I must admit – this week I had appendage envy. I was particularly jealous of the Pacific Giant Octopus that my fisherman neighbor, Alan, brought into my house in northern California. Her with 8 arms (and 8 octo-shoulders) and me reduced to just one functional arm! A particularly in-your-face example of life’s inequities. Although, I [Read on …]
What a treasure trove of community life in Saigon! If you’re in Saigon and wondering how to spend a free day – and if you’d like to take a peek at “real” Saigon (rather than a tourist street or a propaganda museum), considered spending some time at Le Thi Rieng Park. A few years back, [Read on …]
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Vietnam craves rhino horn; costs more than cocaine By Mike Ives Associated Press / April 4, 2012 HANOI, Vietnam—Nguyen Huong Giang loves to party but loathes hangovers, so she ends her whiskey benders by tossing back shots of rhino horn ground with water on a special ceramic plate. Her father gave her the 4-inch (10-centimeter) [Read on …]
I miss my friends Alex and Kanha in Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA! Hai and I have visited them in Phnom Penh many times over the years – for the Cambodian Water Festival, the Khmer New Year, on the way to see Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, or just to enjoy a long weekend together with friends. [Read on …]
“Which shoulder are we doing today?” “The left one.” The nurse proceeded to write with a magic marker, “This shoulder” and added an “X” ” on my left upper arm. “When did you eat last?” “Drink?” “Are you allergic to any medications?” “What did you do to our arm?” “Did you feel that?” “OUCH – [Read on …]
Last Updated: Thursday, March 29, 2012 03:25:00 Known as “the coconut land,” the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre will launch a week long festival featuring its characteristic fruit from April 4-10. One of the key activities at the 3rd Ben Tre Coconut Festival is a food and beverage festival that offers [Read on …]
Vietnam executives on trial over shipping scandal By Tran Thi Minh Ha | AFP News –March 27, 2012 10 hours ago Former top executives at a Vietnamese shipbuilder whose huge debts shook investor confidence in the communist nation went on trial on Tuesday for defying state regulations. State-owned Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group, better known as [Read on …]