Gaming and Dating a PR chick

If you're foreign to the Vietnamese clubbing scene, the first thing you're gonna notice is the lack of a dance floor.  Everybody sticks by their own tables, dancing only with their group, even if their group is a bunch of heterosexual guys.  Once in a while, you might make acquaintances with the table beside your's, kind of like when you're forced to make polite conversation with the passenger sitting next to you on a flight.

Dear El Capitan

It's another installment of "Dear El Capitan" where you readers email us with questions that only El Capitan can answer.  Remember to email us with any questions you may have for El Capitan

We Tranlate Our Own BS

My phone battery died – I turned my phone into airplane mode

I fell asleep early last night – I was out with a chick

I have to go on a business trip – I gotta meet my out of town bitch

I’ll buy your gift next week – You’re not getting a present

Who Woulda Thought

It's been a while since we've had a guest blogger on here so we wanted to come back with something special. We have a buddy out here who's experience in Vietnam, although not exceptionally long in duration, has been expedited by the fact that he's assimilated so well to the local Vietnamese culture. There's never an occasion that doesn't call for flip-flops and shorts with him, and you can usually find him at the local "nhau" watering hole with a cigarette hanging from his mouth in an ever-so-macho way, barking commands at the workers, and ordering up a storm all in the name of a good time. It also turns out that he can put his thoughts into words very eloquently and that's why we've asked him to write for us so that you, the reader, can get a better insight into life in Saigon as a truly assimilated Viet Kieu. Without further adieu, here's what he had to say...

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Brotherhood

Despite all the people that come through this town, you can generally identify the cliques that start to form. Over time, people begin to be remembered by the group they keep company with. Sure there’s a crossing of paths, an exchange of greetings, or even the merging of certain clusters but more times than not, you sort of find yourself sticking with the same group of people you mesh well with. And here we are, this band of thieves who enjoy the finer things in life together, rubbing people the right and wrong way.

You know you're a local when...

#28 you do your thing on the public toilet and use the time to talk business or carry conversations to catch up with friends.  Since most restrooms don't play techno or house music this void is easily filled with your mobile phone, for your own personal appreciation of techno and house as well as others using the toilet and restroom.

SP

10 Essentials : John Ho

Every famous band/group has a "best of" or "essentials" album,  a collection of songs that complete the image and feeling of the band/group.  My personal favorite is "Smith's Best I," and firmly believe that every track on that album belongs there.  Being in a different environment here in Vietnam , I too have developed my own essentials, a list of things that maintain my sanity. Sure most of my items can be sourced in Vietnam, but I wouldn't trust shoddy/low quality goods with my mental health.  Without these seemingly "normal" things in my life I would probably go bonkers and try to strangle the next motorist that cut me off.