Old Saigon Picture of the Day: How to Arrive at Your Wedding in Style
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- Published on 27 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
The tradition of covering your wedding car with flowers and regalia is not new in Vietnam.
Today, most couples who can afford it, opt for a middle-of-the-line Toyota or Kia while those with deep pockets enjoy the luxury of a BMW or Mercedes.
Vietnam’s Rich are Getting Richer
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- Published on 27 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Vietnam’s economy may be slowly recovering but for the country’s rich, things are better than ever.
Vietnamese Airlines Struggle with Cigarette Smoking, Mobile Phone Using Passengers
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- Published on 27 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
So, apparently smoking on flights is a thing in Vietnam.
Vietnamese airlines are struggling with flagrant abuses of standard, in-flight safety regulations as customers have been found smoking in bathrooms and talking on mobile phones. When caught in the act, flight attendants say they are offered ludicrous excuses.
Vietnam as Seen From Space
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- Published on 27 September 2013
- Written by Saigoneer.
If it were up to us, the majority of America's $700 billion annual military budget would be funneled to NASA (Neil Degrasse Tyson would likely agree). While this may be a pipe dream due to America's self-proclaimed role as the global leader in freedom and democracy exports, at least NASA's budget allows for some pretty sweet pictures like the one above.
Video: Gordon Ramsay Explores Vietnam and its Cuisine
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- Published on 27 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Gordon Ramsay has made it clear that Vietnamese cuisine is on the top of his list. His love was on full display in the most recent season of Master Chef US, where he tasked the final 5 contestants to prepare a bowl of Hủ Tiếu (they did surprisingly well). So where did chef Ramsay's passion for Vietnamese food come from?
Morning Links: Vietnam has More Than 300,000 Obese Children
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- Published on 27 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
- Nok Air has Vietnam in sights [Bangkok Post]
- Vietnam man arrested for car accident that drowned 5, including 2 kids [Thanh Nien]
- HIV/AIDS transmission rate in Vietnam kept under 0.3 pct [xinhuanet]
Vietnam Tourism Struggles to Keep up with ASEAN Neighbors
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- Published on 26 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
It’s long been known that Vietnam is lagging behind its ASEAN neighbors when it comes to the quality of tourism workers. With the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreement on mutual recognition of tourism professionals set to begin in 2015, government officials fear the country isn’t ready to compete in a shared tourism labor market.
Video: A Taste of Vietnam
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- Published on 26 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine took a trip to Vietnam last year and brought along with some pretty sweet filming equipment.
After editing what was presumably hours of footage, the duo condensed their 2 week trip into a three and a half minute video that does an excellent job of capturing Vietnam's character from Hanoi to Hoi An.
London Restaurant Trademarks ‘Pho.’ Social Media Battle Ensues.
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- Published on 26 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
It may be hard to comprehend how a company can trademark a word as generic as ‘Pho.’ Apparently the British Intellectual Property Office disagrees as 6 years ago, they allowed a glitzy London chain, ‘Pho,’ to do just that.
Morning Links: Gender Inequality in Vietnam at Alarming Rate: Official
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- Published on 26 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
- Economic growth at 5.14 percent in first nine months [SGGP]
- Vietnam's VietJet seen close to major Airbus order [Reuters]
- Vietnam city to apply new English language testing system [Thanh Nien]
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Before Bridges and Tunnels
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- Published on 25 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Think it's inconvenient having a car in present-day Saigon?
As many of the French living in Saigon during the first half of the last century were fairly well off, they often brought with them the comforts of their home country.
But sometimes, their beloved imports didn't exactly match the realities of their new environment.
Facebook Enjoying Massive Growth in Vietnam
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- Published on 25 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
A few years ago, it was not always an easy task to log into Facebook in Vietnam. Changing DNS settings, installing HotSpotShield or using a VPN were your best bet to log onto the site. My, how times have changed. A recent Socal Backers report shows that Vietnam currently enjoys the greatest Facebook growth rate in the world having added 14 million users in the past year.
Free Barbecue Sunday @ Saigon Outcast
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- Published on 25 September 2013
Sharing is in the air in Saigon and I like it, especially if the sharing in question is about food.
The crew at Saigon Outcast invites you on Sunday to a free BBQ (limited, first come first served) for any drink purchased. You are also welcome to bring their own dish and share it with other people.
Is Saigon Losing its Soul?
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- Published on 25 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
In a recent article for Metropolis Magazine, Carl Robinson reflects on the massive changes to Saigon’s urban character over the last 15 years. He found that the city’s colonial buildings, designed with the area’s tropical climate in mind, are being torn down in favor of shiny new office towers. Saigon’s rich architectural history is being erased and replaced with characterless structures that ignore the city’s natural environment.
Morning Links: Traffic Cop Allegedly Shoots Colleagues in Vietnam
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- Published on 25 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
- Vietnam’s bad debt attractive to some investors, but regulations still unclear [Washington Post]
- Typhoon Usagi kills 24 in Vietnam [IOL News]
- Little good news as Vietnam reviews economic growth [Tuoi Tre]
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Cho Lon Streetcars
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- Published on 24 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
From Cho Lon to Ben Thanh Market, streetcars were once a common sight on Saigon's main thoroughfares.
While their tracks have long disappeared, their memory lives on in old photographs like the one above.
Vietnamese Exec Beats Caddy Unconscious. Keeps Golf Club Membership.
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- Published on 24 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Even with its slow pace, golf can bring out your competitive side. A missed putt or journey to a sand trap can boil the blood of even the most patient player. But that’s no excuse to beat your caddy with a golf club, people! Nguyen Duc Son, director of a state-owned housing company did just that earlier this month in the northern province of Vinh Phuc.
Authorities to Crack Down on Illegitimate Diplomatic Cars
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- Published on 24 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
You know all those fancy diplomatic cars speeding around District 1? Well, as it turns out, chances are the occupants are not diplomatic officials, but rather locals who bought the car and never transferred ownership to their name. Apparently, this is common enough that authorities are planning to crack down on the practice by seizing and auctioning off incorrectly registered cars.
VNA Flight Attendant Arrested for Smuggling 50 iPhone 5s
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- Published on 24 September 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Vietnamese airline employees have been known to cause a stir from time to time. Earlier this year, actress Ly Nha Ky got a VietJet flight crew into hot water when she was invited into the cockpit mid-flight. Now, it’s Vietnam’s national carrier, Vietnam Airlines that is enduring a bit of controversy after a flight attendant was caught brining 50 iPhone 5s into Vietnam without declaring them.
'Frida' - screening @ deciBel
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- Published on 24 September 2013
From the organizers:
‘Frida’ is a 2002 Miramax/Ventanarosa biopic which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
It stars Salma Hayek in her Academy Award nominated portrayal as Kahlo and Alfred Molina as her husband, Diego Rivera.
