#hanoi

#hanoi

Hoi An's charm lies in its timeworn architecture and vibrant culture, with lantern-lit boats drifting along the Thu Bon River at night, creating a magical atmosphere.

"I think Phnom Penh has become far more confident in its own voice. A few years ago, much of the retail and lifestyle scene felt either NGO-adjacent or heavily expat-driven. Now there's a noticeable shift toward Cambodian-led creative businesses that are designing for a more discerning local audience."

Portland's reputation as a national Thai food destination has been truly cemented, with a scene that is not only prolific but varied, showcasing hyper-regional and dish-specific offerings.

Seongsu-dong is Seoul's creative hub, where old warehouses and factories have been transformed into design studios, cafés, and showrooms. Often referred to as 'the Brooklyn of Seoul,' the industrial infrastructure, pop-up scene, and design-led façades make it a photo-friendly destination favored by many design-loving visitors.

The Leica Vibrant mode was in its element here, pulling stunning color out of these flamboyant buildings that surrounded the central canal. The telephoto camera has excellent image quality, and while the 3.2x-4.3x optical zoom range did seem limited, a quick punch to the 8x mode produced exceptionally usable results.

The announcement of a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" between Brussels and Hanoi last week places the EU side by side with China, the United States, and Russia as one of Vietnam's top-tier diplomatic relationships. Vietnamese President Luong Cuong described it as a "historical milestone underlining the great achievements that the two sides have made," during a meeting with the head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, in Hanoi.

The upgrade places the EU on the same diplomatic footing as the United States, China and Russia and was announced during a visit to Hanoi by European Council President António Costa. "At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners," Costa said, adding that the partnership is about "developing spheres of shared prosperity."

My late 30s were hard. Living alone in Cape Town, South Africa, I was holding out for a partner and children while my friends moved through weddings and baby showers without me. My parents and sisters (including my twin) lived in another province, freelance writing work was drying up, and as 40 approached, I felt stuck - single, lonely, and unsure what came next.

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, is one of the world's biggest holidays. The 15-day celebration is not only observed in China, Singapore, Malaysia, and other Asian countries but by 2 billion people worldwide. That said, there are other Asian countries with their own, distinct Lunar New Year traditions, and like China's, they've been around for thousands of years.

Despite the constant churn of new development on SE Division, the labyrinthine amalgam of interlocking structures that once housed the original Pok Pok has remained vacant for more than half a decade. The Northern Thai comfort food chain began as a food cart and ended as an empire, with outposts in LA, Las Vegas, and Brooklyn, along with a small constellation of Portland locations.