Touching the Infinite: An Interview With Vietnamese Canadian Novelist Kim Thúy
- Details
- Published on 02 March 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Illustration by Hannah Hoang.
Why pencils are yellow; the connections between the aviation industry, a centuries-old Central American ballgame and sex; the “true” color of goldfish; the reason we never see Buddha peeing; and the genre-bending decision best-selling novelist Kim Thúy made for her recent book: my conversation with Thúy spun wildly in different directions for over three hours.
Cầy Vằn Bắc: Caught in the Crossfire of the Cà Phê Chồn Industry
- Details
- Published on 01 March 2022
- Written by Michael Tatarski.
While Saigoneer’s Natural Selection series has already covered a number of iconic species and types of animals, including the tiger, Asian elephant, dogs and cats, there’s a good chance most of the people reading this haven’t heard of today’s critter.
Hẻm Gems: Tân Định's Tried-and-True Bánh Canh Cua for a Late Breakfast
- Details
- Published on 28 February 2022
- Written by Mervin Lee. Photos by Mervin Lee.
Bánh canh, at times described as Vietnamese udon or even “mouse-tail noodles,” is a great mystery on its own. Etymologically speaking, bánh canh translates to “soup-cake,” and these thick, cylindrical noodles made with tapioca and rice flour of varying ratios do invoke a sense of cognitive dissonance.
Hẻm Gems: In Warmth and Good Drinks, an Amiable Cafe's Spirit Lives On
- Details
- Published on 27 February 2022
- Written by Ái Võ. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
How would you feel if everything about your favorite spot suddenly changed one day? Would the same attachment still stand? Those were the questions that popped into my head the afternoon I paid my visit to cafe Nhà Phạm’s new home.
Linh Ha's Ethereal Vocal Harmonies Push the Boundaries of Hanoi's Electronic Music Scene
- Details
- Published on 25 February 2022
- Written by Isabelle Taft. Photos courtesy of Linh Ha.
When Linh Ha hosts Xom Nhac, Hanoi Social Club’s regular live music showcase, her electronic instruments, all sleek plastic and snaking black wires, lie on top of a silky floral scarf. The scarf is spread in front of her on the floor, where she sits throughout her performance, level with the audience. Everyone can see the precise motions — a button pressed here, a pedal held there, a shaker up to the microphone, and Linh Ha’s careful, clear singing — that produce the ethereal music we’re hearing.
Vietnam's Virtual YouTubers and the Surprising Bond of Anonymous Friendship
- Details
- Published on 23 February 2022
- Written by Thế Anh. Top graphic by Phan Nhi.
Vtubers have been taking the global streaming industry by storm for several years now, with millions of fans that span the globe, even in Vietnam. Yet despite this obvious popularity, local Vtubers catering to a Vietnamese audience are only a recent phenomenon.
[Photos] Inside a Vaccination Point in Vietnam Nearly 100 Years Ago
- Details
- Published on 23 February 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. .
A century ago, the colonial government was active in inoculating Vietnamese citizens against a variety of diseases.
Hẻm Gems: Curry Shika and Nearly 2 Decades of Making Memories in Saigon
- Details
- Published on 20 February 2022
- Written by Khoi Pham. Photos by Le Thai Hoang Nguyen. Graphic by Simona Nguyen.
Unlike a normal human, there is a chance that my body is not 70% water, but 70% curry; and a good 50% of that might actually be Japanese curry.
[Photos] Once Upon a Time in Bát Tràng Ceramic Village
- Details
- Published on 18 February 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
Back in the day, when Emperor Lý Thái Tổ relocated the capital from Ninh Binh to Hanoi, five famous pottery families followed. They settled in a region on the east bank of the Red River where there was good clay, and founded the Bat Trang ceramic village.
How Indie Book Publisher Bar De Force Marries Art, Literature and Translation
- Details
- Published on 17 February 2022
- Written by Quyên Hoàng. Photos courtesy of Bar de Force. .
“A collision of literature and art on the pages” is the descriptor that Bar De Force, a Vietnamese independent press, gives itself.
Vĩnh Long's Rich Architectural Heritage Tells Stories of Taste, Time, and Turbulence
- Details
- Published on 16 February 2022
- Written by Hiếu Y. Photos by Ninh. Top graphic by Phan Nhi. Editing by Nick và An Nguyên.
Vĩnh Long is a land of rich historical values located in the Mekong Delta. Here, generations of residents from diverse cultural backgrounds have been living, working, and interacting across key milestones of the land’s historical periods.
[Photos] Old Film Photos Capture a Serene Huế in 1961
- Details
- Published on 14 February 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
These colorful photos of Huế in the early 1960s provide outsiders an important view of the country at a pivotal time.
Hẻm Gems: In Saigon, Go Mô Rứa for a Well-Crafted Huế Culinary Feast?
- Details
- Published on 13 February 2022
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
In the Huế dialect, mô rứa is a phrase one might encounter often in daily conversation. When a Huế resident asks “Mi đi mô rứa?” they might be wondering where you’re heading.
The Wall, a Costume, and a Nation's Identity: How the First Áo Dài Came to Be
- Details
- Published on 11 February 2022
- Written by Linh Pham. Top graphic by Hannah Hoang.
How does a nation represent itself to the world?
Designer Lucia Phạm's Animated Video Refreshes Tết Wishes With New Visuals
- Details
- Published on 10 February 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
To Lucia Phạm, a young graphic designer and illustrator, creating a personal project for the Lunar New Year has become an annual tradition. This year, instead of crafting static images, Lucia went all-out with an animated video to showcase Tết well-wishes.
Hẻm Gems: The Dream of the 2010s Is Alive at Pacey Cupcakes
- Details
- Published on 06 February 2022
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên. Top image by Simona Nguyễn and Hannah Hoàng.
Pick your favorite cupcake flavor; perhaps a pitcher of hot fragrant tea too. Ascend the dizzyingly steep flight of stairs. Mind your head. Tread gently on the wooden attic floor. There your friends are. They’re giggling over a joke. Their faces light up in the warm golden ambiance. Let’s have a blast.
A Eulogy for the Last Wild Cọp of Vietnam
- Details
- Published on 30 January 2022
- Written by Khoi Pham. Graphic by Hannah Hoang and Phan Nhi.
The story of Vietnam and cọp is not one where we will come out looking good.
Saigon Postcard No. 29: Nhâm Dần Limps In
- Details
- Published on 30 January 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Illustration by Hannah Hoang.
Humans adapted to fields, birds to branches... and yet, in Saigon...
'54 Shades of Dần,' a Tribute to Tết in Tiger-Themed Playing Cards
- Details
- Published on 28 January 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Images courtesy of Quý Đôn.
Tết is coming, a time of joy, new beginnings and, for some, the ideal time for card games.
Hẻm Gems: In D6, Oyster Omelette, Porridge and Bột Chiên for the Soul
- Details
- Published on 27 January 2022
- Written by Khoi Pham. Photos by Le Thai Hoang Nguyen.
“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster,” satirist Jonathan Swift wrote in the 1700s. Famously fearful of the now-prized bivalves, Swift eventually grew to appreciate their briny, ocean-forward essence, going as far as writing oyster-gathering and -consuming into Gulliver’s Travels.
