With my VUS campus still very new when I joined two years ago, it’s been tough finding time to get away from the six-day workweeks. But I finally managed to stash a few overtime hours, and so I decided to do something different: I crossed the border from Gia Lai, Vietnam, into Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. …
Category Archives: Journal
Dak Doa’s Pink Grass Festival
There’s something oddly nostalgic about taking a drive I used to hate. My weekly 6am drive to Đắk Đoa once felt like a chore, but over time, the small town grew on me. I started to appreciate its quiet charm—exploring its cozy cafés, like one with tiny tiled-roof huts and hammocks, or wandering through the …
Bien Ho
It’s still dark when I arrive at Biển Hồ 9km north of Pleiku City. I shuffle nervously through the large crowd, unsure of where to go or what to do. The PA crackles in Vietnamese, but I can’t make out the words. I’m surrounded by seasoned runners adjusting their gear and some people looking a …
Chu Dang Ya
“Teacher Will!” a small voice calls out. I turn and scan the bustling crowd to see a group of my former students grinning and waving yellow flowers, dressed in striking black Jrai clothes with intricate brocaded trim. They’re selling dã quỳ wreaths, made from the bright yellow tithonia diversifolia flowers. The occasion? The annual Chu …
Rocket Box
During the Vietnam War, Da Nang earned the nickname “Rocket City” because of the near-constant barrage of rockets launched by the Viet Cong. But what fewer people know is that Pleiku had its own version of this during the war, a place that became known to soldiers as Rocket Box. It was located about 20km …
Looking for Kon Djéri Kong
In the course of my research for the two-part series on the Kingdom of Sedang, I stumbled upon references to a village by the name of “Kon Djéri Kong”, the site where Guerlach said he was based for his catholic mission at the time. I thought knowing more about the place might give me something …
Some Much Needed Rain
In three distinct periods of my life, rain has brought unexpected joy. In primary school, it meant a lunch break of indoor play with Lego; during my stint at the carboot sale, it signaled a day off. And now, seated in a cozy café with Yumi and her Auntie “Green” Xanh, the heavens open above …
Awayday and the Mekong Delta
Somehow I managed to live in Saigon for a year without checking out nearby tourist attractions. So when my employer dangled the carrot of a free flight for an awayday and by coincidence my cousin Henry decided to drop into Vietnam, well, it was high time to rectify my lack of exploring. So, with the …
Ling Tơhan
Gia Lai Folk Festival 2024 This weekend was the Ngày hội văn hóa các dân tộc tỉnh Gia Lai which was a celebration of the indigenous peoples of Gia Lai province. Each of the province’s 14 districts sent a village to represent their culture. They put on displays of crafts, music and dance. There was …
Quy Nhon and Plei Boi
Quy Nhon for Easter Our Easter holiday kicked off bright and early at 7am when the car rolled up to whisk us away. Packed inside were Yumi, three excited aunts, a cousin, myself and two other partners, and our ever-patient driver. We were headed to Quy Nhon city. Taking first the infamous Mang Yang pass …
Eastward Ho! 