issue 49 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

Learningthrough playA truly internationallearning environmentwith over 40 nationalities,and Ho Chi Minh City'sonly school with an IBprogram for ALL studentsaged 2 to 18 years.28 Vo Truong Toan, An Phu Ward, D2, Ho Chi Minh CityTel: (84-8) 3898 9100Email: admissions@ishcmc.edu.vnwww.facebook.com/ISHCMCwww.ishcmc.com

AsiaLIFE volume 49www.asialifehcmc.com22fronton the coverstoryboardgetaways08 News & Events12 Dispatches13 Street Smart: Tran Van Dang16 Q&A with Merilyn Liddell18 Photo Essay: Side by Side22 Powering Vietnam's Future28 Saigon Heats Up30 The Medicine Monk32 Ordinary People,Unforgettable Stories34 Leading Ladies36 An Lam Saigon River38 Hidden Thailandfoodstyle & designback40 Sterling's Saigon41 Basillico42 Koh Thai43 Scott & Binh's44 Inspired Interiors46 Shine a Little Light50 Connoisseur: Chefs' Knives52 The List78 Spotlight80 Street Guide88 Keeping Tabs89 The Two of Us90 Pub Quiz3846CoverArt DirectionJohnny MurphyPhotographyFred WissinkModelMiguel Fernandez4 asialife HCMC

..FAMILY SUMMER HOLIDAY PACKAGE(Applicable for Vietnamese nationals, Vietnamese Oversea and Expatriates in Vietnam)Inclusions:VND 5,900,000++/ night for Hill Top VillaVND 6,550,000++/ night for Beachfront Pool VillaVND 10,300,000++ / night for 2-bedroom Beachfront Pool Villa1 night stay at Six Senses Ninh Van BayDaily Breakfast BuffetShuttle Bus Airport & boat transfersA bottle of sparkling wine upon arrival and refreshing welcome drink & fruit basketComplimentary services: internet, snorkeling, kayaking and children’s clubThese rates (++) are subject to 5% service charge and 10% tax.Terms & Conditions:Valid from 20th April until 31st October, 2012Surcharge VND 450,000++ per night for the periods: 28th April - 2nd May and 16th Jul - 2nd September, 2012 (inclusive)Applicable for 2 persons per villa.Children ( maximum 2 children, under 12 years old ) stay and eat free when sleeping and dining with 2 full payingadults - Valid for buffet and children’s menu.Remark:* * * 2-bedroom Beachfront Pool Villa is applicable for 4 adults and 2 children under 12 years old, sharing the same villa.Tel: +84 58 3 524 268 - Fax: +84 58 3 524 704Email: reservations-ninhvan@sixsenses.comWebsite: www.sixsenses.com/SixSensesNinhVanBay

note from the editorcontributorsKwena ChokoeBrett DavisThere are few more terrifying sensations on a stiflingly hotsummer day in Saigon than the instant when everything goessuddenly dark and the whir and hum of modern life windsdown to a stop. The power is out.No internet, no television, you get a little worried about thegroceries you just put in the refrigerator, and most dauntingof all, no air conditioning. These power outages are part andparcel of life here, and something you learn to work around byseeking out a café or some other place in the city with powerwhere you can wait it out.With a modernising economy and increasingly affluentpopulation, the demand for power is surging in Vietnam.Coal-fired power stations, hydro-electricity, and soon nuclearpower plants, are trying to meet this demand. But are theresustainable and environmentally-friendly ways to meet thischallenge?Vietnam’s geography and climate have some in the renewableenergy sector excited about the potential for solar andwind-generated power here. There are naturally some drawbacksto these technologies, most notably their inability atpresent to generate the huge amount of electricity required topower the country. This is not to say they do not have excitingpotential applications that can be explored now, particularlyfor smaller and more remote communities.Another sustainable industry that has taken root here is theproduction of bio fuels. These act not only as a renewableenergy source, but are also helping provide real income tosome of Vietnam’s poorest rural communities.Our cover story this month takes a look at the state of therenewable energy sector in Vietnam and asks some of theleading players what potential there is for a cleaner, greenerfuture for the country’s energy needs.It is also time to say goodbye to one of the AsiaLIFE familywith the departure of Deputy Editor Madeleine Adamson.Chris Mueller will now take over the co-pilot’s seat and wewelcome regular contributor Michael Tatarski onto the teamas Contributing Editor.Madeleine is off to the UK, via her native Canada, for a newchallenge managing unruly backpackers in seaside Brighton.Maddy was always a ray of sunshine in the office and a damngood writer. We wish her the best.Kwena Chokoe is 25 and hails fromJohannesburg, South Africa. Overthe past six years she has studiedanalogue photography, advertisingand linguistics. She grew up inAfrica, and also lived a for a numberof years in Europe. In keeping withher nomadic spirit, she is currentlygiving Asia a try. "I'm an Englishteacher at the moment,” Chokoesays, “But a photographer all thetime.” Side by side, pg 18.Vu Thi Quynh GiaoVu Thi Quynh Giao is a scholarshipstudent at RMIT Vietnam, pursuinga Bachelor's degree in Communications.A committed volunteer, Giaohas learned the ABCs of the socialsector and served local not-for-profitorganisations in Ho Chi Minh Citysince mid-2010, when she startedworking with the LIN Center forCommunity Development. She writesfor online magazines and maintains ablog on the arts, political philosophy,youth and social entrepreneurship inher free time. Leading ladies, pg 36.Next time you're across theborder, check out the latestissue of AsiaLIFE Cambodiaor download it from www.asialifeguide.com.Find AsiaLIFE articles on6 asialife HCMC

NEWSEVENTSBlue Crab Opens inDistrict 2Promising to bring the best qualityseafood at reasonable prices,Blue Crab opened it’s doorslast month in District 2. Thesimply furnished venue is a mix ofwestern and Vietnamese seafooddishes from ralsev distinct areaswithin the restaurant. From theHome Cart comes Banh Canh,noodles with crab based soupwith a whole blue crab, shrimpand pork. The tanks are stockedwith live seafood from Nha Trangcooked as you like. Finally theBBQ house dishes up chicken,pork ribs and shrimp as well asthe ‘must-try’ duck tongues.Located at 49D Quoc Huong Stand open at the moment from 4to 11pm Tuesdays to SundaysCharity Art ExhibitLa Residence Hotel and Spa isrunning 'Breathtaking Vietnam',a charity exhibition featuring 13acrylic paintings by esteemedFrench painter Denis Boywd,until the end of May. Inspired byhis extensive visits to Vietnam,Boywd's vibrant paintingscapture day-to-day life, naturalNorfolk Tees Offlandscapes and fond memoriesheld by the artist from his timein the country. La ResidenceHotel hopes to collect up to VND390 million from the sale of thepaintings on behalf of Hue Help,an NGO that sponsors children’sshelters. ‘Breathtaking Vietnam’will run at 5 Le Loi St. until 31May.SoundFest in VietnamOn 14 April Saigon will hostthe first edition of SoundFest.Headlined by Channel V's recentartist of the month, Taio Cruzalong with Korean boy bandsensations Big Bang. The line upalso features American Idol finalistKimberly Caldwell, Thai popsensation Tata Young, and thecream of Vietnamese artists fromthe genres of rock, pop, hip-hopand R&B. SoundFest will featurea huge sound and light show,and there will also be a 'WipeOut' activity zone, numerousfood, beverage and merchandisingstalls, big shaded areas, artinstallations. SoundFest runsfrom 2pm to 11pm at Phu ThoStadium, District 11. Ticket specialsavailable before the eventor VND 500,000 at the gate. Formore information visit soundfest.com.vn.Know Your FinancesTotal Wealth Management willhold a financial workshop onSaturday, 14 April from 1.30pmto 3pm to outline the key financialratios every expat should know.Learn about your financial positionthrough a series of interactivefinancial exercises; understandyour finances and what your riskand investment profile is andhow to create wealth for yourretirement. For further informationand to register contact karin.eisenbach@t-wm.com. Seatingis limited.RMIT University andARC Launch Pet CareCampaignStudents at RMIT UniversityVietnam have launched a newcampaign in conjunction with AnimalRescue Centre to promote abetter attitude to pet ownershipand care in the local community.The ‘My Pet Friends’ initiativeaims to educate local youth onresponsible attitudes towards animalsalong with practical adviceon caring for your furry friends.There will be numerous activitiesat the RMIT campus in District 7and online, including a ‘Pet andMe’ photo contest. ARC will beproviding expert tips on pet careas well as encouraging the adoptionof cars and dogs from theirshelter. For more information visitmypetfriends.wordpress.com.Independent Film Festivalin HCMCFuture Shorts, a leading independentfilm label, has launched anew programme in Ho Chi MinhCity that will last through April.The programme features sevenclassic, cult and award-winningshort films, including: Nash Edgerton’sCannes and Sundance hitBear, the follow-up to his sensationalSpider; Sam Taylor-Wood’smulti-award winning and BAFTAnominated Love You More; andthe latest short film work fromSpike Jonze, among others.Updates on date and venue areavailable at www.facebook.com/futureshortsvietnam or emailfutureshortshcmc@gmail.com formore information.Loreto Opening DoorsDuring March, the LoretoVietnam-Australia Program (LVAP)created significant new educationalopportunities for more than400 disadvantaged kids in thefar-flung hamlets of Ca Mau andPhu Yen. Indescribable deprivationpermeates these remoteareas, but now for some kids lifeis imminently hopeful.The ‘Lifting learners into thefuture’ programme has cometo fruition through building earlyeducation centers in both prov-Rimowa Flagship Store OpensOn Saturday, 14 April the Norfolk Group will stage the 14th NorfolkInvitational Golf Tournament at Vietnam Golf & Country Club’sEast Course (VGCC) in District 9 in HCM City. Golfing legend GregNorman will be in attendance as part of his visit to Saigon to launchthe Reflection by Greg Norman villas and review his Saigon GolfClub designed course. Each competitor will receive three nights’accommodation at the Crown Melbourne Hotel, Australia with oneround at the Capital Golf Club. There will also be four opportunitiesto win a premier AUDI automobile for any player fortunate enoughto score the first Hole-in-One at any of the par 3 holes. The NorfolkInvitational Golf Tournament will begin with a Shotgun Start at12:00 noon. For further details contact Ms Nguyen Thi Minh Huy at0903 818 118 or norfolkgolf@norfolkgroup.com.vn.With much fanfare the German luxury luggage maker Rimowaopened the doors on their HCM City store on March 21. On handwere musician Tran Manh Tuan, a long-time fan of Rimowa’sproducts, and film star Michael Wong who flew in from Hong Kongfor the event. The new Rimowa store is located on the 1st floor ofthe Opera Tower at 161 Dong Khoi, above Louis Vuitton.8 asialife HCMC

inces. The official openings havehelped launch kids, families andvillages into an exciting new eraof all-encompassing learning anddevelopment. Park Hyatt Saigonfunded the equipment for KhanhBinh Tay kindergarten in Ca Mauprovince.Also over the past month,LVAP has funded the completerenovation and equipping of acomputer room for over 700 studentsat Le Loi School in Nha Be.ACG International SchoolVietnam Offers VND 300Million ScholarshipsACG International SchoolVietnam has announced it willaward five academic scholarships,each worth over VND 300million to academically giftedstudents. The scholarship will beoffered to students who apply tothe International BaccalaureateDiploma Programme (IBDP) in theschool year 2012-2013. It covers50 percent of the tuition fee fortwo school years and is open tostudents who are entering year12. Potential candidates will beinvited to attend a scholarship examination,held on Saturday, 14April, 8am to 11am at the ACGInternational School Vietnamcampus. An application can beobtained from the school locatedat East-West Highway, An PhuWard, District 2 and must be submittedprior to Friday, 6 April. Forfurther information contact MycoTran at Myco.tran@acgedu.com.New Art Tour LaunchesSophie's Art Tour is the newestaddition to HCMC's culturalscene. It takes you on a uniquejourney through Vietnamesemodern and contemporary arthistory by taking a closer lookat the major social, politicaland historical shifts in 20th and21st century Vietnam throughthe eyes of artists. The tour isbased on the lives of artists whostudied, fought, witnessed anddocumented major changes inVietnam. For more informationcontact Sophie at sophiesarttour@gmail.comor visit sophiesarttour.com.Ocean Dunes Holds ClubChampionship in AprilOcean Dunes golf club in PhanThiet will hold its Club Championshipover the resort’s famed NickFaldo-designed course the weekendof 21-22 April. The entry feesfor the event are VND 2,200,000for ODGC members and VND4,400,000 for non-members. Thetournament registration deadlineis 19 April, or whenever the eventis sold out. In addition to braggingrights, top finishers from theApril event will earn invitations tothe Mercedes Trophy VietnamFinal.InterContinental AsianaSaigon Pastry Team WinsBest National TeamPastry chefs Pham Thi TuyetNguyet and Nguyen Minh Hoaifrom the InterContinental AsianaSaigon have taken the title of'Best National Team' in The MondialDes Arts Sucres. The eventwas organised by DGF and Europainand pitted 16 internationalteams from across the worldMeet Tiger, ARC’s Pet of the MonthTiger is a smart, lovely and friendly 22-month-old dog. She isactive and likes to go for long walks, loves kids and gets along wellwith other dogs and people. Tiger has the kind of personality thatmakes everyone fall in love with her. She is a medium-sized dog,weighing about 12kg, and has had all her shots and will be spayedsoon. She was rescued after someone had poisoned and caughther for dog meat. If you are interested in adopting Tiger, contactarcfostadopt@gmail.com.

against each other. Nguyet andHoai will continue their next challengein Singapore on 18 to 20April. If they win this event, theywill qualify for the final 'Couple DuMonde De Patisserie', which willbe held in Lyon, France in January2013.First International DramaClasses in VietnamThe Helen O’Grady Drama Academy,the first International dramaacademy in Vietnam, has beenlaunched in HCM City and isoffering classes in districts 2, 3, 7and 11. The classes are designedfor children between four and17 years old and aims to involvethem in a highly stimulatingcreative theatre arts programme.Founded in 1979, this worldwidefranchise can be found in 160countries including Australia, theUS, UK as well as across Europeand Africa. For more informationvisit helenogrady.vn or facebook.com/helenogradydramahcmc.New Air Hub inCentral AsiaHanjin Group’s ‘Navoi Project’, aproject to develop the UzbekistanNavoi Airport as an internationallogistics hub in central Asia,opened its residential complexlast month that will supportthe development of the NavoiFree Industrial-Economic Zone.Korean Air, a core subsidiary ofHanjin Group, held the openingceremony. The ‘Navoi Project’was designed to provide a newgrowth momentum and to helpKorean businesses enter the centralAsian Market. With the openingof the residential complex theHanjin Group will now be able tocreate a new logistics market andallow the Uzbekistan governmentto attract foreign businesses.Korean Air OfficialSponsor of 2014 IncheonGamesKorean Air has become the officialsponsor of the 17th AsianGames to be held in Incheon inSeptember 2014. Korean Air, asthe official and highest-rankingsponsor of the games, will underwriteair tickets, luggage andmost areas related to air transportas well as participatein the construction of Wang SanMarina, which will be used duringthe games. Hanjin group will alsogive its full support and constructa brand new hotel to accommodateparticipating squads.Saigon Cyclo Challenge 2012 Raises VND 900mLast month thousands of spectators attended the 12th annualSaigon Cyclo Challenge raising nearly VND 900 million for SaigonChildren’s Charity. The Cyclo Challenge pitted teams againsteach other in 12 races. The HSBC team took first place while theCaravelle Hotel and TNK Vietnam teams took second and third,respectively. The Megastar Cineplex team won the new category‘Cyclo Deco’ for best Cyclo decoration, whose colourful designwon the hearts of the judges—the Art class at a vocational trainingschool in District 4 run by Saigon Children’s Charity. SaigonChildren’s Charity has been working in Vietnam for more than 20years and has helped more than 40,000 children and young peopleget an education through its development expertise in schoolbuilding,vocational training, scholarships and empowerment oflocal organisations.SAIGON GOLFCOUNTRY CLUBRESIDENCES10 asialife HCMC

dispatchesTravel news from around the region and beyondDesigner ChicTo attract a younger, more style-minded clientele, internationalhotel chains have begun adding hipper brands to theirportfolio. The latest example is newly opened Sofitel So inBangkok, which some surmise is Accor’s answer to Starwood’strendy W Hotel. The 30-storey urban luxury hotelwas designed by leading Thai architect Smith Obayawat,while five of the country’s top designers were let loose onthe interior, each given the assignment of creating a differentlythemed accommodation inspired by the five elements ofwater, earth, wood, metal and fire. All 238 rooms and suitesfeature an Apple Mac mini, the latest iPad and there’s freeWi-Fi throughout the hotel. To celebrate its opening, the hotelis offering a promotional rate of US $80 per night for the first80 days. For more information about the hotel, visit www.sofitel.com or call +66 26240000. – Ellen BoonstraGetting Back to NatureLocated in the heart of the Lao jungle, Kamu Lodge is an awardwinning,off-the-map and eco-friendly option for travellerslooking for a relaxing way to get back to nature. Tourism officialshave singled out the tented eco-lodge for its first ASEAN GreenHotel Award at the 2012 ASEAN Tourism Forum, held recently inManado, Indonesia. Given every two years to the region’s mostenvironmentally active properties, criteria for the recognitioninclude environmental operations, the use of green and locallymade products, collaboration with the community, energy andwater efficiency and waste management. Nestled between verdantrice paddies and the banks of the Mekong River, the compound’s20 private, tented lodges feature solar power electricity, thatchedroofs, and all-natural furniture.Ultimate Golf Package in New ZealandKauri Cliffs Golf Club and Cape Kidnappers GC, arguably thetwo top-ranked golf courses in the entire Asia-Pacific region,have re-issued for 2012 and 2013 their first-ever golf package.The Ultimate New Zealand Golf Package includes nine nightsacross three lodges, four courses, and the country’s two largestislands. Per-person pricing ranges from NZ $9,790 in the lowseason (May through August) to NZ $12,840 in the high season,which runs November through March. This family of celebratedgolf and resort properties is owned and operated by Americanhedge fund legend Julian Robertson, who first visited New Zealandin 1979, and has since adopted it as a second home. Visitkauricliffs.com for more information.12 asialife HCMC

STREET SMART:Tran Van Dang StreetThis month Alex McMillan meanders down the warm and welcoming TranVan Dang in District 3, sampling endlessly from the local cuisine.Com Chay Thanh Ai7 Tran Van DangThis was by far the most memorableplace along the street;it is a Vietnamese vegetarianrestaurant. There were a lot offlavourful dishes, some of whichwere made to simulate the tasteand appearance of meat. Don’tbe fooled though, everything onthe menu here was 100 percentvegetable. Try the layered friedtofu with a jelly that gives thefeeling of fatty pork. Or try thelotus root made to taste disturbinglydelicious to the tune offried catfish. The meal is largefor VND 30,000. It’s a must try.Quan Com Sinh Vien47G Tran Van DangSimilar to the aforementionedvegetarian restaurant, this isanother cheap and amazinglocal shop, however it has meatfor you carnivores out there. Ithas steamed fish, Vietnamesesausage, as well as clay potginger and lemongrass chickenthat just falls off the bone.Get a complete meal for VND25,000.Hang Hoang57C Tran Van DangA dessert stall and a hair salonseem like an odd combination,asialife HCMC 13

ut rest assured that they areonly related by proxy. The hairsalon lets a woman run a smallstall that sells a chewy bananacake with coconut cream andsesame seeds on their premises.For VND 5,000 a dish, you cansample a few desserts. Why nottry her sweet bean dumplingwith coconut cream? Alongwith the vegetarian restaurant,this small stall is a must.Bun Thit Nung61 Tran Van DangIf you’ve stopped at the abovethree restaurants, but you’restill feeling hungry (our loyalreporter put a few kilos on forthe sake of this article), 61 hasfreshly grilled meat on a stick,or you can get their amazingbun with said grilled meat.They also specialize in freshlymade and fried spring rolls.Price is around VND 20,000 fora meal.Coconut Shop70 Tran Van DangSurely you’re full by now,aren’t you? If you have a bottomlesspit akin to Gyaru Sone(check YouTube), then stop offat this coconut shop. That’sright, this store sells nothingmore than coconuts. Accordingto their sign, they have fourdifferent varieties!Rice Shop101TG Tran Van DangThere are a few of these shopsalong the street that sell differ-14 asialife HCMC

ent kinds of rice from giganticbags. Prices are reasonableand are based on the type youchoose: chewy, soft, sticky,fragrant, location grown, etc.VND 11,000-21,000/kilo.Fruit and Vegetables254 Tran Van DangWhat better way to finish offyour meal than with a bit ofa pallet cleanser? The womanwho runs this fruit stall hasfantastic prices as well as deliciousfruit. Ask her and she’llcut it up for you on the spotas you go on your way to thehome market coming up.Home Market255 Tran Van DangOne of the best parts of thestreet is also the last. Thereis an unusual kind of marketat the end of the street. It is aseries of houses which havetheir storefronts opened andthe shopkeepers put out theirwares onto the street similarto a market. Each house’sfamily was at each of the differentshops and chatted withus along the way. There werepeople selling chicken heads,varieties of fish, meat, vegetables,cha ca (fish sausage),tofu 100 ways, and more. Itwas extremely colourful andinteresting. Highly recommendedfor a visit as thethird must-visit-place alongthis street. It’s great for pictures,so bring your cameraalong!asialife HCMC 15

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RMIT Vietnam’s president talks to Michael Tatarski about running a university and thefuture of higher education in the country. Photo by Fred Wissink.How did you end up inVietnam?Well I was happily retired inAustralia, but I had a backgroundin travelling around andhad spent some time in southeastAsia. When the recruiterscame calling and the offer was atRMIT in Vietnam it just soundedso interesting, so I thought well,who needs to be retired?You have a background inclinical medicine, how did youtransition into academia?I had been in general practice fora while but also kind of followingmy husband around fromplace to place. I noticed that theGP landscape was changing so Istarted to look for other interestsand I ended up in academicmedicine, writing dissertationsand giving lectures, and got intoit more and more. I then had achance to go to Kuala Lumpurwith my husband and was offereda job at a university thereafter I had returned to Australia.That opportunity, combinedwith my life-long travel bug,was too good to pass up, andthere I was, in academia.How does working for a universityin Vietnam compare tosuch a job in Malaysia?In the macro scheme of thingsthey’re similar, but as soon asyou get down to the detailsthey aren’t. Both are developingcountries with troubledpasts, and both cultures place ahigh priority on the importanceof education and the value ofit for the individual and thecountry. However the morespecific aspects of the countriesand their cultures are obviouslymuch different. Theyboth have that cheerful chaosand southeast Asian colourthat resonates with a personthough.What sort of challengeshave you faced in developinghigher education here inVietnam?It’s the challenge of developingeducation in any developingcountry, because the context– in terms of education and socio-governmental– is difficult.It’s hard to find the right staff,difficult to always provide forthem long-term, because theysometimes have their eyeselsewhere. It’s particularlydifficult here, where 90 percentof the staff is expat, whereasin Malaysia it was 25 percent.That will change as the contexthere evolves, but the greatthing about doing education inVietnam is the students’ thirstfor learning; they are veryambitious. It makes it reallyworthwhile. Though, we dohave some extremely capableand hard-working staff too.What do you hope to achieveduring your time at RMIT?In terms of specifics I’d like tosee the first internationally-accreditedengineering degree inVietnam here at the school. I’dalso like to see the foundationsput in place for a dedicatedRMIT campus in Hanoi, as wehave here in Saigon. Right nowthe branch of the school thereis located in an office building,so it’s a bit restricted. In a moregeneral sense I would like tosee that the opportunities weprovide for the students hereare really worthwhile. Not justjob prospects but career andpersonal prospects as well. Tothat end we provide all sortsof extra-curricular activities,charities, sports, etc., and thatsort of personal development isreally what you want to see.How long has RMIT been inSaigon?We’ve been here for 10 years,and personally I’ve been herefor three. We celebrated our10th anniversary last year andit was great because someof the people who laid thegroundwork for the schoolwere there. It’s amazing to seewhat can happen in 10 yearsbecause it was just rice paddiesand swamps out here andpeople said they were nuts forsetting up a university wherenobody lived. But now it’s asubstantial operation, we havea nice campus, good academicprograms, and 5,000 students.Where do you see highereducation in Vietnam going inthe future?I think the limits are stratospheric.There’s a whole lotthat needs to change in theway education here is currentlydone, but there’s a will to seethat change happen. Everyonewould like it, the government,the people, and because of thefact that they put education sohigh up on their own radar it’sgoing to take off. Whether it’sgoing to take off in a five-yeartimeframe or a 10-year timeframe,I don’t know, but it willhappen. With a population thatis so young, so capable, andso big it’s going to be quite anexciting ride.asialife HCMC 17

PHOTOESSAYSIDE SIDEVIETNAMBYSOUTH AFRICAKwena Chokoe compares scenes of daily lifein her native South Africa with her new homein Vietnam.MEN18 asialife HCMC

Cluttered Hair SalonsPRODUCE VENDORSCOMPOSITIONSasialife HCMC 19

FUNERALSWORK ETHICSTREET SOCIALISING20 asialife HCMC

COLLECTIVENEIGHBOURHOODSFLOOR FOODasialife HCMC 21

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As Vietnam continues to rapidly develop, its need for energy is similarly surging.However, there is not always enough to go around. With a wealth of naturalresources at its fingertips, the country has the chance to throw off the shackles ofdiminishing fossil fuels for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.Could alternative energy satisfy Vietnam’s growing demand? By Chris Mueller.Photos by Fred Wissink.It’s no secret that Vietnam has energy problems.From the frequent power outages duringthe dry season to the growing amounts ofpollution caused by the cars and motorbikesthat clog its streets and the power plants thatdam its rivers and belch pollutants into theair, Vietnam faces some tough choices whenit comes to quenching its growing thirst forelectricity and oil.Coal and hydroelectric dams, both ofwhich are known to harm the environment,generate most of the country’s electricity. Almostall of the areas suitable for hydroelectricdams have already been used and the fewthat remain are too risky to develop withoutsignificantly harming local industries reliant onrivers. More and more coal and oil is beingimported, and Vietnam is likely to switch froma regional net energy exporter to an importerin the next few years, according to a 2009World Bank report.With the developed world racing to advancealternative sources of energy to replacefossil fuels, Vietnam stands in the uniqueposition of being able to skip nuclear power,which many believe to be an unsustainableand, especially after last year’s disaster atthe Fukushima Daichii nuclear power plant inJapan, dangerous energy source and focuson more environmentally sound and sustainablealternatives.Although private companies and governmententerprises are attempting to developgreen energy here, the country still appearsto be moving towards a nuclear solution.A Russian-led consortium is set to beginbuilding the fist nuclear reactors in Vietnam in2014 and a group of Japanese-led firms areexpected to build the second. There are plansto have 10 nuclear plants, which will be moreadvanced than the Fukushima plant and considerablyless dangerous, by 2030. However,there are other options for Vietnam which ifgiven enough support could be successful.Vietnam is rich in natural resources, includingfossil fuels like coal and what are believedto be large natural gas and oil depositslocated near disputed islands in the Eastasialife HCMC 23

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Jatropha seedcakes can be usedas a replacement for coal, charcoaland wood, all of which are used inindustry in VietnamSea, but it is also blessed with lots of windand sun that could be harnessed to powerthe country. Many believe utilizing renewableforms of energy could curb Vietnam’s relianceon other countries for fossil fuels. But rightnow it is slow on the uptake. The governmentsupports renewables, but green energy programshave yet to gain enough momentum toproduce any significant change.“What is needed in Vietnam, as withanywhere else, is a type of incubator strategythat says we want to help alternative powerget started here and demonstrate its effectand competitiveness,” says David Brown, aformer US diplomat and journalist who writesabout contemporary Vietnam.Green Energy Biomass is one companythat is trying to prove green energy canhelp Vietnam by producing feedstock forbiodiesel. The company presses seedsfrom a locally grown plant called jatropha tomake oil and seedcakes that can be usedto make biodiesel, a substitute for standarddiesel. The seedcakes can also be used as areplacement for coal, charcoal and wood, allof which are used in industry in Vietnam, saysGreen Energy chairman Steve Mueller.Biofuels are not anything new, but jatrophahas benefits that other biofuels do not, Muellersays. The most common biofuel, ethanol,is made from corn. Although corn is a readilyavailable crop, when it is grown for energypurposes it becomes a competition for foodcrops. Jatropha, on the other hand, is notgrown for food. In fact, it has a toxicity levelthat makes it inedible to humans and animals.Green Energy is also trying to use jatropha asa way to reduce poverty.Jatropha grows on marginal land that fewother crops can be successfully cultivated on.Mueller says it also creates a root structurethat allows the land to absorb more water,breathing life back into otherwise uselessland. In Vietnam, very poor farmers, usuallyethnic minorities, inhabit much of this land.Green Energy provides farmers in the southerncentral and northern central provinces ofBinh Thuan and Thua-Thien Hue with trainingand seedlings. The idea is to use a contractmodel to provide these farmers with enoughinformation and plants to start their own fieldsof jatropha. Companies like Green Energycan then buy the plants, press them intofeedstock and sell it to companies for biofuel.Mueller says growing jatropha will increasethese families’ incomes by between 20 to 40percent.Although many are hailing jatropha as anexciting new solution to global energy problems,some say its benefits are exaggeratedand whether it is a viable long-term sustainablesource of energy is still unclear.A 2009 report by the German TechnicalCooperation, an enterprise owned by theGerman government that promotes sustainabledevelopment, disputes the practicalityof using jatropha as a biofuel and povertyreduction program by using Kenya as anexample.The report concluded that, “Many of theclaims made regarding jatropha — includingwide adaptability to diverse climaticzones and soil types, short gestation period,easy multiplication, drought tolerance, notcompeting with food production, and pestand disease resistance — have proven highlyexaggerated.”According to the study, the only profitableway to grow the crop is by using it as a livefence, which is a low cost practice manypeople around the world have been doing forcenturies. Although the report is a soberingblow to the hype surrounding jatropha, it alsostates that research and development couldlead to better yields.Mueller says some companies have geneticallyengineered jatropha to double or eventriple the output, but those plants haven’tasialife HCMC 25

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There is no denying thatVietnam is a sunny country,which makes solar technologyan attractive fixbeen released into the market yet.The Vietnamese government is alsojumping on the jatropha bandwagon. Rightnow Mueller says about 1,000 families haveplanted about 1,000 hectares of the plantand the government wants to increase thatnumber to 30,000 hectares by 2012 and300,000 hectares by 2015.“We believe the government is truly committed[to growing jatropha],” he says. “Andthey need support companies like us to reachtheir goals.”Wind and solar energy have long been atthe forefront of green energy, and in Vietnamit’s no different. Vietnam’s geography andweather conditions could allow both to behugely successful. With around 3,000km ofwindy coastline and about 2,000 to 2,500hours of sunshine a year, both wind and solarenergy have a place in Vietnam.Different organisations have provided varyingnumbers for wind energy potential, butthey all agree that it could work here.“I think that everybody agrees that thecoast of Vietnam is almost perfect for [windenergy],” says Brown, the former diplomat.“You get steady winds almost all the time.”One wind farm has already been builtin the Mekong Delta and another in BinhThuan province. A private German company,Fuhrlander AG, has invested in a US $25million wind power plant. Vietnam has thepotential to create 500 gigawatts of electricityfrom wind farms, more than Thailand, Laosand Cambodia, according to the World Bankreport.A major problem with developing windfarms here is that one of the windiest areasalong the coast is near the popular touristdestination of Mui Ne, says Sylvie Lam, thedeputy director of the Energy DevelopmentCenter (EDEC), which works on the developmentof renewable energy in Vietnam witha focus on educating the youth about it.Despite the already existing large numbers ofresorts in the area, Lam says many landownerscomplain wind farms will make the areaunattractive. They worry that if the resort areawere to expand further along the coast windfarms may affect their ability to sell their landfor development.Another problem is that there are fewincentives for developing solar or windtechnology. Most countries promoting themoffer incentives for companies and individualsto invest in it. They also usually allow excessenergy to be sold back into the grid. As itstands now, Vietnam’s sole electricity company,EVN, does not have a program like thisin place, which dissuades many investors.However, in the coming years, more powercompanies are expected to enter the marketand will make it more competitive, saysNguyen Tuong Khanh the project coordinatorfor Wind Energy Project. She adds that whenplans for incentives come to fruition and themarket becomes more competitive windenergy will become cheaper.The most obvious, and widespread, formof renewable energy in Vietnam is solar, whichhas been used here for years. Some believelarge solar power stations are the answer, butothers think rooftop solar panels bought byprivate individuals are more realistic. Eitherway, there is no denying that Vietnam is asunny country, which makes solar technologyan attractive fix.Right now private individuals will likely seea return on their solar panel investment afterabout two years, says Lam. She adds thatalthough solar technology has a place in Vietnam,particularly in remotes areas that aren’tconnected to the grid like the 3,000 islandsoff the coast, it has proved to be less effectivein the more seasonal north of the country.While making a push to alternative energyis all well and good, it’s useless unless thedesire to effectively implement it is there,says Lam. That’s why she is using EDEC totry to bring the issue to the general public,especially the younger generation.“After we educate the people, the governmentwill fall in line,” she says. “The technologyis available, the funds are available but atthe end of the day, do they want this? That’swhat they need to decide.”Waste Not, Want NotIn poor, rural areas of Vietnam that do not have reliable access toelectricity, a Dutch company has introduced a way to use animaland human waste to make biogas that can power homes, fuelcooking stoves and create natural pesticides and fertiliser.The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) is helpingmasons in rural Vietnam build simple brick and cement dome-likestructures under the ground that farmers can put animal manureand human excrement in. The resulting combustible methanecaused from the natural fermentation of the waste can then beused in simple gas stoves for cooking and lamps for lighting.Farmers can also use the leftover residue from the process, calledbio-slurry, as an effective fertilizer and pesticide.Farmers who have installed biogas plants no longer need touse wood or coal fires in the home, which significantly reducesthe harmful effects from cooking fires. The more efficient and lesslabour-intensive gas stoves also reduce the workload for women.It is estimated biogas plants installed throughout Vietnam will savewomen 109 million hours per year and significantly increase cropyields and decrease household costs by the end of 2012. Theproject in Vietnam began in 2003 and SNV plans to have 164,000biogas plants installed by the end of the year, which will provideabout 800,000 people with improved energy services.Collecting methane for biogas also significantly reduces greenhouse gases. According to SNV, biogas plants in Vietnam reducedC02 emissions by about 167 tonnes each year.A biogas plant is a huge investment for most rural farmers, costingabout US $500, but SNV says the investment will be paid backafter two-and-a-half to three years. With so many biogas plantsbeing built, thousands of jobs have been created in rural Vietnam.The program ends this year, but SNV says there will be enough masonsthat know how to build the plants that construction of themwill continue.asialife HCMC 27

The Saigon Heat, the country’s first professional basketball team, is attracting thousands of local fans andbringing a much needed addition to the sports scene in Saigon. By Chris Mueller. Photos by Fred Wissink.About 2,000 fans are ontheir feet as the hometeam gets the reboundand the 2.10m (6ft 9in) centremakes a fast break, beating thedefenders to the other end ofthe court and dunking the ballhome. As the crowd erupts withcheers, it’s hard to believe this isa professional basketball gamein Vietnam, and with a mainlyVietnamese crowd.Basketball has long takenthe back seat to most sportsin Vietnam, with football andvolleyball the more popularoptions. But once you see thereaction of the fans at Tan BinhStadium, it’s clear that basketballis here to stay. The SaigonHeat is Vietnam’s first professionalbasketball team and thenewest club to join the AseanBasketball League (ABL).It’s been a tough season forthe Heat so far, but one that hasled to a perpetually packed-outstadium with excited local fansfilling nearly all of Tan BinhStadium’s 2,300 seats.By the end of March, the Heathad finished over half of theirscheduled games with a weak4-9 record, putting them in lastplace in the eight-team league.The top four teams move to theplayoffs. In February the teamsaw some drastic changes whenthey released their top scorer,former NBA player and ABLleading scorer Julius Hodge,and bumped up Jason Rabedeauxto head coach. Since thenthe team has stabilized.“Every game for us is anenormous challenge,” says Rabedeaux.“We don’t go into anygame as a favourite.”Under ABL rules, teams areallowed two imported playersfrom countries that are notAsean members and most teamsbring in players from the UnitedStates. Teams are also allowed tobring in three more players fromany of the 10 Asean countries.The rest of the players must befrom the team’s home country.There are no rules that say localplayers must be played a certainamount of minutes per game.Technically a team doesn’t haveto play locals at all, but as Rabedeauxsays, “The team wouldhave no depth.”Two Americans and oneAmerican-Filipino lead theHeat’s lineup. Jonathan Jones,from the US state of Georgia isthe team’s leading scorer andis one of the top five scorers,rebounders and blockers in theleague. The newest memberof the Heat is Jahmar Thorpefrom New Jersey, who has beena good addition to the team,28 asialife HCMC

averaging about 20 points pergame.“I feel like I’m fitting in well,just trying to adjust and learnwhat my teammates strengthsand weaknesses are,” he says.Point guard John Smith, anAmerican,who also holds aFilipino passport allowing himto play as one of the Aseanimports, has become a fanfavourite. In recent games, somefans have been seen brandishingcut outs of his face. He saysthe fans are his favourite partof the game in Vietnam, butplaying here is not without itschallenges.He says the hardest part forhim is the language barrier.“Basketball is such a fast pacedsport that you don’t have timeto think and translate certainplays.” The team gets aroundthis by calling plays using handsignals.The biggest surprise so farhas been the huge supportfrom local fans. At some of thegames it’s still common to seelocals cheering for the opposingteam, or at the wrong moment,but thir enthusiasm for theHeat is incredible.“The city has really takento the team,” Rabedeaux says.“A lot of people are coming tothe games for the first time andthey say, ‘I didn’t realize thatthis is a lot of fun.’”Rabedeaux is a seasonedcoach with over 15 years ofexperience working as bothassistant and head coach forseveral teams in the Americanuniversity basketball league,the NCAA, as well as two yearsin China and a year stint in Japan.After Japan, he moved onto coach in Bahrain, an islandnation in the Persian Gulf.While there, an uprisingstarted, bringing hundreds ofthousands to the streets to protestthe government. “Eventuallynone of my players wereshowing up to practice, theywere all going to the protests,”says Rabedeaux.Rabedeaux left Bahrain forthe US where Connor Nguyen,the general director of theSaigon Sports Academy, whichowns the Heat, asked him tocome to Vietnam.The rest of the season will bedifficult for the Heat, but it isjust one more step to makingbasketball popular and successfulin Vietnam. As Thorpesays, “It’s just about expandingthe sport. Once the gamesstarts to become familiarwith the city, community andcountry, it will definitely getbetter."asialife HCMC 29

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The Medicine MonkA long and unusual journey led one man to the ancient arts of traditional Chinesemedicine. He tells Brett Davis how these techniques are now helping many whowestern medicine have all but given up on. Photo by Fred Wissink.The theories of traditionalChinese medicine have beendeveloped over thousands ofyears. Various forms of herbalmedicines, acupuncture, massage,exercises and dietarytherapies, while considered‘alternative medicine’ in thewestern world, are still widelypracticed throughout Asia.One of the more ancient disciplineswithin this tradition isknown as Wai Qi Liao Fa, whichmeans 'to heal with externalqi'. This style of medicine ispracticed by the famed Shaolinmonks. It is not all that easy todescribe the philosophy behindWai Qi Liao Fa in a westernsense, but it is essentially usingthe practitioners’ own energysystem, or ‘qi’, in combinationwith other techniques such asphysical manipulation of thebody, exercise and diet.Australian John Pearsall,one of only two non-Chinese toever undertake the 16 years oftraining required to learn thismethod, recently moved to Vietnamand has been working withpatients with a wide range ofailments. He has also had greatsuccess in Europe with sufferersof myalgic encephalopathy (ME)syndrome and chronic fatiguesyndrome, who were previouslythought almost untreatable.The first reaction on meetingPearsall is that he is not whatyou might expect. There areno monkish robes or shavenhead, for instance. He could bea tourist, dressed in shorts anda t-shirt, a lanky and slightlyweathered man in his early 50s.The only hint there is somethingdifferent is the kind of languidpoise in his movements fromfour decades of practicing martialarts and qi gong.“I’m not a ‘new-ager’,” hetells me, and in fact he is dismissiveof those who do undertakeshort courses in traditional Chinesemedicine and think theycan competently treat patients.Pearsall had been studyingmeditation and martial arts foreight years before being invitedto the Phu Tong temple in Chinato study Wai Qi Liao Fa. Eventhen, he was in the temple fully12 years before touching his firstpatient.It is difficult to estimate thenumber of traditional Wai QiLao Fa practitioners remaining,however those who havecompleted the 16 years oftraining are literally less thana handful. Pearsall says therewere up to 8,000 prior to theCultural Revolution in China,after which most were forced toleave the order or into exile. Theremaining medical monks weretaken to Beijing to treat China’sruling elite.One of these exiled monksended up in Darwin, in Australia’sNorthern Territory. Growingup next door to this formermonk, Pearsall was introducedto the world of martial arts.Several years later, at the ageof 14, he travelled to Taiwan tofurther his training. He was dueto return to Darwin at the beginningof 1975 but Cyclone Tracyhad just devastated the city andhis father gave him the option ofa boarding school in Australia ormaking the most of it in Taiwan.There was really no choiceto make, so Pearsall continuedhis training in Taiwan which includedonce almost being killedduring a competition bout.In the Shaolin order, there aresoldier monks and medicinemonks. “You get to a point inyour training where they decidefor you if you are going to be afighting monk, or if you needto change direction,” he says. “Icould never get to the stage ofhaving that killer instinct, so Idecided to do Shaolin medicine.”So in 1978, at the age of18, he packed his bags and travelledto the Phu Tong Templein Hunan province. Ultimately,Pearsall chose not to pursue thelifestyle of a monk, but he hasremained a devoted practitionerof traditional Chinese medicine.So how does Wai Qi Liao Fawork, and how is it able to helpsuffers of ailments such as ME,chronic fatigue syndrome or arange of other illnesses? Oneof the foundation techniquesis called Gu Gai, a study ofthe muscles, bones and thecentral nervous system. Pearsallexplains how pressure andtightness can build up in thebody due to the misalignment ofthe muscle and bone structure.This in turn will create pressureat the top of the spine and thebrain stem, interrupting thecentral nervous system.If you’re able to reverse thispressure by realigning musclesand bones, combined with arigorous regime of stretching,exercises and massage, thenerves can once again functionproperly and proper blood flowto the brain is restored. Fromthere, along with certain dietaryrequirements, patients can startto recover full function. It is reallya matter of letting the bodydo what it is supposed to. “Thebody knows what is natural,”Pearsall says. “If you teach it togo back to that [proper shape],it will always try to go backthere. “Even with conditions such asautism, where there will alwaysbe some brain dysfunction, WaiQi Liao Fa can improve thephysical condition and qualityof life of patients. Maurice Donnelly’ssix-year-old son Sam isautistic and is now being treatedusing these techniques afterbeing introduced to Pearsall viaLearning Strategies, an organisationthat works with childrenwho have learning and developmentaldisorders. Donnelly sayseven after just four weeks therewas a marked improvement.“Sam is really transformed, heis an alert, much more concentrated,happier boy,” he says.“He is like a different person.”His son is also now even able toattend school in the afternoons.Pearsall says that using westernmethods of treating Samwould mean that in 20 yearstime he would still be functioningat about the same level, butemploying Wai Qi Liao Fa couldchange everything. “[Sam] couldhave a life for himself, he couldlive by himself,” Pearsall says.Initial courses of treatmentlast about 10 weeks. However,they need to be revisited in athree, five and seven monthcycle to ensure the body is learningto adapt to its new regime.It is a two-way street, though,with Pearsall emphasising theneed for the patient to stick tothe prescribed exercise and dietroutine.Some of the concepts espousedby Pearsall may soundsomewhat radical to westernears, but it is worth rememberingthat these ideas were formulatedmillennia ago. He has hadhis share of challengers fromthe western medical establishment,particularly in Europe,but in the end the results he hasachieved have been irrefutable.There is perhaps always somethingthat can be learned fromthe accumulation of humanwisdom.John Pearsall can be contacted attqgjohn@yahoo.comasialife HCMC 31

Ordinary peopleTran Van ChoFishermanunforgettable storiesWhile visiting southeast Asia, filmmakers Davide Dominici and Claire Middletondiscovered some traditional ways of life at risk. Their ongoing series of short films,South East Asian Portraits, aims to capture the unique and memorable stories of afew unexpected individuals before it’s too late. By Madeleine Adamson.Photos by Claire Middleton.32 asialife HCMC

With its complex history,vibrant inhabitants and rapidpulse, HCM City has beenknown to charm most of thevisitors who set foot on itsstreets. Davide Dominici fromItaly and New Zealander ClaireMiddleton are no exceptions.“Claire and I fell in love withVietnam,” says Dominici. Heexplains that there are manyopportunities to observe peoplehere in a raw, natural way.Unlike in Europe, the Vietnamesespend a great deal of timeoutside and on the street. “Theylive outside and they do a lotwith their hands. It’s reallybeautiful and we wanted toexplore and expose that beautyin our films.”Middleton explains that astandard documentary lengthis 25-45 minutes. “When werealised we might not hit that,I thought, ‘why don’t we do aseries of short portraits’? Andthat’s how it’s evolved,” shesays.During their exploration ofthe city, they came into contactwith Tran Van Cho, a onearmedfisherman living in a hutbeside the Saigon River. Theydecided to feature him in theirpilot film project, Chu Ba Cut(The Fisherman).“It’s so rare to find someoneliving in this way. I was immediatelydrawn to him,” saysMiddleton.Tran Van Cho lost his armduring the American War andwas forced to make considerablereadjustments to carveout a new life. He built a hutnext to the river 20 years agoand had been living there eversince. Every so often, local policewould tell him that he wasn’tallowed to be there; his homewas torn down several timesand he had to rebuild it. Withthe help of translators and a fewfriends, Dominici and Middletonlistened to his story and beganto film. Towards the end of thefilming process, Tran Van Choended up permanently losinghis home when the land wastaken over by developers. Hewas forced to move to Ben Treprovince so that his youngersister could support him.Although Chu Ba Cut doesnot end happily, the fisherman’stale is a poignant one and thefilm itself is strikingly beautiful.Middleton and Dominici feelthat it is important to exposethe hidden beauty that exists inevery kind of lifestyle. The powerfulfilm also illustrates the wayin which traditional lifestyles,such as fishing, aren’t feasible inthe city like they once were.After they had finished helpingthe fisherman tell his story,Middleton and Dominici setout to find other individualswith unusual stories to share.They are especially interested inexploring jobs, cultural rituals ortraditional crafts that might soondisappear.At the moment, they arefinishing up a film about an82-year-old traditional calligraphyartist named Van Tien. “Hedescribes himself as a ‘pictographer’and the work he producesis a combination of pictures andChinese characters,” says Middleton.The filmmakers say theywere captivated by Van Tien,since it is so rare to come acrossan individual with such talentand devotion to an art form.Another story, this time aboutArak music, awaits them inCambodia. Arak, an ancientform of chanting, was popularyears ago when the spiritworld was more pervasive andmedicine was not accessible toeveryone. When someone in acommunity was sick, a group ofmusicians and a spiritual guidewould be called in to remove thesickness.“While travelling throughCambodia, we found this doctorwho still plays. We’ve methim and he’s agreed that wecan film him. But it all dependson whether there’s a familymember who falls ill. So we haveto wait for that moment,” saysMiddleton.Arak music will likely disappearas generations change andmodern medicine becomes morewidely accessible in Cambodia.The filmmakers want tocapture this ancient tradition asnaturally as possible before itfades away.Both Dominici and Middletonagree it can be difficult toremain emotionally detachedthroughout the filming process,especially when a story is asheart wrenching as the fisherman’s.“It’s hard not to feelsomething for the subjects, butit’s also important not to lookback too much. Otherwise youcan’t move forward with thenext project,” Dominici says.Their ultimate goal is to findand uncover more portraits in asmany southeast Asian countriesas possible—China, Thailand,Van TienCalligraphy ArtistMao YunKhmer Doctor andArak MusicianLaos, Indonesia, Philippines,Burma—as long as there are opportunities.Perhaps their biggest challenge,according to Dominici,is to present these stories asgenuinely as possible. “Wesimply want to use our filmmaking skills as a tool to reinforcea story. If we can add ourtouch of beauty without puttingourselves first, we have done itright.”asialife HCMC 33

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The Vietnam Women’s Union has been making its presence felt across the nation formore than 80 years. Vu Thi Quynh Giao looks at how the organisation continuesto lead the way for the nation’s women. Illustration by Nguyen Mai Anh.Founded on 20 October, 1930,The Vietnam Women’s Union(VWU) has thousands ofrepresentatives at the national,provincial, city, district andward levels, addressing theplight of women afflicted bypoverty and domestic violence.The state-affiliated organisation’smission is to advance thecause of women and protectingtheir legal rights.The VWU is a pioneer ofmicrofinance, offering creditand saving services enablingstruggling women not only tomake ends meet but also liftthemselves out of poverty andembark on self-sustaining businessventures.Under UNiTE to End Violenceagainst Women, an ambitiousglobal campaign to quashviolence in all its forms againstwomen and girls in every cornerof the world by 2015, the VWUteamed up with the UnitedNations late last year to reiteratethe importance of fighting theubiquitous issue of domesticviolence.During the November 2011dialogue with the UN, the VWUpledged to continue providingsupport to domestic violencevictims, as well as boost awarenessabout the problem withinthe wider community throughzeroing in on men’s awareness.At the groundbreakingexchange, representatives ofUNAIDS and UN Womenalso released research findingsstemming from a 2010 DomesticViolence Study highlighting aconnection between HIV anddomestic violence.While home is where womenare entitled to love and support,for many, it clearly equates torelentless struggle. How can ayoung woman re-integrate intoher family once she has beensaved from prostitution? This isjust one of the many questionsthe Women Union’s of Cau OngLanh Ward is tackling. At agrassroots level, it deals with thechronic problems of domesticviolence and poverty, in whichthe ward’s women are caught inthe grip of every day.The ward’s VWU chairwoman,To Thi My Linh, stressesthis local body’s chief priorityis to ensure that every womanin the area lives with dignity.She and her colleagues committhemselves to working withvulnerable women and streetchildren. Although they receivefunds from the government,Ms Linh admits it’s difficult todo everything as planned andchange is still a long way aheadfor women. No doubt manyother wards face the same seeminglyinsurmountable odds.In a glimmer of hope, eachVWU is a potential partnerthrough which kindheartedpeople can reach out to underprivilegedgroups. The Women’sCharity Association (WOCA)of HCMC relies on the VWUat district level to approachdeserving people.Established in 1989, it currentlyhas 200 members and astrong track record of aiding thepoor, the elderly and underprivilegedchildren, with a focuson females. The associationdonated three cows to underprivilegedfamilies in Vietnam’sCentral Highlands in 2011,making a world of differenceto these families. Yet the trioof cows represents just a tinypart of the association’s creativeefforts to better the lives of millionsof disadvantaged people.WOCA is most proud of whatit’s done for children living inits seven shelters and a specialgirls vocational training facility.“All of those bé trai (boys)and bé gái (girls) are brilliant,”says Doan Le Huong, who hasserved as WOCA’s President forfour years.“Each of them has a littlewound,” she continues. “Somehave parents who passed away,are drug addicts, or live in jail.By providing them with educationand helping each to realizetheir full potential, we haveaddressed a group left out inour society.”And indeed these youngVietnamese have taken up theopportunity to re-enter society’sfold. Aged between eight and16, half of the boys and girlsachieved an overall grade of‘distinction’ last year. Many girlsundertaking their special vocationalprogram have graduatedfrom high school and gone on tobecome technicians, accountantsand teachers. The others arereceiving training in nail art andhairdressing because, accordingto Huong, these young womencan later work as businessownersmaking the most of suchskills.Strategic as it is, the WOCA’sExecutive Committee must constantlyseek grants from foreigncorporations, organisations andindividuals to provide theirbeneficiaries with ongoing support.As Huong says, “They aretoo weak to earn a living amidstour volatile economy." Wellconnectedwith the NGO andcorporate communities, manyretired entrepreneurs serve onthe Executive Committee whichhas secured grants worth up tobillions of dong. Still humble,Huong and her staff attributemuch of their success to thePeople’s Committee and consultationwith the HCMC Unionof Friendship Organizations,which “deeply understands theforeign corporations and organizationsworking in the city”.The association’s funding willcontinue to come from the corporateside, as Huong expects,but it must gain more supportfrom local companies sinceVietnam is becoming a middleincomecountry and foreign aidhas significantly declined. Theyalso hope to attract more volunteers.Technology, translationand donation are area in whichpeople can volunteer to helpWOCA’s disadvantaged womenand children.Summarizing her work withthe association, Huong, like hercolleagues, believes it is rewardingto contribute to “our city,our country”.asialife HCMC 35

Itching to get away from the hustle and bustle ofSaigon but short on time? Brett Davis discovers anoasis of calm on the city’s doorstep.I am a thousand miles away, orat least that is what it very muchfeels like. The wide, lazy treelinedriver meanders past whileI have a glass of wine and takein the gathering dusk. It is quietand so very peaceful as a gentlebreeze stirs the lush surroundsof my villa. The lights from thenearby bar and outdoor diningarea are pinpricks in the fabric ofthe night.What is most extraordinaryabout where I am is that I amnot on a distant coastline, aflight or endless drive throughcareening traffic from my homein Saigon. In fact, my journeyentailed little more than 15minutes by boat from the heartof the city.The An Lam Private Residences(though it is actually aboutique short-stay establishment)has only been operatinga few short months and has notyet really registered on the localgetaway market. Heading northalong the Saigon River past District2, the property is located onthe same branch of the SaigonRiver that ultimately takes youto Cu Chi.Formerly the private homeof a local lumber magnate, themain house and outbuildingshave been upgraded and adaptedto create four free-standingvillas and several rooms in theold main house. There are alsoseveral executive apartments, aformal dining area with specialchef’s table that fronts a modernopen-kitchen and a morerelaxed restaurant and loungebar perched on a deck by thewater’s edge.With only 15 rooms at mostwhen fully operational, AnLam will always be a haven oftranquility away from the city.The resort also has a spa andmain pool for those few whoseroom does not boast a privateplunge pool. An Lam is open today visitors wanting to dine oruse the spa facilities, althoughgeneral manager Richard Frotadvises that it is imperative tocall ahead to ensure there isspace available.He explains the numberof day visitors will be strictlylimited depending on howmany guests are in residence atany particular time. “We mustbe very careful that we do notoverload the property,” he says.This is in keeping with thephilosophy that when guests arriveat An Lam they do not feellike they are entering a resort. “Itis very important that [guests]feel like it is their place, wewant them to feel like they are athome,” Frot says.The sense of being at homeis emphasized, for me at least,by the journey taking about thesame time as it would to getto my real house in District 7.I begin to dream of relocatingto a life up river. All I need isone of the handy modern speedboats An Lam maintains to ferryguests about.The trip is something of aneye-opener, providing a seldomseen view of Saigon’s outerreaches. Roaring away from theprivate dock on Ton Duc Thangadjacent to the roundaboutfeaturing the large statue ofTran Hung Dao, the downtownskyscrapers quickly recede. Wesoon pass under the bridgesconnecting Binh Thanh Districtand District 2, and head out intoa broader channel of the river.Life is still bustling on thesereaches as the boat navigatesbetween long strings of floatingvegetation, and under yet morebridges, both old and new.36 asialife HCMC

Soon enough even the top ofthe Bitexco tower fades into thedistance and urban sprawl givesway to green rural vistas.The spell is somewhat brokenas we suddenly come upon theimposing presence of the newHan Phuc hospital, which is areminder that we are now inBinh Duong, and that An Lam isalso accessible by car for thosewho are not comfortable on thewater. Soon enough though weare again amongst the trees andon approaching our destinationonly a hint of what it contains isapparent from the river.Once installed in my villa, andafter a quick dip in the plungepool to cool down, I can fullytake in my surroundings. Thereis a strong sense of seclusion andprivacy here. As Frot tells meearlier on a tour of the facilities,every villa and room has a privateentrance, so guests can beassured of the utmost discretion.The menu at An Lam featuresmainly Vietnamese dishes, butthere is also enough internationalfare to satisfy most diners. Youcan eat at the open dining areaby the river, but in this instance Ialso opt for discretion and havemy meal served in the villa. It isa difficult spot to resist. The highceiling, cool stone floors andleather sofas coupled with thewide French doors affording awonderful breeze from the rivermake for a perfectly relaxingsetting.The only sounds are the faintrustling of the trees and the oddchug of a riverboat plying itstrade in the inky night. All I canthink is that I really do want thisto be home.For more information or to make abooking go to epikurean.com or call(083) 920 6949.asialife HCMC 37

HiddenThailandThailand's Andaman Coast has bounced back after being ravaged by the 2004Boxing Day Tsunami. In search of serenity, Ellie Dyer travels to the now bustlingtourist hub to find that a secluded paradise is still well within reach.Screams echo through theair, bouncing off barnacledwalls to the accompanimentof frantic splashing. Were itnot for a glimpse of luminousorange life vests and a pinprick of torchlight looming outof the darkness, panic couldhave ensued. But at the end ofthis pitch-black channel lies asecret.As swimmers reach itsend, the sea turns luminousgreen and the smell of lushundergrowth permeates theair. Sunbeams scatter offrocks, lighting up the hiddenbeach of Morakot (Emerald)Cave. Nestled within soaringlimestone walls, it’s a taste of aparadise akin to Alex Garland’sbackpacker thriller The Beach –albeit with more people.For many, the 80-metretunnel swim at Morakot willprove a highlight of southernThailand’s Andaman coast,an area that has bounced backafter being ravaged by the2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Forthose wanting to escape thetourist traps of Koh Phi Phiand Phuket, idylls can still befound. Here are a few of Thailand’slesser-known gems.Laid-back LantaWith its sandy coves andrelaxed vibe, Koh Lanta provespopular with those wishing toescape from it all. Haad PhraAe, or long beach, is the placeto stay. A 3km stretch of sandcomes complete with scoresof child-friendly restaurantsand chilled-out beach bars. Buteven during the peak season ofChristmas and New Year thebeach seems empty – exceptfor a handful of holidaymakerstesting out its shallow, pristinewaters. Nevertheless, thrillseekersin search of a night outare also catered for. Parties areheld by Lanta’s bars on a rotationalbasis with a wide varietyof tunes, from dub-step to popand reggae, being spun.Check out: Red SnapperRestaurant provides great foodin lush garden surrounds,but be sure to reserve a table.Corner Bar is the place for romance,with small tables set ona rocky outcrop at the end ofthe beach for a perfect sunsetview. Moonwalk Restaurant isa good option for families, witha nightly beachside barbeque38 asialife HCMC

Photos by Ellie DyerFor those wanting to escape thetourist traps of Koh Phi Phi and Phuket,idylls can still be foundoffering shrimp the size of lobsters.Accommodation is bothnumerous and wide-ranging.Budget huts can be booked forUS $12 per night upwards.How to get there: Thai Airand AirAsia run flights toKrabi from Bangkok. A twohour shared minibus to KohLanta’s beaches from Krabiairport costs around 300 baht(US $10).Remote TrangPure white sand, crystal clearwaters and lush tropical forestsline the remote islands ofTrang province. The waters offKoh Kradan, a quiet isle thatlies around 40 minutes fromthe mainland, are gem-like.Nearby Koh Ngai offers a tasteof luxury and comes completewith high-end bungalows,including the impressive Thapwarinresort at up to US $175per night. Trang’s coastlineis also home to top snorkellingand dive sites, includinga sunken ship touted to be aJapanese Destroyer, and theaforementioned hidden EmeraldCave.Check out: A four islandstour takes in the sights of KohNgai, Koh Mook and the EmeraldCave, Koh Kradan andKoh Chuek. Simply hop on theferry or book through a localresort or travel agent for a dayof swimming, sunbathing andsight-seeing.How to get there: Longboats, speed boats and ferriesvisit the islands daily. Ferriesare available from Koh Lanta’sSaladan pier, or fly to Trang orKrabi airports and travel fromthere.Hilltop GetawayThe Andaman coast may bebest known for its islands, buttravellers in search of somethingmore should head inland for ahillside adventure. In Krabi, rubberplantations and pineapplegroves are intermixed with lushforest packed with wildlife andstunning mountain vistas. Butwatch out for the mosquitoes,which can attack in droves. Fornature-lovers, Khao Sok NationalPark in Surat Thani provinceis also accessible from the coast.One of its most famous sights isCheow Larn Lake, a huge reservoircreated in the 1980s as theresults of a hydrodam. Toweringlimestone peaks rise from jadewaters and travellers can sleepin floating rafthouses.Travel Tip: Krabi’s PhanomBencha Mountain Resort hasacres of landscaped fruit gardensand a hilltop natural poolnestled between soaring crags.It offers great food and trekkingopportunities for as little asUS $26 per bungalow in highseason. In Surat Thani, Khao SokNature Lodge offers bungalowsfrom US $22 to US $47 per nightthat come with waterfall-styleshowers.How to get there: PhanomBencha is a 20 minute transferaway from Krabi airport. Hotelscan offer transfers to KhaoSok National Park from Krabi,Phuket and Surat Thani airports,or just hop on a mini-bus.asialife HCMC 39

Beer NationOne of the great benefitsbrought about by the policyof Doi Moi (the opening of thefree market in Vietnam ) is aplenitude of beer. It’s as commonas water and more worthy.You, the traveller or the expat,will never be more than a fewminutes from beer. In the past,your average Vietnamese rarelyimbibed in the suds – partlybecause it was still expensive forthe average elbow-bender, andpartly because he consideredpublic intoxication bad behaviour.He generally did whatdrinking he did in private. Hemight have had a beer with hisdinner in a restaurant, but youwould rarely see him shoutingfor rounds in a pub. (And I say'he' because I mean 'he'. MostVietnamese women virtuallynever drink. Or smoke. Orhave impure thoughts, at leastnone that they will admit to.)But travellers have alwaysbeen free to quaff as much beeras they like, and the merchantswill encourage them.There is no ‘national brand’such as we find in the Philippineswith San Miguel, or Thailandwith Sing Ha. Althoughforeign national brands are here,the aforementioned San Miguel,Heineken from Holland, Tigerfrom Singapore, as well as Budand Miller from the States. Ieven see Corona from Mexicohere and there (though it isquite expensive). The Vietnamesebeers, however, are quiteregional, and few of them aredistributed countrywide. Someare high volume, some small,some of them could almost becalled microbrews. Most arequite good, and most are lightand refreshing, in keeping withthe climate, like the popularSaigon Beer The green labelversion is somewhat lighterthan the red label. Some are fullflavoured, like the famous 333(Ba Ba Ba). Huda, is an acronymfor Hue-Denmark, and is a jointventure between, well you canguess. It has a very assertivetaste, very hoppy. You can find"Take it from me,when it’s 35°Cwith humidity tomatch the onlything worse thanwarm beer is nobeer at all."that at the Bread and Butter restaurantand bar in the Pham.And then there is bia hoi. It'svariously described as draftbeer, microbrew, or cheapbathtub brew. Call it what youwill, it is indeed cheap. Youcan get it at a beer garden ora couple of places on Bui VienStreet for as little as 10 cents aglass. It's made almost daily andthe brewers often sell it in bigplastic jugs. It's very light witha very delicate taste and aroma.Connoisseurs might pooh poohthe stuff, but hey, you get whatyou pay for.There is one caution forthe beer-loving wayfarer inVietnam. While the country isawash in good suds, there isstill, in some places, a shortageof refrigeration. Even if yourbeer is served shiveringly coldat a non-air-conditioned location,it won’t stay that way long.If it’s served just moderatelychilled, it’s small comfort. If,as will happen, it comes to youat ambient temperature, youmight just as well have beersoup. In the air-conditionedpubs and restaurants catering totourists and expats and newlyaffluent Vietnamese, everythingis cool. But if all you go to arethe air-conditioned pubs andrestaurants catering to touristsand expats and newly affluentVietnamese, that would beuncool, as you would not reallyhave been to Vietnam, in myhumble opinion.So what to do? Go native.Learn how to say bia da, beerwith ice. That’s right, drink yourbeer on the rocks. Shocking,yes I know, even blasphemousto the western purist. But thesebeers can stand up to it. Take itfrom me, when it’s 35°C withhumidity to match the onlything worse than warm beer isno beer at all. Ask for a bucketof nuoc da (ice). “But shouldn’twe avoid ice?” you say. “It’smade of the local water, afterall.” Well, I can’t promise thatusing Vietnamese ice to coolyour beer won’t make you sick,but I can tell you this: nobody ofmy acquaintance has ever beensick from it. And I have neverbeen sick from it. And I haveresorted to this measure very,very extensively. Cheers!40 asialife HCMC

BasillicoThis well-established Italian eatery has plenty to offer oncethe sun goes down. Photos by Jonny Edbrooke.A long-time favourite of thebusiness lunch crowd, BasillicoItalian restaurant at theIntercontinental is also worthconsideration of an evening.The restaurant is obviouslyclose to the heart of executivechef Rolando Manesco, who hasrecently given the menu somefine tuning. While there are theinevitable concessions to caterto the in-house clientele, mostof the fare on offer sticks totraditional Italian favourites.It is not always easy to makea restaurant essentially in thelobby of a building feel like ithas an independent character.Basillico manages it well withjudicious use of stone andwood throughout the interior,and with red and whitechecked tablecloths and variouscharcuterie hanging above thebar.On the night we visit ourtable is one of the best in thehouse, tucked into the cornernear the counters with the firefrom the pizza oven providinga cosy ambience. It is the kindof environment in which it isvery easy to see a couple ofhours slip by almost unnoticed.Authentic Italian is the orderof the day so that is what weare after. For starters we gofor the beef carpaccio (VND220,000) and the calabrese salad(VND 190,000). The carpaccio istopped with a handful of greenleaves and goes well with thebasket of varied breads whichcome complimentary. Thecalabrese salad, as always, is adelight. The simple colours arealways striking, not to mentionreminiscent of the Italian flag,and the combination of theplump slices of mozzarella,tomato and basil is a perfectblend of flavours.For the mains it wassomething of a surf and turfarrangement with the ossobucodi vitello (VND 310,000) andthe grigliata mista di mare(VND 310,000). The veal shankswere so tender a knife was notrequired for the meat to fallfrom the bone, and the chunkycarrots and sauce made fora lustrous and satisfyinglydecadent dish. The platter ofgrilled seafood included clams,shrimp, lobster, salmon and seabass. Everything was superblyfresh and imbued with a smokyedge from flame grilling.By this stage we are feelingmore than a little Don-ish: large,well fed and the master of allthat we survey. This apprehensionis not dissuaded by agenerous cheese platter (VND350,000) and a lovely Australianshiraz from the King Valley toround off the meal.Basillico is a good exampleof how restaurants pegged asbeing of a particular stripe canhave so much more to offerwhen we take the chance toview it from a different angle.All together, it presents an opportunitythat you can't reallyrefuse.Corner Nguyen Du and Le VanHuu, D1Tel: (08) 3520 90997.30am to 10.30pm, seven daysasialife HCMC 41

Koh ThaiContemporary Thai cuisine comes to Saigon via thiselegant eatery. Photos by Fred Wissink.One of the oddities of Saigonis that it is often easier to findhamburgers and pizza than itis to discover the cuisines ofVietnam’s regional neighbours.Fortunately things seem tobe changing, with a spate ofnew Thai restaurants openingrecently, and Koh Thai, locatedin the rejuvenated Kumho Linknext to the IntercontinentalHotel, is aiming to lead the packby styling itself as a chic, contemporaryrestaurant servingfood from the Land of Smiles inVietnam.Koh Thai’s interior offers arespite from the steamy heatand noise of the street outsidewith dark wood, subdued lighting,and lots of purple furnitureproviding plenty of ambience.A rarity in Vietnam, smoking isnot allowed inside, but there isan outdoor porch overlookingHai Ba Trung if you can’t makeit through your meal withouta puff. A long table runs downthe middle of the restaurant, aconcept borrowed from Bangkok,and comfortable booths sitalong the walls.The menu at Koh Thaifeatures a wide array of classicThai dishes presented with amodern twist, from noodles andsalads to curries and dessertspriced from VND 100,000 toVND 300,000. There is also a setlunch for VND 120,000, or VND160,000 with a drink.We start off with the KohThai salad (VND 168,00),a hearty serving of glassynoodles, seaweed, prawns, andherbs that provides a tangy,spicy kick. The delicate salmonsashimi (VND 168,000) is servedin a fantastic green chilli saucewith a touch of wasabi mixedin.Next up is an enormous helpingof Pad Thai (VND 168,000),with several large prawns and aheap of noodles stuffed into anomelette. The dish was boldlyflavoured, with a distinct kickto it. We finished off the bigmeal with the Chu Chi kingprawn curry (VND288,000),which consisted of a simplygigantic prawn slathered in arich, red curry sauce, servedwith rice. Once again the dishwas expertly presented, and thespice level just right.With its variety of Thai dishes,largely focused on seafood,offered at reasonable prices,Koh Thai is a welcome additionto the city. The restaurant alsofeatures an excellent array ofcocktails, and regularly hostsmovie nights, product launches,and even fashion shows in itsversatile space. With the ambitious,creative team at the FineCuisine Group at the helm, KohThai appears poised to becomea a fixture on Saigon’s calendarof events.Kumho Asiana Plaza39 Le Duan, District 1Ph: 08 3823 4423Open daily from 11am to 11pm,kitchen closes at 9:30 Sun-Th,10:30 Fri & Sat42 asialife HCMC

Scott & Binh'sA new restaurant in Phu My Hung serves quality comfortfood with a twist. Photos by Chris Mueller.Set in the quiet confines of atree-lined street off Bui BangDoan, one of the main arteriesthat runs through Phu MyHung, it’s easy to forget you’rein Vietnam when sitting onthe patio at Scott & Binh’s. Therestaurant was converted from akaraoke bar and chef and ownerScott Marquis is trying to providecustomers with somethingsimple and good in a comfortableenvironment.This is my second time hereand after trying the excellentherb crusted Spanish mackerel(VND 185,000), I’m excited toget a chance to have somethingI consider to be more traditionalcomfort food. I’m not let downby the gigantic royale withcheese (VND 150,000). This isa true burger, with two thickbeef patties, bacon, Americancheese and homemade pickleson a sesame seed bun servedwith a side of potato wedges. Itsmassive size makes it difficult tofit in your mouth, but the effortis worth it. As something of aburger aficionado, this couldpossibly be the best I’ve had inSaigon.Although completely stuffedand nearly comatose after eatingthe entire burger and all thepotatoes, Scott gives me a classicCaesar salad (VND 110,000), andthough many may disagree withme, this one is served the properway with romaine lettuce, croutons,bacon, parmesan cheese,homemade Caesar dressing andno anchovies.Next up he serves the citruswasabi Spanish mackerel (VND185,000). As its name suggests,its served with a coconut-citruswasabi sauce that gives you theflavour of wasabi without theheat.The first time I came herewas in the early evening as thesun was going down, turningeverything that pleasant goldencolour. There are few places likethis in Saigon where you cansit outside on a breezy street,casually sip drinks and enjoysome great food. Althoughthe restaurant is small andhas only been open for threemonths, it’s packed every night.Scott doesn’t want his to be areservation only restaurant, butsuggests customers call ahead tomake sure there is enough room.They also have happy hoursevery day from 4pm to 7pm.The ‘Black Friday’ is popularwith buy one get one free DarkBeer Lao or the excellent locallybrewed Dai Viet Dark.If you want to take a breakfrom Saigon, or Vietnam for thatmatter, head to Scott & Binh’sfor some excellent food anddrinks in a chilled out environment.15-17 Cao Trieu Phat, Phu MyHung, D7Ph: 094 890 1465Tuesday to Sunday 4pm to 11pmasialife HCMC 43

A Danish architect and leader in interior design is bringing a cool Scandinavianchic to some of Vietnam’s most stylish developments. By Brett Davis.It is important that the spacesin which we work, live andplay are well designed. Theyare, after all, where we spendthe majority of our lives. Withincreasingly sophisticateddevelopments continuing tospring up the length of Vietnam,incorporating a modern,international design aesthetic isbecoming more important.One of the leading exponentsof this design field hereis Fong-Chan Zeuthen and herfirm Kaze. Raised in Denmark,Zeuthen received her master’sdegree in architecture from theAcademy-Aarhus School ofArchitecture in Copenhagen.She has been cutting her teethin interior design in Vietnam forthe best part of the last decade,working with outfits such asDWP, and Ong and Ong, beforestriking out on her own in 2010.The Kaze team now numbermore than 20 people and occupya sleek former house in a leafystreet in District 3.Working across areas as diverseas residential, office, retail,resorts, restaurants and bars,some of the projects alreadyunder the firm’s belt includeapartments and penthousesin the Water Mark and CityGarden developments, the NovaLand offices in District 7 and theMia Resort at Cam Ranh Bay.The firm was also behind thestunning facelift given to theSailing Club in Nha Trang.Not surprisingly, given sheis from Denmark, Zeuthensays her designs are stronglyinfluenced by Scandinavianand European traditions. Morespecifically, she says it is anunderstanding of proportionand space.“Understanding space,understanding how to createspaces where people can sit,work, feel comfortable … wecreate that, we are very good atit,” Zeuthen says. Although, sheadds that not all clients sharethat sense of being respectful ofspace and it can make her jobmore challenging.“The aesthetic is definitelysomething that is simple andfunctional. But it does have theAsian influence, the colours, thevibrancy.” She also explains thata sense of continuity throughouta project is very important, thatthere must be a common threadlinking the different spaces.“I want a building to speakone language, not 10,” she says.“You sometimes go into a spaceand each single wall you say,‘Oh looks pretty cool’, but it’sall different. There are no connections,there is not a holisticpicture.”Knowing the materials atyour disposal and the limitationsof what can be achievedare two factors that most influencea design project. Zeuthensays the stone and timbre thatis available in Vietnam is variedMIA Nha Trang Resort & Spa44 asialife HCMC

and fairly inexpensive so itallows room to experiment. Onthe other hand, she laments thelack of high-level skill in theconstruction trades that makeit difficult to bring aspects ofdesign to fruition.“I think we have the tools inVietnam, but we don’t have theskills,” she says. “I think everybodythat is working in myfield is suffering from the samething.” Given this, she says it isnecessary to not reach too far interms of designing details. It isalso why she will not simply doa design and hand it over, butinstead stays with the projectthrough the building phase toensure everything is executed tothe highest possible standard.At the end of the day,Zeuthen says what is ultimatelyneeded to ensure the successof a project is to ensure thedesigner and the clients are onthe same page, and that they arewilling to compromise to see aproject through.If that connection is not there,she will recommend to a clientthat they would be better offseeking out a designer who ismore closely attuned to theirwishes. However, when thatrelationship does click, it createsthe potential to produce exceptionalresults.“I always tell my clients whenwe get into it, ‘OK you have tounderstand for the next threeto five months we are gettingmarried.’”FongChan House NOA Cafe Shri Loungeasialife HCMC 45

PHOTOGRAPHER: THAI PHAMMODEL: ALICE RUGGE-PRICE & ZUZKA JANOSOVAFASHION: BOAIME BY MIMI46 asialife HCMC

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ConnoisseurIT'S OK TO LIKE NICE THINGSCHEFS' KNIVESThe chef’s knife is the ultimatekitchen tool for professional oramateur cooks. Forget about allthe other gadget and gizmos,your knife is what you will usemost often and what says themost about how you approachyour craft.There are a myriad of choicesof chefs’ knives on the market,and an ocean of advice, commentand discussion online as towhich knives are superior.Generally the best knives aremade from high-carbon stainlesssteel, although there are alsomaterials such as titanium alloysand ceramics used for someknife blades. The traditionalchef’s knife has a blade around20cm in length, although shapesdo vary. German-style kniveshave an upward curve towardsthe front of the blade to allowcutting in a rocking motion,while French-style blades havea straighter edge and are moretriangular. Another popularstyle is the Japanese santokublade which curves downwardfrom the spine to the tip.A high-quality chef’s knifewill be made from a single pieceof forged steel that extends allthe way to the end of the handle.This section inside the handle isreferred to as the ‘tang’, and iswhy you will hear some knivesdescribed as ‘full tang’. Theyprovide greater strength andbalance and are therefore easierto use.Handles come in a range ofstyles and materials, and thereis a trend these days towardsergonomically designed shapes.Considering how much time isspent holding a chef’s knife, thisis a good thing.When it comes to who makesthe best blades, the competitionis pretty much between theJapanese and the Europeans.Each has their adherents, as wellas celebrity endorsers. However,it would pay to bear in mindthat lucrative endorsementdeals may have more to do withfamous chefs associating theirname with certain brands.With an ancient tradition offorging steel into the highestquality blades it is perhaps notsurprising many of the bestkitchen knives come from Japan.Known particularly for a narroweredge and a lighter feel inthe hand, Japanese knives are afavourite of pros doing a 10 or12 hour shift in the kitchen.The Shun brand eight-inchclassic chef’s knife wears itssamurai lineage on its sleeveand is as much a work of art as acooking tool. Also very popularamongst professional chefs is theJapanese brand Global. Forgedfrom a single piece of molybdenum/vanadiumstainless steelwith dimples in the handle toprovide grip, the Global rangehas a devoted following.Anthony Bourdain in his infamousbook Kitchen Confidential ishighly complimentary about theGlobal line. AsiaLIFE’s residentfood guru and executive chef ofthe Saigon Gourmet Group, AnaEsteves, is also an adherent. Shesays of the Global knives, “Theyare light, have very thin bladesand are super sexy.” It is hard toargue with that recommendation.The best known of the Germanbrands are Wusthof andHenckels. The latter has beenin the business since 1731 whenPeter Henckels registered thefamiliar twin logo with theSolingen Cutler’s Guild.Wusthof has an equally sterlingreputation and their knivesare used by the likes of GordonRamsey and Jamie Oliver. TheWusthof Classic Ikon is one ofthe premiere chef’s knives on themarket today. Its hi-tech alloyand weighty construction makeit the epitome of the ‘heavyEuropean knife’.Whichever knife you go for,you can expect to pay up toseveral hundred dollars. On theplus side, most of the best manufacturerswill have a lifetimewarranty and free sharpeningservice. Now that you have yourmaster chef knife, all you have todo is learn to cook like one.50 asialife HCMC

..FAMILY SUMMER HOLIDAY PACKAGE(Applicable for Vietnamese nationals, Vietnamese Oversea and Expatriates in Vietnam)Inclusion:1 night stay at Evason Ana Mandara Nha TrangDaily Breakfast BuffetRoundtrip shuttle bus airport transferRefreshing welcome drink and fruit basketFree WIFI internet facilitiesVND 3,700,000++/ night for Garden View RoomVND 5,900,000++/ night for Deluxe Seaview RoomVND 7,050,000++ / night for Deluxe Beachfront RoomThese rates (++) are subject to 5% service charge and 10% tax.Terms & Conditions:Valid from 15th April until 31st October, 2012Surcharge VND 450,000++ per night for the periods: 28th April - 2nd May and 16th Jul - 2nd September, 2012 (inclusive)Applicable for 2 persons per villa.Children ( maximum 2 children, under 12 years old ) stay and eat free when sleeping and dining with 2 full payingadults - Valid for buffet and children’s menu.Remark:* * * 2-bedroom Beachfront Pool Villa is applicable for 4 adults and 2 children under 12 years old, sharing the same villa.Tel: +84 58 3 524 705 - Fax: +84 58 3 524 704Email: reservations-nhatrang@evasonresorts.comWebsite: www.sixsenses.com/Evason-Ana-Mandara-Nha-Trang

listingshotel &travelAIRLINESAir Asia254 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3838 9810www.airasia.comAsia’s largest low-cost airline operatesone daily flight between HCM City-Hanoi, as well as international flights toBangkok, Phuket, Jakarta and KualaLumpur.Air France130 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 0981ext. 82Fax: 3822 0537www.airfrance.com.vnAn airline with a vast and effective globalnetwork. Now flies direct to Paris.Cathay Pacific72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3Tel: 3822 3203www.cathaypacific.comHong Kong-based airline makes threeflights daily to HCM City and two flightsdaily to Hong Kong’s internationalairport. Fares start at about $300.Malaysia AirlinesUnit G8 Ground floor, SG TradeCenter 37 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel:3824 6663www.malaysiaairlines.comOffers daily flights from Hanoi and HCMCity to Kuala Lumpur for about $200round trip, with four economy class farelevels: low, basic, smart and flex.Turkish Airlines8th floor, AB Tower 76A Le Lai, D1Tel: 3936 0360www.turkishairlines.comAwarded as the Best Airline in Europeoffers the brand new Comfort Class to Economy class: 46inch leg room, personalisedentertainment screen and globallyawarded cuisine on-board.Vietnam AirlinesHanoi: 25 Trang Thi, Hoan KiemTel: 6270 0200HCM City: 16th Floor, Sun Wah, 115Nguyen Hue, D1Tel: 3832 0320www.vietnamairlines.com.vnThe domestic route map is extensive,with several flights daily between majorand less touristed cities throughoutVietnam. Flies internationally throughoutAsia and to Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow,Sydney, Melboure, Los Angeles and SanFrancisco.CON DAOSix Senses Con DaoDat Doc Beach, Con Dao Dist, Ba RiaTel: 064 3831 222www.sixsenses.com/SixSensesConDaoThe first 5 star resort with 50 villas stretchacross a mile-long beach, each villas hasits own infinity-edge pool facing the oceanand a stunning restaurant.DALATAna Mandara Villas Resort & SpaLe Lai, Ward 5, Dalat Tel: 063 3555 888www.anamandara-resort.comLuxury 35-acre resort encompasses 17restored early 20th-century villas and65 rooms set in the rural highlands. LaCochinchine Spa offers wide range oftreatments. Le Petite Dalat Restaurantserves Vietnamese and fusion cuisine.Heated swimming pool, art gallery andcooking classes in organic garden.activitiesDalat Easy Rider Tours70 Phan Dinh Phungdalateasyriders@yahoo.comwww.dalat-easyrider.comRide pillion with English-, French- orGerman-speaking tour guides onmotorbike adventures that start in Dalatand snake through mountains, junglesand deltas, lasting anywhere from threeto 21 days.HANOIIntercontinental Westlake Hanoi1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho Tel: 04 6270 8888www.intercontinental.comLocated on the waterfront with contemporaryVietnamese design, restaurants,business services, fitness centre includingexercise classes and pool.Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi83A Ly Thuong KietTel: 3822 2800www.moevenpick-hotels.comConveniently located in the heart ofHanoi’s business district, a 40-minutedrive from Noi Bai International Airportand only 5 minutes from the city centre,Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi is the latestfive-star hotel in town, tailored to meetthe needs of discerning guests andespecially corporate travellers.Sheraton Hotel HanoiK5 Nghi Tam, 11 Xuan Dieu, Tay HoTel: 04 3719 9000www.starwoodhotels.com“Resort within a city” boasts 299spacious guest rooms with panoramicviews, fitness centre, internationalrestaurant and Hemisphere Vietnameserestaurant.Sofitel Metropole15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan KiemTel: 04 3826 6919www.sofitel.comLocated downtown. Colonial-style hotelwith well-regarded restaurants/bars servingFrench & Vietnamese cuisine, plusItalian steak house.HO CHI MINH CITYCaravelle Hotel19 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel:3823 4999www.caravellehotel.comOne of the city’s most prestigiousvenues. Features a casino, ReflectionsRestaurant and al fresco 9th-floor SaigonSaigon Bar.Equatorial242 Tran Binh Trong D5 Tel: 3839 7777www.equatorial.com/hcmOn the intersect of 4 districts, with 333rooms, Orientica Seafood restaurantand bar, Chit Chat cafe, pool (swim-upbar), gym.InterContinental Asiana SaigonCorner of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan, D1Tel: 3520 9999saigon@interconti.comwww.intercontinental.com/saigon305 rooms/suites with floor-to-ceilingwindows, five restaurants/bars, meeting/banquet facilities, spa/health club andlounge with panoramic view.Mövenpick Hotel Saigon253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanTel: 3844 9222www.moevenpick-saigon.comHas 278 well-appointed rooms/suites,five restaurants/bars, meeting/banquetfacilities and a shopping arcade as wellas a popular e-gaming centre.escape take flight with travel promotions around the regionWeekend Getaway at ParkHyatt SaigonPark Hyatt Saigon is presenting a new offerdesigned for local residents as a weekend getaway.Stay Friday or Saturday nights in a Parkroom that also includes daily breakfast for two.The offer also includes one complimentary60-minute spa treatment; 10 percent off spaproducts; 20 percent off food and beverage;complimentary late check-out; complimentaryInternet access; and 20 percent off your nextstay at Hyatt Regency Danang. Rates startat VND 5,460,000++ per night, and the offeris valid until the end of September. For moreinformation, call us 08 3824 1234. Park HyattSaigon, 2 Lam Son Square, D1.Luxury Health Retreat atAn Lam Ninh Van BayAn Lam Ninh Van Bay Villas in Nha Trang isoffering two four-day Luxury Health Retreatsfrom 27 April to 1 May and 2 May to 6 May.Luxury Health Retreats offers clients workshopswhere they can dedicate time to reestablishinghealth as a priority in their lives. Eachretreat features nutrition and fitness educationand focuses on goal setting and energy managementto help clients achieve their goals.For bookings and reservations email resv-vn@epikurean.ws or call +84 8 3920 6949.Room Discount at Sapa View HotelUntil 25 April, Sapa View Hotel is offering a20 percent discount for a deluxe room, SapaView room, suite view room, or Superior room.With 30 rooms overlooking the Sapa valley,Sapa View is a new three-star internationalhotel that combines modern standards withclassic ambiance. Visit sapaview-hotel.com formore details.Oxygen Treatments at SixSenses Ninh Van BaySix Senses Ninh Van Bay is the first spain Vietnam to launch a full professionaland retail range of Intraceuticals OxygenTreatments. Oxygen detoxification wellnessprograms as well as treatments at theBeauty and Wellness Spa are now available.Holidays, which include a full course of Oxygeninfusion and inhalation therapies, will beavailable to guests. Benefits from the oxygentreatments include: an immediate increasein skin texture, tone, radiance and glow; areduction in the appearance of fine lines andwrinkles; and the stimulation of collagen andelastin production that acts as an antioxidant.Visit sixsenses.com for more details.Spa Package at Anantara Mui NeAnantara Resort in Mui Ne is offering a spapackage from now until the end of June. Thepackage includes: two nights’ accommodationin a Deluxe Room, Deluxe Ocean View Roomor One Bedroom Pool Villa, One bedroomBeachfront Pool Villa; a daily buffet breakfast;and a daily choice of a 60-minute spa treatment.Prices range from US $174 to US $529.Visit mui-ne.anantara.com for more details.Spring Sale at Six Senses Con DaoRoom rates start at US $552 per night, exclusiveof 10 percent applicable taxes, 5 percentservice charge and 2.5 percent carbon sensefund. The package includes daily breakfastand welcome amenities. Book and stay until30 April. A minimum of three nights is required.Visit sixsenses.com for more details.52 asialife HCMC

H IDEA WA Y P A C K A GE:. . . a breeze of serenity1.913.500 VND/Night1.913.500 VND/NightFor further Information & booking please contactTel: (84)-(064) 3 781 525 - Fax: (84)-(064) 3 781 433 - Hotline: 091 3 781 524Email:Reservation@hotramresort.com - Website: www.hotramresort.comPark Hyatt2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234www.saigon.park.hyatt.comLuxury colonial-style hotel includes 21suites, lobby lounge with live music,Xuan Spa, pool, gym, international diningat Square One.Windsor Plaza18 An Duong Vuong, D5Tel: 3833 6688services@windsorplazahotel.comwww.windsorplazahotel.comLocated in a main shopping hub. Three restaurants,modern discotheque, conferencecentre, shopping centre, supermarket.activitiesVietnam Vespa Adventures169 De Tham, D1, Pham Ngu LaoTel: 3920 3897www.vietnamvespaadventures.comHeadquaters located in Cafe Zoom.Offers 3-day trips to Mui Ne, 8-days toNha Trang or half-day tours of HCMC onclassic Vespas.HOI AN & DANANGVictoria Hoi An Beach Resort & SpaCua Dai Beach Tel: 0510 3927 040www.victoriahotels-asia.comSet on its own stretch of beach with105 rooms spread through a traditionalfishing village design of small “streets”and ponds.HUEPilgrimage VillageResort & Spa130 Minh MangTel: 054 3885 461www.pilgrimagevillage.comBoutique resort with hut, bungalowand villa accommodation draws onnatural environment and local culture.Features Vedana spa, two restaurantsserving Vietnamese & Western foodand imported wines and three bar/lounges.Vedana Lagoon Resort& Spa112 Minh Mang Tel: 0543830 240www.vedanaresorts.comNestled on the shore of a peaceful andserene lagoon, vedana lagoon resort& spa is ideally situated between thetwo cities well-known as world heritagesites: hue and hoi an. The resortdesigned with a stylist harmony betweenthe local traditional culture anda modern art concept with 27 villas,bungalows and 2 houseboats.NHA TRANGEvason Hideaway at Ana MandaraNinh Van Bay, Ninh Hoa, Khanh HoaTel: 058 3728 222www.sixsenses.com/hideawayanamandaraAn island hideaway accessible only byboat, 58 private pool villas, internationaland local restaurants, weddingservices, water sports and scubadiving.Evason Ana Mandara Nha TrangBeachside, Tran Phu, Nha TrangTel: 058 3522 222www.sixsenses.com/evasonanamandaraBeachside resort set in 26,000 squaremetres of tropical garden, with 74guest villas, three restaurants, SixSenses Spa.Mia Resort Nha TrangBai Dong, Cam Hai Dong,Cam Lam, Khanh HoaTel: 58 398 9666www.mianhatrang.comUltimate luxury resort with 50 roomsdivided into villas and condos, cateringby wel-known restaurant Sandals andMojito's bar.PHAN THIETAnatara Beach ResortMui Ne Beach, KM10, Ham Tien WardTel: 062 3741 888www.anatara.comBeachfront resort with 90 fully equippedrooms, business centre, spa, fitnesscentre and outdoor pool.Princess D’Annam Resortand SpaKhu Hon Lan, Tan Thanh,Ham Thuan Nam, BinhThuanTel: 062 3682 222www.princessannam.comLocated on Ke Ga Bay with 57 exclusivevillas, eight swimming pools, tworestaurants and 1,800 square metresspa complex.The Sailing Club24 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne,Phan Thiet Tel: 062 3847 440www.sailingclubvietnam.comOpen bar overlooking the sea, spaciousrooms, restaurant, swimming pool andday spa.Victoria Phan Thiet Resort and SpaMui Ne Beach Tel: 84 62 3813 000www.victoriahotels-asia.comLocated on a private beach, 60 cosybungalows, natural spa experiencesamong other great activities on offer atthe resortSAPAVictoria Sapa ResortSapa District, Lao Cai ProvinceTel: 020 0871 522www.victoriahotels-asia.comMountain chalet perched over the villagewth cosy but modern guestroomsoverlooking the lawn and garden. TaVan restaurant overlooks Mount Fansipanand Ta Fin bar has a stone hearthfireplace. Connection from Hanoi byprivate train.SCUBA DIVINGNote: AsiaLIFE only lists dive centresrecognized by international dive trainingprograms, such as the ProfessionalAssociation of Dive Instructors (PADI)and Scuba Schools International (SSI).We strongly advise against diving withunaccredited dive centres in Vietnam.Rainbow Divers55 Nguyen Dang Giai, An Phu, D2Tel: 3744 6825www.divevietnam.comDiving tours and career/instructordevelopment offered by Vietnam’s firstPADI centre. established in the mid-90s.Operates dive centres in Nha Trang,Whale Island, Hoi An and Phu Quoc.VUNG TAUHo Tram BeachResort & SpaHo Tram Village, XuyenMoc Tel: 06 4378 1525www.hotramresort.comLocated about 45km from Vung Tau inthe Phuoc Buu Reserve Forest, Ho TramBeach Resort & Spa boasts uniquelydesigned bungalows and villas.TRAVEL AGENTSBuffalo Tours AgencyHCMC: 81 Mac Thi Buoi, D1Tel: 3827 9170Hanoi: 94 Ma May, Hoan Kiem DistrictTel: 04 3828 0702www.buffalotours.com.vnExotissimoHCMCinfosgn@exotissimo.compmh@exotissimo.comHANOI: infohanoi@exotissimo.comwww.exotissimo.com54 asialife HCMC

listingsfood &drinkBAR RESTAURANTSBuddha Bar7 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 2080An Phu institution serves up tasty mealsand good drinks in a friendly, chilled environment.Plenty of room to relax inside orout, plus a pool table on premise. Cafe Latin17 Dong Du, D1In its third location, this expat favouritecontinues to deliver good food, anextensive drink list and a comfortableatmosphere. Two levels to watch sporton or simply unwind. Said to serve thebest chicken parmigiana in Vietnam.Corso Steakhouse & BarNorfolk Hotel, 117 Le Thanh Ton, D1Located in the chic Norfolk Hotel CorsoSteakhouse & Bar is well known for itssteak imported from the US and Australia.Good destination for both lunchand dinner.Le Pub175/ 22 Pham Ngu Lao, D1www.lepub.orgOne of Pham Ngu Lao’s favouritewatering holes, Le Pub also has a goodmenu of well-executed pub grub andinternational favourites. Hearty breakfastis available all day and specials are offereddaily.Mogambos50 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3825 1311This restaurant has been around sincethe mid-1990s, which offers an insightinto its enduring quality. Specializes inAmerican grain-fed steaks, hamburgersand salads served in a pleasantatmosphere. Phatty’s46-48 Ton That Thiep, D1Tel: 3821 0705www.phattysbar.comJaspa’s Steve Hardy and Ben Winspear’ssports bar has five widescreen TVs, alarge drop-down screen and lots of pubgrub and beer for fans looking to take ina game or two.Qing110 Pasteur, D1www.qing.com.vnSophisticated downtown bar just off LeLoi specializes in Asian tapas, Asian/South American fusion dishes and a fewdelectable deserts. Variety of good winesby the glass or bottle.Sheridan's Irish House17/13 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 0793www.sheridansbarvn.comCosy Irish pub with authentic Irish decor,a pleasant atmosphere and regular livemusic. Wide range of classic pub grub,East Asian dishes and a fantastic breakfastfry-up available from 8 am.The TavernR2/24 Hung Gia 3, Bui Bang Doan, D7Tel: 5410 3900Boasts good international food, a pooltable, dartboards and sports coverageon large screens. Outdoor seating onmutiple levels. Second floor sportslounge hosts DJs at the weekends. ZanZBar41 Dong Du, D1Funky, modern interiors and variedinternational breakfast, lunch and dinnercuisine. Imported beers, cocktails,gourmet espresso coffee, and happyhours make ZanZBar a great after-workspot. Open late.CAFESCay Da CafeGround floor, Moevenpick Hotel Saigon253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanTel: 3844 9222 ext. 118www.moevenpick-saigon.comStocks the Moevenpick’s chef’s mostdelicious cakes, pastries, ice cream andsandwiches.Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf12-14 Thai Van Lung, D194 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3Nowzone, 235 Nguyen Van Cu, D5Metropolitan Bldng, 235 Dong Khoi, D1International café chain with a widevariety of coffees and teas, as well aslight snacks and food. Also sells freshroastedcoffee beans and tins of wholeleaf tea. Mojo88 Dong Khoi, D1www.sheratonsaigon.comA top-end cafe with an attractive interior,outdoor terrace at street level and comfortablelounges upstairs. Good businesscoffee or lunch venue.That’s CaféRivergarden, 170 Nguyen Van Huong, D2The Crescent, 103 Ton Dat Tien, PhuMy Hung, D7Hailing from the U.S., That’s Café isa new Khai Silk initiative. Claiming toprovide the best coffee in town in acomfortable and friendly atmosphere, it’sa great place to hold a business meetingor catch up with friends.X Cafe58 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3914 2142Bright, spacious foreign-run cafedecorated in the style of an Alpine chalet.Popular with local makers and shakers,has a great open-plan upstairs area andtwo outdoor terraces. Regular live musicand homemade ice cream.CHINESELotus Court1st floor, Moevenpick Hotel Saigon253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanTel: 3844 9222 ext. 168www.moevenpick-saigon.comDim Sum and exciting Cantonese cuisinein a unique and elegant setting.Ming Dynasty23 Nguyen Khac Vien, Phu My HungTel: 5411 5555Decorated in Ming Dynasty-style; offers100 dim sum varieties and 300 dishesprepared by a chef from Hong Kong. Therestaurant’s Imperial Buffet costs USD $39per person and includes free flow of wine.Ngan Dinh ChineseRestaurantWindsor Plaza Hotel, 18 AnDuong Vuong, D5 Tel: 3833 6688Beautiful wood paneling, colourful hanginglanterns and a sparkling mineral gallerymake for a relaxing dining experience atthe Windsor. Feast on roasted Pi Pa duck,giant grouper and steamed king prawns.Be sure to check out monthly specials.Shang Palace RestaurantNorfolk Mansion, 17-19-21Ly Tu Trong, D1Tel: 3823 2221www.shangpalace.com.vnAn upscale Chinese restaurant with afeast broaden your palate with promotions around townChocolate Easter Brunchat Hotel equatorialOn 8 April the Hotel Equatorial in HCMCity will present a buffet of traditionalEaster dishes from around the world atChit Chat @ the Café. The Easter SundayBrunch buffet is available from 11.30amto 2.30pm for the price of VND 690,000++/ person and VND 345,000++/ child 6to 12 years. There will also be an Easteregg hunt led by the Easter Bunny. Forreservations contact Hotel Equatorial at(08) 3839 7777, ext: 8000 or dine@hcm.equatorial.com.High Tea at CaravelleThe Caravelle is now offering twoafternoon high tea menus in the LobbyLounge. The Traditional English High Teapresents 11 classic sweet and savourybites, such as British chicken pie andberry scones with jam and whippedcream, on a three-tiered tea tray; whilethe Vietnamese High Tea treats come inwicker bowls and feature favourites suchas mini Banh Mi, Po Pia rice paper rollsand steamed tapioca layer cake. There isalso freshly brewed Ronnefeldt teas andLavazza coffee with either menu, pricedat VND 280,000 per person, or VND380,000 per person with an additionalflute of Taittinger Champagne. LobbyLounge, Ground Floor, Caravelle Hotel19 Lam Son Square, D1, HCMC. Tel:38234999. www.caravellehotel.com.Sweet Pavlovas availableat the CaravelleFrom 18 to 24 April try the Caravelle’sversion of the famous Pavlova cake.A light meringue cake with a crisp outercrust, each Pavlova comes freshly bakedwith a choice of toppings such as creampatisserie, caramelized bananas,toffee sauce, almonds, sliced kiwi, pistachiopowder, white chocolate shavingsand roasted hazelnuts. The cakes can bebought in the Caravelle’s Lobby Loungeon the ground floor for VND 118,000++per Pavlova.InterContinental Easter specialCelebrate Easter with special offers at theInterContinental Asiana Saigon. On GoodFriday (6 April) there will be a seafooddinner buffet for VND 828,000/person.The Easter Brunch on 7 April will costVND 996,000 VND/person, inclusive ofchampagne, bloody marys, mojitos andTiger draught beer; VND 796,000/person,inclusive of a free flow of selected wine,Tiger draught beer and soft drink, or VND696,000 with no beverages. There willalso be an Easter diner on 7 and 8 Aprilfor VND 820,000 and includes free flowof wine, Tiger draught and soft drinks orVND 348,000 for children from 5 to 11years old on 8 April only.Easter Sunday at WindsorOn 8 April, celebrate Easter Sunday withspecial egg hunting activities for childrenand a buffet dinner that can be sharedwith friends and family. There will also bea buy two get one free Krombacher Dark,Krombacher Draft, or Schneider Weissebeer available daily during Iced BeerCool-Down. Bring your Windsor VIPCardand get a 10 percent discount. CaféCentral An Dong, 4th Fl., Windsor PlazaHotel, 18 An Duong Vuong, D5.56 asialife HCMC

Mi Quangstreet gourmetQuang noodle soups area specialty of Quang Namprovince and Danang. Theygenerally have just enoughpork and dried shrimp basedbroth to cover the noodles.What makes Quang noodlesoups unique is the richnessand complex flavours ofthe broth. A bowl of miQuang is served with rice orspacious and welcoming atmosphere. Themenu boasts a wide range of Hong KongCantonese cuisine, including both dimsum, a la carte and set menus, regularlychanged by the creative chefs.Yu ChuInterContinental Asiana Saigon,corner of Hai Ba Trungand Le Duan, D1Tel: 3520 9099dine@icasianasaigon.comSpecializing in authentic Cantoneseand Peking cuisine. Award-winning chefegg noodles at the bottomand meat and seafood ontop. Then vegetables andcoarsely ground peanutsare added and it is servedwith pieces of crispy ricepaper. Mi Quang can befound throughout Vietnamand should cost betweenVND 15,000 to VND 60,000.Khoa Nguyenprepares dishes including handmadenoodles, dim sum and wok-fried items.Wide selection of live seafood. Fiveinteractive kitchens.FRENCHAu Manoir de Khai251 Dien Bien Phu, Q3 Tel: 3930 3394This top-end contemporary Frenchrestaurant is set in a picturesquecolonial villa with a lush courtyard anda lavish interior. Full of private roomsand opulent lounge areas, this uniqueeatery is the brainchild of Vietnamesefashion guru Hoang Khai of Khai Silkfame. Offers up dishes such as lobsterconsomme, pan-fried duck liver, salmonmedallions with Moet and escalope defoie gras.Le Bouchon de Saigon40 Thai Van Lung, D1This French diner-style restaurant hasan emphasis on hearty home cooking,courteous service and a relaxedatmosphere Chefs David Thai an AlexisMelgrani are well known industry figuresand this venue can hold its own amongthe city`s many French restaurantsLa Creperie17/7 Le Thanh TonTel: 0838247070A little taste of Brittany in Saigon at thisauthentic French creperie. A range ofsweet or salty crepes are available, andthey can also be made to your specifications.Also available it the deliciousBreton cider. Open 11am to 11pm,seven days.INDIANSaigon Indian73 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3824 5671Popular venue with an enormous menu.Serves both southern and northernIndian dishes like tandoori, biryani, dosaand idly snacks, plus a wide range ofvegetarian dishes. Offers a set lunchmenu. Cater service is available. Tandoor74/6 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3930 4839www.tandoorvietnam.comPart of a chain of restaurants coveringHanoi and Saigon, Tandoor featuresa large selection of standard northernIndian dishes, including a good vegetarianselection. Excellent cheap set lunchesand reasonable prices all around.Will organize catering for events. INTERNATIONALAmigo Grill55 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3824 1248Outstanding steaks made with Australian,U.S. and Argentine beef, servedin a cosy, family-friendly environmentwith large tables and banquette seating.Dishes like leg of lamb and seafoodare also on the menu. Open 11 am to11 pm.Blanchy's Tash93 - 95 Hai Ba Trung, D1www.blanchystash.comA high-end bar and restaurant withoutdoor terrace. With ex-Nobu LondonChef at the helm, Blanchy’s offers tapaslikesnacks that fuse Japanese andSouth American influences. Expect greatthings here from international DJs andrenowned mixologistsBlack Cat13 Phan Van Dat, D1 Tel: 3829 2055Tiny but popular District 1 restaurantserving up an excellent selection ofWestern and Vietnamese fare and anextensive range of sandwiches and burgers.The District 2 location also featuresa slate of sushi and Mexican food, andthe District 7 outpost has a full barbecuemenu. BoatHouse40 Lily Road, APSC Compound,36 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6790Riverside restaurant with umbrella-shadedtables spread across outdoor deckand small indoor dining room. Servesremarkably fresh and inspired dishesmade with choice local and importedingredients—favourites include the sirloinburger and pan-fried fish and chips.BoomarangCresent Residence 2-3-4, No. 107 TonDat Tien, PMH, D7 Tel: 3744 6790Riverside restaurant with umbrella-shadedtables spread across outdoor deckand small indoor dining room. Servesremarkably fresh and inspired dishesmade with choice local and importedingredients—favourites include the sirloinburger and pan-fried fish and chips.Cafe SaigonGround floor, Moevenpick Hotel Saigon253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanTel: 3844 9222 ext. 234www.moevenpick-saigon.comAn international buffet with unique foodconcepts that is perfect for gatheringfamily and friends.Cham Charm3 Phan Van Chuong, Phu My HungTel: 5410 9999The highlight of this upscale, beautifullydecorated Asian restaurant is a specialseafood buffet that includes Portugueseoysters, Alaskan crab, lobsters, sushi,sashimi, Japanese-style seafood, Langoustineprawns, American Angus beefand much more. Errazuriz wines are alsoasialife HCMC 57

imbibestreet gourmetDivine WineBy Darryl BetheaAmong the most prestigiouswine regions of the world, Riojain Spain belongs in the samecompany as Tuscany, NapaValley and Bordeaux. Thisregion is best known for it’sBurgundy-like refined red winesusing Old World winemakingtechniques and producingNew-World-style fresh, fruityreds reminiscent of California.How is that possible?First let’s look at the region.Rioja rests on a plateau of morethan 450 metres, divided intothree sub regions: the Alta,Alavesa and Baja. The firsttwo are regarded as the bestbecause Baja’s warmer climateproduces grapes higher inalcohol, lower acidity and witha harsher character. The bestRioja rarely contain grapes fromthe Baja region.Rioja wine maturing owes alot to the French and Americans.Maturing the wine inwood barrels was adoptedfrom the French with a fewnoteworthy changes. Some ofthe best French wines are agedtwo to three years, but typicallyred Rioja is aged anywherefrom four to 10 years or more.Renowned Rioja wine estate,Marques de Murrieta, releasedtheir 1942 Gran Reserva in1983, 41 years later!The red grape of Rioja iscalled the Tempranillo. In termsof flavours, think of a fineFrench Pinot noir and a foodfriendly Italian Sangiovese.Elegant, earthy red wines. Sowhy try a Rioja?The secret is in the ageing.Traditional Rioja will employAmerican oak; using used oakbarrels because of their softerimpact on the flavour. The newoak has a more dramatic inyour face effect. The followingterms will give you a reliableway to buy the right bottle foryour mood of drinking:Crianza (child): fresh, young,full of spice, cherry, vanilla,starting to take on characteristicsof the barrel ageing, yetvery easy to drink.Reserva (Grown-up) usuallymore lush, mature, morecomplex, but very high levels ofsatisfaction. Reservas are madein only exceptional harvestyears.Gran Reservas (Grand Dad):Exceptional, extremely rare.Elegant, silky, refined, only fromthe best vineyards, longestbarrel ageing requirements.Long finish.When choosing which totry, I would start with the mostestablished wineries with thehighest 90+ ratings. The oldestwinery in this region is Marguesde Murrieta, founded in 1852,and is one of the best producers.Let’s not forget Marquesde Caceres which uses Frenchoak, substituting it for the moretraditional American oak.Spainards have a saying,“Tasting this wine is like talkingto God.” When was the lasttime you had that kind of experiencewith a bottle of wine?Cheers.Darryl Bethea is Group SalesManager for Fine Wines of theWorld (09 3378 5005) and isa Certified Sommelier from theCourt of the Master Sommeliers.Contact Darryl at 093378 5005 or email Darryl@finewinesasia.com.CheOften translated as ‘pudding’,che is more like acombination of a sweetstew and a drink. Tapioca,corn, beans and sticky riceare simmered with coconutmilk in huge pots, andflavoured with palm sugarincluded in the buffet. Part of the KhaiSilk chain.The Deck38 Nguyen U Di, D2 Tel: 3744 6632Serves upmarket takes on regionalspecialties made with fresh local andimported products. Well-designed,minimalist dining space and bar on theriver are a serious draw.The Elbow Room52 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3821 4327elbowroom52@yahoo.comAmerican-style bistro offering a widerange of appetisers, soups, salads,sandwiches, mains and desserts, plusan extensive wine menu. Open daily7.30 am to 11 pm. Breakfast servedall day.Gartenstadt34 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3822 3623Opened in 1992, it’s the first venue intown to offer German food with specialitiessuch as pork knuckle and authenticGerman sausages prepared fresh eachday. Also offers imported Germandraught beer.Market 39InterContinental Asiana SaigonGround Floor, Corner Hai Ba Trung andLe Duan, D1 Tel: 3520 9099dine@icasianasaigon.comSeven interactive live kitchens offeringFrench, Vietnamese and Southeast Asiancuisines, including a bakery, Frenchpatisseries, pancakes, tossed salads,grilled steak, seafood, wok-fried items,noodles and pasta dishes.Mekong Merchant23 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 4713Set in a courtyard, this rustic Australianstylebrasserie has brought moderninternational cuisine to suburban An Phu.Popular for weekend brunches. Weeklyand pandanus leaves. Cheis either served cold withcrushed ice in a tall glass orwarm in a bowl. Either way,che is pure comfort food!Expect to pay betweenVND 3,000 to VND 10,000.Khoa Nguyenspecials and seafood flown in from PhuQuoc. OrienticaHotel Equatorial, 242 Tran Binh Trong,D5 Tel: 3839 7777www.equatorial.com/hcmTop-end seafood and grill restaurantboasting modern decor. Good serviceand excellent food presentation makethis a pleasant alternative to the downtownscene.Pacharan Tapas and Bodega97 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3825 6024This tapas restaurant and bar servesup superb Spanish fare crafted fromauthentic imported ingredients. The exclusivelySpanish wine list is extensiveand Sangria is half price during happyhour from 5 pm to 7 pm and all dayWednesday.The Refinery74/7C Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 38230509Authentic bistro with cane furnitureoutside, informal indoor restaurantsection and a bar area. Cuisine is light,modern European. The menu spans aprice range to suit most budgets.ReflectionsCaravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square,D1 Tel: 3823 4999Contemporary fine dining that combinesAsian flavors with classic Mediterraneancuisine in an ambiance of understatedelegance and European style. Specialculinary events include guest chefs fromMichelin-star establishments around theworld. Private rooms are available.Riverside CafeRenaissance Riverside, 8-15 Ton DucThang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033International venue opening onto thebustling river sidewalk, open for break-58 asialife HCMC

fast, lunch and dinner, and particularlynoted for its sumptuous buffet selectionwhich combines Asian, Western andVietnamese cuisine.Skewers9A Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3822 4798www.skewers-restaurant.comRustic Mediterranean restaurant wheresubtle colours and exposed brickworkcombine with jazzy tunes. Serves tabouleh,falafel, couscous and kebab. Highly ratedfor its grilled meats, bread and dip combos,soups and pastas. ITALIANBasilicoInterContinental AsianaSaigon, Ground Floor,Corner Nguyen Du and Hai Ba Trung, D1Tel: 3520 9099dine@icasianasaigon.comContemporary and casual trattoria-stylerestaurant specializing in authentic Italiandishes and homemade desserts. Woodfiredpizza oven and a wide selection ofItalian wines.Casa Italia86 Le Loi, D1Tel: 3824 4286www.casaitalia.com.vnServes home-style Italian cooking includingpasta and pizza as well as a selection ofsteak and seafoodd dishes. Open daily 10am until late.Good Morning Vietnam197 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3837 1894Popular authentic Italian restaurant withadditional outlets around the country.Specializes in thin-crust pizza, pasta and arange of Italian dishes. Good selection ofItalian wines. La Braceria11 Le Thanh Ton, D1Tel: 3824 7446www.labraceria.com.vnA Mediterranean-style grill house thatserves imported prime steaks, lamb, duckand fresh seafood as well as pasta andpizza. Great selection of old and newworld winesLa Hostaria17B Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 1080Rustic eatery specializing in top-endtraditional cuisine from various regions inItaly. Main courses from 130,000 VND withdaily specials on offer. Serves excellentpizza. OperaGround floor Park Hyatt Hotel, 2 Lam SonSquare, D1Tel: 3824 1234Slick, contemporary eatery with exposedbrick and glass. The space revolvesaround an island kitchen from which chefsproduce gourmet Italian fare. Internationallytrained chefs work with the freshestand finest ingredients around to producesome superb dishes.JAPANESEChiisana HashiRiver Garden, 170 Nguyen Van Huong,Thao Dien, D2Tel: 6683 5308 0903 669 252Serves authentic Japanese cuisuineincluding sashimi, sushi, tempura, sukiyakiand shabu shabu.Kissho14 Nguyen Hue, D1Tel: 3823 2223Fax: 3823 3343kissho.wmcvietnam.comSaigon’s newest Japanese restaurantboasts a multi-concept cuisine set in acutting edge interior. Specialties includeteppanyaki, yakiniku, sushi and sashimicrafted by expert chefs. The freshestimported meats and seafood round outthe menu, accompanied by an extensiveselection of fine wines and Japanesespirits. Open 11.30 am to 2 pm and 5.30pm to 10 pm.IkiGround floor, Moevenpick Hotel Saigon253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanTel: 3844 9222 ext. 127www.moevenpick-saigon.comA Japanese restaurant that turns the notionof the common hotel sushi eatery onits head thanks to an affordable menu anda fun atmosphere.MOF – Japanese Sweets & CoffeeLevel B3-17A, Vincom Centre, 70-72 LeThanh Ton, D130 Le Loi, D1Refined Japanese café specializing inunique desserts and food. Focusing onuse of organic products, this casual eateryhas a comprehensive Japanese diningmenu along with a wonderful selection ofsweets and offers possibly the most divineand delectable gelato in HCM City.NishimuraMövenpick Hotel Saigon, 253 NguyenVan Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 9222Exquisitely prepared sushi and sashimifrom a globetrotting chef with threedecades’ experience. A wide range ofcooked dishes and monthly meal promotionsare also available.The Sushi Bar2 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 80423A Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3911 8618This brightly lit Japanese-style restaurantserves over 40 varieties of sushi atreasonable prices. Sit at the sushi bar orin private rooms upstairs. Open until 11.30pm, delivery available on request. Zen20 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3825 0782Located amid the sea of Japaneserestaurants on Le Thanh Ton Street,Zen offers a wide range of Japanesedishes. The yakitori station grills upfantastic steak and quail’s eggs, andthe chilled udon noodles are also astandout.KOREANKim Bab Chun GookR4 42 Hung Phuoc 2, Phu My HungTel: 6296 9057Korean boonshik/snack food eateryserving up a wide variety of light butsubstantial foods including dumplings,rameyon and fish cakes.Kumdo6A Pham Ngoc Thach, D3Tel: 3824 3253Korean beef barbecue served in small,welcoming dining rooms with barbecuesbuilt into tables. Large selection ofraw meat specialties.SOUTHEAST ASIANBaan Thai55 Thao Dien, D2Tel: 3744 5453If you have been missing the delights ofBangkok nightlife then this restaurantand bar should be for you. The Thaichefs whip up all the traditional dishesyou know and love, while in the barthere are a host of drinks and activitiesto help while away an evening.Lac Thai71/2 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3823 7506An elegant restaurant tucked in analleyway and decorated with art-decofurniture. Authentic Thai cuisine preparedby two Thai chefs. Food is tasty but lessspicy than you’d find in Thailand. LOUISIANEBREWHOUSEBeachside Nha TrangAsian & Western CuisineSwimming Pool & Private Beachwww.louisianebrewhouse.com.vnasialife HCMC 59

Thai Express8A Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 6299 1338www.thaiexpress.vnModern restaurant with a massive menuof Thai specialties served in moderateproportions. The menu inludes chef’srecommendations and background onThai cuisine. Warning: some dishes willtest your tongue’s threshold.VEGETARIANHoa Dang38 Huynh Khuong Ninh, D1Swish vegetarian restaurant on a quietstreet that serves up nutritious dishes,including meatless versions of bun bo,pho and steamboat. Cosy bar servingnon-alcoholic drinks, fruits and othersweets.Viet Chay339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3Tel: 3526 5862Upscale vegetarian restaurant specializesin fake meat dishes. The attractivedining room is suffused with naturallight. Located within the walls of VinhNghiem Pagoda.VIETNAMESEBanian TreeRiver Garden, 170 Nguyen Van Huong,Thao Dien, D2Tel: 6683 5308 – 0903 669 252A fine dining Vietnamese restaurant thatserves authentic cuisine.Offers a set lunch from US $8 per person,set dinner from $15 perperson. International breakfast is servedfrom 6.30 am - 10.30 am.Cha Ca Viet NamRiver Garden, 170 Nguyen Van Huong,Thao Dien, D2Tel: 6683 5308 0903 669 252Serves Hanoi specialty Cha Ca—turmericgrilled fish with noodles and dill.Hoa Tuc74 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3825 1676This comfortable high-end restaurantserves traditional Vietnamese fare witha contemporary, classy twist. Expect tofind your local favourites as you’ve neverexperienced them before. Beautifullyplated, this is Vietnamese cuisine at itsbest.Lang Nuong Nam Bo285/C145 Cach Mang Thang Tam, D10Tel: 3862 2569Warehouse-sized quan well-regardedamong locals serves everything frombeef, chicken and fish to porcupine, weaseland field mouse. Great destination forintrepid gastronomes. Has standard hotpot, rice and noodle dishes too.Nam Phan34 Vo Van Tan, Q3 Tel: 3933 3636Well known at its previous cornerlocation on Le Thanh Ton, Nam Phancontinues to serve modern Asian cuisineincluding asparagus and crab meatsoup, stewed bellyfish in pineapple andgrilled duck breast in orange sauce. Setin a restored colonial villa, the interior isalive with reproductions of Cham-erabas-reliefs and is inspired by Euro-Zen.Quan Bui8 Nguyen Van Nguyen,D1 Tel: 3602 2241Well executed and delicious Vietnamesefood at almost criminally affordableprices. Tucked away at the top end ofDistrict one, this place is worth seekingout for five-star food in a casual settingthat will certainly not strain the budget.Temple Club29 – 31 Ton That Thiep, D1Tel: 3829 9244This high-end restaurant attached to anelegant lounge bar is a must-try for itsart deco atmosphere as much as for itsfood. Mains go from around VND80,000to VND150,000.Wrap & Roll62 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3823 4030SA1–1, My Khanh 1,Nguyen Van Linh, D7Attractive downtown venue that bringsstreet-style food into air-conditionedand uncluttered comfort. Choose prewrappedappetisers such as the cha gio(spring rolls) or roll-it-yourself mains withingredients like pickled shrimps, beef onsugar cane, fish, grilled eel and pork. nightlifeBARS & LOUNGESSee bar restaurant listings for morepopular watering holes.Bar's bar47 Phan Chu Trinh, D1Tel: 3822 3352Small luxurious upstairs bar adjacent toBen Thanh Market, offers a welcomeretreat from the bustle of the city centre.Customers are served with relaxingmusic and a wide selection of cocktails,whiskies and Japanese Sake. Opennightly 6-late. Cloud 92bis Cong Truong Quoc Te, D3, HCMC(Corner of Turtle Lake Roundabout &Tran Cao Van), Tel: 0948 445544Recently opened with beautiful déco, thisrooftop lounge bar has its stunning viewsat night. Live DJ, great cocktails and desserts.Open 6pm till late. Level 2323rd Floor, Sheraton Hotel88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828One of the best views of the city fromthis upmarket terrace bar and lounge.Excellent cocktails don’t come cheap butthe atmosphere is great with live musicthroughout the week and a live DJ everyMonday.The LibraryInterContinental Asiana Saigon, cornerof Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1Tel: 3520 9099dine@icasianasaigon.comUnwind with a glass of wine or a cup oftea. The Library provides a welcomingatmosphere for those in search of calm,comfort and personalized service.Purple JadeInterContinental Asiana Saigon, cornerof Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1Tel: 3520 9099Chic lounge blends the stylistic influencesof contemporary design and opium dens.Hosts live music and serves specialdrinks, including Shaoxing and Maotairice wines and an exclusive selection ofluxury spirits.BREWHOUSESAlderbrau98 Nguyen Du, D1Small brewhouse decorated with antiquebrewing miscellanea, with an enclosedgarden for outdoor swilling the smallrange of house brews and bottledimports. The kitchen dishes up sausages,German fare, and Vietnamese dishes.Lion Brewery11C Lam Son Square, D1Tel: 3823 8514Microbrewery featuring traditional Germanbrew technology and German farelike pork knuckle and wurst. Good spotto meet friends and enjoy a hearty mealand a whole lot of beer.NIGHTCLUBSFuse Bar3A Ton Duc Thang, D1A popular bar that plays primarily hiphopmusic. Every Tuesday Fuse hosts aladies night where women drink for free.Lush2 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3824 2496A large and lavishly decorated bar andclub popular on weekends. Good DJsplaying the latest in beat-based musicand the city’s beautiful people add tothe sights and sounds. It’s on-par withWestern clubs in both ambience anddrinks prices.at homeBAKERIESHarvest Baking30 Lam Son, Tan Binh Tel: 3547 0577harvestbaking@yahoo.comThis authentic bakery offers a rangeof specialty baked goods for delivery.Offering bagels, scones, breads,desserts,cakes, tarts and more. Chocolatefudge cake and cinnamon rolls withcream cheese icing highly recommended.Pat A Chou65 Hai Ba Trung, D125 Thao Dien, D2The home of the long and crustybaguette. Supplies many restaurantsbut also sells wholesale. The miniaturepatisseries such as crème brulée andcheesecake are worth a taste. Opens at6.30 am.Tous Les Jours180 Hai Ba Trung, D3Part of the Korean bakery chain, Tous LeJours stocks a superb range of freshlybaked good from sugary treats like painau chocolat to superior quality baguettesand loafs.Voelker17 A7 Le Thanh Ton, D1Tel: 7303 879939 Thao Dien, An Phu, D2Tel: 6296 0066Small bakery turns out sweet and saltedpies and mousses in addition to baguettesand a range of Western sweets.CATERINGAu Parc Catering Services23 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3829 2772Catering services available every day of theyear for birthday cakes, dinner parties, winetastings and corporate events.For a custom-made quotation e-mailauparc@hcm.vnn.vn or call Quynh on 0908196261.Saigon Catering84 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 6281 8388Provide services of catering, banquets,event planning, BBQ’s, daily deliveries andcocktail parties. For a custom-made quotatione-mail SaigonGG@gmail.com or callHuong on 0913 981128.COOKERY CLASSESCaravelle Hotel Cooking ClassesCaravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square, D1Tel: 3823 4999Full-day Vietnamese cooking classes forgroups of up to 20 people. The classesinclude a visit to the market with the souschef.Saigon Cooking Class by Hoa TucThe Courtyard, 74/7 Hai Ba Trung, D1Tel: 3825 8485i.briosca@saigoncookingclass.comcontact@saigoncookingclass.comCooking classes available from Tuesday60 asialife HCMC

to Sunday 10 am-1 pm/2 pm-5 pm.Students make an entire meal that includestraditional dishes like pho and cha gio, aswell as more creative fare. Conducted byVietnamese chef in English, Japanese orFrench on request.DELIVERYDa Vinci’s Pizza001B Hoang Dieu, H1, D4Tel: 3943 4982Wide variety of brick oven pizza, calzones,spaghetti, subs and sandwiches. Pizzascome in medium and large sizes and payhomage to Italy with names like Verrochio,Pompeii and Assisi. KITCHENTel: 0974 444 001kitchen.net.vnVisit the website and start an account tobegin ordering fresh, homemade meals toyour home. Must order a minimum of threedishes at a time.Pizza Hut Delivery (PHD)Tel: 3838 8388www.pizzahut.vnServing up pizza, pasta, chicken wings andmuch more. PHD guarantees 30-minutedelivery or a free pizza at your next order(you must live within 2 km from a PHDstore).GROCERIESAnnam Gourmet Market16-18 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3822 933241A Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 2630SB2-1 My Khanh 4, Nguyen Duc Canh,D7 Tel: 5412 3263 / 64www.annam-gourmet.comBoutique grocer with wide selection offoreign foods; Annam-brand coffee, teaand spices; and household products.Wine and premium beer, full deli counter,produce, dairy-frozen and baked goods onsecond floor.Kim Hai Butchery73 Le Thi Hong Gam, D1Tel: 3821 6057 or 3914 4376Excellent chilled imported beef, lamb,veal and other meats sold at reasonableprices.Phuong Ha58 Ham Nghi, D1 Tel: 3914 1318A mini-supermarket that sells anextensive assortment of imported packagedfood, cheese, meat, fresh fruit,vegetables and fine wines.Veggy’s29A Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 8526Sky GardenPham Van Nghi, Bac Khu Pho, D7Riverside Apartments53 Vo Truong Toan, Thao Dien, D2Popular expat market with a hugewalk-in fridge area stocked with freshfruit and vegetables, dairy products anda range of meats. Imported canned anddried foods, wines, beers, soft drinks,spirits and snacks also available.LIQUOR & WINEThe Warehouse178 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3825 8826924 Tran Hung Dao, D5 Tel: 62611525www.warehouse-asia.comOne of the city’s premier wine distributors,The Warehouse is an aptly named,stylish wine store that stocks a full rangeof both New and Old World wines,sparkling wines, Champagne, spirits,imported beers and accessories.VINE Cellar Door41 Hai Ba Trung, D1Tel: 3822 2284A popular wine stockist with a verywide selection of labels from around theworld for those who are serious abouttheir vino. A range of fine cigars alsoavailable.asialife HCMC 61

ecipescounsel cornerStuffed Chicken Breast withPrawns, Spring Onions,Mushrooms and Musroom SauceFor chicken4 chicken breast, poundedthinlySalt40 gr baconFor filling300 gr cooked prawns200 gr minced pork80 gr chopped mushroomsSesame oil1 stalk of lemongrass2 gr gingerFor sauce200 gr mushrooms1 gr fresh rosemary1 gr fresh thymeBay leaves2 gr garlic120 ml cream400 ml chicken stockMETHOD OF PREPARATIONFor the chicken1. Combine all ingredients forthe fillingServes 4Recipes provided by Ana Esteves2. Lay the chicken flat, coverwith bacon3. Add filling and roll tight inplastic wrap, then aluminumfoil4. Boil the chicken for 15minutes5. Then cut into a 5 cm piece6. In a non stick pan, heat oiland sear each chicken pieceuntil golden brown on all sidesFor the sauce1. Sauté the garlic and mushrooms2. Add chicken stock, creamand herbs3.Cook for 5 minutes4. Adjust seasoningTo serve1. Place a little bit of sauceacross the plate2. Place 3 pieces of chickenin a line3. Top with baby cress fordecorationEmpathyBy Briar JacquesBeing empathetic means havingthe ability to stand in another’sshoes. It involves beingaware of and able to set asideyour own worldview temporarilyso that you may see the situationtotally from the other’sperspective. An empatheticresponse doesn’t includesentences like: “why don’tyou” or “it’ll be alright, haveyou heard about Jane? She’sgot real problems” or “let metell you what awful thing happenedto me the other day”.Empathy means not minimisingthe problem or attemptingto help the other look at the‘bright side’. It means beinghonest and brave enough toshow through your responsethat you understand we allstruggle, feel scared andfail. It means dropping anyneed to appear perfect andin control, allowing the otherto feel supported and notjudged. Being empathetic issomething we can develop onpurpose through practice andreflection.When we share our problemsor fears with someoneand they respond with empathywe feel less alone. Whena friend reaches out to us andwe respond empathetically wefeel connected to them andfully present. However, it canbe a challenge to show empathy.That’s because to respondwith empathy means on somelevel to join the other person intheir pain, confusion, anger orfear, attempt to feel it by relatingit to something you haveexperienced and reflect backthat feeling accurately whileresisting the urge to solve,argue, justify, blame or shame.To do this you must be preparedto face your own moreuncomfortable emotions. Itis no wonder that a lot of thetime people respond to other’spain by sending sympathy,solutions or distraction. Thesekeep us distanced from ourown painful feelings triggeredby the other person’s situation.They also leave the otherisolated and shamed. Whensomeone empathises theysend a strong message thatthey believe in us and in ournormalcy: “I know with timeyou’ll find your way. I’ve beenthere, I’ll hold your hand whileyou figure it out.” So, nexttime a friend reaches out toyou with a painful problem trysending empathy. Stop yourselffrom offering a solution ora platitude in order to escapeyour own discomfort. Instead,manage your discomfort, digdeep and reach out. You willbe amazed how powerfully itwill connect you.Briar Jacques is a trainedAustralian counsellor whodeals with issues like expatadjustment, depression, anxietyand drug abuse. Call 0121480 8792.62 asialife HCMC

listingscultureCLASSESAngelsBrush by VinTel: 0983377710Shyevin@mac.comOil painting course gives learners theopportunity to work from the differentobjects; explore different mediums,materials and techniques; and interpretline, tone and colour. Instructor workswith students on individual basis.Helen Kling Oil Painting189/C1 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien,D2 Tel: 0903 955 780hk.painter@gmail.com/helenkling@yahoo.comwww.helenkling.comHelene is a French painter who teachesbeginners (children and adults) varioustechniques and the art of working withdifferent mediums. She is also a fantastictool for advanced artists who are lookingto increase their creativity. Both day andnight courses are available. Helene has apermanent exhibition at FLOW, located88 Ho Tung Mau, D1.Printmakingalphagallery@bluemail.chClasses are held at Alpha Gallery taughtby the gallery owner Bernadette Gruber,who offers the chance to learn monotype,intaglio and etching techniques.CINEMASBobby Brewer’s Movie Lounge45 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3610 222086 Pham Ngoc Thachinfo@bobbybrewers.comPopular top-floor home cinema showingmovies five times a day on a largescreen. Email for the latest schedule.Cinebox212 Ly Chinh Thang, D3 Tel: 39350610240 3 Thang 2, D10 Tel: 3862 2425Cinebox cinemas show both originallanguage films with Vietnamese subtitlesand the dubbed versions.Future Shortsfutureshortsvietnam@gmail.comwww.futureshorts.com/vnVietnam branch of the internationalnetwork screens foreign and local shortfilms around town. Events often incorporateother media and elements, includinglive music, performances, installationsand discussion. Submissions accepted.Galaxy Cinema116 Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3822 8533230 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3920 6688www.galaxycine.vnLarge, modern cinema that shows thelatest foreign releases in English (withVietnamese subtitles).IDECAF31 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3829 5451French cultural centre and cinematheatre. Showcases French movies withEnglish and Vietnamese subtitles. Alsohosts movies and documentaries from anumber of overseas film festivals.Lotte CinemaDiamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1Tel: 3822 7897LotteMart, 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, D7Tel: 3775 2520www.lottecinemavn.comModern cinema with four-way sound system.D7 location houses luxury theatreCharlotte with 32 seats and eight sofas.me phimHCM City-based film initiative thatprovides support to local filmmakers andhosts regular film screenings/discussions.Email dduukk@gmail.com for informationor join the Facebook group.MegastarHung Vuong Plaza, 126 Hung Vuong,D5 Tel: 08 2222 0388CT Plaza, 60A Truong Son, Tan BinhTel: 6297 1981www.megastarmedia.netState-of-the-art cinema complex screeningthe lastest blockbusters with plush,reclining seats. All movies shown in originallanguage with Vietnamese subtitles.GALLERIESa little blah blahOUT-2 STUDIO, L6 FAFILM Annex6 Thai Van Lung, D1albbsaigon-2010.blogspot.comOperates as an engine for contemporaryart by organizing projects, exhibitions,screenings and talks. Runs one majorart project each year and a reading roomwith more than 1,000 texts on art, designand creative culture. Free for everyoneand open Tue to Sat 10 am to 6 pm.Blue Space Contemporary ArtsCenter97A Pho Duc Chinh, D1Tel: 3821 3695bluespaceart@hcm.jpt.vnwww.bluespacegallery.comBusy, working gallery with easelspropped up outside situated in thegrounds of the beautiful Fine ArtsMuseum. Holds regular exhibitions bylocal artists.Duc Minh Gallery31C Le Quy Don, D3 Tel: 3933 0498Housed in an opulent colonial mansion,private museum and art gallery showcasesthe private art collection of Vietnamesebusiness tycoon Bui Quoc Chi.Containing more than 1,000 pieces thatrange from traditional to contemporary.Galerie Quynh65 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3836 8019www.galeriequynh.comThe city’s only international standardgallery, housed in a modern, two-floorspace. Organizes regular exhibitionsfeaturing established, emerging local/international contemporary artists, publishesoriginal catalogs in both Englishand Vietnamese.Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum97A Pho Duc Chinh, D1 Tel: 3829 4441btmthcm@hotmail.comInstitution housing contemporary/traditionalworks by Vietnamese and foreignartists. Pieces date from as early asthe 7th century. Includes Vietnameseantiques, art crafted by the Cham andFunan peoples.San Art Independent Artist Space3 Me Linh, Binh Thanh Tel: 3840 0898hoa@san-art.orgwww.san-art.orgArtist-run, non-profit exhibition spacefeaturing contemporary work by youngVietnamese artists. San Art hosts guestlecturers and curators. A reading roomof art books and magazines is open tothe public.TuDo Gallery53 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3821 0966www.tudogallery.comHosting permanent exhibitions of worksby the city’s artists, Tu Do deals in oils,silk paintings and lacquerware. Morethan 1,000 pieces on show.asialife HCMC 63

listingssports &leisureSport StreetHuyen Tran Cong Chua, D1 betweenNguyen Du and Nguyen Thi Minh KhaiServices include mending and restringingbroken tennis rackets. Products rangefrom badminton birdies and rackets tobasketball hoops, free weights, rollerblades, scooters, soccer jerseys and allmanner of balls.Trophies & Custom Signage StreetLe Lai, D1 between Truong Dinh andNguyen Thai HocOffers custom engraving on trophies andplaques made of plastic, wood, metaland glass.CRICKETSaigon Cricket AssocationSocial cricket league plays 25 oversa side matches Sunday mornings atRMIT’s District 7 pitch. Season runs Novemberthrough May, with friendly gamesthroughout the pre-season. Practice onSaturdays and Sunday afternoons.Australian Cricket ClubTerry Gordonterrygordoninasia@yahoo.com.ausaigonaustraliancricketclub@yahoo.comwww.saigoncricket.comEnglish Cricket ClubRichard CarringtonRichard.carrington@pivotalvietnam.cominfo@eccsaigon.comwww.eccsaigon.comIndian Cricket ClubManish Sogani, manish@ambrij.comUnited Cricket ClubMr. Asif Ali, asif@promo-tex.netkeshav.dayalani@rmit.edu.vnDANCINGDanCenter53 Nguyen Dang Giai,Thao Dien, District 2Tel: 3840 6974www.dancentervn.comPurpose built studio with foreign traineddance instructors. Classes in jazz, ballet,tap, hip hop, yoga, zumba, belly, hula,capoiera and more. Kids can start from4+ and adults of all ages and levels arewelcome. Schedule and news on eventsavailable on-line.Salsa Dancing at La Habana6 Cao Ba Quat, D1www.salsaigon.comsalsaigon@gmail.comSix-week salsa package at 350,000VND for single persons and 550,000 fora couple, run by Urko. Lessons everyTuesday (beginners L.A. style at 7.30pm; intermediate L.A style at 8.30 pm).Registration required.FITNESS & YOGACalifornia WOW XperienceParkson Plaza, 126 Hung Vuong, D528/30-32 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 6291 5999The world’s biggest fitness centre chainis one of Saigon’s most modern placesto get your sweat on. Located in HungVuong Plaza, CWX offers a huge workoutarea and all kinds of classes includingspinning, KickFit, yoga and more.Caravelle Club Spa19 Lam Son Square, D1Tel: 3823 4999Modern and stylish gym with lots of cardiovascularmachines and free weights.The swimming pool is a great place fora dip, and the massage parlour, sauna,steam room and jacuzzi are there forwinding down.Equinox Fitness & Leisure CentreEquatorial Hotel, 242 Tran Binh Trong,D5 Tel: 3839 7777Decent-sized 3rd-floor gym with moderncardio and weights machines, sauna,steambath, jacuzzi, and large 4th floorpool great for swimming laps.Suzanne & Saigon YogaTel: 090 835 2265suzanne@saigonyoga.comSuzanne is an ERYT- 200 (Experienced)Yoga Alliance Instructor. She boasts twodecades of experience, offering variousyoga styles in District 2 and yoga retreatsin Vietnam.FOOTBALL & RUGBYAustralian Rules FootballTel: 093 768 3230www.vietnamswans.comvietnamswans@gmail.comThe Vietnam Swans play regular internationalfooty matches around Asia. Trainingsessions are held weekly in HCM City(2.30 pm Saturday, RMIT D7) and Hanoi(midday, Saturday, UN InternationalSchool, Ciputra). All skill levels and codeswelcome.RMIT Vietnamsports.recreation@rmit.edu.vnA new player on the SIFL scene witha team made up of students from theUniversity. They have their own footballground on-site consisting of two brandnew pitches. Contact Landon Carnie.Saigon Raidersjon.hoff@saigonraiders.comSociable football side who are always onthe lookout for new talent for their weeklymatches and training sessions. The teamparticipates in the Saigon InternationalFootball League and also has regularfixtures against local teams in the outlyingprovinces and also participates ininternational tournaments.Saigon Rugby ClubTel: 0903 735 799www.saigonrfc.orgsaigonrugbyfootballclub@yahoo.comSocial, mixed touch rugby playedevery Saturday afternoon for adults atRMIT from 4 pm until 6 pm. Regularlywelcomes visiting teams and tours theregion for men’s contact and women’stouch rugby tournaments. Beginnerswelcome.GOLFDong Nai Golf ResortTrang Bom Town, Trang BomTel: 061 3866 288 / 3677 590www.dongnaigolf.com.vnLarge golf resort with 27 holes, plus avilla complex, bar, sauna. jacuzzi andbilliards. The resort sits on 160 hectaresof land in Dong Nai Province, about 50kilometres from the city.Ocean Dunes Golf Club1 Ton Duc Thang, Phan ThietTel: 062 3821 995odgc@vietnamgolfresorts.comDesigned by Nick Faldo, the 6,746-yardpar-72 course winds through seasidedunes, with the variable coastal breezeschanging its character each day. Anenjoyable and eminently playable courseand has become a favourite venue forexpatriate tournaments.Saigon South GolfNguyen Van Linh, Tan Phu, D7questions for the coiffeurBy Lloyd MorganQ. My stylist uses a razorto cut my hair and it alwayslooks dry, is that the reason?A. If your hair wasn’t dry priorto the razor cutting I wouldsay you could blame therazor. It slashes the cuticleto pieces, resulting in frizzytextured hair. I haven’t useda razor for over 30 years. Iwas trained in the technique,but it has limitations becauseyou cannot cut all hair typeswith a razor. Cutting with arazor has been an Asian thingfor a long time because itsbest suited for straight hairtypical of Asians, but hasnever really caught on withCaucasians. Tony Moscolo,founder of Tony and GuySalons, invented new cuttingtechniques over 15 yearsago and introduced texturizinginto the hair world andrevolutionized it. Messy hairwas once in and now flippedout texturized cuts are everywhere.The texturizing effectis the same as a razor minusthe frizzy look so razor cuttinghas taken the back seatover the years, but as witheverything it has its place inthe hair world.Q. My 9-year-old daughterhas very curly hair and shehates it. Should I considerpermanently straighteningit?A. No! Firstly, she’s way tooyoung to be exposed tochemicals like ammoniumthioglycolate, which is themain chemical in straighteningsystems. It’s also in permsolutions, but straighteningis not comparable to sittingwith perm solution in your hairas it’s not on the hair for verylong, normally between 15 to25 minutes. However with thestraightening systems it’s afour-hour procedure that I’msure no nine-year-old could sitthrough anyway. After it’s finished,if the hair is really curlyit’s going to be a nightmareto grow back because theroots will be curly and the reststraight; the curlier the hairthe worse the effect is when itgrows. The Brazilian straightsystem steers clear of that,but it has a whole set of itsown issues. For example, theyuse keratin hair fibre and formaldehydeis produced whenheat is applied to the solutionso you need to wear a gasmask, as does the stylist.Lloyd Morgan runs the LloydMorgan International HairStudio at 234 Nguyen VanHuong, Thao Dien, D2. Contacthim at 0908 422 007 orlloydart@yahoo.com.64 asialife HCMC

Tel: 5411 2001sgs.golf@yahoo.com.vnNine-hole mini golf course and drivingrange set amongst attractive gardensjust behind FV Hospital. Club, shoe andumbrella hire is also available.Song Be Golf Resort77 Binh Duong Blvd, Thuan AnTel: 0650 3756 660info@songbegolf.comwww.songbegolf.comLocated 22 kilometres from the citycentre, the premier golf course in thearea features an 18-hole, 6,384-metrecourse. Also has tennis courts, a swimmingpool, and a gymnasium.Vietnam Golf and Country ClubLong Thanh My Village, D9www.vietnamgolfcc.comThis facility consists of two coursesof 18 holes each, one of which is designedin a more traditional Asian style,and the other in international style. Hasother attractions such as boating, tennisand a restaurant area.LEISUREHash House Harrierswww.saigonh3.comRunning club that meets every Sundayat 2 pm at the Caravelle Hotel to go ona run in different locations out of townwith their traditional balance of exerciseand beer.Phun Runnerinfo@phun-run.comSocial running group that meets Saturdaysat 7 am for a scenic run aroundSaigon before breakfast. Great way toexplore the city, meet fellow runnersand get fit for future events.Rangers Baseball Clubisao.shimokawaji@sapporobeer.co.jpA baseball club always looking foradditional players of any age, raceor experience level. Plays Saturdaysor Sundays, often against Korean orVietnamese teams.Saigon International Dart Leaguewww.thesidl.comA highly popular group in town, thedarts club runs a competitive year-longleague for 16 pub-based teams. Thereare some excellent players in thissociable and international group. Seewebsite for details of how to join andlatest 180 scores.Saigon Pony ClubLane 42, Le Van Thinh, D2Tel: 0913 733 360A standout facility offering pony rides,riding lessons, horse clinics andpony rentals. Also hosts events andbirthdays.Ultimate FrisbeeRMIT, 702 Nguyen Van Linh, D7www.saigon-ultimate.comJoin in this exciting popular sport everySunday afternoon from 3pm to 5pmin Saigon South. Pan-Asian competitionsalso organised for the moreexperienced. Contact David Jensen at0909458890X-Rock ClimbingPhan Dinh Phung Sport Centre75 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3Tel: 6278 5794www.xrockclimbing.comOffering safe and professional climbingfor anyone aged 4 and up. Featuringmountain climbing routes rated frombeginner to advanced, climbing andbelay-safety courses and training,birthday parties, corporate team building.Excellent facilities for children andannual membership for kids.Anna Le Van HuyFrench and English speakingClinical PsychologistsAnnaïg Mauran,French and English speakingSpeech-Language TherapistLeslie Légland,French and English speakingPsychomotor therapistasialife HCMC 65

listingshealth &beautyALTERNATIVE MEDICINEAmerican Chiropractic Clinic8 Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3930 6667www.vietnamchiropractic.comA chiropractic, physiotherapy, footcare clinic staffed by American-trainedchiropractors speaking French, English,Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. Treatsback pain, neck pain, knee pain, alsospecializing in sports injuries, manufactureof medical grade foot orthotics.Theta Healing– Jodie EastwoodTel: 091 859 1933www.thetahealing.comA unique energy healing technique formind, body and spirit. Jodie is a UKqualified practitioner based in HCM City.DENTALEuropean Dental Clinic17 - 17A Le Van Mien,Thao Dien, D2Tel: 0918 749 204/08 3744 9744Expat English and French-speakingdentist. Performs full range of dentaltreatment including whitening, aestheticfillings, porcelain crowns, full ceramics,veneer and orthodontic treatment. 24-hour emergency line: 0909 551 916 or0916 352940.Starlight Dental ClinicDr. Philippe Guettier & InternationalTeam of Dentists2Bis Cong Truong Quoc Te, D1Tel: 3822 6222doe.linh@gmail.comWith 14 years’ experience providingdental treatment to expat andVietnamese patients, this well-knowndental surgery is staffed by both foreign &local practitioners. Au fait with the latesttreatments and techniques, the surgeryprides themselves on their high standardof equipment & sterilization.Tu Xuong Dental Clinic51A Tu Xuong, D3Tel: 3932 2049/050drhung01@yahoo.comwww.nhakhoatuxuong.comProvides general and cosmetic dentalservices at reasonable prices. Specialisesin implants, orthodontic treatments andmaking crowns and bridges. Staff areprofessional and speak English.See Medical listings for hospitals withdental services.HAIR & SALONLloyd Morgan InternationalHair Studio234 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, D2Tel: 090 8422 007International stylist Lloyd Morgan is oneof the best in town. He’s been in thebusiness for over 30 years and brings hisexpertise to this established, top-notchsalon.MEDICALCentre MedicalInternational (CMI)1 Han Thuyen, D1Tel: 3827 2366www.cmi-vietnam.comLocated downtown next to the cathedral,the centre provides a high standard ofmedical care from qualified French andVietnamese physicians. Its range ofservices include general and tropicalmedicine, cardiology, gynaecology, osteopathy,pediatrics, psychiatry, speechtherapy and traditional Eastern medicine.Family MedicalPractice HCMCDiamond Plaza, 34 LeDuan, D1Tel: 3822 7848www.vietnammedicalpractice.comLeading international primary healthcareprovider, with a 24-hour state-of-the-artmedical centre and highly-qualified multilingualforeign doctors. Extensive experiencein worldwide medical evacuationswith car and air ambulance on standby.Also in Hanoi and Danang.International SOS167A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia,D3 Tel: 3829 8424www.internationalsos.comGlobally-renowned provider of medicalassistance and international healthcare.Specializes in offering medical transportand evacuation both within and outsideof Vietnam for urgent medical cases.Foreign and Vietnamese dentists. Hasmultilingual staff.Victoria Healthcare135A Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanTel: 3997 454579 Dien Bien Phu, D1 Tel: 39104545Well-regarded clinic offering generalexaminations and specializing in pediatrics,digestive diseases, cardiology andwomen's health. Offers a membershipprogram and cooperates with mostinsurance companies in Vietnam andabroad. Open with doctors on call 24/7.SKINCAREThe Body Shop87 Mac Thi Buoi, D1Tel: 3823 368331 Nguyen Trai, D1Tel: 3926 0336www.thebodyshop.comInternational cosmetics retailer withstrong commitment to environmentsources natural ingredients from smallcommunities for its line of more than 600products.L’ApothiquaireThe Crescent, 103 Ton Dat Tien, D764A Truong Dinh, D3Tel: 3932 5181/3932 5082www.lapothiquaire.cominfo@lapothiquaire.comFrench-made natural products for alltypes of skin. Also offers exclusive naturalItalian skin, body and hair care fromErbario Toscano.Marianna Medical LaserSkincare149A Truong Dinh, D3Tel:3526 4635www.en.marianna.com.vnProfessional Laser Clinic in Ho ChiMinh City, Marianna owns the excellentexperts in Aesthetic Medicine and themodern technologies such as Laser, Botox,Filler and all solutions can help youmore beautiful and younger day by daySPASRenaissance Riverside Spa8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1Tel: 3822 0033No-frills Vietnamese, shiatsu andaromatherapy massages plus a roomdedicated to foot massages at the atriumlevel. Also has sizable steam and saunarooms at the clubXuan SpaPark Hyatt, 2 Lam Son Square, D1Tel: 3824 1234Beautiful spa with highly rated Swedishmassage and water therapy includingthe unique 60 minutes Vichy shower tosoften and smooth skin or the Indian Shirodharawith special oil for 45 minutes.66 asialife HCMC

BE A GUEST OF PRINCESS D’ANNAM RESORT & SPA

MONTESSORIEarly Childhood ProgramInternational & Bilingual(English and Vietnamese/French/or Mandarin)Infant & Toddler program: for children aged 6 to 17 monthsKindergarten program: for children aged 1.5 to 6 yearsHalf day and full dayOutstanding indoor & outdoor facilities.After school activities for children 3-10 yrs: Music, PE, Art &language classes (English, French, Mandarin Chinese).www.montessori.edu.vninfo@montessori.edu.vnThao Dien Campus:42/1 Ngo Quang Huy, Dist.2,HCMCAn Phu Campus:Ground floor, Block B, AnKhang/Intresco Apartment(Behind Metro supermarketDist.2, HCMC)Tel: 37442639 - 351945620903 858659MontessoriInternational Schoolof VietnamlistingsfamilyACTIVITIESDanCenter53 Nguyen Dang Giai,Thao Dien, District 2Tel: 3840 6974www.dancentervn.comChildren and teenagers from age 4+can enjoy jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop, acrodance and break dance classes at thisprofessionally run, newly built dancestudio. Schedule and news on eventsavailable on-line.Briar Jacquesbjacques123@gmail.comCel: 0122 480 8792Helping families, individuals, couples, childrenand teens. Caring and confidentialcounselling to address issues such asexpat adjustment, depression, anxietyand substance abuse. We take a holisticapproach to enhance wellbeing on mental,emotional and physical levels.BABY EQUIPMENTBelli Blossom4F-04 Crescent Mall, Nguyen Van LinhParkway, Phu My Hung, D7Tel: 5413 7574Belli Blossom catering to moms andbabies with imported brands of maternityand nursing wear and accessories, infantclothes, baby bottles and feeding products,strollers, high chairs, slings, babycarriers, diaper bags, and many others.Brands available include: Mam, Mamaway,Quinny, Maclaren, Debon, LuvableFriends, Gingersnaps.Me & Be230 Vo Thi Sau, D340 Ton That Tung, D1141D Phan Dang Luu, Phu Nhuan246 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3101-103 Khanh Hoi, D4287A Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanThe closest thing to Mothercare the cityhas to offer. Stocks a substantial rangeof apparel for babies including bottlesand sterilizers, cots (including travel cots),clothing, toys, safety equipment andmore, all at reasonable prices.CLOTHESDebenhamsVincom Center, 70 - 72 Le Thanh Ton,District 1A superb range of unique and beautifulclothing for young children (from newbornsto 12 years old) imported brandfrom UK. High to mid-range prices.DLS Paris17/5 Le Thanh Ton, D1Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,D1A superb range of unique and beautifulclothing for young children (from newbornsto pre-school age) at high to midrangeprices. The quality compensatesfor the price. Bedding, baby equipmentand furniture and organic and naturalsupplies also kept in stock.Ninh Khuong44 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3824 7456www.ninhkhuong.vnWell-known hand-embroidered children’sclothing brand using 100% cotton. Newbornto 10 years old (girl) and fourteenyears old (boy). Also stocking homelinens. Prices are reasonable.EDUCATIONABC InternationalSchool2,1E Street, KDC TrungSon, Binh Hung, BinhChanh Tel: 5431 1833abcintschoolss@vnn.vnwww.theabcis.comUK standards-based curriculum awardsdiploma with IGCSE’s & A Levels certifiedby Cambridge Universit examinationsboard. From playgroup to pre-universitymatriculation. Served by 80+ Britishteachers. Good facilities and extracurricularactivities.ACG InternationalSchoolEast West Highway, AnPhu, D2Tel: 3747 1234www.acgedu.comPart of the Academic Colleges Group’sinternational network of schools, ACGoffers comprehensive education fromkindergarten to senior high school and arange of extracurricular activities. Internationalcurricula (IB PYP and CambridgeInternational Examinations).The Australian InternationalSchool SaigonCherry Blossom 1 & Lotus1, APSC Compound, 36Thao Dien, D2Tel: 3744 6960Middle & Senior Campus21 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3Tel: 3822 4992enrolment@aisvietnam.comwww.aisvietnam.comAn international curricula and PYP/MYPcandidate school. Senior students followIGCSE and Cambridge A levels. Onlyschool in Vietnam authorized to deliverUniversity of New South Wales FoundationStudies grade 12 curriculum. Wellresourcedclassrooms, highly trainedand experienced expatriate teachers,outfitted for academic, sport, creativeactivities.British InternationalSchoolPrimary Campus43 - 45 Tu Xuong, D3225 Nguyen Van Huong, D2Secondary Campus246 Nguyen Van Huong, D2Tel: 3744 2335www.bisvietnam.comWith campuses all over the city andexpansion underway, BIS offers a mixtureof both English and Internationalcurricula-based education alongsideexcellent facilities and extra-curricularactivities. Senior students follow theIGCSE and IB programmes.ERC86-88-92 Huynh Van Banh,Phu NhuanTel: 6292 9288www.erci.edu.vnERC Vietnam is a member of ERCISingapore. Founded by a group ofsuccessful business leaders aroundAsia Pacific. Our primary objective is togroom and mentor a new generation ofbusiness leaders in Vietnam equippedwith skills to analyze and solve realworldbusiness challenges of today.German InternationalSchool257 Hoang Van Thu, TanBinhTel: 7300 7247www.gis.vnA bilingual English and German school,supported by the Federal Republic ofGermany, where children can learnsubjects in both languages. The curriculumfollows the National Curriculumof Germany, which provides studentsthe assurance they can enter or reenterthe German Education System atany time.68 asialife HCMC

Grant ThorntonSaigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton DucThang, D1 Tel: 3910 9100www.gt.com.vnInternational business advisors specializingin auditing, management consulting,corporate finance, risk management andinformation technology.IF ConsultingIBC Building, 3rd Floor1A Me Linh Square, D14th Floor, 5 Ba TrieuHoan Kiem District, HanoiTel: 3827 7362 Fax: 3827 7361Email: pascal@insuranceinvietnam.comPrivate insurance and finance.Indochine CouncelHan Nam Building, 65 Nguyen Du, D1Tel: 3823 9640www.indochinecounsel.comBusiness law firm specializing in legalservices to corporate clients in relationto their business and investment inVietnam.Inspired Image42/2A Ho Hao Hon, D1Tel: 091 635 2573www.inspiredimage.co.ukImage consultant and personal stylist.Previous clients include business leaders,TV presenters and busy professionals.International Management Initiativefor Vietnam (IMIV)info@imiv.orgwww.imiv.orgThe International Management Initiativefor Vietnam (IMIV), a non-profit initiativewithin VinaCapital Foundation thatpromotes excellence in business leadershipand management by bringing toVietnam proven international executiveeducation and professional developmentprogrammes.Phuong Nguyen ConsultingTPC Business Center, 92-96 NguyenHue, D1 Tel: 3829 2391www.pnp-consulting.comSpecializing in business facilitation,conferences, education counselling,market-entry research and IT/businessconsulting.Prism Information TechnologyServicesLevel 4, YOCO Building, 41 Nguyen ThiMinh Khai, D1 Tel: 3829 6416info@prism.com.vnA foreign-owned information and communicationstechnology company thatoffers value-added IT solutions. Enableslocal businesses to attain and maintaininternational IT standards to be morecompetitive in the marketplace.Rouse & Co. InternationalAbacus Tower, 58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu,D1 Tel: 3823 6770www.iprights.comGlobal intellectual property firm providinga full range of IP services including patentand trade mark agency services.Star Management Limited92-96 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3897 2765www.starlimited.comBusiness advisory services for companiesinvesting in Vietnam, businessproject advancement and a range ofbusiness development services.TMF Vietnam Company LimitedUnit 501, 5th Floor, Saigon TradeCenter37 Ton Duc Thang, D1Tel: 3910 2262 ext. 113Fax: 3910 0590www.tmf-group.comWith headquarters in Amsterdam andRotterdam, TMF Vietnam specializes inaccounting outsourcing and consulting.PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNINGTotal Wealth Management66/11 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3Tel: 3820 0623www.t-wm.comSpecialists in selecting and arrangingtax-efficient savings and pension plansfor expatriates. Offers councel on privatebanking services, wealth protection inoffshore jurisdictions, currency risks andhedging strategies.Towers Watson Vietnam (formerlyWatson Wyatt and SMART HR)Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue, Suite808, D1Tel: 3821 9488Global HR consulting firm specializing inexecutive compensation, talent management,employee rewards and surveys,HR effectiveness and technology, dataservices and total rewards surveys.DECORAntique StreetLe Cong Kieu Street, D1 betweenNguyen Thai Binh and Pho Duc ChinhA variety of antiques and faux antiquesfrom Thailand, China and Vietnamincluding silverware, compasses, lighters,brass knockers, urns, vases, abacuses,religious and pagan statues, candlestickholders, furniture and watches.Asian Fish34 Mac Thi Buoi, D1Boutique-style arts and crafts store sellinglocally made gifts and souvenirs, alldesigned by the Japanese owner. Productsinclude clothing, bags, crockery,sandals, chopsticks and jewellery.Aquarium StreetNguyen Thong Street, D3 between VoThi Sau and Ly Chinh ThangDedicated street has everything oneneeds to display fish: tanks, decor, feed,filters and the fish themselves.Budget Housewares StreetCorner of Pasteur and Nguyen DinhChieuStock up on shower heads, kitchensupplies (juicer, spatula, grater, etc.),coat racks, clothes hangers, pots, pans,champagne flutes, bowls, coolers, trashbins, ironing boards, magazine racksand the like.Chau Loan213 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3825 7991Gallery based in a colonial shophousestocking mainly Vietnamese-themed oilpaintings and images of Buddha. Alsodeals in better-known reproductions.Decosy112 Xuan Thuy, D2Tel: 6281 9917Producer of a large selection of Europeanstyled furniture and interior fittings,specializing in wrought iron and patine(distressed) wood finishes. Also stocksa wide-range of decorative accessories,crockery and fixtures. Custom designservices available upon request.Dogma175 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3836 0488www.dogmavietnam.comLocated upstairs from Saigon Kitsch, thisart gallery deals in Vietnamese propagandaposters, apparel, accessories andrandom paraphernalia. Large prints aresold at USD $60 each and small printscost $25.Mekong-Quilts64 Ngo Duc Ke, D1Tel: 3914 2119www.mekong-quilts.orgNGO enterprise specializes in quilts andsells a range of appealing handmadeproducts created by underprivilegedwomen in Binh Thuan Province.Mekong Creations64 Ngo Duc Ke, D1Tel: 3914 2119www.mekong-quilts.orgNGO enterprise specializes in quilts andasialife HCMC 71

people matterDiscrimination at WorkBy Gary WoollacottThe other day I was readingan article about a Thai manwho had worked diligently athis clerical job for many yearsand then was dismissed withoutwarning. He hadn’t comeup against any obstacles tocarrying out his work; therewas nothing wrong with hisperformance. Nor had hemade any mistakes that justifiedsacking him. His offence?After a routine medical checkhe had discovered he hadbecome HIV-positive, and thecompany had also learned ofit. This led to his dismissal.Shocking you would think,in this day and age, butthere’s more. He went onto apply to another company,was offered the job andsigned a contract. Anothermedical check after startingwork, the same results (ofcourse) and he then lost thatjob, and again at anothercompany. Those companies’actions are contrary to Thai(and many other countries’)law and – for most of us, Ihope – contrary to commondecency. Reading this, all Icould think of was to help theman. If I can, I intend to getin touch with him and helphim get a new job. Employersdon’t need to know, andshouldn’t care, about medicalstatus.This kind of discriminationis all too prevalent, due mostlyto an uninformed public thatexhibits a knee-jerk reactionto things that they don’tunderstand. It happens allover the world, sadly, in areasrelated to age, health, skincolour, sexuality and a dozenother factors. That's why wehave laws to prevent individualsbeing disadvantagedpurely based on things thatare beyond our control. Whatwould you have done? Whatdo you do?One small gesture that wemake at Opus is in the areaof medical insurance. Whenan associate is entitled tomedical cover, there's a formthat we have to counter-sign.The typical way is for the employeeto complete the form– which details medical history– and then give it to themanager. In my view that's aninvasion of privacy. I insist onsigning the form first so thatmy colleague can completeit knowing that their personalinformation will only be shownto the insurance company. Doyou do the same?As usual, let me know ifyou have any particular topicyou would like to see coveredhere.Gary Woollacott is the CEO ofOpus executive search in Vietnamand Thailand. He can bereached at +84 8 3827 8209or via gary@opusasia.net.Opus is a partner of HortonInternational.sells a range of appealing handmadeproducts created by underprivilegedwomen in Binh Thuan Province.Minh Boutique15 Nguyen Thiep, D1Lacquerware pieces, tea boxes, teapotwarmers, ice buckets and sake drinkingsets all handmade in Vietnam. Also sellsa range of silverware, egg holders andice tongs.OUT-2 STUDIOL6 Fafilm annex6 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3825 6056STUDIO@OUT-2.comwww.out-2.comStudio space for independent designersto showcas their wares, sell their workand meet with clients. Open Monday tSaturday 10 am to 6 pm.Phuong Mai213C Dong Khoiwww.phuongmai-gallery.comGallery specializing in original oils byVietnamese artists. The works here are amish-mash of styles but do contain somestandouts, particularly well-known localartists La Hon, Quy Tam and Pham Trinh.Sapa125 Ho Tung Mau, D1Offers a better selection of hill tribehandicrafts than most of its rivals.Concentrates mainly on the hand-wovenclothing of the indigenous tribespeople ofthe region. There is also a line in ladies’shoes and the standard range of silkwraps and bags.Unity12 Dang Tran Con, D1 Tel: 3823 9375Unity offers accessories that are designedto seamlessly blend in with yourlife. Familiar basics are given a contemporaryupdate with the use of modern,alternative materials like silicone, rubber,and brushed aluminum. From orbitallamps and eggshell-white china, to wireclaspedwater bottles, each individualpiece complements the others in thecollection—to give your home a senseof Unity.ELECTRONICSHi End Audio84 Ho Tung Mau, D1A standout that stocks the very latestand greatest in home entertainment.Retails in everything from giant plasmascreenTVs to audio equipment. Mosttop brands are available.iDEAS Shopping Centre133-141AB Cach Mang Thang Tam, D3The largest of the electonics storesalong the street, the three-storey iDEASsells every type of electronic and homeappliance imaginable. Offers proper warranties.Staff speaks some English.Nguyen Kim Shopping Centre63-65 Tran Hung Dao, D1Tel: 3821 1211www.nguyenkim.comStocks DVD/CD players, cameras,TVs, hi-fis and more from Sony, Sanyo,Panasonic, Philips and other majormanufacturers. Also a good place to pickup electronic kitchen supplies like coffeemakers and rice cookers, as well as largeand small appliances, from hot waterheaters to regrigerators.Phong Vu125 Cach Mang Thang Tam, D1Tel: 6290 8777www.vitinphongvu.comTwo-storey electronics store retails ininternational products convenientlygrouped by brand. Carries computers,home audio, printers, hard drives andmore, as well as a variety of mobilephones, handheld electronic devices andaccessories.Savico117 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3821 7993One-stop electronics and home appliancesuperstore. All products have aone to three-year warranty.Tech StreetHuynh Thuc Khang Street betweenTon That Dam and Nguyen Hue, D1Sells compact discs, DVDs, electronicmoney counters, video games andsystems, Discmans, mp3 players andportable DVD players.FURNITUREAppeal41 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3821 5258A small, upscale shop that offers modernaccents for the sleek dining room.The colours of the over-sized vases andfruit bowls are either glistening red orlacquered black.AustinHome20 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3519 0023Outstanding quality and style for yourhome. The shop says its products arehand-picked by an American furnitureexpert from the best factories in Vietnam.Upholstery, accessories, antiquesand more.Catherine Denoual15C Thi Sach, D1 Tel: 3823 9394Beautiful showroom with clean linesand a sumptuous array of bedroomproducts including bedside lamps,linens, pillowcases and duvet covers.Decosy112 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 6281 9917Producer of a large selection of Europeanstyled furniture and interior fittings,specializing in wrought iron and patine(distressed) wood finishes. Also stocksa wide-range of decorative accessories,crockery and fixtures. Custom designservices available upon request.El Gallery23 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3824 8306Traditional decor with a modern twist.Offers a variety of mid- to high-rangefurniture, rugs, lighting, art and accessoriesfrom around the world, plusinterior design services. Also importsfurniture to Vietnam for export toEurope and the United States.Esthetic11 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh ThanhTel: 3514 7371/7372Fax: 3514 7370esthetic@vnn.vnwww.estheticfurnishing.com.vnDesign and manufacture as orderwith a mixture of antique and modernfurniture. Friendly staff speak excellentEnglish.Furniture Outlet3A Ton Duc Thang, D1Tel: 2243 7955/3911 0104Wide selection of well-crafted andcarefully constructed pine wood piecesat good prices, aimed at customerscraving a taste of Europe.Furniture StreetNgo Gia Tu, D10 between Ly Thai Toand Nguyen Chi ThanhVery affordable furniture can be foundon this stretch: couches, mattresses,desks, chairs, etc. It often takes somelooking to find a gem. A connectedsidestreet, Ba Hat, features woodworkers’shops.Gaya1 Nguyen Van Trang, D1Tel: 3925 1495www.gayavietnam.comFour-floor store featuring the work offoreign designers: home accessoriesand outdoor furniture by Lawson Johnston,linens by Corinne Leveilley-Dadda,furniture and lighting by Quasar Khanh,laquerware decor by Michele De Albertand furniture and decor by vivekkevin.72 asialife HCMC

LINH‘S WHITE37 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 6281 9863Furniture shop that focuses on solidwood furniture and decorative itemsranging from pillows and lamps tobedding. Also offers kids’ furniture andcustom pieces.Rare Decor41 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3822 2284137/1 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh ThanhTel: 3840 6304/5Leading home furnishings company inVietnam, supplying high quality, uniqueproducts. Also offer custom madefurniture, accessories and lighting forcommercial projects and home use.Remix Deco222 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3Tel: 3930 4190www.remixdeco.comBoutique furniture store in sprawling whitewith modern furniture including sofas,tables and seating from around the world.Featured designers include Le Corbusier,Ray & Charles Eames, Philippe Starckand Ludwig Mies Van der Rhode.The Furniture Warehouse3B Ton Duc Thang, D1Tel: 6657 0788namtran121@yahoo.com, ttpnam@webtnl.comOffers a range of reasonably priced Italian,European and French colonial sofas,indoor/outdoor wooden furniture, lightingand interior décor, as well as customdesigns based on clients’ specifications.All at international quality export.The Lost Art31 Nguyen Cong Tru, D1Tel: 3829 0134Extensive product range as well ascomprehensive interior design service,from initial conceptualization to design,manufacture and installation of uniqueproducts.Thien An Furniture90A Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1Tel: 3910 5650A range of beautiful furniture with adistinct traditional flavor from colourfulsilk lampshades, wooden carved beds,screens, chests and more.Tran Duc Homes47-49-51 Phung Khac Khoan, D1Tel: 7300 0777B2-25, Vincom Center, 70-72 Le ThanhTon, D1 Tel: 3993 9700Wood solutions partner for high-end residentialand resort projects. Experiencedin manufacturing and installing woodenmodular housing, interior fittings and contemporaryindoor and outdoor furniture.LEGALAllens Arthur RobinsonSaigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1Tel: 3822 1717www.vietnamlaws.comAustralian law firm for law translationservices and legal advice on foreigninvestment and business in Vietnam.Baker & McKenzieSaigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1Tel: 3829 5585www.bakernet.comInternational law firm providing on-thegroundliaison and support servicesto clients interested in investigating,negotiating and implementing projectsin Vietnam.Frasers InternationalSaigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1Tel: 3824 2733www.frasersvn.comFull service commercial law firm providinginternational and Vietnamese legaladvice to both foreign and local clientsspecializing in transactions in Vietnam.Indochine CounselHan Nam Building, 65 Nguyen Du, D1Tel: 3823 9640www.indochinecounsel.comBusiness law practitioners specializingin mergers & acquistions, inwardinvestment, and securities & capitalmarkets.Limcharoen, Hughes and GlanvilleHavana Tower, 132 Ham Nghi, D1Tel: 6291 7000www.limcharoen.comFull service international law firm withhead office in Thailand. Main focus onreal estate in Asia.Lucy Wayne & Associates17 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3824 4395www.lwavietnam.comLaw firm providing legal services acrossthe board from entertainment andenvironmental law to health care andreal estate.Phillips FoxSaigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1Tel: 3822 1717Full service law firm providing legal servicesin healthcare, education, crime,banking and hospitality among others.Pricewaterhousecoopers LegalSaigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1Tel: 3823 0796www.pwc.com/vnPart of a network of international legaland financial advisors, PWC gives bothspecialist and general legal advice witha focus on mutli-territory projects.Rödl & PartnerSomerset Chancellor Court21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1Tel: 3824 4225www.roedl.comEuropean legal firm assisting foreigninvestors with structuring/establishingcompanies, investment projects, andmergers & acquistions.112 Xuan ThuyWard Thao DienDistrict 2Ho Chi Minh CityTel/Fax. (+84) 8 62.819.917shop-hcm@decosy.bizasialife HCMC 73

style for gentsThe Grunge YearsBy Brett DavisThe comedy show Portlandia,now in its second season andgaining something of a cult following,pokes affectionate funat the city of Portland, Oregonwhere according to a hilariousopening musical number inthe very first episode, “Thedream of the 90s is alive.” Thepremise of the show is thatmany of the city’s inhabitantshave not moved on from thehalcyon days when the worldtook its cultural cues from thePacific Northwest, particularlyPortland’s larger neighbour,Seattle.Recently there have beenstirrings in sections of thefashion world that the industrystaple of a nostalgia trend isupon us. This time it is thedecade of the 1990s in thecrosshairs. Twenty years orso seems to be the gestationperiod for these things.It couldn’t be a true 90srevival of course without flyingthe flannel flag. We used tobuy our flannel shirts for afew dollars at the cheapest ofdiscount clothing stores. Nowyou can find flannel shirts atmany more up-scale men’soutfitters that can be dressedup as well as down, althoughexpect to pay significantlymore than back in the day.Boots like the ever-cool DocMartens or just steel-cappedconstruction boots were afavourite of the period. If youwant to modernise the looksomewhat you can checkout more classic styles ofthe walking boot. Again, thiswould enable you to transitionfrom the outdoors tothe office. Basketball shoeswere huge business in the90s (everyone had to ‘be likeMike’), and many companies,such as Nike, have reissuedvintage basketball shoes thatare actually more reminiscentof something from a decade ortwo earlier, but are much morepreferable to the air pocket,built-in pump gimmickry of the90s versions.I guess one positive, inmy opinion, with the returnof a 90s aesthetic is a moveto roomier cuts in jeans.The skinny kids have beendominating in recent years,so something that is mildlyon-trend for those who do nothave toothpicks for legs is verywelcome.All this nostalgia is fine, butis the decade something wereally want to revisit? Perhapsthat depends on if you livedit the first time round. KurtCobain is no longer with usbut Dave Grohl is still rockingit, Although, I guess if you areDave Grohl you can do whateverthe hell you want.Nostalgia trends are probablybest enjoyed by thoseyoung enough to be discoveringit for the first time. For therest of us, it might just be agood excuse to pull out thoseold albums we haven’t listenedto for a long time.LIGHTINGLuxury Light1483 My Toan 1, Nguyen Van Linh,Phu My Hung, D7For those who really want to bring atouch of luxury to their homes, this placedeals with Italian imported lighting fromthe ultra - modern to the traditionalMurano style chandeliers. Extremely expensivereflecting the quality of the designand workmanship.Mosaique98 Mac Thi Buoi, D1One of the best and most diverse selectionsof lamps in town with everythingfrom the ordinary decorative lotus silklamp to more inventive and originaldesigns in lacquer and silk.MOTORBIKESBike City480D Nguyen Thi Thap, D7Luxury motorcycle shop carries a rangeof accessories, including apparel. SellsVemar helmets, a brand that passesrigorous European Union standards.Protec Helmets18bis/3A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1248C Phan Dinh Phung, Phu Nhuan417B Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3American nonprofit manufacturer makeshelmets with densely compressed polystyreneshell with ABS, PVC or fiberglassexterior, available with polycarbonateshatter-proof shield. Options for kids.Zeus HelmetsFounded in Taiwan to manufacture cool,comfortable helmets that meet worldwidesafety standards. Basic models featurethermo-injected shells constructed fromlightweight ABS composite with interiorslined with moisture-absorbant brushednylon.REAL ESTATECB Richard EllisMe Linh Point Tower, 2 Ngo Duc Ke, D1Tel: 3824 6125www.cbre.comInternational property consultants anddevelopers with both commercial andprivate properties for sale, lease and rent.Diamond Plaza34 Le Duan StreetTel: 3822 1922lntdung@diamondplaza.com.vnLocated in the heart of District 1, connectedto Diamond PLaza. Services1- to 4-bedroom apartments with gym,swimming pool and panoramic views ofthe city.InterContinental Asiana SaigonResidencesCorner of Hai Ba Trung & Nguyen Du,D1 Tel: 3520 8888saigon@interconti.comwww.intercontinental.com/saigonresContemporary residential space in theheart of the major business and culturalarea in District 1. There are 260 one, twoor three-bedroom units plus health cluband outdoor swimming pool.NamhouseCorporation48A Tran NgocDien, Thao Dien, D2Tel: 0989 007 700, 0989 115 511www.namhouse.com.vnProvides rental properties, constructionservices and interior decorating. Supportsprofessional services and after-sales.Riverside Apartments53 Vo Truong Toan, D2Tel: 3744 4111www.riverside-apartments.comOne of the first luxury serviced apartmentsin town located next to the SaigonRiver set in lush tropical gardens.Savills Viet NamLevel 18, Fideco Tower, 81-85 HamNghi, D1 Tel: 823 9205www.savills.com.vnSavills Viet Nam is a property serviceprovider that has been established inVietnam since 1995 offering research,advisory services, residential sales, commercialleasing, asset management, retailadvisory, valuation, investment advisoryand more.Sherwood Residence127 Pasteur St., D3Tel: 3823 2288Fax: 3823 9880Hotline: 0917470058leasing@sherwoodresidence.comwww.sherwoodresidence.comSherwood Residence is a luxury servicedapartment property and the first propertycertified by the Vietnam National Administrationof Tourism. Modern living spacesmeet prime location, comfort and classwith 5-star facilities and service.SnapTel: 0989 816 676www.snap.com.vnOnline Real Estate serviceproviding information on rental propertiesexclusively in District 2. Full listings online.RECRUITMENTHR2B / Talent Recruitment JSCThien Son Building, 5 Nguyen GiaThieu, D3 Tel: 3930 8800www.hr2b.comHR consulting advises businesses onhow to improve employee productivity.The search team specializes in matchingsenior level Vietnamese professionals andmanagers to top level opportunities inboth major cities.Opus Vietnam2A Rolanno Offices, 128 Nguyen PhiKhanh, D1 Tel: 3827 8209www.opusasia.netEstablished in HCMC in 2005, Opus serviceslocal and multinational companiesseeking to recruit high quality personnel.An Associate of Horton International, oneof the world’s leading search groups withover 30 offices worldwide. For more infocontact info@opusasia.net.RELOCATION AGENTSAllied PickfordsSatra Building, Room 202, 58 DongKhoi, D1 Tel: 08 3823 3454Kevin.hamilton@alliedpickfords.com.vnhttp://vn.alliedpickfords.comMoving and relocating services companyspecializing in business and office moves.Overseas and specialist movers alsoavailable.Crown WorldwideMovers48A Huynh ManDat, Binh ThanhTel: 3823 4127www.crownrelo.comInternational moving company servingdiplomats and private customers, employeesand expats, providing domesticand iternational transportation of household,office and industrial goods.Santa Fe Relocation ServicesThien Son Building, 5 NguyenGia Thieu, D3Tel: 3933 0065www.santaferelo.comProvides a range of services includinghome/school search, language/culturaltraining, tenancy management and immigration/visasupport.STATIONERYPi-Channel45B Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3822 0253www.pi-channel.comBoutique shop carries up-marketcollections of pens and notepads, aswell as desktop organisers, clocks,calendars and frames. Corporateservices offered.74 asialife HCMC

listingsfashionACCESSORIESAccessorizeVincom 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 toys, stationery,Unitdot Bamboo eye wear, Ella Charlottescarves and ladies' apparel brandThings of Substance.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 branddisplays a wide range of accessories formen. Famous for its watches, Cartieralso stocks 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: notebooksfor a classic vagabond look. Qualityleather from crocodile, horse, snake andfish made by local craftsmanship.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 silkand embroidered to the brim, theseunique bags start at about USD $30,and many are suitable for both day andnight.Creation105 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 5429A two-storey shop selling scarves, intricatehandbags (from USD $30), tailormadesilk dresses and tops. Has a widerange of materials on the second floor.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-Nima71 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 365277 Dong Khoi, D1Well-known Hanoi-based fashion brand.Founder Christina Yu is a former lawyerturned designer who produces eclecticand eye-catching handbags. Also stockscostume 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.Louis VuittonOpera View, 161 Dong Khoi, D1Tel: 3827 6318Designer brand name housing traditionalcraftsmanship of luxury leather goods formen and women. An array of bags, wallets,cuff links and watches are available.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 accessoriesRimowa1st Floor OperaViewTower, 161 Dong Khoi, D1Tel: 3832 6941hotline@rimowavietnam.comThe German luggage maker is popularwith a who’s who of the celebrity world.Their range of cases come in varyingsizes and are made from high-tech materialsto provide exceptional durabilitywhile remaining very light weight.ScorpionVincom 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.asialife HCMC 75

femme fashionThe Statement BagBy D.B. Khoi“Show me a woman withouta handbag, and I’ll show youa man without nipples!” Isn’tthat the saying? No? OK, thenI might have just made it up. Idigress!My mother went andbought herself a Prada bag.My sister had taken her outshopping and they sent mepictures of the selections theyhad narrowed it down to and Ichose a traditional hard ribbedleather in navy blue.At first they wanted to getBurberry or Gucci, as anygood Asian woman would, butI denied them that stereotypicalprivilege and recommendedPrada. I thought the brandfitted her well; where she wasin her life, the way she dressedand most of all her personality.My mother is 57 years old,very simple, down to earth andan active lady, but she alsoattends a lot of functions andweddings during the year soshe needed a bag that waswell made, but wasn’t overlyflashy. It is her current 'Statement'bag.Every woman wants a'Statement' handbag. Be itChanel, LV, Gucci, Hermes.It’s the ultimate frontier inwomen’s shopping and fashion,and once you have oneyou can’t stop.Why do people buy thesebags? Is it for the superiorcraftsmanship and uniquedesign?You would like to think sofor the prices they’re willingto pay, but the fact is thesebags are mainly bought for thesole purpose of flashing cash.Making a socio-economicstatement that business isgood and you’re moving up inthe world.They’re a huge investmentfor a lot of people still but howmany know how to select oneproperly? I’ve seen ladies inDr Martens flip flops carryingGucci. Two great brands, notso good together. So unlessyou’re willing to change yourentire wardrobe for a bag,buy one that suits what youalready have.If you’re active and heavyhanded like my mother, gofor a tough leather brand likeBally. Are you flirty and girly?Perhaps Chanel or Fendi. Ifyou’re an edgy fashionistatype, why not Balenciaga?If you’re a bit OCD likeme, do a bit of research on abrand before purchasing. Justbecause it’s monogrammedall over, doesn’t mean it’s anice bag or it’ll suit you. Youknow that old saying, “Moneydoesn’t buy you class.” So tryto make an intellectual purchase.Happy shopping!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. Also carries asmall collection of vintage Rolexes.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.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.ACTIVE WEARRoxy and QuiksilverParkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1The original active living and extremesports brands, Roxy and Quiksilver productscombine form and function. Choosefrom outdoor gear to cool indoor clothes.TBS Sports Centre102 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu NhuanThis store stocks a range of good sportsclothes and equipment from big namebrands such as Puma, Adidas, Ecco,Nike and Converse.VolcomDiamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1Chic and funky ladies’ apparel brand fromAmerica. Lots of tank tops, minis andshorts for day tripping with girlfriends orlazing on the beach.READY TO WEARunisexBAM 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 with yourskateboard company of choice.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.L’Usine151/1 Dong Khoi, D1Lifestyle store and cafe housed in a periodbuilding restored to evoke the aestheticof an early 20th-century garment factory.Carries an exclusive, frequently refreshedline of imported men’s and women’s fashion,including T-shirts and footwear, and arange of unique accessories. Entrance viathe street-level Art Arcade.ReplayVincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1116 Nguyen Trai, D1187 Hai Ba Trung, D3Tel: 3925 0252Wide variety of shoes, clothing, denimfor teens and university-age men andwomen. Carries boots, sandals, pumpsand sneakers at mid-range prices.RunwayVincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1Tel: 3993 9988runway.sg@global-fashion.vnMassive and minimalist design-led interiorlets ultra high-end designer garmentsstand out. Carries men's, women's andchildren’s clothing, swimwear, shoes, accessoriesalong with home décor. Brandsinclude Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga,Sergio Rossi and Eres.Versace26 Dong KhoiDesigner brand in men’s formal wear.Houses suit jackets and trousers, shirtsas well as an array of men’s accessories.Also stocks womens clothing and shoes.menLucas69A Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3827 9670Fashion store housing contemporarydesigns in casual, office and eveningwear imported from Hong Kong.Massimo Ferrari42-A1 Tran Quoc Thao, D3Tel: 3930 6212Bespoke menswear shop also boastsits own brand of contemporary preppyattire tailored for the tropics. Carries aline of European-quality shoes, bags andaccessories designed in-house, as wellas exclusive Orobianco unisex bags,designer fragrances and eyewear.Mattre19 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3925 3412This local men’s clothes shop has somefunky tops and jeans for more fashionforwardmales. Apparel in sizes that fitthe typical Western man’s frame areoften available. Another store is locatedon Hai Ba Trung and Ly Tu TrongMilanoSheraton Hotel, 88 Dong Khoiwww.milanogoods.comA conjoining shop with D&G offering aselection of men’s shoes and accessorieswith a sideline in women’s clothing.D&G provides a collection of menswear,from casual jeans and T-shirts to uniquelydesigned suit jackets.TimberlandParkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1Sells everything the brand is knownfor, from heavy-duty boots to tops andtrousers that are both smart and casual.The emphasis is on muted tones andunobtrusive logos for men who don’t liketo show off.womenAxaraVincom Center B1, 70 - 72 Le ThanhTon, D1Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D121 Nguyen Trai, D1Tel: 3993 9399www.axara.comCarries women’s clothing suitable forwork, weekends or evening. Luxuriousfabrics and simple cuts and styles all atreasonable prices. Also carries handbagsand accessories.BalenciagaRex Hotel, 155 Nguyen HueTel: 6291 3572Sporting modern shapes and elegantitems crafted from natural, raw andartificial materials.BCBGMAXAZRIAVincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1American brand sells women’s daydresses and tops, evening gowns andwear-to-work attire in many prints andcolours. Also carries a small selection ofaccessories, sunglasses and watches.BebeSaigon Center, 65 Le Loi, D1Tel: 3914 4011www.bebe.com76 asialife HCMC

An international brand that specializesin contemporary, modern tees andsexy, elegant dresse, tops and partyattire.ChloeRex Hotel, 155 Nguyen Hue, D1Tel: 6291 3582Parisian-influenced fashion house specializesin simple, traditional designswith a feminine and fashionable twist.Jeans, satin dresses and a wide arrayof accessories are on display.Gaya1 Nguyen Van Trang, D1 Tel: 39251495Carries a range of couture and pret-aportergarments and silk and organzadresses in vibrant colours created byCambodia-based designer RomydaKeth.Geisha Boutique85 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3829 4004enquiry@geishaclothing.comFacebook: Geisha BoutiqueAustralian fashion label offering acontemporary range of casual andevening wear with an Asian influence.Printed tees, singlets, shorts, skirts,jeans, summer scarves, dresses, silkcamisoles and satin maxi dresses.KookaiSaigon Centre, 65 Le LoiFrench brand stocking classic,feminine, styles with a twist. Gypsy daydresses and classic little black dressesat mid- to high-range prices are perfectfor twenty- and thirty-somethingwomen.La Senza47B–47C Nguyen Trai, D1Tel: 3925 170065 Le Loi, Saigon Centre, D1Tel: 3914 4328www.lasenza.comBoutique carrying a wide range of bras,panties, pyjamas, accessories andlounge wear.Mango96 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3824 6624Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,D1A favourite with fashion-consciouswomen, this mid-range store stocksclothes from simple tees and jeans toevening wear.Marc JacobsRex Hotel, 155 Nguyen Hue , D1Tel: 6291 3580This spacious shop with high-ceilingscarries up-market clothes, shoes andaccessories from the internationallyrecognized designer brand.SongSaigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D176D Le Thanh TonOffers women’s fashion designs byValerie Gregori McKenzie, includingevening dress, tops and hats.ValencianiSaigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1Tel: 3821 278866-68 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 7302 4688valenciani.sg@gmail.comwww.valenciani.comHomegrown luxury boutique carries silkdresses, velvet corsets, chiffon shawlsand a range of accessories, all designedin-house.SHOESCharles & Keith10 Mac Thi Buoi, 18-20 Nguyen TraiTel: 3925 1132Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,D1www.charleskeith.comSingapore brand housing youthful andtrendy shoes of a contemporary, highfashion design.Converse186 Hai Ba Trung, D1148 Nguyen Trai, D1122 Ba Thang Hai, D10Tel: 3827 5584www.converse.com.vnSells iconic Chuck Taylor, Jack Purcelland All-Star sneakers and Conversebrand clothing and accessories. Also atdepartment stores around HCMC.Dr. Marten’s173 Hai Ba Trung, D3 Tel: 3822 4710Air Wair sandals and shoes here featurethe classic yellow stitching and chunkyrubber soles. Also stocked with clothesand accessories by Replay and Kappatracksuit tops.Sergio Rossi146AB Pasteur, D1Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue, D1World-renowned Italian brand stocks adiverse European-style collection of upmarketshoes and bags made of qualitymaterials, from crocodile and pythonskin laterals to garnishings of Swarovskicrystals and colourful beads.TAILORSDieu Thanh140 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 5851www.dieuthanh.comExperienced tailor shop specializes inswimwear and cotton clothing, as wellas business suits, evening dresses,luxury fabrics and accessories.Massimo Ferrari42-A1 Tran Quoc Thao, D3Tel: 3930 6212Traditional Italian sartorial techniquesare employed to offer a full wardrobingservice and custom tailoring for men.Stocked with imported fabrics primarilyfrom Italy. In-office and workplace fittingsavailable.LINH‘S WHITEPLEASANT LIVING MINIMALISM37 THAO DIEN(OPPOSITE AN PHU SUPERMARKET)67 XUAN THUY - DISTRICT 2PHONE: (84) - 62819863- 62818488E : linhnguyen@hbdecor.com.vn - www.linhfurniture.comasialife HCMC 77

Rimowa Grand OpeningPhotos by Alex McMillan.78 asialife HCMC

Ngoc Vien Dong PremiereCafe Central 10th Anniversaryasialife HCMC 79

Street Guide3 Thang 2 D1Alexandre de RhodesC4Ba Huyen Thanh Quan C1, C2, D2, D3Ban CoD1Ben Chuong DuongE4Ben Van DonE4, E5Bui Thi XuanD3Bui VienE3Cach Mang Thang Tam C1, D2, D3CalmetteE4Cao Ba NhaE3Cao ThangD1, D2, E2Chu Manh TrinhC4, C5Co BacE3Co GiangE3De ThamE3Dien Bien Phu B4, C3, C2, D1, D2Dinh Cong TrangB3Dinh Tien HoangB3, B4, C4Do Quang DauE3Do ThanhD1Doan Nhu HaiE5Doan Van BoE4, E5Dong DuD5Dong KhoiC4, D4, D5Hai CuaB5Huynh Tinh CuaB2Huynh Van BanhB1Khanh HoiE4Ky ConB3, C3, C4, D5Hai TrieuC5Ham NghiD4, C5Han ThuyenC4Ho Hao HonE3Ho Huan NghiepD5Ho Tung MauD4, D5Ho Xuan HuongC3, D2Hoa HungB1Hoang DieuE4, E5Hung VuongE1Huyen Tran Cong ChuaD3Huynh Man DatB5Huynh Thuc KhangD4Ky DongC1, C2Le Cong KieuD4Le DuanC4, C5Le Hong PhongD1Le LaiC3, C4, D3Le LoiD4Le Quoc HungE4, E5Le Quy DonC3Le Thanh Ton C4, C5, D3, D4Le Thi Hong Gam D4, E3, E4Le Thi RiengD3Le Van PhucB3Le Van SyC1, C2Luong Huu KhanhD2, E2Luu Van LangD4Ly Chinh ThangB2, C2Ly Thai ToE1Ly Tu Trong C4, C5, D4, D5Mac Dinh ChiB3, C4Mac Thi BuoiD5Mai Thi LuuB4Mai Van NgocB1Me LinhB5Nam Ky Khoi Nghia B2, C2, C3, D4, E4Ngo Duc KeD5Ngo Thoi NhiemC2, D2Ngo Van NamC5Nguyen Binh Khiem B4, B5, C5Nguyen Cong TruE4Nguyen Cu TrinhE2, E3Nguyen Dinh Chieu B4, C3, C4, D1, D2, D3Nguyen Dinh ChinhB180 asialife HCMCNguyen DuNguyen Hai TuNguyen HueNguyen Huu CanhNguyen Huu CanhNguyen Huu CauNguyen Khac NhuNguyen KhoaiNguyen Ngoc PhuongNguyen Phi KhanhNguyen SieuNguyen Son HaNguyen Tat ThanhNguyen Thai BinhNguyen Thai HocNguyen Thi DieuNguyen Thien ThuatNguyen ThongNguyen Thuong HienNguyen TraiNguyen Trung NganNguyen Trung TrucNguyen Truong ToNguyen Van CuNguyen Van HaiNguyen Van LacNguyen Van ThuNguyen Van TroiPasteurPham Hong ThaiPham Ngoc ThachPham Ngu LaoPham Viet ChanhPham Viet ChanhPhan Dinh PhungPhan Ke BinhPhan Van HanPho Duc ChinhPhung Khac KhoanSuong Nguyet AnhTan VinhThach Thi ThanhThai Van LungThi SachThu Khoa HuanTon Duc ThangTon That DamTon That ThiepTon That TungTran Binh TrongTran Canh ChanTran Cao VanTran Dinh XuTran Hung DaoTran Khac ChanTran Khanh DuTran Minh QuyenTran Minh QuyenTran Nhan TonTran Nhat DuatTran PhuTran Quang DieuTran Quang KhaiTran Quoc ThaoTran Quoc ToanTran Van DangTruong ChinhTruong DinhTu XuongVinh KhanhVo Thi SauVo Van TanVuon ChuoiXo Viet Nghe TinhYersinC4, D3, D4B4D4, D5B2C5B3E3F3B5B3C5, D5D2E5D4, E4D3, E3, E4D2, D3D1, E1, E2C1, C2, D2D2D3, E2C5D4E4, E5E2B3B5B4, C3, C4B1C2, C3, C4, D4D2, D3C3D3, D4, E3B5E2B2B4B4, B5D4, E4C3, C4D2, D3E4B3C5C5D4C5, D4, D5, E4D4D4D2, D3E1E2C4E2, E3D4, E2, E3B3B2, B3D1C1E1B3E1B1, B2B3, B2C2, C3B2, B3, B2C1, C2C3C2, D3C2, C3, D2E4, E5B3, C2, C3C3, D2, D3D2B4, B5E4AAirport3kmBTran Van DangCTan Binh0.5kmHoa HungDistrict 112kmTran Minh QuyenTran Nhan TonHuynh Van BanhTran Minh QuyenDien Bien PhuLe Hong PhongSaigonTrain StationLan AnhSports &Leisure ClubLy Thai ToTran Quang DieuTran Quang DieuHung VuongNguyen Van TroiCach Mang Thang Tam3 Thang 2Ban CoNguyen Th ongNguyen Thien ThuatTran Binh TrongNg Dinh ChinhTran PhuLe Van SyTran Minh QuyenDISTRICT 10DE1PHU NHUANAn Duong VuongTran Van DangCao ThangDo ThanhDISTRICT 5Huyn h Van BanhKy DongUniversityof NaturalSciencesVNg. Thuong. ChuoiNguyen Van CuTeacherTrainingUniversityLy Chinh T hangHienVuonChuoiMarketNguyen Trai2Phan Dinh PhungTruong DinhTu XuongNam Ky KhVo Thi SauNguyen Son HaDien BNguyen Thi Minh KPham Viet ChanhNguyen ThoNguyen DinhVDISTR

Ky Khoi Nghia Nam Ky Khoi NghiaTranSau Vo Thi SauDien Bien Phuyen Thongen Dinh ChieuMinh KhaiNguyen Van NguyenNguyen TraiTran Khanh DuHuynh Tinh CuaN. V. HaiQuoc ToanTran Quoc ToanBa Huyen Thanh QuanNgo Thoi NhiemLuong Huu KhanhSuong Nguyet AnhTon That TungThai BinhMarketCong QuynhTran Dinh XuWarRemnantsMuseumCultural ParkCach Mang Thang TamCao Ba NhaNg. Huu CauLe Thi RiengNguyen TraiDo Q. DauLe LaiThach Thi ThanhD. C. TrangVo Van Tan Vo Van TanCao ThangHo Xuan HuongRICT 14th Floor ONG&ONG Building159 Phan Xich Long StWard 7, Phu Nhuan DistrictCu LaoTran Nhat DuatNguyen Thi DieuHai Ba TrungTran Quoc ThaoBui Thi XuanNguyen Cu TrinhTran Khac ChanDISTRICT 3Nguyen Gia ThieuLe Quy DonPham Ngu LaoHo H. Hon3Phan Xich LongTruong QuyenBui VienCo BacTran Quang KhaiLe Van TamParkPham Ngoc ThachPasteurTruong DinhVo Huy TanRe-unificationPalaceHuyen Tran Cong ChuaNguyen Thai HocDe ThamNg Kh NhuNg. Phi KhanhL. V. PhucCo GiangThu Kh HuanPham Hong ThaiDe ThamTran Hung Dao Tran Hung DaoDinh Tien HoangLy Tu TrongGia DinhHospitalNg Hai TuNguyen Van ThuAlexandre De RhodesNguyen DuNguyen An NinhLe Thi Hong GamMac Dinh ChiNguyen Dinh ChieuTran Cao VanBenThanhMarketBusStationCentralPost OfficeLe LoiNguyen Binh KhiemHoa LuStadiumDinh Tien HoangHai Ba TrungTown HallHTVtelevisionLe Duan Le DuanPasteurNguyen Trung TrucKy ConPhan Ke BinhNguyen Thai BinhYersinHan ThuyenL. V. LangNg. Cong Tru4Mai Thi LuuDong KhoiLe Cong KieuPho Duc ChinhCalmetteBen Van DonBINH THANHNguyen DuHoang SaHam NghiLe LoiTon Th at ThiepT. T. DamXo Viet Nghe TinhChu Manh TrinhLy Tu TrongNguyen HueTon Duc ThangThi SachLe Quoc HungMacThai Van LungDong DuNgoNg SieuCao Ba QuatPham Van HanLe Thanh Ton Le Thanh TonPasteurTruong SaDISTRICT 1Huynh Thuc KhangVinh KhanhHoang DieuHo Tung MauNg. Cong TruNguyenTrung NganNg Truong ToHai TrieuZoo & BotanicalGardensNguyen Binh KhiemPhan Van DatThi BuoiH.H.NghiepDuc KeDoan Nhu HaiDoan Van BoNgo VDISTRICT 4an NamNguyen Tat Thanh5Nguyen Cuu VanNguyen Ngoc PhuongNguyen Huu CanhTon DucThang MuseumThu ThiemFerry Port(for District 2)HCM CityBoat Quay(for Vung Tau)asialife HCMC 81Huynh Tinh CuaHuynh Man DatSaigon Bridge& Highway 13kmCat Lai Ferry9kmDistrict 7& Nha BeNguyen Van LacMe LinhVung Tau

adarAnimate mebefunky.comThis fantastic – and free – website allows visitors to edit their photos in a numberof unique, creative ways. Once you upload a picture from your hard drive, there arethe usual tweaks available – contrast, saturation, various lighting effects, etc., butmore interesting are the custom add-ons. For example, you can make your picturelook like a Warhol painting, a stencil drawing or, and this is a personal favourite, acartoon, among dozens of other editing options. You can also add text bubblesand even props like a Christmas tree, allowing one to turn shots of steamy Saigoninto a winter wonderland.Mood musicmusicovery.comWe’ve all been there, scrolling through our iTunes library, looking for that songthat perfectly fits our mood at the time. Musicovery attempts to ease this processby allowing users to listen to a stream of songs based on their mood byusing a ‘pad’ that has four poles: Energetic, Calm, Dark, and Positive. You canclick in between these to combine moods, for example ‘Energetic Positive,’and a playlist to match will then be created. Musicovery is a bit like PandoraRadio in that you can also create ‘stations’ of your favourite artists, but unlikePandora this site actually works in Vietnam.News doesn’t have to be serioustheonion.comAn American parody news organization founded in 1988, The Onion viciouslysatirizes nearly everything involving news and current events. While thewebsite’s stories are somewhat U.S.-centric, especially regarding politics,there is a world news page, and surely anyone with a dark sense of humourcan appreciate headlines like “Casual Friday Claims Lives of 13 Nuclear WasteDisposal Technicians,” and “Fun Toy Banned Because Of Three Stupid DeadKids.” The site also publishes satirical videos as the “Onion News Network”.Very popular among U.S. college students, The Onion is always good for alaugh.82 asialife HCMC

PROUDLY SPONSORED BYwine foodNEW ZEALAND&Saturday April 21, 20124 -10pmRiverside Apartments53 Vo Truong ToanThao Dien Ward, District 2MEDIA SPONSOREVENT ORGANISERAdult 1,250,000 VND ($60)Children (7-14) 320,000 VND ($15)Child (3-6) 100,000 VND ($5)Infant/Toddler (0-2) FOCNanny 100,000 VND ($5)Public ticket sales will begin on Friday, April 13th.Further information regarding public ticket sales will beavailable on posters displayed throughout Saigon inlocal bars and restaurants.You can also contact info@saigongourmetgroup.comfor up-to-date information.Public sale tickets are strictly limited to 6 Adult tickets per person.

oxofficeWrath of the Titans 3DBattleshipMirror MirrorThe Avengers 3DA decade after his defeat of themonstrous Kraken, Perseus,the demigod son of Zeus, isattempting to live a quieterlife as a fisherman and parentto his 10-year-old son, Helius.Meanwhile, a struggle forsupremacy rages between thegods and Titans. Dangerouslyweakened by humanity's lackof devotion, the gods are losingcontrol of the imprisoned Titansand their leader, Kronos, fatherof the long-ruling brothers Zeus,Hades and Poseidon. Perseuscannot ignore his true callingwhen Hades, along with Zeus'godly son, Ares switch loyaltyand make a deal with Kronosto capture Zeus. The Titans'strength grows stronger as Zeusgrows weaker.Peter Berg produces and directsBattleship, an epic-scaledaction-adventure that unfoldsacross the seas, in the skies andover land as our planet fightsfor survival against a superiorforce. Inspired by Hasbro'sclassic naval combat game,Battleship stars Taylor Kitsch asLt. Alex Hopper, a Naval officerassigned to the USS John PaulJones; Brooklyn Decker as SamShane, a physical therapist andHopper's fiancée; AlexanderSkarsgård as Hopper's olderbrother, Stone, CommandingOfficer of the USS Sampson;Rihanna as Petty Officer Raikes,Hopper's crewmate and aweapons specialist on the USSJohn Paul Jones; and LiamNeeson as Hopper.One of the most belovedstories of all time is coming tolife in a motion picture eventfor the whole family, MirrorMirror. A fresh and funnyretelling of the Snow Whitelegend, Mirror Mirror featuresbreakout star Lily Collins asSnow White, a princess inexile, and Julia Roberts as theevil Queen who ruthlesslyrules her captured kingdom.Seven courageous rebeldwarfs join forces with SnowWhite as she fights to reclaimher birthright and win herPrince in this magical comedyfilled with jealousy, romance,and betrayal. The film alsostars Armie Hammer andNathan Lane.Marvel Studios presents Marvel’sThe Avengers, the super heroteam of a lifetime, featuringiconic Marvel super heroes IronMan, the Incredible Hulk, Thor,Captain America, Hawkeyeand Black Widow. When anunexpected enemy emergesthat threatens global safety andsecurity, Nick Fury, director ofthe international peacekeepingagency known as S.H.I.E.L.D.,finds himself in need of a teamto pull the world back from thebrink of disaster. Starring RobertDowney Jr., Chris Evans, MarkRuffalo, Chris Hemsworth,Scarlett Johansson, JeremyRenner and Samuel L. Jackson,produced by Kevin Feige andwritten and directed by JossWhedon.Opening DatesCINEMAST: Thang Longwww.saigonmedia.com.vnM: Megastar Cinemawww.megastar.vnMirror Mirror (April 20)The Avengers 3D (April 26)Wrath of the Titans 3D (April 6)Battleship (April 20)The information on this page wascorrect at the time of printing. Checkcinema websites for screenings.84 asialife HCMC

ookshelfAbsolutionPatrick FlaneryRiverhead HardcoverAbsolution takes place in the years around South Africa’sfirst free election in 1994. It’s a time of great change andgreat confusion, and in the midst of this is renownednovelist Clare Wald. Confronting her regret and remorse,Wald is in the process of penning her confessions – in awork also called Absolution – while simultaneously beingwritten about by a young biographer. What are the liesthey tell themselves? What can be trusted? What hauntsthem both? The novel unravels along the themes ofmemory, guilt and forgiveness.The ExpatsChris PavoneCrownA debut from author Chris Pavone, The Expats tells thestory of two Americans overseas. Kate and Dexter moveto Luxembourg when the latter receives a well-paidjob offer. While her husband is kept busy at work, Kate– who left behind a career in Washington, DC – soongrows weary of the expat-wife life. But this is no typicalchallenge of being abroad scenario. It turns out that Kateis a former C.I.A. assassin, whereas Dexter and some oftheir new acquaintances also have a few secrets up theirsleeves. As Kate makes discoveries, readers will alsomake a few surprising revelations of their own.A Game of Thrones:The Graphic Novel:Volume OneGeorge R. R. MartinBantamYou may have read the original books, and likely seen thehit HBO television series, now the epic fantasy tale Gameof Thrones has been released as a graphic novel. Adaptedby acclaimed novelist Daniel Abraham and illustrated byTommy Patterson, volume one comprises the initial sixissues of the graphic series. It again brings to life all theintrigue and scheming among the various kingdoms in thefictional land of Westeros. This full-colour graphic novelis the first in what will surely complete any Game of Tronesfan’s collection.Religion for Atheists:A Non-Believer’sGuide to the Uses ofReligionAlain de BottonPantheon BooksWhat place does religion have in our lives today? Frenchwriter and philospher Alain de Botton explores notions ofcontemporary secular society and the absence of spiritualguidance. Though he doesn’t advocate for religious beliefsand practices, de Botton pushes for agnostics and atheiststo learn from religion. He sees a current crisis of thesoul, as cultural and intellectual institutions fail to providepractical instruction on how we should live our lives inmeaningful ways. The ideas taught in religions – such ashow to be moved by art, manage complicated feelings andbuild community – can be of value to the non-believingworld.asialife HCMC 85

soundfixalbum reviewby Mai Lynn Miller NguyenGrimesVisionsPerfume GeniusPut Your Back N 2 ItMichael KiwanukaBreak It YourselfWZRDWZRDThe future is now. That’s thefeeling one has while listeningto Grimes, a one-womanproject of Montreal’s ClaireBoucher. Ethereal and heavilyelectronic, her new albumVisions is a haunting mergerof pop, disco and witch housethat sounds very 21st centuryindeed. Boucher loops herown falsetto vocals, layeredwith synthesised sounds. Herthroaty manipulated robotvoice on ‘Eight’ is strangebut eerily catchy. The danceworthybeats of ‘Oblivion’ and‘Genesis’ are sure to enjoy along career as remix material,and Grimes is fast becomingthe darling of in-the-know DJs.This is Boucher’s third album,and it seems to be the first oneshe gets just right.Melancholia is at the heart ofPerfume Genius’ music. Withdelicate piano and guitar accompaniment,lush wistful vocalsand dark lyrical content, singer/songwriter Mike Hadreas cannotbe considered cheerful byany means. Don’t be misguidedby the hip hop alluding title,Put Your Back N 2 It is emotiveindie music at its finest. This isthe type of music that’s like astormy day. Drops of rain batteragainst the windowpane, alllooks grim outside, but somehowit’s beautiful, poignantand - in a strange way - satisfying.The Seattle-based musicianproduces just this sort of bittersweet sound, channelling hisown vulnerabilities to create acompelling body of work worthyof Elliott Smith comparisons.From the first chords of thestirring single ‘Home Again’,Michael Kiwanuka proves he deserveshis spot at the top of BBC’sSound of 2012 poll. The singersongwriter’sdebut record fallswithin a growing appreciationfor the soulful and seeminglysincere. The vintage styled production,wise-beyond-his-yearslyrics and jazz flute flourishesmake Kiwanuka come across asmore mature than his 25 yearsof age, much like one of his apparentinfluences, Otis Redding.His vocals also bear comparisonto James Taylor, particularly on‘Now I’m Seeing’. His rejectionof the cool game and his frequentfaith references seem to makehim an unlikely chart topper, butsometimes it is worth placing abet on the underdog.One of the last times we sawKid Cudi he was goofingaround with Snoop Dogg inthe amusing video for ‘ThatTree’. Now the hipster hop artistbehind the addictive 2008single ‘Day ‘n’ Nite’ is back toreveal his more serious side.WZRD, his band with Dot daGenius, gives Cudi the chanceto show off his electric guitarskills and lessons learnedwith his newfound sobriety.Like Cudi’s previous work,WZRD is heavily textured,electronic and doesn’t quite fitneatly within any one genre.‘Teleport 2 Me, Jamie’, whichborrows the melody fromsynthpop act Desire’s haunting‘Under Your Spell’, is oneof the standouts in an overallabsorbing collection.86 asialife HCMC

Official xoneFM Vietnam Top 10this last title artistweek week1234567891010Re5Re21463NewGive Your Heart aBreakBetter Than I KnowMyselfHeavy Metal LoverI Won't Give UpLove You Like a LoveSongGoodbyeIf This Was a MovieMirrorLive My LifeStripDemi LovatoUS Top 10this last title artistweek week1234567891012365479811StrongerSet Fire to the RainTurn Me OnGlad You CameAss Back HomeDominoInternational LovePart of MeGood FeelingYoung, Wild and FreeUK Top 10this last title artistweek week12345678910xoneFM top ten13New24861051Somebody That IUsed to KnowStarshipsElephantNext to MeWild OnesTitaniumHot Right NowTurn Me OnLove MeNiggas in ParisAdam LambertLady GagaJason MrazSelena Gomez feat TheSceneAvril LavigneTaylor SwiftLil Wayne feat BrunoMarsFar East Movementfeat Justin BieberChris Brown feat KevinMcCallKelly ClarksonAdeleDavid Guetta feat NickiMinajThe WantedGym Class Heroes featNeonJessie JPitbull feat ChrisBrownKaty PerryFlo RidaWiz Khalifa/SnoopDogg feat Bruno MarsGotye feat KimbraNicki MinajAlexandra Burke/ErickMorilloEmeli SandeFlo Rida feat SiaDavid Huetta feat SiaDJ Fresh feat Rita OraDavid Guetta feat NickiMinajStooshe feat TravieMcCoyJay-Z and Kanye WestendorsedSteven TylerBy Jade BilowolSkimming a news website,something catches my eye.With scraggly hair framing hisface, his trademark lips andanother androgynous outfit,staring back is the ‘Demon ofScreamin’, Aerosmith’s StevenTyler, beside fellow AmericanIdol Season 11 judge J Lo.The link reveals Idol’s USratings have dipped. It’s beenstruggling to fend off rival TheVoice. But Idol can count on anew fan in me, and I’ve draggedmy husband and flatmates intothe fray. It may’ve taken 11seasons but it’s happened—I’ve succumbed to the numberone show in the US for eightconsecutive seasons. Am I alaggard or a sell out?As a diehard fan of LedZep, The Beatles and bandsof that ilk I’ve been guilty ofmusic snobbery, deriding realityTV singing competitions asglamorized karaoke butcheringclassics. Then Tyler collides withthe reality TV stable and, yes, Itune in, rendering me what thedictionary dubs a hypocrite.Tyler’s copped flack,particularly from his Aerosmithcoterie. But he’s having the lastlaugh, pocketing millions sittingthrough audition after painfulaudition. Tyler’s been creditedfor reinvigorating Idol yet criticshave chided him for “too muchhappy talk”. What’s wrong withpraising people? Is it mandatoryto take shock jock-esque cheapshots, destroying personalitiesin the process?What’s really great aboutIdol? Tyler’s one-liners. Theykeep coming thick and fast …particularly when he’s looking atwomen.When bespectacled, fedoradonningBritney Zika trips onher way into the audition roomat Portland, Tyler remarks: “Didyou fall for me? Oh, I’m muchtoo young to be this old”. Healso asks bosomy Sam Gershman,“Could you be any moreperky?”When Texas contestantAlejandro Cazares says Tylerwrote his hit Dream On beforehis Aerosmith days, he adds: "Iwrote Dream On back when theDead Sea was still sick". Leavingthe Texas auditions, he tellsthe camera, "Don't sweat thepetty things and don't pet thesweaty things.”Tyler is candid. “I can’t wait tohear 40 people sing the sameAdele song for six f---ing hours,”he quips before a day of SanDiego auditions. "I went throughfour hours of hair and makeupto listen to this bull---t?" heretorts about the USS MidwayAircraft Carrier’s backgroundnoise.Former Cardinals pitcher JoeMagrane, father of Shannon, 15,asks Tyler how he likes St Louis."Hot, humid and happening…just like your daughter,” Tylerinappropriately remarks beforean uncomfortable silence.My new-found fondness ofIdol signals a better work-lifebalance. The problem is I’mnow also watching America’sNext Top Model and The Bachelor.But I’m yet to follow TheVoice—out of loyalty to Tyler.asialife HCMC 87

KeepingTabsA handy guide on how to make yourself soundawesome in a job application. It’s not really lying,or so Tabitha Carvan says.Many expats worry about howtheir time spent overseas willaffect their employability whenthey return home. Fear not! Theskills you’ve learned in Vietnamare totally transferable. You justneed to position them in theright way.• “I have advanced andadaptable communicationskills”What this means is you canact out, charades-style, complexmedical afflictions for thepharmacist (“Two words, foursyllables… That’s right: vaginalthrush!”), and, using absolutelyno words, acquire exactly thecounterfeit medications youneed. Indeed, your non-verbalskills are so advanced that youcan convey entire sentences justusing your eyes. It only takesone narrow-eyed glare to say,“If this pirated DVD copy ofGame of Thrones is not of superiorquality, mark my words Iwill be right back here to haveyour guts for garters.”• “I have experience inresearch and analysis across abroad range of fields”Well, you might not leaveVietnam an expert in its historyor language or culture, but I betif I asked you for the neareststore that sells cheese, or whereto go for the cheapest beer in a100-metre radius, you wouldbe all over that shit. You are anexpert: you’re an expat expert.And that doesn’t happen overnight.It takes years of strategicresearch and analysis to findthe closest cheese and cheapestbeer.• “I have demonstrated experiencein following complexprocedures, and applying specificpolicies and guidelines”Do you know the correct,Vietnamese-approved order inwhich to add the raw ingredientsto your hotpot? Yes?Really? You’re not temptedto add the noodles too soon?Well, there is no more complexprocedure than that. You’re atotal pro.• “I am financially adept andhave considerable experience inprofit-and-loss calculations andbusiness negotiations”Finances? Pffft, piece ofcake! To be more precise, pieceof cake you got for half-pricebecause you found a baby ratin it. Score! Your entire life is aprofit-and-loss calculation. Sure,it’s running at a pretty constantloss of about 40 percent becauseof your poor bargaining techniquesand enormous nose, butthere’s a gecko living in yourkitchen who you’ve named“Gordon Gecko” which istotally the kind of reference thatonly a hard-hitting businessmogul like yourself would get.• “I can interpret and analysecomplex and ambiguous situations,generating appropriaterecommendations and solutions”You sure can. For example,when your neighbour asks you,“Do you have children yet?”you employ in depth analysisto understand this to mean:“You will surely die ALONEand BARREN.” Your solution isto rub your belly and pretendyou’re pregnant when reallyyou’ve just eaten too much ofthat chè with the rainbow jellyin it.• “I thrive in a fast-paced,dynamic environment”Umm, every time you useyour hairdryer, blue sparkscome flying out at you fromthe wall socket. I think you canhandle working in a “dynamic”office.• “Challenging situationsbring out the best in me”For you, a challenging situationis like a shot of rice winemade from rotting goat’s penis:it MAKES YOU STRONG. Sure,it could also make you vomitinto your handbag all the wayto the Family Medical Practice,but whatever, that’s still not theworst in you, is it.• “I have advanced problemsolvingskills”It only took you 12 monthsto work out which type ofVinamilk is the one with nosugar. You are basically an acecode-cracker.• “I operate to the highestlevels of personal integrity andethical standards”You wipe your chopstickswith a napkin before you usethem. That totally counts.And just like that, your timein Vietnam reaps dividends. Ifyou need a reference, just sendthem to me. No-one’s going tocall a referee in Vietnam anyway.To read more from Tabitha visitthecitrthatneversleepsin.com.88 asialife HCMC

THE TWO OF USFiancés Randy Pulayya and Shauna Vo met by chance at a New York airport. Theytell Michael Tatarski how their relationship has progressed through stints in theUS, South Korea and Vietnam. Photo by Fred Wissink.RandyShaunaIn 2008 I was living in NewYork City and had to catch ared-eye flight the day after Halloween.I was going throughsecurity when I saw this girllooking at her camera. I noticedpictures from England and Iasked her where she had gone,and we started talking. Weexchanged information, andafter that we started talking fora few hours every night.I was in Florida the weekbefore Christmas, and my flightback to New York got delayed,so I called Shauna and plansfor New Year’s came up. Shetold me she was going to Atlantaand said, “You can comeif you want, but you don’t haveto.” I took this as an invitationand decided, “Why not?”.After that I started trying topersuade her to leave Arkansasand move to New York, sinceshe was a talented graphicdesigner and there would betons of work. When Shaunamoved to DC instead, I decidedto as well.A year later the economycratered and I was laid off, soI decided to go abroad andteach. We moved to South Korea,and during a trip to Japan Iproposed to her on Mount Fuji.We decided to move to Vietnamafter one year. We wantedto venture into the businessworld, so we started an exportcompany called VP Exportstogether. Vietnam has givenus an opportunity to grow as acouple, and we love it here.I had just finished a monthlongbackpacking trip throughEurope, and I had a layover inNew York on the way back toArkansas. We went throughsecurity at like 5am, and itwas kind of a long line, so Iwas looking at pictures frommy trip. Randy started talkingto me and I tried not to coughon him, because I was reallysick.I was living in Arkansasand looking for jobs, andI made plans to visit somefriends in Atlanta for NewYear’s. I invited Randy and wespent the holiday together. Hethen visited me in Arkansas,and I visited him in New York,where I had an interview.I didn’t get the job, so Imoved in with one of my bestfriends in Washington D.C. Ifound work and then Randymoved down, and we endedup moving in together prettyquickly, but he hated the city.We went to Korea, althoughI was sad to leave my job inWashington. We thought wewould be in Asia for a yearand then move back to NewYork. For our last trip beforeleaving the country I wantedto go to Taiwan, but Randywon a rock-paper-scissorsbattle and we went to Japan. Ididn’t know the proposal wascoming, but I said “OK”. I’mhappy we were able to movehere, because my family isVietnamese, and I’m happy Iwas able to come with Randy.asialife HCMC 89

pub quizApril1) What do French children tryand stick on each other onApril Fools’ Day?2) On what date does KhmerNew Year fall this year?3) How is the Thai New Yearotherwise know?4) Which famous Englishmanwas born, and died, on 23rdApril?5) Where has 25th April been apublic holiday since 1916?Colours6) What colour graded slope doexpert skiers use?7) What colour is Thomas the TankEngine?8) What colour are wildbudgerigars?9) What colour is named after abattle fought in Italy in 1859?10) In aviation, what colour is ablack box?As11) Lake Nasser lies behindwhich dam?12) Which goddess sprang fullgrown from the forehead ofher father, Zeus?13) What symbol’s name derivesfrom Greek for little star?14) Which special day followsShrove Tuesday?15) Who did Marylin Monroemarry in June 1956?Bs16) What was the name of themost-hunted gang of Germanterrorists of the 1970s?17) What is halitosis?18) Of which ancient empire wasNebuchadnezzar king?19) Ouagadougou is the capital ofwhich country?20) What name is given to thestudy of the paths taken byprojectiles?Cs21) Which blackcurrant basedliqueur is a speciality of theBurgundy region of France?22) The bark of which tree, nativeto Sri Lanka and SouthernIndia, is used as a well knownspice?23) On which moor did thelast battle to be fought onmainland Britain take placein 1746?24) Which aid to road safety waspatented by Percy Shaw in1934?25) Which marshy area ofsouthern France is known forits wild horses and flamingos?Guess the Celebrity26)27)28)29)30)Thoâng tin du lòch vaø vaên hoaù ôû Vieät Nam ASIALIFE HCMCChòu traùch nhieäm xuaát baûn: Nguyeãn Thò Thanh HöôngBieân taäp: Nguyeãn Thuùy LieãuSöûa baûn in: Truùc LanTrình baøy: Coâng ty TNHH QC TM DV Ba traêm saùu möôi laêm ngaøyBìa: Coâng ty TNHH QC TM DV Ba traêm saùu möôi laêm ngaøyNhaø XuaáT baûn toång hôïpTP. Hoà Chí MINH62 Nguyeãn Thò Minh Khai, Q1ÑT: 38225340 – 38296764 – 38220405 – 38296713 – 38223637Fax: 84.8.38222726 Email: tonghop@ nxbhcm.com.vnWebsite:www.nxbhcm.com.vn - www.fiditour.comThöïc hieän lieân keát xuaát baûn: Coâng ty TNHH QC TM DVBa traêm saùu möôi laêm ngaøyIn laàn thöù nhaát, soá löôïng 4000 cuoán, khoå 20,5cm x 27,0cmGPXB soá: 79-12/CXB/536-04/THTPHCMNgaøy 28/03/2012In taïi Coâng ty TNHH MTV ITAXA, ñòa chæ 126 Nguyeãn Thò Minh Khai, Q.3.In xong vaø noäp löu chieåu thaùng 04/ 2012365 Days Advertising Trading Services Co.,LtdL4,159 Phan Xich Long, P7, Phu Nhuan District Tel: +84 8 3517 2208Director:Jonny Edbrookejonny@threesixfive-days.comPhoto Editor: Fred Wissinkfred@asialifehcmc.comArt Director: Johnny Murphyjohnny@threesixfive-days.comSenior Designer: Nguyen Mai Anhmaianh@threesixfive-days.comPhotography Interns:Alex Belikov, Alex McMillanManaging Editor: Brett Davisbrett@asialifehcmc.comDeputy Editor: Chris Muellerchris.mueller@asialifehcmc.comContributing Editor: Michael Tatarskimichael@asialifehcmc.comTraffic Manager: Bui Tu Trinhtrinh.bui@threesixfive-days.comEditorial Intern: Michael TatarskiFor advertising and marketing enquiries please call:Nguyen Kim Hanh +84 908 298395 / +84 8 3517 2208Distribution: Super Long +84 937 633283AsiaLIFE is a registered trademark. No content may be reproduced in anyform without prior authorisation of the owners.© Ba Sau Nam Co,Ltd Vietnam6 29 7 87 3 9 44 2 96 17 5 35 1 8 46 4 79 1Pub Quiz Answers1) Paper Fish 2) April 13th 3) Songkran 4) William Shakespeare 5) Australiaand New Zealand (also Tonga, Niue and the Cook Islands) 6) Black 7) Blue8) Green (and yellow) 9) Magenta 10) Orange 11) Aswan (High Dam) 12)Athena 13) Asterisk 14) Ash Wednesday 15) Arthur Miller 16) Baader-MeinhoffGroup or Gang 17) Bad Breath 18) Babylon(ia) 19) Burkina Faso 20)Ballistics 21) Crème de Cassis 22) Cinnamon 23) Culloden 24) Cat’s Eyes25) The Camargue 26) Will Farrell 27) Charlie Sheen 28) Madonna 29) JoeBiden 30) Ethan Hawke90 asialife HCMC

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