Read the original article here.
Basically the government has decreed that they will begin deporting foreigners in July if they are found working for more than 3 months without both a work permit and business visa. This comes on the heals of the government last year all-but eliminating the old six-month visas and requiring most/many expats to exit and re-enter every three months for a non-renewable 3-month visa, and limiting tourist visas to 1 month.
After the visa restrictions last year, new methods of getting black market visas evolved. They are provided by immigration through travel agents. It just costs 2-3 times what it used to a year ago and requires exit and re-entry. Therefore I surmise we could see similar routes to acquire work papers. Unfortunately people didn't suddenly all "get legal" this year--so I don't think the process got any easier.
Everyone says this is just for "the chinese," but everyone seems to bear the brunt of the new regulations, regardless of their nation of origin. So will we have immigration officials visiting all the guest houses and offices soon or no? We will see...
What's your experience renewing your visa this year?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Texting from a Motorbike
Very good article from NPR on the problem of not only cell-phoning but texting while driving a motorbike. Yes, it is very common. The only thing I don't like is the way the reporter has now made that girl a scapegoat for a national problem. Stories like this can have repercussions so its not exactly a nice thing to do to her, even if she is a bit dumb.
Read the story here.
Read the story here.
In Response to What to Do About a Hotel with a Chained Monkey in Laos
I recently responded to a question about what to do about a Hotel in Laos with a baby monkey on a chain. Thankfully this is much less common than it used to be in Vietnam, but in rural areas I see it a lot--especially in minority villages. Below is my answer... what do you think?
...................
It is sad but unfortunately very common. I would like to suggest that publicizing it and explaining to others why its bad and why they might not want to stay at a place with captive wild animals is much better than turning the businesses into environmental orgs sometimes--especially zoos.
Monkeys are stolen from their mothers, usually as infants. Sometimes their mothers--or other monkeys in the troupe--are killed in the process. Quite often here in Vietnam, pet monkeys only have one arm because they lose the other in a snare. As monkeys get older they assert their own will and make very bad pets for anyone except highly skilled specialists. Further, catching these guys in the wild has decimated wild populations and will cause the extinction for many remaining primates over the next century.
However, their life in most zoos here will absolutely SUCK. Further, most zoos and environmental orgs are over-run with macaques and won't take them. Police/Forest rangers who are assigned with the task of releasing animals can't always be trusted to do so. More often than not they re-sell them on the black market or have an after-hours BBQ.
It's a lose-lose situation, but I think publicizing it does more good than anything.
...................
It is sad but unfortunately very common. I would like to suggest that publicizing it and explaining to others why its bad and why they might not want to stay at a place with captive wild animals is much better than turning the businesses into environmental orgs sometimes--especially zoos.
Monkeys are stolen from their mothers, usually as infants. Sometimes their mothers--or other monkeys in the troupe--are killed in the process. Quite often here in Vietnam, pet monkeys only have one arm because they lose the other in a snare. As monkeys get older they assert their own will and make very bad pets for anyone except highly skilled specialists. Further, catching these guys in the wild has decimated wild populations and will cause the extinction for many remaining primates over the next century.
However, their life in most zoos here will absolutely SUCK. Further, most zoos and environmental orgs are over-run with macaques and won't take them. Police/Forest rangers who are assigned with the task of releasing animals can't always be trusted to do so. More often than not they re-sell them on the black market or have an after-hours BBQ.
It's a lose-lose situation, but I think publicizing it does more good than anything.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Following in the Footsteps of Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations in Dalat
The Travel Channel announced earlier this week that the next episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations (airing Monday night in the USA) will take place in Central Vietnam (Dalat). They were also kind enough to list much of his itinerary. As I happen to already be in Dalat researching a new guidebook, I decided to take an afternoon and check out some of the places that Tony visited.
It's likely Tony came to Dalat during the Flower Festival, January 1-4. I've never actually been to Dalat during the festival, which is supposed to be a big deal. However, I've heard that this year it was a bit of a flop due to mismanagement. Then again, Dalat is the flower capital of Vietnam so there's usually some nice color around year round.
Unfortunately Lake Xuan Huong, the centerpiece of Dalat, was drained just before Tet and is expect to remain dry until next year.
The first place I stopped was the "Duck Restaurant" where Anthony apparently had lunch. The cantine, located at 13 Nha Chung St is near the cathedral. It's directly across the street from a high school--and indeed a favorite and inexpensive place for them to get meals. I was impressed by how ordinary the place actually was--hole in the wall wooden shack with peeling paint, folding tables and red plastic stools. A+ to Bourdain for authenticity. It made me wonder how and why he chose the place.
The owner and her husband were nice and friendly, though she was oddly shy to have her picture taken. She said she did remember Tony, that he was very tall, and came well before Tet to make a film. She and her husband were very pleased when I told them that they'd be on TV on Monday.
In the AM, the place sells Mi Quang--not my favorite dish (though I do like the Phan Thiet version--which has no relation to the traditional dish served elsewhere).
Unless they put in a special order, what Bourdain and his friend Linh ate was your basic chao vit, or boiled duck and rice soup. It was indeed very taste though not visually appealing. The posted price on the wall was 12000VND but I was charged 15000VND. We'll see what Tony pays...
The next place I tried to find was Tony's Linh Phong pagoda, where he visited the vegetarian nuns. However, at the location provided by the Travel Channel, there is only a very tiny pagoda that is locked most of the time, and it goes by another name. There is a Linh Phong Pagoda in the viscinity, but its quite far from the city. Instead, it's likely he went to Linh Son pagoda, a very famous pagoda in the city with a large nunnery.
Linh Son has had a lot of additions and renovation work in the last few years. These nuns aren't wanting for much.
The next spot of Bourdain's itinerary is "Dankia Lake," 18km NE of Dalat. Dankia is actually the administrative district. The body of water is actually named Suoi Vang (gold stream), but that name probably was given before it was dammed to form the present lake. It is indeed a gorgeous landscape. The lake is huge and there is almost no development on it. Just lots of trees and a few forest critters.
Bourdain ate at a place on the lake called Thu Khoi with his friend Linh. It's a lovely bunch of tents and hammocks run by an older woman and her young daughter beneath the pine trees. Surprisingly the ladies said that they didn't remember Tony. They said they just get too many guests to remember.
On a clear day one can see Langbiang mountain from the spot. However, this was a typically cold, rainy and foggy Dalat day. Tony boasts of eating forest critters here. Actually, the owners only admit to serving the large deer available locally, wild pig, chicken and fish. The deer and boar are normally farm raised though, so unless they specially ordered something, then Bourdain didn't eat anything really controversial (or illegal) here.
There were lots of cute puppies running around but unfortunately there were also a couple of monkeys on chains. This baby macaque was missing his right arm. Probably he was trapped in a snare and taken from his mom to be sold as a pet when an infant. The poor baby was lonely and cold. He needs a mom. Sad, but very common in Vietnam. I wouldn't hold this against Bourdain--the monkeys may not have been here when he visited, but even still, it can be hard to avoid venues with wild animals out in the countryside. I encounter them all the time. I don't condone catching monkeys or keeping them as pets in this manner but sometimes, as at this lake, its a long drive and there aren't any better choices of where to eat.
Finally, Bourdain has dinner in a M'nong village. There aren't any M'nong communities in the immediate vicinity of Dalat, so it's likely he went to Lak Lake, on the way to Buon Ma Thuat. I spent a night there once. You can see my previous post on that here.
The M'nong are originally from the far north of Vietnam, but the government relocated them here (right after the war I believe), as part of their grand relocation plans for many of the country's minorities.
Overall, judging by Bourdain's Dalat itinerary, he picked a lot of good, authentic spots for his scenes. I think it should make for a good show. Be sure to catch it Monday night on the Travel Channel. Hopefully we can get it on Discovery Travel and Living in the near future as well.
It's likely Tony came to Dalat during the Flower Festival, January 1-4. I've never actually been to Dalat during the festival, which is supposed to be a big deal. However, I've heard that this year it was a bit of a flop due to mismanagement. Then again, Dalat is the flower capital of Vietnam so there's usually some nice color around year round.
Unfortunately Lake Xuan Huong, the centerpiece of Dalat, was drained just before Tet and is expect to remain dry until next year.
The first place I stopped was the "Duck Restaurant" where Anthony apparently had lunch. The cantine, located at 13 Nha Chung St is near the cathedral. It's directly across the street from a high school--and indeed a favorite and inexpensive place for them to get meals. I was impressed by how ordinary the place actually was--hole in the wall wooden shack with peeling paint, folding tables and red plastic stools. A+ to Bourdain for authenticity. It made me wonder how and why he chose the place.
The owner and her husband were nice and friendly, though she was oddly shy to have her picture taken. She said she did remember Tony, that he was very tall, and came well before Tet to make a film. She and her husband were very pleased when I told them that they'd be on TV on Monday.
In the AM, the place sells Mi Quang--not my favorite dish (though I do like the Phan Thiet version--which has no relation to the traditional dish served elsewhere).
Unless they put in a special order, what Bourdain and his friend Linh ate was your basic chao vit, or boiled duck and rice soup. It was indeed very taste though not visually appealing. The posted price on the wall was 12000VND but I was charged 15000VND. We'll see what Tony pays...
The next place I tried to find was Tony's Linh Phong pagoda, where he visited the vegetarian nuns. However, at the location provided by the Travel Channel, there is only a very tiny pagoda that is locked most of the time, and it goes by another name. There is a Linh Phong Pagoda in the viscinity, but its quite far from the city. Instead, it's likely he went to Linh Son pagoda, a very famous pagoda in the city with a large nunnery.
Linh Son has had a lot of additions and renovation work in the last few years. These nuns aren't wanting for much.
The next spot of Bourdain's itinerary is "Dankia Lake," 18km NE of Dalat. Dankia is actually the administrative district. The body of water is actually named Suoi Vang (gold stream), but that name probably was given before it was dammed to form the present lake. It is indeed a gorgeous landscape. The lake is huge and there is almost no development on it. Just lots of trees and a few forest critters.
Bourdain ate at a place on the lake called Thu Khoi with his friend Linh. It's a lovely bunch of tents and hammocks run by an older woman and her young daughter beneath the pine trees. Surprisingly the ladies said that they didn't remember Tony. They said they just get too many guests to remember.
On a clear day one can see Langbiang mountain from the spot. However, this was a typically cold, rainy and foggy Dalat day. Tony boasts of eating forest critters here. Actually, the owners only admit to serving the large deer available locally, wild pig, chicken and fish. The deer and boar are normally farm raised though, so unless they specially ordered something, then Bourdain didn't eat anything really controversial (or illegal) here.
There were lots of cute puppies running around but unfortunately there were also a couple of monkeys on chains. This baby macaque was missing his right arm. Probably he was trapped in a snare and taken from his mom to be sold as a pet when an infant. The poor baby was lonely and cold. He needs a mom. Sad, but very common in Vietnam. I wouldn't hold this against Bourdain--the monkeys may not have been here when he visited, but even still, it can be hard to avoid venues with wild animals out in the countryside. I encounter them all the time. I don't condone catching monkeys or keeping them as pets in this manner but sometimes, as at this lake, its a long drive and there aren't any better choices of where to eat.
Finally, Bourdain has dinner in a M'nong village. There aren't any M'nong communities in the immediate vicinity of Dalat, so it's likely he went to Lak Lake, on the way to Buon Ma Thuat. I spent a night there once. You can see my previous post on that here.
The M'nong are originally from the far north of Vietnam, but the government relocated them here (right after the war I believe), as part of their grand relocation plans for many of the country's minorities.
Overall, judging by Bourdain's Dalat itinerary, he picked a lot of good, authentic spots for his scenes. I think it should make for a good show. Be sure to catch it Monday night on the Travel Channel. Hopefully we can get it on Discovery Travel and Living in the near future as well.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Lonely Planet Having Problems
According to This article Lonely Planet's Web team has just imploded. The BBC apparently is eliminating roles devoted to content creation in favor of less expensive (free/user-submitted?) content sources. I am afraid this is a temperature gauge for the entire guidebook industry. Expect more cuts from not only Lonely Planet, but many of its competitors.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Anthony Bourdain in Vietnam Again
In an odd coincidence, the Travel Channel just announced that Anthony Bourdain's next episode (airing Monday in the US) will feature the Vietnam Central Highlands (actually by the looks of it, its half Dalat and half Hanoi). If just happens that I'm in Dalat for the week for a project and I need to visit some of the same places. So, follow me tomorrow afternoon (Vietnam time) on Twitter as I follow in Tony's likely footsteps and give an unofficial behind the scenes on the episode. http://twitter.com/fisheggtree
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Follow me on Twitter as I explore Vietnam's Central Highlands
I'm about to go on the road in the Central Highlands of Vietnam while I update the corresponding chapter for a popular guidebook series. I've worked on more than a dozen guidebooks for a variety of publishers, but this is my first time contributing to a book for this particular publisher, though I've long been a fan.
I plan to post correspondence from segments of the journey on Twitter. You can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/fisheggtree.
I plan to post correspondence from segments of the journey on Twitter. You can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/fisheggtree.
Starbucks Already in Vietnam, But Nobody Noticed
Vietnam has resisted many of the other (largely American) fast food franchises which have already conquered the rest of the region--Dairy Queen, Burger King, McDonalds, Dunkin' Donuts and others. We did finally get Pizza Hut a couple of years ago (go ahead, slide that frozen baby out the box and re-heat it for me), and KFC a few years prior (but Colonel, did you forget your special herbs and spices? Perhaps they seized them at customs?).
One of the many franchises which we expats have pondered the eventual arrival of is Starbucks. They are everywhere--on every corner in Singapore and Bangkok--spewing their brand of low-quality American fast-food coffee (gosh, I guess I'm going to lose any hopes of free perks) everywhere they go. Instead we have a series of home-grown equivalents like Highlands and Trung Nguyen, we well as a few Australian, Korean and who know's where it came from franchises like Gloria Jean, Angel-in-Us (I hate that name--it sounds like a tiny fallen angel using me to demonstrate it's impression of a pearl fish in a sea cucumber), and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (incidentally, Coffee Bean is my favorite, followed by Highlands--yes, that is a call for you both to please give me free coffee!).
Many speculated that when Starbucks finally did make its move, that it would have some tough competition and a questionable window of success. After all, Vietnam is the world's second-largest exporter of coffee, and even the basic home-grown cafe sua da (iced coffee/expresso with condensed milk prepared in a mini one-cup coffee press) is legendary.
So, it came as a surprise to me on my most recent visit to the Parkson Shopping Center (Hung Vuong) in Saigon, that a frozen yogurt shop in the food court called IYO was casually selling official, branded, Starbucks Coffee. My first thought was it had to be a fake. Vietnam is after all one of the world's centers of brand hijacking and counterfeit goods. However, their signage and branded equipment and cups all to be authentic. Coffee tastes basically as it ought. They even list their Starbucks menu on their website. So they are finally here. Ho hum. I don't think I'll be making any special trips down to China town though...
But then again, the frozen yogurt at IYO was pretty good--definitely worth a try if you are waiting for a movie at the Megastar.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Cambodian Immigration Scam
Reliable sources have confirmed that corrupt Cambodian immigration officials are running a visa scam--particularly at border crossings. A basic Cambodian business visa only costs $25US, but they are quoting a price of $300US (presumably after the visa has been applied to the passport). Please be advised that the price has NOT changed--it is still $25 (only $5 more than a basic tourist visa--with no extra paperwork required, and allows for continuous renewal). To save yourself some trouble arguing, be sure to confirm the price before handing over your passport, but regardless of what you are told, stand your ground and only pay $25US.
Additionally, you will likely be asked to pay separate $1 fees for anything from customs checks, quarantine, to a visa application fee. Be advised that ALL of these fees are fraudulent. Insist on a receipt before paying the fee, and the corrupt immigration officials will usually back down.
Additionally, you will likely be asked to pay separate $1 fees for anything from customs checks, quarantine, to a visa application fee. Be advised that ALL of these fees are fraudulent. Insist on a receipt before paying the fee, and the corrupt immigration officials will usually back down.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sailing in Mui Ne
Just stumbled upon this article from last September by Ginny Becker (reprinted from AsiaLife). It's a very good exploration of the Sailing potential here in Mui Ne and the very exciting and groundbreaking work that Julia Shaw is doing in sailing. Go Julia! She has also done some great work in conjunction with Wildlife at Risk (WAR) to aid marine conservation in Vietnam.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Tay People of Binh Thuan Province
During a joy ride through a remote area of Binh Thuan Province I came across on a minority group that was entirely new to me--the Thay people.
Two Tay young men looking across a new government irrigation project.
Tay people who live between the canal and the mountain must use a barge to come and go from their house.
The Tay people were relocated to Binh Thuan Province by the government about 30 years ago. They originally came from Cao Ban near the Chinese border. They were isolated here in Binh Thuan for almost the entire time, until roads to the village began to be built 2 years ago.
The folks here told me that I was the first foreigner that they had ever seen, and were very friendly and kind. Due to their isolation, many still maintain a very traditional lifestyle (or as much as one can in an alien environment) and live in traditional stilt houses.
A Tay boy plays a traditional game in a family stilt house, with a home-made gyro.
Water buffalos resting.
A mud brick home in a nearby Tay village. Nowhere in Vietnam have I ever seen mud brick homes before--not even at the ethnology museum in Hanoi.
Binh Thuan has been a very active volcanic region. The nearby area pictured here was pummeled by volcanic boulders at some point in the past. This family cleared their field of volcanic rocks in order to plant rice. They used the boulders to create a terraced mount to build their house. Other families use the black rocks to build tall walls.
Tay people who live between the canal and the mountain must use a barge to come and go from their house.
The Tay people were relocated to Binh Thuan Province by the government about 30 years ago. They originally came from Cao Ban near the Chinese border. They were isolated here in Binh Thuan for almost the entire time, until roads to the village began to be built 2 years ago.
The folks here told me that I was the first foreigner that they had ever seen, and were very friendly and kind. Due to their isolation, many still maintain a very traditional lifestyle (or as much as one can in an alien environment) and live in traditional stilt houses.
A Tay boy plays a traditional game in a family stilt house, with a home-made gyro.
Water buffalos resting.
A mud brick home in a nearby Tay village. Nowhere in Vietnam have I ever seen mud brick homes before--not even at the ethnology museum in Hanoi.
Binh Thuan has been a very active volcanic region. The nearby area pictured here was pummeled by volcanic boulders at some point in the past. This family cleared their field of volcanic rocks in order to plant rice. They used the boulders to create a terraced mount to build their house. Other families use the black rocks to build tall walls.
Vietnam Guidebooks Blacklisted?
I’ve never been able to find foreign-published Vietnam guidebooks for sale in the book shops in Vietnam (though stores do carry the other country guides). I assumed it was because they sold out quickly, but I decided to ask some of the store managers why, and they told me that they simply never carried them. They blamed it on the distributors but I suspect it’s because the powers that be have banned the official sale of new VN guidebooks produced by foreign publishers (the only book stores do carry is one produced by the Ministry of Tourism). If you've found a store selling new VN guidebooks, please post here--and I'm not talking about Lonely Planet photocopies they sell on the street (nor the bogus Lonely Planet-branded shop in Pham Ngu Lao). As someone who has written/updated most of these guides myself, I'm quite interested in the question.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Rice Wine Culture for CNN and Other Stories
My latest feature posted on the front page, above the fold, with a photo, is on Vietnam's Rice Wine culture. Read it here.
I just finished a feature on Shopping in Saigon for Oryx Magazine (Qatar Airways). It was a particularly fun article to write and kept me reacquainting myself with District 1 for a few days. I found a few new gems along the way.
I'm currently updating sections in a Vietnam guidebook for a new publisher. My contributions include Mui Ne/Phan Thiet and the Central Highlands. Looking forward to another highlands adventure...
I just finished a feature on Shopping in Saigon for Oryx Magazine (Qatar Airways). It was a particularly fun article to write and kept me reacquainting myself with District 1 for a few days. I found a few new gems along the way.
I'm currently updating sections in a Vietnam guidebook for a new publisher. My contributions include Mui Ne/Phan Thiet and the Central Highlands. Looking forward to another highlands adventure...
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Why Are Sea Levels Changing?
In response to my CNN story on Whale Temples and the issue of Vietnam's lowering sea levels (at least in certain areas), some people have asked about tectonics and whether they have affected sea levels on Vietnam's shores.
In short, yes, certainly I think that plate tectonics could be playing a factor in why the sea levels in Vietnam seem to be lowering, rather than rising in certain areas, in contradiction to the scientific community's claim that sea levels are rising due to global warming.
But do I think that this is the only factor? No. I think the many factors in changing sea levels and coastline dynamics are far more complicated.
Does this then prove that sea levels are in fact rising but the land is rising faster? No. It remains to be proven whether sea levels are actually rising. Scientists have merely assumed that sea levels are rising. They certainly haven't bothered to prove it in Vietnam yet. It also remains to be proven that the coastal elevation is changing. We only know that the relationship of land and sea is changing. What we don't seem to know, is whether it is the land or the sea, or both that are changing in relation to the other.
Does this excuse what appears to be manipulation of scientific data to show rising sea levels? No. This is still an issue that should be addressed.
In short, yes, certainly I think that plate tectonics could be playing a factor in why the sea levels in Vietnam seem to be lowering, rather than rising in certain areas, in contradiction to the scientific community's claim that sea levels are rising due to global warming.
But do I think that this is the only factor? No. I think the many factors in changing sea levels and coastline dynamics are far more complicated.
Does this then prove that sea levels are in fact rising but the land is rising faster? No. It remains to be proven whether sea levels are actually rising. Scientists have merely assumed that sea levels are rising. They certainly haven't bothered to prove it in Vietnam yet. It also remains to be proven that the coastal elevation is changing. We only know that the relationship of land and sea is changing. What we don't seem to know, is whether it is the land or the sea, or both that are changing in relation to the other.
Does this excuse what appears to be manipulation of scientific data to show rising sea levels? No. This is still an issue that should be addressed.
Hard Rock Cafe Saigon
I visited the new hard rock cafe yesterday for a drink. It opened up in January I believe, just across from the American Embassy. Apparently it's being run by the same folks who manage the Highlands Cafe chain.
The location isn't great. That street/block has been dead for a few years. It's located in a tiny shopping center at the base of a new highrise building. Previously, that was where the old M&Toi nightclub was, along with a supermarket and the old pirated DVD market. Like most of the new shopping centers that seem to go up every month around the city, I think the owners have over-shot their market. Nearly all of Saigon's shopping centers are targeting the luxury market with exclusive, over-priced brand names. Saigon (and Hanoi's) shopping centers target women exclusively and the prices are outrageous. There's nothing for men--no big book stores, electronics or large men's apparel and sportswear. Thankfully at least they usually have a Highlands Coffee and a cinema on the top floor (although this shopping center does not). But the further problem is that Vietnam lacks significant foreign brand and merchant penetration--so there is very little variety in the shops and they all have a very tiny inventory. But then again, who comes to Saigon for luxury shopping? If you want brand names, you are better off going to Singapore, Bangkok or HongKong. But I digress...
I'm usually cynical about something so western--so foreign--as a Hard Rock Cafe moving in to town. It's so antithetical to the Vietnam that I've known all these years. It's a bit surreal--all that American music paraphernalia, the menu items, the whole upscale atmosphere... It's also all very over-priced. At roughly 300,000VND for burger and 100,000VND for a side of fries, it's perhaps the most expensive venue in the city for the food that it is offering.
But I would not say that Hard Rock is a bad thing. We need these upscale, foreign, expensive places to raise standards and prestige in the city. I can also appreciate the significant amount of red tape and groundbreaking work that the owners have done at a time when other aspect of society seem to be moving in the opposite direction this year. The very idea that they would try to bring in western music acts from time to time is revolutionary. The difficulties involved in this process were so nearly insurmountable that is rarely done (the only notable visiting performer I can think of that's come in recent years was Rain in 2005/6 and TaTa Young a few days ago at HiFi, though I don't get the impression that her performance drew much of an audience). The problem is, that besides all of the profitability hurtles, the government requires all lyrics and song lists to be screened in advance, and the concert organizers are held accountable by the government for any deviations or mishaps.
So I must say to the folks running Hard Rock, good on you for the hard work you've done. The place is nice, clean, refreshing, and the staff are friendly and helpful. I hope that the visiting acts will be both entertaining, and inspiring to the pathetic indigenous pop music scene as well. The local "artists" could definitely use some guidance. Lets hope you are successful in your vision and that you can also inspire other venues of high quality standards.
The location isn't great. That street/block has been dead for a few years. It's located in a tiny shopping center at the base of a new highrise building. Previously, that was where the old M&Toi nightclub was, along with a supermarket and the old pirated DVD market. Like most of the new shopping centers that seem to go up every month around the city, I think the owners have over-shot their market. Nearly all of Saigon's shopping centers are targeting the luxury market with exclusive, over-priced brand names. Saigon (and Hanoi's) shopping centers target women exclusively and the prices are outrageous. There's nothing for men--no big book stores, electronics or large men's apparel and sportswear. Thankfully at least they usually have a Highlands Coffee and a cinema on the top floor (although this shopping center does not). But the further problem is that Vietnam lacks significant foreign brand and merchant penetration--so there is very little variety in the shops and they all have a very tiny inventory. But then again, who comes to Saigon for luxury shopping? If you want brand names, you are better off going to Singapore, Bangkok or HongKong. But I digress...
I'm usually cynical about something so western--so foreign--as a Hard Rock Cafe moving in to town. It's so antithetical to the Vietnam that I've known all these years. It's a bit surreal--all that American music paraphernalia, the menu items, the whole upscale atmosphere... It's also all very over-priced. At roughly 300,000VND for burger and 100,000VND for a side of fries, it's perhaps the most expensive venue in the city for the food that it is offering.
But I would not say that Hard Rock is a bad thing. We need these upscale, foreign, expensive places to raise standards and prestige in the city. I can also appreciate the significant amount of red tape and groundbreaking work that the owners have done at a time when other aspect of society seem to be moving in the opposite direction this year. The very idea that they would try to bring in western music acts from time to time is revolutionary. The difficulties involved in this process were so nearly insurmountable that is rarely done (the only notable visiting performer I can think of that's come in recent years was Rain in 2005/6 and TaTa Young a few days ago at HiFi, though I don't get the impression that her performance drew much of an audience). The problem is, that besides all of the profitability hurtles, the government requires all lyrics and song lists to be screened in advance, and the concert organizers are held accountable by the government for any deviations or mishaps.
So I must say to the folks running Hard Rock, good on you for the hard work you've done. The place is nice, clean, refreshing, and the staff are friendly and helpful. I hope that the visiting acts will be both entertaining, and inspiring to the pathetic indigenous pop music scene as well. The local "artists" could definitely use some guidance. Lets hope you are successful in your vision and that you can also inspire other venues of high quality standards.
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