Dutch expat Marcel first visited Vietnam in 1992 and decided to make it his home a few years later. Now living with his wife in Ho Chi Minh City, he looks back on his early experiences and shares them with us, along with his observations regarding the ups and downs of living in Vietnamas well as tips for what to see and do in Saigon and other areas of Vietnam.	Marcel Lennartz

-Where were you born?

In the Netherlands

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

With my Vietnamese wife.

-How long have you been living in Vietnam?

13.5 years so not too short.

-What is your age?

37

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Vietnam?

I had many Chinese and Vietnamese friends in Holland and was impressed by their hospitality. This made me decide in 1992 to travel to Vietnam to meet some families who have relatives in Holland.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

Not at all. My first company in Vietnam had health insurance arranged for me before I landed. I do, however, advise people to ask their company to give them an allowance for insurance and to take their own insurance. The reason being that if your company arranges the insurance, you get an accident and move later to another company, your premium will be increased. If you keep the insurance in your own name, you don't have to change your policy when moving to another company.

-How do you make your living in Vietnam? Do you have any type of income generated?

I've been employed full-time since the first day I settled here. In 1995 it was hard to find a job but once I got a job it wasn't easy to lose the job. I visited nearly 100 companies and had to return to Holland because I hadn't any penny left in the pocket. However upon arrival in Holland I receive an invitation to return to Vietnam immediately and start working at one of the companies I had applied for. I simply knocked on the doors of companies and if they didn't have a job, I asked them to provide details of other companies that might be interested. Of course, that was 13 years ago and things have changed now. 13 years ago there weren't many expats in Vietnam. Now there are plenty and most is done via networking. 

-Do you speak Vietnamese and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

I do understand a lot of what is being said but I speak unfortunately only a  little. The ability to speak or understand Vietnamese is a great advantage when dealing with locals. Locals also appreciate it.

Respect for local customs is in my opinion very important if you want to be a team player and to get people behind you.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

Not at all. The only thing I miss is my 750CC Motorbike and driving on the German Autobahn.  In fact Saigon doesn't offer much for recreation. There are bars and some parks but it isn't really special. If you want to go out you should go rockclimbing, golfing, visit Phu Quoc, Hoi An, Mui Ne or some other places. Dam Sen is a nice park in Saigon but with far too many people. If you don't have a job, Saigon will soon be boring. But if you have a job, Saigon is fun.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

I like to stay in Vietnam although Japan or Shanghai might be of interest too...

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

Right now I am building my house, which should be completed at the end of 2008. Renting a house (current house $800/month; this was $450 two years ago) is okay but having your own house makes things much easier.

-What do you think about the Vietnamese?

I have a lot of respect for the locals. They are cheerful and hardworking people and very social. They show that foreigners are welcome. I wrote an article on that on my blog which you can find at www.vietnamextremes.com

 -What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Vietnam?

Positive: Great people, good food, nice weather. Although you have to be careful that you don't park your motorbike just anywhere (it will be stolen), Vietnam is generally speaking a very safe place to be. 

Negative: Traffic jams increase almost monthly, too many road blocks, too much pollution. Still too many power cuts (although this has improved a lot).

 -Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Vietnam?

Arrange parties with a lot of locals or visit the Youth Cultural House. Don't forget the Vietnamese BBQ TTT on Ton That Hiep street. Chinese New Year is very boring for a foreigner so don't be in Vietnam during that time. XMas, however, is absolutely great in Saigon.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Vietnam?

• Vietnam Starkabel - Vietnam link portal page that I maintain

• Vietnam Extremes - My Blog

• LinkedIn Vietnam Expats - Join the Vietnam expat community on LinkedIn