biggish data

$$$$ support $$$$

QUOTE (Moto-zutto @ Jun 8 2008, 10:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (WideAwakeInTheUSA @ Jun 8 2008, 07:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (WideAwakeInTheUSA @ Jun 8 2008, 09:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Moto-zutto @ Jun 8 2008, 09:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was wondering about the proof I needed to show that I can take care of my soon to be wife.
I understand maybe I need the last 3 years tax returns, bank statements, life insurance.

I want to know if I make enough to cover for her or do I need a co-signer?

I make U.S. Military pay, and I have $400,000 life insurance, and about $ 10,000 in the bank currently. is that enough or how much to I need ?

thanks!!!

http://www.travel.st.../info_1327.html

Military Personnel only need to meet 100% of the poverty level if I'm not mistaken. So look at your number of Dependents (including your Fiancee/Spouse) and you'll have your number.

Look, a typo on the Dept. of State website!

100%) for an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces sponsoring his orher spouse or children.

awesome, Just what I was looking for, I make over $20,000 a year so there should be no problem!!!! Thank you ZeeNusah and WideAwakeInTheUSA for the quick responses!!!!

No problem. Always willing to help a member of the Armed Forces. Thank you.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-08 21:03:00

$$$$ support $$$$

QUOTE (WideAwakeInTheUSA @ Jun 8 2008, 09:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Moto-zutto @ Jun 8 2008, 09:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Look, a typo on the Dept. of State website!

100%) for an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces sponsoring his orher spouse or children.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-08 20:47:00

$$$$ support $$$$

QUOTE (Moto-zutto @ Jun 8 2008, 09:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-08 20:44:00

HCMC May30th Interview

Congratulations!

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-09 19:16:00

Does HCMC Accept Direct Consular Filings?

QUOTE (patricks @ Jun 12 2008, 12:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, you can.....I filed a CR1 locally in HCMC and it only took 4 months to process....

However, there's some prerequisites! You need to have have lived & worked in VN for at least one year and they will request
1.) police records showing your local VNs residency,
2.) copy of your passport pages,
3.) letter from your employer OR business records

That's the situation 3 years ago so the process may have changed? Go to the ACS (american citizen services) @ the Consulate and ask them?

Good luck,

P

Thanks. I think it may have changed because I found a post on another board that said they do not accept them but that USCIS has a field office in HCMC where you can submit the I-130.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-11 23:44:00

Does HCMC Accept Direct Consular Filings?

I haven't found the information on here. I am assuming that they do not. It looks like I am going to be going there to live for a while and since I haven't got the papers in yet it would be the best option for us.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-11 20:59:00

How many people have met in person?

That many?!! It was nice to meet you and Mai. I know that you are probably having trouble convincing Mai now that the life of a Truck Drivin' couple isn't for you!

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-12 05:23:00

One Way Plane Ticket

I got mine (round trip) through United and got the best deal ($1196 from the East Coast). Believe me I researched it for a couple of months and they were the cheapest. So I would go to United's website united.com and get the quote and flight information, then call them and check on the available seats. If you chose to buy the ticket you have to get it through the website or you will have to pay $15 more. After I got the ticket I was able to go and check on the seating with my MileagePlus account. I was able to get a window seat on all of the flights except the one departing HCMC, it was packed. I also noticed that after late March the prices went up dramatically. The same ticket would cost me $1500.00, no matter when I left.

Hope any of the information helps MP.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-02-16 21:28:00

My case completed at NVC yesterday HOORAAAAY

QUOTE (2x2y2z @ Jun 12 2008, 08:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (kilun @ Jun 12 2008, 08:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi, Duke. Thanks for the tips. You have the date of the showdown yet?
I heard some people on this site stated that the Consulate sometimes asks for proof of purchasing flight tickets (meaning bank statements or card statements which show that you actually spent your money on the tickets). I did save the boarding passses on every flight, but not THE MONEY!
Does mailing the stuff cost lots of money? Which carrier did you choose? You're right 'bout the stress associates with the luggage. My question is at what cost can you ease such stress?
Thanks again, Duke. Good luck to you, too.

Just my opinion, of course, but I think a copy of the passport with a color photo of the visa(s) used to enter Vietnam and the ticket stubs, etc., would be enough.

You can send stuff by boat, which can takes several months, but it's not too pricey. I'm also going to try to get my wife a map of whichever airport so she at least knows where she needs to go... I'm playing this one by ear!

Call the Airline and have them email you a receipt. It will look like this:

PRIMS OTIS -------------- OTIS TICKET INQUIRY ------------------------ 05/23/08
TKT-NO: 016 2170 548948 2 / 000 STAT D E/P: E *PRIMARY CONJ 2170 548948 / 000
NAME Snuffy, Joe ISSUE-DTE 01/31/08 DAY-BATCH-SEQ 038-000075-000
SOLD BY 00-43711 3* RPT-DTE 01/31/08 BANK-REF 0000000000 *MULT TKTS Y
TOUR-ID COMPEN-CD O CORR CDS: SALE RFD DUPLICATES N
ELEC-SALE: Y REPR-CD: PR-ADJ-CD: FARE 863.00
OCAK A/L FLT CL DATE TIME FBC TKTDES RPT FARE *TAX UST 30.80
01XORD OO 5923 W 02/20 0600 WLXWEB UAC 33.82 *TAX MISC 302.50
02XHKG UA 0895 W 02/20 1217 WLXWEB UAC 334.72 PENALTY
03OSGN UA 0867 W 02/21 2050 WLXWEB UAC 62.96 SVC CHG
04XHKG UA 0856 W 03/20 0700 WLXWEB UAC 62.96 TOTAL 1196.30
*1XORD UA 0896 W 03/20 1140 WLXWEB UAC 334.72
02 CAK OO 6377 W 03/20 1950 WLXWEB UAC 33.82
F-O-P PC 80 AUDITOR: CURR USD RT 1.000000 A/C: CURR RT
BA 1196.30 CARD-# xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx EXP AUTH 103167 PID H LSC E

NO ADD-COLLECT DATA
NET-REMIT AGY-RPT-COMPEN TOTAL DISCOUNT $
FARE-WAIVER UNMTCHED: VALUE TKT-USE-CORR-ACTN-CD
SLOT CPN USE PR LOCATION/INFORMATION AC DATE
01 ME01 LIFT 02/20/08 0000000 5923 2 CAK CHI 33.82 02/22
02 ME02 LIFT 02/20/08 0000000 0895 2 CHI HKG 334.72 02/26
03 ME03 LIFT 02/21/08 0000000 0867 2 HKG SGN 62.96 02/26
04 ME04 LIFT 03/20/08 0000000 0856 2 SGN HKG 62.96 03/25
*1 ME01 LIFT 03/20/08 0000000 0896 2 HKG CHI 334.72 03/25
02 ME02 LIFT 03/20/08 0000000 7352 2 CHI CAK 33.82 03/25
********************************* END OF DATA *********************************

They have asked a few people for these even thought they provided everything else.

You may also want to compile a timeline of your relationship and have it notarized. They have also been asking for these on occasion.

Good luck.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 12 June 2008 - 09:17 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-12 21:15:00

K3 Or CR-1?

QUOTE (CHeCraig @ Jun 12 2008, 11:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HeLLo everyone!

a little bit confused like other's I would like to know what's the difference between filing a k3 than CR-1? which is more convinient and more wise thing to do?

Anyone will help me to clarify this...

Thanks a lot and GOd Bless you all!

With a K-3 there is what's called an adjustment of status (AOS) once your Wife gets to America. She must wait for the green card. With a CR-1 she would get a stamp upon arrival that would allow her to work. Plus the fees associated with th AOS do not apply. You also don't need to mess with the I-129. Only the I-130. There may be some other differences, but I think those are the main ones. It takes a little longer, but the paperwork goes through the Nation Visa Center (NVC) after it goes through either California or Vermont. The NVC is now accepting online payments also. It seems to be speeding up the process.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 12 June 2008 - 10:34 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-12 22:32:00

Has Anyone On Here Taught English In Viet Nam?

If so, how did you like it? Any advice? Thanks.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-14 18:04:00

Is there any benefit to marrying in Vietnam?

QUOTE (Haole @ Jun 17 2008, 03:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (JonasMichaels @ Jun 16 2008, 09:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi all, does anyone have any opinion on k1 vs k3 in the case of Vietnam? Is there any BENEFIT to marrying in Vietnam? I hear the timelines for k1 and k3 are running about the same now. Is either a surer bet? My girl is pushing to marry in VN but I want to do what is best to get her here with me. Any thoughts from those of you who went through this process already? Thanks
Jonas

Best to do a K1 as if you marry and she doesn't get approved you have a wife abroad.

Haole has a point there, but there is no "one size fits all" answer. Furthermore if the relationship is legitimate and you are honest with the Consulate she will be approved. The only question is how long will it take?

My first question for you would be do you meet the financial requirements for sponsoring a Fiancee/Spouse? HCMC is not accepting Co-Sponsors for K-1 Visas at this time. This forces many to marry in Viet Nam and pursue a K-3 or a CR1/IR1 visa. Many failed K-1 applications also end up marrying there and going this route.

There were many reasons we decided to marry there. My main concern was my wifes reputation and the fact that I had a bad year financially in 2005. The regulations state that you only need to show 1 year out of the past 3 at 125% above the poverty level for 2 people. Regardless of this fact HCMC has been known to ask for a Co-Sponsor if you have been below that level in the past 3 years.

Another factor that came into play in our case was the fact that I feel that if push comes to shove and I do need to enlist the help of outside forces then I would rather state that I am separated from my Wife, not my Fiancee. That is a personal choice obviously.

At this point we have actually chose for me to relocate there and teach English. After 1 year I can submit the CR1/IR1 (I-130) at the USCIS Field Office in HCMC. If your ties to America are flexible then you could always chose this route as well.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 17 June 2008 - 02:45 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-17 02:41:00

Does The Vietnamese Government Recognize U.S. Marriages?

QUOTE (Thai @ Jun 20 2008, 01:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So let's say a foreigner gives birth in Vietnam , what procedures that nêeded to be done so she can take her kid out of Vietnam ?

I used to have gÆ¡od thinkings about the current Vietnamese law system, but after this incident I must re-think about it.

Is it always about the money ?

You may want to call Ellis about it.

I think some of the local governments may still be corrupt. I have no personal experience but I have heard stories.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 20 June 2008 - 12:07 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-20 00:03:00

Does The Vietnamese Government Recognize U.S. Marriages?

In other words, when a USC marries a VN National after obtaining a K-1 Visa would the VN Government recognize the marriage. I think they do but I'm having trouble locating the proof on the net.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 19 June 2008 - 10:34 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 22:33:00

What The Hell Is Wrong With The Consulate in HCM ct

QUOTE (Thai @ Jun 20 2008, 12:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hmmm, I don't know. but they asked my wife to go back to San Francisco to have the marriage license notarized .
I was like ####### ? so if an American happens to have labor in Vietnam, she must fly back to the US to have her marriage license notarized by the Vietnamese consulate and bring it back to Vietnam, then they can continue with the process so they can take their kid out of Vietnam .

This is the most stupid thing that I've ever heard of .

It may be true. They define ####### when it comes to paperwork.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 20 June 2008 - 12:01 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-20 00:01:00

What The Hell Is Wrong With The Consulate in HCM ct

QUOTE (WideAwakeInTheUSA @ Jun 19 2008, 11:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here's the email for the Vietnamese Consulate in SF. Try emailing them. t took this guy 4 months to respond to a visa question, but he said he had been doing research in another Country. He responded to another question within 15 minutes. I wish I had more advice. One of these days there may actually be Congressional hearings about the US Consulate in HCMC.

info@vietnamconsulate-sf.org

QUOTE (Thai @ Jun 19 2008, 11:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and the marriage license was obtained in the US. The original and the papers from the court sent to us after we register.

So the Vietnamese does not recognize a US marriage license . Nice .

#######?? They are probably looking for "Coffee and Eat" money.

I would also try sending my Father In Law in if it were me. Maybe they will tell him what they really want. I would say $10 to $20 is probably the answer.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 22:28:00

What The Hell Is Wrong With The Consulate in HCM ct

QUOTE (Thai @ Jun 19 2008, 11:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and the marriage license was obtained in the US. The original and the papers from the court sent to us after we register.

So the Vietnamese does not recognize a US marriage license . Nice .

#######?? They are probably looking for "Coffee and Eat" money.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 19 June 2008 - 10:22 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 22:21:00

Visa denied...asked for list of relatives

QUOTE (Haonie @ Jun 20 2008, 09:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (dq2000 @ Jun 20 2008, 09:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi everyone!

My fiance had her interview in HCMC yesterday and was denied. We were introduced by mutual friends that were dating (they met online). Anyhow, I mentioned him in my application, and I think they just want to know more about him. I'm saddened by this, but I think i understand why and so we're confident we'll pass after giving them what else they want.

I had a few questions that I was hoping someone could give me advice on: One of the things they asked for was a list of her family in the US. Do we need to send an *entire* list? Or just the heads of households? And most important, they ask for evidence that is the current address. How the heck do I do that?

thanks so much for your help,

DQ

In my opinion,

1. List all members in the house. Sex, Age, Cousins, Brother, Sister, Occupation, Address

About your evidence current address, Iâ€™m confuse it. Are they ask you for your current address? If itâ€™s, then driver license is your proof.

Sorry to hear to about this.

Good luck.

Some sort of bill in the person's name should work. Like an electric bill, etc.. This is a new one. I would email them and try to verify that though.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 20 June 2008 - 08:29 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-20 20:28:00

QUOTE (ding @ Jun 20 2008, 12:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, that sounds pretty darn Drakonian. Hard to understand it...
I don't know what to say. Maybe they have her confused with another person and don't think it's real???

They have themselves confused with human beings is more like it.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 23:28:00

QUOTE (AmericanGentleman @ Jun 19 2008, 04:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The primary question I posed to ME in the email was if it is too late for him to get involved. I am thinking there is not a known answer for that though.

I don't think so. In most cases this is actually where he comes in.

We decided to use him from the start because I spend so much time reading these horror stories. I want to be prepared. It's like the saying goes "The war is won before the first battle is even fought". This is literally a war sometimes.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 15:46:00

QUOTE (AmericanGentleman @ Jun 19 2008, 04:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks all for your input. As upset as I am, I am going to remain positive. If it does go back, as it is likely to, I guess I have about 2 years from today before she will be sitting down for round 2's interview right?

I don't think it would be that long. The goal now is keeping the case in Country.

This is only the first interview, correct? If so then the problems they highlighted need to be addressed.

Look at this user:

http://www.visajourn...?showuser=38699

Around 60 days in Administrative Review (with ME's help).

Then there's Lovemyhuegirl:

http://www.visajourn...?showuser=35078

Then 3AD:

http://www.visajourn...?showuser=14430

Every case is obviously different and they seem to have thrown alot at you two. It doesn't look like anything that can't be overcame though, in my opinion.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 15:32:00

QUOTE (Haole @ Jun 19 2008, 04:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

“Photo evidence submitted cannot establish the petitioner and beneficiary in each other’s presence for more than approximately four days.”

This statement is true. We have only had one visit together and picture to span this time period. However, according to the requirements on the I-129f application, it states that you must have met your fiancé in person within the past two years. We have fulfilled this requirement“Photo evidence submitted cannot establish the petitioner and beneficiary in each other’s presence for more than approximately four days.”

That's the reason my fiance was denied. Just proving you have met in the last 2 years doesn't count much at the interview.
Main thing is you have to prove you have a bonafide relationship.
4 days together doesn't hack it unless you have tons of other communication and financial evidence.
First time I didn't have much as I thought alls I had prove was having met in the last 2 years.
PICTURES especially with her family was what the CO was looking for when my fiance was denied!
Next time around I made two long trips to be with my lady and took LOTS of pictures. Had bucoo phone, emails, financial and chat records also.
I approached it like a job or making a movie. Most pictures, emails were orchestrated for immigration. Not a lot of spur of the moment pictures.

No problems that time.

HCMC is making their own rules.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 15:09:00

QUOTE (AmericanGentleman @ Jun 19 2008, 03:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

48 hours and no response from ME...sigh

He works with a guy named Mr. Truong. Anyone have that phone number in Viet Nam? I'll call my wife later tonight and see if she has it.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 14:14:00

QUOTE (AmericanGentleman @ Jun 18 2008, 05:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wide,
Sendign you a PM. But let me first make a public apology to you for my previous posts expressing my distrust. You were 100% correct and I was 100% wrong. I apologize.

Forget about that AG. This is BS, we all know it.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-18 17:08:00

QUOTE (AmericanGentleman @ Jun 18 2008, 04:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My fiance was denied the visa. First they asked she come back with a timeline. She had one already prepared. They would not even look at it. They said it must come from the petitioner and be notarized. So I sent one via global express and she took it to the embassy. They then simply denied her the visa, saying they believe it to be a sham.

They state that my fiance does not know the basic about me such as the name of my parents. My fiance gave them the correct answer. Hell, she write to my mother regularly, how would she address the envelope if she didnt know her name? Not to mention she has had my G325 for a year now.

My fiance told me that she did the interview in vietnamese with a lady translating to a male american consular. I think she didnt translate properly or they were simply dead set on denying her. It makes no sense to ask for a timeline by me and then flat out deny her for stuff unrelated to our timeline.

I sent in another letter today to address the reasons they gave for denial and to plead my case in hopes to reverse the decision before they send it back to the states. But I think we will be screwed this time.

If I have to go thru this again from square one, you can bet I will be applying for residency in some other country as a backup plan while the US continues its fustercluck of an immigration system.

We've been warned about the Translator's. We were advised not to use them if at all possible.

Have you contacted your Representatives yet?

P.S. You know who I would normally advise someone to call. If you need his contact info PM me.

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 18 June 2008 - 03:10 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-18 15:08:00

Delivery in Vietnam

QUOTE (Melrose Plant @ Jun 22 2008, 12:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't mean to be indelicate, but lady, you are crazy! I have been in Cho Ray hospital, and I know about other hospitals in Vietnam. I don't understand why you would want to travel halfway around the world, be away from your husband, and receive sub-standard health care. If you want your mother to be with you, apply for a visa for her. It is early enough now.

Good luck to you!

I was wondering if there may be another Viet Nam, because it didn't sound like the one that I had been to! In all fairness I didn't visit any hospitals, but I've heard the stories.

It's obviously a personal choice. I wish you the best of health and luck.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-22 06:46:00

Good news on both counts. Congratulations!

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-19 12:05:00

Sorry to hear about the accident. I'll keep him in my prayers. Please keep us posted.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-16 15:31:00

QUOTE (visao @ Jun 5 2008, 10:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Congrats!

What is CR-1?

The CR-1 (less than 2 years married)/IR-1(more than 2 years married) Visa is an option that married couples have. It looks like you are doing a K-1, so it isn't an option for you.

It is essentially the best Visa you can get since it permits work immediately upon arrival. There is no Adjustment of Status (AOS).

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-05 23:08:00

QUOTE (Tyrobe @ Jun 5 2008, 03:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This morning my wife and I went to U.S. Consulate in HCMC for her interview scheduled at 8 am. We left at 6:30 and got there at 7:30 am. Sometimes after 10 am I got a phone call from my wife as she just got out of the gate. She said, it's "pink!" We are both very excited right now. The visa pickup date is June 12th. Anyway, I'll make sure to post the details later.

Less than a year for a HCMC CR-1! I think you guys set a record there! Congratulation's!

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-05 03:00:00

Weird question for those of you who know VIETNAM

QUOTE (Kevin&Loan @ Jun 30 2008, 09:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ILoveTan,

Good question but you worry too much

... I know you are stressing out about the whole ordeal and all but it is all good. That "law" is only being enforced by more upscale 4, 5 stars hotels like New World, Sharaton, Caravelle and the likes ... For the rest of our "common folks" who stay at 20, 30 bucks a night hotels, we are "exempt"

... The Consulate knows.

Ours was $12.00 a night and I still think they jacked up the price a little because I'm American. It was actually nicer than many Hotels I have stayed at in America. They even have a guest retrieval service. I went out alone and walked right past it when I was returning. The manager jumped on his moped and came after me!

We were married by then though so us staying together wasn't an issue.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-30 13:34:00

Weird question for those of you who know VIETNAM

QUOTE (dalegg @ Jun 29 2008, 11:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is a good question. If your genders were reversed I say don't use it, but I doubt they would ever accuse you of hiring your fiance as a male prostitute. I guess you never know though. Kind of a silly rule if you think about it. Guests had to leave by 10 if I'm not mistaken- because people don't have sex before 10 pm. They used to care when we stayed at hotels though. We used to have to rent a second room.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-30 13:30:00

Getting pregnant after failed interview.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-06-30 15:45:00

sorry.... you're right, it is irresponsible of me to not wear one ... it is only because I remember when no one did and I enjoyed it so much. Such a free feeling. We wear one now all the time since Tan got fined.

No need for apologies. I'm no Angel myself. I didn't wear one around Cai Be (the short trips), but always had one on for the long trips. I guess that makes me a hypocrite!

We almost wiped out on the way to My Tho in March. We were on our way to sign our marriage papers. An old man pulled out onto the highway without looking. My foot clipped his motorbike. I just hunkered down and waited for the crash. Somehow Ba managed to keep us upright! I turned around and started yelling at the old man and he started yelling at me. Good times!

Congratulations on the fact that you are able to return. Maybe we can all get together in November or December.

P.S. James, I'm essentially a Scaredy-Cat!

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 04 July 2008 - 06:49 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-07-04 18:47:00

Sorry to be a party pooper, but you've hit on a sore spot:

Last year I was working as a Technician for a Company that provided mattresses for long term rehab patients. There were two patients that I dealt with that I will always remember. One was a 23 year old girl who was now brain dead. What caused it? Motorcycle (no helmet). The other was a 50ish male who had an indention in his head that you could rest a basketball on (it was literally that big). He could talk but it was jibberish. What caused it? Motorcycle (no helmet).

Vietnam shows effect of motorcycle helmets
Injuries dropped up to 30% after their use became mandatory.

By Melissa Dribben

Inquirer Staff Writer
HANOI, Vietnam - About a year ago, Rose Moxham, an Australian writer living in Hanoi, stopped at a red light on her motorbike. Some of her fellow travelers stopped as well. But not all.

To understand what happened next, it helps to know a couple of things: Ninety percent of the vehicles on Vietnam's roads are motorbikes and until Dec. 15, 2007, fewer than 10 percent of riders wore helmets. The second is that, in this rapidly developing country, traffic controls are - like the Pirate's Code in Pirates of the Caribbean - more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.

"It happened very quickly," Moxham recalls. "A young woman on her motorbike was knocked from behind. She dropped her bike, fell off, hit her head on the road and died. Just like that." She shakes her head. "Dead."

During the previous 18 months, Moxham says, she'd seen traffic in this capital soar, and along with it, a mounting carnage. Government estimates put the death rate at 30 a day - like losing a 737 planeload of passengers every two weeks.

"We were seeing dead bodies everywhere," she says. "The traffic here is so awful and it has become exponentially worse within less than a year."

On Dec. 15, however, Vietnam enacted Resolution 32, its mandatory helmet law.

Since then, officials report a drop of 20 to 30 percent in traumatic head injuries and deaths from motorbike accidents, making it one of the world's most successful public-health initiatives in years.

That good news arrived almost to the day that, halfway around the world, the University of Pittsburgh released a report showing that since 2003, when Pennsylvania repealed its mandatory helmet law for motorcycle riders, head injuries and deaths have risen sharply: an estimated 32 percent increase in head-injury deaths and 42 percent rise in head-injury-related hospitalizations.

"The countries that adopt and enforce helmet legislation reduce injuries and deaths. And the states that repeal them see an increase," says Etienne Krug, director of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability for the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. "It's just a fact."

As any casual observer in Hanoi can see, the Vietnamese are obeying their new helmet law at extraordinarily high rates. Some put the figure at 90 percent compliance.

"I started wearing one when the government insisted on it," says Bui Thi Thao, 23, a graduate of the Hanoi Open University with a degree in hotel management. "At first it was uncomfortable, but now I'm used to it."

Shops display the utilitarian headgear in every style and shade from camo to cotton candy, stacking them like coconut shells. Men here aren't afraid, by the way, to sport pink ones. But women who ride their motorbikes to work in spiked heels and tailored suits have taken the stylistic lead. They now accessorize with sunhat-style brims in pastels and lace, florals and Burberry plaid that slip over their helmets and can be changed daily to match their outfits.

Numerous nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations have been working for years throughout Asia and Africa to promote the use of helmets. But just as in the United States, there has been resistance because riding bare-headed simply feels better.

In Vietnam, climate complicates the problem. Heavy motorcycle helmets were dubbed "rice cookers" for reasons that are drenchingly obvious to anyone acquainted with the summer's heat and humidity.

"The goal was to get as many helmets on as many heads as possible," says Terry Smith, a member of the board of the nonprofit Asia Injury Prevention Foundation. "The victim in many of these accidents is the wage earner. So when he gets injured, the social cost is enormous."

Smith, who has a doctorate in biomechanics and works for Dynamic Research Inc., a helmet testing lab in California, helped develop a helmet that was lightweight and ventilated enough to suit the country's tropical conditions.

These helmets are now being produced in a factory on the outskirts of Hanoi and sell for about $10 - about the same as the cost of the fine if police catch you without one. For the typical citizen, whose annual income is less than $800, those fines provide a powerful incentive to wear - if not necessarily properly fasten - the headgear.

During the first few weeks men, women and children all wore helmets, even though the law requires helmets only on children over 14. But then rumors began circulating that even the smallest helmets are too heavy for a child's small neck to support.

Outside Huu Nghi Viet Duc hospital, a large glass-enclosed bulletin board serves as a warning of the risks of overloading motorbikes, and neglecting to put helmets on children. It contains large photos in full, garish, bloody detail showing children with crushed skulls and limbs from motorbike accidents.

The prevailing wisdom, however, maintains that children are safer without. So now mothers on motorbikes dash through the city with bare-headed babies lying across their laps. And parents, both wearing helmets, sandwich their toddlers between them, covering them with tentlike nylon ponchos when it rains - but never a helmet.

Full-face motorcycle helmets surely would be too much for a child, said Smith. But the benefits of lightweight, kid-size versions, he says, "far outweigh any problems that may be associated with neck strain."

"The arguments we're hearing are 'I'm not riding fast' or 'I'm protecting my child,' " said Smith. But as the accident that Rose Moxham witnessed shows, you don't have to be moving at all to suffer a fatal fall.

"You're falling from five or six feet up," said Smith, "onto a flat surface. Before parents can do anything, it's over. Accidents occur quickly."

Not all victims, of course, are on bikes.

To cross a street in Hanoi requires an act of faith. With over 60 percent of the nation under age 30, a noticeable contingent of riders is fueled by youthful impatience and testosterone. They text while driving, whip by pedestrians within a heart-attack's breadth, and weave in and out of traffic.

Pedestrians learn to cross streets steadily and slowly, while the honking flocks of motorbikes approach, part, fly around them, regroup and carry on.

The chaotic courtesy impressed Seymour Papert, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and expert in artificial intelligence. Papert was at a conference in Hanoi in 2006. On the last day, walking from his hotel to the meeting, he was talking to a colleague about creating a mathematical model of Hanoi's traffic when he was hit in the chest by a motorbike.

After weeks in a coma, he was airlifted back to Massachusetts. Several surgeries and months of rehabilitation later, he now lives in Maine, severely debilitated.

In America, some states that repealed helmet laws have reinstituted them after watching rates of death and injury from head trauma rise. The Pittsburgh study, however, has not moved Gov. Rendell to consider changing course.

"The governor understands the statistics," says Chuck Ardo, Rendell's press secretary. "And he encourages all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet. But he believes it is a matter of personal choice."

As Pennsylvania's ardent anti-helmet groups have maintained, the protection helmets provide is no guarantee of safety in all circumstances.

For example, in Hanoi two weeks ago, Moxham spent the afternoon at the bedside of her friend, Hania Galan.

Galan, a young Canadian artist and former teacher at the U.N. Independent School, was found by the side of the road on June 9, her motorbike by her side. Her friends have heard that a motorbike cut her off and she swerved into a concrete barrier.

"She's been in a coma," Moxham said. "Someone found her and dropped her off at the hospital. She was wearing a helmet."

An e-mail circulated among Galan's friends last week reported that she opened her eyes in response to her name. Her family was joining her, and there were plans to have her flown back to Canada as soon as possible.

http://www.philly.co...le_helmets.html

Edited by WideAwakeInTheUSA, 04 July 2008 - 03:19 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-07-04 15:18:00

Here's a site my Wife recommended:

http://raovat123.com/

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-07-04 08:00:00

QUOTE (Matt_Stevens @ Jul 3 2008, 09:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's more expensive to live in Saigon than in NYC based on Craigslist, which is absurd and not true. You have to secure your apartment by way of not being a foreigner, if you get my meaning.

I have seen decent deals on there. The only problem is are they legit. It's just a situation where you have to be on the ground to find what's best.

There were 2 things that drove me crazy over there:

1.) The garbage everywhere.

and 2.) The "Westerner" prices.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-07-04 00:42:00

QUOTE (Jack & Xuan @ Jul 3 2008, 12:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Anyone know how much you can expect to earn teaching English?

I've seen quotes ranging from $8 per hour all the way up to $20.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-07-04 00:38:00

Teaching Forum:

http://www.eslcafe.com/

Apartments (beware of spammers/scammers):

http://vietnam.craigslist.org/

I was told that any TESL/TEFL degree would do. They have classes in Sai Gon. I have found prices ranging from $800 to $1500. Beware of the recruiters. They will promise the Moon and the Stars. You also need to be careful of the schools. Some have been known to get you out in the middle of nowhere and leave you hanging.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2008-07-02 19:54:00