Moving to a new country is exciting and congratulations to those who have made such a big step. It's hard leaving all your friends and family behind but it is worth it in the end. In my blog, I will be talking about my journey and experiences in Vietnam.
1. Expectations versus reality.
Vietnam has a large population of about 96.46 million people, due to the large population most use motorbikes. Traffic was such a big shock to me as I had never experienced traffic like I did driving from the airport to the hotel. I am not going to tire you with details here because you know, traffic anywhere in the world is a common problem.
The language barrier was the biggest battle just doing simple daily tasks, such as buying groceries at the Supermarket would be a nightmare as everything was written in Vietnamese unless you bought imported goods that cost more. The upside to everything has to be the cost of living! it's ridiculously low and affordable which makes it all worthwhile.
Be prepared to feel frustrated! it took me about 6 months in total to fully embrace the Vietnamese culture. Now I am so happy because I am aware of how things operate. Like wine, time makes everything better.
2. What to bring and what to leave behind.
Vietnam is a tropical country! Leave all jackets and coats at home. I repeat leave all warm clothes at home. Temperatures vary between 25 to 30 °C but the humidity makes it feel even hotter. The Vietnamese are very conservative so dressing for work requires shoulders and knees to be covered.
3. Jobs in ESL
Finding employment in Vietnam is extremely easy if you are seeking employment as an ESL / TEFL teacher. There are so many ESL jobs you could find. Facebook has thousands of vacancies being posted either for online teaching or in-class teaching. Minimum requirements are usually a TEFL Certificate and Degree.
Is there anything else I’ve missed? I’ll be glad if you share it in the comments below. Let me know about your experience.
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