Transforming contemporary Vietnam

For anyone interested in Vietnam, check out this article about young Vietnamese who were brought up abroad as a result of the war and are now returning home as managers of hip bars and nightclubs, owners of art galleries and fashion boutiques and executives at architecture and film-production companies.

A great article - written by my friend Emma-Kate for the Wall Street Journal.

Trist og nostalgisk

Faa forfattere har gitt meg så gode leseropplevelser som Anne Cath. Vestly. Det er trist å lese at hun nå er borte, men hun vil alltid leve gjennom sine fantastiske bøker. Min niese kommer hvertfall til å få maaange Vestly-bøker av tante om noen år! Mormor og de åtte ungene, Ole Alexander Filibom-bom-bom, Erle og Guro, knerten og alle de andre...

Recommended restaurant in Hanoi

KOTO Restaurant 'Good food for a great cause'

KOTO on Van Mieu
59 Van Mieu Street, (opposite the Temple of Literature)
Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel (84 4) 747 0337 or (84 4) 747 0338

If you ever find yourself in Hanoi, I'd like to recommend a wonderful restaurant: KOTO.

The concept of KOTO began on the streets of Hanoi in 1996 when an Australian Vietnamese man, Mr Jimmy Pham, asked a group of street kids what they wanted out of life. They simply replied, "we need skills so we can find stable jobs" and so the concept of KOTO was born, providing training and education to kids and youth with disadvantaged backgrounds. After their education many of the young staff are invited to work in top hotels and restaurants in Hanoi and the program so far has a 100% placement rate of its students.

I had lunch in KOTO today and can highly recommend it - both the food and the atmosphere is wonderful, and you are supporting a very good cause by having your meal here.