For most of my life I had defined poverty as having little monetary means. I would look at how the “poor” lived in the ghettos and slums and the violence that raged there. However, speaking with a good Vietnamese friend yesterday at an extremely modest, (those in the west would say poor) beer hoi I…… Continue reading Thoughts on Poverty
What Defines Nationality?
Most recently there have been so many “Viet Kieu” or “Overseas Vietnamese” coming back to Vietnam. The Tet holiday I think was the biggest single time of returning Vietnamese coming to visit their birthplace. I met so many of them going out and seeing local foreigners I know with Vietnamese I had never seen before…… Continue reading What Defines Nationality?
Vietnam joining the WTO?
The President of Vietnam recently made the first visit to the United States since the end of the war. It was really big news here among the business community and we all hoped that the trip would spark a more definite answer about when Vietnam would join the WTO. It seems the trip went very…… Continue reading Vietnam joining the WTO?
Saigon Fashion on a Motorbike
Every morning I ride my motorbike to work and it never ceases to be an adventure. Here in Saigon most inhabitants use a motorbike to get around which creates a lot of pollution. After 8 months of breathing in burning fossil fuels I finally decided to go with a mask no matter how ridiculous I…… Continue reading Saigon Fashion on a Motorbike
The Apprentice
Here in Saigon, when I have absolutely nothing else to do, I may wander into the T.V. room and let myself vegetate for a while. In Vietnam, the main source of television entertainment comes from HBO, BBC, NHK, and for regular sitcoms, Star TV. Star buys most the the shows that do not do too…… Continue reading The Apprentice