Piggy Bank?

Flags out for Liberation Day tomorrow

On public holidays residences must fly the Vietnamese flag. We had Hung Kings day last Friday, Liberation Day tomorrow and May Day on Saturday, so generally the flags stay out for the entire week

Hotel Continental

IJ makes another instore appearence

About 18 months ago the kids ended up on some Parkson department store advertising for the DLS brand. Cruising through there over the weekend we found that they had replaced the old pics with new ones, including this monster of IJ

Vincom Center nears completion

Anzac Day sausage sizzle at Vino

Anzac Day is the Australian and New Zealand equivalent of remembrance or memorial day. The day is becoming more popular in Vietnam as the government is opening up more opportunities for remembrance services at American War battles sites such as Long Tan.

Afternoon shadows

Need a new seat for your bike?

Barbie pens

Coffee and a beetroot concoction

Hauling rubbish

I am always impressed by the orange army of street sweepers who patrol the major thoroughfares and little lane ways, keeping them relatively clean from the array of garbage that gets left or thrown on them. It is quite obvious when a street has been neglected by the orange team, as the rubbish can build up quick

Preparing for business

A noodle stall being unpacked and preparing for the dinner trade. It always impresses me how much stuff they can squeeze into the trolleys

Dinner at La Plancha

Beer and grilled meats in the afternoon

Bia tuoi's (beer halls) are raucous dirt-on-the-floor type affairs that are great fun. This one is down the end of my street and is preparing for the evening ahead by pre-cooking some meats on the street side BBQ

Coffee and cigarettes

A very standard male-dominated Vietnamese tradition is to sit in the shade by the side of the road, sip a coffee, share a smoke and swap stories with your brethren.

Pharmacies late afternoon

Blue house

Lonely at the bus stop

The Manor #2 nears completion

Saigon Pearl

Coming into land

Beach bonfire

Roadside mechanic

Reading a book while waiting for a mechanic to fix your bike - a standard street scene. As is the stains and mess left on the footpath

Beer and squid

Thu Thiem bridge and Saigon Pearl

Dusk over the suburbs

Phu My bridge

Cho Ray Hospital #1

A colleague has been in the local hospital all week. Cho Ray is one of the better health facilities in town, but was also a sobering reminder of the level of services available and what we are used to elsewhere

Cho Ray Hospital #2

7 floors up there are no walls, which allows for air to circulate, but they are still pretty rugged conditions laying on a bed among the other patients. The people camped against the wall are family, with a heap of belongings and food, making it very crowded

Replacing a tyre

Glad I was not getting on that plane

April Theme Day - Red

Communism and socialism identify with the colour red. However with the push of globalisation into socialist politics all is not as clearly defined as it once was.


Bill Hayton, BBC correspondent in Vietnam in 2006-7 had released a book that charts the changes in Vietnam with a mix of reportage and behind the scenes analysis. It tackles big topics - democracy vs one party rule, development vs environment and much more.

"Examining nearly every aspect of Vietnamese politics and society, from the economy and family life, to religion and the plight of indigenous minorities, Hayton gives a balanced, intelligent account of a country whose history so differs from our own." Justin Wintle, Financial Times

"This is a cleverly pitched book, one that will appeal equally to a businessman or investor seeking a briefing on Vietnam, an old Asia hand, or an inquisitive backpacker." Petroc Trelawny, Irish Times

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