So I am originally from the UK, and have been living in Vietnam for the last 6 months. So far I have really been liking and appreciating the cost of living, and have met some good friends, mainly expats through work (I'm a teacher ), not so close with many locals, but there are certainly opportunities to pursue relationships I have found.
However there are things that I am not really a fan of, such as air quality is very poor, so much pollution, especially in Ho Chi Minh City where I live. It also not very walkable , as in it's very inconvenient to walk even short distances as the roads are full of traffic even on the side walks, there are bikes and due to the intense humidity and heat , walking, even a little bit can make you sweaty. Also don't want to sound like I'm nitpicking too much just clearly stating my own experiences.
Also I like changing seasons, but here especially in this city it is always hot and humid, and the humidity makes the pollution a lot worse, but I like it when the seasons change.
Also how as a teacher, the way education works in Vietnam is kinda controversial, (anyone who has been a teacher here, probably knows) , and I guess it's also depends on the company you work for , but it seems, English education is more about making profit than actually teaching, (I know this goes for many places doing TEFL and related) but also like in my experience, all kids will get a passing grade, as in it is impossible for them to fail, so many kids can behave how they want, with little encouragement from their parents or their schools and still progress. Despite their parents paying lots of money for it.
There is also a question of how productive education is. There is a massive culture of getting kids used to having nap time, which happens a few times a day, this is a habit that then carries on to adulthood. I don't have a problem with napping itself, but the kids seem to be treated too kindly with not much consequence, even at the age of 10, many children are given massive teddy bears and toys and get taken care of by a nanny and sometimes even get to go home to sleep and come back, only to just passively breeze through an easy lesson, where the effort they put in doesn't matter too much.
Now ofcourse despite this I will say, my time here has been rewarding too. Many kids are passionate and have been great to work with, and others not so much.
Then there is the holiday season which is only one week , (Tet holiday for the lunar new year) which happens in February, and maybe there will be a couple days off here and there not many, but there is no fixed term system. This implies that you will be working every week almost from September to February, and the same goes for the kids who will attend school every week, which leaves them and yourself getting very exhausted.
Now why have I been considering Japan? Well, yes I'll admit I am interested in Japanese culture, art and music, and I am aware that Japanese work culture can be very tough even as an ALT, but I am still young at the moment, so if there was any time to experience that I would say it would be while I'm young. But also, it seems to be a country where I would be more open to staying long term, as in I am interested in learning the language, there is clean drinking tap water, and I'm no expert but I believe the schools are also different, and education is more productive. Also the weather and air quality in Japan is different, and schools do seem to have fixed term holidays such as for Christmas and Easter.
I am overall unsure however as again I'll say the cost of living in Vietnam is really good (I know in Japan it will be tougher as there are lower salaries and it is a lot more expensive than Vietnam) , and I met good people (though I know there will be good people wherever I go), but also there seems to good potential here for dating and relationships, (as in I have dated and if I chose to stay here long term it may be possible to have a good relationship here). So I wonder how much dating culture (casual and long term) varies in Japan and Vietnam.
by Vader60