Sweat, beer, and pickleball

It's arrived in Vietnam too. The sport that's rapidly surging right now in Ho Chi Minh City

Today, I want to talk about a sport that's trending in Vietnam, which has finally made its way into our home too. (Some of you might get the idea from this photo) It's been about a year or two now. In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, pickleball courts have been increasing rapidly. In Japan, it's like the feeling of "if there's an empty lot, just turn it into a parking lot for now" With that kind of momentum, before you know it, courts are popping up everywhere. Everyone and their neighbor is playing pickleball. That's the impression I get. However, Ho Chi Minh City... A city said to have a temperament that "heats up quickly and cools down just as fast." So, just how long will this pickleball boom last? What's interesting is that this trend isn't limited to just the competitive or health aspects. What really catches the eye, in particular, is the women's fashion. From cute skort outfits to styles that make you do a double-take and think, "Wait, is that really tennis...?" — a little sexy, or dare I say, a bit risqué? Hair styled to perfection too, everyone's quite the fashionista. Both the sport itself and the outfits, The feeling of enjoying everything together is somehow so quintessentially Vietnamese. On the court, men and women mingle together, chattering and laughing. Rumor has it that it's even become a place to meet people... eek! Indeed, mixed doubles really get the energy going. Our family, too, was originally invited by a friend who's really good at tennis to try playing together, but we just weren't improving very much, and it left us feeling a bit frustrated. That's when pickleball came into the picture. It's a sport that feels like a "hybrid" of tennis and table tennis, The court is small, which makes it easy to keep rallies going. More than speed or power, it's reflexes and reading the game that really matter. Because of that, as a sport that people of all ages and genders can easily enjoy together, it seems to be taking root in Ho Chi Minh City as well. It was even featured in the news like this. The number of players in Vietnam is already around 10,000 New courts are being built one after another, mainly in Ho Chi Minh City (*From a Vietjo article) ▶︎ I myself am still not that good at it, but when a rally keeps going, I honestly find it fun. Even while sweating, there's a strange charm that makes me think, "I want to get a little better," and... I'm hooked. And above all, the beer and rice after working up a sweat are absolutely delicious. It's a drinking party that ruins the calorie-burning I just did. But it's fun~

On this day, we had crab hotpot at a local diner~

Crab surimi and egg in the broth

I'll eat this hearty veggie meal—here I go! But it's not all good news. It seems there are quite a few injuries too... Actually, I myself took a tumble because my leg and hip muscles just weren't strong enough. Luckily it wasn't serious, but I'm being careful not to end up needing a hospital visit—no overdoing it, safety first. Living here, even the speed at which these trends catch on feels so very Vietnam. 【🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City Price Info — January 2026】 　　Pickleball court rental rates (per hour) 　　General pricing About 100,000–200,000 VND per hour (outdoor court). This is a rough guide for playing at relatively affordable places (like during the daytime, for example). About 200,000–280,000 VND per hour (central area, popular facilities, nighttime). Courts with a good location or lighting tend to be more expensive. Since we usually play doubles, even if 4 people rent a court for 2 hours, it comes out to less than 900 yen per person. I really don't think you could do it for that price in Japan... It's incredibly cheap! Immigration Life Ranking