u/Traditional_Spite424

I’ve been to HCM city a couple of times. Back again this week and I've realised I still only really know the visitor's side of the city.

Mostly asking about food. Not after the "best" anything, just wherever you'd actually eat on a normal day. Doesn't have to be amazing, I just want the real thing.

Also, where do you go for ốc? I know Vĩnh Khánh gets mentioned a lot but happy to hear where you'd go instead.

And what do people around my age (late 20s) do here during the day when they're not working or in class?

Last one, any part of the city worth just walking around outside District 1. I don't mind taking a Grab out somewhere.

I know people don't love giving their spots away to visitors. I'm not filming or posting any of it anywhere, I just want to eat well and wander. Cảm ơn nhiều.

Taking my parents (sixties) to Japan for their first autumn there. All by train and bus, no car, and we're trying to keep it to one main thing a day so nobody gets worn out. Two big suitcases stay at the Tokyo hotel all week so we're light through the mountains.

Route: Tokyo (2N) → Takayama (2N) → Okuhida (1N) → Matsumoto (2N) → Tokyo (1N)

Day 1 (Sat) — Arrive Tokyo. Land in the morning, drop bags, keep it slow. Park in the afternoon, then Sensoji. \*Sleep: Tokyo\*

Day 2 (Sun) — Kawagoe. The float festival happens to fall on our weekend. Heading over after lunch, staying for the evening floats. \*Sleep: Tokyo\*

Day 3 (Mon) — Down to Takayama. Shinkansen to Nagoya, then the Hida limited express up the river valley. Old town in the evening once the day buses have gone. \*Sleep: Takayama\*

Day 4 (Tue) — Hida-Furukawa. Morning market first, then the canal town 15 min up the line. \*Sleep: Takayama\*

Day 5 (Wed) — Into Okuhida. Shinhotaka ropeway in the middle of the day, waterfall late afternoon, ryokan with dinner included. \*Sleep: Okuhida\*

Day 6 (Thu) — Kamikochi. The day we're really going for. Early shuttle in, off at Taisho Pond rather than the terminal, then the flat riverside walk up to Kappa Bridge. Bus out to Matsumoto after lunch. \*Sleep: Matsumoto\*

Day 7 (Fri) — Norikura Kogen. Highland ponds, boardwalks, a waterfall. \*Sleep: Matsumoto\*

Day 8 (Sat) — Narai-juku. Old post town in the morning, soba for lunch, then the Azusa back to Tokyo mid-afternoon. \*Sleep: Tokyo\*

Day 9 (Sun) — Home. Slow morning, afternoon flight.

---

1. Day 4 — Furukawa, or Shirakawa-go, or Hida-no-Sato?
2. Day 7 — is Norikura one mountain day too many after the ropeway and Kamikochi? Wondering if a slow day in Matsumoto would suit my parents better.
3. Day 5 — where to actually stay in Okuhida.

Nothing's booked apart from the flights, so there's still room to change things. Would really appreciate any thoughts, especially if something looks like too much for a slower pace.

Thanks!

Taking my parents (sixties) to Japan for their first autumn there. All by train and bus, no car, and we're trying to keep it to one main thing a day so nobody gets worn out. Two big suitcases stay at the Tokyo hotel all week so we're light through the mountains.

Route: Tokyo (2N) → Takayama (2N) → Okuhida (1N) → Matsumoto (2N) → Tokyo (1N)

Day 1 (Sat) — Arrive Tokyo. Land in the morning, drop bags, keep it slow. Park in the afternoon, then Sensoji. *Sleep: Tokyo*

Day 2 (Sun) — Kawagoe. The float festival happens to fall on our weekend. Heading over after lunch, staying for the evening floats. *Sleep: Tokyo*

Day 3 (Mon) — Down to Takayama. Shinkansen to Nagoya, then the Hida limited express up the river valley. Old town in the evening once the day buses have gone. *Sleep: Takayama*

Day 4 (Tue) — Hida-Furukawa. Morning market first, then the canal town 15 min up the line. *Sleep: Takayama*

Day 5 (Wed) — Into Okuhida. Shinhotaka ropeway in the middle of the day, waterfall late afternoon, ryokan with dinner included. *Sleep: Okuhida*

Day 6 (Thu) — Kamikochi. The day we're really going for. Early shuttle in, off at Taisho Pond rather than the terminal, then the flat riverside walk up to Kappa Bridge. Bus out to Matsumoto after lunch. *Sleep: Matsumoto*

Day 7 (Fri) — Norikura Kogen. Highland ponds, boardwalks, a waterfall. *Sleep: Matsumoto*

Day 8 (Sat) — Narai-juku. Old post town in the morning, soba for lunch, then the Azusa back to Tokyo mid-afternoon. *Sleep: Tokyo*

Day 9 (Sun) — Home. Slow morning, afternoon flight.

---

1. Day 4 — Furukawa, or Shirakawa-go, or Hida-no-Sato?
2. Day 7 — is Norikura one mountain day too many after the ropeway and Kamikochi? Wondering if a slow day in Matsumoto would suit my parents better.
3. Day 5 — where to actually stay in Okuhida.

Nothing's booked apart from the flights, so there's still room to change things. Would really appreciate any thoughts, especially if something looks like too much for a slower pace.

Thanks!

Maybe it's just the conversations I've been having lately, but it feels like the job market has become really rough.

Over the past few months we've seen more layoffs, and at the same time I keep hearing stories of fresh grads and even people with 1–2 years of experience sending out hundreds of applications and barely getting any responses. A lot of them aren't being picky either. They're genuinely trying to find work and get started.

I feel that AI has made things even crazier. It's so easy to mass-apply now that every opening seems to attract an overwhelming number of applicants, making it harder for everyone to stand out. I can open a job posting on LinkedIn and see 100+ applicants within a short period of time. That's a pretty disheartening number, both as an applicant and as an observer.

Then you hear comments about "lower-value human capital" and it makes you wonder where things are headed. If companies are becoming more selective while technology is making some work easier to automate, what does that mean for people just entering the workforce?

What I've been thinking about lately is how all this shapes people's longer-term plans. For those of you living in Singapore, has the current job market changed how you think about your future? Are you still optimistic about building a life here, or have you started looking overseas for opportunities, affordability, work-life balance, or simply a different pace of life?

Personally, I still enjoy living in Singapore and many of the people I care about are here. But lately I've found myself wondering whether the level of competition and pressure is becoming a bit much, especially for younger people trying to get started. Life is already challenging enough without feeling like you're competing against hundreds of others for every opportunity.

Curious to hear what others think. Am I being overly pessimistic, or is this something you've noticed as well?

Is it just me, or does it feel like personal time is getting respected less and less at work?

I've been noticing more instances of people being expected to respond to messages or continue working during weekends, MC, annual leave and even public holidays. Sometimes it's not explicitly demanded, but there's an unspoken expectation that you'll still be contactable.

It got me wondering whether this has simply become the norm in Singapore. If so, should we just accept it as part of working life?

Personally, I find it a little disheartening. When boundaries between work and personal time become blurred, it can make the relationship feel more transactional than collaborative. Instead of feeling like part of a team, it sometimes feels like you're valued mainly for your availability and output.

Beyond work itself, I also wonder how this affects bigger life decisions. If you're expected to be "available" all the time, does that change how you think about settling down, starting a family, or building a life outside of work?

Curious to hear what others think. Is this something you've experienced as well, or am I looking at it through strawberry-generation lenses?