TAGS: Expat Life, Ho Chi Minh City, Living Abroad, Google Earth, Saigon, Travel Guides
My Disclaimer
I had no concept. And I knew it. I simply couldn’t picture life here.
I queried former expats and friends from Asia, “What was it like living there?” I took notes on slips of paper, via email, and on my iPad about places to visit, the shortage of Western items in the markets, and the essentials I should pack. I expected it would be like a very long trip, and I guarded myself with visits to the travel clinic, pounds of Pepto Bismol, and over the counter remedies for ailments I never had had. I was blindfolded like in a game of Blind Man’s Bluff. I was using the experience of others as a guide to how to prepare for the next step, my hands before me reaching out at the empty air. As I stumbled forward, I used their words to form shadows of light and dark outlines to where I was going.
To bring these impressions into techno-color, I went to the web. However, technology lent only a fragmented view. I grumbled that Google Earth couldn’t give me a street view of my soon-to-be home. Instead, I spent hours clicking on photos people had associated with the city. I gazed from virtual rooftops. Voyeuristic, I spied on strangers’ parties. I played an electronic peek-a-boo with snapshots from a map I could not comprehend. In all, I realized Google street view would be futile regardless of my ability to attach png files to my app. My friend explained, “Asia is rapidly growing. You take a shot on Monday, by Tuesday it is obsolete because a new highrise has just gone up.” Moreover, the web as a whole wouldn’t bring clarity. Many posts on websites don’t keep up with the rate of change in the city and are outdated. At best, the websites offer a niche view, which is further narrowed by filters of the people conducting the search. Analytics and algorithms pull up the most common thread, but rarely what is useful to someone moving abroad. People looking for teaching positions, people looking for backpacking connections, men who want picture brides are common hits. None of their advice developed a picture of Saigon or of the future I would experience.
So, this website is a transient story. I have only a glimpse of the vibrant life here, even though I am now a resident. Like the travel guides explain, Saigon is a bustling and active place, where frenetic movement and change are constants. This website is simply a collection of my observations and experiences. It is merely a glimpse of my view and should not be used in any other way.
However, I hope I can create a picture for you. I know life in Saigon is difficult to imagine.
I queried former expats and friends from Asia, “What was it like living there?” I took notes on slips of paper, via email, and on my iPad about places to visit, the shortage of Western items in the markets, and the essentials I should pack. I expected it would be like a very long trip, and I guarded myself with visits to the travel clinic, pounds of Pepto Bismol, and over the counter remedies for ailments I never had had. I was blindfolded like in a game of Blind Man’s Bluff. I was using the experience of others as a guide to how to prepare for the next step, my hands before me reaching out at the empty air. As I stumbled forward, I used their words to form shadows of light and dark outlines to where I was going.
To bring these impressions into techno-color, I went to the web. However, technology lent only a fragmented view. I grumbled that Google Earth couldn’t give me a street view of my soon-to-be home. Instead, I spent hours clicking on photos people had associated with the city. I gazed from virtual rooftops. Voyeuristic, I spied on strangers’ parties. I played an electronic peek-a-boo with snapshots from a map I could not comprehend. In all, I realized Google street view would be futile regardless of my ability to attach png files to my app. My friend explained, “Asia is rapidly growing. You take a shot on Monday, by Tuesday it is obsolete because a new highrise has just gone up.” Moreover, the web as a whole wouldn’t bring clarity. Many posts on websites don’t keep up with the rate of change in the city and are outdated. At best, the websites offer a niche view, which is further narrowed by filters of the people conducting the search. Analytics and algorithms pull up the most common thread, but rarely what is useful to someone moving abroad. People looking for teaching positions, people looking for backpacking connections, men who want picture brides are common hits. None of their advice developed a picture of Saigon or of the future I would experience.
So, this website is a transient story. I have only a glimpse of the vibrant life here, even though I am now a resident. Like the travel guides explain, Saigon is a bustling and active place, where frenetic movement and change are constants. This website is simply a collection of my observations and experiences. It is merely a glimpse of my view and should not be used in any other way.
However, I hope I can create a picture for you. I know life in Saigon is difficult to imagine.