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.

Tag: Vespa

  • I love

    Our own Duc Huy has sung “Toi yeu…nhung loi noi thanh that, toi yeu ly ca-phe buoi sang” (I love sincere comments, .. morning cup of coffee). So do I. Especially when it’s cappuccino prepared with care and passion by our UVT Hospitality students. They even brought it up to my office (perk!). I love…

  • My Saigon

    Like Trinh Cong Son‘s Diem Xua, I got my own imprints of what  Saigon was like. Especially on Sundays, like today. Shaded streets, short strolls and sweet smiles. Who needs all the executive shirt with designers’ emblem on it. Instead of shirt, just smile even when you are not on camera. “Cuoi len di em oi” Just…

  • Par Avion

    I almost stepped on an envelope with imprint of an airplane on the cover. It’s been a while since I saw that design. We used to write intimate letters, telling in detail what had happened in our lives, then “seal with a kiss” an envelope which had “Par Avion” on it. In fact, when Vietnam…

  • Halloween in Vietnam? A redundancy

    Young people are out in drove, that is, if they were not already on bikes, racing like mad on weekend nights. This time around, in costume. Halloween costume. In Vietnam, of all places. First, the masks trickled in at tourist and expat hot spots. Then, wider adoption is made possible by cheaper goods from next…

  • Blind man amidst Saigon traffic

    Yesterday I saw a blind man, cane first, feet followed, amidst really busy traffic. He was neither assisted by a companion, dog or human being, nor by traffic alerts for the blind. Yet he made it to the other side (without music from the Door) , and was on his way into an alley, which…

  • Vespa in Vietnam

    The brand is revitalized and resuscitated here in Saigon.  If not for the helmets, I would think it is a replay of A Roman Holiday. Back then, the burning monk was pouring gasoline on himself and asked a younger monk to lit the fire. He earned a memorial in that intersection. Another Buddhist temple a few…