In our first episode of the new year, we begin with Bánh Mì Banter, before rating 2021 on the usual criteria of deliciousness, billability and would you miss it? Then, in 'This or That,' we debate the pros and cons of the Lunar New Year and the Gregorian New Year - January 1 - to determine which we'd rather celebrate.

This special episode builds on our recent article about the creation of 'Magical Nights - Saigon Surf Twist & Soul,' the recently released album of Phương Tâm's songs from the early 1960s. Hannah Hà, Mark Gergis and Jan Hagenkoetter were the driving force behind the album - Hannah, Tâm's daughter, shares how she learned about her mother's past as a rockstar singer in 1960s Saigon - a previous life that no one in her family knew about. The trio also discuss how they connected, the arduous process of tracking down physical copies of Tâm's music during the first year of the pandemic, the delicate work of bringing her songs to life on 'Magical Nights,' and the importance of bringing Vietnamese voices to music from the 1960s. The audio quality on this episode isn't up to our usual standards, as this is a phone recording of a Zoom call that wasn't planned for the podcast, but we think this is worth sharing as a companion to the website feature, which can be found here: https://saigoneer.com/saigon-music-art/20780-what-to-do-when-you-discover-that-your-mom-was-a-superstar-singer-in-1960s-saigon Happy holidays from the Saigoneer Podcast team!

We begin this week with Bánh Mì Banter, before exploring the Day of Phở in our latest 'That Time We...' segment. Created in 2018, this day celebrates arguably Vietnam's most famous dish - but what other delicacies are worthy of their own day? Then, in 'This or That,' we debate whether we'd prefer to attend a standard Vietnamese wedding, or a party at a glitzy Saigon rooftop bar.

After a brief Covid-related break, we're back with a new episode beginning, as always with Bánh Mì Banter (0:59). Then (9:21), in 'We Rate Stuff,' we analyze the song 'Hello Vietnam,' which was originally composed in French by Marc Lavoine and called 'Bonjour Vietnam.' The English version performed by Quỳnh Anh is now best-known as the song played on VietJet flights, but the lyrics contain some rather outdated language that may come as a surprise. Finally (31:30), in 'This or That,' we debate whether we'd prefer (in a true dream world) a Waterbus system that takes full advantage of Saigon's sprawling network of waterways, or a complete Saigon Metro system with all planned lines completed.

We begin this week with Bánh Mì Banter (1:04), including some banter about an actual bánh mì and the hilarious incompetence of the Saigon Waterbus. Then (10:52), we rate the wonders (and possible pitfalls) of riding around with someone on a motorbike - either as the driver or the passenger. Finally, in This or That (32:46), we debate whether we'd prefer to spend a night out in a Saigon karaoke parlor, or a Saigon fruit-plates-on-the-table, Vinahouse-blasting nightclub.

This week, we begin our first episode recorded in person in well over six months with Bánh Mì Banter (0:56). Then, we move into our latest 'That Time We...' segment (8:17) by discussing the opening of the Bitexco Financial Tower in downtown Saigon on October 31, 2010. Finally (20:20), we debate whether we'd prefer to have a street named after us, or a type of food or drink.

Today, we begin with Bánh Mì Banter (1:17), which includes a mea culpa from Paul regarding a particularly egregious food take he shared in a recent Saigoneer article. Then (10:07), we launch into our first 'We Rate Stuff' segment. How do we rate bicycle baskets under our rather arbitrary system? Finally (27:14), it's time for another round of 'This or That,' with an environmental theme: to protect itself from the inevitability of future sea level rise, should Saigon build underground, or up into the air?

After a two-month break, we're back with a reformatted version of the podcast, meaning new segments and a revised structure. This episode begins, as all future episodes will, with Bánh Mì Banter (2:21). We then move into our first 'That Time We...' segment (15:05), which covers a Vietnamese historical event or figure related to the week an episode is released. Today we cover the history and ultimate demise of a Nguyen Hue Street landmark, the Saigon Tax Center, which was torn down five years ago. Finally, we play a game of 'This or That' (40:03) by debating whether we prefer old film photos of Vietnam, or new digital pictures of the country, as well as what these images say about the people who made them.

We begin this week (1:59) by looking at tourist attractions which have made headlines in recent years, such as the Zodiac animal statues with human genitalia in Hai Phong and the deformed Statue of Liberty in Sa Pa. These can be easy to mock, but they do also have fans, and highlight some of the aspirations of people who might be traveling for the very first time. Then (16:48), we discuss the debate over what constitutes an 'essential' good. Amid widespread lockdowns and transport restrictions, items such as a fridge and sanitary pads have been deemed "not essential" by police officers, meaning they can't be shipped. Why have these policies created so much inconsistency? As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (34:03).

After a much longer break than we expected, we are back with a new, remotely recorded episode discussing a topic that is impossible to escape: Vietnam's severe COVID-19 outbreak, which has the country in by far its worst position of the entire pandemic. How did we get here, and what impact are lockdowns having on daily life? (1:20) Then, amid the doom and gloom, many people are coming together to help those in need - we each share some uplifting stories that have given us a break from the terrible headlines (23:49). As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (41:16).