The Balcony Series

In November 2020, in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, I moved across Ho Chi Minh City to Chung cư Nguyễn Ngọc Phương, an austere and somewhat run-down apartment tower that is located directly across a canal from the Saigon Zoo and the rest of downtown. The incredible view of the zoo, city, and river from my 14th floor balcony is precisely why I moved here, and is one of the few things that has kept me sane throughout the year as the COVID-19 crisis has worsened and brought life here in HCMC to a standstill. Spectacular sunsets, violent thunderstorms, and the birth of a baby giraffe have set the stage as the cacophony of traffic noise that defined this once lively city has slowly ...View all