I was born and grew up in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). I spent a short period of my teenage years living abroad, and when I came back, things shifted. Even now, I often feel like a tourist in my own city. My understanding of Saigon has never felt deep enough, not enough to confidently […]

My last visit to Thảo Cầm Viên (Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens) was when I was around 10 or 11 years old. I don’t remember much from that time, just that we walked around the zoo, and my mom bought us ice-cream. This time, I’m back at the zoo on my own, doing the same […]