Mark Barnes

English teachers or English schools: In post-social distancing Vietnam, who have the upper hand?

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This article was published in Tuoi Tre When schools were given the all-clear to reopen at the end of April, it was clear that there would be a supply problem when it came to qualified English teachers. Borders had been closed since the end of March to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and would not … Read more

Making it work, worlds apart: Can love survive COVID-19?

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This article first appeared in Tuoi Tre In a cinema in Ho Chi Minh City, on a business trip six months ago, Simon James and Ngan Nguyen’s romantic relationship took its first tiny steps. They had gone to the cinema with a group of their colleagues but, shortly after finding seats, they peeled themselves off … Read more

Is learning Vietnamese a worthwhile pursuit amid COVID-19 social distancing?

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This article first appeared on Tuoi Tre Humans around the world have turned the COVID-19 lockdown into an opportunity to study Vietnamese, with the popular language app, Duolingo, reporting a 28 percent increase in learners actively studying the language in the period from March 1 to April 1 of this year. But is this really … Read more

Hanoi pets short of homes as COVID-19 forces owners to leave, deters new adoptive parents

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This article first appeared on Tuoi Tre Animal shelters in Hanoi have registered a spike in new arrivals as COVID-19 border restrictions force foreigners to return home leaving behind their four-legged friends. “Some of them actually look into the procedure to take them back home lawfully. But the thing is no airlines are taking animals … Read more

COVID-19 border closures: Hanoi’s int’l community grapple with stay or go dilemma

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This article first appeared on <a href=”https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/city-diary/20200224/expat-businesses-hit-hard-by-extended-covid19-school-shutdown/53139.html“>Tuoi Tre</a> Governments around the world have urged their citizens to come home if they wish to as many countries, including Vietnam, close their borders to slow the spread of COVID-19. “In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange … Read more

COVID-19 panic shifts attitudes toward foreigners in Vietnam

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This article first appeared on Tuoi tre Some businesses across Hanoi are refusing entry to foreigners of all backgrounds as a fear of foreigners takes hold in Vietnam. Signs in front of some gyms and cafés have explicitly denied entry to “foreign members” as the cases of COVID-19 among recent arrivals from Europe have risen. … Read more