SAIGON, VIETNAM 🇻🇳 STREET ART: BROS
Tag: TOKIDOKI Nomad blog
SAIGON, VIETNAM 🇻🇳 STREET ART: 🌳 “CHIẾN DỊCH TÌNH NGUYỆN MÙA HÈ XANH” = Green Summer Volunteer Campaign
🌳 “CHIẾN DỊCH TÌNH NGUYỆN MÙA HÈ XANH” = Green Summer Volunteer Campaign – This is a major, annual volunteer program in Vietnam, primarily organized for university and college students.
21june26
SAIGON, VIETNAM 🇻🇳: EVERYDAY LIFE IS ICONIC
The French Colonial Era (Late 1920s)
🇻🇳 Built around 1926–1927 by the French, it was originally named the Catinat Building (as Đồng Khởi street was then called Rue Catinat). It was designed as a luxury Art Deco/Early Modernist mixed-use complex.
🇻🇳 The ground floor housed high-end commercial businesses, including the famous Société Indochinoise de Transports (SIT).
🇻🇳 The upper floors were designed as upscale residential apartments for wealthy French officials, expatriates, and the elite class of Indochina.
An extreme and fascinating example of a Vietnamese “super-thin tube house” (nhà siêu mỏng).
June 2026
SAIGON, VIETNAM 🇻🇳: TOKIDOKI NOMAD T-SHIRT 2 by ©️JAHA 1
This design is inspired by the iconic red plastic stools of Vietnam, my Adidas Sambas, Vietnamese coffee, my field notes journal writing, graffiti, photography (camera slung over the shoulder,) some of the places I’ve been fortunate enough to live in and travel to…and the masterpiece novel I just finished by Fernando Pessoa: “The Book of Disquiet.”
*Design 3 is ready, but production is on hold due to a weeklong Vietnam holiday and my impending departure to Cambodia. I’ll try to pick things up from there.
27aug26
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA 🇰🇭: WAT PHNOM
The story of a humble woman whose devotion shaped the destiny of a nation…
On top of a small hill in the heart of the capital, stands Wat Phnom, a sacred temple that marks the beginning of Phnom Penh’s story.
According to Cambodian tradition, Lady Penh, also known as Daun Penh, lived along the banks of the Tonlé Sap River in the late fourteenth century. One day, after heavy rains had swollen the river, she discovered a large floating koki tree. Curious about the unusual sight, she had the tree brought ashore and found within it four bronze Buddha statues and a statue of the Hindu deity Vishnu.
Believing the sacred images to be a sign from the heavens, Lady Penh gathered the villagers and ordered the construction of an artificial hill to house the statues. A shrine was built on top, creating a place of worship that would eventually become Wat Phnom.
The hill became known as “Phnom Penh,” meaning “Penh’s Hill,” and over time the surrounding settlement grew into the city that would later become Cambodia’s capital. What began as an act of faith by one woman transformed into the foundation of a thriving metropolis that today is home to millions of people.
At the base of the hill, the famous flower clock welcomes visitors and symbolizes the passage of time. Together with the ancient temple above, it represents the harmonious blend of history and modern life that defines Phnom Penh today.
10june26
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA 🇰🇭: THE KRAMA
Worn by farmers, monks, motorbike drivers, and even fashion enthusiasts, this simple checkered scarf is much more than an accessory—it is a symbol of Cambodian identity and resilience.
The krama has been part of everyday life in Cambodia for centuries. Traditionally made from cotton and woven in distinctive checkered patterns, it serves countless purposes. It can protect against the sun, act as a towel, carry goods, or simply be worn around the neck as a stylish statement. Practical and versatile, the krama reflects the ingenuity and spirit of the Cambodian people.
June 2026
SAIGON, VIETNAM 🇻🇳: THIS WEEK IN COFFEE ~ HOLD ON LOOSELY
Living this nomadic life has taught me to hold plans very loosely.
Some mornings, I have a place in mind. And then, somewhere along the way, I see something else. A little distraction. A different street. A place I haven’t planned on. And suddenly the original plan doesn’t matter anymore.
So I follow the new idea.
That may sound like a very small thing. It is. And somehow it’s not.
Because every once in a while, in the middle of these ordinary mornings, I’m reminded of just how much freedom there is in my life right now.
I can change my mind.
I can turn down a different street. I can sit on a little plastic stool or duck into a café I’ve never heard of. I can decide that the coffee I thought I wanted isn’t actually the coffee I want anymore.
There’s no schedule waiting for me around the corner. No one wondering why I’m late. No obligation to explain why I suddenly changed direction.
Just me, a city, and a morning that can become something different simply because I decide it can.
And when I actually stop to acknowledge that, gratitude washes over me.
Not the grand, dramatic kind of gratitude. Something quieter.
The kind that makes me look down at the coffee in my hand and think: Wow. I get to do this. 🥹
I get to wander around Saigon and discover things. I get to make arbitrary decisions about where to drink coffee. I get to follow curiosity instead of an itinerary.
And somehow, once I notice that, the coffee tastes even better.
Maybe that’s what these coffee mornings are really about.
Not finding the best coffee.
Not even finding the café I set out to find.
Sometimes the best part is realizing that I’m free to change my mind. And that the unexpected place I end up may be exactly where I was supposed to be all along. 🙇♀️
August 2026
SAIGON, VIETNAM 🇻🇳 STREET ART: MONKEY ON THE RIO
22may26
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA 🇰🇭 STREET ART: BUDDHA by YI KAKADA
Yi Kakada (often known as Kakada Yi) is a prominent, self-taught contemporary Cambodian street artist and muralist. Born in 1996 in Battambang province—historically the artistic hub of Cambodia—he has become a recognizable figure in the Kingdom’s flourishing urban art scene.
One of Kakada’s most famous physical talents is his ability to paint ambidextrously. He can draw different images with both hands simultaneously, a skill that often captivates audiences during live painting showcases. He is also recognized for creating “two-canvas” paintings that seamlessly merge to tell a singular story.
Kakada’s journey to becoming a full-time artist is marked by resilience. He lost both of his parents at an early age and faced severe financial hardship, which forced him to drop out of high school. He moved to Phnom Penh with his siblings to look for opportunities, relying entirely on his raw talent.
Without formal art school training, he mastered his craft through hands-on practice, initially using standard house paint because expensive spray cans were out of reach. His breakthrough came when he won first place in the “Asian Drawing Category” in a competition organized by UNESCO.
7june26
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA 🇰🇭 STREET ART: 🪶
17june26