We're talking to a small school that looks great for us. I have some questions about living in SE Asia, though:
1. How bad are the bugs? The houses in this town look beautiful, and it looks like there's a nice outdoor cafe scene, but is sitting outside impossible due to constant bites, ear-buzzing and dive bombs? Ear buzzing gives me The Rage. How about spiders, snakes, scorpions? We'd be in a small city around the same latitude as Hanoi.
2. How bad is the heat? I'm a thick-blooded New England girl, but I did live in east Texas for a few years.
3. The rainy season. It doesn't sound that bad, I don't mind rain... but then, I don't mind snow either, and the last two months of being suffocated under four feet of it made me want to gouge my eyes out. I learned my limits. Level with me. Can you just not go outside for months on end?
4. Tropical diseases. There are malaria shots, of course, but plenty of other diseases like Dengue. How common?
Questions about SE Asia
Re: Questions about SE Asia
MizMorton wrote:
> We're talking to a small school that looks great for us. I have some
> questions about living in SE Asia, though:
>
> 1. How bad are the bugs? The houses in this town look beautiful, and it
> looks like there's a nice outdoor cafe scene, but is sitting outside
> impossible due to constant bites, ear-buzzing and dive bombs? Ear buzzing
> gives me The Rage. How about spiders, snakes, scorpions? We'd be in a small
> city around the same latitude as Hanoi.
>
> 2. How bad is the heat? I'm a thick-blooded New England girl, but I did
> live in east Texas for a few years.
>
> 3. The rainy season. It doesn't sound that bad, I don't mind rain... but
> then, I don't mind snow either, and the last two months of being suffocated
> under four feet of it made me want to gouge my eyes out. I learned my
> limits. Level with me. Can you just not go outside for months on end?
>
> 4. Tropical diseases. There are malaria shots, of course, but plenty of
> other diseases like Dengue. How common?
1) There will be bugs. Big bugs occasionally, some ants and mosquitoes around always. However, I've never been bothered that much by them anywhere in SE Asia. I use mosquito nets and/or electric bug killers in the house, and also keep food sources sealed, etc. Other animals are scared of humans for the most part, including snakes.
2) I can't imagine the heat being worse than Texas, but definitely wetter.
3) It dumps for 5 minutes to an hour at certain times of the day, then clears. The gloom and wetness usually don't linger.
4) You might get typhus or dengue, maybe not. Vaccines don't really work. I've had both and made it through fine, some people never get them. I wouldn't worry too much unless you are in a fragile condition already. You can always be super careful about what you eat, lather on bug repellant, and so on.
> We're talking to a small school that looks great for us. I have some
> questions about living in SE Asia, though:
>
> 1. How bad are the bugs? The houses in this town look beautiful, and it
> looks like there's a nice outdoor cafe scene, but is sitting outside
> impossible due to constant bites, ear-buzzing and dive bombs? Ear buzzing
> gives me The Rage. How about spiders, snakes, scorpions? We'd be in a small
> city around the same latitude as Hanoi.
>
> 2. How bad is the heat? I'm a thick-blooded New England girl, but I did
> live in east Texas for a few years.
>
> 3. The rainy season. It doesn't sound that bad, I don't mind rain... but
> then, I don't mind snow either, and the last two months of being suffocated
> under four feet of it made me want to gouge my eyes out. I learned my
> limits. Level with me. Can you just not go outside for months on end?
>
> 4. Tropical diseases. There are malaria shots, of course, but plenty of
> other diseases like Dengue. How common?
1) There will be bugs. Big bugs occasionally, some ants and mosquitoes around always. However, I've never been bothered that much by them anywhere in SE Asia. I use mosquito nets and/or electric bug killers in the house, and also keep food sources sealed, etc. Other animals are scared of humans for the most part, including snakes.
2) I can't imagine the heat being worse than Texas, but definitely wetter.
3) It dumps for 5 minutes to an hour at certain times of the day, then clears. The gloom and wetness usually don't linger.
4) You might get typhus or dengue, maybe not. Vaccines don't really work. I've had both and made it through fine, some people never get them. I wouldn't worry too much unless you are in a fragile condition already. You can always be super careful about what you eat, lather on bug repellant, and so on.
Re: Questions about SE Asia
We lived in SE Asia for two years and they were the best two years of family time we had. As for the insects, yeah there are insects but you have geckos on your side and the annoyance that insects can be is trumped ten times over by the entertainment provided by the geckos. The geckos could never really get to the cockroaches though, and they were a bit off putting.
It will get hot, but we found that you acclimate to it. You'll find things to do to help you beat the heat and you'll come to appreciate the cool season and the rain. It also makes for great stories along the lines of "Do you remember when it was so hot you could fry an egg on ......"
As for diseases, they are present and again you have to take precautions and if you do get sick realize that its just part of living in SE Asia. We were fortunate and never got anything beyond the normal flu but we have had friends with children that got very sick and it can be intimidating.
It will get hot, but we found that you acclimate to it. You'll find things to do to help you beat the heat and you'll come to appreciate the cool season and the rain. It also makes for great stories along the lines of "Do you remember when it was so hot you could fry an egg on ......"
As for diseases, they are present and again you have to take precautions and if you do get sick realize that its just part of living in SE Asia. We were fortunate and never got anything beyond the normal flu but we have had friends with children that got very sick and it can be intimidating.
Re: Questions about SE Asia
Just to clarify, there is no malaria shot nor a vaccine for malaria. The prophylaxis one takes for traveling is for rather short-term visits to infected areas. They cannot be taken indefinitely such as when you live in an infected area.
Re: Questions about SE Asia
Uh, thanks, Teacher, but It wasn't I who was asking these questions.
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tommypizza
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:35 am
Re: Questions about SE Asia
Bugs- there are worse in Minnesota. Depends on your choices in lodging...there are bed bugs and "leaky" windows allowing mosquitos in. Deet- a little bit goes a long way.
Heat- you acclimate and you will, most likely, have AC in your bedroom. Sweating is good for the body.
Rain- heavy at times which can create minor flooding. I've ridden a motorbike through rivers in the road many times...part of the adventure.
Disease etc.- I got dengue...it sucked...but, again, part of the adventure and reality.
Just go...you won't regret it.
Heat- you acclimate and you will, most likely, have AC in your bedroom. Sweating is good for the body.
Rain- heavy at times which can create minor flooding. I've ridden a motorbike through rivers in the road many times...part of the adventure.
Disease etc.- I got dengue...it sucked...but, again, part of the adventure and reality.
Just go...you won't regret it.
Response
Bugs are everywhere. There are worse places for spiders (like Sydney, which has Sydney funnel web spiders which are the meanest spiders in the world). Keeping fans going in your housing will keep the little flying insect controlled. Its cheap to have your residence treated and as long as you maintain a clean home, most bugs wont find your home hospitable, and no bugs means no food source for bigger things.
Be wary of pictures like all advertising its designed to emphasis the positive and play down the negative.
The heat is hot and its a wet hot, but thats not the worst its that you never really get acclimated throughout the course of the day, since most establishments will have the AC set to frigid. You sometimes need to carry an inside sweater with you even on a hot day because the AC is so high. Asian people tend not to sweat, some northerners will wear 3 undershirts and soak them in a few hours where an Asian person will wear a suit and jacket and be fine outside in the heat and humidity.
No you can go out just fine, you just take an umbrella or buy a cheap one along the way and discard it at the end of the day. It either rains lightly and steadily or it pours for a short time during the day and then clears.
There is an experimental malaria vaccine but you cant get it. The best you can do for Malaria is take a daily prophylaxis (medication) but its for short term use not long term use. Youd have serious risks of liver damage taking anti malaria medication. Those that do have to have blood work done monthly at least and see a physician to make sure they are developing liver toxicity.
If you stay in Asia long enough most people get a tropical illness, its like really really bad flu. the issue isnt the illness its access to medical care. People die from dengue and typhoid, because of lack of medical care, and basic resource (like clean water). Ive had both, it was meh, but im vaccinated against everything and vaccinations dont guarantee you wont get anything but if you do they make recovery much more bearable and faster.
Street food is fine (and some of the best culinary experiences you will have) just make sure you go somewhere that is busy , and that the food is hot.
Be wary of pictures like all advertising its designed to emphasis the positive and play down the negative.
The heat is hot and its a wet hot, but thats not the worst its that you never really get acclimated throughout the course of the day, since most establishments will have the AC set to frigid. You sometimes need to carry an inside sweater with you even on a hot day because the AC is so high. Asian people tend not to sweat, some northerners will wear 3 undershirts and soak them in a few hours where an Asian person will wear a suit and jacket and be fine outside in the heat and humidity.
No you can go out just fine, you just take an umbrella or buy a cheap one along the way and discard it at the end of the day. It either rains lightly and steadily or it pours for a short time during the day and then clears.
There is an experimental malaria vaccine but you cant get it. The best you can do for Malaria is take a daily prophylaxis (medication) but its for short term use not long term use. Youd have serious risks of liver damage taking anti malaria medication. Those that do have to have blood work done monthly at least and see a physician to make sure they are developing liver toxicity.
If you stay in Asia long enough most people get a tropical illness, its like really really bad flu. the issue isnt the illness its access to medical care. People die from dengue and typhoid, because of lack of medical care, and basic resource (like clean water). Ive had both, it was meh, but im vaccinated against everything and vaccinations dont guarantee you wont get anything but if you do they make recovery much more bearable and faster.
Street food is fine (and some of the best culinary experiences you will have) just make sure you go somewhere that is busy , and that the food is hot.
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wntriscoming
- Posts: 114
- Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:44 am
Re: Questions about SE Asia
It's all very, very manageable. Yes, it's hot. Yes, it rains. Yes, there are bugs. But there is a/c, you can buy an umbrella (and really, it usually rains in the afternoon while you're in school), and there's bug spray. I think the worst I've seen in SE Asia homes are roaches, a few centipedes, and ants.
Mosquitoes are more seasonal, but I've never been eaten alive like on a Midwest night. I just put on bug spray if I'm going to be out for dusk...and not even always then.
Get your tetanus, Hep A, Hep B, and TB updated. Done and done.
Mosquitoes are more seasonal, but I've never been eaten alive like on a Midwest night. I just put on bug spray if I'm going to be out for dusk...and not even always then.
Get your tetanus, Hep A, Hep B, and TB updated. Done and done.
Re: Questions about SE Asia
I agree with what others have said. SEA is different than the Northeastern US. Plan on adapting to a vastly different place, or don't go.
Coming from a temperate climate I was nervous about the heat before I first moved to SEA. About one month after I had arrived, I found that I had acclimated to the heat, and I could go jogging in 90 degrees and really high humidity. I had someone from my school come and put good screens on the windows, I didn't mind the bugs. Yes, flooding is a problem, but not on high ground. Just live on high ground. Tropical diseases are only common in certain areas. Check the CDC website and visit a travel doctor before you go (don't take medical advice from untrained yahoos on web forums).
Coming from a temperate climate I was nervous about the heat before I first moved to SEA. About one month after I had arrived, I found that I had acclimated to the heat, and I could go jogging in 90 degrees and really high humidity. I had someone from my school come and put good screens on the windows, I didn't mind the bugs. Yes, flooding is a problem, but not on high ground. Just live on high ground. Tropical diseases are only common in certain areas. Check the CDC website and visit a travel doctor before you go (don't take medical advice from untrained yahoos on web forums).
Re: Questions about SE Asia
All fantastic advice, thank you! The mosquito comments reminded me of visiting Ghana. I remember thinking the bugs there were a small fraction of what there is in Maine! And the biggest spiders I've ever seen in my life were in Germany of all places.
We'll probably take this job if it's offered, I just wanted to get the full story and be mentally prepared. Thanks everyone!
We'll probably take this job if it's offered, I just wanted to get the full story and be mentally prepared. Thanks everyone!
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ExpatinAsia99
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:37 pm
- Location: Asia
Re: Questions about SE Asia
The climate in Hanoi is different to other parts of SE Asia (Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, KL, Singapore etc). It's similar to Hong Kong in that it has a winter, which most don't realise. A damp, humid, grey, cool and mouldy winter. If your school is on the same latitude then it may experience this type of weather, rather than the wet/dry season found further south.
Re: Questions about SE Asia
I worked in Southern China for years and traveled all through SE Asia.
Mizmorton, you will have no problem with bugs, heat, or any of it. You'll LOVE it.
My only advice and this is based on my own preferences: think about never taking anti-malarial drugs due to the side effects, and instead, use good mosquito repellent when in areas that may have the potential for malaria - this works for a lot of mosquito borne disease, like dengue fever, etc. But review with your doctor as your personal health circumstances might require a different course of action.
YES, take the job if offered and see the GREATEST area of the world!
Mizmorton, you will have no problem with bugs, heat, or any of it. You'll LOVE it.
My only advice and this is based on my own preferences: think about never taking anti-malarial drugs due to the side effects, and instead, use good mosquito repellent when in areas that may have the potential for malaria - this works for a lot of mosquito borne disease, like dengue fever, etc. But review with your doctor as your personal health circumstances might require a different course of action.
YES, take the job if offered and see the GREATEST area of the world!
Re: Questions about SE Asia
I'm not worried about myself, as I am actually a sickle-cell carrier... I just worry about our kids. They're still little, you know? But man, if they offer, we are IN. Totally in.
Re: Questions about SE Asia
Aaaaaaaand, we just accepted the job. WHEW!! Hot, wet and buggy, here we come! (I'm kidding, this is our dream location.)
As exhausting as this job search has been, I can't believe the hard part is actually ahead of us.
As exhausting as this job search has been, I can't believe the hard part is actually ahead of us.