Vietnam Talking Points » Sarah Bui

Vietnam Ethnic Groups – This is our People.

Sarah Bui — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:51:15 +0000

One of the greatest things about Vietnam is the abundance of diversity that you will notice through a tourist’s perspective.

Diversity, you ask? To exemplify how diverse Vietnam actually is one would just have to look at a series of lists: cuisines, distinct creatures, exotic flowers, excursion sites, and so on and so forth. Speaking of different species, on September scientists discovered 163 new species ranging from Vampire fishes and Lipstick geckos to Bird-eating frogs in the Mekong River which flows through Southern parts of Vietnam. Don’t be too perplexed, Vietnam never unceasingly forgets to leave us enticed and always on our feet. Don’t close Vietnam’s book too soon for we may all once again be surprised.

Here are the numbers:

Species of Plants: 9782

Species of Animals: 381

Vietnamese Cuisines: Infinite.

Things to do in Vietnam: Infinite.

But forget the numbers, let’s just look at our people. Everyone always talks about being Vietnamese, but did you know that there are 54 recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam (many of which a typical Vietnamese may have never heard of). These 54 different ethnics are just as Vietnamese as you are, but unconventionally unique in their lifestyle, culture, cuisines, and traditions. According to the 1999 Census the largest ethnic groups are: Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Tai Ethnic 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer Krom 1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nùng 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1%. Let’s take a journey into lives of the ‘other’ 4.1%.

In reading through you will feel refreshed as you look into the faces and lives of our “different, but same” people. The humble thought, “They are Vietnamese, just like me,” may come across your mind and what started as a simple “Oh I wonder what this article is about” curiously will give way to a new understanding as well as perspective. By the end of this photo essay you will discover, just as I have, how multi-ethnically rich and diverse Vietnam is and in the end have an objective pride for being who you are -Vietnamese.

: Nguoi Gia Triêng.

Gia Trieng

Location: Central Highlands region of Vietnam

Population: 30,243

Language: Mon-Khmer language.

: Nguoi Phu La (baolaocai.vn)

Phù Lá

Location: Lào Cai province (Northeastern Vietnam)

Population: 9,046

Language: Tibeto-Burman family

: Nguoi Rom Ma (From: toan1nbk)

Rom Ma

Population: 352

Language: Central Bahnaric branch of the Mon-Khmer family

: Nguoi E De (From: vacne.org.vn)

E De (or Rhade)

Location: Southern Vietnam

Population: 270,348

Language: Austronesian language family

: Pu Péo (From VietnamTourism)

Pu Péo

Location: Hà Giang

Population: 705

Language: Qabiao, Vietnamese, Chinese

: Nguoi O Du (From: vietnamculture.com.vn)

O Du (O’Du)

Location: Ngh? An province (North Central Coast region)

Population: 570

Language: O’du (Khmuic language)

: Nguoi Lo Lo (From: dulichvn.org.vn)

Lo Lo (Yi)

Location: Hà Giang, Cao B?ng, and Lào Cai provinces (Northeastern Vietnam)

Population: 3,300

Language: Yi (Tibeto-Burman language)

: Xinh Mun (From: baodientusonla.com.vn)

Xinh Mun (or Con Pua, Pu?c, or P?a)

Location: S?n La and Lai Chau (Northwestern Vietnam)

Population: 18,018

Language: Khmuic languages

: Nguoi Stieng (From: zetaboards)

Stieng (Xtieng)

Location: Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province (Southeastern Vietnam)

Population: 6,059

Language: Bahnaric group (Mon-Khmer languages)

Salinas Dentist Ready For A New Journey

Sarah Bui — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:54:03 +0000

TheCalifornian.com

It will soon be the month of October, and for many of us it will just be another month naturally coming by, but for Christopher Jen Kin of Salinas, California he says, “I’m expecting [Vietnam] to be a life-changing trip.”

Jen Kin, 31, is a dental graduate of University of the Pacific in San Francisco. He divides his time between his dental practice and teaching dental students fixed prosthodontics. Kin had always wanted to go to Vietnam, but felt unprepared for the journey until now;

“Ever since my dad mentioned going along to Vietnam, I’ve wanted to do it, but mentally, I was not prepared [but] my dad has prepared me.”

He is excited and anticipates that this will be an experience unlike any other if not life changing itself. Kin feels ready and eager for a new journey beyond the comfortable walls of his dental suite and will be joined by many others from a church in Los Angelos. The mission team will begin at Ho Chi Minh City and they will then travel to a remote village 8 hours away. Kin expects that he will witness many individuals who are unable to afford dental care and therefore will see periodontal diseases in levels hes never seen before.

“The remote reaches of Vietnam, after all, sit worlds removed from his daily comfort zone — in terms of the heat and oppressive humidity, in terms the primitive working conditions, the quality of dental equipment and the universal severity of dental problems [1].”

Christopher Jen Kin sends a clear message to all when is says, “You have people in many parts of the world with zero access to dental care and my family always stressed that we have certain gifts and that we should not waste those.”

“Help people, in other words. It would be a slap in the face [of providence] not to do anything.”

The Famous “Who’s Who” You Probably Didn’t Know

Sarah Bui — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:49:38 +0000

Remember those tabloid A-listers celebrities you usually see on HollyAccess, Entertainment, or TMZ? Well here is our version of tabloid worthy splashes for our notable and bigger-than-life Vietnamese individuals. They are in essence “celebrities,” for they are deserving of public recognition and are an example to all, but more so they are ‘leaders of influence’ not only our community but to all. These individuals have made their headlines by simply being who they are, doing what they love, and all share uncanny stories of their struggle and triumph.

Photo: NASA

Science – Eugene H. Trinh

The American Astronaut

Over a decade a ago, Eugene H. Trinh made his mark as the first Vietnamese-American to travel into outer space. Trinh was born in Saigon, Vietnam but immigrated to Paris, France at the age of two and has lived in the United States since 1968. In 1972, He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering-Applied Physics from Columbia University, and two years later earned a Masters of Science in 1974 and Doctorate of Philosophy in Applied Physics in 1977 from Yale University. Trinh conducted experimental and theoretical research in Fluid Dynamics, Fundamental Materials Science, and Levitation Technology for 20 years [1].

In 1992, Trinh was elected to travel to outer space as a Payload Specialist crew member aboard the STS-50/United States Microgravity Lab-1 Space Shuttle flight. His list of special honors include; Sheffield Fellowship (Yale University), Group Achievement award NASA for flight experiments, Science Achievement award for Principal Investigator team NASA, NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, and NASA Flight Medal.

In May of 2004, Eugene H. Trinh was awarded a Golden Torch Award, by the Vietnamese American National Gala in Washington D.C. and in 2009, was a keynote speaker at the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington.

Photo: NY Daily News

Food – Hung Huynh
The Chef & Winner of Top Chef Season 3

Hung Huynh is a Vietnamese-American chef and winner of reality television series Top Chef’s third season in 2007. Huyhn was born in Vietnam, but raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and as young child he never realized that he would one day be the executive sous chef at Las Vegas one and only Guy Savoy Restaurant. As a young boy he began his culinary training at his parent’s Vietnamese restaurant and continued on to study culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America.

Here’s what Huynh had to say during an Interview:

Q: It was really interesting when you were asked of why you were so passionate about being in the competition. You talked a lot about your family and growing up around food … can you talk a little bit about your background and your family?

“Yeah, well, after the war in Vietnam everyone was starving to death and my dad was in the army, so he had to escape a re-education camp or be locked up for life. So he had to escape when I was a couple months old, along with two of my brothers and my uncles and all that stuff. One of my other brothers had escaped with my other cousins and they went to Australia, so that leaves one of my other brothers and I and my mom back in Vietnam. We were left behind, and my whole family was separated the whole time … for like nine or ten years. I didn’t meet my other brothers and my dad until I was 9 years old, like 8 or 9 years old.

My dad and my brothers came to America with nothing, nothing. Not even welfare. And now I’m given this opportunity to live in this country and I’m going to take full advantage of the opportunity that it has to offer, that’s what really drives me. Really, you only get a total of one hour of me with all the shows combined total and they think they know me, they think they know my life, they don’t! They don’t know what drives me and I’m glad I have a chance to talk about it now [2].”

As of August 2009, Hung is currently cooking at Anja Bar (formerly Buddha Bar) in Manhattan.

Photo: CNN

Media – Betty Nguyen
The American News Anchor of CBS

Betty Nguyen is a Scottish-descent Vietnamese-American news anchor for ”CBS Morning News, and “The Early Show.” Her story is very similar to Eugene Trinh and Hung Huynh’s. On April 1975, Nguyen along with her family left Vietnam for America. She grew up in Forth Worth,Texas and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from University of Texas at Austin. Prior to becoming a CBS network anchor, Nguyen was covering headline news for CNN. For six years Nguyen covered major events from the earthquake in Haiti, presidential elections in Africa, hurricane Katrina, the death of Pope John Paul II, and went on an undercover assignment in Myanmar [3].

When covering a story “Operation Baby Lift,” for CNN, Nguyen shared her story about fleeing Vietnam:

“He was an American serviceman who fell in love with a Vietnamese college student. They married and had me, a child who was given life, when so many were losing theirs in the war.

On April 19, 1975, we fled Vietnam, crammed into a packed C-130 cargo plane. It was stepping into the unknown. Nothing was guaranteed except that turning back was not an option. And that meant leaving behind my grandparents…As hard as it was, fleeing not only saved my life, it gave me a new one, in a place called America [4].”

“Street Food” Straight Up!

Sarah Bui — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:50:25 +0000

Imagine this:

[It’s summer and you just took the first flight out to Vietnam, and now here you are in (Name your City), Vietnam. It’s early morning and the city streets are already filled with traffic, swarms of mopeds, people, and cars. Up and down the busy sidelines small vendors begin to set up their stalls, chairs, tables, and open up their ‘kitchen’ offering portable dishes to the every passerby. The mixed aroma of noodles, rice, cakes, marinated meats in baguettes, sweets and deserts, along with the infinite mouth-watering ingredients give your sense a rude awakening.]

Welcome to Vietnam & welcome to the wonderful world of street food. Now when we coin the word ‘street food’ we are actually referring to the ethnic foods you see freshly chopped and cooked right in front of your eyes or as some refer it ‘food you eat off the street’. For foreign travelers, the sight of ‘street food’ arises curiosity and the common reaction, ‘it’s look good, but is it safe.’ The best way to overcome this is simply believing that a trip to Vietnam is not complete without tasting the street food! So close your eyes and take a bite, it’s a taste of culture!

Many iconic Vietnamese foods are street foods, here are the common ones:

Vietnamese Spring Rolls: Cha Gio

Photography: Su-Lin

Start of your journey of the simple and traditional Vietnamese Spring Rolls. This all-time favorite food is made with rice paper, meat of your choice (chicken, beef, shrimp), and noodles. Bursting with fresh vegetable and garden herbs – you will fall for it’s rich taste fast!

Steamed rice cakes: Banh Cuon

Photography: NguyenDong

In the mood for a good variety mix? Get in the groove for some Banh Cuon, a morning favorite among Vietnamese. Banh Cuon is made of rice soaked overnight and then mortared into flour. The dish is dressed with lean meat, shrimps, mushrooms, dried onions, and crushed pepper, but it not complete with the sweet, sour, and spicy fish sauce.

Sugar Cane Juice: Nuoc Mia

Photography: Indi.ca

Freshen up with a fresh squeezed drink made of pressed sugar cane stalk. There’s nothing better than a naturally sweet and processed drink on a hot sunny day! So give it a shot stop by the drink vendor and grab your Nuoc Mia! It’s as low as 3000D (less than a quarter!).

Bread with deep fried fish patty: Banh mi cha ca

Photography: PlaysWithFood

You can’t say you’ve had a proper fried fish patty sandwich if you haven’t tried it fresh of the streets of Vietnam. The crusty bun is stuffed with herbs, chili, peper, cucumber, and hot fried fish patty. Scallion are a common additional ingredient. Every bit is a plethora of to-die-for flavors rich enough to say it’s a steal for only 10,000 d.

Greg Drescher, Director of Education for the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone offered some tips on choosing where to stop and eat. “Ask the locals, the concierge at your hotel or a taxi driver which vendors seem to do a lot of business. If it’s a popular stall, the food is more likely to move quickly and be freshly prepared [1].” In the end of it all just remember one thing, your Vietnam trip is not complete without tasting ‘street food.’

Questions or Comments: Share us your experience and knowledge with Vietnamese ‘street food’ with us and other readers by leaving a note below!

Fashion Meets a Vietnamese American- Chloe Dao

Sarah Bui — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:26:31 +0000

Lights! Camera! Action! The lights come to a dim, the background music is pumped, and the show finally begins. Six-feet talk Amazonian figures catwalk down the Project Runway’s New York Fashion runway show – here was where a new fashion house name began to make its way into fashion world. This time it wasn’t Dior, Versace, or the likes of Dolce and Gabanna, but rather a simple collection named, “Chloe Dao.” This was the name of Project Runway’s season two winner and her win meant one significant thing – the fashion industry was about to extend it’s welcome to a new Vietnamese-American fashion designer.

As countless inspiring individuals, Chloe Dao, made her mark in a highly competitive industry through unrelenting dedication and passion. Growing up, her love for Fashion began with the simple “haves” and “not-haves” clothes when she first came to Houston, Texas. Unable to afford the desired clothing, she resolved to find a way to infuse her own style through creative intuition. Inspiration came from shifting thrift store attires and reworking them to bring about her personal sense of style. Dao’s first original was her senior year prom dress. Over time this process refined her design aestethic and lead her to emerge as a impressive contestant amongst 15 other designers in the reality television series called Project Runway. In the midst of renown Project Runway judges, Designer Michael Kors, Fashion editor Nina Garcia, and Supermodel Heidi Klum, Dao emerged as one of the three finalists, and took her collection onto the prestige floors of New York Fashion Runway only to win.

Being the winner of PR2, she received $100,000 seed money to use toward her design business, a 2007 Saturn Sky Roadster, a spread in Elle magazine, and a mentorship with Banana Republic [1]. Dao was featured on NBC’s Today and Access Hollywood, CNN’s American Morning, ABC’s The View and E!’s Inside Edition. Major national and international magazines such as People, Time, US Weekly, Forbes, Forbes Asia, Star, WWD, and New York Times covering her road to success [2]. With much success at hand, Chloe Dao’s story began with an experience similar to many second generation Vietnamese-Americans. Dao was born in Paskse, Laos, but in 1979 emigrated to the United States with her parents and seven siblings to escape the war conflict. She along with her sisters were encouraged to pursue careers in medicine or law, but Dao was uninterested in these professions. She boldly followed a career that has since been her childhood passion. At the age of 22 she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a patternmaking degree only eleven years later to become the 2nd winner of Project Runway.

Now Dao is a recognized fashion entrepreneur with a sold-out 13 piece Simply. Chloe Dao. collection exclusive to QVC, a full line collection Dao Chloe Dao launched recently in 2008, and a partner of Nuo Tech bags and travel gear. Chloe’s Dao’s story is not only be an encouragement to the Vietnamese-American community across the globe, but rather an encouragement for every immigrant who aspires to fulfill their American dream. Dao has taught and shown us all to boldly follow and radically pursue our passion and in 2008, Dao stood in the presence of 20,000 graduates and guest of Houston Community College’s Class as a commencement speaker to share exactly this. It is the stories of such successful individuals as Chloe Dao, Natalie Tran, Maggie Q, and Michelle Phan that make our hairs stand up on it’s ends giving us the hope that there are boundless possibilities and directions in which one may choose to reach one’s vision. For our designer here, Chloe Dao has chosen to find her boundless possibilities in the realm of creativity – Art.

Chloe Dao – Bridal Collection Fall 2009

Hottest Movie of the Year! – De Mai Tinh (Fool For Love)

Sarah Bui — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:29:11 +0000

Vietnam recently experienced the hottest film release of the year!! The new comedy romantic film De Mai Tinh, translated ‘Fool for love’ featured Dustin Nguyen, Truc ‘Charlie’ Nguyen, and Kathy Uyen and was directed by Vietnam’s biggest actor/director Truc ‘Charlie’ Nguyen. The film premiered at the White Palace featuring 1,000 special guests and acclaimed guest-list including movie-stars, singers, actors, and producers of the industry.

April 23 2010 was the much anticipated opening night that amazingly attracted 45,000 fans across cinemas in HCM city, bringing more than VND 2 billion (approximately US$100,000) into the box office within 3 days of it’s release date.

De Mai Tinh brought together the best of the best from producers, film-makers, actors/actresses, and singers such as Australian-Vietnamese Idol finalist Thanh Bui, and top female icon Ho Ngoc Ha with the hottest song collaboration, “Lang Tham Mot Tinh Yeu/ A Silent Love.” This film, among the first of its kind to be revamped by a successful film crew from a mix of both local and international producers, introduces to audiences flavors of Vietnam’s modernism, pop culture, and the luxurious lifestyle of the rich and famous. There were many scenes in the trailer where I could not believe were filmed in Vietnam!

The story follows a captivating tale of humor, trial, love, and pursuit between a hotel clerk Dung (Dustin Nguyen) and his love-at-first-sight with a beautiful lounge singer Mai (Kathy Uyen). His fearless love brings him to leave his job in chase of his affections for her only to find her involved with a wealthy real-estate mogul. Mai becomes torn between her professional career which depends on her relationship with the wealthy real-estate mogul.

Comedy ensues as the penniless clerk, in order to finance his pursuit of love, is forced to shack up with a very rich but very gay businessman looking for a male companion[1]. Now Dung and Mai are faced with the test of faith as he continues his pursuit of Mai while Mai struggles to choose between true love or a stable future with the real estate mogul. Dung and Mai’s journey is filled with rolling-on-the-floor humor, unexpected twists, and brings the audience to ultimately question, ‘Will their love prevail?’

Success of the film was unlike any other due to a special collaboration between local and foreign film-makers. International experts worked closely with the Vietnamese crew and introduced new technical skills and film technology. American cameraman Dominic Pereira participated in this close collaboration by dedicating his time and sharing his experience. The cinematography highlights the hip and bold culture emerging in the Vietnamese elites – fancy cars and clothes, modern mansions, private yachts, and breathaking beach resorts [2].

New opportunities eagerly await the growing Viet Nam-based film industry, and De Mai Tinh gives evidence to the success that both international and local collaboration could bring. It is also important to note the difficulty and seldom occasion that Asians are mentioned in the mainstream media. I would argue that this film deserves mainstream recognition and I hope with the recent successes of modern Vietnamese films, we can soon raise our glasses to celebrate the growth of Vietnamese Media.

———— Check out the Film stills!!———–

Grab a friend! Check out the trailer and be dazzled!

The hottest song in Vietnam “Lang Tham Mot Tinh Yeu/ A Silent Love” features the dynamic duo Thanh Bui, an Australian-Vietnamese singer/musician and Australian Idol finalist, and the top Vietnamese singer, Ho Ngoc Ha. Thanh Bui has one of the most unique and sexiest voice in the industry!

Looking for other hip Vietnamese movies? Try Passport to Love (Chuyen Tinh Xa Xu).

Your Answer Needed: What are some good Vietnamese made films you have seen recently?

Spice Up Your Life: Luxury Travel in Vietnam

Sarah Bui — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:30:55 +0000

I’m a travel fanatic and I love to read (and daydream) about where to go next. Perhaps I can be like Anthony Bourdain and travel to Hoi An? Or be like Andrew Zimmer and live life on the edge. As someone always looking for a new experience, I found a new way to travel in Vietnam – luxury travel agency! Vietnam’s Luxury Travel Agency, the first of its kind, is celebrating its 6th anniversary and is ready to expand its business into the world of luxurious high-class travel. This is exciting news for those who love to travel upscale and dive into the depths of Vietnam without delay.

What kind of a traveler are you? Self-guided Backpacker or Worry-free Tour-Groupie

This year, Luxury Travel Agency is putting its best foot forward with a new travel package, “Vietnam’s Heritage and Cultural Tours 11 days.” This package is designed to offer travelers with limited time an enriched and unforgettable experience of the Vietnamese culture, landscape, cuisine, and history.

This journey begins in Hanoi and ends at Ho Chi Minh City (HCM) or vice versa – this depends on the travelers choice. Within the duration of 11 days the tour will cover the four known heritage scenes of Vietnam – Halong Bay in Tonkin Gulf, Hoi An, the My Son Cham Ruins, and the Ancient Citadel Hue. From here travelers will also have the opportunity to visit cultural centers as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his House on Stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature. This excursion includes hot spot destinations like Da Nang, Mekong Delta, and Cu Chi Underground Tunnel. Travelers will get a taste of the best of Vietnamese cuisine! (Think filet mignon in your Pho!) This private tour also comes with the choice of English or French speaking guides, this will aid in accommodating the already diverse tourist demographic and helping tourists live their travel dreams.

This new travel service makes me reminisce fond memories of my trip to Vietnam in 2000. It was my first time in Vietnam, and I undertook Da Nang city as my first target for exploration. I remember racing my way through the streets chasing one main attraction after another. From what I recall, there weren’t enough organized travel services that were comprehensive. Though I was often fatigued and stressed while touring the city, I felt a renewed sense of purpose to understand the rich history around me. Though I don’t live here, I feel obliged to listen to the silent voices in the walls and buildings, smell the fresh rainforest and delicious food of our ancestors, and reunite with my “Vietnam” – my homeland. I finished my tour of Danang with an insatiable thirst for more of Vietnam – more of each region’s own rich history. The next time I come back, I could save all the trouble of planning and opt for a luxurious travel experience that is well-organized and done in 11 days.

Do you think Vietnam will soon hit Forbes list of Hottest Destinations?

Seen Hanoi lately? Check out Hanoi Today.

Influential Vietnamese: Michelle Phan – Make-Up Guru of Youtube

Sarah Bui — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Michelle Phan is a Vietnamese-descent make-up guru of Youtube, current spokesperson for Lancome, and creator of her own beauty product line, IQQU Beauty International. Her art and beauty inspiration began at the early age of five. In an interview with Stephanie Hayes of Times, Michelle recalls a fond memory creating a Halloween mask. Her family was living on food stamps then and was unable to afford princess costumes that her other classmates could. Instead, she made her own mask by creatively using red lipstick to blend a crimson nose center and sketching a face on a paper plate [1] . From here, Michelle Phan learned to make something out of nothing. This artistic creativity was the making of her success today.

Now at the age of 22, she is a self-made businesswoman and beauty coach of Youtube, producing over 81 make-up tutorial videos totaling 119,090,450 views. Her most popular tutorials title, “Romantic Valentine Look”, “Brighter Larger Looking Eyes”, “Makeup For Glasses”, “Mysterious Masquerade Look”, and “Lady Gaga Poker Face Tutorial.” Her acclaimed success and popularity opened her into the spotlight of the fashion industry. Within the last year, Phan brought her talent backstage as a make-up artist for Chris Benz, New York Fashion Week 2009 and Michael Kors Spring 2010 Collection. Her vision also inspired a Canadian doctor and scientist to partner with her in the creation of her IQQU International Beauty skincare line.

Phan’s reputable image in the art and beauty industry has earned her a place in Vogue’s March issue celebrating the top web bloggers and sensations of our current day. Phan stands next to ten other self-made celebrities to share their story of passion, motivation, and inspiration. This was Vogues first-of-its-kind article featuring the fashion blogging world. Other Michelle Phan features include; Seventeen Magazine (August 2009), St. Petersburg Times (August 23, 2009), Sun Sentinel (August 24, 2009), popular blog BellaSuga (April 19, 2009), and Chilean newspaper for her Barbie video.

Michelle Phan stands as a proud Vietnamese American descent. But her story and pursuit of dreams reaches beyond the community to encourage all to never think small, but beyond. In September of 2008, Phan took her career a step further by aiding a charity fashion show, “Fashion for Compassion” dedicated to raising awareness to a Tampa sexual assault case. Her philanthropic work leads an example of a giving and compassionate nature. For Michelle Phan the future only gets bigger and brighter.

Source: St. Petersburg Times.

A Classy Woman -A timeless Valentines Make-up Tutorial:

Rare look at Michelle showing her Vietnamese skills:

Did you know Maggie Q is Vietnamese? For article, visit here.

Did you also know that Natalie Tran, another Queen of Youtube is also Vietnamese? For article, visit here.

Vietnam Announces Participation in 2010 Earth Hour

Sarah Bui — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:05 +0000

On Thursday, Vietnam officially announced its participation in World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) 2010 Earth Hour Campaign for the second time. WWF’s Earth Hour Campaign raises awareness and addresses global warming issues. Earth Campaign urges participants to simply switch off a bulb for one hour on March 27th for energy conservation. In 2009, Vietnam joined the cause for its first time, gathering the participation of six provinces and localities — Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Hoi An, Hue and Khanh Hoa City. This marked the united participation of Vietnam’s numerous individuals, businessmen, and organizations.

This year the campaign will be widely promoted in a total of 20 cities in Vietnam, in addition to a main public event in Ho Chi Minh City hosted by notable Vietnamese singers and representatives. Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy General Director of Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), will stand as the ambassador and “gold sponsor” for the campaign and promises that EVN will pass on energy-saving tips to the Vietnamese people. They also pledge to form businesses dedicated to preserving national resources. On March 27, Vietnam is challenging individuals and businesses to switch off their bulbs and other electrical appliances for one hour at 8:30 p.m.

Source: Earth Hour.VN

Influential Vietnamese: Duy-Loan T. Le, Philanthropist

Sarah Bui — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:08:56 +0000

In April of 1975, Duy-Loan T. Le and her family left a war-torn Vietnam with only $100 to begin a new life in America. Her two sisters had to give up their education, and her father remained in Vietnam to provide financial means. Four years later — at the age of 16 — Duy-Loan graduated from her high school as a Valedictorian, and continued her education in University of Texas. In 1982, she obtained her BSEE Magna Cum Laude and her MBA in 1989.

Duy-Loan began her early career with Texas Instruments at the age of 19 and today holds 22 patents and 8 pending applications. In 2002, she was the first woman to be elected as a Senior Fellow, a rank equivalent to Senior Vice President of Texas Instruments. Her accolades also include: National Technologist of the Year, Times People, Asian American Engineer of the Year, Who’s Who in the World, Women of Vision: Leadership, Top 15 Women in Business, VANG’s Golden Torch, and the United States Congressional Recognition for Civil Leadership [1].

Duy-Loan is also committed to giving back to the community. She is a part of TI’s Vietnamese Initiative, which is dedicated to providing career advancements for minorities. She is currently on the Board of Directors for two non-profit organizations, one of which is Sunflower Mission, which serves to promote education and enhance social and economic development in underdeveloped countries.

Her inspiration for success began at an early age when her father dreamed his three daughters would become a doctor, lawyer, and for her to become an engineer. Worsening conditions in Vietnam left her family little choice but to move to the United States, where her sisters were forced to give up their education. Duy-Loan was then determined to fulfill her father’s last request that she become an engineer. In a WITI (Woman in Technology International) interview, she states that her philosophy is simple: “You are responsible for your success, and if you fail to succeed, the first person accountable for that failure is you.”

Paris by Night presents Duy-Loan T. Le, a very touching speech:

Le Duy Loan @ Yahoo! Video

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Stay tuned for our philanthropy feature on Sunflower Mission!