Filed under Vietnam …

The shirt I won’t be wearing in the US

The relationship between local Vietnamese here and Viet Kieu in the US is nuanced, complicated and something I’ll only vaguely know as an outsider. But I know enough to know that I maybe shouldn’t wear this shirt in the US. Continue reading →

“I love Vietnam!”, “I hate Vietnam!”

After 2+ months of research, here are my 6 theories on why Vietnam visitors are so polarized. Continue reading →

Guest Post: Wild World of Expats

The deer, the wolf, the tiger and the owl: A local’s honest thoughts on Western expats here in HCMC, Vietnam. Continue reading →

Hello Kitty’s Angels (Hey, it’s Sophie!!)

Sophie swooped in on her motorbike and picked me up from work. A friend of mine called us “Hello Kitty’s Angels” because of my shirt. Continue reading →

How Steve Jobs and Britney Spears buried the Vietnam War

When we Americans hear “Vietnam” we think “the War”. This does not happen the other way around. Continue reading →

Grumpy Post (It’s gonna be a long 7 days.)

If I wait until I’m in a good mood to blog again, you may not hear from me for awhile. Here I am trying not to complain too badly and to just make it through the next 7 days. Continue reading →

Postcards: Seas stymie snail mail

It’s Saturday, January 19th and half my postcards STILL haven’t made it to America, after being mailed on the 2nd. Hopefully some will arrive today. (Did you get yours today??) Continue reading →

Day In The Life: Wednesday in Pictures

No words, just pics. All taken today, from morning-wakey to evening-sleepy. Continue reading →

“Reasons To Hate Vietnam” (response)

My best attempt at a fair, comprehensive, informative response to the popular 2007 blog post “Reasons To Hate Vietnam.” Continue reading →

Weird dream last night – what does it MEAN?!

Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s good… Continue reading →

ohiasia meme

I realize I’m about a year late to this particular meme party. Better late than never (right?) Look what I made just for YOU! Continue reading →

Guest post: Orphanage at the end of the universe

From ’73–’75, Jeff was an orphan at An Lac, just 5 minutes from where I’m staying here in HCMC. Now a 39-year old teacher in Florida, he shares some of his mixed and evolving feelings about his past and future. Continue reading →

TGIF

Here’s a Friday slice of life. Bon Appétit! Continue reading →

Someone Didn’t Go To Business School

How a tofu breakfast lady lost a repeat customer over 10¢. Continue reading →

Happy Gregorian New Year!

My New Year’s Eve consisted of a tuna sandwich, an erroneous Brit, a bold IM, a different kind of swastica and walking through someone’s bedroom to get to it all. And pics! I have pics! Continue reading →

The bus from CanTho to TraVinh (audio!)

After my touristy Mekong Delta tour, I took a 3-hour bus to TraVinh to meet my coworker, Nhüng, near her hometown. I will not miss this bus. Continue reading →

The “Stupid American” Incident

I dug this silly pic up from 2002, when I lived in North Carolina. It represents me last Sunday when, for a few minutes, I became someone’s idea of a typical American. Continue reading →