in Health

Sweating out My Sadness on the Canal's Exercise Machines

We're all unlucky in love sometimes. When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog, so you have none left for tears.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Charting the Flow of the Nhiêu Lộc Canal From Start to Historical Start

When I fall in love with an album, I seek out the artist's first mixtapes and demos. When I come to admire a poet, I hunt down their early poems and chapbooks. I even linger over the old highlight reels of my favorite football players' college games. Understanding where something starts allows me appreciate it more. So it is with the Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè Canal.

Khôi Phạm

in Society

Nhiêu Lộc Canal Hosted Trudeau's Night Run. Why Is It Not as Famous as Obama's Bún Chả?

You know how much Vietnamese culture revolves around food by the fact that one of the first questions we pose to any foreign visitor is “What’s your favorite Vietnamese dish?” Asking about other aspects of the country could invite honest opinions that some of us might not be prepared to hear. Deep down, more than anybody else, we know that our air quality is subpar and our urban cleanliness leaves much to be desired, but our food is the one thing every Vietnamese can trust to make us proud. What easier way to foster diplomacy than to center the conversation around deliciousness?

in Architecture

In Hanoi, a Family Home Balances Commercial Hustle With Spiritual Haven

If many Vietnamese families often opt to reserve one room in their house plan for ancestor worship, this household in Hanoi decided to dedicate an entire backyard to their family altar.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

An Homage to the Mekong Delta and Its Bag-Wearing Fruits

Rats, mice, mosquitos, snakes, centipedes, caterpillars, snails, beetles and slugs: the more fertile a region is, the more pests inhabit it.

in Tech

Grindr Once Again Names Vietnam Amongst Nations With Highest Percentage of Bottoms

Started by Spotify, Unwrapped has become one of tech companies’ favorite marketing campaigns in recent years; LinkedIn, Duolingo, and even Vietnam’s own Zalo are amongst some revelers of this trend in recent years. Last year, gay dating app Grindr continued the tradition with their own annual insights, and Vietnam managed to claim a spot in the roundup.

in Environment

On the 12th Day of Christmas Saigoneer Gave to Me: 12 Birdcalls From Across Vietnam

Almost everywhere we go in the world, birdsong abounds.

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Crickets Are More Than Just Chirpy Reminders of Our Childhood

Cricket song. You read the words and immediately hear the chirping. That thrilling trill of strummed air. Humans have been hearing that quivering echo since we first came into existence. And over time, we’ve attached a variety of meanings to it and the creature that makes it.

Back Society

in Health

Report: Vietnam in Top 10 for Worst Air Pollution

Break out the face masks - Vietnam is in the top ten countries with the worst air pollution in the world. The ranking comes from the recently released, 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) whic...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Video: What Will it Take to End Poverty in Vietnam?

A recent video produced by the World Bank tells the story of two brothers born in a poor family, one living in the mountainous area, one migrating to the city, to respond to the question: What will it...

in Architecture

Vietnamese Architects Unveil Awesome Modular Bamboo Home Design

Vietnam is a land of floods and storms. While Vietnamese have long accepted this reality, mother nature has had profound impact on individuals and the country as a whole. Though some look for ways to ...

in Tech

Report: Vietnamese Online Shopping Market Climbs to $2.77 Billion

3 reports on Vietnamese online shopping trends have been released recently with drastically different numbers. But no matter which is correct (one has to be correct, right?), it’s clear that web purch...

in Health

Trend: HCMC Students Getting High on Cough Medicine

Drugs may be incredibly illegal in Vietnam, but according to a recent report, like their western counterparts, some teenagers have discovered the magical powers of cough medicine. The difference is, i...

in Health

FALSE: Street Vendor Caught Using Rat Meat in His Soup

Last week, a report entitled, “The shocking truth about hu tieu street vendors,” wherein a hu tieu vendor was caught using rat in his soups, spread like wildfire across Vietnam's social media networks...

in Development

Start Your Engines! Vietnam Motor Show 2013

Whether we like it or not (for the record, we don’t) cars are becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam. To showcase their newest models, 15 auto brands have set up shop at the Saigon Exhibition and C...

in Health

Vietnam Burns Through 4.17 Billion Packs of Cigarettes per Year

According to the Vietnam Tobacco Association, the country consumed 4.174 billion packs of cigarettes in 2012. With a population around 90 million, that’s good for an average of over 46 packs a year pe...

in Development

Errors Abound in Vietnamese Textbooks

Vietnamese parents are once again up in arms about their children’s education in what looks like yet another example of inconsistency and lack of attention to detail that so many have sadly come to ex...

in Health

Celeb. Chef, Bobby Chinn's Crusade for Safer Food in Vietnam

Vietnam may have some of the best food in the world but the country has recently struggled with food safety issues. Over the past few months, stories about tainted noodles and street drinks have been ...

in Development

How Saigon's Largest Canal Cleaned up Its Act

You’ve likely observed groups of men fishing along the banks of Saigon’s Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal and wondered how fish could survive in its waters. Apparently it’s a bit cleaner than we may think.&nb...

in Health

Students Need Their Sleepy-Sleepy Time

Renowned for their love of sleepy-sleepy time and the obligatory after lunch snoozes, Vietnamese parents are once again up in arms at the hours of a normal school day.

in Society

Thrift Shop 2 - Make it a Better Place! @ Saigon Outcast

Saigon Outcast and Work Hard Play Hard got back to collaborate again for their second ‘Thrift shop 2 – Make it a better place’ event. The aims of the event are to raise awareness of “Recycle, reuse a...

in Tech

[Updated] Ministry Approves Increased 3G Fees

[Update Below] Vietnamese telecommunication companies are awaiting a decision by the Ministry of Information and Communication that would double 3G fees in the country.

Brian Letwin

in Development

[Updated] Saigon Bridge 2 Completed Ahead of Schedule, Will Open Tomorrow

[Update Below] After only 17 months of construction, Saigon Bridge 2 was completed yesterday and will open to traffic in early November. The new, VND1.5 trillion (US$70.75 million) bridge, 987.3 mete...

Brian Letwin

in Development

US to Provide Vietnam with Nuclear Fuel

Add the US to the list of nations helping Vietnam secure a nuclear future. The country joins Japan, Russia and South Korea as advisers and suppliers for Vietnam's planned nuclear power plants.

in Health

Beware of Fake Doctors in Vietnam

Quality is always something to be aware of when living in Vietnam. From motorbike helmets to pho noodles, shoddy products can profoundly affect your wellbeing. Now you can add doctors to this list – p...

Brian Letwin

in Tech

[Updated] Vietnam Releases First Domestic Smartphone

[Update Below] Well, we may be a step behind North Korea but Vietnam has just released its first, domestically produced smartphone fittingly named the Lotus.

Brian Letwin

in Development

Vietnam Announces Plan for 8 Line, $16 Billion Railway

Taking the train in Vietnam is set to get faster and more convenient by 2020. Last Friday, the Vietnam Railways Administration (VRA) announced plans to change the face of rail in Vietnam with eight ne...

in Development

ANH House of Light and Wind

Just past the Saigon Bridge in District 2 lies this lovely house built by Vietnamese architects Sanuki + Nishizawa. Built in the ‘tube-house’ style, the open design allows for fresh air and light to t...