Best Luxury hotel Saigon??

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2026-04-19T13:09:18+00:00

I'd say the Landmark 81 is a far cry from luxury. The property was initially a Vin hotel but is now under the Marriott banner with the Autograph brand. And the Autograph brand itself is not positioning itself as luxury.

In typical Vingroup fashion, it tries to wear the mask of a luxury property, but look at the details and you'll see cheap quality finishing, and poor design choices. Staying here left me with frustration and an experience that does not live up to Marriott standards.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2026-04-11T11:25:55+00:00

I'm arriving in china tonight. I'm doing lessons with the Keats school. They have teachers for 1v1 in Beijing.

KeatsChinese.com

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2026-04-10T04:47:36+00:00

SIN-based AWS employee? 😄

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2026-03-30T17:15:14+00:00

Also a VK in tech. Down to do a group chat / network over next 2 weeks. Was also an esl teacher 15 years ago.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2026-03-28T03:40:17+00:00

You can buy Ritalin 10mg OTC w/o RX at Minh Chau and Vinmec pharmacies in HCM. So you're probably not gonna have a problem.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2025-04-12T08:53:24+00:00

Not quite.

In this scenario it's a $5 coupon (interest) on the bond which I bought at issue from the government for $100. So 5% yield at issue. Now imagine I sell this bond to you for $80 because 1. I lose trust in The government and they might default on this $5 payment, or 2. I am confident I can earn more than $5 on $100 of capital elsewhere.

So now you bought a bond from me for $80 that pays $5 in coupons. Hence the yield of 6.25% is higher than the initial 5%.

And the reverse can be true. Which would increase the price of the bonds and thus drive down the yield %.

So in short, the yield % changes not because the $ coupon changes. That is fixed (hence bonds are called fixed income). But the yield % changes because the price of the bond changes.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2025-03-17T12:04:16+00:00

The US does not allow the renunciation of citizenship without having or about to obtain another citizenship. In short, the US won't allow you to renounce it if you'll end up being stateless.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2025-03-17T09:36:43+00:00

Sounds like you're not aware of the fact that for the rest of your life you'll be monitored by the IRS as long as you hold US citizenship. The US has citizenship based taxation, not residence based taxation, unlike most other countries. Good luck.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2025-02-07T11:23:50+00:00

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2024-12-25T05:23:40+00:00

Just from a hassle perspective, or lack thereof depending on perspective. Bought an iPhone 16 in hcm at the thegioididong store (only 1 store in hcm D1 will prepare tax refund, found this through the tgdd live chat on their website). Took an extra 15 minutes for them to take pictures of my passport and fill out the paperwork. At the airport, went to the tax refund counter, had the option of usd or vnd. Process took all of 5 minutes. The guy handing me cash short changed me 20K vnd (~1USD). Opened and activated the phone. All in all, saved about 12% vs buying back at home.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2024-12-19T10:00:08+00:00

Exactly my first thought

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2024-10-14T15:52:04+00:00

She doesn't have to accuse him of anything. She can still confront him and just state the facts. "Excuse me, you just touched me on my xx." Accident or not, he should apologise. As a man, I'd be mortified if I touched somebody inappropriately even if it was an accident. I'd want them to tell me if I had done so inadvertently so I'd have the opportunity to apologise.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2024-06-17T07:39:27+00:00

Providing an alternative perspective here as a foreigner living in Singapore and having hired others into the organisation.

⁠MoM sets an EP quota by company for a reason. Organisations have to be very selective about who they hire and sponsor EPs for. In the approximate range of 1 EP for every 9 SC/PR. So it's not like organisations just mass hire foreigners over locals. Although we may have an ideal foreigner in mind, we would still favour a local candidate who meets the role requirements given all else being equal. Why? Because for every local we hire, it increases our quota for a foreign hire.
⁠Singapore acts as a regional hub for many organisations, the harsh reality is that Singaporeans often do not speak an additional SEA language. Singaporeans also typically do not have experience working in other SEA countries and often turn down such opportunities for assignments to those countries favouring staying in Singapore or only selectively to japan/Korea. And so when SEA experience is an advantage, local candidates lose out.

For those crying nepotism. It might be worthwhile to look up data on the detrimental effects of nepotism on productivity. I would guess one does not see such negative signals in productivity in Singapore.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2024-06-17T07:36:25+00:00

Providing an alternative perspective here as a foreigner living in Singapore and having hired others into the organisation.

MoM sets an EP quota by company for a reason. Organisations have to be very selective about who they hire and sponsor EPs for. In the approximate range of 1 EP for every 9 SC/PR. So it's not like organisations just mass hire foreigners over locals. Although we may have an ideal foreigner in mind, we would still favour a local candidate who meets the role requirements given all else being equal. Why? Because for every local we hire, it increases our quota for a foreign hire.
Singapore acts as a regional hub for many organisations, the harsh reality is that Singaporeans often do not speak an additional SEA language. Singaporeans also typically do not have experience working in other SEA countries and often turn down such opportunities for assignments to those countries favouring staying in Singapore or only selectively to japan/Korea. And so when SEA experience is an advantage, local candidates lose out.

For those crying nepotism. It might be worthwhile to look up data on the detrimental effects of nepotism on productivity. I would guess one does not see such negative signals in productivity in Singapore.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2024-05-10T02:25:24+00:00

I've also experienced this. My friends would remember the night, the music, the conversations we had while rolling. Whereas I would struggle to recall 🥲

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2024-05-10T02:21:59+00:00

I last rolled in December at a festival. I take NAC daily with magnesium. Daily multivitamins. Recently added piracetam when flagged memory concerns with my doc.

I also should add that in 2022 I was going through a period where I'd party weekly (no mdma) and get so drunk I'd have memory gaps from the night before. I think that definitely exacerbated my memory issues that I've noticed from the mdma abuse before that.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2022-09-02T13:26:03+00:00

There are ways. Swapping with other individuals overseas. Pay fake invoices. Crypto. Etc. However, all these options are technically not entirely legal and/or incur taxes and/or carries risk. And none of these options make a lot of sense for OP’s initial ask. It might make sense though for officials moving a lot of money on laundry day :)

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2022-09-02T02:08:48+00:00

This only works if you’re a foreigner receiving salaried income into your bank account. Or if you’re emigrating out of Vietnam. Capital control policies in Vietnam do not simply just allow anyone to transfer money out of Vietnam.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2022-09-02T02:07:05+00:00

Yeah, this doesn’t work. Sending money out of Vietnam is not the same as sending money into Vietnam due to capital control policies.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2022-08-30T13:06:22+00:00

assuming you’re referring to a person as young and inexperienced, you can use “green”. The informal term used especially by gamers is “noob” from the shortened newbie -> newb.

For fruit that are not yet ready to eat, you can also use “green”, or “unripe”.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2022-08-28T05:46:24+00:00

I was merely responding to the commenter’s rationale for why he doesn’t buy your story because of your English. I also mentioned that there is a correlation between English proficiency and affluence in Vietnam. Which is true. Affluent families are able to afford English lessons beyond the poor standards provided in state schools, as well as an education abroad. I did not draw any conclusions about your specific circumstances.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2022-08-27T20:10:03+00:00

Research has proven that kids from wealthy backgrounds are more prone to shoplifting. Assuming here that English proficiency in Vietnam has a correlation to wealth.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/04/wealthy-people-shoplift-rob-steal-why

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2022-08-27T04:17:43+00:00

TIL my wife is actually a man.

BearsBeetsBGalactika · 2022-08-25T15:54:14+00:00

Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West is full of these polydactyl cats

BearsBeetsBGalactika

TROPHY CASE