biggish data

Vietnamese Garden

Has anyone suggested durian?

Your neighbors would love ya' for it!

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 12 August 2010 - 11:57 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-08-12 23:57:00

What would you get your in-law?

The Swiss Army knife is a good idea. I am going get one (GOT TO REMEMBER TO NOT PUT ON CARRY ON BAG, THOUGH ).

Don't blame me if you get arrested!

I did bring 10 of them when I came here though. That was a year and a half ago, but I don't think it would be a problem today. You may want to confirm that with the airline.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-07-27 12:41:00

What would you get your in-law?

If a person's stupid enough to pack it there...

I brought 10 in my suitcase last trip.

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 27 July 2010 - 12:28 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-07-27 12:24:00

What would you get your in-law?

The American style Eagle Oil is always a hit.

Multi-tools are good for men. You can get a small one at Wal Mart for about $15. If you chose to get one of these I would highly suggest Gerber or Leatherman. They're expensive, but built to last.

Posted Image

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-07-27 12:04:00

An Interesting Blog

It's not laid out very well, but I found it interesting. I think she's back in the States now.

http://rensmicrodipl...-reality-check/

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-08-20 18:59:00

I bought 10 bottles and started handing it out at work today. Talk about cheese points! My bosses were REAL happy to get this as a gift. One said his mother loves the American kind, so she'll verify if it's the right formula or not. The box says it's made in Singapore, but the lady said it's all made in Singapore, that you could tell it's the American kind by the drug warning on the back.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-02-02 06:48:00

Try the Cho Lon--last time I went they had quite the inventory... Odd place for availability, but they sure had some...

Cho Lon is great. I've never seen it there, but I haven't went there looking for it either.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-26 09:53:00

I guess so. I did go to some stores and really never saw much over the counter medication but again I didn't need it. Of course I take for granted our well stocked shelves with anything that could be wanted here in the states.

Saigon. I sent a huge bottle of Aspirin and Tylenol not long ago to my family there. let me know and I will send the info to you but have a feeling they are hoarding the stuff but just say you are a friend of mine and I am sure they will release a few. The last friend that came by to visit them was treated like a honored guest.

I appreciate it, but I can get by with the packs. Thanks for the offer.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-26 09:51:00

1.) The hot coins...uhhh, what can you say?

2.) Good luck on a bottle of Tums here Scott. The closest thing I have found were in blister packs, and they taste terrible.

3.) I've yet to locate hydrogen peroxide.

4.) A bottle of aspirin is not to be found. You can get them in the blister packs too though.

If there's any place Ive ever been that aspirin is a must it would be here.

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 25 January 2010 - 11:47 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-25 23:45:00

I'd never put that stuff in my eye!

I'm giving a test this week that has the question "How would your life be diffferent if the Interent didn't exist?" Almost every aspect of my life has changed as a result of the Internet and this site.

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 23 January 2010 - 07:41 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-23 19:39:00

For someone unfamiliar, what exactly is the stuff?

It's an ointment, sort of like Ben Gay in a liquid form.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-22 20:47:00

My wife uses the stuff it seem for everything. My eyes were red and swollen from pollen and she placed a drop in my eye. The stinging was so bad that I actually started yelling to stop. I asked her to never do that again. I had a cut this last time home that she cleaned and started to bring the bottle out to use and I got up and ran away and wouldn't come back until she put it away. She got me anyway when I was taking a nap.

You sure that wasn't this type of eyedrops?

Posted Image

They burn too. My first time here my ex put a drop in my eye and I thought she had screwed up and used the eagle oil.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-22 20:44:00

I brought a case with me last trip and I thought her relatives were gonna fight over it.. they should talked loud about who got how many bottles...

I believe it. The stuff seems to be ingrained in the culture.

I'm handing bottles out at work this year. Tet seems like a good time to kiss a little a$$.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-22 09:33:00

I tried to convince my wife that she didn't need to bring it over.

-moved to Vietnam regional forum

Sorry about the misplaced post.

All of the stores here have had the other kind that is made in Singapore. They sell authentic medicine at this shop, so I'm pretty sure it's real. May be kinda' hard to convince a native Viet that though.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-22 05:14:00

There's a pharmacy at 152 Bui Vein that has Eagle oil that is imported from America. Those of you that are coming to Vietnam for Tet may want to save a little space in your luggage and pick it up here . It makes a great gift fot Tet and is 69K VND for a large bottle -vs- 45K VND (or less) for the Singaporean version. I paid $5 a bottle in America, so it's actually a little cheaper. That's assuming it's not fake of course!

Posted Image

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-01-22 00:38:00

ANA Airline (Carryon Baggage)

Why? I can still use "pay," right? I am using "pay" in the present tense to demonstrate that my college education continues to "pay off."

"...is paying off."

You owe me $26.50 (my hourly rate) and have 59 minutes remaining on your account.

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 30 August 2010 - 06:47 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-08-30 18:46:00

Was the US embassy closed on September 3rd?

Hello everyone,

Does anyone have a loved one who tried going to the embassy on Friday September 3rd? My wife was supposed to drop off some documents that day, and she said there was a sign on the door saying it was closed for the holidays and to come back on Tuesday. The embassy web site showed it being closed on Thursday the 2nd (National Day) and Monday the 5th (Labor day), but didn't list Friday.

I read the web site, and she can submit after the day on the blue sheet, so I am only slightly concerned. Has anyone else run into a case where the embassy was closed on the day they were scheduled to go in? My concern is the documents will be made lower priority because they weren't dropped off on the day listed.

Thanks and have a great holiday weekend

It's a consulate, not an embassy. They probably gave everyone the day off since they'll be closed Monday too. Welcome to Vietnam.

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 03 September 2010 - 06:18 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-03 18:17:00

single status papers (register marriage)

do you need a single status if you are filing a K-1, for the petitioner anyway, not the beneficiary/principal applicant

The single status is for getting married in Vietnam. It has nothing to do with a K-1, or the US visa process.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-03 18:20:00

oh - good lord, no... no implication at all.

otoh - contrariwise, once a native chinese speaker DOES 'get it' - oh my - hilarity ensues, lots of 'comparitive insults' thrown down for review. My wife's family always thought was 'nice game' after hours of playing mahjhong - my apologies, that wasn't directed to YOU at all. 'subtlety of insult' is a fine art in China, but also 'rare' - ie - is not so commonplace. Most ppl insult ya quickly and blatantly. 'To be subtle' about it, though, well, perhaps you can see some similarities on language usage? If not, that's ok.. no worries - I truly wasn't trying to be insulting to anyone, just to note that PMQ takes the 'art of insult' to a new level, and once my Chinese family understood it, drew many parallels for example with me.

My bad. To each his own I guess.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-07 12:19:00

ya, is concept of 'nuance of insult' with PMQ, it's hilarious once 'gotten'.

Are you trying to imply that I don't get it?

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-06 23:57:00

is it 'tough' english, ah? YupYup..

Difficult? Yes, for most ESL students it would be. Boring is another word I'd use to describe it. The goal is to get someone interested in the language and I guarantee you that show will not do it for the average Vietnamese. Maybe things work differently in China.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-06 18:46:00

c-span puts out a 30 minute to 1 hour compilation of 'Prime Minister's Questions' each week, from the British Parliament House.

IMO, if yer really gonna learn English - that's a great TV show to watch. (Seriously)

If I made my students watch that show they'd be leaping out the windows.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-06 09:07:00

The problem I ran into with that type of adapter was space, as you mentioned. With some power cords you end up only being able to plug in the computer because the other socket doesn't have enough clearance. A lot of places only have one or two outlets in a room as well.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-10 23:39:00

I'm not sure you really need the power strip, unless you've got a lot of stuff to plug in. Most of the sockets I've seen in VN will accept either a European round-pin plug or a US blade plug. The only problem I've encountered is that there usually aren't many extra sockets in a room.

Anyway, I bring a couple of these, just in case:

http://www.radioshac...oductId=3932600

They fit in a pocket in my camera bag, so it's a lot less space than a power strip.

I can't comment on the 3G internet service. I've never used it, even in the US.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-10 23:37:00

http://english.vietn...ervices-878544/

Mobifone has the best reputation:

http://www.mobifone.com.vn/web/en/

Viettel is second:

http://viettel.com.v.../9/2010.viettel

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-10 19:05:00

Make sure anything that you plug into that powerstrip is within the VN voltage standards or you'll fry your electronic(s)!!!

I was able to get my hair dryer to work, but when I brought it back to the states, I had found that I had fried it!!!

You should consider getting a voltage converter...it'll run you between 50-100 bucks but it's totally worth it!!!

That's wierd. I would expect the fuse in the power strip to blow first.

A laptop should be fine, but you probably should check the standards. I have one that I bought in the US that I've used over a year.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-10 11:17:00

Good Morning, On my upcoming trip to Vietnam I will need to do some work. I will need to use wi-fi to access working files on my office server in the US. Does anyone have any experience doing so or knowledge? What is my best option of a strong signal that would provide me with consistent connection. I know there is a USB device, but I don't know much about it. It would enable me to access internet anywhere? What is the cost of the device? Also what about electric issues regarding the laptop. Will I have any issues charging a laptop due to different voltages or plug configurations????? I definately don't want to fry my companies computer. As always your help is greatly appreciated Mike

You should have a wi fi receiver built into your laptop? Is there going to be a signal available where you stay? If you're staying in a hotel just make sure you visit the room first and make sure the signals good. If you're talking about a mobile internet deal, I think it is possible. I saw a billboard the other day advertising a USB receiver, but I have no idea what the price or terms would be. Regarding the electric, just get a power strip like this:
Posted Image

You can get them here for about 100K VND. You can get ones that are cheaper than that, but cords usually pull out of those easily.

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 10 September 2010 - 09:46 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-10 09:42:00

International mailing and questions about continuing proof of relationship.

Not asking for flight info. A good quick, reliable way to send a package to my attorney in Saigon.

FedEx or DHL

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 29 September 2010 - 08:07 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-29 20:05:00

International mailing and questions about continuing proof of relationship.

I'm a few days from mailing the necessary paper work on my K1 to my attorney in Saigon. she should have her interview around November so the K1 is in Vietnam and she awaits her 2nd letter from Consulate. Whats the best and most economical carrier? I think have everything prepared, please give me a reminder of what papers I might need. I have 200 pages of skype conversations do you think I should include all 200 pages or condense it a bit? My income was 3,000 dollars(Tax transcript) more than 125% guidelines plus my employment letters shows about 13,000 more dollars over the income guidelines, do you think I should list assets also and bank statement of how much was deposited over the last year or leave it blank? thanks for all your responses.

kayak.com is probably the best site to check out prices. Recently American and United were coming back with the best prices for travel to the East Coast and both have offices in Saigon. The American Airlines office tried to overcharge me, so be careful. You're probably looking at $800 to $1000 for a one way ticket.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-09-29 19:05:00

Marriage in Hong Kong

A few questions though. When and how did you first meet your girl? How many times have you been to Vietnam to visit her? Did you have an engagement ceremony? Do you have any red flags such as divorce by either you or your girl? Were you introduced to each other by family members? Does your girl have family living in the US? I think those questions are more important then what country you want to go to go get married. I think this information can help us give you better advise.

I think the O/P is female.

Where did you learn English Carla? Your writing is top notch. :thumbs:

I agree with the others that say you should do it here. I've known people that married in Singapore and Thailand, but they intended to make their home in Vietnam.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-02 19:59:00

HCMC Visa turnaround time

Ditto.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-02 09:09:00

EAB launches first gold-vending ATM in Vietnam

If it survives a week before a group comes in and not haul it off I will be surprised.

They'll probably only have it available during business hours and empty it at night. I'll have to go check it out eventually.

I've heard of fake bars being sold. Found this interesting read:

How to spot fake Vietnamese Gold Bars

THIS GUIDE IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFO TO CHECK IF THE VIETNAMESE GOLD BAR IS FAKE:

Some Photographs of typical fake Vietnam Produced Gold Bars:

The two photos above show typical designs of fake Vietnam Manufactured Gold Bars. There are many other designs out there.

Background Information:

Some 5 to 10 years ago several large shipments of fake Vietnamese Gold Bars were made to Canada. Fortunately, Canada Customs immediately recogized that these were fakes and therefore seized them. Unfortunately, it is estimated that approximately 2,000 of these bars were successfully smuggled into Canada.

I purchased 4 of these bars about 5 years ago at a flea market on a visit to Canada. The bars were being sold for $5 each as a novelty item. Unfortunately none of the bars were marked at fakes, so it can be assumed that many were purchased by unethical dealers and then sold to the public as the real thing.

There are companies in Vietnam that produce fake products including fake gold bars for export. Vietnam does NOT have any refining facilities that would be capable of producing .9999 fine gold. This is your first warning sign!

Composition of these Fake Gold Bars:

One needs to examine the bar with a magnifying glass. Look at the edge of the bar, and upon close examination you will notice that the bar is actually made up of 3 separate wafers fused together. The front and the back wafers (as seen in photos above) are very thin and are made of real 24kt gold. The much thicker middle wafer is made of a gold plated base metal, most likely copper.

Therefore, either the weight of the bar, or the size of the bar will not match the characteristics of a real .9999 pure gold bar.

Simple tests to determine if your gold bar is Real or Fake:

First of all, a trip to a jeweller or a coin store usually will not yield true results. Most jewellers will look at the hallmarks and tell you that they are real gold. Most gold dealers will also not take the necessary measures to confirm the gold content either. So this method is not useful.

Secondly, since the fake bars contain pure gold wafers at the front and back, any chemical or acid test will show that the bar is indeed pure gold. This testing is also a complete waste of time.

OK, so what now? Well, you need to understand some basic characteristics of pure gold. Most specifically, the relationship between gold's weight and it's mass and size. In order to do this, all you need to know is the Specific Gravity of gold:

Specific Gravity of Pure Gold = 19.32 grams per cubic centimeter.

This means that 1 cubic centimeter of gold weighs 19.32 grams.

Converted to Troy Ounces, this means that 1 troy ounce of .999+ gold has a volume of 1.62 cubic centimeters.

So here are a couple of simple tests that you can do:

Conduct a specific gravity test. All you need is a beaker with graduated volume markings in millimeters, milliliters, centimeters or any any other unit of measurement. You can easily convert the measurements later.

Step 1: Fill the beaker with water precisely to a known volume. Make a note of this volume.

Step 2: Place the gold bar inside the beaker. The water level will rise to a higher volume. Make a note of this volume.

Step 3: Subtract the step 2 volume from the step 1 volume. The result will yield the data necessary to find the volume of the gold bar.

For example, If in Step 1, the volume was 20 cubic centimeters and in Step 2, the volume was 21.62 cubic centimeters, the difference is 1.62 cubic centimeters, which is exactly 1 troy ounce of pure gold. But you're not done, because you still need to compare this volume to the actual weight of the gold bar.

Weigh the gold bar. You need a fairly accurate scale, but highly accurate digital scales can be bought for about $20.00:

Step 1: Calibrate the scale to insure it's accuracy.

Step 2: Set the tare to zero prior to placing the gold bar on the scale.

Step 3: Measure the weight of the gold bar.

For example, if the gold bar is stamped as being 1 troy ounce of .999+ gold, and if the Specific Gravity Test above resulted with a value of 1.62 cubic centimeters (which is correct for 1 troy ounce of pure gold) and if the scale shows that the bar weighs 1 troy ounce, then you have proved with 100% certainty that the gold bar is genuine, that it contains exactly 1 troy ounce of pure gold.

However, if any of these numbers do not match, then you know that you have a fake gold bar.

Recommendations if you determine that the gold bar is a fake:.

You were obviously ripped off. Therefore I recommend the following action:

Contact the purchaser to get a refund.
If you paid with a credit card, then make sure to reverse the charges..
If you paid by check, contact your bank to see if you can reverse the check ( a delayed "stop payment")
If you purchased it at a venue such as Ebay, make sure to file a complaint of fraud with that venue.
If the venue has a feedback system, make sure to leave accurate negative feedback.
If the item was shipped to you then file a Mail Fraud complaint with the US Postal Office.
If the item was shipped accross state lines, then file a Mail Fraud report with the FBI.
If the item was purchased via the internet, then file a complaint with the Internet Fraud Commission. Search for it on the net.
If the item was purchased locally, call the police and make a Fraud and Theft complaint.
If the item was purchased from a business, contact the better business bureau.

In summary, take as many of the above actions as possible. We want to prevent fraud and theft, and we want the thieves prosecuted.

http://reviews.ebay....000000009488271

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 12 October 2010 - 10:03 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-12 10:02:00

EAB launches first gold-vending ATM in Vietnam

how long before someone gets electrocuted by one of those...

I thought the same thing. Gold is a good investment here. Even buying a one year CD can get you 11%..

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-12 05:16:00

EAB launches first gold-vending ATM in Vietnam

The Eastern Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (EAB) officially opened the first gold-selling Automated Teller Machine (ATM)-(Gold ATM) in its branch in HCM City's District 5 on October 9.

This is the first gold vending ATM in Vietnam and it is the second one in the world (after one being installed in Abu Dhabi invented by German Thomas Geissler, the creator of the brand Gold to Go and CEO of Ex Oriente Lux).

Gold ATM is manufactured 100 percent by Vina Smart Card Joint Stock Co (VNBC)'s technology.

Apart from normal ATM functions, it has a feature that allows users to make direct gold transactions.

Currently, Gold ATM meets transactions for gold bars of one gram type per transaction and does not limit the quantity of transaction per day. The newly Gold ATM only offers PNJ gold bars.

Tran Phuong Binh, EAB's general director, said the machine aims to meet the increasing demands of customers.

The bank is scheduled to produce and install 50 more Gold ATMs over the country by the end of this year, he added.

http://www.intellasi...111305881.shtml

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-11 18:02:00

Vietnam: I think all the paperwork should be free

The point of having locals is that they are objective and not biased toward getting the beneficiary to the US.

Thanks for the laugh.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-11 11:14:00

Vietnam: I think all the paperwork should be free

We have to play the hands that we are dealt and whining about this does not help but maybe makes the whiners feel better.

I bet you'd be singing a different tune if you and your "babe" had been separated by the process for 5 years.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-11 08:37:00

Using the Wii in Vietnam

A new electronics store had an employee playing tennis on one of those things in front of the store on Nguyen Trai last night. There were at least 50 people stopped on the street watching him, Posted Image

I don't know anything about the WII. Here's a Yahoo Answers result:

http://uk.answers.ya...30095647AA6Bkfr

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-11 17:53:00

Fiance Pregnant

I'm not sure who you are? Help me to remember.

Mark. We were both looking into the possibility of teaching English in Vietnam.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-26 21:28:00

Fiance Pregnant

My wife got here in the U.S. in February 2008. She came here on a K-1 visa. She interviewed in November of 2007. She was pregnant at time of interview. My fiance received a blue paper first. I was there at the interview and then I submitted the additional documents the next day. I received a green paper. They stated that we had to have a 3 way DNA test done. I told them that that was unreasonable and they would hear from my attorney. GOD BLESS MARC ELLIS. The man is an absolute savior! My wife would have never got here before our son was born if it was not for him! I will owe him forever! NEVER BACK DOWN FROM THESE PEOPLE. KEEP ON KEEPING ON. JUST RESEMBLE A HEMMORHOID AND BUG THE HELL OUT OF THEM!

Speak of the devil! How's life these days JR? Your boy is what...2 now?

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-10-25 21:14:00