Upon my return to Vietnam earlier this week I faced a dilemma – to save the life of an innocent creature or allow it to face probable death. It took place around sunset time at Thu Thiem – a large pocket of dense jungle amidst the concrete sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City. It’s one … More A Cat’s Life & Accepting Fate to Do its Job
You won’t hear many guys admit to being a lover of flowers. Those kinds of things are generally reserved for appreciation by girlfriends, wives and mothers. Spurred on by the constant struggle for equality and inspired by the all encompassing presence of them in Vietnam, I’m actually starting to appreciate flowers much more than I ever have. … More The Timeless Beauty of a Hoa Mai Apricot Blossom
I always find myself magnetically drawn towards churches this time of year. There is a sense warmth and love in any prayer house and whilst I personally have no devotion to any God it is sometimes nice to be around those who do – particularly at Christmas! Christmas time in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is a … More Christmas in Saigon
Perhaps the best thing about living in a foreign country is the countless cultural anomalies we face daily and need to learn from. Getting them wrong and learning why and when to use the new rules can sometimes be amusing, embarrassing and occasionally offensive. Apart from the more obvious language and lifestyle differences body language is … More Things not to do in Vietnam #2: “If in doubt face your palm to the floor”
Time and time again, I always hear it from traveller that the highlight of any trip to Vietnam is the chance one gets to not only interact, but connect with locals, sometimes on a very emotional level. I find myself attracted to areas where most of the people living there are from an ethnic minority group … More The Colourful H’mong People of Vietnam
My bike reached 50 tonight and it thrilled me. That blood-rush which I hadn’t felt for such a long time came back to me tonight and made my face glow. I admit it a little reluctantly only because of the way it came and I’ve no doubt that if my past self were here to … More Getting My Thrills at Little More Than Walking Pace
Although it’s one of the tallest buildings in Vietnam, Bitexco Tower’s popularity and splendid elegance are dwarfed by it’s loftier peers in South East Asia – I’m looking at you Petronas Towers and Marina Bay Sands! Completed in 2010 it’s glamorous design took it’s cues from Vietnam’s iconic lotus flower and it stands proud, towering above everything in the … More Saigon’s Bitexco Tower and the Humble Lotus Flower
The act of crossing ones fingers is a common one to many western cultures but I had a little trouble once trying to explain it to some eastern English learners. To describe it in simple terms I used it as an example of wishing someone ‘good-luck’ but later I realised that it’s actually more than … More Things not to do in Vietnam #1: “Crossed fingers”
The low-lying Mekong Delta is well and truly shrinking thanks to a number of different factors – rising sea levels, soil degradation and upstream dams just a few of them. However the thing I love about the Mekong only second to the rich farmlands of mud are the ferries that connect them. Like the dwindling … More The Mekong’s Disappearing
It’s a very well known image in my circle of friends and I’ve little doubt that most of my generation are quite familiar with it too. Way back in 1992 Rage Against the Machine brought out their self-titled album and the image this was displayed on the front cover. Since then it’s become symbolic of the legendary metal band, but who can … More Thich Quang Duc – A Vietnamese Matyr
Weird.Wonderful.Vietnam. 