Living in Ho Chi Minh City

Important things to know about living in Ho Chi Minh City (from some Vietnamese students):

* How to cross the road: Always be careful when crossing the road.

* It's very dangerous if you use a phone while driving or walking on the roads.

* Shopping: If you are a foreigner, you can expect to pay more money than Vietnamese people at the street markets.

* Vietnamese people are very friendly, and they will always try to help you even if they don't understand English.

* You need to know some Vietnamese words to speak to Vietnamese people, for example: Xin Chao=hello, cam on= thank you, tam biet= good bye, bao nhieu= how much.

* The traffic is very dangerous if you're not used to it, so be careful when walking down the road.

* If you want to live in Vietnam for a long time, you need to learn how to drive a motorbike.

* Don't go out after midnight. It's dangerous in the city.  There are thieves, robbers, and sometimes even violent criminals out at night.

* There are many street names in Ho Chi Minh City, including lots of small side streets, so you can't possibly remember all the street names.

* You need to eat some special local food: Pho, Com Tam, Banh Mi

* You can go to Bui Vien street to drink beer, make friends, and dance.

* Ho Chi Minh City has a wonderful nightlife: clubs, pubs and food.