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The Story Behind Saigon Weather’s ‘Weather Dude’: How Del Elson Turned Data and Sailing Experience into a Trusted Local Forecast

Why is it raining in Saigon? Because it’s the rainy season. Sure, but if you want to be more specific, you can cite conditions in the Bay of Bengal, more than 2,500 kilometers away. It’s there that the wind conditions form that flow across the Gulf of Thailand, sucking up the moisture that drenches Vietnam’s southern metropolis. 

29-09-2026

Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 Hanoi Visit: When a Film About Factories Met a Pre‑Industrial City

About 90 years ago, Modern Times was released. Its title carried a warning. The film railed against the new industrial age and the misery it inflicted on workers amid the Great Depression. Yet a film about the dangers of modernity was being told through an almost-silent medium, nearly a decade into the era of sound. Charlie Chaplin, who wrote, directed, produced, and scored the film, in addition to starring in it, was deliberately resisting Hollywood's shift into the future.

27-09-2026

How Del Elson Turns Global Models and Local Data into Saigon’s Precise Rain Forecasts

Why is it raining in Saigon? Because it’s the rainy season. Sure, but if you want to be more specific, you can cite conditions in the Bay of Bengal, more than 2,500 kilometers away. It’s there that the wind conditions form that flow across the Gulf of Thailand, sucking up the moisture that drenches Vietnam’s southern metropolis. 

27-09-2026

From French Soldier’s Lunchbox to Vietnam’s Nostalgic Meal Box: The Story of the Cà Mên

During lunchtime at work, I spot a few aluminum cà mên that my coworkers bring from home to keep their lunch warm. Cà mên was once an indispensable item in my family too, but now it’s rarely used; its usage is limited to the few occasions when my grandparents or parents pack lunch for the kids.

25-09-2026

From Dams to Distributed Power: How Laos’s Renewable Turn Redefines ASEAN Energy Dynamics

Following a spate of foreign investment in the 1990s, Laos began producing surplus electricity and looked to export it. Today, around 80% of its energy, largely from hydropower, is sold to neighbors. Electricity exports from Laos generate around US$2.6 billion for what is one of the poorest nations in mainland Southeast Asia. Across the region, neighbors including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia have become reliant on hydropower from Laos. Slowly but surely, however, this is changing.

23-09-2026

From Bamboo Frames to the Eye‑Dot: Inside Saigon’s Lion‑Dance Costume Workshop

“This passion for lions is in our blood. Many, many kids in the past dropped out of school or quit work just to go,” said Bành Chí Hùng, owner of Saigon’s Thuận Anh Hãng lion dance costume studio.

23-09-2026

Vietnam’s Modernist Architecture Resurges: How Nostalgia, Documentation, and Commerce Converge

For two years now, I've checked the Vietnamese Modernist Architecture Facebook group almost every day. Here, members post photos of mid-century modernist architecture they find across the country, and I still get a little excited when a house I've never seen appears in the feed.

22-09-2026

Why Vietnamese Modernist Architecture Is Suddenly Trending: Nostalgia, Urban Flux, and Digital Communities

For two years now, I've checked the Vietnamese Modernist Architecture Facebook group almost every day. Here, members post photos of mid-century modernist architecture they find across the country, and I still get a little excited when a house I've never seen appears in the feed.

20-09-2026

Crafting Saigon’s Lion‑Dance Costumes: Tradition Meets Modern Demand

“This passion for lions is in our blood. Many, many kids in the past dropped out of school or quit work just to go,” said Bành Chí Hùng, owner of Saigon’s Thuận Anh Hãng lion dance costume studio.

19-09-2026

From Hydropower Hub to Renewable Battleground: Why Laos Became Southeast Asia’s Battery and How Emerging Solar‑Wind Competition Is Redefining Its Role

Following a spate of foreign investment in the 1990s, Laos began producing surplus electricity and looked to export it. Today, around 80% of its energy, largely from hydropower, is sold to neighbors. Electricity exports from Laos generate around US$2.6 billion for what is one of the poorest nations in mainland Southeast Asia. Across the region, neighbors including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia have become reliant on hydropower from Laos. Slowly but surely, however, this is changing.

18-09-2026