Observations

Greetings.

When I first discovered the Expat.com it was a great source of relief and comfort. After all, for many of us being away from our native countries for an extended length of time can, besides being a great adventure, also be a source of stress. A stranger in a strange land is always happy to see a familiar face or, being unfamiliar with a foreign tongue, engage in a conversation in their own native language. Thus, the expat-blog seemed to be an excellent way of connecting with my fellow countrymen and learning from their experiences as to the many details and practicalities of living in a foreign country. I still believe this is fundamentally true at least in the beginning of one's journey, yet sadly, I am disappointed with the kinds of rhetoric and rudeness that seem to be bandied about on this forum. It seems that internet etiquette is far removed from the manners and respect we show one another over a cup of coffee or in a chance encounter on the street. For example, I have seen this posted several times: ‘Many expats are losers who couldn't make it in their own country.' Really? Considering that the USA was founded entirely by expats, this is really a remarkable lack of insight. Losers are people who are, for one reason or another miserable and choose to do nothing about it. Someone who uproots themselves from all that is familiar including friends, family, language, and all the conveniences of a known environment to insert themselves into an unknown environment and learn a new terrain and customs from scratch is, by my way of thinking, intrepid to say the least. This is no loser by any definition of the word. As far as income is concerned, it is indeed always convenient to get more mileage than less. It would be no different for an American in New York City to relocate to Arkansas and have an appreciably better lifestyle in terms os square-footage and grocery bills. I know some very wealthy Norwegians who vacation in the USA for extended periods of time renting expensive cars and being rather extravagant and even ostentatious. But no one that I know of insults them, they are after all good for the economy. Notwithstanding, it does not require a lot of courage for the wealthy to travel abroad. My hat is off however to those on a limited or fixed income who decide to see what else life offers, to keep seeking happiness if it has so far eluded them.

The amount of complaining expats do with regard to the Vietnamese culture and habits is also disturbing to me. After having been here now for quite a while (and having already traveled much of the world) I must say that I prefer the Vietnamese culture and people to any others, bar none. I love my country and Europe is nice, but Vietnam is authentic. There is very little posing going on in this country. I have never seen such earnest, hard-working, graceful, inventive and gentle people in my life.

Of the few expats I have come to know here, they seem to associate only amongst themselves and their topics of conversation are often disparaging and petty. All I can say is ‘open your eyes' and try to integrate. Learn the language. I now have a wonderful network of family and friends here and frankly no longer miss meeting with other expats. I feel like I am a part of this magical landscape and I have indeed found the happiness that has always eluded me in the past.

On a lighter note, the comment that was posted regarding foreigners with fat bellies, I couldn't help but scratch my head. After all, walk into anyone's house almost anywhere in the country and you'll find statues of Buddha everywhere.

Lighten up, be kind, and enjoy your stay in Vietnam.