Saigoneer Audio Archive

In honor of International Women's Day, we begin this week (1:19) by sharing stories of Vietnamese women from throughout history who haven't received the recognition we think they deserve. From a 15th century Confucian scholar to a contemporary poet, Vietnamese women have a fascinating, often overlooked history.

Then (21:24), we sit down with Hong Anh Nguyen, Truong Que Phuong and Doan Kim Thu, the creators of the YouTube series Melon Bê Đê, for an extended conversation about their personal experiences as queer women in Vietnam. They discuss the importance of lesbians getting STD tests, the challenges of bringing the foreign and Vietnamese lesbian communities together, why they decided to begin their conversational series on queer life, and much more.

Check out their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MelonB%C3%AA%C4%90%C3%AA?fbclid=IwAR36k57IbaLnySgQGSNLjlVsADL8HctS-wviqUmIsvrcHt81_FedjqR_1yE

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (1:08:57).

This week, we begin (1:04) by discussing nhậu and some of the problems it presents for women or people who don't want to drink, as well as the opportunities for bonding that it can spur in certain groups. This conversation was inspired by an essay titled 'In Food and Community: How Vietnamese Drinking Culture Taught Me to Love My Queerness' by Alex Nguyen. (https://www.colorbloq.org/in-food-and-community-how-vietnamese-drinking-culture-taught-me-to-love-my-queerness)

Then (16:36), we look at the impacts of the ongoing closure of schools nationwide amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Many teachers are hurting financially, but could this usher in new forms of learning and methods of teaching?

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (31:01).

Whatever you think of the Oscars, there is no denying that 'Parasite' winning Best Picture was a big deal. We begin this week (1:10) by breaking down Bong Joon-ho's masterful triumph (and new role as a living meme generator); the reaction in South Korea; other movies and directors from Asia worth your time; and the ignorance of western moviegoers who avoid films in a foreign language.

Then, we dive into the current state of Vietnamese cinema (19:03), which has seen a few notable recent successes, but lags far behind the likes of South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand in terms of overseas visibility - and overall creativity.

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (31:52).

We're back from the Tet holiday!

This week, we begin (1:25) with the novel coronavirus outbreak: how has it impacted our daily lives, and what changes have we seen in Saigon since the virus' spread began?

Then (14:00), we look at the zero-tolerance drunk driving laws that went into effect on January 1. What sort of behavioral changes have these regulations created? Are they too strict?

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (21:10).

On this week's show, our last before the Lunar New Year break, we discuss (1:26) potential ways to improve traditional Tet dishes. Specialties like bánh tét, for example, are very heavy - could they be made healthier? And would it be possible to run a year-round Tet food restaurant?

Then (22:00), we have an extended chat with Vietnamese writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of the upcoming novel 'The Mountains Sing.' Que Mai is the first Vietnamese national to write a novel in English published by a major American press. 'The Mountains Sing' is a stunning multi-generational story that explores the strength and heartbreak of Vietnamese women during the 20th century. We discuss the book, the craft of writing novels, the differences in publishing in Vietnam versus the west, and, of course, durian.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (1:13:22).

Chúc mừng năm mới, and see you in the Year of the Rat!

Find out more about Que Mai's new book here: https://saigoneer.com/vietnam-literature/18107-saigoneer-bookshelf-a-quintessential-vietnamese-novel,-written-in-memories

On this special single-segment episode, we look back at the last decade in Vietnam through the lens of four societal trends: digital convenience, cyberculture, labor issues, and overtourism (1:32). The period from 2010 to 2019 brought incredible transformations to the country, and while these four subjects are by no means comprehensive, we believe they illuminate the profound ways in which daily life has changed for tens of millions of people in Vietnam.

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (44:00).

We're closing out the year with a special mega-episode, in which we chose a few of our favorite segments from the past 12 months.

We begin (:50) by sharing our nominations for Vietnam's 'national senses,' if such a thing existed. What smells, sounds, sights, tastes and textures do we think best exemplify the country? The smell of pork chops grilling on a sidewalk? The Bitexco Financial Tower? Those fragrant wet wipes given out at bia hơi joints?

Then (17:03), our extended conversation about superstitions, both Vietnamese and western. We also play a game where we guess which ones are real, and which are not.

'The Third Wife,' (37:13) the critically acclaimed indie film festival darling directed by Ash Mayfair and filmed here, was released in Vietnam several months ago, but only lasted four days in cinemas before being pulled. We break down the controversy surrounding its use of a 13 year-old actress in erotic scenes, and what it says about Vietnam's movie-going public.

What makes a certain dish or cuisine authentic? (51:31) Who determines which food and restaurants are authentic? Does authenticity even matter when it comes to food?

Then (1:16:31), we discuss a few of the incredibly diverse, occasionally bizarre festivals that coincide with specific dates on the lunar calendar throughout Vietnam. Everyone knows about Tet and the Mid-Autumn Festival, but there are so many more beyond those two.

Our interview guest is Thuc Dang (1:33:28), who writes the 'Vietnam's Next Top Bitches' music review Facebook page . We chatted about the evolution of Vietnamese music in recent years, and what he hopes to see in the future.

On this week's show, Saigoneer Korean's editor stops by to chat about the presence of South Korean culture in Saigon (1:32). What draws so many Korean expats to the city, and what's up with the popularity of Cộng Cà Phê among this group?

Then (24:08), we dig in to K-pop. What do Koreans make of its massive popularity overseas, particularly in countries like Vietnam? And what sort of impact have recent tragedies involving K-pop stars had on fans?

(If you don't know that Saigoneer Korean exists, check it out: https://kr.saigoneer.com/)

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (45:93). Happy holidays!

This episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is brought to you by The Deck.

On this week's show, we dig deep (1:24) into the recently-concluded Southeast Asia Games. Vietnam's athletes had a stellar showing, winning the second-most medals among the competing countries, but why does football - and particularly men's football - get the vast majority of coverage and public attention? Also, what are the competition's most whimsical sports?

Then, we sit down (24:05) with Phuong Nho and Jerome Buzenet, who are involved in a number of popular restaurants in Saigon - and are also behind a new sourdough-focused cafe. We talked about the exciting F&B scene in the city, as well as what drives them to create new ideas.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (40:39).

This episode is brought to you by The Deck.

On this week's show (1:05), we begin by discussing Saigon's rapidly worsening air quality. What can individual Saigoneers do about this seemingly intractable problem, and how does it impact our daily lives?

Then (18:48), we ponder whether Saigon's bubble tea 'bubble' has burst, and what the next youth-centric F&B trend might be.

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (29:44).

This episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is brought to you by Epizode.