Paul Christiansen

in Sports

Adding Billiards to Saigon's Pantheon of Pastimes

The clink of cue sticks on eight-ball muffling the clank of whisky glass ice cubes and the slap of cards as boozehounds hide their addictions in the shadows of sport and hobby? Dense plumes of Bastos smoke obscuring illicit activities and immoral affairs? Are Saigon's pool halls the seedy dens of patriarchal indulgence their reputation and pop culture representations suggest?

Khôi Phạm

in Society

In Vietnam, ‘Golden Babies’ Are Choking Public Services, Parents and One Another

The year is 2013. Linh lies awake in the attic bedroom of her cozy childhood home in Saigon. Tomorrow is her first day at primary school, and sleep doesn’t come easily with the all butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She’s worried, but mom assured her that she would be okay, because she is special.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

The Role of Sand Batteries in Responding to the Climate Change Crisis

How does a sand battery work? 

Khôi Phạm

in Development

With the HCMC Metro Here, It's Time to Cultivate Saigon's Very Own Metro Culture

One of my least favorite genres of comments on Saigoneer’s social media posts is jokes involving the laggard opening of the HCMC Metro and some random, outrageous year far into the next decades, or even centuries.

Thi Nguyễn

in Tech

Typing Vietnamese, Part 2: The Vietnamese Diaspora, Unicode and the Ubiquity of Unikey

This is part 2 of our two-part series on the history of Vietnamese-centric typing technologies. Part 1 can be  acces...

Thi Nguyễn

in Tech

Typing Vietnamese, Part 1: Language, Identity and Technology at a Crossroad

My first exposure to the computer traces back to my primary school years when computer classes were conducted once a week. In order to study computers, students had to migrate from their usual classrooms to a multimedia lab — an air-conditioned room filled with computers. Computer classes were generally more popular among us than most subjects thanks to that satisfying cool breeze and the delight of operating something one wasn't privileged with at home.

in Natural Selection

Hoa Sữa, Poetic Icon of Autumn in Hanoi or Nasal Health Enemy No. 1?

It was early in the day. I opened my window to let in the very first rays of the morning sun, just to catch a waft of that distinctive floral aroma lingering in the cold air. This year, autumn came early, and hoa sữa has started blooming where I live.

in Environment

Plastic Waste Is Choking the Mekong River and Every Nation on Its Path

On Son Island in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, Le Trung Tin scatters fish feed into his ponds, where dozens of snakehead fish leap through the surface in synchronised bursts. “I taught them how to do that,” he says proudly, tossing another handful of feed at his fish.

Back Society

in Tech

Rooftop Aquaponic Systems Bring Sustainable Urban Farming To Saigon

District 12 farmer, Nguyễn Ngọc Khuyến, has adopted a brilliant system to make urban farming more accessible to those with limited spaces.

in Development

HCMC Pledges To Speed Up Construction Of Metro Lines

At a news conference on Monday, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board said that it was speeding up construction on metro routes 1, 2 and 5.

in Development

Prime Minister Approves Plan For Phu Quoc Casino

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved plans for an entertainment complex along with a casino to be built in the southern island of Phú Quốc.

in Development

New Mega Development in the Works for Hanoi’s West Lake

Hanoi is gearing up for a new mega development that will house 24,300 people and stretch across three districts.

in Development

Design Competition For Saigon's New Administrative Building Kicks Off

Over the weekend, Hồ Chí Minh City residents were given the opportunity to view 11 shortlisted designs for the new City People's Committee Administration Building and to vote for the scheme they felt ...

in Architecture

Saigon Xưa: Breaking Down The Architecture Of Old Saigon

Lê Hưng Trọng, creator of the upcoming illustration book about the architectural aesthetics of old Saigon, “Saigon Xưa”, talked to us about the varying styles of houses across the city.

in Architecture

'Gentle House' Taps Traditional Vietnamese Architecture for Modern Inspiration

Blending the natural environment and modern construction, in 2012, Ngoc Luong Le Architects created the gentle house, a home on Hanoi’s outskirts that combines modern and traditional design elements t...

in Health

How Fat Are Vietnamese Compared to the Rest of the World?

On a global scale, Vietnam fits into the low risk bucket when it comes to obesity rates with the medical condition afflicting less than 5% of the population.

in Development

[Infographic] An Illustrated Guide to Saigon’s Metro System

A few weeks back, Tuoi Tre put together an elaborate infographic laying out the plans for Saigon’s metro system. Figuring that a few of our readers aren’t 100% fluent in Vietnamese, we took the time t...

in Health

Police Bust Producer for 'Coffee' Made With 90% Corn, Chemicals

Confirming rumors about the poor quality of some Vietnamese coffee, on January 19, Buôn Mê Thuột Police conducted a search of a local coffee processing plant and uncovered almost 500 kilograms of corn...

in Tech

Vietnam’s Internet Among Slowest In Asia-Pacific Region

Even before Vietnam’s undersea cable ruptured earlier this month, the country’s internet connection speeds ranked near the bottom in the Asia-Pacific region.

in Tech

Vietnam Airlines May Start Offering Free WIFI On Domestic Flights This Year

It looks like Vietnam Airlines is finally getting on the WIFI bandwagon with the company announcing that the service would be making its debut on its aircraft this May.

in Development

Construction Of Thủ Thiêm Bridge 2 To Begin In February

It looks like the HCMC People’s Committee’s has gotten its wish as its vice chairman announced last week that construction of the Thủ Thiêm Bridge 2 will move ahead next month.   

in Development

Actual Road to Replace Drainage Pipe Shortcut In The Mekong Delta

In the past 4 years along a stretch Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong expressway in the Mekong province of Ten Giang, many residents have been using a drainage tunnel under the highway as a shortcut. ...

in Development

Construction Begins On HCMC's Second Metro Line

As work on HCMC's first metro line steadily moves along, construction on the city’s Urban Railway Line 2 project broke ground in District 12 yesterday.

in Society

Parkson's Luxury Shopping Centers In Saigon Deserted

Walk into one of the six Parkson shopping centers in Saigon, and it’s likely you’ll be one of a few people walking through a deserted shrine to commerce.

in Environment

Once Filled With Shrimp And Fish, HCMC Canal Now An Environmental Disaster

At the center of HCMC's modernization plans have been massive upgrades to the city’s canals. Some, like the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe, have received international press for their miraculous turnarounds. Ho...

in Architecture

New Coalimex Building Brings Sleek Architecture To Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Coalimex has set up shop in Hanoi’s Old Quarter with a sleek new building boasting sustainable and green design characteristics.

in Development

[Photos] Could Tokyo’s Skinny Houses Become a Model for Hanoi?

While Hanoi may be famous for its impossibly skinny homes, it isn’t the only Asian megacity where residents are forced to make the best of their small plots of land.

in Tech

Gogoro: Tesla Technology In Scooter Form

Taiwanese startup Gogoro has raised over $150 Million over the past few years developing the world’s first Smart Scooter. Fueled by the same lithium ion cells used in the Tesla Model S, the scooter is...