The Asian Face of Tennis

The roadmap to creating a Vietnamese superstar When then 17-year old Michael Chang won the French Open in 1989, one of tennis’ four largest tournaments, the world was intrigued. Standing at only 1.75m, Chang used his incredible foot speed, stamina and defense to counter the pace and power of his much larger, stronger contemporaries. Still … Read more

Colorful Colorado

There was a time when Colorado was the Wild West and that spirit stays alive today Colorado is for the hale and hearty. A place where the elderly boisterously mock passing 4×4s and reminisce about their skills on VW Bugs; where to get to work you may have to hold onto the roof of your … Read more

Restaurant Review: Stoker Woodfired Grill & Bar

Caring about meats is what this grill house is all about The folks behind newcomers to the Saigon dining scene, Racha Room and Relish & Sons, completed a trifecta with the addition of Stoker Woodfired Grill & Bar (44 Mac Thi Buoi, D1). Located mere steps from Racha Room, Stoker welcomes patrons with a dark … Read more

To Believe Is to Fly

“The dream must be kept alive in our children, and in good schools this can be felt higher up the age ranges as well as among the youngsters.” All children who enter primary school have this imagination, this love of discovery – the thrill of being praised following a success that stems from their own … Read more

The Disciples

A secret society centered around the appreciation of food, wine and knowledge For an organization that has been in Vietnam for 13 years and international for close to 60, Disciple d’Escoffier Vietnam is perhaps most distinguished here for being low profile and under the radar. A premier guild of cuisiniers, Escoffier has all the intrigue … Read more

The Hat Dance

Contemporary dance merges with Vietnamese folk music to create a dazzling visual performance At the premiere performance of Nón in June – held at IDECAF on Thai Van Lung – audiences were treated to a rare fusion of traditional Vietnamese instrumentation and the evocative, sinuous movements of contemporary dance. On their own, these forms tend … Read more

The Bomb Sawyers

Inside Vietnam’s deadliest job of sawing apart explosives to sell off scrap metal and raw dynamite In 2015, Forbes released a list of top ten deadliest jobs in America. The professions that top first and second on this list are loggers at a 109.5 out of 100,000 workers fatality rate, and fishers at 80.8 out … Read more