transition - AsiaLIFE Magazine

people matterAre We Ever ‘Off Duty’?By Gary WoollacottLast month I talked aboutan ex-colleague who hadbeen discovered behavinginappropriately on companyemail (and on company time).Subsequently it becameclear that he had also beendiverting the company’s intellectualproperty to his privateemail—an unethical (and inmany countries, an illegal)act. This month I’m going todiscuss appropriate personalbehaviour after hours: whatis acceptable and what isn’t?Are we ever really ‘off duty’?As the public faces ofour employers, we have aresponsibility to maintain ourcomposure and dignity atwork and when representingour companies outside. Butwhen does that responsibilityend? When you finish work?At midnight? Or does it endat all? Are we constantly ondisplay and having to live upto super-high standards?What happened to our privatelives and having fun—perhapsdrinking alcohol or whateverrocks your boat—and notworrying about who sees it?Ever the pragmatist, I wouldsay that it depends on whereyou are, who you are with andexactly what you are doing.Consider the ramifications ofyour behaviour. At a privateparty at home with closefriends go ahead and do whatyou like. But think carefullybefore taking pictures andposting them on a socialmedia site; those pictureshave a nasty habit of comingback to embarrass us, andemployers DO look at websites.Out in public, take stockof your surroundings and actaccordingly. Besides, no onelikes to meet someone who isdrunk at a business networkingevent.A salutary lesson I canrelate concerns a lady whois known to enjoy a drinkand whose boss has beencalled late at night on severaloccasions to retrieve her fromvarious unsavoury situations.More than once she spentthe night in hospital andwas unable to work the nextday. This person has a greatjob and is respected in thecommunity, but her privatebehaviour is totally in conflictwith that. Sadly for her, sheis unlikely to be keeping herjob much longer; the risk forher manager is just too highand he told me that each timethe phone rings at night hewonders if she is in troubleagain. He doesn't need thatkind of worry.As usual, let me know ifyou have any particular topicyou would like to see coveredhere.Gary Woollacott is the ChiefRepresentative for Opus ExecutiveSearch in Vietnam andThailand. He can be reachedat +84 8 3827 8209 or gary@opusasia.net. Opus is anassociate of Horton International.listingsfashionACCESSORIESAccessorize48 Dong Du, D1, Tel: 3822 1081Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,D1www.monsoon.co.uk/icat/accessorizeFashion-forward accessories includingnecklaces, handbags, wallets, flip-flops,sunglasses, hair accessories, belts andmore.Alfred DunhillDiamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1A timeless style in male luxury providingformal and casual mens accesoriestailored for the discerning man. Alsostocking handcrafted leather goods.Anupa Boutique17/27 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 38257307anupaboutiquevietnam@anupa.netThe ever-changing boutique retails inthe elegant design of anupa accessoriesmade from high-quality leather. Collectionsavailable range from men, women,executive, travel, spa, yoga, boardgames, boxes and semi-precious stonejewellery. Collection changes on weeklybasis. Also carries childrens wear, toys,furniture and homewares.BallyRex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue, D1Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1www.experience.bally.comFlagship store in the Rex Hotel providingluxury Italian-made accessories for men.Among these are shoes, belts, walletsand a collection of male jewellery.Banana128 Ly Tu Trong, D1Women’s accessories and more, frombags, clutches and belts to clothes andjewellery, all at reasonable prices.CartierDiamond Plaza, 34 Le DuanThis well-known designer brand displaysa wide range of accessories for men.Famous for its watches, Cartier alsostocks pens, key rings, belts andsunglasses.Cincinati177P Dong Khoi, D1www.cincinati.vninfo@cincinati.vnVietnamese brand of genuine leatherbags, shoes, accessories and personalgoods for men and women such asnotebooks for a classic vagabond look.Quality leather from crocodile, horse,snake and fish made with excellent localcraftsmanship.Cleo-Pearls30 Nguyen Dang Giai, An Phu, D2Tel: 091 3587 690Jewellery designer Birgit Maier operatesCleo-Pearls from her home, specializingin necklaces, bracelets, earrings, keyholders and bag accessories. All piecescreated with gemstones, fresh waterpearls and beads.Coconut100 Mac Thi Buoi, D1Bags of all shapes and sizes rule theroost in this small shop. Made of silk andembroidered to the brim, these uniquebags start at about USD $30, and manyare suitable for both day and night.Creation105 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 5429A two-storey shop selling scarves,intricate handbags (from USD $30),tailor-made silk dresses and tops. Hasa wide range of materials on the secondfloor. Prices start from $65 for an ao daiwith simple embroidery.Deanh JewelleryEden Mall, 106 Nguyen Hue, D1Tel: 3827 6039Gorgeous selection of gold accessoriesimported from Turkey and Italy. Also hasa selection of simple ring designs to setyour precious stones in.Gallery vivekkevinFAFILM Building, 6 Thai Van Lung, D1Tel: 6291 3709info@vivekkevin.comwww.galeryvivekkevin.comHandcrafted pendants, necklaces, ringsand bracelets. The gallery’s focus is ondesign, craftsmanship and finish, as wellas educating clients on the intricacies ofeach piece.Gucci88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 6688Located on the main shopping street inHCMC, this flagship store brings Florentinefashion to an array of luxury leathergoods such as briefcases, luggage anda selection of men’s shoes for office ormore casual occasions.Ipa-Nima85 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 3652New World Hotel, 76 Le LaiWell-known Hanoi-based fashion brand.Founder Christina Yu is a former lawyerturned designer who produces eclecticand eye-catching handbags. Alsostocks costume jewellery and shoes.J. Silver803 Nguyen Van Linh Parkway, D7Tel: 5411 1188Make a statement without being ostentatiouswith handcrafted silver jewelleryfrom the boutique store. Expect big,interesting pieces that are simple yetglamorous.Laura V Signature11 Dong Du, D1Tel: 7304 4126www.laurav.netVintage designs aplenty with everythingfrom jewellery and hair accessories tofunky styled sunglasses, umbrellas andcolourful maxi dresses.Lovely Lien Jewellery20 Le Loi, D1A small and unassuming jewellery storewith beautiful and reasonably-pricednecklaces, bracelets and earrings. Youcan also bring your own precious stonesor ask the designers to make somethingunique for you.Louis VuittonOpera View, corner of Dong Khoi andLe Loi Tel: 3827 6318Designer brand name housing traditionalcraftsmanship of luxury leather goodsfor men and women. An array of bags,wallets, cuff links and watches areavailable.Mai O Mai4C Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 4007A superb little place with beautiful jewelleryand accessories to suit all budgets.Silver necklaces, bracelets, rings andmore in both classic and imaginativedesigns, as well as gorgeous handembroideredbags.Mont BlancDiamond Plaza, 34 Le DuanNotable for fine writing instruments,Mont Blanc also houses cuff links andother male accessoriesScorpionVincom Center B1, 70 - 72 Le ThanhTon, D1 Tel: 3993 9889www.scorpionbag.comSelling high-end leather products forboth men and women, including shoes,handbags, belts and other accessories.Features a variety of leather in brightcolors and styles.Tic Tac Watch Shop72 Dong Khoi Tel: 0838 293519www.tictacwatch.comElegant show room displaying someof the world’s most recognized Swissbrands such as Rolex, Tag Huer, Baume& Marcer, Omega and Hirsch. On-sitewatch repair service and complementarywatch evaluation available. Alsocarries a small collection of vintageRolexes.Tombo145 Dong Khoi, D1Of all the embroidered and sequinedbags, shoes and tidbits (or “Zakka”shops) that can be found in Dong Khoi,this shop’s has products that are prettierthan most. Shoes can be custom-madeand the sales staff is friendly.TumiRex Hotel, 151 Nguyen Huewww.intl.tumi.comTumi houses an opulent selection ofItalian-made luggage geared towardsmen. Briefcases, messenger bags andbackpacks are among those on display.Umbrella35 Ly Tu Trong, D1 and 4 Le Loi, D1Tel: 6276 2730www.umbrella-fashion.comSophisticated boutique showcasinga diverse range of imported women’saccessories. Also houses women’s garmentsfrom office wear to cocktail andparty creations.Luggage StreetLe Lai Street, D1 between Ben ThanhMarket and Truong Dinh.Duffle bags, backpacks, messengerbags and carry-on suitcases are allavailable on this stretch of District 1.ACTIVE WEARChina Beach Surf ClubDiamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1Stocks famous surf and surf-inspiredbrands like Reef, Rip Curl and men’swear from Volcom. It has everythingyou’d need for a visit to the beach andmore. There are string bikinis, tees,board shorts, caps and thongs, just toname a few.PinkoRex Hotel, 146-148-150 Pasteur, D1Tel: 3827 2240Spacious and simple store displayingwomen’s sportswear imported fromHong Kong and China. Body lotion andperfume imported from America.Roxy and QuiksilverParkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton,D1The original active living and extremesports brands, Roxy and Quiksilverproducts combine form and function.Choose from outdoor gear to coolindoor clothes.TBS Sports Centre102 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanThis store stocks a range of goodsports clothes and equipment from bigname brands such as Puma, Adidas,Ecco, Nike and Converse.VolcomDiamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1Chic and funky ladies’ apparel brandfrom America. Lots of tank tops, minisand shorts for day tripping with girlfriendsor lazing on the beach.READY TO WEARunisex2bling246 Huynh Van Banh, Phu NhuanSpecializes in urban streetwear, witha range of t-shirts, sneakers, baseballcaps, hoodies and more. Tees areboth imported from around Asia anddesigned in-house.BAM Skate Shop174 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 0903 641 826In addition to a range of decks, wheelsand trucks, this small shop is stockedwith bookbags, skate sneakers, trackjackets and t-shirts emblazoned withyour skateboard company of choice.Bo Sua Local StreetwearVincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,D1Tel: 3993 9599www.bosua.vnAn offshoot of the Boo street-style skaterfashion brand made popular in Hanoi,this brand translated as “Cow Milk”features fun colourful t-shirts, women’scasual wear and sneakers that celebratethe quirky street life of Vietnam.“ello263 Huynh Van Banh, Phu NhuanThis tiny little shop on Phu Nhuan’shipster fashion strip is stocked withsome of the coolest trend items inHCMC. Carries a frequently refreshedselection of T-shirts, skinny pants andwomen’s tops.FCUK127 Le Thanh Ton, D1Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,D1Tel: 3914 7740www.frenchconnection.comTrendy UK brand with a selection offashion-forward dresses for women andsmart workwear and funky casual wearfor men, all at middle-market prices.Hagattini1A Pham Ngoc Thach, D1Tel: 2244 8105www.hagattini.comVietnamese brand housing clothing forall occasions. Normal to office wear,casual to party outfits using materialsimported from Hong Kong and designedand made in Vietnam.Konheo32 Dinh Tien Hoang, Binh ThanhTel: 6653 4187info@konheo.comwww.konheo.comFounded and run by a group of local Vietnameseguys, this T-shirt store flauntssimple-cut T-shirts with playful printsand humorous printed texts. Also doescustom made t-shirts for 160,000 VND.Levi’s Flagship Store19–21 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3500 1501The 320-square-metre retail spacespread over three levels offers the city’slargest and most exclusive collection ofLevi’s bottoms, tops and accessories.L’Usine151/1 Dong Khoi, D1Lifestyle store and cafe housed in aperiod building restored to evoke theaesthetic of an early 20th-centurygarment factory. Carries an exclusive,frequently refreshed line of importedmen’s and women’s fashion, includingT-shirts and footwear, and a range ofunique accessories. Entrance via thestreet-level Art Arcade.Lu.Xu.Bu320 Huynh Van Banh, Phu NhuanWell known among the HCMC hipsterati,88 asialife HCMC