This is a fair question – it’s been terribly hot every day this week, with massive thunderstorms every evening. Here’s what causes this phenomenon:

Hot weather increases the rate of evaporation of surface water. We all know that hot air rises. As the air moves upwards, into the atmosphere, laden with water, it begins to cool because the temperature up there is cooler than the temperature on the land. Clouds form. Warm air can hold more water than cool air. When the air temperature drops, the air becomes saturated with water and it rains. As the droplets of water fall through the clouds, they pick up negative charges and here is where my knowledge of physics starts and ends. Something happens between negative and positive charges, and suddenly we’ve got a thunderstorm on our hands.

The street names in Vietnam actually mean something. Here’s a quick look at what’s behind the names of these famous streets in Hanoi

Xuân Diệu: a prolific poet

Đặng Thai Mai: a writer

Nguyễn Thái Học: a revolutionary

Lý Nam Đế: Vietnamese king from 544 to 548

Đại Cồ Việt: the name given to Vietnam between 968 and 1054

Tô Ngọc Vân: an artist, who died from injuries sustained during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu

Phan Đình Phùng: a revolutionary who led uprisings against the French

Hoàng Hoa Thám: a commander who fought bravely against French colonial rule

Phan Bội Châu: a 20^th century revolutionary

Nguyễn Chí Thanh: A Vietnamese General

A quick visit to Linh Lang Market in Ba Dinh this morning revealed some interesting fresh produce that you probably wouldn’t find in a Western supermarket. Here are the highlights:

Rau rút (aka water mimosa) is used to make clear soup with tomato

Quả cau (areca nut) is bought for 2 main reasons – firstly, as a pain killer (wrapped in a betel leaf and accompanied with lime paste, you can chew on the nut and your gums will become numb…. And eventually your teeth will be stained orange) and secondly – as a gift from a man’s house when he asks for the hand of his bride. The nuts are carved with a small knife and turned into adorable flower-like creations. You can find qua cau and other wedding gifts in Hàng Than St in the Old Quarter.

Quả mướp (melon fruit) is grown on a vine and makes a delicious clear soup

I’m not sure of the English translation for rau ngổ, but it’s in season now, it’s cheap and it tastes great in a fish soup stock

Exercise as early in the morning as possible, when the weather is relatively cooler.

One sign of dehydration is that you don’t urinate. Drink enough water that you’re peeing at least once an hour on hot days.

Check the colour of your pee – it should be the palest of yellows. If it’s dark, glug down more water

If you’re bored drinking plain water, add a slice of lime or even some cucumber to add some interest

Headaches are another sign of dehydration. Drinking water regularly throughout the day is key to staying hydrated. Binge-drinking water sporadically won’t do the trick.

When we sweat, our bodies lose water and minerals. Remember to replenish these minerals every day. Oresol powder is the cheapest way to do this – the sachets are available at all pharmacies.

It’s so obvious, but wear a hat!

Unfortunately, it’s too easy to catch a stomach bug, a communicable disease like the measles or a flu when you’re on a long-haul flight. Planes are definitely not as clean as they used to be – cleaners are given increasingly less and less time to sanitise planes between flights, and budget airlines in particular make it financially painful to change your flight if you’re sick at the last minute, so more sick people are flying. What can we do to drastically decrease our chances of catching a disease when we fly to our summer holiday destination? Here’s a wrap-up of the best hacks:

1. Use the air vent to direct “fresh” air into your breathing space during the flight

2. If you discover that the passenger sitting next to you has a cold or a virus, ask the flight attendant if you can change seats. There is nearly always a spare seat if you insist strongly enough.

3. Wipe down the tray, arm rests, control knobs and seatbelt with disinfecting wet wipes as soon as you sit down.

4. Where possible, choose an earlier flight – planes tend to be given deep-cleans over-night, so first thing in the morning they are probably cleaner than they are by the end of a busy day.

5. Avoid toughing your face as much as possible – hand-to-face contact is a sure-fire way to get diseases into your bloodstream

6. Don’t drink alcohol before or during your flight, as it decreases the efficacy of your immune system

Digital Technology in Educational Settings

A workshop for educators based in Hanoi. Wednesday 8th May @ the Eastern & Oriental Tea House & Coffee Parlour, 26 Quang An St, Tay Ho. Register here

Digital technologies are often presented as solutions that can simply be transported from one context to another that solve problems and enhance student outcomes. In this presentation Dr Michael Phillips will argue that such ‘silicon bullet’ models inevitably miss their target. In contrast, Michael will introduce technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) as a way of understanding the ways expert teachers use digital technologies. Furthermore, Michael will provide insights into the ways in which individual schools and teachers can enhance powerful technology practices including Augmented Reality.

About the presenter 

Dr Michael Phillips is an internationally recognised researcher and author who explores the challenging problem of teachers’ powerful integration of digital technologies. In particular, Michael focuses on the ways in which expert teachers develop understandings of the most effective uses of digital technologies in particular contexts.

Additional workshop: Benefits of double degrees in the age of multidisciplinary knowledge

After the workshop, you will also have the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with Monash University representatives from the faculties of Arts, Education, Information Technology and Science about the benefits of studying a double degree.

Lately, the AQI in Hanoi has been off the Richter scale & air pollution is generating a lot of discussion and panic in our community. Here are some helpful tips to keep the air in your home cleaner:

Replace paraffin candles with bees wax candles. Paraffin candles (which, incidentally, contain petroleum) release benzene and other harmful chemicals as they burn. Beeswax candles are a far better option for your lungs & health

Avoid dry dusting – this simple moves dust particles from one part of the house to another. Instead, use a damp cloth to wipe down surfaces.

On days with heavy pollution, keep the windows closed and use fans to keep the house cool

Get the filter cleaned on your air conditioners and your air purifiers regularly. This will help both devices to filter the air more efficiently

Head over to Hoang Ho Tham Street & buy some pot plants. These ones are very efficient air purifiers:

Chrysanthemum

Aloe Vera

Dracaena

Snake plant

Golden Pothos

Red-edged Dracaena

The opening of our new cafe, The Eastern & Oriental Tea House & Coffee Parlour, last Saturday night was tons of fun. We hope you enjoy the photos & hope to see you at the cafe soon:

We hope you can join us at the official opening of our new cafe: The Eastern & Oriental Tea House & Coffee Parlour

Free flow of champagne, beer & wine, plus canapes

Artist Astrid Bant’ s current exhibition The Power of Possibilities features a collage of Osana-san, a Dutch-Japanese woman who became the consort of Vietnamese King Le Thanh Tong in 1630. Her influence and ability to translate facilitated a trade deal between Vietnam and the Dutch East Indian Trading Company, enabling the Dutch to buy Vietnamese silk for the Japanese market. Her statue can be found in the Mat pagoda, Thanh Hoa province.

Astrid’s work is on display at

Art Vietnam Salon GalleryAlley 66, House #2, Yen Lac Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Email: astridbant@yahoo.com