October expat blog gathering in HCM 19/10/2014

The Gathering was another great success with about 24 friends. We have friends from Australian,USA,British,Indian,Malaysian,Finnish,Thailand,Japan and Vietnamese. We had a great time chatting and getting to know each other better.  Some of us extended the gathering to dinner too.Thank you all for coming and hope to see all again. You are the best!

Hi everyone,

I tried to send some photos and video for you via email, but I can't send to some people.

1. Micheal (Aus)
2. Bob McFarl
3. Takiko Tamara

I took a picture of list of emails, but it's not clearly. Richard, pls help me send email for them, thank you!

Success? 
So boring because of same place and their new 'rules' !
I suggest we should find out some more places for a change.
It's a practice of many shops ignore their old customers.
You cannot say Highland Coffee House is the only location where all members can gather conveniently.
So many other event spaces are available in Q.1    Also they will serve lot of finger foods free of cost. Just pay for your beverage.
You should go and see how they serve customers. Many event organizers change their venue each time!
I don't understand why do you want to stick on that coffee shop!
Anyway, I will not come if that's the next venue.
Yeah, of course you can gather even some old members miss the event   

When it was noted that you cannot bring your own pastry, I decided to wait until another gathering. We are in Vietnam where it is quite normal to bring your own food to a coffee shop. You want big town USA? It's there waiting for the part time expats who are in reality, just tourists. Let's get together next time at some place a little less "civilized." I want to swap stories with the expats who soak in the real Vietnam, I want to meet the Vietnamese girls who enjoy the company of "Americans."

Yeah, I smelt fishy 
Almost coffee shops and restaurants allow customer to bring food and eat there. (Don't they allow to bring birthday cake too?) Richard was pushing me to sponsor from that shop! But I was helpless 
Even I didn't order any drink because of the impolite staff!
What I offered is still pending for a better place 
I attend many events but this shop is too much!

I do believe wrote:

When it was noted that you cannot bring your own pastry, I decided to wait until another gathering. We are in Vietnam where it is quite normal to bring your own food to a coffee shop. You want big town USA? It's there waiting for the part time expats who are in reality, just tourists. Let's get together next time at some place a little less civilized. I want to swap stories with the expats who soak in the real Vietnam, I want to meet the Vietnamese girls who enjoy the company of Americans.

i see there will be a demand from the "several times" visited guess, i mean the old friends will want to try something new, really. i suggest this

it is next to THE THAO CAM VIEN - THE ZOO, in the very end side of LE DUAN STREET.

or just a karaoke party, let's not just sit and talk.

or we can try buffet.
http://www.hotdeal.vn/ho-chi-minh/an-uo … 00560.html
5 USD per ticket.

just call me at 0128.33.79.123
i am the city local citizen, right on DaKao Ward, the First District.

Sincere

I do believe wrote:

When it was noted that you cannot bring your own pastry, I decided to wait until another gathering. We are in Vietnam where it is quite normal to bring your own food to a coffee shop. You want big town USA? It's there waiting for the part time expats who are in reality, just tourists. Let's get together next time at some place a little less "civilized." I want to swap stories with the expats who soak in the real Vietnam, I want to meet the Vietnamese girls who enjoy the company of "Americans."

I don't mean to take away from the efforts of Richard and his helpers because a lot of time and effort was put into organizing the get together and I commend him for his efforts and congratulate all for the success of the meet. I hope the same people organize the next get together and perhaps Richard can solicitate ideas from the members for an even bigger event. Maybe Julien can mine similar events in other countries to build a formula that will appeal to the majority.

I second you 
Just want to shift venue and some plus activities!

I do believe wrote:

I don't mean to take away from the efforts of Richard and his helpers because a lot of time and effort was put into organizing the get together and I commend him for his efforts and congratulate all for the success of the meet. I hope the same people organize the next get together and perhaps Richard can solicitate ideas from the members for an even bigger event. Maybe Julien can mine similar events in other countries to build a formula that will appeal to the majority.

Ok guys, I think Richard always tried all his best to make the montly gathering for all of us.
And I  agree with you, we should change the place sometimes to make everything more interesting. I also need to know more about Saigon. Though coffeshop or restaurant is ok with me .

Of course we can organize another venue but we chose this place because it is easily located by NEW EXPATS.Those who are here for some time are familiar with other locations but can you remember how you felt when you first came to HCM?. We can't hardly remember the street names. This is the main purpose for this gathering.
Please organize another gathering at different locations for other season expats.

We are planning a  trip to the waterfall with camping n BBQ in Nov. We will inform n discuss in next gathering ( which would be in the same place) ^^ .

FYI the staff was not rude. You are suppose to order and pay at the counter like everybody else. We should respect each other and the cafe policy. Thank you

Richard!
You are wrong!
What café policy? If so why did you collect money and give them last time?
I saw with my own eyes another customer open his wallet and give money to the waitress for his beverage and cake.
They just ignored expat-blog members only(it's the practice of many business firms to ignore their old and permanent customers). And you support that waitress on the spot and send her back. Actually I don't like to spoil that event. So I just sit there. If not that event, you can see very clearly how she will serve me. If you have some doubt in that, come with me one more time to see how staff behave! But you should sit far from me.
So don't say café policy. KFC, Lotteria.. many supply chains has same 'policy' but if customer ask strongly they will serve well. I am not first time in these places. Actually you don't know me well. When I go as a customer, of course I need good and polite service. Staff who hesitate to serve me well never forget me after that 'experience'.
Of course customer is the King, not staff. Their duty is to serve the customer well. It's applicable to my businesses too.
Give and take! When they polite and respect their customer, they will get back the same.

Richard Loo wrote:

FYI the staff was not rude. You are suppose to order and pay at the counter like everybody else. We should respect each other and the cafe policy. Thank you

It is really interesting, and I want to join it