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.
The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story
Water has no hometown.
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 Links: Vietnam Drags Feet on Single Visa for Mekong Region
- Alarming rise in accidents by drunken drivers in HCMC [SaigonGP Daily] - Vietnam drags feet on single visa for Mekong region [Thanh Nien] - Agency questioned after travelers left stranded in...
Lost Cambodian City Found Using Frickin' Laser Beams
Apparently Ankgor Watt is a piece of a larger puzzle. Using frickin' areal lasers, archaeologists have identified a sprawling city around the 1,200 year old temple complex, revealing how the area’s ne...
Morning Links: 701 Vietnamese Travelers Abandoned in Thailand
Here's what's making news around Vietnam this morning: - Prostitution ring targeting foreigners busted in Vietnam metro [Thanh Nien] - Gold Premiums in Vietnam Hit $217 Over Spot In Heavy Demand [Go...
Morning Links: New Plan to Curb Drunk Driving Unpopular
Here's what's making news around Vietnam this morning: - Power outage at Tan Son Nhat airport affects 1,000 flyers [Tuoi Tre] - Vietnam Stocks Fall to Three-Week Low on Gasoline Price Increase [Bloo...
Friendly Between Arsenal and Vietnam in Jeopardy
The friendly between Arsenal and Vietnam is in a state of limbo after stadium owners raised fees for the match. Touted as the first Premier League team to visit Vietnam, Arsenal had planned to play t...
New Ho Chi Minh Statue for Downtown
The iconic statue of Ho Chi Minh, which has made its home in front of the HCMC People’s Committee building, will soon be moved and replaced by a new bust of Vietnam’s most beloved national hero. The ...
Vietnamese Man Dead After Slashing Himself Over Plane Ticket
Last Saturday, a Vietnamese man in Dagupan, Philippines killed himself when he was unable to borrow money for a plane ticket home. The man, identified as Nguyen Tan Lap, was found bleeding heavily in...
Dog Thief Beaten to Death by Angry Mob
Yesterday, residents of the north-central province of Nghe An brutally attacked 2 dog thieves, leaving one dead and another seriously injured.
Morning Links: For expats, cost of living in Hanoi higher than Saigon
Here's what's making news this morning: - Drunk Vietnamese official causes fatal car accident in Da Lat (Thanh Nien) - Coca Cola transfer pricing charges (VietnamNet Bridge) - Tata winning bidder i...
Vietnam Ponders Name Change
This October, the National Assembly is expected to make some major changes to Vietnam’s constitution for the first time since 1992. One of the biggest modifications that may take place is a sligh...
Saigon Pushes for One-Visa Policy
To better connect the tourism of SE Asian countries, Saigon authorities have pressed the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to adopt a one-visa policy with Thailand, Cambodia, Loas and Mynamar...
Morning Links: Vietnam Losing $400 million per Year to Computer Viruses
Here's what's going on this morning in Saigon: - Thieves are getting technologically savvy (VietnamNet Bridge) - "Got to Dance" coming to Vietnam (VietnamNet Bridge) - Vietnamese Teloco to dep...
Morning Links: Vietnam Considers Ban on Lip-synching and Skimpy Clothes on Stage
Here's what's making news this morning: - HCMC to address plethora of unsold apartments (Saigon GP Daily) - Many of Saigon and Ha Noi's Gas Stations are Unsafe (Tuoi Tre) - Cocodile exports set to ...
Nguyens Set to Conquer Australia's Cities
With over 4,000,000 Viet Kieu, it’s not surprising that Vietnamese culture has made its way across the globe. Vietnamese culinary heroes, such as Pho to Banh Mi, have been popularized from Sydney to N...
Morning Links: New Council to Decide on Minimum Wage
- CocCoc trying to differentiate itself from Google (Tech in Asia) - Gambler siezed for trafficking elephant tusks (Tuoi Tre) - Experts say Vietnam should focus on improving the standard of living, ...
VNA A330 Engine Catches Fire After Landing in Saigon
Yesterday at 3:55pm, a Vietnam Airlines Airbus A330, arriving from Melbourne, landed at Ton San Nhat International airport. Soon after, smoke was observed coming from its no. 2 engine.
Kowloon - City in Darkness
We’ve seen some of Hong Kong’s tightest living spaces in a previous post but nothing compares with the notorious Kowloon Walled City. From the 1940s to 1993, this fortress of darkness and poverty hous...
Morning Links: Vietnam's Mobile Ad Market is Booming
Here's what's making news this morning: - New updates on the bribe-for-visa scam are emerging (Tuoi Tre) - Teachers and students happy with graduation exam day (SaigonGP Daily) - Lack o...
Saigon Lifts Ban on Public Bus Advertising
Saigon’s 2002 ban on public advertising has been lifted, allowing for advertisements on public buses, taxis and trains. The move has been welcomed by advertisers, seeking to expand their reach, and th...
Quang Nam Principal to Defend his Honor with Genital Examination
Well, it’s Monday so let’s keep things light this morning. A Quang Nam school principal, rumored to have had an extramarital affair, has requested a genital inspection by “relevant agencies” ...