Flexibility, Flexibility, Flexibility
Two months and some change down…22 months to go!
It already feels like it’s been a year, though. We’ve done so much! Steph’s coworkers are really fun and interesting people that we’re building some amazing friendships. Stephanie has been teaching full time, and, PLOT TWIST Zach has also been long-term substitute teaching for a few weeks. (He’s decided he is not a teacher.)
While teaching, Zach and Steph have both been applying for jobs. Education might be a closing chapter for Stephanie…more on that next time. Zach has been getting interviews here and there for international remote jobs. Recently, he tried working at a cafe where we’ve made some friends…but that didn’t work out as planned. Working for two dollars an hour doesn’t quite help the budget. And is it really a good thing to take a position that a Vietnamese local could do, without needing translation and extra help?
Zach joined a gym nearby with all the workout classes he loves, all inside an old temple. Hidden down a narrow street, behind a tall wall, Fitness Village is a peaceful escape. It has a great pool to cool off in after class, and there are a lot of regulars who put in that “sweat equity” every time. Zach’s favorite is an old man named Takasi, who always seems to be competing with him.
One thing that’s becoming more apparent is that the pace of Hanoi isn’t like in other cities. It’s more laid back and relaxed, with people taking time to go on walks or sit and chat or fish in the lakes. It’s a strange dichotomy. On one hand, there’s millions of people going about their business, but they’re happy to take breaks for food and spending time together. This city doesn’t really sleep, but it does take naps.
Nothing happens too fast here, and that’s okay. It actually makes things safer. For example, one day, Zach was looking for a watch store to find a new band and needed to make a fast turn. As he did, a scooter collided with him. No one was hurt. There wasn't a scratch on either person or their scooters. And then both were on their way.
Relaxed pace aside, many things require a TON of flexibility…
That same day, Zach went to about five other watch stores trying to find a watch band that worked. Some were too expensive (even in Vietnamese currency), some were just wrong, and others he couldn’t buy because the store didn’t take credit card and the nearest ATM was kilometers away.
And then there’s the time when we went to Bat Trang (the pottery district) and we could travel there via Grab (Vietnam’s Uber), but could get a Grab back. To get home, we had to have a security guard call for a taxi, which came twenty minutes later. During the ride the driver Facetimed his family to show the American’s in his backseat. He called at least three different sets of family members and we smiled and waved to each of them.
And yet another time, we went on a nice dinner cruise down the Red River. It was beautiful. It was fun. We were also the only tourists on the boat besides a whole marketing team there for a corporate event. They ate a lot, drank a lot, and sang a tone of karaoke while we just nodded our heads and laughed along.
All of these things make up the kind of random hilarity (or inconvenient chaos) that Vietnam supplies. When something happens out of the blue here, it’s just another “So Vietnam” moment. (Reminiscent of when Stephanie lived in Mexico where it was “So Porvenir.”)
Traveling in general requires flexibility, and even more so when living in a foreign land. We’re learning and practicing the art of smiling when things are unexpectedly arduous or time-consuming. We’re taking things slower. We’re also doing more walks (with Poppy), which help ground us back in the moment.
It’s still super fun, don’t get us wrong. We’ll let you know if it stays fun as reality sets in and the rose-colored glasses get a little foggy. ;)
Answering Your Instagram Questions
And now we’ll answer the questions we asked y’all on Instagram (as promised.)
What is the government system in Vietnam? Socialist?
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is communist with one ruling party that can only be challenged from within the party. This works really well when something needs to get done efficiently, like vaccinating the entire population and quickly opening up schools and tourism. This is harder when you want to change something or have contrarian opinions. It appears to work for the most part as the government has also prioritized capitalism and foreign enterprise to build up the country.
Does Buddhism infuse the culture? What does religion and spirituality look like?
There are many Buddhist and Confucianist temples that people regularly practice their religion at. They are beautiful! There are also some Buddhist holidays where a lot of people eat vegetarian only. Vietnam also has a blend of many festivals and spiritual practices that can be seen through the month.
There is one offering that occurs bi-monthly where families burn fake paper money outside their homes to show respect to the dead. Every business and home has an altar, ancestor worship is common, and everyone seems to partake in these practices. If you talk to young people, though, you hear a lot of “my parents practice X religion, but I don’t.”
What are some cultural norms?
Younger people greet older people first (otherwise they won’t ever engage with you)
Everyone uses their bank account numbers to transfer money to each other (businesses too)
Queues/lines don’t exist and you have to bodily make room for yourself to get to a cashier or down the road on your scooter
Everyone operates in a box and will not leave their box to help you or create a solution (you just get passed to another person who maybe has the answer in their box/job description… we have been told this is a very communist approach).
What is daily life like?
For Steph (and Zach while he substitute teaches) Daily life starts with scootering to work in the organized chaos of Hanoian streets, eating a smoothie bowl from a local vegan cafe for breakfast (Steph orders them in advance and brings them to work), working all day on a college campus sized school (where there is a coffee shop and we eat the cafeteria meals), then scootering home in the heat of the day (the worst part), arriving to a very happy Poppy, walking Poppy, cooking or eating out (Steph’s favorite), spending time at home…repeat.
The weekends are slow mornings, coffee shops, exploring Hanoi and running errands (which are explorations in and of themselves), meeting friends for meals, and seeing new places around us. It is a nice rhythm and we love it here
Do you have community and friends?
We do! There are so many hilarious, outgoing, wonderful expats at Stephanie’s school that we love. There are also some businesses we frequent where we have made connections. It is fun to have people to go out to eat with and explore the city with!
How are the people here? Is it hard integrating into the culture?
People are friendly and a quick hello usually produces smiles. We get made fun of sometimes, but we are bumbling Americans who say things wrong all the time. Can’t blame them. ;) The culture is beautiful and we love it here. So while we are not fully integrated (probably will never be), we love being part of the fabric of Hanoi.
Part of the trouble is finding bilingual friends who we can build relationships with, share our cultures, and get more in tune with life in Vietnam.
How is it communicating with people? Are you learning the language?
Our Vietnamese language class started off with a bang and we are studying hard for each session. It’s a breakneck pace compared to language classes in high school and college. Our teacher is immensely sarcastic and seems to take joy in watching us squirm and fail. In other words, class is lively and fun with plenty of banter. (But we’re not perfect…we’re working on this instead of homework…)
What is it like for Poppy? Do other people have pet dogs?
Having a dog in Vietnam is tricky. We have hired a dog walker to walk Poppy twice a day while we both work, but we have to be careful to make sure she is harnessed when outside and that we wipe her paws when we get home. There is rat poison lying around that kills dogs when consumed and there are also dog snatchers who sell dogs to pet shops and also to butchers. (Cats are also on the menu…)
That being said, we have not had any problems with these dangers yet, we are just aware that we need to be diligent in keeping her safe. Other people do have dogs, and if they are big dogs they just do the same things we do! Vietnamese people seem to only have small dogs.
How often does it rain? What is the weather like? Do you ever see rainbows?
We are moving into rainy season, which will be a welcome break from the constant heat. The rain cleans the air, cools the city, and freshens everything up. When it rains, it come hard and fast and soaks you in minutes. We’s invested in rain gear galore! We do see rainbows, but not the sky very often. It is a little grey most days, but that also cools it down and it is still plenty bright outside!
Describe the people of Vietnam in one word and explain why you picked it.
Resilient. The Vietnamese people have been conquered for centuries, the Vietnam War being the last time. Through the Chinese, Portuguese, French, and Americans having a foothold here, they have maintained their language and culture and pride. They have risen up out of third world status, and have one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Also, good-natured comes to mind. People everywhere are helpful, friendly, and willing to use Google translate to cross the language barrier. They’re also quick to laugh (with you or at you) and are extremely relatable.
What prompted your move? Why Vietnam? Was it your first choice?
Vietnam was not our first choice actually! We wanted something new (after realizing buying a house right now was not happening) and have always wanted to live abroad together. Steph applied to many international schools and got job offers in Poland and Vietnam. Zach…left his job and hopes his career takes off. So we took the leap and here we are!
What is the weirdest thing to us here but is normal to everyone else?
EVERYONE drives a scooter or bicycle. The cars are the anomalies. This actually makes riding a motorcycle safer here than in the States. No one looks out for you on the streets in America, but here, everyone is looking out for everyone. And you drive slower, which is vital with so many people on the road!
Is the food weird or what is the weirdest thing you have tried?
Stephanie does not try things. But she has had snail soup and thought it was delicious (even though most of the snails were left in the bowl at the end)! Zach has tried many more things and the weirdest one has been Durian ice cream. He said it was NO BUENO ;). That being said, the food is mostly normal… lots of noodles, broths, and meats. There is also a HUGE variety of foods from all over the wold and gluten-free Steph has been happy.
(But also Zach has had way more stomachaches and trips to the bathroom…let’s just say the built-in bidets and toilet hoses are EXTREMELY HELPFUL.)
Vietnamese coffee review plz. What is the best place to get it?
Zach is the resident coffee expert and has tried it all. There are three Vietnamese specialty coffees: Coconut Coffee (blended and sweet with canned coconut milk), Egg Coffee (thick and creamy with real eggs), and White Coffee (with sweetened condensed milk). Zach loves them all but struggles with the bitter Robusta beans of Vietnam. He has found some Arabica beans which make him happy, and has some new favorite coffee shops that serve micro roasted coffee of both types.
Zach here! *Cracks knuckles* As mentioned above, coffee here is primarily of the robusta variety, which is known internationally as a bitter and less flavorful coffee species. Also, coffee preparation is varied from shop to shop. Some specialty coffee roaster/cafes have very fancy-shmancy machines. Other places do “pour overs” but it’s not a specialty coffee thing.
You’ll find iced coffee is common here, as are ice-blended drinks (it’s sooooo hot all the time), but fresh milk is not always available. The Vietnamese do not have the westerner’s penchant for liquid dairy, so it’s just not there.
I am quite pleased with the state of the specialty coffee scene here. Especially because I can get something besides robusta (although I recently bought Vietnamese robusta beans from Habakkuk coffee roasters and they make a delicious brew.)
My favorite cafes though…that’s a growing list. Here’s some:
Until next time!
Love,
Z + S
Question time!
Could you tell us which logo you like best? They’re numbered 1-5, so just comment with your favorite design number!
Design 2 or 5!
You both seem very cool and laidback. I love that about this newsletter! I would also appreciate more photos of your dog next time 😆 as for the logo, I liked design 2 best!