It’s not Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood, but the author reflects on the personality of his home turf in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Binh district.
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72. Covid Is Not a Walk in Uncle Hô’s Park
“The fog comes on little cat feet,” American poet Carl Sandburg once famously wrote. Covid-19, it seems, has a similar agenda.
70. Hội An’s Chinese Flair
Colorful assembly halls and communal houses, the legacy of traders of yore, inject an element of exoticism in modern Hội An.
66. A Day in the Life: Ho Chi Minh City
A full day on the streets in Saigon doing absolutely nothing, or at least the next best thing: Stop, look and listen.
50. The Waiting to Be Vaccinated Blues
COVID-19 vaccinations haven’t yet arrived in the Central Highlands in any significant quantity. The author is more than ready.
49. Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Vietnam
There are contradictions galore in contemporary Vietnamese culture. “You can’t kiss in the street, but you can piss in the street,” one longtime resident noted.
45. Dear Vietnam: 10 Things I Love About You
Count on your fingers or toes. Here are two handfuls of reasons why Vietnam is a great country to be living in.
38. On Speaking Vietnamese
Learning to speak Vietnamese may be harder than it first appears, no thanks to 11 vowels, six tonal diacriticals and a handful of regional dialects.
36. A Father’s Day Tribute
Memories of a son who was born in Singapore, raised in Seattle, and who would have been at home anywhere. The melody lingers on.
34. Sometimes It Rains
“Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes it rains.” — Tim Robbins as Ebby Calvin “Nuke” Laloosh in Bull Durham (1988)
33. On Dating (Chapter One)
Dating in a new culture is like finding one’s self as a Stranger in a Strange Land. As any local might tell you, it’s “same same … but different!”
Book Review: Angkor in Modern Cambodia
My review of John Burgess’ new book, Angkor’s Temple in the Modern Era, has been published by the East-West News Service. Angkor Wat: Cambodia’s 9th century temple complex fights to preserve its past | East-West News Service
25. Tay Ninh and the Cao Dai Religion
The Cao Dai faith is an otherworldly blend of Asian, European and mystical beliefs. Its mother temple is a mere 80 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City.
Saigon Soars into the 21st Century
Sharing a link from the East West News Service, which recently published my lengthy feature on Ho Chi Minh City.
23. Mugged
Getting mugged in any city is no laughing matter. It may only be about money, but after it happens, will you ever feel safe again?
21. My Motorcycle Song
Ho Chi Minh city can be a lonely place if you’re not ready to climb aboard a motorbike. But beware the crosswalks.
17. Christmas in Vietnam
Although its Christian population is relatively small, Vietnam is all about wishing you a merry Christmas.
16. In the Time of Corona
Vietnam has a record of remarkable success against COVID-19, which has ravaged much of the rest of the world.
15. Kindergarten Pop
English teaching is big business in Vietnam, where it seems everyone wants to learn the world’s most widely spoken language. But it can be a challenge for a novice instructor.
14. The Sacred and the Profane
A celebration of the Tet holiday, in a Mekong Delta village, is a magical mystery tour of Buddhist spirituality, drinking games, unthinkable foods and cockfights.
Travels in Vietnam 