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Every newly published Saigoneer article, ordered from newest to oldest across all sections and series.

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13174 articles

Digital Media/Art Project Launching This Month

Music & Arts

Digital Media/Art Project Launching This Month

If you’re a creative, digital-minded person who is passionate about Indochina, here’s a great project for you. Riverorchid Digital, an agency specializing in branding, PR and media, is embarking on a project to discover and celebrate Indochina through digital media and creativity. They want to find out what Indochina really means to a modern, digitally connected world by asking its people to share their views; creating a crowd-sourced integrated online and real world art event unlike anything seen before in this region.

Brian LetwinMay 6, 2013
For Foreigners, Eating in Vietnam not Always as Easy as it Looks

Food Culture

For Foreigners, Eating in Vietnam not Always as Easy as it Looks

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Vietnam is world renowned for its food, confirmed by the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey who have dedicated entire TV specials to the country’s culinary soul. And for those of us who live here, we can wholeheartedly confirm this. But while street food is all around us, for foreigners, the intricacies of the local fare can sometimes be elusive. Matt Gross, a former English teacher in Saigon, just wrote a fantastic article for the New York Times detailing his obsession with Vietnamese food. In it, he muses about various street food no-nos such as eating pho for lunch and the linguistic and social barriers that sometimes curtailed his gastronomic exploration. Perhaps this sounds familiar?

Brian LetwinMay 4, 2013
Forget the Fockers, Meet the Nguyễns

Culture

Forget the Fockers, Meet the Nguyễns

Meeting the girlfriend’s parents is an intimidating experience in any culture . So what’s the best way to add even more awkwardness to an already awkward situation? Meeting the parents of a girl from a different culture, of course!

Brian LetwinMay 4, 2013
What to do Along the Mekong

Travel

What to do Along the Mekong

There are many things that set Saigon apart from other sprawling cities – the laid back lifestyle, the food, the people. But no matter how unique, the hustle and bustle of rush hour traffic and heat permeating from the concrete jungle are inescapable reminders that you are truly an urban dweller. Luckily, if one travels a few hours in any direction, they are likely to encounter one of Vietnam’s magical natural settings. One of these places is the Mekong Delta, only a stone’s throw from Saigon.

Brian LetwinMay 4, 2013
Home Has Shifted

Culture

Home Has Shifted

For just over a year now, I have been living on the edge of district one, on a street named Tran Khac Chan. It is an unremarkable street on the face of it, a typical bustling hive of activity, of which there are an uncountable amount of in Saigon. Only by living there can you start to unearth the hidden gems it holds and start to understand the lives of the people here.

SSean BoyleMay 3, 2013
Korean Schoolgirls Blame Manga Comics After Destroying Classroom

Asia

Korean Schoolgirls Blame Manga Comics After Destroying Classroom

Koreans sure love their video games and manga comics. They have penetrated the psyche of the country’s children to the point where kids are shipped off to video game addiction camps . Every now and then, these fantasy worlds get a bit too real. Like when students cause $5000 worth of damage to their school after taking a cue from a manga comic book.

Brian LetwinMay 3, 2013
Forget Motorbikes. Smoking is Vietnam's #1 Killer

Health

Forget Motorbikes. Smoking is Vietnam's #1 Killer

No matter where you’re from, smoking cigarettes is a killer. While Vietnam has started to feel the effects of this long-ignored but serious public health issue, perhaps a recent report from the Ho Chi Minh City Health Education and Communication Center will shake things up a bit.

Brian LetwinMay 2, 2013
Incredible Thai Version of the Iron Man 3 Trailer

Music & Arts

Incredible Thai Version of the Iron Man 3 Trailer

Iron Man 3 hit theaters last week grossing a whopping $195.3 million internationally. With numbers like that, there’s no doubt that the film will be one of the most illegally copied of all time. But pirated copies are not the only bi-product of the blockbuster.

Brian LetwinApr 29, 2013
Could This Vietnamese Startup Overtake Dropbox?

Tech

Could This Vietnamese Startup Overtake Dropbox?

Dropbox has long been the biggest player in the cloud storage game, but this may soon change. Local startup, Kleii, has just secured its first round of seed funding and has its eyes on the international stage.

Brian LetwinApr 27, 2013
Hanoi Man Arrested with 53 King Cobras in His Car

Vietnam

Hanoi Man Arrested with 53 King Cobras in His Car

While snakes are awesome, the idea of being with one in closed quarters is less than appealing. Well, one Hanoi man felt differently and was arrested transporting 53 of them in his car. Did we mention they were king cobras ?

Brian LetwinApr 24, 2013
Apple Returns Millions of Substandard iPhones to Foxconn

Tech

Apple Returns Millions of Substandard iPhones to Foxconn

According to sources in a China Business report, Apple has returned up to 8 million iPhones to manufacturer, Foxconn, on the grounds that they were not fit or sale. The gaffe could not only result in lower supply, but delay the release of the next iPhone which is scheduled for later this year.

Brian LetwinApr 23, 2013
The Ghost Town of Thu Thiem

Development

The Ghost Town of Thu Thiem

As we’ve written about before , there are big plans to re-develop Thu Thiem into Saigon’s new business and finance center. For the last few years, the city has demolished entire neighborhoods to clear the site, turning part of District 2 into a ghost town. While the grand re-development is at a standstill, there are those who live in its shadows, amidst the rubble and half-standing houses .

Brian LetwinApr 22, 2013
Saigon's New CNG Busses to be Produced in Vietnam

Saigon

Saigon's New CNG Busses to be Produced in Vietnam

Locally-produced CNG (compressed natural gas) busses may be an increasingly common sight over the next 12 months. On April 18, Duong Hong Thanh, deputy director of the City Department of Transport, announced his recommendation to add another 300 Samco-built CNG busses within a year.

Brian LetwinApr 21, 2013
Another Step Forward for Gay Marriage in Vietnam

Culture

Another Step Forward for Gay Marriage in Vietnam

Vietnam is on the path to becoming the first Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage. This week, in Hanoi, Deputy Health Minister, Nguyen Viet Tien, told the press: “[A]s human beings, homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else to live, eat, love and be loved. As citizens, they have the right to work, study, receive health care, register births and deaths, marry and discharge their duties to the state and the society.”

SaigoneerApr 19, 2013
District 8: Architectural Treasure Chest

Saigon

District 8: Architectural Treasure Chest

Stumbling upon old buildings is one of the best things about living in Saigon. While many are in a state of disrepair, some have retained their original character. Photo blog, Old Saigon , highlights some of the best remaining colonial architecture in the city like the photo above.

Brian LetwinApr 18, 2013
With $100 Million in the Bank, CocCoc Looks to Unseat Google in Vietnam

Tech

With $100 Million in the Bank, CocCoc Looks to Unseat Google in Vietnam

There’s no doubt that Google is the global leader in search engines, owning a 67.5% global market share. But if the tech behemoth has one 'chink in the armor', it’s the inability to effectively handle non-English language searches. Russian national, Victor Lavrenko, identified this weakness and saw an opportunity to pick up the slack where Google would/could not. Enter startup CocCoc which plans to invest $100 million in the next 10 years to master the art of search in Vietnam.

Brian LetwinApr 17, 2013
H&P Unveils Low-Cost Bamboo Home Design

Culture

H&P Unveils Low-Cost Bamboo Home Design

When it comes to construction in Vietnam - from one-story shops to luxury office towers - one will find bricks on every site. For more than a century, these unassuming orange squares have literally laid the foundation for Vietnam’s cities, factories and commercial hubs. But local architecture firm, H&P , has released a new bamboo-based housing design that will address the multitude of housing challenges facing communities in flood-prone areas. Bricks are the obvious choice for construction in Vietnam and in many countries around the globe. According to greenbuildingelements.com :

Brian LetwinApr 15, 2013
Sex Scenes Becoming More Frequent in Vietnamese Films

Film & TV

Sex Scenes Becoming More Frequent in Vietnamese Films

In a recent VietnamNet op-ed , Lao Dong takes a deeper look into the increasing eroticism of Vietnamese cinema.

Brian LetwinApr 13, 2013
Massive Transportation Plan for Saigon Revealed

Development

Massive Transportation Plan for Saigon Revealed

We’ve heard a lot over the last few years about proposed improvements to Saigon’s transportation infrastructure. These include the new Long Thanh International Airport and expanding the city center into District 2 .

Brian LetwinApr 12, 2013
A Look at Hong Kong's Cramped Apartments

Asia

A Look at Hong Kong's Cramped Apartments

There are plenty of small rooms here in Saigon, no doubt. But Hong Kong is notorious for it's cramped living quarters. These overhead photos were commissioned and released by The Society for Community Organization (SoCO). The goal of this project is to highlight the ongoing housing problems in one of the richest cities in the world. For the most part, the residents in these urban slums are low-income families, elderly and unemployed.

Brian LetwinApr 12, 2013
VietJetAir Expands Bangkok Service and Celebrates with Free Tickets

Vietnam

VietJetAir Expands Bangkok Service and Celebrates with Free Tickets

VietJetAir has just announced a new route from Hanoi to Bangkok, set to open on June 1, 2013. To celebrate and promote this new service, the company is offering free tickets if you book between April 10 and April 20 for travel between April 15 and December 20.

Brian LetwinApr 11, 2013
UPS Becomes Vietnam's First 100% Foreign Owned Shipping Company

Vietnam

UPS Becomes Vietnam's First 100% Foreign Owned Shipping Company

UPS has officially become the first 100% foreign owned shipping company in Vietnam. Concidering the state of shipping serice in Vietnam, this may symbolize a big step forward.

Brian LetwinApr 10, 2013
Fire-Breathing Dragon Bridge Opens in Da Nang

Vietnam

Fire-Breathing Dragon Bridge Opens in Da Nang

For all the importance placed on dragons in Vietnamese culture, I’m sure at one point, we’ve all wondered to ourselves, “Why hasn’t Vietnam built a badass fire-breathing dragon bridge?” Well, wonder no longer because the world’s largest dragon-themed bridge has just opened in Da Nang.

Brian LetwinApr 9, 2013
Pullman Saigon Center Tops Out

Development

Pullman Saigon Center Tops Out

The concrete skeleton at the corner of Tran Hung Dao and Nguyen Cu Trinh topped out just before Tet and is set to open later this year.

Brian LetwinFeb 19, 2013
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