Vietnam jet deal boosts Asian role in global aviation [Daily Times]
Seven kids die on measles outbreak in Vietnam [Xinhuanet]
Spainish coach wants to take Vietnam futsal to top four Asia [Vietnam Net]
Last week, Prince Charles and Prince William recorded a video with the BBC to encourage an end to the illegal wildlife trade. In an effort to spread the message to the world, the pair translated the slogan, “Unite for Wildlife,” in 5 different languages - Arabic, Vietnamese, Spanish, Swahili and Chinese. William was assigned the Vietnamese translation and stumbled through it (I don’t think he was reading the accents…) but numerous Vietnamese we showed the video to said, “that’s not Vietnamese.” ‘A’ for effort, I guess?
In Vietnam, genetically modified organisms find fertile ground to grow [Thanh Nien]
Vietnam province culls ducks as bird flu threat re-emerges [Thanh Nien]
Vietnam jet deal boosts Asian role in global aviation [Global Post]
In 2005, the French Consulate in Saigon commissioned a publication called Saigon 1955 – Ho Chi Minh City . As the title suggests, the book compares well-known Saigon locations from photos by French photographer Raymond Cauchetier in 1955 to their 2005 counterparts. While a bit old, the book does an awesome job of showing how Saigon has changed – or stayed the same – over the years.
VietJetAir, Vietnam’s favorite budget airline (take that, JetStar) announced yesterday that it has signed a deal with Airbus, one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers for nearly 100 new jets, according to Reuters .
Get ready to shell out more cash for your alcohol and cigarettes.
In an effort to cut consumption and generate tax revenue, the Ministry of Finance has proposed increases to the special consumption tax by mid-2015.
Looking to cool off from the Saigon heat while relaxing and listening to some chill tunes? Then check out the weekly Saigon Soul pool party held at the rooftop pool of the New World Hotel, every saturday through March 29, 2014.
Apparently Flappy Bird is just about as addictive as drugs. Since it's creator, Dong Nguyen, pulled the game from the iTunes and Google Play Stores last Sunday, citing a constant bombardment from the media and potential buyers, many users have been experiencing symptoms withdrawal. According to CSNBC 's Eli Langer, Nguyen has even received death threats over Twitter.
Vietnam’s plans to build its first nuclear power plant have been imminently delayed. The 2010 target of constructing 8 power plants by 2025 has seemingly now become a distant memory.
Graham Greene’s The Quiet American is a must-read if one seeks to get a better picture of what Saigon was like in 50s or if you just enjoy a good novel (or both!). Saigoneer historian, Tim Doling recently reflected on Green’s bestseller and revisited some of the more significant landmarks in the book, some of which still exist today, on his blog, Historic Vietnam .
Vietnam seeks to downsize government [Thanh Nien]
HCM City needs $600mil for transport infrastructure [Vietnam Net]
Vietnam City Hoi An To Pedal Towards Eco-city Status [Bernama]
Richie.vn and friends just released a video with a bit of social commentary about the role of mobile devices in Saigon and what often happens when groups of friends get together (everyone just playing on their damn phones). From ordering food to miscommunications about sexual preference, the video shows the hazards and pitfalls of living in an ever-connected world in a hilarious way.
Since just about every major news agency has covered last Saturday’s McDonalds Saigon launch, we thought that, rather than rehashing the same story, we’d make a roundup of articles from the foreign press that reveal how the world views the opening. Most articles were copies/adaptations of this AFP article so we only included the original version:
While players of Flappy Bird spent the weekend trying for double digit scores and smashing their phones in frustration, the game’s maker shocked the world by announcing that he would be pulling the game.
Exports will save Vietnam’s steel industry [Vietnam Net]
War on bear bile farms in Vietnam continues [Express.co.uk]
Vietnam manufacturing in best health in 33 months [Thanh Nien]
It’s unclear which is the hottest story trending in Vietnam right now – McDonalds opening in Saigon or the surprising success of Flappy Bird. What is clear is that the story of a Vietnamese programmer who spent a few nights creating a game that has shot to the top of the iTunes and Google Play charts over the past few weeks is more significant than the revelation that a fast food chain will have a pork sandwich.
A child's imagination is pure, unpretentious, unique and unconcerned with other people's judgements or views. As we get older most of us tend to loose these qualities, often because there is an untold agreement that makes us associate growing-up with being serious and disciplined, all at the expense of playfulness, dreams and fantasy.
As Australia knows firsthand , the Nguyen surname is the most common among Vietnamese. But how does it stack up against others like Trấn, Lê and Phạm? One Vietnam put together a nifty infographic showing the distribution of Vietnamese last names and provided a bit of context as well:
Business back to normal as holiday winds down [VNS]
Vietnam carrier poised to close $6.1 bln Airbus deal [Tuoi Tre]
Murder charges sought for brutal babysitter in southern Vietnam [Thanh Nien]
Vietnam’s worsening traffic and air quality and are no secrets and these problems are likely to get much worse before they get better. Faced with this reality, Vietnam is exploring ways to combat these serious public health challenges, but most solutions are unclear at best, according to Voice of America .
Considering most traffic violations in Saigon consist of a short conversation and ‘tip’ for your friendly neighborhood policeman, we were, admittedly, a bit unfamiliar with the full list of rules and fees when it comes to our motorbikes.
Luckily, Go Vietnam! was kind enough to translate and publish a full list so that we can be better informed drivers.