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 Health

Vietnam Has a Major Counterfeit Condom Crisis

Health officials expressed concern after a new report warned that nearly half of the commercially-available condoms in Vietnam are of poor quality.

in Development

Businessman: Even Bill Gates Isn’t Qualified For A Work Permit In Vietnam

At an economic forum last Thursday held in Hanoi, attendees complained about difficulties in obtaining work permits for their employees due to “stringent” and “unreasonable” requirements that would ma...

in Tech

Beat the Heat with This Homemade Air Conditioner

Sure, breaking through a CIA firewall is impressive. But sometimes, life hands you a hacking opportunity that’s decidedly analog.

Brian Letwin

in Development

Saigon's Folding Wall House

It’s nice to see someone other than Vo Trong Nghia Architects making progressive home designs in Vietnam. This Folding Wall House was built by Nha Dan architects in 2013 and was designed to allow...

Brian Letwin

in Health

Report: Vietnamese Spend $1 Billion a Year on Tobacco

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health reported that Vietnamese smokers spend over VND22 trillion ($1.04 billion) a year on tobacco products, reports Tuoi Tre.

in Tech

HCMC Schools Burn Millions of Dollars on Unused Electronic White Boards

Schools in HCMC yet again face scandal, allegations of corruption and incompetence, and uncertainty about how best to use technology in the classroom, according to Thanh Nien.

Brian Letwin

in Development

[Video] City Planners Release Epic Plans for Future Saigon

And we thought the plan to reorganize downtown Saigon was ambitious. This new video from The Department of Planning and Architecture of HCMC shows what it envisions to be the future of Saigon.

in Health

BBGV Inter-Company Football Charity Tournament @ RMIT

 BBGV would like to take this opportunity to announce the first BBGV Inter-Company Football Tournament for Charity in HCMC. The event will bring 16 company teams together to compete for the ...

Brian Letwin

in Tech

[Video] Apple Taps Into Vietnam’s Beauty for New iPad Commercial

Vietnam is a beautiful country that happens to be obsessed with Apple products. While we’re still waiting for the first legit Apple store to open, the tech giant has picked Vietnam as setting for its ...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Future Saigon: the Eximbank Tower

As The One Ho Chi Minh City moves along at a slow pace, behind it, the Eximbank Tower has begun its gradual climb towards the Saigon sky.

Brian Letwin

in Development

[Photos] Changes to Saigon’s Skyline (2003-2013): Part 1

Within just a decade, Saigon’s skyline has changed dramatically. This is illustrated through photos taken by Michael Waibel, editor of the TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City photo book, from the Caravelle Hot...

Brian Letwin

in Sports

5 of Saigon’s Best Public Swimming Pools

As tempted as I am to jump into the Saigon River on scorching afternoons, taking a dip in one of Saigon's many public pools is a much more logical (not to mention safer) option.

Brian Letwin

in Tech

Report: Vietnam has Reached 25 Million Facebook Users

A market research study from Epinion, a Danish marketing agency, has found that 25 million of Vietnam’s 36 million internet users have Facebook accounts, reports VietNamNet.

Brian Letwin

in Development

Quang Ninh's Stone House

The Stone House from, you guessed it, Vo Trong Nghia Architects, was built back in 2011 but just caught our attention.

Brian Letwin

in Tech

Vietnamese Students Win 2 Awards at Intel Science Competition

2 Vietnamese high school students received awards for their projects at last week’s 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) held in Los Angeles, California held May 11-16, r...

Brian Letwin

in Development

[Photos] Changes Over Time: Saigon's Canals (2003 - 2014)

A major feature of Saigon’s recent urban development has been the implementation of major infrastructure projects including upgrading canals across the city.

Brian Letwin

in Tech

‘Less Addictive’ Version of ‘Flappy Bird’ Coming This August

Get ready for an uptick in your blood pressure. ‘Flappy Bird’ is about to re-enter the world in a ‘less addictive’ form, according to the game’s creator, Dong Nguyen.

Brian Letwin

in Environment

Frenchman Swims the Length of the Mekong River to Highlight Pollution

While many of Saigon’s canals have been scrubbed and cleaned, the Mekong River is in bad shape. To highlight the polluted state of the region’s most important waterway, one which is used simultaneousl...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Future Saigon: Lim Tower 2

You may have noticed the large building going up on the corner of Vo Van Tan and Cach Mang Thang 8. This Lim Tower 2, a project being developed by CotecCons with financing from the JSC investment corp...

Brian Letwin

in Tech

Vietnam Reverses Ban on Local Online Gaming Companies

Vietnamese authorities have reversed a 4-year-old ban on the development of local online games after acknowledged that it has not only failed to limit their usage, but has allowed foreign firms to dom...