On this week's show we begin (1:17) with a conversation on beauty pageants and their place in Vietnam. Why do these often-obscure contests get so much media coverage? What do these events say about beauty standards in the country? We also dig into what it means that a Vietnamese contestant won a pageant for transgender women earlier this year, while a woman from one of Vietnam's ethnic minority groups won another contest around the same time. Then (15:06) we discuss a few recent cases of Vietnam...
Nov 18, 2018•37 min
On this week's show, we begin (1:07) with a discussion on the Klara, the first electric motorbike model launched by VinFast, the automotive arm of Vingroup. Will Vietnamese consumers buy into electric bikes? Then (11:00), we dive into our latest food-related segment by looking at foreign dishes such as pizza and sushi that have been adapted to Vietnamese palates. Turns out we've all been eating sushi the wrong way. As always, we close with Banh Mi Banter (20:07).
Nov 11, 2018•27 min
This week we begin (1:14) with our take on the recently concluded first season of 'The Bachelor Vietnam.' Did the show manage to escape the misogynistic shadow of its American cousin? What do we make of how the unexpected lesbian love storyline was portrayed? Then (11:15) we take a look at western holidays such as Halloween and Christmas that are celebrated by growing numbers of Vietnamese every year. What does it mean when these days are celebrated without much of their traditional context? Our...
Nov 04, 2018•51 min
We begin this week (1:18) with a discussion on drunk driving in Vietnam in the wake of a horrific accident which occurred in Saigon early last week. What can be done to combat this perennial social issue? Then (14:46), we look at the acclaimed documentary 'Finding Phong' and its intimate depiction of a transgender Vietnamese woman. As always, we close with Banh Mi Banter (29:30).
Oct 28, 2018•36 min
On this week's show, we begin with a look at the spread of co-working spaces in Saigon (1:08). What do these spaces say about work in the digital age, and do we want to use them? Then (10:45) we look at Vietnam's four sacred mythological creatures, the dragon, kỳ lân, tortoise and phoenix, and their place in the country's culture. As always, we end with Banh Mi Banter (22:35).
Oct 21, 2018•31 min
On this week's show, we begin (1:24) with a look at nhậu culture in Vietnam. What does this age-old drinking tradition tell us about masculinity and gender in the country? Then (13:00), we provide one of our periodic updates on recent street food and cafe finds, including an unexpected Greek spot on Hoang Sa Street and a roti cart near Ben Thanh Market. Our interview guest (21:47) is Hang Tran, who goes by Sam. She's a Hanoi native now living in Saigon and working on pursuing a PhD in anthropol...
Sep 30, 2018•55 min
On this week's show, we begin (1:36) with a look at two major plans related to traffic in Saigon: the complete repaving of Nguyen Huu Canh Street, and a proposal to create a network of minibuses to reach people who live in the city's narrow hẻm. Then (10:23) we preview next week's Mid-Autumn Festival: how could mooncakes be improved, and what's the deal with the story of the healing banyan tree and urination? Our interview guest (22:50) is Tam Le, a Vietnamese-American woman who runs Saigonita,...
Sep 16, 2018•44 min
This week we begin (1:18) with a look at fast fashion in Vietnam in the wake of UNIQLO's announcement that it will expand to the country next fall. What does the arrival of brands like H&M, Zara and UNIQLO mean for local consumers? Then (12:14), we revive a game we played on one of our first episodes: Bubble Tea Shop, or Porno? Also, the bubble tea craze which swept into Vietnam last year has shown no signs of abating, but could this be a good thing for certain areas? Our interview guest (21...
Sep 09, 2018•41 min
On this week's show, we begin (1:20) with a conversation about the just-concluded Asian Olympics and what they mean for Vietnam, especially in terms of football and the incredible reaction to the success of the mean's team. Then (14:07), we cover Saigon's collection of museums and their generally poor quality. Why aren't their better museums in the city, and which locations would we recommend? Our interview guest (22:55) is Stuart McDonald, a co-founder of the independent travel website Travelfi...
Sep 03, 2018•50 min
We're back! On this week's show, we begin (2:04) with an extended discussion on gender roles in Vietnam. From drinking sessions to driving and the kitchen, how are the roles of men and women perceived in Vietnamese society? Then (21:38), we look at public indecency in the country following recent viral stories involving couples having public sex inside a CGV cinema and at a bubble tea shop. Our interview segment (31:40) features Dr. Michael Waibel from the Department of Human Geography at the Un...
Aug 26, 2018•50 min
This week, we begin (1:07) with a debate over our favorite types of seafood, a conversation which turns rather philosophical in the end. Then (12:45), we discuss traditional Vietnamese medicine, which is quite different from the more famous traditional Chinese medicine. Are various aspects of it hokum, or scientifically legitimate? Our interview guests (25:14) are Jérémy Marcillaud and Nicolas Plesse of L'Arrange Rhum. We chatted about their decision to begin making hand-distilled rum in Saigon,...
Aug 12, 2018•46 min
This week we begin (1:06)with a conversation about exercise in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh championed exercise as a form of patriotism, but how have views on this subject evolved in the modern age? Then (11:45), we revive Saigoneer's Street Cred series, though in audio form. Nearly every street in the country is named after a famous person or place, and we take turns sharing the stories behind the names of four streets. Our guest interview (27:44) features Yen Nguyen and Ed Weinberg of the Hanoi Zine L...
Aug 05, 2018•54 min
On this week's show, we begin (1:14) by salivating over our favorite Vietnamese dishes when we're in the mood for something greasy, dirty or downright sinful. Then (13:35) we discuss marriage and weddings in contemporary Vietnam. What do younger generations think of this social tradition, and have weddings here changed over the years? There is no interview guest this week, but as always we close with Banh Mi Banter (26:23).
Jul 29, 2018•38 min
On this week's show, we begin (1:17) with a discussion on some of the micro-level differences between Hanoi and Saigon. Our co-hosts Paul and Thi recently spent nearly a week in the capital, so we dug into the character of the place. Then (13:51) we revisited February's U23 football madness through the lens of the World Cup. Why was Vietnam's celebration so peaceful compared to that of France? What would it be like if Vietnam qualified for the tournament? Our interview guest is Howard Limbert (2...
Jul 22, 2018•46 min
On this week's show, we celebrate our 21st birthday by drinking a few alcohol-infused Japanese drinks and discussing vital matters such as: - Which is the best district in Saigon? - If you could remove three animals from Vietnam's Zodiac calendar, which animals would you replace them with? (Hint: we're big fans of the pangolin.) - What do we expect people to try and bring onto Saigon's metro trains when the service opens? - Street sushi? And more! There is no guest interview or Banh Mi Banter th...
Jul 15, 2018•41 min
On this week's show, our 20th, we begin(1:17)with a semi-civil discussion about transportation in Saigon. Is walking all it's cracked up to be? Can we go beyond the car/motorbike binary? What about using the river? Then (14:17) we look at Vietnamese women in tech, which there aren't enough of, but that doesn't mean there aren't inspirational stories out there. We fawn over Le Duy Loan, the first female Texas Instruments Senior Fellow; and Do Viet Nga, one of the architects of the VT80, Vietnam's...
Jul 08, 2018•39 min
On this week's show, we begin (1:34) with a look at some traditions of past eras that have largely fallen by the wayside in this modern age, such as teeth blackening and cricket fights. We also honor a few habits that have survived, such as kite flying and the many rituals of Tet. Then (12:47) we look at our beloved Vietnamese cuisine and ponder some ways in which it could be even healthier and more well-balanced than it already is. This segment includes a brief fight over mayo. Our interview se...
Jul 01, 2018•43 min
On this week's show, in honor of Pride Month, we begin (1:20) with a discussion on queer representation in Vietnamese pop culture. Vietnam's literature has a long history of queer characters, while modern portrayals can be problematic at times. What does this say about the country's perception of its queer community? Then (14:41), we dig into our latest round of street food recommendations, including a light soup from Phu Yen Province and a collection of ice cream spots. Our interview segment (2...
Jun 24, 2018•45 min
On episode 17 of the Saigoneer Podcast we begin (1:28) with a discussion of some of the challenges involved in writing in Vietnam, both overall and when writing in a second language such as English. Then (15:09), we wander into Saigon's unofficial Japan Town, at the start of District 1's Le Thanh Ton Street. We talk about the area's unique history, and share some recommendations of our favorite restaurants in the area. Our interview segment (23:09) features French-Canadian artist Jacqueline Hoan...
Jun 10, 2018•42 min
This week we begin (1:20) with a game based on news euphemisms created by local officials - for example, 'water accumulation' instead of flooding and 'not-on-time service' instead of a delayed flight. We came up with a few fake headlines featuring our own made-up euphemisms and tried to guess what they meant. Then (9:16), we debate our favorite and least-favorite types of vegetables, a companion segment to our fruit argument from a few months ago. Our interview segment (20:52)features Vu Minh Tu...
Jun 03, 2018•38 min
This week's show features a super-sized segment on Vietnamese folk tales (1:09), in which we share some of our favorite legends and stories. Our interview segment (22:24) features Quynh Lam, the contemporary artist known for her works which highlight the issue of being a woman in Vietnam. Find examples of her work here: https://www.quynhsequoia.com/. As always, we close with Banh Mi Banter (33:17). Once you've finished, watch this puzzling video which we discuss during the segment: https://www.y...
May 27, 2018•40 min
This week we begin (1:22) with a look at the prevalence of fake goods and businesses in Vietnam, and whether or not they're a bad thing. This follows allegations that Mumuso and Minigood are actually Chinese companies, despite their Korean branding. Then (11:36) we chat about some uber-successful Vietnamese millenials who are beating the stereotype that young people are lazy and lack business drive. Our interview discussion (19:51) features Erik Harms, an associate professor of anthropology and ...
May 20, 2018•57 min
This week we begin (1:23) with a look at the strides Vietnamese cinema has taken in recent years, both in terms of production quality and screenwriting. We also discuss why you should see local movies over foreign imports. Then (13:02), we dive into some of the digital sub-cultures that have spawned in Vietnam thanks to the ubiquity of social media, including country-specific memes and confession pages. Our interview segment (23:28) features Benjamin Bathke, a German journalist who recently spen...
May 13, 2018•49 min
We begin (1:37) with a roundup of some of our favorite recent Saigon street food escapades, as listeners have asked for more food coverage. How does banh mi dim sum or a seafood feast sound to you? Then (10:20) we examine Vietnam's potential #MeToo moment, which began with a sexual assault allegation at Tuoi Tre, one of the country's largest newspapers. Our interview segment (21:33) is with Dr. Phuong Mai Nguyen, a Hanoi native who is now a university professor in Amsterdam, as well as a popular...
May 06, 2018•39 min
This week we moved into a recording studio, meaning this episode will sound different from all of our previous ones. In our first segment we share the stories of the most unique hobbies we've come across in Saigon, including a friend who likes to burn dirt and men who groom chickens for beauty contests. Then, we look at mental health in Vietnam through a personal lens. Our interview segment is with James Clark, who runs the Nomadic Notes website and focuses on heritage conservation and infrastru...
Apr 22, 2018•38 min
Our first segment (1:28) evolved from a recent office conversation about which fruit deserves to be the national fruit of Vietnam. That debate revealed some rather controversial fruit-based opinions among our staff, so we've taken the argument to the airwaves to debate our favorites, from bottom to top tier. Then (12:55), we call up our editor in Hanoi to discuss last week's launch of Urbanist Hanoi. What does our sister site hope to achieve, and what can we look forward to reading from the capi...
Apr 15, 2018•52 min
In honor of Friday the 13th, we begin (1:36) with a chat about our favorite local urban legends and ghost stories, including a Shakespearean tale of separated lovers in Da Lat and the mysteries surrounding Saigon's Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School. Then (11:03), we dig into a series of recent articles claiming that an 'anti-rich' sentiment is holding Vietnam's most successful businesspeople back. The country is home to some of the world's fastest wealth growth rates, in addition to four Forbes-l...
Apr 08, 2018•55 min
We start with a conversation about local fire safety in the wake of last week's deadly apartment building fire in District 8, as well as a string of smaller blazes in recent days. Then, we discuss Grab's acquisition of Uber's Southeast Asian operations. How might this impact everyday users? Our interview segment features Melissa Merryweather, the director of Green Consult-Asia and chair of the Vietnam Green Building Council. She shares insight on what it takes to build 'green' in Vietnam, as wel...
Mar 30, 2018•40 min
Our first segment (1:12) covers several great youth-led projects that have highlighted traditional forms of Vietnamese art that would otherwise be largely forgotten. Examples include Ve Ve Hat Boi, a collective working to preserve the Vietnamese theater opera of hát bội; as well as an effort to digitalize the disappearing art of Hanoi's classic Hang Trong paintings (links below). Then (8:51) we dig into foreign interpretations of Vietnamese food and whether they represent creativity or cultural ...
Mar 23, 2018•49 min
This week we covered Spotify's long-awaited launch in Vietnam and how this will change local listening habits, as well as the impact it could have on the Vietnamese music industry. Then we dive into Vietnam's close cultural and economic ties with Japan. From Doraemon to manga and Saigon's first metro line, Japan's presence is impossible to miss here. But there are flaws in this relationship, as evidenced by recent news regarding Vietnamese workers in the Northeast Asian country. Our interview is...
Mar 16, 2018•42 min
