Working in Hanoi

The Fewer Things could not have been more helpful along the way, especially Jaemi. He was always happy to help, very friendly, replied in decent time, and let us know when he wouldn't be reachable. The programme itself is exactly what it's packaged as, which is nice. No fine print or misleading processes.

It has been a very exciting time. Everything is so different to what I was used to before coming out here, so brace yourself. The expat community here is very strong, particularly in Tay ho, and event plans are made relatively spontaneously so you can do something at any time. Also, the city really comes alive at night, which has been one of the biggest differences to home, but one of the best things so far. Although it's a bit more conservative than the west, there's been no issues being out here and living with my girlfriend.

Working hours are strange for primary schools - 8am to 4pm, but there's a 3 hour lunch which is typically from 11am to 2pm. It does allow for a good amount work to get done in the middle of the day so you can keep your weekends free for whatever you want to do. If you're coming here for travelling all of the time, this isn't the programme for you as the teaching hours in the week won't permit this, but if you're good at squeezing in plans on the weekend then it's great for you. There are also super long summer holidays, so there's plenty of time to travel there.

There's plenty of good and cheap food everywhere, and if you don't want to eat Vietnamese, there's enough Western options as well. Cooking for yourself may be a bit more expensive than eating in some cases as ingredients will cost more due to import tax, so be careful there.

For those coming here for the culture, it's great.

To get around, taxis are relatively cheap, but I would highly recommend getting a bike. It will save you anywhere between 1-5 million dong per month. The roads can take some getting used to though so don't feel forced into it.