Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

'Longings' Brings 22 Stories by Vietnamese Female Writers to the World

Where are all the female writers?

in Film & TV

Monotonous Viet-Dubbed K-Dramas Were the Soundtrack of My Childhood

When I was growing up, my family owned a broken TV whose screen would unexpectedly go black while the audio continued to play. Turning it off and on again a couple of times would fix the problem, but it was such a hassle that sometimes we just let it be. It was stationed in our dining room, and my parents loved putting on Korean dramas when we were eating. So whenever I reminisce about my childhood, the sound of dubbed K-dramas always plays the background.

in Film & TV

On Returning to K-Drama, the Glue Bringing My Mom and Me Close Together

Before Squid Game became an international phenomenon and put K-dramas on the world map, audiences in Asian countries including Vietnam were enthralled by Boys Over Flowers, The Medical Brothers, Terms of Endearment, Dae Jang Geum — all of which are classics that we still look upon with nostalgic affection.

Khôi Phạm

in Rewind

For a Horror Film About an Ageless Portrait, 'Mười' Hasn't Aged Well

It’s undeniable that Mười: The Legend of a Portrait has left a lasting impression in the minds of a generation of Vietnamese, as the first collaboration between Vietnam and South Korea’s cinema industries. Watching this contemporary classic in 2024, however, made me realize that Mười has not aged well.

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

An Ode to Photo Booths, the Korean Trend Preserving Our Memories in Time

How can photo booths be a new trend if they’ve been around forever?

in Trích or Triết

The Life, Death and Legacy of 7 Pillars of Vietnam's Quốc Ngữ Literary Wealth

When I first started as a writer, I noticed that I couldn’t write in Vietnamese very well, despite the fact that I was born here. Most of my English vocabulary comes from books, so in order to improve my mother tongue, I began reading Vietnamese texts. The first one I chose was Hà Nội Băm Sáu Phố Phường, or The 36 Streets of Hanoi, by Thạch Lam. This book had been lying on my bookshelf for a long time, but that day was the first time I picked it up.

in Quãng 8

Thành Đồng's Music Is a Breath of Fresh Air in the Era of Overproduction

Inspired by life 's simple joys, Thành Đồng delivers a sense of familiarity, earnestness, and narrative richness with every song.

Back Arts & Culture

in Music & Arts

[Video] Vietnamese Editor Uses Pancake Batter To Make Edible Art

45-year-old Le Phong Giao spends his days as an editor at the Youth Publishing House. During is free time, he unleashes his artistic prowess with sand painting, architecture, oil painting and comic bo...

in Culture

Trung Nguyên’s Massive Geography Fail

Trung Nguyên puts out some pretty darn good coffee, providing a solid alternative to corn and chemical based street variety. When it comes to packaging, however, it looks like they could use a bit of ...

in Culture

[Photos] A Sneak Peek Into Saigon’s 2015 Tet Flower Street

There are many changes in store for Saigon’s annual Flower Street this year, from a new location to the use of QR codes and free WIFI.

in Culture

[Video] 80-Year-Old Vietnamese Man Owns Foreigner In Arm Wrestling Match

Looks can be deceiving as one foreign man found out the hard way when he entered into an arm wrestling match with an elderly Vietnamese man.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

Artist Spotlight: Thanh Xinh

With her bubbly personality and welcoming smile, one may assume that Saigon Artbook artist Thanh Xinh's journey as an artist has been nothing but smooth sailing. Like anything that is w...

in Music & Arts

Saigon Blog Spotlight: Seen In Saigon

Here comes a new player in your daily surf-for-stuff in Saigon routine.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.

in Culture

[Video] Parkour Gaining A Foothold in Vietnam

Parkour, or freestyle walking, follows fixies and skateboarding as the latest international subculture to gain popularity among Vietnam’s young urbanites.

in Music & Arts

Saigon Xưa: A Closer Look At Lê Hưng Trọng’s Dreamlike Creations

Author and artist Lê Hưng Trọng picks his favorite illustrations from his upcoming art book, “Saigon Xưa,” to give us a closer look into these fairytale-like drawings.

in Culture

Vietnam Takes Lead on Gay Rights by Eliminating Same-Sex Marriage Ban

On January 1, Vietnam officially abolished regulations that “prohibit marriage between people of the same sex.”

in Culture

[Infographic] Vietnamese Only “Moderately” Difficult for Native English Speakers

Many foreigners living in Vietnam find Vietnamese a challenging language to master, often citing its many tones as the biggest stumbling block. According to the US Department of State’s Foreign Servic...

in Culture

At Least 10 Vietnamese Have Ordered The New $450k Mercedes Maybach

At least 10 wealthy Vietnamese have ordered the new Mercedes Maybach sedan retailing at a cool $450,000 here in Vietnam.

in Culture

[Video] The Gangnam Style Coracle Dancers Of Quang Nam Province

You were probably hoping that Gangnam Style wouldn’t still be relevant in 2015, but a group of Quang Nam Province tour guides has figured out a way to mix the modern, YouTube-breaking dance with tradi...

in Film & TV

January Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

International cinema in 2014 was marked not only by a number of solid films, but also by exceptional performances. With ‘award season’ in full swing, Saigon’s alternative film venues have lined up a n...

in Music & Arts

Behind The Curtain: Standpoint Theories

Brimming with creative ideas, the multi-disciplinary Standpoint Theories, which first made an appearance last year at Cargo Bar, will grace Saigon once more for three days in January.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer’s 10 Most Popular Stories Of 2014

As the calendar is set to flip to 2015, we’ve put together a list of Saigoneer’s most popular stories from 2014. 

in Culture

Left For Dead, Vietnam’s First Restored Steam Locomotive Makes Miraculous Return

After an 18-year absence from Vietnam’s tracks, it looks like steam locomotives are making a comeback.

in Culture

15 Amazing Moments Captured On Vietnam’s Streets

In Vietnamese cities, streets are where life happens. With few parks available to the country’s urban masses, they serve as everything from entertainment venues to wedding halls to restaurants. They a...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.