So I\u2019m in Vietnam now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I haven\u2019t updated this travel blog in a while (I\u2019ve been teaching, working on my novel, and updating the horror blog a bit at Dailysack.com), and I\u2019m not sure how long it\u2019s going to be before I update here again, but I thought I\u2019d cobble something together about what I\u2019m doing in case anyone really does meander around these parts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan was great, but I\u2019ll say this: you don\u2019t appreciate how difficult the Tokyo work-life balance is until you leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m living in a smallish city called Thu Dau Mot. It\u2019s about an hour\u2019s drive north of Saigon (AKA Ho Chi Minh, officially). There\u2019s a lot of Koreans around here, with Korean grocery stores and restaurants that cater to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This whole area of Thu Dau Mot, and the greater surrounding area called Binh Duong, has a lot of upscale, well-developed areas with ultra-rich-bitch Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese who hang around in hotels and play golf all day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve always said that I can live in the countryside, and I can live in a big city, but I can\u2019t do a half-half. Suburbs and small cities are the pits. You get all the dirt of a city without any of the accessibility or excitement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You just kind of get this lukewarm comfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there\u2019s stuff to do if you\u2019re willing to take a motorbike ride. To the East, about 50 mins\u2019 drive (or faster if you\u2019re a speed demon) is the little city of Bien Hoa. It\u2019s got a more artistic, bohemian feel. Also, it\u2019s got rivers, trees, and beautiful monasteries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the north of Binh Duong, there are a bunch of nature preserves and waterfalls. There\u2019s a Binh Duong zoo and water park in Thu Dat Mot, too, but I haven\u2019t been out there yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have done a bit of sightseeing. I\u2019ll try to update with that content if I get the chance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Binh Duong dating scene is pretty rough compared to Saigon. First of all, there\u2019s a lot less English out here, so you\u2019ll definitely want to take some lessons or something. I mean, if you\u2019re younger, dating in Binh Duong might be fine, but if you\u2019re 40-something like me, you might have trouble finding that special someone. Seems to me all the girls just want to get hitched right away, like there\u2019s no time to just breathe and play the field and get to know people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve been dating a bit in Saigon. It\u2019s a bit of a drive, and unfortunately, city folk don\u2019t seem keen on leaving their nest of concrete and glass. I guess it\u2019s like that everywhere. Try getting someone who lives in Manhattan to drive upstate to Sugar Loaf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All in all, if you\u2019ve found a good job in Binh Duong, it\u2019s a safe, decent place to live with some delicious restaurants, local cafes, and reasonably close access to nature. It\u2019s definitely a good place to settle down, maybe save some money. But on the other hand, if you think being an hour\u2019s drive from Saigon is going to be enough exposure to the excitement of the big city, you might just be mistaken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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