COMPLIMENTARY COPY ENTARY COPY READ ME TAKE ME COMPLIMENTARY COPY COMPLIMENTARY COPY COMPLIMENT VIETNAM SEPTEMBER 2013 MARTIAL MATTERS Time to Tackle Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu PAGE 20 THE HEAVY HAND Corporal Punishment for Misbehaving Kids PAGE 26 NOMADIC FAMILY A Family of Five on a Global Odyssey PAGE 56 THE SIMPLE LIFE Quietness and Serenity on Thanh Da Island PAGE 90 Nip Tuck Tan IS VIETNAM MISSING OUT? NHÀ XUÂT BAN THANH NIÊN 1 2 3 CO M PLIME E NTA N R TAR Y C O PREAD Y ME TAKE ME Y C O P Y COMP C O L M I M PL EN I ME T ARY N TAR COP Y C Y O PY COMP L IM E N T VIETNAM SEPTEMBER 2013 MARTIAL MATTERS Time to Tackle Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu PAGE 20 THE HEAVY HAND Corporal Punishment EVERYWHERE YOU GO for Misbehaving Kids PAGE 26 NOMADIC FAMILY A Family of Five on a Global Odyssey PAGE 56 THE SIMPLE LIFE Quietness and Serenity on Thanh Da Island PAGE 90 Director XUAN TRAN Business Consultant ROBERT STOCKDILL Nip Tuck Tan [email protected] IS VIETNAM MISSING OUT? NHÀ XUÂT BAN THANH NIÊN 1 Managing Editor CHRISTINE VAN [email protected] This Month’s Cover Deputy Editor JAMES PHAM Image: Nam Quan [email protected] Model: Amanda Wotring Hair and Makeup: Kenny Lieu Fashion Editor JAMES ALLEN [email protected] Creative Director PAOLO MALING [email protected] Photographer at Large QUINN RYAN MATTINGLY [email protected] Staff Photographer NAM QUAN [email protected] Graphic Artist HIEN NGUYEN [email protected] Distribution & Administration Manager PHUONG HUYNH [email protected] 090 904 4430 For advertising please contact: JULIAN AJELLO [email protected] 093 700 9910 ƠI VIỆT NAM NGAN NGUYEN [email protected] 090 279 7951 NHÀ XUẤT BẢN THANH NIÊN Chịu trách nhiệm xuất bản: Đoàn Minh Tuấn Biên tập: Nguyễn Giang - Quang Hùng THUY PHAM [email protected] Thực hiện liên kết xuất bản: 090 384 1069 Metro Advertising Co.,Ltd 231-233 Lê Thánh Tôn, Phường Bến Thành, JIMMY VAN DER KLOET Quận 1 [email protected] 094 877 9219 In lần thứ bảy, số lượng 6000 cuốn, khổ 21cm x 29,7cm Đăng ký KHXB: 1110-2013/CXB/4 -52/TN QĐXB số: 366/QĐ-TN/CN General [email protected] Chế bản và in tại nhà in Lê Quang Lộc Nộp lưu chiểu tháng 4/2013 Inquiries [email protected] Website: www.oivietnam.com 4 5 Contents TRAVEL & LEISURE A BIKE AND A BACKPACK Experiencing Taiwan's scenic east coast by pedal power 58 FEATURES P10 DATEBOOK P16 THROUGH THE LENS P24 A STAR IS BORN With these events, you'll never have to Old gives way to new in Saigon's A Japanese cooking studio where bored again relentless march towards urbanization style meets taste P12 TROI OI P20 MARTIAL MATTERS P26 THE HEAVY HAND See why pangolins, warships and a bathrobe A Brazilian form of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu comes The state of corporal punishment made our noteworthy numbers this month to HCMC in Vietnam P14 THE BULLETIN P22 A THOUSAND PAPER CRANES P56 THE NOMADIC FAMILY What new promos and exciting places are Hanoi artist Nguyen Hung Cuong's A family in their third year of non-stop here this month? origami for the 21st century world travel shows how it's done 6 COVER STORY NIP/TUCK/TAN A guided tour of medical tourism in Vietnam 30 7 WINE & DINE RESTAURANT REVIEWS Oi reviews the shochu-fueled authenticity of Robata Dining An, samples an eclectic menu at Hatvala, and then finishes the culinary tour off with a fusion feast at White Forest 40 COLUMNS P28 SAIGON MYTHBUSTERS P84 LEGAL EASE P96 HIGHER LEARNING Does mandatory motorbike insurance actually What to do when you're stuck Justifying the high tuitions of protect you? with a defective product? international schools P29 JOIN THE CLUB P85 FOUND 404 P97 POSTCARDS FROM VIETNAM Born to be wild with the Saigon HOGs Is Vietnam ready for mobile payments? The rhythms of life along the water P44 FLAVOR OF THE MONTH P86 MONEY TALKS THE OUTER DISTRICTS Wine tasting 101 Setting aside for retirement in Vietnam P90 THE SIMPLE LIFE P60 LIFE'S A TRIP P94 THE SYLLABUS Exploring Thanh Da’s surprising country vibe Tips for becoming the world's smartest traveler English speaking Vietnamese youth - fantasy or reality? 8 Editor’s ISSUE NO. 7 Note SEPTEMBER 2013 Club Med THE FIRST TIME I visited a dental clinic a matter of too close quarters. So when I in Vietnam on the recommendation of read Gabi Klaf's grippingly truthful article, a friend, I was amazed. I'm not exactly The Nomadic Family, on the ups and downs sure what I was expecting, but it surely her family of five have experienced over 30 wasn't nice, clean, well-equipped facilities months of non-stop travel, I had to take my run by efficient staff with a dentist who hat off to them. She sums her experience up spoke English. When I got the bill, I was beautifully: "After things explode in your even more taken aback: VND200,000. My face, you discover the raw, dusty, tearful, friends back home routinely pay 10 times beautiful, and real blessing in each and that amount. While I haven't used that every one of your family members." many medical services here in Vietnam, On my first visit to Thanh Da nine years recently I've been going for acupuncture ago, the tiny island northeast of downtown for my carpal tunnel (the bane of working HCMC, I remember thinking that it was in publishing). My thrice weekly visits to very quaint, almost a kitschy representation a little clinic located in a nunnery provides of country life. I'm glad to see that not blissful relief, all for VND20,000 a visit, less much has changed. James Pham explores than the cost of lunch. the quieter side of city living in his article, This month,Oi investigates the state The Simple Life, which had me penciling in of medical tourism in Vietnam, as it a return trip to the rice fields and fishing reaches for a slice of the lucrative pie, now ponds of Thanh Da. dominated by heavyweights in the region In our sports feature, NPD Khanh covers like Thailand, Singapore and India, where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Saigon. I remember the field has developed over the past decade thinking the first time I saw it that it was or so. Some of the experts we talked to were pretty violent. I immediately switched optimistic, while others came down pretty the channel. Then I chanced to see Royce hard. No matter how you feel about it, it's Gracie, whose family pioneered Brazilian definitely a relevant topic that every expat Jiu-Jitsu. Here was a guy significantly less has thought about at one point or another. bulky than his opponents, but who was Another controversial topic covered this able to submit them with such grace in month is discipline - to spank or not to the face of muscled aggression. He was a spank? Growing up, my father was an avid smooth operator. proponent of corporal punishment, perhaps My experience with origami is pretty too much so. Michael Arnold explores the much like every other kid's. I think I polarizing topic in an ‘East Meets West’ remember how to make a box and a ball, clash of opinions in The Heavy Hand. and everyone's favorite, a crane. But that's Whatever my father's faults, time has child's play compared to the mind-blowing faded certain memories somewhat. Now, he creations of Hanoi artist Nguyen Hung spends three months of every year with me Cuong. James Pham discovers the mind on his annual trips to Vietnam. Don't get me behind these amazing 3-D sculptures wrong, I appreciate having him around (and created from just a few sheets of paper especially the care packages he brings from and some serious ingenuity in A Thousand the US). We've bonded as never before. But Paper Cranes. after the first month, the luster begins to While we're covering several sobering wear as my apartment becomes ever more issues this month in medicine and child claustrophobic and we start to get on each rearing, there's also a lot to celebrate about other's nerves. Growing up, I remember Vietnam in this issue. As always, here’s to fun family trips to Coney Island and going your health! clamming. As adults, family travel took on a more sinister tone. I remember a family trip 12 years ago to Vietnam with my parents and five sisters that too often broke out in arguments over differing opinions about CHRISTINE VAN what to do and where to go. It simply was Managing Editor 9 Datebook Fill up your calendar with these exciting events SEPTEMBER 14 What: International Travel Expo Where: Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (799 Nguyen Van Linh, D7); free admission About: Always love to travel? Planning for your next holiday? Discover and choose from a wide range of exciting travel products from over 50 destinations. Take advantage of the best travel deals you can find, from airfare to accommodation and many more at the expo. There will also be travel professionals there to assist you. Win fabulous prizes by joining their campaigns and lucky draws. Contact: For more info, visit www.itehcmc.com SEPTEMBER 13 What: Henry Saiz Album World Tour Where: 8pm at Cargo Bar (7 Nguyen Tat Thanh, D4); vouchers are VND250,000 in advance, VND350,000 at the door and include a free drink About: As a part of Henry Saiz’s album launch and world tour, his band will perform as he delivers one of his explosive DJ sets.