'The Tale of Kieu', New Social Networks & Music Writer Thuc Dang

This episode contains explicit language. On this week's show, we begin (1:22) ̣by discussing the new translation of 'The Tale of Kieu' recently released by Penguin Classics under the name 'The Song of Kieu.' Nguyen Du's original version, written in the early 19th century, is considered Vietnam's most important work of classic literature. Why did Penguin release a translation without the involvement of any Vietnamese scholars? Then (17:41), we look at the recent launches of several Vietnamese social networks aiming to compete with the likes of Facebook and YouTube. Do they stand a chance? Our interview guest is Thuc Dang, who writes the 'Vietnam's Next Top Bitches' music review Facebook page (28:56). We chatted about the evolution of Vietnamese music in recent years, and what he hopes to see in the future. As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (49:31).