i used to live like 2 blocks from that apartment building lol and substitute teach at the school next door. there was a really good seafood restaurant right there. right on the waterfront, great view.

not gonna dox myself or my friends who still live there, but if you end up moving to Ha Long and want to get some work, look up EConnect if you don't have any experience, Apple if you have some experience. avoid APAX, teachers aren't treated well there. getting an online TEFL should be sufficient but a short CELTA course would be better (albeit more expensive).

i miss vietnam desu, that's a good life. you won't save much money but your quality of life will be much higher than in the US. beautiful country, great people.

ha long is pretty boring though, if you want social life you should live in saigon or hanoi or maybe da nang. but places like ha long, da lat, various provincial capitals/tourist areas are good if you are looking for more of a relaxed life. i liked ha long a lot, even just sitting on a bench along the waterfront and looking at the big rocks was enough entertainment for me.

cam pha, about 10 min down the road, is even more provincial and you can probably make a bit more money teaching the children of the local rich, but you'll be literally the only white person in the city