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David Brooks of the NYTimes had a piece about the US economy which he coined as “mid-life-crisis economy that needs to be rejuvenated”. That’s oil. Here in Vietnam, I found quite a contrast. Young demographic, young economy that goes no where but up. Community Colleges, Trade and Vocational schools, English classes. One by one, they…
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In Vietnam, don’t be surprised when you are placed next to a complete stranger, who knows someone who knows your host. It happened to me at Christmas party this year. Next to me was a Vietnamese-American returning from multiple tours in Iraq. He was here to fly his wife out. She had flown in as…
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Mark Zuckerberg is here for Christmas vacation. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/science-technology/16933/facebook-s-ceo-visits-vietnam.html Perhaps he would find a striking difference between the way people celebrate the Holidays here as opposed to Northern California. In the US, the joke is “if you got tired of the Turkey, you can always order Chinese”. McDonald’ s and KFC‘s are closed. One culture withdraws…
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My friend had a square jaw. When he laughed, his features became more pronounced. Already taller than most, he carried himself above the fold. Not all kids in my school went to the Conservatory. You had to have talent. For that brief year in 7th grade, he joined us at music practice. “Can you play…
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Coconut, sugar cane and other tropical blend to your liking. http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/2011/12/99081/ POM(agrenade) has made a blast as new entry into the American juice shelves. Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me got around to make a movie about brands. His VIP sponsor: POM juice. Branding is both mystical and magical. It helps institutions and companies thrive…
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Instead of “I woke up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me…” like Paul McCartney, I woke up to strange sounds these days: peddlers who use “low tech” au parleur (bull horn) mounted on bicycles or tri-cycles (selling boot-legged CD‘s). In fact, it was my first time got chased by pleasant sound from…
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It’s a norm here in Vietnam that a certain market, after being moved to a new location, still has its old location called “cho Cu” (Old Market). My Dad and I used to go for breakfast in Cho Cu, which no longer does brisk business despite its prime location near the harbor (people are shopping at SuperMarkets,…
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I finished the epilogue to “the Devil in the White City” longing for more. That’s how good the read was. The architects and builders reached out to the sky, and in Ferris’ case, taking the people up with him for an amusement ride in 1893. The Fair (DreamLand) later inspired DisneyLand. But not all was…
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One of my earliest collections was the Adventure of Tin-Tin. It was a roadmap for my adventure later in life, which took me to ten countries and roughly fifty cities in North America. But nothing had prepared me for an adventure in my homeland. Certain familiar elements still exist: Chemin de Fer, Ben Thanh Market and…
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We all need a hero. Someone to look up to. Even subconsciously. Most of the time, it’s our Dad. When mature enough to know there are shades of grey and our Dad had been far from perfect, we grew confused. The same happened when our leaders betrayed us. From coach to banker, from monk to priest, they…
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Thang Nguyen 555 