1) AP Story on Vietnam's exceedingly cashed up consumers: "Members of the new generation want to enjoy life and pamper themselves with luxurious things," said Nguyen Thi Cam Van, 39, who has purchased five $1,000 handbags at Louis Vuitton.

"If I can afford to buy something nice, it makes me feel proud," said Van, who works at Siemens and also consults for a Vietnamese import company. "It lets you show people your taste and style."

One of her friends has 50 Louis Vuitton bags, Van said. "I think five is enough."

Read more on that here.

2) Book:
Everybody's talking about Dang Thuy Tram, again - there's even a Dang Thuy Tram tour.

For those who don't know, she's the doctor who died during the American war, but shot to fame in 2005 after her diaries reemerged after 35 years in a Vietnam vet's possession in the States.

The diaries were published as a single book which is now translated and available for ye overseas folk.

Apparently customers who searched for Last night I dreamed of peace also expressed interest in: Roast Chicken and other stories by Simon Hopkinson,
Like You'd Understand, Anyway: Stories by Jim Shepard while others bought What We Knew: Terror, Mass Murder, And Everyday Life in Nazi Germany by Eric A. Johnson and Restless Virgins: Love, Sex, and Survival at a New England Prep School by Abigail Jones.

Fascinatingly unhelpful marketing by dear auld Amazon.

3) Don't forget - Stylish Nonsense all the way from bangkok live in Hanoi this Saturday

The Minsk Football Club's one match pre-season training was declared satisfactory by still-our-special-one Johnny Cinnamon despite the controversial goal for the opposition that technically meant the game was a draw.

Members of the opposition admitted the ball did not cross the line and in fact came off the cross bar. So it was declared 3 goals to 2.5 win for the Minsk. Check out the match photos and Rastafarian -inspired coloured jerseys here.

"Playing would be easy if your colours were like my dream,
red gold and green, red gold and green."

1) Wheels of fortune

2) Do not forget - this Saturday, Stylish Nonsense, all the way from Bangkok, will be performing in Hanoi. See the post below for more info...

3) Bia Here Now: Also don't forget to review your local bia hoi or your favourite one and send it to Hanoi Bia Hoi. There's one week left for September's review-competition. The winner gets a dinner for two at Highway4. There's 43 reviews already and only several thousand bia hoi left to review. Check the website out to see what's been done. Hai Ba Trung district is heartbreakingly sparse. Latest review - 19c Ngoc Ha double-teamed by Pittstop Works' very-own Yorkie and Dr. Son Tinh, who obviously didn't try the sausages, otherwise he would have mentioned them.

Pittstop approved Special Event...

The future sound of Bangkok...


...on the way to Hanoi

Riding the skytrain in Bangkok reveals a beguiling skyline like nowhere else on earth. Ornate tradition blends with the seemingly futuristic, showing a disorienting disregard for aesthetic conventions.

The Thai capital’s runaway development over the last decade has been matched by the growth of a magpie-like indie music scene, which blends disparate global influences into a colourful and dizzying Siamese whole.

Hanoians who attended the Bear Garden concert last November at CAMA’s old Hang Trong location would have had a taste of this already. Now CAMA are bringing the Bangkok vibes to Hanoi, once again, this time at a unique Nha San venue a few hundred metres from the Gia Lam side of the Chuong Duong Bridge on Saturday September 29.

Making their Hanoi debut will be Stylish Nonsense, one of the longest running Thai indie outfits who encapsulate many of the elements that make up Bangkok’s 21st century pop culture.



Although they cite formative influences from Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins to the Charlatans and the Boo Radleys, they seem to have been most profoundly marked by Nintendo Family Computer soundtracks between the years 2529 to 2533 (Buddhist Era).

In their work, these primitive digital melodies combine with vintage analogue equipment and the supremely funky live drumming of Yuthana “June” Kalambaheti. The overall effect is akin to soundtracks for non-existent 70s TV shows careening into 32k game cartridges.

June and his Stylish Nonsense partner Wannarit “Pok” Pongprayoon met as freshman engineering students at Bangkok’s King Mongkut Institute of Technology and started performing together as Meauwer, recording pop-songs inspired by the Charlatans onto 16bit sound cards.



Over time (and with the loss of a third member) Meauwer became Stylish Nonsense. Stylish Nonsense are primarily a live band, having released only one full-length album in nine years. However during that time they have also lugged their collection of analogue keyboards to gigs as far afield as Germany, Japan and Paris.

Asked to name his favorite Stylish Nonsense show, June mentions a Berlin concert during which he was suffering from a serious fever but where the feeling of having nothing to lose pushed the band to take their sound even further out.



Talking to Stylish Nonsense you get the impression that their whole career has been one of constant evolution and searching for new modes of expression. The band bemoan the fact that while the Thai indie scene has grown much larger over the last 10 years, this has not necessarily led to more diversity or experimentation among their peers. Regardless Hanoi locals who want to witness this duo causing a commotion need only cross the bridge over the Red River next Saturday.

By Kjartan Hallibut

Where? Nha San Ben Ho, Bo De, Long Bien, Hanoi – turn right at end of Chuong Duong bridge, drive 400m and turn right again into Bo De street. When? Music starts at 8pm. No excuses for being stylishly late no matter how nonsensical you are. In the meantime, you can check out: www.myspace.com/stylishnonsensebkk

Buffalo head-butting contest

What the ...

Stumbled on this four-month old rapping-podcast on Lonely Planet's website by a young American-chap: The Hanoi hustle.

Kids these days.

Quick Link
The pace of change in Hanoi comes at what cost to 'auld' Hanoi - an AFP story.

Timeout also covered overcrowding in the Old Quarter this week - coincidence!? No such thing - but the link isn't up yet. Come back tomorrow for more on that.

Same planet, different worlds…
When it comes to transport, the ultimate symbol of wealth and luxury on four wheels is undoubtedly the Rolls Royce and Hoang Khai – the man behind Khai Silk – is the proud owner of Vietnam’s first ever Rolls Royce car after splashing out over $600,000. According to the Thanh Nien translation of a Tuoi Tre story, the used, 2006-model Phantom, is a four-door sedan equipped with a 453hp, 6.75-liter cylinder V12 engine and six gears. Quoted on Yahoo at $328,750 it got nailed with import tax, luxury-item tax (a.ka. you’re-filthy-rich-and-can-afford-this-tax), and 10 per cent value-added tax. Several buyers in Ho Chi Minh City were interested but Khai out bid them all offering an undisclosed fee.

Holy moley there's a lot of rich people around in expensive cars. The same hummer keeps on driving past me near Truc Bach lake. A bleeding Hummer? says you. Yes, the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle is needed to negotiate that bumpy stretch of road by the Sofitel Plaza.

No Hoo woo during peak hours

Mr. Cyclo and his San Souci posse will be forced to work around peak hours for traffic in an attempt to ease congestion in Hanoi. The Hanoi People’s Committee announced that new regulations concerning the brigades of tourist cyclos meant that they’d only serve tourists and wedding ceremonies and must avoid the streets between 6am and 8.30am, 4.30pm to 7pm. Each cyclo can carry one adult and one child. I now eagerly await the first stand off between the proud mother of a groom and his merry-gift-carrying-men on their way to an An hoi (Engagement party) at 9am – Wedding Season starts soon I think. Did you know there are only 300 tourist cyclos drivers with a license to “Hoo-woo!” and the municipal authorities will not license any more, or so says the director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism. The cyclo drivers will have to pedal in formation as well – in groups of five with 50m distance between groups. “We must balance interests. We consider cyclos as a cultural characteristic of Hanoi, which is a vehicle to serve tourists, but the use of cyclos must not affect traffic,” added the director.

Hors d'oeurves

Helmets go like hot cakes
With stricter traffic laws meaning all State employees must wear helmets this month as well as all motorcyclists on national roads, as of September 15, not surprisingly it’s a very good month for people selling ‘rice cookers’. However, demand is currently far higher than supply, so if you’re looking for a new helmet you might find yourself in a bit of a rugby-style scrum this month as thousands scramble for the remaining stock. Of course, wherever there is a strong demand there is a naughty little-so-and-so trying to make a fast buck. Ho Chi Minh City officials have reported that fake or low-quality items are being sold on the market. However the Market Monitoring Agency is on the case and confiscating substandard helmets in the city. One unlicensed shop in Binh Tan district was rumbled selling phony helmets with Honda brand names stuck on the side. Let’s hope the helmet-traders are stocking up on authentic products as demand will only be on the rise as all motorbike drivers (even those of you with pretty hair-dos!) will be forced to wear helmets as of December 15.

No liquids!
At this stage most international travelers will have discovered the joys of having after-shave, perfume, bottles of Evian, wine or perhaps 12-year-old Scotch, confiscated while boarding flights. Security measures mean no liquids are allowed on board most international or domestic flights these days and Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Administration has announced from this October, passengers will not be allow to bring liquid on board all domestic flights – so no bottled water, soft drinks, perfumes and we presume nuoc mam. All items must be checked in as stored luggage. Medication is acceptable, while baby milk and foodstuffs are also allowed. But these bottles must contain no more than 100ml of liquid be carried in clear bottles and contained in a transparent plastic bag. Liquid items bought from duty-free stores at the airport must be put in the sellers’ sealed transparent plastic bags, which must be enclosed with receipt clearly stating the purchased time and location. So be careful if you’re bringing along a fancy bottle of bubbly for your holliers.

From VIR's Timeout: Burning down the house

With the increasing affluence in Vietnam perhaps it’s no small wonder that even votive offerings now cater for the nouveau riche in the next life. Minh Phuong reports...
Now back in the 1980s people would have offered votive money or clothes, which are pretty cheap and simple to make but also conceptually speaking an obvious gesture. Rich families might also have burnt a votive maid when the master of the house died. No one wants to break the habit of a lifetime, even in the next life.
Of course, now that the lives, habits and culture of Vietnamese people are diversifying in the modern world the votive offerings are following suite.
Citizens of the underworld are receiving increasingly sanh dieu (hip) offerings such as fancy cars, stately motorbikes, opulent houses and, to make sure cash is on hand, ATM cards.


Yup, votive money is passé. Now people offer latest electronic goods: Nokia N series mobilephone, a SH motor bike, a laptop, a Plasma TV and an Ipod at prices ranging from VND50,0000 to VND150,000 ($3-$9).

“One night, I dreamt of my father complaining about his car. He asked for a Lexus like his neighbour in the underworld,” says Ngan who owns a silk shop on Hang Gai street. “The following morning, I found the perfect kind, a black Lexus, at the Dong Xuan market. It was a bargain at VND100,0000 ($6.5).”

Georgia, Georgia.... the whole day through
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind

The VND14-trillion traffic jam in Saigon. But who's losing the money?!

The Rugby World Cup continues. Another late night watching the Irish struggle to a highly unconvincing win against the stubbly Georgians, who clad in the colours of St. George barged over the Irish line in the closing minutes but fortunately, for us Irish, failed to touchdown. Victory by the skin of our teeth I tell you what. The Georgians probably deserved it on effort and considering it was practically their second team the result is a total embarrassment for the multi-million-euro-spending Irish Rugby Football Union.

But we won and so we live to fight another day – le Vendredi prochain to be exact. But all optimism is now officially vanquished. Like Austin powers sans mojo or a ship without a sail, as well as a engine, rudder, tiller, captain, map or compass... and suddenly the Irish rugby machine is lost at sea.

Currently there's probably only one thing worse than watching the Irish play rugby and that's watching us play football, but thankfully there's no coverage for that here.

It's Rugby World Cup time. Finally.

My beloved homeland stumbled out of the blocks with a laboured win over rugby-minnows Namibia and all optimism - sky high after a fine Six nations - has disappeared as quickly as yoghurt eaten by a man with a really bad case of the runs.

Would be fine if we didn't have to play our arch nemesis of recent years Les Phaps and The masters of the Garyowen-and-grind Argentina. It's like looking down a very dark tunnel and the only chink of light that flickers merely reveals a possible quarter final against Les noirs.

We shall see what happens and we shall not go gently into that good night. But we do really need to make sure auld hairy head (see below) doesn't cripple anyone in green. Ouch.

You may know of Thanh Nien the highly popular Vietnamese newspaper that also has an online English service. It is as of October kick-starting a daily-English-language-printed paper which is a pretty bauld auld move and hats off to the lads and lasses behind it all.

The sole competition is, of course, the VNnews, who have enjoyed a monopoly since day one and must be slightly worried how Thanh Nien English daily turns out.

If TN hits the ground running smoothly we could have a right auld tussle, no doubt spurring both parties on until one day we'll be like those lucky rascals in Thailand trying to choose between the Bangkok Post and the Nation.

By the way if you're a sub editor, Thanh Nien needs you (then so does Vietnam News - meow!).

And onwards, upwards, wayward we go.

Concerning the recent demands of the Metropole and the Sheraton for me to wear shoes rather than sandals and pants rather than shorts to enter their respective establishments perhaps it's not just a recent trend as I suggested.

One Pittstop reader wrote to tell me of an incident concerning a dinner with some out of towners at the Emperor restaurant - a place you only take out-of-towners for a "safe" Spring Roll and Banana Flower Salad – a few years back.

His colleague, an English reporter, a man known to froth at the mouth at the sight or sound of injustice, was informed by the manager that he would have to wear trousers, rather than the shorts, to dine at the Emperor. An argument ensued. The reporter, perhaps only relenting because of the out of towners, stormed off to buy a pair of pants at a shop across the road for VND200,000. He returned, they all sat down, he grumbled a bit, they ordered and the evening resumed normal service...

...until a group of elderly German tourists arrived and were duly seated by the staff without a word despite the fact one of the German gents was clearly wearing shorts (with black socks and sandals) and violating the strict dress code that was applied to the reporter.

Now as I said he was not the sort to stand such an injustice and the manager was duly summoned and the argument re-started. The riled up reporter demanded that the manager ask the German OAP to be denied service or forced out to find some long strides of his own.

The embarrassed manager hummed, then he hawed, and rather than cause a scene with the Germans he acquiesced to the reporter's alternative demand - that the restaurant repay him the VND200,000 he just spent on a crappy pair of pants.

And that's how you stick it to the man!

Dank für die anekdote mein liebes Julian.

A Scot goes to see a man about a dog in Saigon in this article for the AGE (of Australia): In Vietnam, dog meat dinners are generally the preserve of the male of the species, and are, I soon found out, as much a testosterone-infused bonding ritual as canine culinary experience. With much innuendo as he could muster, Hoanh also explained, with accompanying lust-laden growls from Vuong, that eating dog was "good for the man". He demonstrated just how good by a wicked upward thrust of his rigid right forearm that left us in no doubt about the point he was making. Vuong howled in approval.

Read on...

Once I was also told that sweetcorn was "good for the man". In fact I've been told so many things are "good for man" sometimes I wonder what isn't.

A kick in the family jewels, says you.

Dressed to impress...



Now for starters I'd like to qualify my actions, as I am not one for going to the Sheraton's Nutz bar, which is so crazy they need to replace that pedestrian penultimate 'S' and add a more flagrant 'Z' at the end with the panache of that swashbuckling vigilante Zorro - ole! – as if the Z itself was proof that fun was a guarantee within but, you see, I was merely picking up a friend on my way past, honest. So I didn't even want to go in but regardless the security team dressed to the nines with caps, radios, orange batons and badges, stood on a raised step by the door - "My how tall you are this evening gentlemen!" - and said you can't come in wearing shorts. After the incident at the Metropole you'd have to wonder is this the start of a disturbing trend, indeed the beginning of the end. Years from now social historians will look back at the early 21st century and perhaps one will even sift through the blogs of yesteryear and happen upon these sorry moments in the life of the Pittstop Works lone staffer and pinpoint 2007 as the moment where people started getting notions of upperosity in our dear auld Hanoi.

Of course, I pointed out that I didn't intend to start playing tennis inside and several women coming out were plainly parading their legs more so than I, but alas all was lost on the SWAT-team ensemble and I'll be the first to admit my pasty pins ain't so pleasing to the eye.

Anyway, my friend emerged from the guarded-garden and we headed on. Appropriately or inappropriately enough, he told me that it was for the best as inside the bar was a load of pants.

Or perhaps that should be pantz?

Ole!