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Creator

Michael Tatarski

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Long-time HCMC resident, writer, and editor.

Stories by Michael Tatarski

200 stories

Hẻm Gems: Saigon Retro Cafe Has Just the Right Amount of Sentimentality

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Saigon Retro Cafe Has Just the Right Amount of Sentimentality

It’s a teensy bit weird to say that my new favorite hangout is above a VinMart.

Khoi PhamDec 8, 2019

What's Inside the Eclectic Sets of Coracle Music Festival's 2nd Edition?

Music & Arts

What's Inside the Eclectic Sets of Coracle Music Festival's 2nd Edition?

Perfect weather, a beautiful setting and great acts — what more do you need from a music festival?

Michael TatarskiDec 8, 2019

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[Video] A Day in the Life of an Ordinary Schoolgirl in Saigon

Film & TV

[Video] A Day in the Life of an Ordinary Schoolgirl in Saigon

What might life be like for a public school student in Saigon who hails from a less well-off family?

Michael TatarskiDec 2, 2019

An Evening With the Grass-Roots Volunteer Group Helping Saigon's Homeless

Society

An Evening With the Grass-Roots Volunteer Group Helping Saigon's Homeless

The group meets at the Saigon Central Post Office in District 1 at 10:30pm. Although it is late in the evening, there are still tourists loitering around the building, one of the city's primary attractions.

AAndrew StaffordNov 30, 2019

Morning Stories Roundup: Saigon River Bus Not Convenient Enough to Lure Commuters

Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Saigon River Bus Not Convenient Enough to Lure Commuters

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.

SaigoneerNov 28, 2019

How Saigon Brought Together Skeleton Goode, the City's Latest Psych Rock Band

Music & Arts

How Saigon Brought Together Skeleton Goode, the City's Latest Psych Rock Band

While some may find it hard to explore Saigon's music scene given the dearth of live venues, record labels and media coverage, bands like Skeleton Goode ensure that Saigoneers can enjoy a wide range of music.

Michael TatarskiNov 25, 2019

In November, Two Music Festivals Set to Rock Southern Vietnam

Music & Arts

In November, Two Music Festivals Set to Rock Southern Vietnam

The next two weekends will be huge for live music in southern Vietnam.

Michael TatarskiNov 18, 2019

District 105 Leads Saigon's Metal Scene Into a Bright, Loud Future

Music & Arts

District 105 Leads Saigon's Metal Scene Into a Bright, Loud Future

"You don't listen to music like this usually, right?" Huynh Hoang Huy asks before he and his bandmates rip into another hard-driving song from their catalogue.

Michael TatarskiNov 2, 2019

Major Anti-Flood Upgrade of Nguyen Huu Canh Begins on October 5, Lasting 14 Months

Saigon

Major Anti-Flood Upgrade of Nguyen Huu Canh Begins on October 5, Lasting 14 Months

Get ready, anyone who has to commute through Binh Thanh District.

SaigoneerOct 6, 2019

How Campaigns Against Wildlife Trafficking Are Trying to Reset Social Norms

Environment

How Campaigns Against Wildlife Trafficking Are Trying to Reset Social Norms

In late January, WildAid and the Ho Chi Minh City-based Center of Hands-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE) launched a graphic anti-wildlife trafficking campaign focused on three animals: pangolins, elephants and rhinos.

Michael TatarskiOct 3, 2019

Thai Prime Minister Suggests Moving Capital to Help Overcrowded Bangkok

Asia

Thai Prime Minister Suggests Moving Capital to Help Overcrowded Bangkok

In what seems to be a growing trend among overcrowded Southeast Asian capitals, Thailand's Prime Minister has floated the idea of relocating its capital from Bangkok.

SaigoneerOct 1, 2019

[Video] The Colorful Exuberance of Saigon's VietPride Parade 2019

Society

[Video] The Colorful Exuberance of Saigon's VietPride Parade 2019

If you were hanging around downtown Saigon last weekend, you would have noticed crowds of revelers dressed in lavish costumes or rainbow-themed attire on their way to the city’s annual Pride event.

SaigoneerSep 18, 2019

Current Public Transport Satisfies Less Than 10% of Saigon's Mobility Demand

Saigon

Current Public Transport Satisfies Less Than 10% of Saigon's Mobility Demand

The city is scrambling for ways to provide more and better public transportation options as traffic continues to worsen.

SaigoneerSep 12, 2019

Street Photographer Group to Host Saigon Photo Exhibition

Arts & Culture

Street Photographer Group to Host Saigon Photo Exhibition

The first edition of the Saigon Photo Walk (SPW) exhibition features eight photographers, showing eight different points of view and eight ways of looking at the same city.

Michael TatarskiSep 9, 2019

Saigon's First Two Metro Lines Delayed Again

Saigon

Saigon's First Two Metro Lines Delayed Again

Exactly zero people will be shocked by the news.

SaigoneerSep 5, 2019

Loài Plastic: To Eradicate Plastic Items, Treat Them as Invasive Species

Environment

Loài Plastic: To Eradicate Plastic Items, Treat Them as Invasive Species

Amid increasing awareness of the environmental and health dangers of plastic, a creative new group has joined the fight against this global scourge.

Michael TatarskiAug 21, 2019

Hẻm Gems: A Delicious Journey on the Caribbean Clipper at Jamaica Jamaica

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: A Delicious Journey on the Caribbean Clipper at Jamaica Jamaica

By this stage of my life in Saigon, I'm not particularly surprised when an outpost of some unexpected cuisine appears in the unlikeliest of places.

Michael TatarskiAug 16, 2019

How the Mekong's Mangroves Can Survive Against the Threat of Development

Environment

How the Mekong's Mangroves Can Survive Against the Threat of Development

While Southeast Asia is known as one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions, home to booming metropolises like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur, it also hosts some of the planet’s most vital ecological areas.

Michael TatarskiAug 12, 2019

'Reinvent Saigon' Asks Visitors to Reimagine the City and Themselves

Arts & Culture

'Reinvent Saigon' Asks Visitors to Reimagine the City and Themselves

Through tomorrow, the week-long Reinvent Saigon festival is taking place at five locations across the city.

Michael TatarskiJul 25, 2019

Cambodia's Shocking Rates of Deforestation to Blame for Climate Emergency

Asia

Cambodia's Shocking Rates of Deforestation to Blame for Climate Emergency

As the impacts of climate change become more apparent worldwide, members of the public are connecting more weather events to the phenomenon.

Michael TatarskiJul 20, 2019

Hẻm Gems: A Direct Flight to Taiwan Through Your Taste Buds

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: A Direct Flight to Taiwan Through Your Taste Buds

One of the great benefits Vietnam's budget airline boom is the ease with which Saigoneers can now travel directly to wonderful destinations like Japan and South Korea without breaking the bank.

Michael TatarskiJun 21, 2019

How Vietnam's Robusta Farms Could Transform Into Vital Carbon Sinks

Environment

How Vietnam's Robusta Farms Could Transform Into Vital Carbon Sinks

Coffee is one of Vietnam’s most important agricultural products, a crop that grows so well in the country’s Central Highlands that it has become the world’s second-largest coffee producer.

Michael TatarskiJun 20, 2019

[Photos] The Island in Hong Kong That's Completely Free of Traffic

Travel

[Photos] The Island in Hong Kong That's Completely Free of Traffic

Hong Kong is famed for its incredible population density and vertiginous skyline, where streets are hemmed in by concrete canyons of towering high-rises.

Michael TatarskiJun 11, 2019

On Connecting With a City Through Urban Sketching

Music & Arts

On Connecting With a City Through Urban Sketching

Louis Barnard, who is originally from South Africa and has lived in Seoul, Hanoi and now Saigon, uses art as a way to connect with the cities he calls home.

Michael TatarskiJun 9, 2019