Thang Nguyen 555

Cultures on Collision Course

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With some short-term relief work in Asia/Africa and long stint in Telecom, Thang also earned a B.A. at Pennsylvania State University. M.A. in Communication at Wheaton Graduate School, M.A. in Cross-Cultural Communication at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Boston. In addition, he earned a CELTA – classes taken in Hanoi for cultural re-immersion.

Author: Thang Nguyen 555

  • torn between two places

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Yahoo News had a piece about Diaspora, the return. It features Mrs Nguyen Cao Ky, who is now a proud owner of a Pho restaurant in former Saigon.  She said to have spent a few months in the US, and the rest in Vietnam. Other Viet Kieu expressed similar…

  • Mother’s memorial and modern madam

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: It’s been a few days since full moon. But people here in HCMC still burn incense and ceremonial money for the dead, most particularly, for deceased mothers. Meanwhile, there is a class of women entrepreneurs who don’t mind drink you under the table, drive to work and in every aspect,…

  • Wash away

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Rain pours so hard here in Saigon. It feels like a city wash. Yet bike traffic never ceases. Wet city streets didn’t stop weekend spontaneous racing. Hard-earned money got washed away just as quickly as it is earned, mostly at beer stalls. People press RESET and go on. It’s not…

  • Recovering in Joseph’s way

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: There are some positive upward movements today. Brought to mind Joseph story i.e. recovery from the seemingly bottomless pit (put there by who else but his own brothers). But Joseph managed to press “reset”, reinvent himself (befriending the warden), to eventually rise to be Chief of Staff. What did…

  • The Vietnam that could and will

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: You can feel it. The energy, aspiration and action. I haven’t seen an idle person here in Saigon. Even people with great disabilities crawl on their hands and knees, through rough and uneven gutters to sell lottery tickets or variety of snacks. Everybody is proud of their native son: Ngo…

  • The Y bridge

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Years ago, I met a GI in West Virginia. He couldn’t recall the name of a bridge in Saigon, only that it’s a fork on the road. I blurted out, “the Y bridge”. Something came rushing out of the man’s eyes albeit well-hidden behind thick glasses. He was instantly…

  • club elements

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: To have a good time takes some planning. To organize a dance party for instance.. Yet, here in Saigon, it’s happenin every night of the week, and more so during this festive holiday. Clubbing however is for stress relief. It got sight, smoke, sound and scene. The feel. Players…

  • transitory stage

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: I once got a 12-hour lay over in S Korea. The airport boasts itself as ” a world best airport hub”, w/ picture of a janitor-on-duty in men’s bathroom. Every hour, there were a  procession of some sort, complete with traditional gowns and ceremonial hats. Passengers-turn-shoppers (the airport was…

  • Vietnamese meta language

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: She said No, but her body language said Yes. He said Yes, but his other language said No. How to figure it out? Context is key. Mothers love you your entire life, but never said “I love you” directly. Teachers who were mighty proud of their students’ achievement, but…

  • Mac Miracle

    My friend kept listening to Roger Waters‘ It’s a Miracle, whose lyric includes “they’ve got MacDonald in Tibet“. Now, they’ve got MacDonald in Vietnam. More miracle! Thomas Friedman put a spin on an old geo-political theory, which states that any two countries, with a MacDonald, are least likely to engage in an arm conflict. In…