B&W
Although B&W post is quite accurate, I do believe he is based in HCM. Hanoi, as far as I've seen, offers a better quality of life than HCM. Obviously if you're into partying and girls, this is not the place to be, but on the other hand it is not as loud and caotic. Hanoi, in my experience has a much more calm rythm of life. You can actually go for a walk in downtown and enjoy it and there are several areas where you can live and make the most of it. You don't have as many changes in the roster as the guys down in HCM, the ride to the airport, if you live in Ciputra or Tay Ho is around 20-25 minutes without to worry about any traffic jams, also you don't have to deal with daily +TSRA or heavy ATC traffic everyday... ;-)
Yes, we do fly constantly, but hey, who has a dream roster nowdays? I brought my family to live with me and I'm glad to be at home almost every day.
Becoming an expat will always require an effort to cope with the culture you are new into, that my friend, applies to any country you decide to go. Things WILL be different and you have to be aware of that, if you're not prepare to do so, stay at home. Local guys do have different customs, but I can assure you that if you're mind set you will have no problem dealing with this.
If you don't want to deal with agencies, try out a direct application to Jetstar or Vietjet, which have a bigger expat workforce and also offer command opportunities.
Hope it helps... ;-)