
I Keep My Connection to My Family's Hanoi Tết Traditions in a Tiny Quất Tree
I am not a plant person. So when even I notice the abundance of vườn kiểng — a place selling a myriad of plants — it must mean that Saigoneers truly love buying plants. Some of my friends, who are also Hanoians, asked me one day to visit these vườn kiểng and look for Tết plants: “Let’s celebrate Tết the way northerners do, you know?” And somehow, being amongst the plants brought me right back to Quảng Bá Flower Market in Tây Hồ.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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).

‘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.

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.”

What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 9 Stories You May Have Missed
- Vietnam's Economy to Grow 5.3 Percent in 2013 [Malaysia Sun] - Vietnam concerned over HIV donor funding cuts [IRIN] - VN firm wins management contract for Myanmar skyscraper [V...

Slideshow: When Capitalism Returned to Vietnam
When Vietnam opened it's doors to capitalism and the free market in the mid 90s, almost overnight, multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Kodak and Pepsi rushed to exploit the country's u...

Morning Links: Obama Invites Vietnam President for Rare Trip
- Bonus marks for Vietnam Heroic Mothers at university exams [Vietnam Net Bridge] - Italian communist leader on visit in Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] - 7 arrested in Vietnam for fatal brawl ove...

Morning Links: The Real Owner of Highlands Coffee
- China remains largest rice consumer of Vietnam [CRIEnglish] - The real owner of Highlands Coffee [Vietnam Net Bridge] - 576 undocumented people granted Vietnamese citizenship [Tuoi ...

Morning Links: Vietnam Bigwig to be Charged in Fatal Drunk-Driving Accident
- New shrew discovered in Vietnam forest [Mongbay] - Vietnam bigwig to be charged for fatal drunk-driving accident [Thanh Nien] - Vietnam faces challenges of increasing work forc...

Chicken Smuggled From Vietnam to China Had Been in Storage Since 1967
If you’re eating, you’ll probably want to stop for a moment. Chinese authorities have raided a food storage facility in Nanning, China and found tons of substandard meat, imported from Vietnam. Oh, an...

Morning Links: Where Driver’s Licenses are Bought
- Vietnam losing shine in attracting FDI to regional rivals: Minister [Tuoi Tre] - Vietnam, Laos complete border demarcation [Saigon GP Daily] - Where driver’s licenses are...

What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
- Vietnam’s 2nd Russian-made sub completes sea trials [Thanh Nien] - Southern hub embraces CNG bus fleet [VietnamNet Bridge] - ADB gives $500 mln loan to HCMC metro project&...

Police to Crack Down on Noisy Pham Ngu Lao Bars
We’re sure nothing will come of this (other than some hush money) but the District 1 People's Committee has set up a joint inspection team address the late night noise from Pham Ngu Lao’s bars.

Vinh Gang Busted for Stealing 4,000 Cats Over 2 Years
Apparently dogs aren't the only pets you need to watch out for. Police in Vinh City have arrested 6 men for allegedly stealing and selling the meat of up to 4,000 felines. Picking up four to six cats...

[Updated] Cops Bust Out Net Launchers to Stop Traffic Violators
Our strategy of avoiding eye contact with traffic police to evade tickets may soon be rendered useless. Authorities in Thanh Hoa Province are planning to mass produce fishnet launchers to catch those...

Morning Links: Sidewalk Nước Mía Sellers Earn $2,500/month
Vietnam cops accused of beating man with cerebral palsy [Thanh Nien] Street children inspire paintings [VietnamNet Bridge] Vietnam military deploys vehicles to help college applicants [Tuo...

BarcampSaigon Returns on July 7th
BarcampSaigon, a great knowledge-sharing event returns to Saigon this Sunday at RMIT. Try to make it if you can! You can even register to speak on any topic of your choice (relating to tech in some wa...

Vinamilk Gets Approval to Export Dairy Products to US
Vinamilk, Vietnam's favorite dairy brand, has been given the go-ahead by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin exporting products to the US – a first for the Vietnamese dairy industry. U...

Weapons Grade Uranium Removed from Da Lat
A joint American and Russian program has removed the last remaining, highly enriched uranium from Da Lat’s nuclear research facilities. Over the last 6 years, the US and Russia have shipped out 35 po...

Morning Links: Vietnam Introduces Digital Textbooks at Select Schools
- Foreign giants hunt for retail space in HCM City [VietnamNet Bridge] - Vietnam introduces digital textbooks at select schools [Thanh Nien] - US: Vietnam's weapons-grade uranium remo...

What the Phở Happened This Weekend? 9 Stories You May Have Missed
While you were busy this weekend checking out emerging Vietnamese artists and trying to stay dry, you may have missed this weekend’s news: - Vietnam Devalues Dong for First Time Since Decem...

Morning Links: Reckless Driving Turns Vietnam's Highways into Horror Show
- Two Africans expelled from Vietnam for conning locals [Thanh Nien] - Lethal injection “is still being prepared” [VietnamNet Bridge] - Vietnam Economic Growth Quickens as Inves...

Morning Links: US citizen caught at airport with giant heroin haul
-US citizen caught at Vietnam airport with giant heroin haul [Thanh Nien] -Heineken ‘absolutely on top’ of fake beer threat after Vietnam gang bust [Beverage Daily] -Drunken man sleeps on highw...

Vietnam Airports Charging Premium Prices for Low-Quality Products
We’ve all been there – in the rush to get to the airport on time, you forgo a necessary meal. You arrive only to find that your (insert budget airline here) flight has been delayed 2 hours. Maybe ther...