VIET CLUB

postscript

2010-09-20T19:12:00.002-04:00

Well it's clear my "hiatus" was a little bit more than that. But well there is only so much blogging one single person can do. A quick note to say that now that I have (yikes) kids (plural), one of my latest building-community projects, is starting a playgroup for all the Vietnamese friends I have met with kids. So the write up from the NYC Viet Kids Playgroup meetup page is as follows:

An informal place for parents of Vietnamese and mixed-Vietnamese kids, toddlers and infants to come together and meet other families. It's not easy to maintain ties to Vietnamese culture for our kids so this meet-up group is to provide a support system for whenever you want to access it. The group is casual and loosely knit, comprised of parents who would like their children to know something of their heritage and to occasionally meet other similar families.
This group is only for parents with Vietnamese or mixed-Vietnamese children.

Come join us! No pressure to be super Vietnamese or hard-core cultural, just come and hang.

a hiatus

2008-06-27T09:59:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything here but other things have been occupying my life (like motherhood :)) and so I think this blog will have to rest for now. With the burgeoning meetup community, the NY Vietnamese School and the growing number of creatives in NYC, I don't feel so terrible. I will continue to add links to the sidebars so if you know of any local artists, creatives or just interesting Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Americans living and working in NYC let me know!

In the meantime, I will be focusing my efforts on a different blog project, this one about LUNCH. Thanks for following along all this time and for tolerating my avid internet stalking! Some of us have become good friends through this site and I could not have wished for anything more.
-Yen

CE/VN at M.Y. Art Prospects - Mar. 1 - Mar. 29

2008-03-17T12:14:00.003-04:00

Contemporary Vietnamese Artists Collaborate on Cadavre Exquis Video Series. M.Y. Art Prospects presents the new exhibition entitled CE/VN, featuring a unique collaborative exquisite corpse video series by Vietnam-based artists. For more information and links to the artists, go to their site.

CE/ VN
Reception: Thursday, March 20 6pm - 9pm
Show: March 1 - March 29, 2008
M.Y. Art Prospects
547 West 27th Street, 2nd Floor

Vietnamese School Registration - Mar. 29

2008-03-17T10:31:00.003-04:00

It's time! The New York Vietnamese School starts its second quarter. Following a very successful first quarter, the new set of classes starts on April 12. An assessment test is being held March 29 at the Chinatown YMCA.

Open Registration & Assessment Test
NYVS - New York Vietnamese School
Saturday March 29 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Chinatown YMCA
273 Bowery at Houston

Bone Marrow Drive - Feb. 16

2008-02-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

The Cammy Lee Leukemia Foundation is looking for minority donors. You could save a life!
Hosted by the Cammy Lee Leukemia Foundation, the New York Vietnamese School, the NYC Vietnamese Language & Cultural Meetup Group, Lac Hong Magazine and the VCHI, NYVACA, Lua Viet, Columbia VSA, LIU VSA, NYU VSA and other local churches and temples, the marrow drive is happening this weekend.
Marrow Drive
Saturday February 16, 2008
3:00pm - 6:00pm
YMCA University Settlement
273 Bowery (at Houston)
(714) 232-3572

making Bánh Chưng

2008-02-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

Every year for as long as I can remember my mom has been making bánh chưng for Tết. She spends two full days prepping, assembling and then cooking enough bánh chưng for the entire family and beyond. Since the process is so time consuming people rarely make their own, but we have been so lucky as to have never had anyone else's but my mom's homemade ones. I try and go home to help her as it takes all day to assemble just 2 dozen bánh chưng.

Preparations start the day before I come home, the mung beans have to be soaked and then gently cooked. The rice needs to be soaked as well. The leaves are washed thoroughly and the pork sits overnight marinating.

At first we made them by hand but it's difficult to hold the leaves in the right form so my dad made us some wooden frames. The wooden frames helped but these new metal ones he made are the best. There are two sets of leaves layered one on top of another, and everything sits on a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil.

Finally everything is laid out and we're ready to assemble!

The first layer to go down is the gạo nếp (rice). My mom learned a new trick this year from her sister, if you ever so slightly cook the rice the grains will adhere to one another making it easier to shape in the molds. Centered on top of the rice goes one cup of đậu (mung beans). Then a piece of thịt heo (pork), another cup of the đậu (mung beans) and a last layer of rice. Everything is packed tightly in. You pull the leaves over the entire stack, using the foil to hold everything together.

Finally it gets tied together with string. My mom has two enormous soup pots just for cooking bánh chưng every year. They have to boil for 8-10 hours and be monitored along the way so the water is always above the level of the cakes. My mom learned from my dad's mom and they were from the north. Per Northern traditions, we make bánh chưng, the square kind, while in the South they make round ones and it's called báng tét. The ingredients are the same though. And the taste so delicious.
On Tết morning my mom cuts them into slices and fries them up for breakfast. We the siblings each get several cakes to take home and freeze. They last throughout the entire year so whenever we're homesick or craving bánh chưng we're instantly transported home to New Year morning.

New York Vietnamese School/ Truong Viet Ngu

2008-01-23T20:17:00.001-05:00

I wasn't able to attend the opening ceremonies of the Vietnamese School but check it out! I'm completely impressed that both the Vietnamese-American Community Association of New York and the Vietnamese Language & Cultural Meet-up Group have succeeded to such a large extent. They're off to a great start and hopefully will remain a strong presence in the community.

New York Vietnamese School - Fundraiser 12/15

2007-12-11T23:40:00.000-05:00

This is exciting beyond words. I get so many emails from people looking for a place to learn Vietnamese or to brush up on their childhood lessons and I never have a place to send them. And now it's happening! Finally!
Thanks to the efforts of many many people, classes are scheduled for January 12 with a fundraiser to be held this Saturday. The NY Vietnamese School/ Truong Viet Ngu also plans on holding assessment tests on January 5, details which can be found on their site.

Vietnamese Idol fundraiser event
December 15, Saturday 6pm - 11pm
113 Baxter Street
admission $10

Chi Em

2007-11-02T13:53:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize Chi Em was a properly established organization working off the idea of micro-financing to help alleviate poverty! It looks like they are affiliated with the French based NGO, Entrepreneurs du Monde. If you're looking for a chance to help out, Chi Em looks like a good place to get started.

Chi Em Project fundraiser - Nov. 3

2007-11-02T11:35:00.001-04:00

Hong just forwarded me an invitation to a Chi Em fundraiser tomorrow (Nov. 3) being held at the Pure Project. I can't imagine there are that many organizations trying to help the "ethnic minority women in the mountains of Vietnam" so definitely worth checking out.
Chi Em fundraiser
Saturday Nov. 2, 7pm - 10pm
at The Pure Project
205 Mulberry Street, NY, NY 10012

How about this soup??

2007-11-02T11:31:00.000-04:00

Does anyone know the name of this one? It has slices of pork, shrimp, squid, peanuts and a lemon grass mixture garnish something over egg noodles...

Mixed babies

2007-10-28T12:32:00.001-04:00

The most surprising thing about meeting all my French cousin's kids for the first time was not the multitudes of babies that had sprouted in the past two years but that their hair coloring was the same! You never know with mixed babies how they will turn out but it turns out this particular tone of hair and coloring could be very much a Haduong thing.

VuDoo Soul - Oct. 31 at the Bitter End

2007-10-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

Not something you hear everyday, Vudoo Soul is a music group headlined by a Vietnamese guy who used to be an MIT electrical engineer who now is the face of this band that makes music which fits under no specific category. Somewhere between soul or gospel even some R and B, it's worth hearing Vudoo Soul for the insane energy that Vu puts into every show. Go see them in NYC this Wednesday!
Vudoo Soul
The Bitter End
147 Bleeker Street btwn Thompson and LaGuardia
9:00pm, $10

Vietnamese class/ Lớp Dậy Tiếng Việt

2007-10-02T22:20:00.001-04:00

This could be interesting, I recently met with two groups of people - some from NYVACA and others from the meetup group, to discuss how to implement Vietnamese classes. The scope is very broad, they want to provide classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners. They hope to also give classes across a wide range of age groups from children to adults. And they are even discussing providing citizenship classes to help older Vietnamese. It's about time we have something more organized in terms of lessons here on the East Coast. There is such a huge demand for it that I can only think they will succeed in their efforts.
In the meantime, if you know anyone interested in helping out or even volunteer teaching, definitely let me know!

Mì hoánh?

2007-10-02T10:21:00.000-04:00

This is very interesting - I could have sworn chị Tâm, who watches Liêm while I work the days away, told me this was mì hoánh. Two nights a week she cooks noodle soups I have never come across living on the East Coast. Noodlepie calls it mì hoánh thanh, unless someone can tell me different, I'm going to assume the thanh means the addition of wonton?

Dear Harvard wins Best Drama Award!

2007-09-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

Good news from Trac:
"I am ecstatic to announce that Dear Harvard won THREE awards at the closing awards ceremony last night. Our lead actress, Ella Rae Peck, won Best Actress. We also picked up the Best Drama award, and the TV Guide People's Choice award! Super special thanks to all of you who came to a screening and voted for us!"

TV Squad, NY Mag and the Hollywood Reporter Wrap-up all cite Dear Harvard as ready for prime time so keep an eye out for it! I just love the picture of Trac and Anne surrounded by hipster teens.

Correction: It's not Anne the producer standing next to Trac, it's one of the high school cast members!!! 13 and in 8th grade. Nuts.

Langsat

2007-09-07T16:49:00.001-04:00

It took me FOREVER to find the English name of this fruit someone brought me recently. I don't even know the Vietnamese name. I know it's delicious and refreshing though!
Superficially the langsat resembles a longan but the taste and interior structure is nothing alike. The langsat comes apart in slices, the texture is again similar to lychees or longans but the aftertaste is all grapefruit or pomelo.

Dear Harvard - Sept. 8 & 9

2007-09-06T17:04:00.000-04:00

Dearest friend Trac, who always has his hand in many projects, shows off his latest directing efforts at the New York Television Festival this weekend. Dear Harvard, "a riches to rags drama about a privileged New York high school girl whose life falls apart when her father is arrested for insider trading" screens Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Go support Trac! Shout loud!
Dear Harvard
New York Television Festival at the New World Stages
340 West 50th Street btwn 8th and 9th Aves

Bolinao 52 East Coast Premier (July 26)

2007-09-06T16:57:00.000-04:00

It's awful especially because I asked Wil to send me a photo, but I didn't get around to posting it until well over a month later. We didn't get a chance to go see the premier though Wil did and he got a picture with Duc!

Duc H. Nguyen's Bolinao 52: A Vietnamese Boat People Documentary
East Coast Premier Thursday July 26, 2007
30th Annual NY Asian American International Film Festival.

Bolinao 52 east coast premier - July 26

2007-07-16T16:09:00.000-04:00

The documentary by Duc H. Nguyen, Bolinao 52, is coming to NYC next week. It's premiering on July 26 as part of the 30th Annual NY Asian American International Film Festival:
Thursday, July 26, 2007, 9:00 PM
Asia Society
725 Park Avenue NY, NY 10030
phone (212) 517-2742

Response to a comment

2007-06-18T21:31:00.000-04:00

I received this rather harsh comment today in reference to President Nguyen coming to NYC:

"Why should we pay to see any of them??? whom we ran away from ?????? He (any of them) should be the one who wish to pay to see and talk to us. Shame on you to post this note. You must be a communist too, so stay away from the Vietnamese community, we had enough with them, with you. Smart people do want to pay to listen to liars."

Poor English aside, I'm not even sure how to respond. Notwithstanding the fact that the postings on this site are not necessarily endorsements of the event themselves it seems unwise to me to ignore the opposition's viewpoint. Every story has many sides and while I may not agree with how Communism affected Vietnam, there can still be value found in a luncheon with the other side. Isn't a smart person an informed person? I would think that true even if that might mean listening to what the "liars" have to say.

International Cultural Festival - June 17

2007-06-13T11:44:00.000-04:00

The meetup Vietnamese peeps are helping this year with the International Culture Festival, it promises to be an extravaganza of culture and color. They may still need volunteers to help out, but if you can only stop by for a moment, you should do so!
Sunday June 17
Midtown New York City
6th Ave between 42nd to 56th Streets
11am-6pm

President Nguyen Minh Triet at the Asia Society - June 20

2007-06-13T11:35:00.000-04:00

As forwarded on to me from Wil:

Asia Society and Citigroup cordially invite you to
Vietnam: Envisioning the Future
A Conversation with President Nguyen Minh Triet, Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

12:00-12:30pm Registration & Reception
12:30-1:00pm Lunch
1:00-2:00pm Program

Asia Society
725 Park Avenue at 70th Street
New York, NY
 
Members $50; Nonmembers $75
To Purchase Tickets Online Visit http://tickets.asiasociety.org
Guest list will close on Monday, June 18, 12:00 noon
**Photo ID is required at the entrance.**

online interview with Bich Minh Nguyen

2007-06-06T17:45:00.000-04:00

Everyone who's read Stealing Buddha's Dinner comments on how much they were able to relate to some of Bich Minh's childhood stories. The challenges of being raised in a Vietnamese household in an American culture finally coming to light! The AAWW has posted a very indepth online interview with her which you can read here. I'm so sorry I missed her when she was in NYC but hopefully there will be future occasions.

Vietnamese birthdays, or the lack thereof

2007-05-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

I remember growing up wishing that my parents made a bigger deal out of our birthdays. Everyone around us got huge parties and tons of presents while we got my mom's homemade cake and maybe one new Barbie outfit. As an adult it's much easier to understand where my parents are coming from... uh, it's called Vietnam. Which means there are no real birthday celebrations, everyone considers themselves one year older at Tet. My parents don't even know their actual birthdays. There is the đầy tháng at one month old, the tôi nôi at one year and then forget it, no more birthdays until you're 80!
Đầy tháng means you've completed your first month, a very important occasion. In the old days many babies did not make it past this first milestone so when they did reach one month, there was a lot of praying to the ancestors. If you make it to one year old, everyone breathes a sigh of relief, ah finally a real person now. It is at the tôi nôi that you are presented with objects representing different careers, pick one and you could end up a doctor, accountant or artist.

Hail the Young Author

2007-04-30T09:41:00.000-04:00

It's flattering to be interviewed but frustrating to know you cannot control the output. Thu-Huong recently sent me an interview on her book Hail Caesar posted on Nguoi-Viet.com. It's mostly factual (with some grumbling about the "adult" content) but a misquoted line about the book's theme makes the story line seem more inane than interesting.

Viet World Kitchen

2007-04-27T11:29:00.000-04:00

Everyone who knows me knows I love to cook, Vietnamese food is my speciality only because I've been making home cooked meals for so long! Good thing hubby is not a picky eater. A great resource for all things related to Vietnamese cuisine is Andrea Nguyen's Viet World Kitchen. I love the tips, photos and commentary - especially the "mama says" page with little helpful hints from everyone.

LMCC Workspace Open Studio Weekend - April 27-29

2007-04-24T14:51:00.000-04:00

Dear friend Trong has been participating in the LMCC (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council)'s artist-in-residency program and it's time to show off some work! Come check it out:
LMCC WORKSPACE - OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND
30 artists. 2 spaces. 1 weekend.

April 27-29, 2007
120 Broadway, 8th Fl and 200 Hudson St, 4th Fl
All events are free and open to the public.
RSVP is required: www.lmcc.net/openstudios

Friday, April 27
6-10PM Opening parties at both spaces.

Saturday, April 28
1-6PM Both spaces open to the public.
3-4PM An Offbeat Walking Tour with Robert Jay Kaufman
5-6PM Moving Pictures: Screening @ 120 Broadway, 8th Fl

Sunday, April 29
1-6PM Both spaces open to the public.
4-5:30PM Open Texts: Poetry, Fiction and Performance from writers-in-residence Jill Magi (with Jonny Farrow, musician/sound artist) and Ranbir Sidhu @ 200 Hudson St, 4th Fl

Sunday evening surfing

2007-04-15T21:12:00.000-04:00

It's been raining all day, the weather is not getting warmer and I can't bring myself to do any work tonight. Which is good because then I wouldn't have come across Khoi Vinh, art director at nytimes.com, and author of the site Subtraction. I was reading Judy's blog fiveandahalf.net because she always has beautiful things posted, and then I clicked on a link to Iridesco and then hahaha I saw a Vietnamese name, Khoi Vinh. And more hahaha because I made you look with a totally irrelevant picture of goi cuon.

Break the Silence Concert at NYU April 14th

2007-04-12T15:35:00.000-04:00

featuring Vudoo Soul and the Stone Forest Ensemble

Saturday, April 14th, 2007
Break The Silence Concert (Featuring Vudoo Soul and Stone Forest Ensemble)
NYU, Tisch Hall (Stern Undergraduate Building)
40th W. 4th St (near 6th Ave)
8pm-10pm; ONLY $5

Nhà Hàng Xe Lửa, Chinatown NYC

2007-03-28T18:51:00.000-04:00

I love chanh muối (salty lemonade) and order it almost everytime we're in a Vietnamese restaurant. We tried a new place today for lunch, Nhà Hàng Xe Lửa on Mulberry Street right below Canal. I think this might be our new Vietnamese spot. There was something about all the dishes we had that was a little different from your usual Chinatown/ Vietnamese style restaurant. Beats Nha Trang any day. The phở broth was subtle and not overly heavy, the thit tai sliced paper thin. The bún thịt heo nướng was delicious, I like how they placed the lettuce on top so it didn't get too soggy. The only disappointment was the bún chả giò, we've had better elsewhere. All in all, definitely worth trying.

dee-licious

2007-03-22T17:35:00.000-04:00

In the days before blogging was so prevalent, it was harder to find other Vietnamese on the East Coast. I recently stumbled across a beautiful image of thit kho that made me drool, at Cathy's blog gas-tron-o-my. She has alot of other great food shots and while Philadelphia is not New York, it's pretty close.

Pho24

2007-03-21T16:02:00.000-04:00

It would be fabulous if this Vietnamese chain, Pho24, eventually made its way over to the East Coast. While I do not normally espouse chain food eating, how could I refuse a hot bowl of pho??

dinner with Le Vu Long & Together Higher

2007-03-20T09:51:00.000-04:00

The last time Long and his wife Lan were in town we happened to be standing outside the DTW when they came out following their show. We invited them down to our apartment for dinner, they invited us back to theirs several nights later. This time they were only in town for a couple days but we managed to get together some peeps on a lazy Sunday night to have dinner with them. Hong and I made some soy vo, bi cuon, thit ga roti, thit kho and nom. It's interesting to be in a room of Vietnamese from both the south and the north; I've always cooked whatever my mom taught me to make but as it turns out it's quite an eclectic mixture of southern and northern varities of food. A little slideshow here.

Vietnamese-American authors

2007-03-19T09:56:00.000-04:00

I've never come across a good definition of what it means to be Vietnamese-American and the longer we are here in America, the less defined those distinctions will be. While I haven't read it yet, Bich Minh Nguyen 's Stealing Buddha's Dinner is about the dichotemy of growing up in a Vietnamese household in the middle of white America. Many friends have said this book resonates with their own growing up experience so I'm looking forward to checking it out. On the other side of the rainbow, our youngest sister Thu-Huong Ha just published her first novel, Hail Caesar. It's about an 18 year old high school senior who thinks he's the shit until he discovers he might not be. My mom describes it to her friends as not-at-all Vietnamese.

Le Vu Long & Together Higher

2007-03-16T11:21:00.000-04:00

Long's choreography of a troupe of young deaf and hearing impaired Vietnamese was absolutely inspiring. He started this dance troupe, Together Higher, about 4 years ago in an effort to access and tell their stories. In the process he and his wife Lan have learned sign language and the joy of teaching these kids about another language - that of the body. The opening night performance of "Stories of Us" at the Dance Theater Workshop was last night followed by a hilarious Q&A session of trying to understand sign language, Vietnamese and English all at the same time. The show runs until this Saturday, March 16. It's definitely worth checking out.

the ubiquitous Nguyen

2007-03-14T23:23:00.000-04:00

My friends used to laugh at me because I would literally do google searches for Nguyen (an actual Wikipedia entry) to find other interesting Viets in New York. Now I just stumble upon them. While checking out a design blog by artist K. Cooper, I clicked on an interview with a woman name Claudia Wu, who's photograph was shot by a man named John Minh Nguyen. Of course I google him and presto! A New Yorker. His work is beautiful with an etheral quality. I especially love the one of a almost frozen lake lapping the edges of snow covered green hills.

Small Degrees of Separation

2007-03-14T22:16:00.000-04:00

It's crazy but I'm beginning to discover there are far more of us Vietnamese-Americans in creative fields than I would have ever guessed. A couple weeks ago I was talking to a woman, Kim, about Scott Peterman, an artist she represents through her gallery, Higher Pictures. At the end of the conversation she asks me where I'm from, as it turns out she's half Vietnamese! What a funny coincidence. During the course of my daily activites I keep randomly running into an occasional Vietnamese person, kinda cracks me up.

Silent H

2007-03-13T21:13:00.000-04:00

Went out to Williamsburg for lunch today and met Vinh Nguyen, the new owner of the latest banh mi purveyor, Silent H, to hit the scene. I also met his mom, who is in for the week helping out at the restaurant. Today she was demonstrating how to properly wrap goi cuon. The banh mi was suitably impressive - fresh ingredients, grilled pork that was not cloyingly sweet and good bread. We did try the goi cuon, I normally never order them but you can't beat a freshly wrapped summer roll.

Journey from the Fall and the Imaginasian

2007-02-27T14:52:00.000-05:00

I just got word from the Imaginasian about their first theatrical release: Journey From the Fall at the Imaginasian Theater in late March. It’s a film about the Vietnamese American experience after the war. I didn't get a chance to see it yet so I'm pretty excited about this release. The theater would like help in promoting this release, if you have any ideas or suggestions please feel free to write me. I'll pass you along to the right person. In the meantime, keep an eye out for it!

Trong Nguyen - Fri Feb 23

2007-02-21T12:02:00.000-05:00

Dear friends,
You are invited to come check out the studio residency I am currently a part of.... Make sure to RSVP at the link below. If you miss this go round, not to worry, as we will have another come late April.
~Trong

WORKS IN PROGRESS
WHAT: Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace Open Studios
WHERE: 200 Hudson Street, 4th Floor
WHEN: Friday, February 23, 1-6 PM + Sunday, February 25, 1-6 PM (Closed Saturday)
WHO: 14 Artists (ME included) @ 200 Hudson Street + another 16 @ 120 Broadway
HOW: RSVP IS REQUIRED

coming soon... DTW and Le Vu Long

2007-02-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

For those of you who remember the last time Long's company was in town... you will remember several meals with them and all the girls sighing over Long. Well he's back! He returns to the Dance Theater Workshop to debut his company Together Higher in March.

more on Tet

2007-02-21T11:51:00.000-05:00

You know the best part of Tet has to be banh chung. My mom makes a huge batch every year, two for each of the siblings. I don't know a soul who doesn't love theirs fried up with chinese sausage on the side.

Te^'t 2007

2007-02-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

Documentary "As the Call" at the Pioneer Theater - Nov. 1 to 7

2006-10-27T16:37:00.000-04:00

Necessary Nomad Films is excited to announce the theatrical debut of its
latest documentary film, As the Call, So the Echo, at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater.

Opens at 7:00 pm on Nov. 1, 2006,
Runs nightly at 9:00 pm from Nov. 2through Nov. 7, 2006.

A special additional screening will be held Saturday, November 4, 2006
at 5:00 pm with director Keir Moreano and his father, Dr. Alex Moreano, who
will participate in a Q & A session immediately following the film.
Tickets are available at asthecall.com

Attention mon cousin Duc a Saigon!

2006-10-26T23:22:00.000-04:00

Chaque fois que je recoit un comment de "Duc", je ne suis jamais sur que c'est toi ou non et le plus drole chose c'est que je n'ai pas une bonne adresse d'email pour toi. Alors je t'ecrit comme ca... Quels nouvelles de Vietnam? Comment va Alexandria et Roman? Et si nous venons l'annee prochaine, est-ce que les deux cousins seront capable de communiquer en Vietnamiene ensemble?? Ecrit-moi yhaduong (at) yahoo.com. Biz a tous!

The Story of Pao - Oct. 28 at Columbia Univ.

2006-10-26T23:10:00.000-04:00

The Story of Pao is screening at Columbia University, I think it's been making the rounds of the schools. The Meet-Up group is organizing peeps to go up so you can see more details through this meet-up link. Thai Nguyen introduced Rich and I to Do Thi Hai Yen in Saigon several years ago. We hung out at Thai's luxe pad, drinking beer and talking smack. Later that night we took to the streets for the most delicious hot pot soup dinner, got chased by cops, and sat back down again to finish our meal. The Story of Pao details:

When: Saturday, October 28
8pm-9pm: refreshment and social gathering with Ngo Quang Hai & Do Thi Hai Yen
9pm: film screening
(discussion with Ngo Quang Hai & Do Thi Hai Yen will follow the screening)
Where: Arledge Cinema
116th Street
Columbia University
Tickets cost $7 at the door

Dinh Q. Le

2006-10-26T23:05:00.000-04:00

Not a New Yorker, not even from the East Coast (although he did study at SVA once), Dinh Q. Le is a name I've been hearing from several different sources. He has shows right now in South Korea and Australia so I don't think we'll be making those any time soon but you read more at Artkrush.

Shop My Closet!

2006-10-26T22:58:00.000-04:00

Ka-thy Minh Bach is always sending me links to interesting sites and events and even though she is a West Coastie, she keeps an eye on all happenings everywhere. Which is why I was so happy to see her working on something of her own. Started with some friends, her blog Shop My Closet is a creative way of getting rid of clothes that just didn't work out. The selection is carefully curated from their own closets and always seems pretty stylish to me.

more thoughts on dating

2006-10-26T22:49:00.000-04:00

We all poo-poo that stereotypical white male who only dates (fetishizes) asian chicks, but doesn't it work in reverse too? Dating is usually a mutual thing and everyone knows the girls always pick the boys so I conclude that the whole asian fetish thing is actually our own fault and not the white male. haha. Here is an Asian Week article written in August someone sent me by Tommy Nguyen. Sounds like an interesting guy from his biography:
Tommy Nguyen, a recent graduate of UC Berkeley’s journalism school, has produced a documentary short about Vietnam, which won this year’s Student Emmy Award. He lives in New York, where he’s an associate producer for NBC News Productions. Hello Tommy Nguyen, if you ever read this - write me!

single in the city?

2006-10-26T22:45:00.000-04:00

According to my in-the-know friend Ray Cha, virtually every one who is single and in their 30's has tried or is currently on-line dating. It's definitely not as taboo as it used to be. Everyone knows about JDate for Jews or the various Indian sites and of course the more universal like match.com, but there doesn't seem to be any "asian" geared ones. Maybe because we don't really like one another all that much? I got a comment on my site over the summer from Vu who launched viet4viet.com so I checked it out. I entered in Female looking for Male between 18 and 40 within a 100 mile radius of my zip code, 10012. Nothing, nada, zip. hehe.

Seasons in the Sun Closing Reception Oct. 27

2006-10-26T22:33:00.000-04:00

Trong Nguyen is always busy with something! His forum for art, the New General Catalog is having a closing reception for the latest show. You can find more details or a better view of the invitation here. And details for the remainder of the show:

Exhibition: SEASONS IN THE SUN (FALL) WITH JIM HOLYOAK
Dates: Oct. 17-27, 2006
Closing Reception: Fri, Oct. 27, 8-10pm
Gallery Hours: Sat-Mon, 11-5pm and by appt.
New General Catalog
140 Franklin Street Brooklyn, NY 11222
T: 917-687-9747
E: ngc224gallery@gmail.com

So much going on

2006-10-24T23:24:00.000-04:00

And I definitely don't mean just here at home. But Liem has been keeping us busy and now 5+ months later I finally find I have a moment to create some posts. There's so much going on, I'm getting a flurry of emails, events and happenings in the world of Vietnameseness. Scroll down (and up) for details, notices and other general things.

Volunteer in Vietnam!

2006-10-16T23:43:00.000-04:00

I posted something about the Volunteer in Asia organization last spring, but they have two new fellowships available this year. Deadlines are coming up, definitely worth checking out. Christine Tran, the Vietnam programs director writes:
VIA's Vietnam program was established in 1990, making us one of the first American organizations to return to Vietnam after the war. We have sent over 200 volunteers to Vietnam on summer and long-term (1-2 year) volunteer opportunities.

These are THREE types of volunteer opportunities we offer:
For those with a college degree and demonstrated interest in Vietnam or the Vietnamese-American community.
For those with a college degree: VIA has one- and two-year long volunteer opportunities teaching English in Vietnam.
For continuing undergraduates or recent graduates: VIA has a 7-week long summer program called Teach-in-Hue.

Engineers without Borders

2006-10-16T23:35:00.000-04:00

Happily not everything here is related to arts and design, good friend Wil is part of a worthy organization: Engineers without Borders. They recently had a fundraiser to raise money for a Cambodia Water Dam fundraising event. Wil writes:

Hey all,
Spams are for friends, and so are my thanks!
Just wanted to say thank you to all who made it out last Thursday for the Cambodia water dam fundraising event. We had over 85 people pack the bar, and with everyone's support and a generous match by the PB Foundation, we raised over $3000. It turned out great and better than we had expected!
My first fundraiser in the city, and you guys made it a blast!
Thanks again!
-wiL

Event & Portrait Photography available

2006-10-03T23:31:00.000-04:00

Richard's updated his website, adding some really colorful atmospheric photos that I really enjoy. He writes:

Hello friends,
I've just updated my website for my event and portrait photography services. These days almost all of my clients are found through word-of-mouth. So if someone you know, or your company, needs this type of photography, please forward on my contact information below. I appreciate any referrals. Thanks.
Richard Van Lê
www.vanlephoto.com

on maternity leave

2006-06-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

If you're wondering why there haven't been any updates in awhile, now you know! Rich and I had a baby boy on Sunday May 7. We gave him a Vietnamese first name in exchange for a Jewish religous upbringing, the result being he bears the full name of Liem Everett Haduong Tesler. And happily, through friends and more friends, we have a Vietnamese woman, Tam, who is home right now taking care of Liem. She speaks Vietnamese with him all day long and even at 6 weeks, I'm sure he's absorbing something!

the coolest small concidence!

2006-04-28T17:28:00.000-04:00

It's funny that after two years of slowly meeting all the local Vietnamese I can find within the 5 boroughs of New York City, I stumble upon someone running a business a block away from my apartment! Loi Luc and her partner, Danny Mei opened up Cat Fish Greetings over two years ago right on Mulberry Street. I've shopped there often since their selection of greeting cards and little knick knacks is always lively and cute. But it wasn't until Rich and I were looking for someone to design and print baby announcements that I actually talked to Loi. As we were going through the possible designs and card selection I noticed that her card read "Loi Luc", that could only be a Vietnamese name right?? It turns out we both had the same reaction - wow you're Vietnamese?! You don't look Vietnamese at all! But I'm happy that my misconceptions were misplaced this time.

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover and Their Dinner Guests

2006-04-25T19:24:00.000-04:00

Great images from Trong Nguyen's latest New General Catalog 224 exhibition. There are still many more nights of this collaborative performance piece, so keep an eye out for more pictures.

party at Trac's

2006-04-25T19:18:00.000-04:00

It's always nice to see people come out for events despite yucky rainy weather... Trac Vu so graciously hosted a party for Anh Dao Khanh, a performer putting on some shows at the Dance Theater Workshop in the upcoming week. Felise came by, who I hadn't seen since she hosted her own v-dinner last year. A new friend, Thu, who comes via Wil, made it out as well. And even after Wil and Lynn spent the entire day moving, they managed to stop by for some of Trac's delicious cha gia. Trac and his roommate, the elusive Huy, put on a great evening.

Dao Anh Khanh at the Dance Theater Workshop - May 4-7

2006-04-18T18:35:00.000-04:00

Dao Anh Khanh and Stephan Koplowitz collaborate on this "abstract visual meditation" being performed at the Dance Theater Workshop.

A Walk Between Two Worlds
May 4-7, 7:30pm Thu-Sat and 2:00pm Sun
Post-Performance Discussion Thursday May 4 with Susan Marshall
Thursday Night Toast May 4 - Free Food and Drink
Purchase tickets for $15/25

Duong Thu Huong in NYC - April 26, 30

2006-04-18T18:20:00.000-04:00

Renowned author, Duong Thu Huong is making her first United States appearance and lucky for us she will be speaking on two seperate occassions. The first one entitled "Faith and Reason", comprised of a slew of well known authors, including some favorites like Zadie Smith and Martin Amis! The second is a conversation between Duong Thu Huong and Robert Stone held at the New York Public Library. Both are part of the Pen World Voices: New York Festival of International Voices.

Faith and Reason
April 26, 8:00pm Wednesday
The Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street

Duong Thu Huong in conversation with Robert Stone
April 30, 12:00pm Sunday
South Court Auditorium, New York Public Library
5th Avenue and 42nd Street

Rodney Dickson at Weiss Pollack Gallery - Apr. 20

2006-04-18T18:15:00.000-04:00

Rodney is part of a group show called COUP opening up this week at the Weiss Pollack Gallery in Chelsea, stop by if you have time.

COUP curated by Candice Madey
Reception: April 20, 6-9pm
Show duration: April 13 to May 20
Weiss Pollack Gallery
531 West 25th Street
New York, NY

Trung Pham at the Pratt Studio Gallery - April 10

2006-04-02T18:45:00.000-04:00

Trung Pham "Transformation"

Show runs: April 10-14
Reception: Monday April 10, 6pm-9pm
Pratt Institute
Pratt Studio Gallery
200 Willoughby Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11205

Help! Vietnamese-speaking nanny wanted!

2006-03-21T18:12:00.000-05:00

How to ensure that a child raised in a mixed Vietnamese-Jewish household will be able to speak Vietnamese??? I don't think it's even easy in a 100% Vietnamese household living in America... my brother, sisters and I speak a mixed range of Vietnamese to English, even if we speak exclusively Vietnamese with our parents. Imagine a baby with one parent who doesn't even speak. Sheesh!
So open call, we are looking for someone older, some experience with raising children, 100% fluent in Vietnamese (does not even need to speak English), and willing to come to our NYC apartment every day to watch our soon to be born baby. Any leads or thoughts would be most welcome. -y

Trial by Water - runs March 26 to April 9

2006-03-21T17:53:00.000-05:00

Trial by Water, a one-hour account/ play/ drama written by Qui Nguyen, directed by John Gould Rubin and sponsored by the non-profit Ma-Yi Theater Company opens March 26 at The Culture Project, a small theater on Bleeker Street. You can buy tickets through Theater Mania, additional details below:

TRIAL BY WATER (written by Qui Nguyen, directed by John Gould Rubin)
March 26 - April 9, 2006, Tue–Sat at 8:00PM, Sat & Sun at 3:00PM
The Culture Project
45 Bleecker Street
New York City 10012
Tickets: 212-352-3101
Info: 212-971-4862

"TRIAL BY WATER is a searing account of the odyssey of two Vietnamese teenage brothers who are forced to escape their homeland in the middle of the night. As they set off for America by boat, with the dream of "a better life," their voyage at sea becomes an allegory of desperate choices. When the boat's engine breaks down, their journey turns into a nightmare. Faced with unthinkable acts of survival, each brother confronts his own issues of mortality and morality."

Christian Nguyen at Galapagos Art Space - March 15

2006-03-08T19:07:00.000-05:00

The launch of a new magazine, Artworld Digest, includes Christian Nguyen's work. In conjunction with all of the Armory show festivites, there will be a launch party and after-party for the new magazine. Details below (RSVP required I believe).

Artworld Digest Magazine Launch Party
Wednesday, March 15, 6 - 10pm
Galapagos Art Space
70 North 6th Street
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Click to RSVP

the after-party starts at 10pm at Maiden, 252 Grand Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Rodney Dickson at Jack the Pelican Presents - March 11

2006-03-08T19:02:00.000-05:00

The artist RODNEY DICKSON recreates a Saigon Snake Bar, circa 1975. Snake Bar is what the Vietnamese of that era called a watering hole where American GIs went for Vietnamese women.

SNAKE BAR, SAIGON 1975
Saturday, March 11, 7pm-1am
Jack the Pelican Presents, Second Floor
487 Driggs Ave, bet N. 9th and 10th
Bedford Stop on the L Train

Tea with Ambassador Ton Nu Thi Ninh - March 4

2006-03-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

Lan Tran Cao cordially invites you to an afternoon tea in honor of Ambassador Madam Ton Nu Thi Ninh, M.P., Vice-chair, Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam

Tea with Ambassador Madame Ton Nu Thi Ninh
Saturday March 4th, 2pm-4pm
Viet Café
345 Greenwich Street (bet Jay and Harrison) Please RSVP (212) 431-8889 or (212) 431-5888

participate in the upcoming New General Catalog 224 show

2006-02-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

New General Catalog 224 is pleased to present "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, Her Lover, and Their Dinner Guests", twelve experimental nights of dinner for two. 24 lucky individuals - two per each evening above - will be chosen to come dine in the gallery, which will be transformed into an exclusive single-table restaurant. Each pair of diners will have the gallery all to themselves as they are treated to a mysterious assortment of art, entertainment, and a special meal prepared by a guest chef for that unique evening.

Chosen diners will be given a set of rules and stipulations for each night that will determine the parameters of their interaction with one another and to the space and meal. For example, one typical night might include walls adorned with found neon signs, a menu of alphabet soup served with a Scrabble board placed on the table between the diners. Each word played will subsequently determine the topic of conversation while a live chamber orchestra provides the background music.

Each distinctive night will be a complete surprise to the diners, who will be chosen from a pool of entrants by means of a random drawing. Interested participants may submit an entry individually (and thus dine with a stranger) or with another person. To enter the drawing, do one of the following:

1) Email by March 6 your Name, Address, and Telephone Number to ngc224gallery@gmail.com. If you are entering as a pair, please include the second person's information as well. In the SUBJECT field of the email, please write DIN DIN.
OR
2) Mail a postcard to NGC 224 at 140 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222 with your Name(s), Address, Email, and Telephone Number. Cards should be postmarked by March 2.

Vietnam Film series at Asia Society - starts March 3

2006-02-28T22:38:00.000-05:00

Co-sponsored by the Asia Society, IVCE, Embassy of Vietnam, and Vietnam Cinema Department - the Vietnam Film series features 5 new films: a hamlet's haunting tale Me Thao Thoi Vang Bong (Glorious Time in Me Thao Hamlet, 2002), an enduring post-war tale Doi Cat (Sand Life, 1999), a realistic satirical tale Vua Bai Rac (King of Rubbish Dumps, 2002), a social tragicomedy Cua Roi (Lost and Found, 2003), and a breathtakingly beautiful Hmong highland Thung Lung Hoang Vang (Deserted Valley, 2002).

Director Dang Nhut Minh from Vietnam will be present for a Vietnamese film panel on Sunday, March 12 at 4:30 PM at Asia Society. The panel will also include Dr. Ngo Thanh Nhan (New York University) and Dr. Kim Worthy (Wagner College).

Recent Films from Vietnam
March 3, 5, 10, 12
Asia Society
725 Park Ave at 70th Street
New York, NY

Jude Narita, Walk the Mountain - Mar. 15 to Apr. 9

2006-02-28T22:33:00.000-05:00

I heard Jude Narita in a performance once, she narrates stories from different womens' lives. It's a very powerful listening experience. Walk the Mountain is about "the humanity and spirit of the Vietnamese and Cambodian people... and the legacy of misiniformation that exhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.quote.gif
insert blockquoteists following the war."

Walk the Mountain
Wed. March 15 to Sun. April 9
Tue-Sat 8:15pm, Sun. 3:15pm
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street (btwn Park and Madison)
Buy tickets (212) 279-4200 or online

Te^'t 2006 (Lunar New Year)

2006-02-10T22:19:00.000-05:00

According to astrologists, the year of the Dog will bring increased social awareness and interest in society's less powerful members. A widespread sentiment of generosity and selflessness will prevail. In general, we will all be imbued with the Dog's keen sense of right and wrong. If you've ever known anyone born in year of the Dog, you will know this is true!
Our Te^'t was spent in the usual fashion, we wake up early, get all dressed up in ao dai's, have a breakfast of banh chung and then get ready for li` xi`! Afterwards we take the hour and a half trek to our Buddhist temple somewhere in northern Jersey. I always look forward to eating fried banh chung on the morning of Tet, nothing yummier. Do you know the story of why we eat banh chung for Tet?

at the Drawing Center - AAWW, Tran, Truong and Phan

2006-02-09T12:38:00.000-05:00

As much as I love reading, and I do it all the time, I don't often go to hear authors speak but I did attend the reading by the three talented Vietnamese women, authors and poets recently held at the Drawing Center, sponsored by the AAWW. It was extremely rewarding to hear an author read her own words out loud, particularly Barbara Tran's poetry. And I discovered a new author Aimee Phan!

East Coast VN ONLY!

2006-02-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

Whoops, at the request of the Vietnam program director, Christine Tran, of Volunteers in Asia, I posted her website on mine own. Only I accidentally posted it under the wrong heading. I don't mind disseminating information for people who ask, but the whole impetus behind the vietclub-nyc website is to focus on those Vietnamese/ Vietnamese-American folk located here in New York City and on the East Coast in general. I think the Californians have enough resources as it is! Props to us.

Rodney Dickson at MY Art Prospects Gallery now thru Feb. 18

2006-02-07T14:36:00.000-05:00

Rodeny Dickson, responsible for putting me in touch with many of the local Vietnamese artists in New York and Brooklyn has a show at a Chelsea gallery, M.Y. Art Prospects Gallery running now through Feb. 18.

"Let Buddha Sort Them Out"
Exhibition: January 12 - February 18, 2006
M.Y. Art Prospects Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 2nd Floor (btwn 10th and 11th Aves)
Tue-Sat 11am-6pm

Volunteer in Asia - Feb. 23 deadline

2006-02-07T14:29:00.000-05:00

Interested in a reason to spend a year or two in Vietnam? Try this program called VIA based out of Stamford, CT. Christine Tran, the current Vietnam Program Director, writes:

Our Vietnam program was established in 1990, making us one of the first American organizations to return to Vietnam after the war. We have sent over 200 volunteers to Vietnam on summer and long-term (1-2 year) volunteer opportunities.
These are two types of volunteer opportunities we offer:
With college degree - VIA has 1 and 2 year long volunteer opportunities teaching English in Vietnam, mostly through local universities.
For continuing undergraduates - VIA has a 7-week long summer program called Teach-in-Hue. Volunteers teach American Culture at the University of Hue to 1st and 2nd year English majors and gifted high school students.

The application deadline is Feb. 23 and volunteers leave between mid-June and mid-July each year. If you've ever thought about living/volunteering in Vietnam, take a look at our website to learn more about our program.

Readings with Phan, Tran and Truong - Jan. 24

2006-01-20T14:22:00.000-05:00

The Asian American Writers' Workshop presents:
Speak, Memory: Readings with Phan, Tran and Truong
An adoptee with synesthesia, love poems, Operation Babylift, mistaken
identities. A night of short story, poetry and prose with three Vietnamese
American women writers. Booksigning and reception.

Tuesday, January 24, 6:30pm
@ The Drawing Center in Soho
35 Wooster Street (btwn Broome and Grand Streets)
$5 at the door, Free for Workshop members

Stephen Nguyen at Smack Mellon - Jan. 21

2006-01-20T14:19:00.000-05:00

Smack Mellon presents Site 92, a show featuring site-specific works created by artists responding to Smack Mellon’s new home at 92 Plymouth Street. Reacting to the cement trough as a heavy ominous object, Wade Kavanaugh & Stephen Nguyen create a sculptural installation made from brown kraft paper that is cut, crumpled and pressed. Replicating large wooden joists, these oversized objects appear to be broken, as if the weight of the ceiling was too much for them to bear.

Site 92
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 21 3pm - 6pm
Exhibition: January 21 - March 5, 2006
Smack Mellon
92 Plymouth Street @ Washington Street
Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Uudam Nguyen in Bushwick - Jan. 22

2006-01-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

Uudam Nguyen invites you to this PARTY/SHOW organized by Rachel Mason, where there will be work and performances by a large variety of local artists.

Party and Exhibition with performances
Date and Time: Saturday January 22, 8:00pm-8:00am
Rachel's Studio
117 Grattan Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn
(L Train to Graham stop)
BYOB is greatly appreciated

more Te^'t events - Jan. 21 and Jan. 29

2006-01-20T14:11:00.000-05:00

You have to check out the New York City Vietnamese Language & Cultural Meetup group website for the details but they have organized a dinner at the Laguardia Grill followed by karyoke at the Apple Bar afterwards.

Chinatown Chinatown will be having fireworks and a day full of events at the start of the Lunar New Year. The lion parade is scheduled for Feb. 1.
New Year's Day Culture Festival & Fireworks Ceremony
Sunday, January 29th
Firecracker Ceremony: Noon at intersection of Mott & Bayard Streets
Culture Festival: 1pm-5pm at intersection of Mott & Bayard Streets
The 7th Annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade
Parade: Sunday, February 5th at 1pm starting at Canal & Mott Streets

More VN kind of t-shirts

2006-01-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

I found this website Anh Oi or maybe they found me? Either way, they sell different versions of Vietnamese related t-shirts including the one modeled by my sister, Thu, in this photo. What the Heo?! is almost as funny to me as our other favorite bastardized Vietnamese/ American saying What the Pho!?.

Te^'t at the Gallery Vietnam - Jan. 28

2006-01-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

The Viet Cafe and Gallery Vietnam (which are basically the same place) is sponsoring a brunch for the upcoming Te^'t. It seems very family oriented. Details as follows:

A celebration of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Year of the Dog
Saturday January 28, 2006 12:00pm - 2:30pm

Program:
12:30 pm: Story of Rice Cakes: A Children’s Play
1:00 pm: Lion dances
1:30 pm: New Year wishes
1:45 pm: Photography & Art Auction
Adults $25, Children $15, Cash Bar
reservations required (212) 431 8889
Gallery Viet Nam
345 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013

Stephen Nguyen at P.S. 122 - Jan. 7

2006-01-13T17:23:00.000-05:00

Stephen and his some-time collaborator Wade have a new two part paper work at the P.S. 122 Gallery in the East Village. You can see some imagery of their previous installations here. Stephen writes:
The installation at PS122 is a cross section sample, in a natural history museum style exhibit, of one of the beams at Smack Mellon. It is presented as a relic of a kind of now, mostly obsolete structural element, wood beams.

"Stealing Home" and Hallway Project at P.S. 122
Opening Reception: Saturday January 7, 5:00-7:00pm
P.S. 122 Hallway Project
150 First Avenue (at 9th Street)
New York, NY

Humanitarians Not Heroes: (Five-Alive) at the Tenri Cultural Institute - Jan. 5

2006-01-13T17:19:00.000-05:00

A change from his usual curatorial role, Trong has an installation up at the Tenri Cultural Institute entitled
Humanitarians Not Heroes: (Five-Alive).

Humanitarians Not Heroes: (Five-Alive)
Reception: Thursday, January 5, 6-8pm
January 6 - February 2, 2006
43A West 13th Street (btwn 5th and 6th Avenues)
New York, NY 10011

Viet Kieu t-shirts from Trong

2006-01-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

Help a guy out! Friend and artist Trong is selling these I love VK t-shirts. It's a little bit of a play on VN and the slightly derogatory term "Viet-Kieu" for us overseas Vietnamese.

new work from Dinh Cong Dat

2006-01-13T17:08:00.000-05:00

I met Dat when he was here through the Vietnamese Artist Residency program at the CAVE Gallery. He recently sent me a shot of his latest work along with this commentary:

this is my new work
I just complied it
it is so stupit but I like it

Heehee, it's practically poetry unto itself.

The Art of Dinh Q. Le at the Asia Society

2006-01-13T17:01:00.000-05:00

The Asia Society sponsored an exhibit of Dinh Q. Le's work recently. The exhibit ends this weekend so you still have a shot at checking it out. And if you can't make it, check out the associated publication.

The Art of Dinh Q. Le
September 13, 2005–January 15, 2006
The Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Avenue
New York, NY

I love Bo Nuong Vi

2005-11-10T10:10:00.000-05:00

A typical Vietnamese style gathering... Initially I invited Tam and Thu to come over Tuesday night and keep me company for dinner while Rich was away in Cali for business. Then my mom calls on Sunday from the wedding of the sister of a friend of mine, Wil. Apparently she's sitting next to an architect couple from Vietnam who are friends with the bride. They are, of course, only in town for a little bit and wouldn't it be wonderful if we all met up, so she gives them my number. Tuesday morning I get a call from Nhi, naturally I invite her over for dinner that night with Tam and Thu and I. It's only an additional two people, no big deal. Well Nhi's not overly comfortable with the subway system and thinks it would just be easier if Wil came with them since he already knows the way. I love Wil, bring him along! Then I talk to Wil who says we should invite Thu, a friend of Nhi and her husband Trung who began his career as an architect. And then who could deny Wil bringing his new girlfriend Jenny?? Not I. So haha, in the space of an afternoon, my casual dinner for 3 turned rapidly into a dinner for 8! Fortunately my dining table was just barely able to accommodate 8 small Vietnamese people... and I have always been a big fan of the more the merrier.

HA sisters temporarily united

2005-11-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

It's so sad but Hong moved to San Francisco several months ago for a new job at Method, it's the first time we've been apart for such a long distance since college. And even in college we could still hop in a car and drive the 6 hours when desperate. Now it's a plane ride and red eye flights. Boo! But I did manage a quick visit this past weekend. We happily lounged around her apartment, drank coffee, ate bacon and watched a zillion bad movies.

Christian Nguyen at New General Catalog 224 - Nov. 19

2005-11-09T12:56:00.000-05:00

Another one of my favorite artists, Christian Nguyen is showing in an exhibition entitled "Doing Lines" at the newly established New General Catalog 224, created by another friend, Trong Nguyen. More details on the Christian's show here.

Doing Lines: Paul De Guzman and Christian Nguyen
Reception: Saturday, November 19, 8-11pm
November 19 – December 31, 2005
New General Catalog 224
140 Franklin Street in Brooklyn, NY

Stephen Nguyen at NUTUREart Gallery - Nov. 4

2005-11-03T12:49:00.000-05:00

NURTUREart is a non-profit organization based in Brooklyn dedicated to supporting emerging artists and they're having a show called "Structuring Perception" featuring a small group of artists, and in particular my favorite one - Stephen Nguyen.

Stephen Nguyen in Structuring Perception
RECEPTION: Friday, November 4th 8:00PM
November 4, 2005 - January 15, 2006
NURTUREarts Gallery
475 Keap Street in Brooklyn, NY
Fri, Sat and Sun noon to 6pm

IVCE and Columbia University - Fall 2005 Events

2005-09-16T15:18:00.000-04:00

A whole slew of events starting now and going all the way through December sponsored by the Institute for Vietnamese Culture and Education and the VSA at Columbia University. I won't list them all here but you can check out "Events in 2005" for all the details. Some of the happenings include:

artists Le Vo Tuan & Nguyen Vo Toan exhibition
musicians Tran Anh Tai & vocalist Quynh Vy concert "Love Reverie"
IVCE Annual Culture show
lacquer artists Le Duc Hai & Le Ngoc Thanh exhibition and workshop
lecture on Vietnamese history by Prof. Phan Huy Le
musician Nguyen Thanh Thuy, performance on Dan Tranh

Tet Trung Thu at Viet Gallery - Sept. 22

2005-09-16T11:46:00.000-04:00

The East Meets West Foundation is coming to the East Coast. They're sponsoring Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Moon Festival) at the Viet Gallery in Tribeca. It's nice to see a well established West Coast/ Vietnam based organization mkaing an effort to host something here in the East. There may be hope for Vietnamese in NYC after all!

Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Moon Festival)
Thursday, September 22 6:30pm-9:00pm
Viet Café & Gallery
345 Greenwich Street (btwn Harrison & Jay Streets)
New York, NY 10013
RSVP to thuylinh@eastmeetswest.org or call (800) 561-3378 for more info

Vudoo Soul at Knitting Factory - Sept. 22

2005-09-15T22:28:00.000-04:00

Another e-meeting, resulting in a musician from Boston who is apparently all up and down the East Coast. Chris Vu or better known as Vudoo Soul is performing at our very own Knitting Factory next week as part of the In Tune! Asian Americans in Music. Details:

In-Tune w/ Asian Americans In Music
Thursday, Sept. 22 Doors Open at 7:30pm, Show Starts at 8:00pm
Knitting Factory - MAIN STAGE
84 Leonard Street
New York, NY
Buy tix: $12 Adv, $15 at door

Stephen Nguyen at Madarts Studios - Sept. 17

2005-09-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

Stephen Nguyen, of whom I am a HUGE fan both personally and as an artist, is showing a collaborative installation piece with Wade Kavanaugh at the Madarts Studio in Brooklyn. It's their third site specific collaboration and I'm positive worth the trip.

Stephen Nguyen and Wade Kavanaugh
Opening Saturday, September 17th 8:00PM
Madarts Studios
255 18th Street (btwn 5th and 6th Ave.)
Brooklyn, NY

Phong Bui at Sarah Bowen Gallery - Sept. 16

2005-09-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

Ka-thy Minh Bach and I have enjoyed many email conversations although we have never met... but recently she found this interesting tidbit about a new show by Phong Bui. Apparently it is the third in an ongoing series, responding directly to the preceeding installation.

Hybrid Carnival for St. Exupery #3 by Phong Bui
Opening Reception: September 16, Friday 7–9pm
Show runs: September 16 - Octover 16
Sarah Bowen Gallery
210 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Tel (718) 302-4517

Vu Nguyen at the Gallery Vietnam - Sept. 15

2005-09-08T19:33:00.000-04:00

Gallery Vietnam presents “Walls & Conversations” by Vu Nguyen ...inspirations from a trip to Viet Nam after 15 years...

Gallery Vietnam
"Walls & Conversations" by Vu Nguyen
Opening Reception: September 15, Thursday 6–9pm
345 Greenwich Street (Franklin St. stop on no. 1 train)
Tel (212) 431-8889

David Pham - Artist.

2005-09-07T12:50:00.000-04:00

David Pham was formally trained as an artist but receives much inspiration from the streets, particularly the brightness of graffiti. He works in a variety of mediums, canvases and aesthetics. His day job is a designer for a premium jeans company. I'm always interested to know what artists do for their day jobs vs. their do it for love jobs.

on the similarity of third world countries

2005-09-05T19:23:00.000-04:00

Rich and I recently spent some time in Marrakech, Morocco where I was slightly surprised to discover a similar laissez-faire attitude towards life as I experience in Vietnam. Mostly embodied by traffic patterns, we found our theory of slow and steady worked in Morocco just as well as it did in Vietnam. When crossing a crowded street filled with honking taxis, large sedans and zipping scooters, the best way to make it over is to move at a steady constant rate. Everyone going faster than you will anticipate your pace and act (or swerve accordingly!)