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Category Archives: Vietnam
Pickpockets in Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo?
We were warned by friends and advisors—in print, online and in person—about pickpocketing all across Ho Chi Minh City and on the crowded trains of Tokyo. While annoying if it happens, petty thievery normally consumes very little of our limited … Continue reading
Replacing a Leaky Waterproof Camera in Vietnam
A few days ago in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam, our Olympus Stylus 720 SW leaked. Until now it has been wonderfully waterproof, as advertised, for two years. It gave up without warning—underwater for two minutes, … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Vietnam
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We trust the traffic when walking Saigon
A typical street in Ho Chi Minh City looks like this during the day… …and this at night… While some intersections and mid-street crosswalks have traffic lights, many do not. Moderately curious how you walk across while avoiding injury or … Continue reading
Posted in Vietnam
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Hauling sheet glass on a motorbike in Saigon
In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, one of our favorite innovative uses of a motorbike was hauling sheet glass. It takes two—the driver and the passenger, with the glass standing upright between them. It was just one of several creative … Continue reading
Posted in Vietnam
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Banyan Tree and Avatar
Made famous because its spiritual, mystical importance in the movie Avatar, the banyan tree is also important to Asian countries, including Vietnam, because of its beauty and shade. While both Hinduism and Buddhism attribute religious importance to the banyan, at … Continue reading
Vietnamese Pancakes are Similar to Crêpes
With its thin, airy and translucent texture, the Vietnamese pancake looks a lot like a crêpe. The Saigon chefs prepare them in large woks, packing them with your choice of meats and vegetables. A lunch or dinner meal, one is … Continue reading
Learning Vietnamese by Means of the Heo
Two weeks into Vietnam we are starting to understand some of the language—just a very little—both written and spoken. While we can distinguish a few words audibly, the written language is somewhat easier—despite its extensive use of diacritical marks as … Continue reading
Strong Winds and the Vinpearl Land Cable Car
First of all, if the winds are really powerful, Vinpearl Land shuts down the cable car and uses its water-based transportation to move people between the mainland and the Island. The Vietnamese operations team and their Russian developers are very … Continue reading
Posted in Vietnam
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Cham Towers from Champa Empire
While we understand relational caution, tact, transcultural manners and politeness, we sometimes take social risks to obtain facts and photos for a story. Behind our most current calculation was our interest in the Cham Towers located near Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm, … Continue reading
Working for a Future in Vietnam
We met a person who works in international trade for the United States government. A few weeks before we left on our trip, this person told us Vietnam is positioning itself to become the next South Korea when it comes … Continue reading
