Brian Letwin in Saigon
Every Morning, I'm Grateful for My Carless Ride to Work on Hoàng Sa Street
In the decade-plus of Saigoneer’s existence, we’ve had six offices strewn across different parts of Districts 1 and 3. Over that period, my homes have been located in Bình Thạnh and Thảo Điền, requiring significant commuting time.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story
Water has no hometown.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
Our Toxic Relationship With Saigon Traffic: A Diagnosis
There is no way to describe Saigon traffic literally and have it understood by someone who has not experienced it.
Sweating for a Good Cause at the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation Walk in Hanoi
I learnt of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in my first year living in Hanoi, through friends that had worked for the fantastic organization, or that were regular donors supporting it. This year, I was super excited to see their “Blue Dragon Marathon Walk” annual fundraiser announced, with the main Hanoian event looping around Thống Nhất Park's lake. Embracing the opportunity to contribute, I put my hand up for a 10K walk and enticed friends and family from around the world to send donations to the wander-for-a-cause.
How One Saigon Gym Is Re-Inventing Fitness
Technology has fundamentally altered how Saigoneers travel around the city, find and eat food, form and maintain relationships and make purchases. Such innovations can profoundly change how one approaches fitness here as well.
AISA Games Come to Saigon
Australian International School, Saigon (AIS Saigon) is set to host students from Australian International Schools across Asia this November, for the highly anticipated AISA Games 2023.
In the Mekong Delta, Ferries Are Childhood Friends and Daily Companions
The Mekong Delta is called Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long in Vietnamese — the Nine Dragons River, for the way the mighty Mekong splits into multiple strands as it nears its final destination, the East Sea.
Glide Over Hanoi in the Calmness of the Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line
In many countries, urban metros are a mundane convenience — so ordinary that their users often take them for granted. But until the birth of Hanoi’s Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line, residents of Vietnam had enjoyed no such air-conditioned, traffic-immune method of transportation.
Morning News Roundup: Laos Hydropower Plant Threatens Vietnam’s Mekong
Five laws to take effect from July [SGGP] Da Nang tourism plummets after anti-China protests [eturbonews] Japan to help Vietnam with high-quality agro production chain [Tuoi Tre]
Vietnam: Cheapest Place In The World To Buy A Beer
Not only is Vietnam one of Asia’s leading beer consumers, (and a country whose women supposedly out-drink Russian men) but also the cheapest place to consume the popular alcoholic beverage.
In Singapore, You Can Buy A Maid At The Mall
Well, this is a trend we hope never hits Vietnam’s developing mall culture. In Singapore, there are shopping complexes full of galleries with names like “Budget Maid” and Homekeeper.” Here, one can pu...
Vietnamese Wunderkind Offered 7 Scholarships To Top American Unis
Nguyen Sieu, a 19-year-old Hanoi boy, is one smart cookie. He has been offered university scholarships from seven top U.S. schools: Vassar College, Tufts University, Oberlin College, Franklin and Mars...
Vietnam’s Sleeper Bus Nightmare
While many bus companies advertise “five star” service on their “luxury” sleeper busses, many firms double their capacity by installing extra seats, making trips miserable for passengers.
Weekend News Roundup: Vietjet Air Answering For Its Flight That Went Astray
Roundup: Vietnam's capital stock market bounces on upward trend [Global Post] Vietnam to license numerous billion-dollar FDI projects by year-end [Tuoi Tre] U.S. Catfish Program Could Stym...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Morning News Roundup: With A Boost From Bill Gates, Vietnam's Entrepreneurs Put Profits Into Philanthropy
Ban on teaching English to pre-school children raises controversy [VietNamNet] Minister vows to fix damaged roads [VNS] Vietnam, Laos open new border gate [Thanh Nien]
Pregnant Vietnamese Beauty Queen Busted for US Marijuana Operation
Former Mrs. Vietnam Global was sentenced to prison in Washington State last week for growing and trading marijuana.
Beware: iPhone Locking Ransom Scheme Hits Vietnam
The iPhone locking scam that originated in Australia and Russia earlier this year has made its way to Vietnam.
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
7 Days At Saigon’s Lunch Lady
While most street soup spots in Saigon only offer up one type of delicious broth, Saigon’s famous Lunch Lady has gained notoriety the word over for changing things up on a daily basis. The thing is, o...
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam To Have Bus Rapid Transit Routes By 2015
Ex-Mrs. Global Vietnam runner-up indicted for $3.1mn fraud [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam to have Bus Rapid Transit routes in 2015 [DTI News] Trang An wins coveted world heritage recognition [VNS...
Vietnamese Petrol Prices Reach All-Time High
As of 8pm last night, Vietnamese petrol prices reached an all-time high.
Bus Advertisements Are Finally Coming To Saigon
After years of delays, bus advertisements are coming to Saigon. The pilot project, which will take place on 10 routes, was supposed to have launched 2 years ago but never made it past the planning sta...
Morning News Roundup: Over 14,000 Android Phones Tapped In Vietnam
26 percent of Vietnamese children are stunted [VietNamNet] Cambodia-made car causes shocks to Vietnam’s auto industry [VietNamNet] Vietnam confiscates 90kg of elephant tusks, ivory artifac...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
[Video] Sewer Fishing In District 12
Dan Tri recently posted a video of District 2 man, Nguyen Tuan Hai, who has found fishing paradise in a District 12 storm drain.
[Updated] VietJet Flight Bound For Dalat Mistakenly Lands In Nha Trang
[Update below] Early yesterday, passengers on VietJet flight 8861 bound for Dalat instead found themselves at Nha Trang’s Cam Ranh Airport.
Weekend News Roundup: Vietnam Hub’s Trade Center Ceiling Collapses, Panicking Shoppers
Vietnam Airlines seeking to raise $51 million in IPO [Reuters] Poverty reduction efforts leave poor behind: Oxfam [VNS] Vietnam suspends ban on direct import of cars [Thanh Nien]
Hanoi Gears Up For Super Storms
Climate change is altering the face of weather patterns across Vietnam, but perhaps no more so than in the country’s capital. As Hanoi faces the prospect of 2 – 3 major hurricanes this year, city auth...
Morning News Roundup: Vietnamese Poet Scales Top Ten List On Amazon
FPT group enters European market [Vietnam Plus] UNDP urges carbon pricing and end to fossil fuel subsidies [VNS] Vietnamese poet scales top ten list on Amazon [VNS]
U.S. Envoy Nominee: It May Be Time To Lift Vietnam Weapons Ban
For obvious reasons, the U.S. hasn’t provided Vietnam with weapons since the end of the American War. While we still see old American jeeps puttering around Saigon, most of Vietnam’s military equipmen...
