Back to the Motherland: Goodbye Saigon, Hello Taiwan!
What a wild year 2020 has been! I rang in the new year in Taichung, Taiwan, helping my parents settle back into our home after 20 years of living in…
Saigon City Break: Cat Tien National Park, Nha Trang, Ho Tram, and More
In the 15 months that I’ve lived in Saigon, I’ve only managed a handful of weekend trips outside of the city. Mostly because during the first six months, we were…
The Practical Guide to Saigon Living
It’s taken me over a year of living in Saigon to finally feel like I have a decent grasp of life in this chaotic city. Even still, I’m learning about…
Life Lessons from One Year of Saigon Living
In college, a four-month study abroad trip was life-changing. In my 30s, living in a new country for a year is a mere warm-up. Celebrating one year of living in…
Saigon Visitor Guide: Restaurants, Cafés, and More
Ho Chi Minh City, more commonly referred to locally as Saigon, is a vibrant and energetic city. The rapid urban development leads to an ever-changing city, balancing between the new…
Saigon in the Time of Corona
By now, you are probably so tired of reading about Covid-19, the novel coronavirus that has led to a global pandemic. I’m impressed if you even clicked on the link…
Saigon Chronicle Month 5: Building a Community Abroad
Last month, before a trip back to Shanghai, I struggled to find my place in Saigon. Unlike previous moves abroad, the integration this time around feels slow. Partly, because I’ve…
Saigon Chronicle Month 4: The Saigon vs. Shanghai Battle
I’ve just returned from 10 days of visiting Shanghai. This was my first trip back to the city since we bid farewell in June 2018. Since arriving in Saigon four…
Saigon Chronicle Month 3: 90-day Resettlement – Expats vs. Refugees
I learned on an episode of Sincerely, Hueman recently that the U.S. government’s refugee resettlement program lasts only 90 days. Refugees are expected to be self-sufficient within this time frame….