Banking Benefits

Managing your banking affairs when you're 14 time zones away can be a real pain. Even though all my meager assets are socked away online, and I can make customer service calls through Skype, not having an actual functioning bank branch here in Hanoi has put many a crick into my neck. Plus, there's the added complication of getting paid in Vietnamese dong (VND), which can only be used in Vietnam. I can't make direct wire transfers to my American accounts without first withdrawing my VND, exchanging that, and then sending it through Western Union, all the while getting nipped in the liver by usurious vultures along the way. It burns my miserly heart.

On the other hand, how many of you have banks that come with your very own personal Kitchen God, huh?!