Update Saigon: Back into the Swing

I never thought it would happen, but it has. I’ve become an absentee blogger.
My hiatus from 9000 Hours has, however, been due to a rather fortuitous development. Having accepted a position as Deputy Editor of AsiaLIFE HCMC Magazine, I’ve been busy splitting my time between frenzied rounds of editing in the lead up to a [...]

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Update Saigon: On the Palate

Yikes! This blog has gone bone dry as of late (I blame the Beginner 1 class I just started teaching). Here’s a quick blast to add some meat to my recently skeletal offerings.

Just days after I plugged the Vietnamese Vegetarian Restaurant in my Vegetarian Guide to Saigon, the joint assumed a dual identity. This Pham [...]

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Update Saigon: Stay Cheap, Stay Alive

Okay, so things aren’t THAT dire. But heading into my third month living on savings, I’m definitely feeling the crunch in the lead up to that sign-on bonus at ILA. Here’s how I’m staying cheap in Vietnam.

Bia Hoi. Paying $5000 VND (about 33 cents) for a beer sure alleviates (if not obliterates) morning-after guilt. There’re [...]

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Update Saigon: CELTA Sunset

I’m in the last stretch of my CELTA course, and all signs indicate I’ll be a certified ESL teacher within the week (and consequently, a more diligent blogger). In the meantime, here’s what’s happening in Saigon:
1. The Economist recently reported that Ho Chi Minh City’s stock market bubble has burst. What will this mean [...]

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Update Saigon: All Systems Down

It’s been about a week without posts. Currently, I’m feuding with our Internet connection at the new apartment, and the Internet connection is winning. Moreover, I’m one week into my (quite intensive) four-week CELTA course, heading steadfast towards English Language-teaching credentials. Blogging don’t pay the bills. Now that I’ve got my first two lessons under [...]

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