For your reading pleasure, here's the English version of a December 2021 article I wrote about Christmas as the kickoff to a long holiday season that culminates in Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration: Christmas in Vietnam: bookending a long festival season. Even though most Vietnamese identify as Buddhists, Christmas has become a popular secular holiday in recent years, which is why … Continue reading Season’s Greetings from Vietnam!
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One of My Role Models
Photo by MAA While recently shopping for flowers, I noticed this old woman, bamboo cane in one hand and broom in the other, sweeping up around her family's business. My guess is that she's in her mid to late 80s, perhaps even 90s. I was reminded of Dick Van Dyke's 2016 memoir Keep Moving, something … Continue reading One of My Role Models
The “Made in the USA” Addiction Business Model
Good for the Corporate Bottom Line, Bad for Consumers' Health A loud and clear message from Robert Lufkin, MD, a medical school professor (UCLA & USC) whom I follow on LinkedIn whose lengthy tagline is helping people prevent/reverse chronic disease, cultivate consciousness, and live life to the fullest. 'Envision a world of love, abundance, and … Continue reading The “Made in the USA” Addiction Business Model
The Ministry of Men
Source: Ministry of Men Sofitel Saigon Plaza (Lots of dark leather and wood. You get the picture.) I should launch a WTH/WTF series. I was recently at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi for a wedding party. On my way out I noticed a digital advertisement for - wait for it - a "Ministry of Men" … Continue reading The Ministry of Men
Zero Tolerance, No Exceptions
"If you drink beer or liquor, don't drive. Safety for you and society." On my drive home the other night after an evening event, I chose a route that I figured would have a police checkpoint at that time of night on the lookout for drunk drivers. Let me modify that: drivers who had even … Continue reading Zero Tolerance, No Exceptions
Mary, Queen of Peace, in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
This is one of the nicer "Marys" I've seen in a HCMC taxi or rideshare car I've seen. I immediately know if my driver is Catholic, a legacy of French colonialism and pre-colonial influence, or Buddhist, based on what's on their dashboard. (7% of Vietnam's population identifies with the former. About 1% are Protestant.) My … Continue reading Mary, Queen of Peace, in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
The Purpose of Writing
While I'm not in James Baldwin's literary league, we both share a love of writing. Those of us who embrace persuasive writing do it for precisely this reason. It is our admittedly modest contribution to changing the world for the better. Since high school, what I have read - both required and in my leisure … Continue reading The Purpose of Writing
A Small Business Role Model: Kudos to Pizza 4P’s!
I've eaten a lot of pizza and related dishes in my time and I can say without exaggeration that Pizza 4Ps is the most delicious I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I'm impressed by the consistent quality across locations and over time. It's one reason why Pizza 4P's now has 31 restaurants in Vietnam, … Continue reading A Small Business Role Model: Kudos to Pizza 4P’s!
Just Say NO to APCs!
It's time to unsubscribe from these pay-to-play come-ons that I receive because I once contributed a chapter to a book published by this company. Good riddance to bad rubbish! Shalom (שלום), MAA
George William Cooper (1948-2023): Requiescat in Pace
(Courtesy: Kathy Cooper Kogut) Our own life has to be our message. -Thích Nhất Hạnh Longtime friend George Cooper passed away yesterday morning at his home in Phnom Penh. As is often the case with this wretched disease, the lung cancer for which he was successfully treated returned with a vengeance and metastasized to his brain. … Continue reading George William Cooper (1948-2023): Requiescat in Pace
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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