SaigonNezumi.com

I really like this video by Shahzoda, a famous singer from Uzbekistan.  Shahzoda puts some Islamic influences in her videos which tell a good story.  Enjoy this video:

Last Friday was the official Grand Opening Party at the Hard Rock Cafe Ho Chi Minh City.   Last month was the soft opening.

Leon Sikes, the Managing Partner at MNG Joint Venture Partnership, and I were given invites by the Viet Thai International Joint Stock Company, or VTI for short.  For those of you that do not know, VTI is the owner of Highlands Coffee, and the master investor for Hard Rock Cafe HCM.  MNG, which focuses on global commerce and trade, intends to distribute Highland products in Turkey with hopes in expanding to the Central Eurasian region.

Since Leon and I did not have our invitation passes, Derick from VTI walked us in.  Once inside, I forgot I was even in Vietnam.  They did an amazing job with the interior of this Hard Rock Cafe.  Since it was the grand opening, the drinks and appetizers were free.

Hard Rock Cafe HCM was a bit packed since there were actually two parties, the 6 PM and the 9 PM (for VIPs).  At 9 PM, the early group just stayed, I would not have left either.  Run-DMC was the star of the grand opening.  If you did not get an invite, you really missed a great party.

Hard Rock Cafe HCM is definitely the place to go to hang out, have a drink and listen to good much in Saigon.  Actually, I would say it beats all the other clubs in Saigon now.

Photos and 1 video below.  Sorry, I used my G1 Google Phone so the picture quality is a bit lacking.

(Hard Rock Cafe HCM from the front of the Intercontinental Hotel)

(Entrace of Hard Rock Cafe HCM)

(First band playing)

(Run-DMC playing)

Another interesting post by Japan Probe.  Biking over water on a floating flimsy bridge seems easy but…take a look yourself:

Here is a documentary that I do not see making it’s way to Vietnam.  Need to find a way to get a copy back in the US.

The 10 Conditions of Love looks at the life and struggle of Uyghur activist Rabiya Kadeer.  I first learned about Rabiya Kadeer when I was a graduate student at Indiana University.  At the time, I learned about her plight and bought some Uyghur Human Rights buttons from the Uyghur Human Rights Coalition.  Rabiya Kadeer was in prison at that time but she was later released and exiled in the US.

It is amazing that the world knows so much about the Tibetans but very little about the Uyghurs.  As you can tell, this documentary has been very controversial to the Chinese government.  They unsuccessfully tried to convince the Taiwanese from showing the film next month.

Watched some interesting videos President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela which are interesting.  Vilified in the Western media, he is looked at a different light by libertarians such as Noam Chomsky.  The videos below will show Hugo Chavez from a different perspective then many are used to seeing.

The Revolution will not be Televised

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144

Hugo Chavez Documentary