Indie Short Film 'Saigon Kiss' Is a Quintessential Saigon Queer Love Story
Is there a meet-cute more characteristically Saigon than a motorbike breakdown and subsequent friendly assist from a stranger?
Linh Phạm in Trích or Triết
In Xuân Diệu's Tender Poetry, a Reminder to Love Honestly and Courageously
“Tenderly, fondly, Xuân Diệu held on to my wrist, caressing it up and down. Our eyes locked in affection…Xuân Diệu loved me.”
Pete Walls in Travel
For the Freshest Fish of the Day, Head to Hội An's Coast Before Sunrise
The alarm goes off at 3am. By 3:30am, scooters laden with empty crates and baskets are already moving through the dark lanes and sandy passages towards Hội An's coast. Long before the old town wakes, the beaches along the shore are coming alive with engines, head torches, waves, and fishermen preparing to return to land. Thankfully, coffee is readily available almost anywhere.
From the Mind of 'Mekong Review' Comes ‘Yellow,’ a New Lit Mag Focused on SEA
“Cooped up in my apartment-cage in Tân Định, I created, with scissors and glue, dummy after dummy of a cosmopolitan rag positively pumping with scandals and half-truths. I was having a lot of fun dreaming of a magazine that I would never be able to do. And buried somewhere in that detritus on the floor—advertising cutouts and newspaper clippings—was Yellow … Once I knew I had the name, the magazine more or less made itself, as though the name determined the rest, ie, form and content,” writes Minh Bui of the birth of Yellow, his “what-do-I-do-after-Mekong Review magazine.”
In Saigon's Bửu Long Pagoda, a Meditative Escape and Pan-Southeast Asian Architecture
It all started with a sparkle on the horizon, a beam of solar brilliance bouncing off a garish metallic surface.
On Reading Ocean Vuong and Thinking About the Sniff Kisses of My Family
Having always been a little brother, I had to learn to be a big one when I was 10 years old. In the midst of the confusion of this new role, I found myself pressing my nose to this newborn’s head and inhaling as hard as I could. This “sniff kiss” was not an action I invented. Rather, it was an instinct forged through mimicry: I started noticing from this point that my father and grandmother both did the same thing to me.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Meet Th.ink Room, the Tattoo Collective Bringing New Life to Old Artworks and Onto Skin
Tattoo Therapist, dr.99hz, cd.cadao, goc.viet, Solarist and Baby Nepotism: listing the artists that call Th.ink Room home feels like shouting out the members of a rap clique. Indeed, tattoo artists, more than any other visual artists, are akin to rappers in their use of pseudonyms, so to employ a common hip-hop refrain, Saigoneer became interested in Th.ink Room because “game recognize game.”
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
A (Literally) Brief History of Vietnamese Representation in 'Mean Girls' (2004)
Written by Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey and premiered in 2004, Mean Girls is often heralded as a sharp, self-aware comedy that was ahead of its time, yet still holds up surprisingly well today. Alas, its depiction of Asians has aged a little more poorly, even though at the time of its release, the Asian representation was shockingly accurate for its time, despite some haphazard characterizations.
[Photos] Remnants Of Old Saigon
Often coming across as bustling and chaotic, Saigon’s entangled streets make for one hell of a first impression. Saigon’s charm, however, lies underneath the surface and only unveils itself when time ...
Saigoneer Tet Photo Contest
Alright Saigoneers, we hope you’ve had a chance to deal with your holiday withdrawal depression and get back into the groove of life. You should have had ample time to get all your holiday photos edit...
Saigon's Instant Street Furniture
Public space in Saigon can be easily understood as an endless source of spontaneous, if not random, design solutions.
18 Country's Flags Reimagined Using Traditional Foods
To help promote the Sydney International Food Festival, advertising agency, WHYBIN\TBWA, designed 18 national flags made from traditional foods.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.
[Video] Bandit 9: Motorcycles From "Another Dimension"
Some of Saigon’s homegrown brands are starting to embrace high-quality short films to promote their products.
5 Vietnamese Photographers Among Finalists For International Photo Contest
The annual Smithsonian Photo Contest is wrapping up, and, of the 60 finalists, five are Vietnamese photographers.
An Illustrated Guide To Vietnamese Slang: Part 2
We’re back with another series of illustrated Vietnamese slang. Part 1 of this series can be found here.
5 Of Saigon’s Oldest Temples
Before the arrival of the French and their colonial architecture, Buddhist temples served as the most ornate structures in Saigon. Here is some background on and the locations of five of the city’s ol...
[Updated] The Prodigy To Play Surprise Performance In Saigon This Friday
[Update] According to the organizers, the show has been canceled due to logistical issues.
Color Me Run Returns To Saigon
After a successful Saigon debut in 2014 with more than 6,800 participants, the next installment of the Color Me Run will take place in the city this April.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.
An Illustrated Guide To Vietnamese Slang: Part 1
We’re back with another series of illustrated Vietnamese slang.
[Video] Marou Chocolate's Nifty Stop Motion Commercial
Director Tom Jobbins and a team of animators, 3D model designers and colorists worked painstakingly on this playful 30-second spot to show the abridged story of how Vincient Marou and Samuel Maruta be...
March Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
This month’s film programme is packed with films that address socio-political issues including gay rights, civil rights and freedom of speech. If that’s not your cup of tea, you have the opportunity t...
The Best Cultural Happenings In The Year Of The Horse
As we say goodbye to the year of the Horse, our editorial team looks back at the increasingly expanding cultural scene in Saigon and beyond. From theatre to art exhibitions, these are, in no particula...
New Video Shows Why "Da Nang Is Awesome"
Da Nang is Vietnam's posterboy for urban development, sporting everything from free public WIFI to a dragon bridge. Surrounded by rolling hills and pristine beaches, the city attracts plenty of local ...
[Photos] Vietnamese Transform Ordinary Cars Into 'Rolls-Royces'
In Vietnam, the land of product copycats, imitation iPhones and Louis Vuitton handbags are par for the course. But now, a new and impressive trend seems to be taking off – modding ordinary cars into "...
Vietnam Photo Tips: Lighting Subjects Wearing Nón Lá
One issue photographers often face in Vietnam is taking pictures of people wearing the traditional nón lá, Vietnam’s signature conical hat. It covers so much of the face that your subject may look und...
Saigoneer’s February Art Picks
Saigoneer's arts & culture guru, Zelda, highlights some of the best art being displayed and exhibited around town this month.
