Saigoneer Audio Archive

This week, we begin (1:00) with a discussion about wildlife consumption in Vietnam. A recently-published study found cornavirus strains in a majority of field rat and bat guano samples taken in Vietnam from 2013 to 2014. What could these findings - and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic - mean for the eating of bushmeat here?

Then (20:13), on a lighter note, we share some of our favorite recent street food, cafe and restaurant finds in Saigon.

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (30:53).

On this week's show, our Urbanist Hanoi colleague shares what life in the capital was like during the peak of Vietnam's coronavirus outbreak in February and March (1:22), and how daily life has recovered over the last several weeks.

Then (16:51), architect Mel Schenck becomes our first repeat guest after his appearance on our third episode ages ago. We discuss his new book, 'Southern Vietnam Modernist Architecture,' and how appreciation of this style has changed over the last few years.

The book is available at Fahasa and other major bookstores in Vietnam, or through Barnes & Noble overseas: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/southern-vietnamese-modernist-architecture-mel-schenck/1136864951?ean=9780578516585

For more on modernist architecture in Vietnam: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VietnameseModernistArchitecture/

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (36:47).

On this week's single-topic show, we look (1:11) at how people of different genders and generations utilize different businesses and spaces in Saigon for civic life - or to just hang out with friends.

From open-front cafes dominated by middle-aged men to convenience stores and roadside tea vendors popular with groups of gender-diverse youths, what do the city's spaces say about who visits them? And would floating cafes make any sense?

As always, we end with Bánh Mỉ Banter (23:38).

A few weeks ago, we discussed depictions of Vietnam from foreign filmmakers and studios. Today (0:55), we dig into the themes and improving quality of domestically-produced movies like Song Lang, Goodbye Mother, Furie, and Good Morning and Good Night.

What do these movies reflect about Vietnamese society, and what do we hope to see from local movies in the future?

As always, we end with Bánh Mỉ Banter (34:54).

This week, we share our love of all things snackable (1:27), whether American classics like Cheez-Its and Fig Newtons or Vietnamese staples like chuối nếp nướng and the astonishing variety of fruit-based snacks available here. Conversely, what are some of the worst snacks?

Our interview guest (20:01) is Damien Roberts, executive director of Saigon Children, the Saigon-based charity organization which provides education and vocational training to disadvantaged children throughout Vietnam, with a focus on the southern region. We discussed the charity's work over the years, the challenges of fundraising during a global pandemic, and Roberts' goals for the future.

Find out more about Saigon Children and how you can help here: https://www.saigonchildren.com/

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (44:52).

On this week's single-topic show, we discuss movies about Vietnam created by foreign production companies and directors (1:28). The country's home-grown movie industry has improved in leaps and bounds in recent years (something we'll address in a future episode), but how has Vietnam been depicted from abroad?

Of course, Hollywood has its classic war movies, most of which make for difficult watching from a Vietnamese perspective, but we dig into a few films (mostly) unrelated to conflict.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (36:33).

We're back with a new episode recorded, believe it or not, in our office. This may sound shocking to many around the world, but Vietnam's coronavirus outbreak has been so well-contained that a sense of normalcy has returned, and that's our topic for today.

We discussed (1:57) reactions to Vietnam's success, possible ways forward, and whether it's too soon for the country to fully celebrate.

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (24:50).

With no end in sight to working from home - and the coronavirus dominating daily life - we've had to think outside the box for this episode.

We played a game of 'review roulette,' in which we each submitted a movie, album, TV show and book/article to a random generator, and then reviewed what we received. Most of the submissions were trashy or things we knew other co-hosts wouldn't like very much.

Mike got 'High School Musical' (2:47), Thi dissected 'Thor: Ragnarok' (10:54), Khoi watched the old YouTube series 'lonelygirl15' (21:56), and Paul pondered the ESPN article 'The true story behind Michael Jordan's brief-but-promising baseball career' (30:02).

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (37:10).

This episode is brought to you by Waves. Learn more about their audio platform at https://waves8.com/.

On this working-from-home episode, we each share a dispatch from our respective neighborhood of Saigon in the time of COVID-19 (1:16). What is daily life like? How are we spending our time? What happens to the fish at those weird foot massage places when there are no tourists?

PSA: Since this episode was reported remotely it doesn't have our usual high-level audio quality.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (31:26).

This episode is brought to you by Waves. Find out more at https://waves8.com/.

On this week's episode, our 80th (!), we begin (1:29) with the latest, as of March 12, on Vietnam's Covid-19 outbreak, which has entered a worrying stage with a string of new cases in different regions after over three weeks without any new infections.

Then (19:41), we take a slightly whimsical detour to share how we'd spend a hypothetical 14-day home quarantine period. Reading? Baking? Composting?

Our interview guest (30:07) is Trang Nguyen, founder of the wildlife conservation organization WildAct. She talked about her childhood interest in animal welfare, her efforts to change attitudes toward wildlife trafficking in Vietnam, and more.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (51:09).

This episode is brought to you by Waves, Vietnam's biggest podcast app. Learn more at https://waves8.com/.