When meeting someone for the first time, one is often asked, “So what do you do?” Lately, I’ve had a difficult time answering this question. In the last two years, I’ve taken on many different roles in many different organizations. Most of these roles pay little to nothing. Fortunately, I earn passive income from my other businesses, so I can afford the luxury of not … [Read more...] about Developing the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Vietnam
Obesity in Asia: American Fast Food is Fare for the Rich
Each time I visit my homeland, Vietnam, I find that many of my relatives have gotten wealthier and progressively fatter, especially their overly pampered children. One cousin in Saigon in particular is raising an obese child. When asked why she was feeding him so much she simply shrugged and said, “Well, we barely had enough to eat during the Cold War. Now that I have money, I … [Read more...] about Obesity in Asia: American Fast Food is Fare for the Rich
What Do You Do? Identity vs. Work, East vs. West
A while back, when I was visiting my mother's ancestral village in Thai Binh province in northern Vietnam, it occurred to me that, after a barrage of questions from distant relatives, not once did anyone ask that common question in America: "So, what do you do?" Instead the questions were familial and personal: "How is your mother?" "Do you own a car?" "Are you married?" When … [Read more...] about What Do You Do? Identity vs. Work, East vs. West
Vietnamese Woman, Priscilla Dang, Beats Down Perverted Teens
We all know Vietnamese women are tough. This week in Vancouver, Washington, two teenage boys learned that the hard way. Priscilla Dang, 23, was going for a jog when two teenage boys rode up on a bike next to her. One boy rode ahead and the other snuck behind Dang and groped her bottom. Dang responded by pushing one of the teenagers to the ground and making him apologize. … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Woman, Priscilla Dang, Beats Down Perverted Teens
Health Brief: No More Public Smoking in Vietnam
Want to light up a cigarette in public? Not anymore, say lawmakers in Vietnam. Yesterday, it was confirmed that Vietnam has passed a law banning smoking in all public places. The law also prohibits tobacco advertising and bans the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18. The law is set to go into effect in May 2013. High tobacco use is certainly an issue in … [Read more...] about Health Brief: No More Public Smoking in Vietnam