Binh Duong- accepted an offer at Eastern International University

Hi Katie!
Hearty welcome to Saigon!
Unfortunately their website is in Vietnamese.
Eastern International University

Check here for some information in English.

How long is your contract?

You should bring your concerned certificates, a police verification certificate from your local station(for work permit),
your original passport of course and ticket
If you need some other information feel free ask me.

Thuong Charma

Thanks for the info
Am wondering about personal items that I should bring that may be difficult to find. For example in China it is difficult to buy deodorant (they don't use it!!) and also my skincare products are cheaper via duty free as China puts a luxury tax on them!!

It is both exciting and daunting moving to a new country

In Binh Duong you may struggle to find western products, but HCMC is only 30-40 mins away and plenty of places there to find your specialist things.
Generally speaking toiletries are easy to come buy, some of the hair products can be hit n miss (but as your in China I should imagine the same applies there). Skin care products again they are available, but can't comment on prices as it's not something I buy or notice too much.
Deodorant is plentiful, although I prefer the western over the local products, but then I suffer from excessive sweat so no surprises.

No idea if you have access to such times in Nanjing...

High SFP Sunscreen - If you have sensitive skin needing above 35 SPF, bring your own... the max I've ever seen is 50 SPF and that was once. I bring back the 100 SPF for family members whenever I come visit.

That's all I can think of for now.

Good toilet paper... the stuff in VN is crap (see what I did there??) Really any paper products, if you fancy them... napkins, tissues, etc.

Hi Katielou

I live nearby Eastern International University . It's about 5km from my house to go there. And I also a local person that area so that if you need some help from me . Be honor to help you . I help you like any friend of yours

My skype is : jupiter_7114
Cell phone number: 0963448769

Hello.. I am also living in Binh Duong(Thu Dau Mot City).
I guess this is the center of Binh Buong. You will have no problem here. Very peaceful and cheaper than in Saigon.
Nowadays a lot of western resto here.

I am also an expat here.
So far so good.

The university is in the new city which is still very much under construction. There isn't much there except for lots of vacant lots.

However about 15mins drive away there is Thu Dau Mot City where u can get just about everything you want. HCMC is close to an hour and a half drive away from the university.

Here is a map with weblinks so u get more of an idea about what's around.

Thanks so much for the map
It is now clear why I have not been able to find much on the internet. Guess I will need to be sure I have everything I need for daily life before I get there!!

This is your boss: 

http://becamex.com.vn/

They own just about everything in BD, including several western style stores.

Thanks Teacher Mark
Had a look at the link but it is in Vietnamese and I cannot translate it here in China - will try again when I am away from the "great firewall of China". Do you know anything about the company and what it is like to work for?

Katielou did you notice at the top of the page that you can change it to English?

http://becamex.com.vn/en

Thanks Budman1 that worked perfectly
Do you know anything about the company and/or University and/or surrounding areas???

Katielou Glad to be of assistance. No can't help you on that. I'm retired from everything and live way out in the sticks:). I'm sure there are other folks on the site that can give you some information though.

Sorry, I forgot that you might not be able to access some sites.  Can you open this  site?[/large][/large]BD Blog

You can use Google Chome for rough translations, too. 

I don't know much about thecompany.  I just took note of thd fact that they own several secondary schools and Eastern, in addition to real estate.  You don't have to look far to see their name.

I've lived in several different cities in Vietnam, including TDM/BD.  I liked it the most, despite having half of my clothes stolen there.

i am also living at BD, i know a place where alot of expat do go for meal at evening, the boss is an US guy, nice steaks, pizzas, and others....forget the name, nearby LAVENDER hotel, just a few blocks away from BECAMEX tower..... push the place!!!!

welcome katielou

Hi,
Welcome to VN. I have some friends who live and work in Binh Duong. And they all teach English.It's a good place.

sunscreen, they don't sell big bottles here. bring the clothes that you need, bras and panties for your size. there are good tailors but just bringing your own clothes makes everything so much easier, most of the clothes here are really small.
not sure about skin care, but I don't know what grade the essential oils they sell here. couldn't find tea tree oil here either.

some stuff like baking soda is really hard to find except for some specialty shops in Saigon. They  have lots of types of green teas here, but I'm not sure about Japanese green teas. Also, not a lot of herbal infusion teas (found some by Dilmah - Chamomile and Rosehip in Saigon) but if you have a preference for your own herbal teas, bring them with you.

Having said that, travelling is all about embracing change and Vietnam sometimes surprises me with the variety of things that I didn't expect to find in their supermarkets. You'll learn to live without some things. Congratulations on your new job!

There's a somewhat posh shopping centre and about 3 supermarkets in town. It's not too shabby, and there are about 2 western restaurants and you'll find out more info from your colleagues. If you're adventurous about food, you'll find there are many good food stalls selling cheap, delicious dishes.

surprise to know lots of expart here. IGuest that you are all working for EIU there. I'm a local BINH duong.nice to know you all.
so far,there r three supermarket for your choice,the fourth one should be a Korean Lotter mart.not sure when they launch,another coming is Japan supermarket which is under construction.you will have lots of choice here. cinema too.if still not find what u want, a bus to hcm wiill settle.dont worry too much.

Hi katielou and anyone else who works at EIU....

I'm thinking off applying for EIU. I stumbled upon this post when trying to find out stuff about the place. There really isn't much info about the Uni online!
I was wondering what's it like to work there as a teacher? I work in a high school in China and the students are highly motivated and I get a lot of freedom with what I can teach, on the other hand I get almost no guidance and have to source almost all of the materials myself. What are the students and the course materials like? And the expectations of the foreign teachers?
What about living there? Accommodation, holidays, social scene etc.
The job advertised looks great and I'm so close to applying but I'm a little put off by the lack of information available.
Thanks in advance for your help!!

There's not a lot of info. because their teachers and students are happy.  They have little trouble attracting either.

Hi markrf

If you have further questions please contact me and I am only too happy to respond.

   25 PAID holidays?  Free accommodation??  You poor thing! 

You should go talk to the guys over at AMA.  It's a great place to work!

Hi Katie

Thanks so much for a detailed reply. Very helpful. The lazy student thing is quite a turn off. As is the isolation of the apartments. I've been teaching in a small village now for a couple of years now so I'm looking more for something a bit less isolated!
I've still got a few months here so I think I'll bide my time and see what else comes up.

Thanks again for you help.

Mark

Hello everyone, not sure if this thread is still active. Just arrived into Binh Duong, VN for work.

Hope to get some advice from the daily necessities to localized specifics and learn how to get around without being taken for a ride (not too much at least). Haha.

First shot. Where do I find reasonable bespoke tailors in Binh Duong? Are they only found in HCMC ?

WorthdeRisque wrote:

Hello everyone, not sure if this thread is still active. Just arrived into Binh Duong, VN for work.

Hope to get some advice from the daily necessities to localized specifics and learn how to get around without being taken for a ride (not too much at least). Haha.

First shot. Where do I find reasonable bespoke tailors in Binh Duong? Are they only found in HCMC ?

You will find many more tailors in Saigon.  Here in BD look on Phu Loi street in Thu Dau Mot ( the area near Binh Duong Square plaza and going away from highway 13/Binh Duong Blvd.) 

Getting around, busses, xe om, taxi.  Depends on where you are going.

Hi! welcome to Binh Duong, Vietnam!

This is an old thread but you might still find some useful information. With regards to your question, I'm sorry but I am not familiar with tailors here. Though some of my colleagues still go to HCMC for that purpose.

I am also staying in Binh Duong area. Most of the things you'll be needing are here already unless you prefer some specific brands.

Enjoy your stay!

Hi Katielou,

I'm considering applying for an English language teacher position at Eastern International University starting next June.
Would you recommend the university? How was your experience there ?

Thanks !