed to be Region A, same as the USA.

The ignore feature does not allow you to block certain rude individuals from seeing your post. You don't see them, which allows them to bash you left and right.

And for the record, it is an outrage for anyone to say my wife's parents are rich and connected. They make very little each month, do not own a home or land and have zero connections. My father-in-law's family is in the deep south and they suffered greatly under communist rule. Calling them connected is just pathetic. What they are are good loving people and I respect them greatly and look forward to being closer with them, learning their language and being able to converse with them minus a translator.

What are you scared of? Your bank account is still loaded with $$$$, right? Just spend til it's close to empty, at least some left-over to afford you a return ticket.

If I recall correctly, in other thread of this forum, lots and lots and lots of folks commented "Vnese people are great! they're always friendly, nice and treat foreigner guests like their own relatives." So what are you afraid of?

REALITY?

I honestly have no idea what you are saying. Wouldn't it be normal for someone to be a little bit scared about moving from the USA to a communist country to live? Visiting and living/working/surviving are not one and the same.

And we do not have lots of money in the bank.

So my time spent time in District 1 doesn't count?

Of course it does. I was just being specific that I am wondering is any westerners who post here live in Saigon.

Thanks. I cannot live without boxing. Pac-man fights in November so I have gots to see it.

And I was asking about members of this board who live in Saigon.

It is pretty much official. We are moving. To Saigon. This Fall. My wife's company wants to open an office there so it's just a done deal at this point. I'm excited, but at the same time, scared SH**LESS!

One thing that would make the transition easier is if there were some Western folks in Saigon, native English speakers, that I could meet and maybe pal around with. It's always great to make new friends in new places.

I will need to learn the language. God help me, I do not have a knack for languages. Maybe I should start off with Rosetta Stone before I leave.

My biggest sports love is boxing. It's featured mostly on HBO an Showtime over here and I wonder if Vietnam has any of the American boxing on their system? When Manny Pacquiao fights, is it shown in Vietnam?

How much would a Playstation 3 cost in Vietnam? I cannot bring mine but I will want to have one. Not just for Blu-Ray (no games) but because it's awesome to stream material from my computer to the TV. The PS3 rocks.

I'm wondering what phone I should use over there. Right now I have a Blackberry Storm2 under Verizon and it is one of the only Verizon phones that is worldwide. I used it with a Saigon bought sim last year when I visited. But everyone is iPhone crazy and I do hear it works better over there (the AT&T one, of course) vs my Blackberry. Maybe I sell the Storm2 and buy an iPhone. Not sure. So many decisions to make.

Not the least of which is getting a job. My main goal is to shoot the feature film I am planning for next Spring, but prior to that I have to find something to keep me busy. I don't care if it is full or p/t or if I am only making $800 a month. Just need something to bring in a little cash and not be in the house. Looking like I have a steady job will = no questions from the family. They won't quite get the idea behind pre-production on a feature.

Oh yes! My computer will be taken apart and I will bring it in pices with me via my carryon bag and then reassemble in Vietnam. But... I wonder about POWER. We are 120V over here and it is 220V in Vietnam. This is my current power supply:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

Input Voltage is listed as 100 - 240 V

Input Frequency Range as 47 - 63 Hz

Input Current as 10A @ 115V, 5A @ 230V

Output as +3.3V@28A, +5V@26A, +12V1@22A, +12V2@22A, +12V3@25A, -12V@0.5A, +5VSB@2.5A

I know jack about power. The question is, can I use this same power supply? It's a damn fine one. Obviously I don't want to use this and then fry my motherboard or buy one in Saigon that fries my motherboard.

No doubt I will need one very robust BATTERY BACKUP and SURGE PROTECTION unit. Saigon always had brownouts and surges when I've visited and those can be deadly for a computer.

I'm rambling. Thanks, everybody.

Can you get insurance on your motorbike? Liability? Comprehensive? Collision? My wife has no idea.

What about renters insurance for you apartment belongings?

Our utility bill (gas & electric) here in Jersey City was $200 last August, $190 in September, then under a hundred October and November. It hit $200+ December to February. $160 in March. We are hoping our April bill is under 4100. It will hit $200 by June. It's outrageous.

When we arrive in Saigon, I am sure the AC will be on A LOT. Especially at night, otherwise I will not sleep.

My wife agrees with the cons listed here. But she has agreed that yeah, we need to go on over there and try it for a few years to save the money to buy a house here. otherwise we'll never get ahead. the economy has kicked our rearend (especially mine).

I'll miss my 65 inch TV, stupendously awesome movie theaters (including the huge iMax theater I attend every month or two), boxing on HBO and Showtime, spring and Fall weather and of course, comic book shops.

I won't miss an empty bank account and wife bitching that we can't go to a show or club because we are broke.

The high prices for cars is absurd, which is why I told the wife, no car. No way.

It'll suck paying a lot of money for a nice TV, but there are trade-offs.

Interesting thread. The TB thing is real, but not something to go crazy over. My brother-in-law had TB, fairly bad at one point, but no one else around him has had it and since he finally quit smoking, his health has improved greatly. No one has tested positive in the family either. He caught it from being in the army and it festered because their medical care for the military is #######. The food is #######. It's just #######.

As to the moving to Vietnam thing... Now imagine if you make 60 grand a year in NYC. That doesn't go very far. Imagine if you can transfer to Saigon with that same salary. You no longer have to pay NY and NYC income taxes. Just federal. That is my wife's situation. Add my salary, which won't be anywhere near as much in Vietnam, but it will give us anywhere from 800 to a grand extra a month if I am lucky enough to find something (it would be great if I can find something that pays more, but I am being realistic and worst case scenario in planning).

Should I pull the feature off, I could make a killing. Even if no...

You can live comfortably, people, have a maid or nanny and can do some travelling. All that (in our case) save two grand a month. Should we be disciplined and stay five years, that's 100 grand. None of that is possible for us here in NY. For us it is pay check to pay check without leading a life we can enjoy. I despise it. My wife loves NYC, but wants kids and the ability to travel and actually go out. So we will risk it.

If you own a home and a car, sell them yes, but put most of that money aside, in the USA, where your Vietnamese spouse cannot get to it. Keep your safety net. Don't be stupid. Always protect yourself. But without risk, there is no reward, people. I'm going to go for it.

20 grand a year in Vietnam is quite a hall. Save nothing and you can live like a king. Save a good amount and you can live quite well. Few in that country can hope to make that kind of a haul.

My wife and I plan on going over there later this year for a 3 to 5 year stretch. The wife is bringing her job with her and therefore, her current salary. Taking in at least 3 grand a month after taxes (and the taxes be less over there because we no longer have to pay NJ), we can live of her salary alone and save a ton. Factor in what I hope to make, which will be far far less (likely $800 to $1,000 a month) and we are going to live the high life, even while saving half what we earn.

It's the reason we are going. We can have kids and have the support of family, plus a maid or nanny or both. Plus we can travel and I can make the feature over there that is just too expensive to shoot over here.

At this point breaking it down is what I am leaning towards. The only issue is that with an RAID array, I have six drives, plus the two in my server that is coming with me. Customs might not like that I have so many drives and wonder what i am doing (selling). My wife's cousin works at the airport and may be able to help me.

I have not even been blinked at by customs my first two trips to Saigon. Maybe my third will be the same. But I can't take a risk. I have to really plan this out.

The drives were not cheap. They were all expensive. RAID arrays done right cost big bucks.

The little woman has her ticket to Saigon for late May. It's a three week trip. Wish I was going.

It would be a ###### to take apart and them reassemble. It has six hard drives inside. If I have six hard drives in my luggage or carryon they will likely try and tax me thinking I am selling stuff. No, I have a RAID array! This doesn't even include my backup server, which has two hard drives in it. My entire carryon suitcase would have to be filled with computer parts. Now, I haver never actually been searched by customs in Vietnam (I've taken two trips) so maybe it won't be a problem at all. Who knows?

But it is $2500 worth of equipment and I cannot afford to lose it. I need to use it as soon as I get there. But I'm also quite broke so bribes out the ####### won't be possible.

My wife will have to speak with her cousin when she visits Vietnam next month. Her cousin works at the airport and like most there, makes a good living accepting bribes. Perhaps she has good advice on how to deal with this situation.

The thought of taking this thing apart and then rebuilding it in Vietnam makes me cringe.

My problem is that the theft of items in the Saigon and Hanoi airports. Our gf visited from Hanoi, bought a lot of stuff, went home and found half the items from her checked suitcase were mossing when she got home. Ouch.

The question also is, how do I check in a large desktop computer? It would have to be boxed (I have the original tower case) but also double boxed to make sure it is protected. but TSA will likely want to look inside and that means they just make ruin all my protection.

This system is worth over $2500 so how can I get coverage for it?

It would be a ###### to take apart and them reassemble. It has six hard drives inside. If I have six hard drives in my luggage or carryon they will likely try and tax me thinking I am selling stuff. No, I have a RAID array! This doesn't even include my backup server, which has two hard drives in it.

This is one question we have not found an answer to. We're likely moving to Vietnam later this year. We'll sell pretty much everything we own and bring just what we can put in the carry-on and two bags.

However, I recently finished building an editing suite, a 2500 PC that I will need to bring with me. Have to. But how? It cannot be checked, that's for sure. Placing it in the box, it's much too large to carry on.

So far it seems that you cannot check a desktop computer and even if you could, it would just be stolen once it his SE Asia.

Anyone have any ideas? Yeah, I know there is DHL or Fed-Ex, but that will cause another problem...

Taxes. I know Vietnam taxes the hell out of any electronic item coming in to be sold, but this is my personal property. I'm not sure if Vietnam will tax it as though I was a citizen of their country. It's not like they follow their own rules anyway.

Thanks

So my wife and I are planning on moving to Vietnam late this year. We are selling most of what we own, but my brand spanking newly built PC, which cost me $2500, needs to come with. But airlines are no longer allowing computers to be shipped (from what I can tell). Only laptops are okay.

The Vietnamese government taxes all electronics that come in, but does that apply to citizens and gifts? I'm not a Vietnamese citizen. The PC is used for editing, by me and will belong to me. it's used for my work.

Do I have to pay taxes on it and if so, how can I avoid? I'm not taking bribery here. That I want nothing to do with. I'm just looking for the answer on electronic devices lie my computer, a DVD player I own and a PS3 I want to bring with.

Thanks

When my wife returned to Vietnam last year she had two laptops. No problem. Next month she visits her family in Saigon and will have a laptop, an ipad and two iphones. Her cousin works at the airport and will be sure to work the day she is due to arrive in case there is any trouble.