Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

How to Curate the Best Playlist to Listen to While Riding the Saigon Metro

When you get a new toy, it's only reasonable to take it out to play with as often as possible.

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

Đi Bão Is Vietnamese Culture at Its Most Jubilant, Raucous, and Fervent

Dustbins, tree branches, advertising stands and tarps, leftover Christmas decorations, whatever pot, pan, ladle or utensil left unattended in the family kitchen, and at least one street vendor’s bánh khọt mold: whatever wasn’t bolted down got caught up in the wave of đi bão that filled Saigon’s streets last night. 

in Saigon

Life in Saigon's Old Tenements, the Remaining Vertical Villages of Past Decades

Is “out with the old, in with the new” the new motto when it comes to Saigon's real estate scene?

in Saigon

A Merry Memory of a Mid-2000s Middle-Class Christmas in Saigon

As my palm felt the glossy wrapping paper for my Secret Santa gift, I was transported to my early childhood Christmases — filled with warmth, wonder, and the bubbling discomfort of class insecurities.

in Saigon

Watching Snowfall in 'Home Alone' Is My Saigon Christmas Tradition

Christmas is so globally celebrated that even in Saigon, as the coldest time of the year approaches, you can hear Christmas hymms echoing from homes in the alley, and spot houses adorned with Christmas trees, Santas, snowmen, regardless of their cultural relevance to Vietnamese culture. For me, one of the activities that truly embodies this global spirit of Christmas is watching Home Alone (1990). 

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

‘Công tử Bạc Liêu’ Asks: ‘What Would You Do if You Won the Lottery?’

They say you don’t buy a lottery ticket because you think you’ll win; you buy one so that you can fantasize about winning.

in Vietnam

For Hội An Residents, Learning to Live With Floods Is a Fact of Life

The water reached my shoulders, and when I stepped into the street I suddenly felt the current trying to pull me into its invisible grasp. A familiar feeling that set off an alarm inside my head: “Be careful! It looks like nothing, but don’t get caught in it.”

in Saigon

The Calming Quietude of an Early Morning Stroll Through D1

As a city that is perpetually either sweltering hot or halfway under water, Saigon weather rarely includes cool breezes or overcast mornings. And yet, over the past few weeks, the city has experienced a handful of chilly mornings and soft sunlight, a welcome change from the usual heat and humidity that often appears at sunrise and lasts throughout the day.

Back Stories

in Roundups

Weekend Stories Roundup: VN Posts Strong Q3 Recovery, First Train Hits Saigon's Metro Tracks, Mobile Operators Vow to End Robo Calls

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Saigon

First Saigon Metro Train Arrives From Japan for Test Runs

Much excite!

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: International Flights Suspended and New Ride-Hailing App

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Saigon

Binh Thanh Named Among World's 40 Coolest Neighborhoods

Is there another part of Saigon you would consider cooler?

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Experts Question HCMC Districts Merger, More European Luxury Goods and Vietnam-UK FTA

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Suspected Covid Case in Hai Phong, Train Ridership Plummets and 48 Hour Film Project

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Vietnam

Even With Stellar Pandemic Response, Vietnam's Consumer Confidence Drops Sharply

A recent survey found that the figure fell to its lowest point in roughly 20 years.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Tourists Return to Da Nang, Harmful UV Radiation and VinShop Launch

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Saigon

Saigon Transport Department Proposes Yet Another Public Bike Project

According to the proposal, it would include 43 stations around central Saigon.

in Roundups

Weekend Stories Roundup: Can Gio-Vung Tau Ferry, Domestic Airlines' Recovery and Nuclear Disarmament

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Traffic Cops Must Get in Shape, Intense Rain Incoming and UK Foreign Minister Visits

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Asia

Singapore to Lift Restrictions on Travelers From Australia, Vietnam Next Week

Starting October 8, the nation will lift arrival restrictions in light of the two country's successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Free Visa Waivers Extended, COVID-19 Vaccine Trials and 45 New Playgrounds

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Saigon

Saigon Wants to Expand Pedestrian-Only Zone to 5 More Streets in D1

Saigon might create more pedestrian zones in the city in the future.

in Roundups

Morning News Roundup: Japan Lifts Travel Restrictions for VN, HCMC Electric Bus Routes, AIDS Treatment Success

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Hanoi

No Pets, No Vendors, No Vulgarities: Hanoi Proposes New Pedestrian Plaza Restrictions

The spacious pedestrian plaza in Hoan Kiem District has become a hot hangout for locals, but with that popularity also comes numerous nuisances.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Cai Luong Hits Google Homepage, Corporate Income Tax Cut and Daring Theft Goes Wrong

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Weekend Stories Roundup: Traffic Deaths Decline, Failing Mangrove Forest and High-Profile Saigon Real Estate on Sale

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Saigon

Saigon Aims to Reach Over $12,000 in GDP per Capita by 2030

Saigon's GDP per capita in 2019 was US$6,862.

in Vietnam

After Storm Noul, Hue Mourns Its Unnamed Victims: 10,000 Trees

Last weekend saw the arrival of Storm Noul, which wreaked havoc on the central coast of Vietnam, causing massive destruction and displacing many families.