My name is Nazley Omar. I am a South African journalist and English teacher, currently based in Ho Chi Minh City. I have been living here since May, 2013. I am an avid traveler and enjoy learning about other cultures.

While living in South Korea, I visited Vietnam for a holiday. I fell in love with its weather, good food, cheap prices and friendly people. I felt a real connection with the busy, bustling city that is HCMC, and I decided to make it my home.

The city is a metropolis on the move. It has changed so significantly in the past decades, which is a real testament to the strength and resilience of Vietnamese people. I love the organized chaos and craziness of the traffic. Vietnam allows expats to enjoy the comforts of the West, while also being able to immerse yourself in Asian culture.

I really enjoy the good climate, cheap prices and ample job opportunities for expats. The cons include pollution, the unsanitary conditions of the streets, and petty crime.

When I experience another country I enjoy exploring the big cities, but my favorite thing to do is explore smaller towns that are more off the beaten track.

Last August, my mom and I did a three-day trip to many different cities and towns in the Mekong Delta. We organized a home-stay with a Vietnamese family. That night we had a lot of free time, so we went to a coffee shop and met a young lady, Phuong.

Phuong invited my mom and I to her house, where her mom had prepared one of the most delicious dishes I've ever had. Phuong and her family were warm and welcoming. Even though her family could barely speak English, they radiated warmth and were willing to share the little food they had with us.

We enjoyed several dishes of vegetables and rice. It was evident that they were not well off so we tried to offer them money for the food that we ate, but they did not want to accept this. It was a true reflection of the generous nature of Vietnamese people. We were really overwhelmed by how warm and welcoming the people we encountered in the Mekong Delta were.

Many people in the region earn very little and live below the poverty line, but they were some of the happiest, nicest people I have ever met.

In the Mekong Delta, women ride bicycles to the market at 6:00 am; and children laugh and sing on their way to school. It’s quite different from HCMC, where people are always in a rush. We really appreciated that in the Mekong Delta, scores of people stopped to chat or just smiled as we made our way to the market. Men and women gather outside their houses at 6am, laughing, drinking coffee and talking.  The people of the Mekong Delta all seem very happy.