Candidates on campaign trails in free elections have to endure barbs and missiles from their rivals in the form of political speech. Independent candidates in Việt Nam sometimes find themselves the target of an entirely different type of missile. For this week's "A Look Inside" segment, Loa’s Giang Nguyễn has the stories from the campaign trail in Việt Nam.
Episode 45 - March News Review
March was a month of protest incitements, disastrous effects of climate change, and twisted DNA news. Loa’s Kathy Triệu gets you up to speed with our list of the five news item from Việt Nam you need to know.
Episode 44 - The Renovation Generation; Lê Thuận Uyên
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Đổi Mới, a series of economic reforms that changed Việt Nam from a centrally planned economy to what some describe as a “socialist-oriented free market” economy. These reforms changed a lot of things for a lot of people, and the generation born after Đổi Mới live lives that previous generations could barely dream of 30 years ago. Two women - Eliza Lomas and Fabiola Buchele - seek to understand their experiences. In their podcast series, “The Renovation Generation”, Lomas and Buchele share intimate conversations with post-Đổi Mới youth and draw sonic portraits of their lives and experiences.
Eliza Lomas and Fabiola Buchele are On the Record with Loa’s Stella Trần.
We also broadcast episode 5 of “The Renovation Generation”: www.therenovationgeneration.com/
Opening Music: Kolada – Fumes
Closing Music: BluntedBeatz - Gone By Tomorrow www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC2dcqPZanI
Episode 43 - Police Brutality; Women's Day
In Việt Nam, more and more activists are experiencing a daily terror of constant surveillance, verbal abuse and beatings from those supposedly defending the law: the security police force. Loa's Trinh Nguyễn takes a look inside the pervasive police brutality in Việt Nam.
March 8 is International Women’s Day, or Ngày Quốc Tế Phụ Nữ. It's a day to celebrate women’s contributions to society, but also a reminder that the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements happened despite a lack of parity. In this week’s Vietnamism, Loa’s Chí-Linh Đinh explores how it all started and how it is celebrated today.
Episode 42 - February News Review
We’re coming to you with a special episode this week instead of having you wait another two weeks! Here at Loa, we highlight the critical stories that are shaping Việt Nam today. Loa’s Lương Văn Thiền is back with our "Things to Know" segment and all the important news stories happening in Việt Nam this month of February.
Episode 41 – Sharing Economy; Oscars Việt Documentary
The peer to peer marketplace, known as the sharing economy, has spread rapidly across the world. Can it take hold in Việt Nam? We take "A Look Inside" how sharing can lead to profits.
The glitz and glam of the 88th Academy Awards are just around the corner and one nominee captured our attention: the documentary, Chau, Beyond the Lines. Amid the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, our reporter has a review of the film’s narrative and the on-going issues of documentary's subject: the victims of Agent Orange in Việt Nam.
Music featured in this episode:
Broke For Free - Budding
Jingle Punks - Good Starts
Brett-van-donsel – The-future-begins-today-by-brett-van-donsel
Episode 40 – Tết Superstitions, Trần Thị Thúy
Tết is here! Start your Lunar New Year right by making sure your Tết traditions and superstitions are on point. And as families gather together to celebrate the new year, one prisoner of conscience faces a dire medical condition yet holds strong to her convictions.
Episode 39 - January News Review; Vovinam
From the the infighting leading up to the 12th Party Congress...to the death of a beloved and sacred turtle, Loa’s Lilly Nguyễn has the five news stories of January you need to know.
In this week’s Vietnamism, Loa’s Chí-Linh Đinh looks into this unique sport of Vovinam, short for Việt Võ Đạo, and its sky-blue uniforms and majorly epic grappling techniques.
Episode 38 - Pet Lovers; Superstitions
As puppy love matures in Việt Nam, it’s becoming clear that old habits die hard. And will sticking chopsticks vertically into your rice bowl bring bad luck? Find out on this week's episode of Loa.
Episode 37 - Party Congress; Việt Identity
What’s with all the secrecy regarding Việt Nam’s next party congress? And with Vietnamese people living all over the world, what does it really mean to be Vietnamese?
We’ve got those answers for you this week on Loa.
Episode 36 - 2015 Year In Review
Since our launch in April, we've had 35 episodes of stories from and about Việt Nam. As 2015 comes to a close, our four editors, Chris Lê, Quyên Ngô, Trinh Nguyễn, and Giang Nguyễn get together for a retrospective with some of our listeners and favorite segments.
MUSIC CREDITS
Intro/outro music by Kontinuum – Aware
Episode 35 - Việt Christmas
Although Việt Nam is predominantly non-Christian, Christmas (Lễ Giáng Sinh) is considered a major holiday, celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians alike. Holiday decorations, bright lights and nativity scenes with a distinctly Vietnamese motif fill food stalls and tiny shops throughout city streets and villages. Loa’s Jenny Lý is in Sài Gòn with "A Look Inside" how Christmas is celebrated here this time of the year.
Episode 34 -Myanmar to Việt Nam; Inside the Interrogation Room
Loa went to Yangon, Myanmar, to take “A Look Inside” a study tour on resistance alongside Vietnamese activists.
In "Solitary Envoi", we hear about what happened in the interrogation room when the activists were detained upon returning to Việt Nam.
Episode 33 - Cyber War; Sign Language
There’s an arms race brewing between China and Việt Nam, not with conventional weapons but with computer servers and surveillance software. Loa’s Trinh Nguyễn takes "A Look Inside" the cyber war between Hà Nội and Beijing.
In this week’s "Solitary Envoi," Quyên Ngô takes a look at the linguistic choices activists have made in expressing their protest.
Episode 32 - November News Review; Sriracha
From the rising tension in the South China Sea, to a social media app that’s falling out of favor with Vietnamese authorities, Loa contributor Lương Văn Thiền is here with all the important news and stories happening in Vietnam today with this week's "Things to Know."
From celebrity chefs to the guy who just wants a little something extra on his hot dog, Sriracha is rapidly becoming a staple condiment. Although the sauce is often thought to have originated in Thailand, the truth is much more complicated. Loa’s Chí-Linh Đinh dishes up that famous cocky hot sauce that’s equal parts cross-cultural appropriation, hometown pride, and expat love.
Music Used in Episode:
Bit Rio - Poddington Bear. CC BY-NC 3.0
Episode 31 - Startups; Hà Nội's Facebook Page
Investors see Việt Nam as the next tech hub of the 21st century and entrepreneurs are seizing the opportunity to jump start the next big enterprise. Brian Lâm takes “A Look Inside” the emergence and challenges for Việt Nam’s startup ecosystem.
Việt Nam's government has had a pretty contentious relationship with social media. Hà Nội made an attempt at blocking Facebook in 2009 and 2010 that mostly failed. Six years later, the government is now reversing course by setting up its own Facebook page. Loa’s Gia Linh Vũ checks up on Việt Nam's latest foray into social media in this "Things to Know" segment.
Episode 30 - Teachers' Day; Land Rights
Remember when you were in primary school and you idolized your teacher? Teaching is one of the professions that holds the highest regard in Vietnamese culture. There is even a special day dedicated to them. But as Việt Nam’s society changes, so has the meaning behind the day. Loa’s Nguyễn Linh Chi explores how students and their families are celebrating this day in Việt Nam, then and now.
In the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, the land used by farmers is considered the “people’s property” and can be reclaimed by the government at any given time. We revisit the farmers who have suffered because of this
Photo credit: Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times
Episode 29 - Misguided Media
Typically, each of our weekly podcast features two segments. This week, we’re bringing you a special episode and an in-depth interview with a prominent voice in the Vietnamese community, Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Đức Nguyễn, who’s speaking up about the controversy surrounding last week’s broadcast of “Terror in Little Saigon.”
Episode 28 - Paris Audio Tour; Lullabies
The French Quarter in Hà Nội is a remnant of colonialism but the Asian Quarter in Paris is a portrait of the diaspora. This week, we take a stroll through the streets of Quận 13, or Paris’s 13th district, with our guide Sơn Trần and Loa’s Vinh Trần.
Lullabies are not unique to Vietnamese culture, but Vietnamese lullabies are unique in that they can still be lovable and charming while speaking to the hardships of life. Giang Nguyễn gives us a little musical lesson on lullabies in this week’s "Vietnamism."
Episode 27 - Food Myths; MSG
Minh Nguyễn, a registered dietitian nutritionist, breaks down the healthiness of ingredients found in Vietnamese cuisine. Find out why she considers phở to be the ultimate hangover cure.
More and more restaurants are removing MSG from their food in efforts to become healthier. What is MSG, what does it do, and does it deserve its bad reputation?