Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Art Project ‘The Lottery of Forgotten Dreams’ Is a Wild Alchemy of Vé Số and Photography
Vé số ticket number 984430 yields a magenta fish contorting atop a ghostly image of an apartment high-rise in Tân Phú in “The Lottery of Forgotten Dreams – Topographies of the Unseen,” an art project by photographer Christian Berg. The experimental project, available to view in full online, employs computer technology to combine photography, numerology, and mythology and playfully reimagine how one visualizes Saigon.
In MARG1N, a Resolute Return to Print Media That Dissects Southeast Asian Cinema
The joy of reading, for most of my life, had been primarily grounded in the joy of learning, feeling, and thinking through words, independent of medium. That is, until college, when I found myself repeatedly longing for Thursday mornings, when the week’s freshly printed student newspaper would arrive neatly folded and stacked, ready to be spread over the dining-hall table like wrapping paper. I came to realize then that the joy of reading was not simply about words; it was also about the tactile touch of paper and of the inexplicable satisfaction of flipping through pages bigger than my hands could reasonably manage.
By Preserving Tradition, Honoring Creativity and Showcasing Sustainability, Young Vietnamese Chefs Excel at Ngon Challenge by Marriott International
The glossy menus, sleek decor, and iconic logos of international hotel restaurants often obscure the human stories behind each dish. While catering to global guests, these restaurants often serve meals with origins in family kitchens and regional culinary traditions. Young, local chefs balance nostalgic associations with contemporary techniques and creative expression to create these menus. Returning for its second year this past September, Ngon Challenge continued to celebrate and nurture Vietnamese culinary talent across Marriott International’s hotels and resorts in Vietnam.
Review: ‘Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell’ Is a Soul-Searching Mission in the Lâm Đồng Mist
On the pastures of slow cinema where Andrei Tarkovsky, Tsai Ming-liang and Theo Angelopoulos reside, Phạm Thiên Ân's debut feature, Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell), has made its mark as a notable entry for its distinctly Vietnamese vistas, tones and essence.
The Search for Vietnam's Largest Lacquer Artwork, Nguyễn Thế Khang’s 36 Old Streets of Hanoi
The story begins in 1996. Before leaving for a month-long journey to Vietnam with 30 other Norwegian teachers, I had searched through books and online sources for hidden stories and overlooked places, an interest born from my experiences teaching Vietnamese refugees in Norway in the late 1970s and 1980s. One name caught my attention: the artist Nguyễn Thế Khang, who had conceived an ambitious plan to recreate Hanoi’s 36 Old Streets in a monumental lacquer work. The day after I arrived in Hanoi, I was welcomed into his home at 47 Triệu Việt Vương.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Review: In Lope Dope's Debut Album, a Summery Fictional World Powered by City Pop
“Tình ca thành phố vịnh,” the first album by Hanoian indie group Lope Dope, might come out at the end of summer in August, but its wealth of city pop exuberance and tropical cheer is enough to power any listener through the dreary rainy season and upcoming winter.
Heartfelt, Queer and Wickedly Witty: How Poetry Collection 'Come Clean' Sparks Joy
Joshua Nguyen lists himself as many things on his Instagram bio — a writer, a PhD student, a boba snob. He received h...
On Searching for Rươi Vendor Street Calls, Hanoi's Harbinger of Autumn
Embedded in the street call of rươi vendors is the conjuring of autumn, when delectable cuisines from across the land of...
5 Great Ways to Watch Independent Films in Saigon
I spent my childhood in a family that worshiped cinema, all sorts of films, from Disney cartoons, unsuitable films such as All that Jazz (way too early, I was 8 at the time), art films – Cinema Paradi...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
[Video] 2 Foreigners Attempt to Cover “What Does the Pho Say”
In an exceptional example of a cover of a parody, this dude, who goes by the name of Ăn Đu Đủ, enlisted a friend to help him cover “What Does the Pho Say.”
Mùng 5 Tháng 5 – Tet’s Little Brother
Yesterday was Mung 5 Thang 5 (Tet Doan Ngo) - a Vietnamese half-year Tet celebration which takes place on the fifth of lunar May (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month). We take a closer look at this...
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Interactive Chart] How Vietnamese Consume Media
We can assume a lot about Vietnamese media habits based on our daily observations. Cafés are packed smartphone and tablets users and when walking down a hem at night, nearly every family seems to be s...
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Video] Things Vietnamese Moms Do
YouTuber, Richie Le, makes videos about the Vietnamese community in California. In one of his more recent videos, he takes on stereotypes of Vietnamese mothers. While it takes place in the US, the vid...
American School of Vietnam Teacher Gets a $6,000 Haircut
In a refreshing alternative to stories about crazy things wealthy Vietnamese spend their money on, Michael Barrs, a teacher at The American School of Vietnam, promised his students that if they raised...
Zelda Goes to the Gallery: Art Basel Hong Kong
Last week, Art Basel Hong Kong proved itself worthy of its older siblings (Art Basel – Miami and Art Basel – Switzerland) and probably even bested them by becoming the meeting and merging point b...
Neighbors - Celebrate Lesbians @ La Fenetre Soleil
From the organizer: Neighbors is a series of events with the purpose to help strengthen the bond and understanding in the LGBT community. Besides, Neighbors aims to transfer the accurate information a...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
[Photos] Vietnamese Photographer Shoots Naomi Campbell for Harper’s Bazaar Cover
Global fashion icon, Naomi Campbell, is front and center on this month’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam.
Saigon Urban Legends: Haunted Tao Dan Park
Listed in UK travel guidebook Rough Guides as one of the most haunted places in the world, District 1’s Tao Dan Park is said to the home of young man's ghost.
4 Traditional Trades That Are Quickly Disappearing in Hanoi
Last week we heard the story of the Saigon Post Office’s last letter writer, a trade that is unlikely to last much longer. But letter writing isn’t the only traditional occupation endangered by Vietna...
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Photos] The Mud Wrestlers of Yen Vien Village
Every year between the 12th and 14th days of the fourth lunar month (May 10 - 12), the men of Yen Vien Village in Bac Giang Province partake in the a 3 hour “Ball Catching in Mud Festival.”
Brian Letwin in Culture
15 Unusual Maps That Compare Vietnam and Other Countries
Maps are not only a great way to look back through time, but also to understand the world in its current state. Time-wasting site, Bored Panda, compiled a brilliant collection of maps that reveal some...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Great Success! Tourist Celebrates After Crossing Saigon Street
Tourists are notoriously freaked out by the prospect of crossing the street in Vietnam, with many comparing it to the 1980s video game “Frogger.”
The Cursed, Monk-less Phuc Quang Pagoda
Built in 1734 under the reign of King Long Duc III, Phuc Quang pagoda in Bac Giang Province has been mysteriously monk-less for nearly 300 years.
The Last Letter Writer of the Saigon Post Office
As I travel through life, meeting new people, I sometimes get the feeling that some have a story to tell. When I discover such a person, I secretly feel special and cool to be one of the few who perce...
Very Superstitious: 3 Popular Vietnamese Superstitions
As is the case in many cultures, superstition plays an important role in our society. It can dictate when to take a vacation, how to do business and even cure bad luck. In this monthly column, we take...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
[Video] Physically-Challenged Mekong Woman Paints with Her Feet
For those of us who possess little to no artistic talent, we know that creating anything more than a stick figure is a daunting task. That makes the work of 36-year-old Huynh Thi Xam incredibly i...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
4 Great Places to Buy Art Supplies in Saigon
Saigon-based design website, dxMAG recently made a great post about where to find art supplies in the city. Here are some shops where you can pick up sometimes hard-to-find tools for illustration, pai...
Vietnamese Man Covers his House with Antiques
Obsessed with antiques, a Vinh Tuong man, Nguyen Van Truong, collected 8,000 of them over 30 years and found an ingenious way to show off his collection - using them to coat the walls, gates and garde...
