Courtesy of Robert Canfield, Dribble Spying in the Education Industry: Room for Improvement? Maybe some company staff have more time on their hands because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its decidedly adverse impact on the economy, including the education industry. Or maybe they simply don't have enough to do. Whatever the reason, I've seen an … Continue reading Secret (Education) Agents' Cover Blown!
Commentary
Viet Nam & the USA in the Time of COVID-19: A Study in Contrasts
These sketches are by Hanoi-based artist, George Burchett. iPad art, 5.4.20, © 2020 As of this writing, Viet Nam has 245 confirmed cases, 95 recovered, and 0 deaths, while the US had 336,906 confirmed cases, 17,977 recovered, and 9,624 deaths, as of yesterday. Stay Strong, Viet Nam! MAGA!
Return to the US? From the Food Warmer Into the Fire
The US Embassy in Hanoi recently started sending me and other US expats in Viet Nam whose email addresses happen to be on file daily updates with the subject line: Health and Travel Alert. I was struck by this "reminder" in the 3 April edition: On March 31, U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo … Continue reading Return to the US? From the Food Warmer Into the Fire
Girl POWer in the Viet Nam of 2020
A TV commercial for Dutch Lady milk. Truth be told, this put a smile on my face. Art often reflects life and so does advertising, in some cases. How companies choose to sell their services and products says a lot about what they believe will resonate with the public in general and their target clientele … Continue reading Girl POWer in the Viet Nam of 2020
"Medicine Old and New" by Wilfred Burchett
Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi in 1966. Screenshot from documentary "Vietnam North." Below is chapter six in its entirety from a 1966 book entitled Vietnam North: A First-Hand Report by prominent Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett. In it he wrote about the ingenuity of Vietnamese medical professionals in successfully confronting difficult medical and surgical issues created … Continue reading "Medicine Old and New" by Wilfred Burchett
During the Covid-19 pandemic, do as the Vietnamese do
Staff spray disinfectant at a dormitory in Ho Chi Minh City for the city to use it as centralized facility to quarantine those coming to Vietnam from areas hit by Covid-19, March 18, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Here's my latest essay for VNExpress International. Below are a couple of introductory paragraphs to whet your … Continue reading During the Covid-19 pandemic, do as the Vietnamese do
"Hanoi’s Formula One track nears finish line"
Photo courtesy of VNExpress International According to Chung (Nguyen Duc Chung, chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee), the event is a further demonstration of Vietnam’s ability, as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, to host events on a global scale and attract tourism to the country. I'm not a big fan of … Continue reading "Hanoi’s Formula One track nears finish line"
Is the Bloom Off the Canadian Rose for Vietnamese Students?
I wrote updates for University World News in 2018 (Vietnamese students look at the US and head north - editor's title) and 2019 (The shift of Vietnamese students to Canada marches on) but I what I have to say this year will fit into a short blog post. As of 31 December 2019, there were … Continue reading Is the Bloom Off the Canadian Rose for Vietnamese Students?
SEVP Does An About-Face With I-20 Issuance Policy
My latest essay for University World News is about the June 2019 I-20 policy guidance and the about-face just six months later. As I noted in my concluding paragraph, I give ICE credit for recognising the error of its ways within six months of publishing a policy guidance document on Form I-20 Issuance and School … Continue reading SEVP Does An About-Face With I-20 Issuance Policy
“Face masks made from toilet paper found in Hanoi”
Market officials inspect mask production at Viet Han Company Ltd in Thuong Tin District, Hanoi on February 13, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Chien Son. Why am I not surprised? Here's the latest example of cheating, this time in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. (Thu gần 100.000 chiếc khẩu trang làm từ giấy vệ sinh) I'm … Continue reading “Face masks made from toilet paper found in Hanoi”
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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