While doing research for a reader a few months ago, I was unable to find strong information dealing with the current effects of Agent Orange on Vietnamese children. Most of what I read seemed to say that as generations pass, the dioxin levels will decrease and children being born now will be at a lower risk of suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. However, this recent article I came across focuses... more

Vietnamese water puppets are coming to Washington DC! On Wednesday June 20, 2007, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center near the White House will be home to an impressive collection of water puppet, including over 700 from the collection of puppeteer Chu Luong.

“I hope the American visitors will understand the story that we (the participants in the exhibition) want to tell through such installations. It’s... more

I don't personally know about Ho Chi Minh City, but I do know that in Hanoi, every time we saw a bus it felt like a huge invasion that just didn't seem to fit on the small, insanely busy streets that are full of motorbikes, bicycles and people walking around. The buses seemed monstrous in Hanoi and frankly, I could have done without seeing them and navigating around them. I know that Ho Chi Minh City has a different vibe than Hanoi, so this bus tour may just be a great way to see all the sites. But the article states that they have plans to expand... more

Interesting views on the differences between Northerners and Southerners. Having only been to Bac Giang and Hanoi, I can't voice a preference. Those of you who have been to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City...what do you think?

Cultural divide splits Vietnam By Ben Stocking

The Associated Press

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Northerners are rude, they talk funny, they're lousy drivers and have bad taste.

When a Vietnamese blogger unleashed this tirade from down south recently, people 700 miles away... more

Vietnam has set a target of reducing the number of underweight children that are less than five years old to below 20 percent by the end of the decade.

The target is included in the national nutrition strategy for five years up to 2010, which was announced by the Ministry of Health at a conference in Hanoi on Friday.

The strategy also calls for a reduction of over-weight children under five to less than 5 percent, virtual elimination of Vitamin A deficiency and control of non-contagious diseases caused by malnutrition.

Also... more

Just an interesting little news blurb that I came across...

Ethnic group stilt house to be displayed in Germany

A stilt house typical of the Tay ethnic minority group in northern Vietnam will be on display in Germany in July under a UNESCO-launched campaign for sustainable development.

Thestilt house was handed over to Klemens Van de Sand, Director in charge of the Asia region of Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, by Do Dinh Tien, Director of the Tam Dao National... more

On Saturday, February 17, at 1:00 p.m., the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation will host a screening, with discussion, of the 2006 Telly Award-winning documentary film, "Operation Babylift-Homeward Bound," accompanied by a ceremony recognizing the late President Ford for his part in the humanitarian mission known as Operation Babylift. This program will be held at the Vietnam Era Educational Center in Holmdel, New Jersey,(Exit 116, Garden State Parkway on the grounds of the PNC NJ Arts Center).

On... more

Good news for families who will be traveling between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in the future! I know most choose to fly, but this new 'bullet train' could be an exciting adventure.

Vietnam plans to build a US$33 billion high-speed railway system that would cut the 1,600-kilometer (1,000-mile) trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City by two-thirds, the government has announced.

The new bullet trains would travel at speeds of 300 to 350 kilometers per hour, reducing the current 32-hour train trip to roughly 10 hours,... more

I thought we had it made with our direct Thai Air flight from JFK (New York) to Bangkok, Thailand and then a short flight into Hanoi. A direct flight would be so wonderful for families traveling to bring their children home; and even better on the way home if said child isn't too thrilled about flying!

Vietnam Airlines set to begin first ever direct flights to US Vietnam Airlines plans to start its first direct flight to the US by year-end, its vice general director, Pham Ngoc Minh,... more

Bird Flu Re-Emerges in Thai Fowl, Spreads in Vietnam

By Jason Gale and Karima Anjani

Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu resurfaced in Thailand and spread to a seventh Vietnamese province in a fresh wave of poultry outbreaks across Asia.

The H5N1 strain of avian influenza killed ducks in a northern Thai province, the first outbreak reported in more than five months in the world's fourth-largest poultry-exporting country. The virus also infected ducks in Vietnam's southern Soc Trang province, after re-emerging in fowl in Japan last week.

The new infections signal a resurgence of outbreaks similar to last year, when the virus spread to more than 30... more