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Brian is the Co-Founder of Saigoneer and pasta enthusiast who likes to explore the hidden corners of Saigon's urban fabric.
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Roundups
Tropical storm Wutip brings rain and winds to Vietnamese coast, leaves 75 fishermen missing [Washington Post] Vietnam ranks 7th worldwide for economic growth potential [Thanh Nien] Vietnam’s inflation rate may exceed the 8% threshold in 2013 [Vietnam Net] Vietnam's agriculture under threat from climate change [China Post]
Music & Arts
According to online retailer, Amazon.com , vinyl is its “fastest growing music medium.” With a 745% increase in sales since 2008, many are proclaiming the comeback of our favorite analog audio (sorry 8 tracks ). Now, some Vietnamese artists are looking to vinyl to increase “musical sophistication” in the local market.
Vietnam
Superstorm Wutip, currently around 200km off Vietnam’s central coast, is expected to make landfall at 4pm this afternoon. With maximum winds of 149kph, local authorities in Ha Tinh are in the process of evacuating 22,000 residents from vulnerable areas and converting schools into shelters.
Film & TV
As many of us struggle with motivation on Mondays (or any weekday for that matter), it’s not always easy to get yourself going. Sometimes, it takes a dose of external inspiration, like the video below, to push us along. My Journey to Work, created by Paul Zetter for Reach.org.vn follows Mai, a Vietnamese woman who has overcome both physical and social challenges to become a successful graphic designer.
Development
The HCMC Traffic Works Management and Construction Board has just announced plans for six Bus Rapid Transit Systems (BRT) to meet growing demand. The first line, which will run from District 6 to District 2 should be up and running by 2018.
Vietnam
- Hanoi hosts first street performance festival [Nhan Dan] - 40 years on: When Fidel Castro came to town [VNS] - “White gold” plants encroach on forest’s territory [Vietnam Net]
Saigon
The tradition of covering your wedding car with flowers and regalia is not new in Vietnam. Today, most couples who can afford it, opt for a middle-of-the-line Toyota or Kia while those with deep pockets enjoy the luxury of a BMW or Mercedes.
Development
Vietnam’s economy may be slowly recovering but for the country’s rich, things are better than ever.
Culture
So, apparently smoking on flights is a thing in Vietnam. Vietnamese airlines are struggling with flagrant abuses of standard, in-flight safety regulations as customers have been found smoking in bathrooms and talking on mobile phones. When caught in the act, flight attendants say they are offered ludicrous excuses.
Food Culture
Gordon Ramsay has made it clear that Vietnamese cuisine is on the top of his list. His love was on full display in the most recent season of Master Chef US, where he tasked the final 5 contestants to prepare a bowl of Hủ Tiếu ( they did surprisingly well ). So where did chef Ramsay's passion for Vietnamese food come from?
Roundups
- Nok Air has Vietnam in sights [Bangkok Post] - Vietnam man arrested for car accident that drowned 5, including 2 kids [Thanh Nien] - HIV/AIDS transmission rate in Vietnam kept under 0.3 pct [xinhuanet]
Travel
It’s long been known that Vietnam is lagging behind its ASEAN neighbors when it comes to the quality of tourism workers. With the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreement on mutual recognition of tourism professionals set to begin in 2015, government officials fear the country isn’t ready to compete in a shared tourism labor market.
Culture
Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine took a trip to Vietnam last year and brought along with some pretty sweet filming equipment. After editing what was presumably hours of footage, the duo condensed their 2 week trip into a three and a half minute video that does an excellent job of capturing Vietnam's character from Hanoi to Hoi An.
Food Culture
It may be hard to comprehend how a company can trademark a word as generic as ‘Pho.’ Apparently the British Intellectual Property Office disagrees as 6 years ago, they allowed a glitzy London chain, ‘Pho,’ to do just that.
Roundups
- Economic growth at 5.14 percent in first nine months [SGGP] - Vietnam's VietJet seen close to major Airbus order [Reuters] - Vietnam city to apply new English language testing system [Thanh Nien]
Saigon
Think it's inconvenient having a car in present-day Saigon? As many of the French living in Saigon during the first half of the last century were fairly well off, they often brought with them the comforts of their home country. But sometimes, their beloved imports didn't exactly match the realities of their new environment.
Tech
A few years ago, it was not always an easy task to log into Facebook in Vietnam. Changing DNS settings, installing HotSpotShield or using a VPN were your best bet to log onto the site. My, how times have changed. A recent Socal Backers report shows that Vietnam currently enjoys the greatest Facebook growth rate in the world having added 14 million users in the past year.
Development
In a recent article for Metropolis Magazine , Carl Robinson reflects on the massive changes to Saigon’s urban character over the last 15 years. He found that the city’s colonial buildings, designed with the area’s tropical climate in mind, are being torn down in favor of shiny new office towers. Saigon’s rich architectural history is being erased and replaced with characterless structures that ignore the city’s natural environment.
Roundups
- Vietnam’s bad debt attractive to some investors, but regulations still unclear [Washington Post] - Typhoon Usagi kills 24 in Vietnam [IOL News] - Little good news as Vietnam reviews economic growth [Tuoi Tre]
Saigon
From Cho Lon to Ben Thanh Market, streetcars were once a common sight on Saigon's main thoroughfares. While their tracks have long disappeared, their memory lives on in old photographs like the one above.
Vietnam
Even with its slow pace, golf can bring out your competitive side. A missed putt or journey to a sand trap can boil the blood of even the most patient player. But that’s no excuse to beat your caddy with a golf club, people! Nguyen Duc Son, director of a state-owned housing company did just that earlier this month in the northern province of Vinh Phuc.
Vietnam
You know all those fancy diplomatic cars speeding around District 1? Well, as it turns out, chances are the occupants are not diplomatic officials, but rather locals who bought the car and never transferred ownership to their name. Apparently, this is common enough that authorities are planning to crack down on the practice by seizing and auctioning off incorrectly registered cars.
Vietnam
Vietnamese airline employees have been known to cause a stir from time to time. Earlier this year, actress Ly Nha Ky got a VietJet flight crew into hot water when she was invited into the cockpit mid-flight . Now, it’s Vietnam’s national carrier, Vietnam Airlines that is enduring a bit of controversy after a flight attendant was caught brining 50 iPhone 5s into Vietnam without declaring them.
Roundups
- 7 arrested for robbing Ukrainian in central Vietnam [Thanh Nien] - Vietnamese favor super-expensive mobile phones [Vietnam Net] - Vietnam intends to grant husbands paternity leave [Tuoi Tre]