When we decided to extend our stay in Saigon from one year to 18 months, I was excited that we’d be here for another Tet season. This year (2025) Tet is on January 29. The date is based on a lunar/solar calendar that calculates the orbit of the earth around the …
While spending a few days exploring the central Vietnamese coast city of Da Nang, we booked a daytrip to the Imperial City of Hue (pronounced like a breathy “whey” as in “curds and whey”.) Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945.) The journey to Hue …
When we were getting ready to move to Saigon, I told Mark we would likely need to invest in e-readers. We love to read and I wasn’t sure that we’d be able to find many English-language books. Once again, I’m happy to say that Saigon surprised me. There are many …
When I was preparing to move from Minnesota to Vietnam, my dermatologist reminded me that I was going to be in a place with year-round hot, sunny weather. She was worried that I would be exposed to much more sun in, what she thought was going to be, a culture …
We love this city that we’ve called home since October 2023. It was officially named Saigon in the early 18th century and changed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1976. So, which is the correct way to refer to it – Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City? As it turns …
One of the things that I love about Saigon is that fashion seems to be governed by the individual. No perceptible rules. In any given group of people I see everything from shorts with T-shirts and spiked heels, to skirts, business suits, or frilly dresses with flip flops or gym …
The 2024 Lunar New Year, known as “Tết in Vietnam, began on Saturday, February 10. Tết is short for Tết Nguyên Đán” which, translates as, “Festival of the First Day” One of the prettiest traditions for celebrating the Lunar New Year in Saigon is the proliferation of flower markets. All over …
At midnight on February 10, 2024, countries celebrating the Lunar New Year said goodbye to the Year of the Rabbit and hello to the Year of the Dragon. The sign of the Dragon is considered auspicious. Birthrates spike in dragon years, as babies born in these years are said to …
We set aside at least one day a week (usually Friday) to find and explore new neighborhoods in our adopted hometown of Saigon. Some of our favorite finds are the museums, temples, street fairs, shops, and other sites that wouldn’t have been on our radar if not digging a bit. …
While we had a fantastic New Year celebration here in Saigon on December 31, The Lunar New Year is coming up in February, and the excitement around Ho Chi Minh City is palpable. The Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in Vietnam (and in many Asian countries). We’ve been …
