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Vietnam and Boba

Vietnam and Boba

By Sen Nguyen and Giang Pham

Born and raised in post-1975 Vietnam, we come to a realisation that much of the world might not have seen past the Vietnam-equals-war narrative whenever they think of the Southeast Asian country. As children of Vietnamese working-class families and members of a growing young generation, we hope to show how we see our homeland as we embrace the good, the bad, the ugly and even the unknown. Our podcast is the beginning of our awakening, and we invite you to join us in this journey. Brought to you by Vietnamese journalist, host and producer Sen Nguyen and multimedia storyteller Giang Pham.
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The COVID-19 pandemic and Vietnamese internal migrant workers

Vietnam and BobaOct 16, 2021

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41:05
Challenging the status quo in the Mekong Delta - a primary research

Challenging the status quo in the Mekong Delta - a primary research

The lower Mekong River is in its fourth year of drought, with low rainfall, climate change, and hydroelectric dams causing the worst conditions in over six decades, endangering the livelihoods of up to 70 million people. Vietnam, the last downstream country before the Southeast Asian river empties into the South China Sea, is no exception when it comes to water shortage. It is not as simple as turning the tap off to save water, but also the strategy and techniques involved in growing rice to ensure food security. Besides, how much of the decision making process in water management is dominated by men in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta? In this episode, we are taking you to a small border town district called Tinh Bien home to high proportion of marginalized Khmer ethnic minority villages, in An Giang Province where a group of female doctorates from An Giang University are collaborating with farmers and local officials to work on exactly these issues, challenging the status quo in the rural Mekong Delta as they go. We caught up with them before they concluded their research, but there are still many lessons here for those who are interested in water management and gender inequality in the Mekong region to take from.

This episode was supported by Sustainable Mekong Research Network, a Bangkok-based initiative for research and policy engagement.

Vietnam and Boba podcast is a narrative journalism podcast which features local voices and perspectives about socioeconomic, cultural and policy issues in Vietnam to the global audience. It is brought to you by Vietnamese journalist, host and producer Sen Nguyen and multimedia storyteller and photojournalist Giang Pham.

Jun 24, 202226:53
Vietnam tourism has been revived. So what?
Apr 30, 202234:40
What it takes to be a ''real man'' in Vietnam

What it takes to be a ''real man'' in Vietnam

There are at least 23 criteria a Vietnamese man has to meet to be considered a real man, according to the first large-scale study on men and masculinities in Vietnam published in 2020 by Hanoi-based Institute for Social Development Studies. What are these criteria that are widely accepted in Vietnam? And what is their effect on Vietnamese men's wellbeing and gender equality? We talk to Hoang Giang Son, a prominent leader in the LGBT community in Vietnam and former Gender Justice specialist at The Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE) in Hanoi and Nguyen Phuong Tu, former Vice President of Vietnam Organisation for Gender Equality and educator at Hanoi-based sex education start-up WeGrow Edu.

If you like our work, please share it with a friend! Better yet, please consider supporting our podcast! Running an independent project of this length and depth is difficult, but we want to be independent from advertising and continue to publish original reporting and storytelling about Vietnam’s cultural, environmental and socioeconomic issues with a focus on local people and long-term residents in the country.
Become one of Boba patreons starting at only $5!  

Vietnam and Boba podcast is a narrative journalism podcast which features local voices and perspectives about socioeconomic, cultural and policy issues in Vietnam to the global audience. It is brought to you by Vietnamese journalist, host and producer Sen Nguyen and multimedia storyteller and photojournalist Giang Pham.

Mar 30, 202233:18
The nuances of Tet

The nuances of Tet

Tet is Vietnam's most important holiday. It is more than just a one-time blowout like new year celebrations in many Western countries. It’s a seven-day festivity charged with symbolism that sees a combination of religious rituals, secular and social customs. 

But beyond traditions, this episode tries to complement the conversation about what makes Tet special with the downsides of it as an evolving tradition. We spoke to three Vietnamese from vastly different walks of life and their own unique takes on Tet. A soon-to-be mom who has not spent Tet with her family for five years, a Vietnamese-American who explores the transnational dimension of Tet, and an artist who is rather apathetic of the concept. 

Disclaimer: By the time this episode was aired, there might be some new developments in Vietnam's border restrictions that are different from what it is mentioned in the episode. Additionally, a lot of the traditions and rituals mentioned in this episode belong to the majority ethnic group, the Kinh, since Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, while many minority groups also have distinct traditions, they may pray to different gods, ascribe different meanings to the hours and days of New Year, or eat different dishes.  

If you like our work, please consider supporting it! Running an independent project of this length and depth is difficult, but we want to be independent from advertising and continue to publish original reporting and storytelling about Vietnam’s cultural, environmental and socioeconomic issues with a focus on local people and long-term residents in the country. Become one of Boba patreons by supporting our channel starting at only $5!

Vietnam and Boba podcast is a narrative journalism podcast which features local voices and perspectives about socioeconomic, cultural and policy issues in Vietnam to the global audience. It is brought to you by Vietnamese journalist, host and producer Sen Nguyen and multimedia storyteller and photojournalist Giang Pham.

Jan 29, 202229:12
Some countries waited for COP26 to act, these young Vietnamese did not

Some countries waited for COP26 to act, these young Vietnamese did not

Long before any big-shot pledges were signed and promises were made at COP26, many environment changemakers have been taking action and exerting influence in their own communities. Behind the headlines - we are bringing you first-hand accounts of two environment frontliners, one from northern rural Vietnam and the other from southern urban Vietnam with two vastly different backgrounds and drastically different approaches but sharing a common value. 

If you like our work, please consider supporting it! Running an independent project of this length and depth is difficult, but we want to be independent from advertising and continue to publish original reporting and storytelling about Vietnam’s cultural, environmental and socioeconomic issues with a focus on local people and long-term residents in the country. Become one of Boba patreons by supporting our channel starting at only $5!

Vietnam and Boba podcast is a narrative journalism podcast which features local voices and perspectives about socioeconomic, cultural and policy issues in Vietnam to the global audience. It is brought to you by Vietnamese journalist, host and producer Sen Nguyen and multimedia storyteller and photojournalist Giang Pham.

Dec 25, 202128:19
A pandemic of mental health in Vietnam
Nov 30, 202124:27
The COVID-19 pandemic and Vietnamese internal migrant workers

The COVID-19 pandemic and Vietnamese internal migrant workers

At least 1.3 million migrants left Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other southern localities for their hometowns during the worst outbreak Vietnam has experienced. Images of those making the journey, many with children on motorcycles piled with personal belongings, have been shared widely on Facebook and TikTok. The exodus illuminates one of the communities hardest hit by Covid-19. But migrant workers’ difficult conditions already existed before the pandemic.   

Internal migrants play a pivotal role in the making of Vietnam's economy and social fabric. Who are they and what can we learn about them? We talk with Tu Phuong Nguyen, a Saigonese scholar at the University of Adelaide, who has been doing research about Vietnamese internal migrant workers since 2014.  

This is our first episode and we can’t wait to connect with you all. If you like our work, please consider supporting it! Running an independent project of this length and depth is difficult, but we want to be independent from advertising and continue to publish original reporting and storytelling about Vietnam’s cultural, environmental and socioeconomic issues with a focus on local people and long-term residents in the country. Become one of Boba patreons by supporting our channel starting at only $5!

Vietnam and Boba podcast is a narrative journalism podcast which features local voices and perspectives about socioeconomic, cultural and policy issues in Vietnam to the global audience. It is brought to you by Vietnamese journalist, host and producer Sen Nguyen and multimedia storyteller and photojournalist Giang Pham.

Oct 16, 202141:05
Introducing Vietnam and Boba Podcast

Introducing Vietnam and Boba Podcast

Oct 09, 202101:51