Vietnam - Three-wheeled motorbike turned out a godsend

Having experienced the stress of moving house a number of times in recent years, let’s just say I wasn’t looking forward to the big flit from District 3 to Go Vap.

They say alongside getting marriage (and the marriage itself), moving house is one of the most stressful experiences of your life. I can vouch for that!

After 72 hours with hardly any sleep my Saigon experience was a strain. It all started okay, low key, nice and relaxed as I sat waiting for the removal man at my apartment block with all my boxes and TV ready.

My air-conditioning unit was pulled out, packed and ready to go within an hour, who said Germans were the most efficient nation.

But when I looked down onto the street I saw a sight I’d certainly never witnessed before. The delivery man turned up on his motorbike. I thought okay maybe he wants to check out how much stuff I have first before he brings his delivery van or something got lost in translation.

No this was it, a three-wheeled motorbike with a crate-type piece of wood to fit all my belongings on.

I just laughed. As they say you either laugh or cry. I was thinking to myself: “If he can get all my stuff in one go it will be a miracle.”

Well, we had some divine intervention. The army-helmeted driver Thao even doubted if he’d be able to pull it off in one trip. But he was an optimistic by nature and duly obliged with a cover and a million pieces of string keeping a grip on my possessions.

The grey clouds were circling like a school of sharks as we loaded then made our way up to Go Vap to unload but the rain was holding off for now. Five minutes after lifting the heavy goods from the bike onto the bedroom on the second floor from the outside, the heavens poured down.

My Vietnamese friend/house move organizer Lan Anh breathed a sigh of relief and said: “If the rain comes after you achieve something, it means you will be lucky.”

So it all came good in the end and it cost a small fraction of what the same job back home in rip-off Britain would foot you.

By Derek Milroy in HCMC


Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.