When leaving Hanoi no longer adds up
Somewhere along the way a few of us became economic migrants.
If it was adventure that brought us here, frequently it was local partners that made us stay. But, if we’re honest, it’s work that keeps us here. Or rather the combination of available work set against affordable living.
It became immaterial whether I wanted to be here or not (and as such that wasn’t worth thinking about too much). Removing and replanting roots is expensive. Why even take that risk unless potential rewards outweigh the reasonable chance that things might not actually be better elsewhere?
Like any ageing expat I miss home. But that’s in the north east of England — where there are few jobs doing what I do. My job in London — even at fifty percent higher pay — can surely only be done by those with an existing personal fortune. I no longer understand the economics of living in the UK.
And all of the above okay. It is. If I’d never left the north east then I’d not be blaming it for any shortcomings in my life. It seems pretty unfair to blame Hanoi (that’s given me so much more) for the same.
So without thinking too much about it I’ve semi-consciously accepted that we’re here forever.
To do this there is a certain amount of self-bargaining.
We’ve got to get out in the summer.
And there are fears.
What will it be like to be old in Vietnam?
What if I’m old and alone in Vietnam?
What if I invest everything in this life and it falls apart before the end?
But the more I think about it — my fears are aren’t so different to Vietnamese of my age and circumstances — albeit I have the relative wealth to escape, or to be ill, or spend enough to turn a bad day into a good one.
Do I still love Hanoi?
Truthfully? Not as much as the English countryside — but much more than most English cities.
And Hanoians?
More than most English. But it’d be wrong to overtly stereotype either.
Would I leave for a fabulous job offer with more money, conditions and prospects?
Yes but I’ve largely written that off.
And I’m largely okay with that.
