I have returned to Vietnam three times in the past four years, each time making Saìgon my first stop. I have been fascinated with the place ever since the time I had lived there, from September 1969 to September 1970, working in the U.S. Air Force as an English-language instructor to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. The city has certainly changed a lot since then and continues to do so at a rapid pace. Each time I go back, there are more high-rise buildings, restaurants, luxury hotels, department stores, specialty stores and more. The atmosphere is a heady blend of modern and traditional. Young people meet at a myriad of Internet cafes, a clean modern factory turns out computers for sale in a classy showroom and there are an ever-increasing number of cars. Yet a few of the old sights and ways are still to be found, a woman squats on the sidewalk selling oranges in front of the Sheraton hotel, people drink tea and eat pho at small sidewalk cafes, vendors ply their wares from pushcarts and you can still catch a xích loa for a ride around District 1. The city has a new name, Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh, but it will always be Saìgon to me.