From the get-go, Bống came in with much aplomb, offering her chè to the Sharks, who only had praises in response. She then presented her business model in front of the illustrious panel and asked for 200 million vnd ($8,700) in exchange for 20% equity.

It all started when Bống got a taste of Chè Bưởi, a Southern dessert consists of beans, tapioca starch, and pomelo pulp with a souplike consistency, in a restaurant. So enraptured by the taste and smell that cup of chè bưởi, Bống was determined to bring this delicacy closer to the hearts of Northerners. And so, she set on learning how to cook chè bưởi herself. After 15 tries, Bống finally found the right recipe. With that, Bống opened her business.

Bống admitted that initially it was hard to establish a solid ground to launch the shop since so many food and beverages shops had existed already. Bống did not want hers to have to fade into the muted background of the crowded food scene, so she conceived the brand “Chè Bưởi Bống Nấu” (“Chè Bưởi made by Bống”), hoping that it would give her shop a nice ring.The brand can now be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube with thousands of followers.

Most customers of Chè Bưởi Bống nấu know about her via those social media applications, others through the good old word of mouth. All, however, can probably attest to how delicious her chè is. So delicious that one woman even drove a car to buy hundreds of cups of chè to feed her company. On average, Bống sells somewhere in the region of 100 cups per day.

On good days, a national holiday for example, Bống cooks and sells up to 400 cups of chè, amounting to 3.2 million vnd (roughly $140) in total. Along with the famous chè, Bống also sells books and toys. With this diverse business model, she quickly gained financial independence. Speaking with Little Big Shots, Bống bashfully shared that the pair of Converse she was wearing had been bought using her own money. She had also spent the money on a laptop and was looking into an Ipad Air 2 to help her learn English with more flexibility. However, ever the businesswoman, she insists on always putting 10% of her revenue into a long-term savings pocket. Then there is a pocket for necessities, another for education, one for financial freedom, and one for charity.

As school takes first precedence always, Bống runs her shop on Sundays only. Bống would wake up at 5 o’clock sharp in the morning to prepare and cook up some chè, her mom helping on the side. The profits, though, are split in a 51-49 ratio. The slightly larger portion goes to our young boss. But this is not Bống’s ultimate vision; she wants to expand the business, to go national hence her participation in Shark Tank.

As it turned out, her offer — 200 million vnd ($8,700)  for 20% equity — was taken up by Shark Thuỷ. Shark Thuỷ also sponsors 500 million vnd ($22,000) for Bống’s study in entrepreneurship and leadership in a span of 5 years. Besides, Bống will be the ambassador for Shark Thuỷ’s English language center — Apax Leaders. Shark Hưng, on the other hand, offered Bống 100 million vnd ($4,350) in return for 10% of her business. He shared that the Sharks’ investments in Bống were investments in a new form of education that is hands-on and applicable, thereby encouraging Bống to keep learning and doing what she does and loves to do.

Ms. Hạnh, Bống’s neighbor, commented:

“Bống has always been the star of the neighborhood for her immense talent and inexhaustible energy. Bống makes really delicious chè; I have some all the time.”

I hope, and am quite sure, that Bống will soon realize her dream of having a chain of shops across Vietnam. Then I too can have some of that sweet Bống – made Chè Bưởi.

The post Bống Chè Bưởi – A little girl with an entrepreneurial mindset appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

“My parents’ top aspiration was for me to become a doctor. However, I was afraid of blood so I’ll pass”

Don Lam has always stuck to his roots, despite spending a considerate portion of his life living overseas. Lam and his family left their hometown in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, and migrated to Canada when he was only 11 years old. The energetic and ambitious young man graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Commerce and Political Science, opening up a bright long future ahead.

At the age of 18, in the bloom of his youth, he had already started reminiscing and yearned to come back where he knew he belonged- Vietnam. Despite his desire,  it was only up to when he was 24 years old in 1994 that the opportunity to return home found him.

In the early stages of his career, Mr. Lam was chosen to be a manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers Vietnam. The Indochina region’s  (Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia) corporate finance and management consulting practices was under his strong leadership for a period of time. More fruitful opportunities came; before he knew it he has held several management positions at the prestigious Deutsche Bank and Coopers & Lybrand.  With several reputable positions and varied experience under his belt, Don Lam chose to embark on the most significant turn in his life in 2003 when he co-founded the VinaCapital Corporation.

VinaCapital like any other corporations has been through a remarkable journey. In 2003, it started as a relatively small management company with 10 million US dollars in its only fund – the Vietnam Opportunity Fund (VOF). At the time, one of Lam’s biggest challenges, as well as, the biggest aspirations was to push Vietnam onto the world stage as a real and recognized competitor. He also needed to reflect the rapid growth of Vietnam’s economy in his own company in order to achieve long-term success. Lam knew and saw a tedious, extremely demanding and exhausting endeavor ahead, and tackled it head-on. After more than a decade of sweat and tears, Lam and his co-leadership have overachieved their previous goals significantly. As a result of maximal patience, dedication, and hard work, VinaCapital has grown to an enormous investment house which manages US$1.8 billion across the four funds that would come to life across the years. From one small fund, in the beginning, VinaCapital has also introduced 3 more official funds- VinaLand in 2006 for real estate, DFJVinaCapital in 2006 as an extension of the prestigious multinational Draper Fisher Jurvetson Corporation and Vietnam Infrastructure Limited in 2007 which focuses on infrastructure.

Besides becoming one of the greatest models of diligence and corporate success, Mr. Lam is also looked up to greatly for his numerous humanitarian efforts. Out of compassion and dedication to supporting his home country, Don Lam established the non-profit organization Vina Capital Foundation in 2007 which aims to provide life-saving opportunities for poor children with health complications.  The foundation takes advantage of his well-developed expertise in the corporate world and transforms the skills needed for a scheme that cares for children’s social and economic welfare.

“I always prioritize my family as much as possible despite the busy schedule. On holidays or days off, we would go back to Khanh Hoa- where I was born, or I would take my three kids to visit children that had heart surgeries (supported by VinaCapital Foundation) at the hospital so they can learn about compassion and know that change can happen from the smallest actions.”

While VinaCapital grew over the past decade through increasing investments, VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) grew through helping and saving innumerable children from difficult backgrounds. Since 2007, VCF’s largest programmed called Heartbeat Vietnam has provided the funds and assistance needed for 5,855 very poor children. Moreover, 416 families have been aided along with 294 family grants for nutrition and transportation and 122 continuing care grants for at-risk children.  Since 2007, VCF’s other programmes such as Outreach Clinic for Cardiac Care have given medical examinations to 77,934 children in 147 districts and 44 provinces. 38,523 cardiac ultrasounds, 2,131 postoperative checkups and counseling found 8,561 children suffering from Cardiac Heart Disease and 6,236 children who are in need of heart surgery that would never have been diagnosed.

These significant and sizable numbers not only demonstrate VCF’s far-reaching efforts but also reflect the number of lives that were saved by a team of dedicated people.

The number of 5,855 surgeries is not just a mere statistic but visually represents 5,855 faces. 5,855 children, brothers, sisters, daughter, sons and grandchildren- saved from fatal heart conditions that can end an innocent child’s life and end the bright future ahead of them. Every child that is helped has a story. Every child has hopes, dreams, aspirations and the desire to experience the wonderful adventure we call life. With the US$ 10 million raised for life-changing programs all across Vietnam, VinaCapital Foundation under Lam has really made a difference in the community and played a significant role in changing children’s lives forever.

As a result of globalization and a rapidly expanding economy, the world is seeing the rise in numbers of young, talented and influential leaders. To a certain extent, it can be said that we all have a strong leader within ourselves. Many of us have the potential to become as successful and high achieving as Don Lam. The new generation is filled with ambitious, hard-working and diligent young people, willing to test boundaries and introduce innovation to the world. But, like Mr. Lam, are we willing to take another step? Are we willing to spend our valuable time and effort into the most civil acts of saving others’ lives? The answers to those questions are up to you. Everyone has the potential of becoming a successful leader. Only some get on to become truly great leaders.

Currently, VinaCapital Foundation under Don Lam’s leadership continues to expand their operations to thousands and thousands of more Vietnamese families that need their help. From providing financial aid for heart surgeries, providing medical examinations, education scholarships and continuing care after treatment, without a doubt, Mr. Lam and the organization have made and continued to make a memorable difference.

Mr. Lam believes that the smallest actions can contribute to great changes, therefore, now is not too soon to go out into your communities and help others- even with the smallest acts of kindness.

More information on VinaCapital Foundation’s several charity programs and donation links are available here: https://vinacapitalfoundation.org/en/homepage/

If you have a good story to tell, please share with us at mazevietnam.info@gmail.comfor a chance to be featured!

The post Vietnam’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” and the Children’s Hero appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

His most eye-catching designs are the geometrically shaped animal shelves. “That bird there is one of my favorites”, says Olivier when he sits down, “it’s very simple, very pure.” But its apparent simplicity is the result of deep thought and careful planning. “Birds are a part of human nature, they are found all over the world and in many cultures, they play an important role – often as a symbol of freedom or peace.”

Universal
Olivier speaks calmly and chooses his words wisely. He is not a man of exaggerations or superlatives, not as a person and not in his work: “I’m not interested in creating highly conceptual pieces of art that no-one understands. Many designers make their work too complicated, they need too many words to explain it”. His fuss-free designs, on the other hand, are for everyone: “I want to make furniture that people can use and at the same time makes them dream, from a 5-year old girl to 90-year old grandpa”.

Impact
He’s very fond of the more complicated rhino design too, in many ways the exact opposite of the light-footed bird. “The rhino is an ancient, strong and massive beast – it has been on earth since prehistoric times. To me, it represents Africa, where the roots of humanity lie. The rhino is now critically endangered; I don’t like preaching, but I do hope that my designs will inspire people, especially children, to be more responsible citizens”.

Nature
Beside the bird and rhino, Olivier created a dog and an elephant. “Young kids, no matter where they from, are fascinated by animals. Some people might lose that connection later in their life, but the point is that we all once had it.” The natural world is a big source of inspiration for the Olivier: “To me, design is about an emotional connection, not about words. It’s about the vital energy that creates animals, forests, mountains, oceans. It’s so magic, peaceful, so inspiring for us as humans. I’m trying to share that spirit through my creations.”

Resilience
Olivier makes more products: tables, for example, and smaller items like ceramic vases and jars made from cinnamon wood. All with the same distinct, elegant simplicity and a story behind it. The Ki vases, for example, were inspired by the old Japanese saying ‘nanakorobi-yaoki’, meaning ‘falling down seven times, standing up eight’, and the roly-poly dolls that originated from that thought. Olivier: “The Japanese created lucky-charm figurines with a round bottom, they are a bit wobbly, but when you push them down, they always return to their original position. That idea talks to everyone: no matter how hard and difficult life can be, we all have this strong inner energy to get through hard times and rise again”. The designer took away the folkloristic aspects of the figures and created the Ki (which means: soul or tree) vases. “I put bonsai trees in them, since they’re also about vital energy and growth, no matter the bounds. But of course, everyone is free to use the vases as they wish.”

Timeless
Olivier’s goal is to make his products as simple and pure as they can be. “I’m not designing items that last for five years. My dream is to create pieces that people want to keep forever, and that are passed down from generation to generation. That’s why I stay away from trends.” This ideal results in timeless pieces that balance aesthetics and function: “The space on the shelves is quite limited, for example, so you have to think about the most precious things you want to display there. Less is more!”

Contrast
The contemporary designs form an interesting contrast to Zuzu’s historical interior, but Olivier hasn’t designed them specifically for space. “I try to create pieces that look good in many different places: from a big loft in New York, or a traditional house in Japan, to a small house in the French countryside or a traditional Vietnamese house like Zuzu. To me, a well-designed product should fit in many different places and not in just one.”

Method
The designer’s high standards also apply to the making process in which he’s closely involved. “Coming up with a concept is one thing, but knowing how to produce it, is a something completely different. I want to be able to make things on my own or with a few craftsmen in a workshop. That’s what I realized during my studies and especially from working with furniture designers like Piet Hein Eek.” Olivier works with different locally produced materials such as wood, steel, and ceramics from Bat Trang.

Vietnam
Six years ago, after graduating from the Parisian School of Art and Design (ENSAAMA), Olivier found a job in Vietnam and fell in love with the country and its craftsmen: “I arrived in Vietnam by chance, but I was so inspired by the traditional lifestyle and the family workshops, especially in Hanoi, that I decided to stay.” Despite his love for the north, he moved to HCMC. “In Saigon, I find the contrast between the old quarters and the new buildings very interesting. You can feel the country is changing.”

The designer has no plans to leave Vietnam anytime soon, he focuses on further developing his work here: “I would like to expand my collection of small products and I’m looking forward to experimenting with different materials, such as concrete or scrap wood from local factories. And I want to focus more on interior design. To me, designing the space around an object is very exciting too!”

Zuzu offers Olivier Polmanss the perfect location to show his wonderful work to a wide audience. Curious? Go have a look and don’t forget to enjoy the peaceful garden.

Photographer: Brice Godard

Brice Godard (33) is a French filmmaker and photographer, based in Vietnam. He works together with other artists, and for clients such as Paris Match, Unilever, Coca-Cola, T3 Architects and Saigoneer. www.bricegodard.com

Writter: Annigje Jacobs

Annigje Jacobs (34) is a Dutch (copy)writer, based in Saigon. She works all over the region for international brands, ngo’s and magazines. www.annig.je/portfolio

The Furniture Designer: Olivier Polmanss
Address:48A Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien, District 2, HCMC, Vietnam
Phone: (+84) 09 01 12 54 02
Website: www.zuzuconceptstore.com
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, from 9 am to 6pm

Big Thanks to Olivier, Brice, and Annigje for contributing this awesome article to Maze Vietnam!

To submit your own story, or want us to write your story, please contact: mazevietnam.info@gmail.com
Let’s share the world your Vietnam story!

The post The Creative Journey of a French Furniture Designer in Vietnam appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Like any other women at her age, Lê Thi spends her days grounded to the bed (any movement would prove too tiresome), continuously chewing on her piece of betel in a mouth that shows extreme deprivation of teeth of any kind, and frequently conversing with any of her children or grandchildren that happens to be around.

Yet, if only by looking at the bright sparkle that lights up in the old lady’s eyes when asked about her burning passion to learn and learn more, few could tell those belong to someone whose life has spanned nearly a century.

“If there are ten things I don’t know about, I’d learn as many of them as I can! As you know, I used to be illiterate”, she said. 

Lê Thi’s soft voice blends well with the look of pure ecstasy on her face while recounting everything from her years of living under French colonization to how she learned to use Skype to contact her relatives in Moscow, or how she started writing her very own autobiography at age 87.

It’s this joy that she finds in simply ‘knowing more’ that has allowed her to familiarize herself with various Internet activities, from Googling information, chatting, social networking to making comments on forum threads, drawing in young fans who gave her the above-mentioned nickname in the process.

In 2007, bitten by the writing bug, yet lacking the means to do so (shaky hands and blurry eyes wouldn’t do), Lê Thi had her first go at using a computer to type. Soon after, she was given a laptop by her children, and began her period of keyboard training that culminated in her 600-page autobiography ‘Ngược dòng’.

But she didn’t stop there. In the years following the completion of her first book, Lê Thi went on to churn out more works at an astonishing rate, totaling at around 50 titles at the time of this article. She is also a prolific painter, translating her unquenchable thirst for artistic expression to a collection of over 2000 pieces, a small fortune for someone at her age.

Thi’s elderly success doesn’t serve to rid her of her bittersweet past, however. Memories of childhood, of youth, of a time when Vietnam was so much different from nowadays, still reside deeply and clearly inside the old woman’s mind.

Born as a female in a society where males were more appreciated, Thi received, indeed, less than a special treatment from her father. Much less, in fact.

“Step aside, you woman”, she remembered. 

Those were the words she had to endure every time she dared venture into the close vicinity of her dear father. Despite him being a teacher, she was never given any form of education, as she was naturally considered the lesser of two sexes, and was expected to act her part in the social hierarchy back then.

Nevertheless, this gender barrier failed to stop her desire to learn. “If my father can read, and my brother can read, so can I. I don’t want to accept my fate.” – Thi reminisced her thoughts.

Soon enough, she taught herself how to read and write, and found a way to get hold of her father’s books to read whenever possible. In addition to that, she also relished a new found joy – art, using the ground as her canvas and twigs and sticks as her brush.

Once old enough, Thi joined up in the revolutionary forces, where she’d later meet her husband. Their relationship blossomed, yet soon after the birth of their first child, a bombing took away his father, putting an abrupt and painful end to the marriage. Now single-handedly raising her child, Thi had to go to great lengths to ensure the family’s wellbeing. By her account, she took up any job from cattle rearing, making clothes to being, and often doubling, as a construction worker.

Today, having been through so many ups and downs, the old lady can finally sit back and relax in her house in Hà Nội, casually clicking through websites on the Internet, reading, or continuing her unfinished literary and artistic works. As of now, she has three grandchildren, all of which have been privy to a proper education, something which fills her voice with pride as she introduces them.

Eventful as her life was, Lê Thi still manages to retain a strong yearning to explore new areas of knowledge and a love for peace. When commenting on her upcoming publication ‘Spiral of life’, which offers readers a glance of her view on modern life, she says: “Life is so much of a spiral of materialistic pursuits. Material gains nowadays are synonymous with happiness for a large number of people. Yet, happiness for me is freedom and knowledge of science. I feel bad for those who waste so much of their time pursuing a materialistic lifestyle.”

Needless to say, time is now a very important thing for Thi, as her writing and learning capability will only diminish with age. Yet, she never fails to wear a fiercely optimistic smile on her face, claiming she’ll continue working on more books, even if that takes her another decade!

Indeed, may health and happiness stay with this lovely old woman, so that we can watch as the fairy tale of Vietnam’s most beloved silver surfer continues to unfold!

The post This 97-Year-Old Vietnamese Grandma Is Never Too Old for The Internet appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

When it comes to a long-distance relationship, most of us get frustrated and say it does not work. It happens when texts and calls are everything. Phones and computers become our life, and we may spend a lot of time feeling sorry for ourselves to some extent. However, it is true that nothing but distance can really test a relationship. Long distance strengthens a relationship. An explicit example of this is a couple of two beautiful lovebirds living halfway across the world from each other – Vanessa and Hoang Anh. After all the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship, they eventually created a happy ending called marriage!

To discover this beautiful love story, let’s talk with Vanessa!

Could you please tell us about yourself and your husband?

My name is Vanessa. I’m 30 and I am a French woman. My native language is French. I was born and raised in Paris, but since my mom used to work for the French Embassy, we moved around quite a bit. I got to live in Singapore and Vietnam (both Hanoi and Saigon) for a few years during the 90’s. Vietnam in the past is quite different from now, if not a lot! As of now, I have been living in Hanoi since 2011. I work as a copy editor for the French-speaking weekly magazine Le Courrier du Vietnam. I’m also a French teacher and a freelance translator.

My husband’s name is Hoang Anh, he’s Vietnamese and so is his native tongue. He did spend a few years in Canada so his English is really good, even better than mine. We speak what we amusingly call “Vietlish” together *smiles*. He’s a reporter for an English speaking daily newspaper.

Could you share your “How we met” story with us? 

I met and fell for my boyfriend (now husband) in 2009. He’s from Hanoi and I was living in France and the UK back then. I was finishing my degree in Paris Sorbonne and later teaching French in Manchester for the British Council. We were doing long distance by then. After my year in Manchester, I was planning on doing my Master Degree in French literature and linguistics in Paris. So that meant, another 2 years of long distance! Our future together seemed then quite blurry and full of uncertainties to say the least. So Hoang Anh (that’s his name) did spend quite some time doing research on the Internet to look for a University in Hanoi suited for my Master degree. And against all odds, he did succeed and found me just that. That’s the story of why I came to Hanoi in the first place. I was only planning on staying 2 years (lol). Certainly, I was lying to myself but that was the actual plan. Until life, love and other factors decided otherwise.

How long have you been together?

We fell for each other in 2009, so it has been 8 years. We got married in 2013 after 4 years of relationship (2 years of which were long distance and 2 others were cheesy dating and of living together)

What have been the most memorable moments in your relationship with him?

The very moment immortalized here was during the summer of 2009, on my last day of vacation in Hanoi. After spending over two months in the city I was about to leave back to Paris.

Back then we had a very close group of friends and we would go out, party and travel with the gang during the whole summer. So, on my last day, before heading to the airport, I was inconsolable and couldn’t stop crying. Hoàng Anh then, drove me around the city. He took me to a nice little corner of town, under the shade of a  hoa giấy tree. He then took a flower and put it in my hair and said: “One year is going to fly very quickly you’ll see. You should be happy with the idea of coming back! I’ll be here, I ain’t going anywhere. But please stop crying. I hate to see you sad”. Believe it or not but I knew then and there that I was going to spend the rest of my life with this guy. I’ve had never been so sure about anything else in my life before. I did not know how or when it was going to happen, I simply knew it would. I would marry him and grow old with him.

And now, here we are 8 years later. Together in that same city where we fell in love. Against all odds. In spite of the distance, the obstacles, and the cultural differences. Here we are. And not just the two of us anymore because we got a baby!

Also, one of the funniest and romantic moments of our relationship was when he proposed to me. I really did not expect him to do it. It was a family outing, my family. Like. My entire family, from my mom side. You know. My grandparents, my uncles, my aunties, my cousins. Even my mom, who lives in France, and my brother, who lives in Saigon were there. Everybody was. We hired a van and went a little bit out of town to that amazing restaurant with a fountain and gorgeous garden with flowers and bamboos and stuff. After lunch, we all came out and sat in the garden to drink tea and eat cakes. It was really great. The weather was glorious, sunny and windy. My husband was very jumpy and seemed agitated. I asked him if he was feeling OK. He stood up and sat down a bunch of times before he finally told me: “I’m about to do something stupid”. I didn’t really understand until he, then, IN FRONT OF MY ENTIRE FAMILY, started to kneel down. I couldn’t believe in my eyes and started laughing with tears coming out. He then asked me in Vietnamese “Nu oi, lay anh nhe?” (Nu is my house name and Tit is his). I kneeled as well and said “Oui!”. Everybody was cheering, laughing but also crying. It was very emotional. I will never forget that moment and cherish it always. I always thought that if he’d propose, he’d go for a more cheesy approach. A romantic dinner just the two of us or something. Oh boy, I was in for a surprise. He later told me he was actually carrying the ring in his pocket for weeks, waiting for the perfect moment. He never really felt the right moment until that day. The setting was beautiful and I was surrounded by my loved ones. “I couldn’t think of a more perfect moment”, he later told me.

When you two were together, how did your and his family react to this cross-cultural relationship and then marriage?

I think any Vietnamese mothers always wish deep down that their sons marry a good Vietnamese girl. I don’t blame them. And although it has never been brought up directly, I had a sense that maybe things weren’t too awesome from his family’s side at first. Maybe some people thought it was just a fling with a ”Gai Tay”, that it’ll pass, that he’ll settle for a Vietnamese woman in the end anyway. And then, 1 year passes, 2 years pass, then 3 and more. With time I got to learn to know his family and him and vice versa. My mother in law is an amazing woman. She’s great with me and we’ve been getting along for years now. I call her ”me” (mom) with pleasure.
My family absolutely adores him, both from my mom’s side here but also from my dad’s side back in Paris and Marseille. We went to France last Christmas for him to meet my family. It was the first time for him but also for our daughter, who was 4 months old at the time! Of course in France, there’s the language barrier as nobody speaks English (welcome to France – no comment) but Hoang Anh is learning French so it was very nice.

Prior to meeting your husband, had you ever dated anyone from a different culture? What differences would you find between Asian (Vietnamese) and Western men as well as Asian and Western customs/cultures?

I have to specify that my mother is also Vietnamese, therefore I am not completely unfamiliar with the culture here, the traditions, even the language to some extension. But as a teenager, I remember always telling myself and swearing myself three things.

1) Never dating Vietnamese men.

2) Never getting involved in long distance relationships

3) Never getting married.

Prior to meeting Hoang Anh, I only dated Frenchmen. As I said, I never expected to be dating a Vietnamese man! Haha. So let’s just say I hit the Jackpot with Hoang Anh!

I guess the main difference is that Vietnamese men consider family as being a big part and a big priority in their life. I cannot speak for all Vietnamese men since I have only been with Hoang Anh, but he sure is, more thoughtful, caring and mature than most Western men I dated in the past.

Have you two ever had any cross-cultural miscommunications? 

Since my mom is Vietnamese, I can speak it quite fluently now actually, I have been taking writing and reading lessons since I moved here in 2011. Forcing myself to read a lot, anything on the Internet really. But still, Vietnamese isn’t my mother tongue and my husband just loves to make fun of me when I mispronounce stuff. He says I sound like a kid. One time, back when I just moved here, around early 2011, we were together on his bike, driving around town and I was feeling hungry. I saw a sign on a shop that says “Sua chua”. So I was like awesome! Let’s stop for yogurt, I’m craving for some. He didn’t say anything and let me go to the shop first. It didn’t look right. Like at all. It was dirty and smelly and there were tools and bikes in pieces everywhere. I didn’t think much of it since some shops and cafes can be hidden in tiny alleys sometimes. I asked one of the guy: “Em oi, sua chua o dau?” (where’s the yoghurt?) and he just stared at me, speechless. When I turned to Hoang Anh, he was laughing so hard he had to sit down on the pavement. When I read the sign again, it said “Sua chua xe may” (bike repairs!). Accentuation is everything in Vietnam, I learned it the hard way. Ok, Sữa chua is yogurt but Sửa chữa is repair!

As you two are from different countries, so we are curious about your wedding. Could you please tell us about it?

The plan was to have 2 weddings, ideally in Vietnam and in France. Turned out we ended only having it here. It’s a bit of a shame but we then decided to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary in France to make up for it.

Our wedding took place in Hanoi and it was super traditional. Oh gee did we have a ton of ceremonies! One of them is the An Hoi (Ăn hỏi) where basically the groom and his family come to the bride’s house to officially asks for her hand. It was beautiful, the “bê tráp” ceremony means carrying tons of goodies (offerings if you will), the setting and decor was super nice and I got to wear so many different dresses and áo dài! I was most stressed out about that crucial part where the bride has to serve the tea to the guests. Oh boy. I was shaking so much and all eyes were on me! I nailed that part though and the hubby discretely high fived me.

I have to say that I enjoyed all of the ceremonies, it was very traditional, sometimes even cheesy but we incorporated some French traditions into the Vietnamese ones : My dad walked me down the aisle, the bride and the groom gave a speech, the married couple did an opening waltz and we had a ring ceremonial, (and when asked THE question, he answered in French “Oui, je le veux” and I answered in Vietnamese “Vang, toi dong y”).

Talk about some of the responsibilities or changes you might not have been ready for before marriage and how you coped with them in marriage?

Actually, a lot of people have been asking me how married life is… Thing is, we already were living together for years before getting married so no surprises. I know it’s not something very common in Vietnam to do. It is kinda frowned upon, especially for girls. But Hoang Anh and I have always been on the same page when it comes to love, commitment, marriage, responsibilities, and life in general. I’m really glad I found someone like him.

How do you incorporate both of your cultures into your day-to-day life together?

Through food haha. Jokes aside, yeah one day we can be eating a typical thit kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly) or thit luoc (Boilded pork), rau muong (Ipomoea aquatica Vegetables) with tons of com (Rice) and the next day we’ll be eating pasta blue cheese sauce with steak and French wine. Also through art, we both like French music and movies as well as some Vietnamese movies and music. We share our cultures with each other and now, to our daughter as well. It’s very enriching. And of course, through language, I’m still learning Vietnamese words and expression every day and so is he with French.

How did you incorporate both cultures into upbringing?

We have a little baby girl, she’s almost 14 months and she’s the absolute best (in all objectivity). I speak to her in French and his dad speaks to her in Vietnamese. Her first word was “mom” in Vietnamese! Her (limited) vocabulary is mostly Vietnamese because of her environment but she understands both and “communicates” in both languages. All of the songs and stories I sing or read to her are in French though. When she’ll be of age, she’ll certainly go to the French school here.

Do you have any future plans or dreams with him that you would like to share with us?

We often speak about when we’ll grow old, where we would live. We both joke about how we’ll buy a house in Hoi An by the beach and open a cafe and French bakery. Or maybe buying a villa in South of France. Dream on! But who knows.

I highly appreciate the time that Vanessa spent with me sharing her true love story. My team – Maze Vietnam and I would like to take a moment to thank her very much!

How about our readers? Are you ready to give it a try? Are you ready to head all the way from up to the North through the Central then down to the South to find a Vietnamese partner?

To have your story published on our website, please pm Facebook us or email to mazevietnam.info@gmail.com

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The post From A Long-Distance Relationship to A Happy Marriage | From France to Vietnam appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

“My life’s most unworldly aspiration is to prove to the world that Vietnamese food is the best.”

Luke was first known by so many Vietnamese people when he first appeared as a professional judge in MasterChef Vietnam – the first season in 2013. He often appears in a poised and immaculate look, covering himself in a black suit, with the neatly in-shaped hair, and the grave-looking pair of glasses. He is an inspiring chef and his life is a long story worth telling. 

In 1978, Thailand refugee camp gave its welcome to a new born, the little boy Luke Nguyen. When children of his age were born in more decent houses, his only haven was just a refugee camp, no more. He then followed his family all the way to Australia. To earn for their living as well as to take care of the family, his parents decided to open a Vietnamese restaurant called ‘Phở Cây Dù’ (Phở Umbrella) in Cabramatta, Fairfield. Havin grown up with the smell of foods, with the sound of pots and pans and the heat from the stoves, he seemed to be inspired and at the same time, his love for cooking was then lighten up by the kitchen fire. At the age of 5, he was taught to cook by his father.

“When I was 5, my father taught me to cook. At that time, what I learned was Phở soup. That was also my worst failure because the way of seasoning was unappetizing. From that time on, I have learned that I will never let anyone taste my foods if they have not been carefully seasoned.”

And by the time he was 14, after revealing his true passion for cooking to his parents, he was sent to Sydney to work as a kitchen staff in big restaurants of the city. After 9 years, he finally opened his very own restaurant with the help of his sister at the age of 23, the notorious Red Lantern in Surry Hills, Sydney as we know today. But apparently, success is not just granted as a wish from a magical fairy tale. At the time of establishment, there were no more than 40 seats in the restaurant. And there were ups and downs, and sometimes bills were thrown over along with hundreds of pending orders from the customers.

“There were days when the restaurant became your house and working for almost 100 hours a week became part of your life”

After 5 years of his extremely and intensively hard working, struggling and putting all the efforts along with building credibility, he has forever changed his life. The Red Lantern, 4 years in a row, from 2006, was nominated as ‘The best Asian and Vietnamese restaurant in Australia’. But it seems that this success is nothing compared to his life’s aspiration of putting the name Vietnam on the map of cuisine. Though not a perfectionist, he is surely an achiever. Working and trying all his best to achieve the goals in life have become his lifetime’s companions. In the process of those nonstop efforts, in 2008, he was given the title ‘The most successful young Vietnamese Merchant in Australia’ and worthily had the honour of receiving the ‘Restaurant and Catering Ethnic Business Award’.

He is not solely a chef but also an artist, a writer and a storyteller who always knows how to refresh himself and brings a little bit of surprise in the pocket for his every come-back. During his life-long career of almost 26 years, he has been his own memory keeper and a storyteller for each of the land that he passed through and the experiences he has got. In 2007, the book Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese recipes from the heart was published as a share of his old days building up Red Lantern’s reputation, enclosed with wonderful Vietnamese recipes which he brought in “from the heart”. It feels like he writes as much as he cooks, and of course, his books are as good as the foods he makes. From 2009 to 2017, he wrote so many, such as The Song of Sapa (2009), Indochine: The Collection (2011), The Food of Vietnam (2013), Luke Nguyen’s Greater Mekong (2013), From China to Vietnam (2015) and the most recent Street Food Asia (2017). And of all the books he wrote which we have just listed, five of which from 2007 to 2017, except for From China to Vietnam, were the best sellers around Asia for cookery books.

He is both a great teacher and a great learner. He travels to learn and learn from the least of things, from the most simplistic and ordinary human beings and things around and the most usual slices of life. He discovers and finds his own cuisine from all the places he goes to. He puts all these things down to stories and without the least hesitation to share to the world.

“A chef is like a storyteller, you must deliver the message but at the same time create a tempting feeling for your dish.”

Cooking has never been a career to him but more like a journey of finding all beauties in life, in different recipes, in all the ingredients, all the ways of making and all the types of foods. This may also be the answer for his love for traveling here and there. 

“Traveling is also my passion. I don’t know what my life will be if I don’t travel.”

He enjoys traveling to all the new lands for the first purpose of discovering new foods, new cultures and new stories. Turkey, Cambodia, Egypt, France, etc and all the lands that he has set foot to leave an unforgettable mark in his life. He loves street food that much though parents are the ones who have the strongest impact on him. There is no suprise when a Vietnamese likes street food because Vietnam is indeed a street food’s kingdom of all kinds.

“It doesn’t need to be too finical because all of my inspirations come from the streets in the combination with the best ingredients. And the most important thing is telling a stories through each dish.”

While writing the stories, Luke Nguyen’s Greater Meking, he used to make his journey to the far away delta just to explore Vietnamese cuisine.

“I discover that all the foods in the streets leave a strong impression. They are simple but really decious. For example, mixing girdle cake (bánh tráng trộn) is a perfect combination of rice noodles, green mangoes, dried shrimps, beef jerky, fried shallots, roasted groundnuts, quail eggs, onion oil, chilli sauce and a lot of different types of Vietnamese mint vegetables. This is absolutely fantastic but only costs you 10.000 dong!”

He loves the country, its people and his Vietnamese bloodline just as much as he loves Vietnamese cuisine. He wants to show the world that not only do America, England and Australia have master chefs but here in Vietnam, we also have true master chefs, the best ones offering the best Vietnamese food.

“In Australia, everyone knows about Chinese food and Thai food. I want to draw their attention to Vietnamese cuisine and tell them that Vietnamese food is also good, Vietnam’s sceneries are also beautiful and Vietnamese people are also decent. My life’s most unworldly aspiration is to prove to the world that Vietnamese food is the best.”

But he does not only want foreign people to know more and to love Vietnamese food more but he also wants Vietnamese people do, especially the young peopl. For that reason, he once gave his advice to those who want to start-up in the cooking career:

“First, you must know which path you will take, what kind of chef you will be, what style of cooking is yours. Then, you must choose one from thousands of restaurants the one you will work hard for from 4 – 10 years. Last but not least, beside love and passion, you must be absolutely perservering and sometimes accept working without being paid.”

In all those years of working as an outstanding chef, a great businessman and a wonderful inspirer, he must have many things to share. But it will probably take all day, maybe months and years to truly be a listener and to understand them all. However, for those who have an immense passion for cooking, he has not forgot to leave them these four pieces of advice that we would like to call ‘Luke’s Four Golden Rules’.

“Firstly, you must have a certain indulgence in cooking. But just indulgence is not enough, you must also have a great amount of knowledge about cooking and remember not to be distracted by any factors. Secondly, you must spend approximately 4-10 years working in the restaurants. Thirdly, and very important, you must never, ever stop processing and cooking even for one day. And last but not least, you must prepare yourself to work even for 15 hours a day.”

Luke is always craving for happiness and enjoying the little things.

“I believe, success comes when you are truyly contented with yourself. The most successful ones that I have met during my journey all live in backward villages on Vietnamese mountainous areas. They take care of their fields, eat their organic vegetables and have little money. But when you look at the way they smile, you can see the success that they have got. They are contented with themselves and happy with what they have.”

Well, until now, Luke is still doing his jobs successfully as a chef, a teacher, and an inspirer. Apart from running his business, he still continues his teaching in the Grain Cooking Studio – a cooking school that has been his dream since youth. His television shows are still being broadcasted around the world and especially Luke Nguyen Street Food Asia show has been to total of 160 countries. And of course, we cannot forget to mention his Little Lantern Foundation which he set up in 2009 to help poor children to participate in career orientation of internationalized hotels and restaurants.

Our loyal readers, we should have the bravery to find your true passion even if it may take time and hard work. But who knows, maybe the world will see another Luke Nguyen. 

The story of Luke Nguyen may end here for now. What is your story? Share with us at mazevietnam.info@gmail.com

The post From A Vietnamese Refugee to a Celebrity Chef | Real Story appeared first on Maze Vietnam.