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jackbl
15-12-2013, 12:49 AM
the actual way shld be "neu anh chua ngu thi em co di khach san voi anh khong"

Finally the expert appears....

pushup
15-12-2013, 01:22 AM
She reply e khog can tien e khog xe e chi can ah ma thoj?

Evilectus
15-12-2013, 01:41 AM
Hj means handjob

This one also accurate. My VB likes to do hj very much. :D

Evilectus
15-12-2013, 01:42 AM
Yes, cos tieng viet got no j and they use it to replace i. Reason being on old candy bar phone, j only type 1 time but i need to type 3 (or is it 4) times.

But, today still got people use candy bar phone meh?

She's using a smartphone but I guess old habits die hard. :)

volcano
15-12-2013, 01:46 AM
Finally the expert appears....


no no no....me just get into Primary 1 nia....:)

Evilectus
15-12-2013, 01:51 AM
thanks...want to help speed up for him...haizzz...:)

in Vn culture...be gf/bf sure can bonk...this is VB expectations too...and they must enjoy your love making skills too...too bad this newbie dun understand...:p

Eh, isn't the sleeping part universal and not limit to VB?

pushup
15-12-2013, 01:53 AM
She reply e khog can tien e khog xe e chi can ah ma thoj?

Hmm.. What does she mean?

vietboy
15-12-2013, 01:58 AM
a ko co xe va ko co tien e van thich a ko ha. a thich e ma cung muon ngu voi e nhieu.

change for you...

a ko co xe va ko co tien e van thich a ko ha. a thich e ma muon e lam ban gai va choi nhieu voi a dc ko...:)

Wa a2 oi. U really sabo leh. But i like. :D:p

vietboy
15-12-2013, 01:59 AM
change for you...

a ko co xe va ko co tien e van thich a ko ha. a thich e ma muon e lam ban gai va choi nhieu voi a dc ko...:)

I like you and want you to be my gf and love me

choi nhieu voi a = love me?? :confused:;)

jackbl
15-12-2013, 02:00 AM
no no no....me just get into Primary 1 nia....:)

Then I'm in kindergarden liao ... Always failed the exam, can't promote to primary school yet :(

vietboy
15-12-2013, 02:01 AM
She reply e khog can tien e khog xe e chi can ah ma thoj?

Hmm.. What does she mean?

I dun need $$, i dun need car, i only need u.

vietboy
15-12-2013, 02:02 AM
Then I'm in kindergarden liao ... Always failed the exam, can't promote to primary school yet :(

U zhun bo, u always go up mountain to practice yur TV leh. :p:D

jackbl
15-12-2013, 02:08 AM
How to tell my girl: I dont have car and also dont have many money so u still wants me is it?

You very lazy leh.... There's google translate to help u out : http://translate.google.com/#en/vi/

I dont have car and also dont have many money so you still wants me is it?
Tôi không có xe hơi và cũng không có nhiều tiền, do đó bạn vẫn muốn tôi không?

If u quoted the translation and ask for help to refine it, I think the help will be more effective.

jackbl
15-12-2013, 02:14 AM
no no no....me just get into Primary 1 nia....:)

U zhun bo, u always go up mountain to practice yur TV leh.

If a person living in vn for so many years(dunno how many:D) said that his standard can only be primary 1, how dare I say that mine is above him????? Let's not continue on this topic ......

I will go down to Valleys to PRACTISE my TV again.....

jackbl
15-12-2013, 02:18 AM
"Chim" meh? U shld know lah.

Like i said he is qua li.

I really dunno. Care to explain?

vietboy
15-12-2013, 02:27 AM
I really dunno. Care to explain?

Qua li = very stubborn.

pushup
15-12-2013, 02:31 AM
I dun need $$, i dun need car, i only need u.

Oh.. that means she dont mind ah..

vietboy
15-12-2013, 02:36 AM
Oh.. that means she dont mind ah..

Have u heard of "口是心非"?

pushup
15-12-2013, 04:04 AM
Have u heard of "口是心非"?

She say toi muon ban..:eek:

Hurricane88
15-12-2013, 08:37 AM
She say toi muon ban..:eek:

if a VB use

toi - I
ban - friend

means you two are not close or strangers...I will not bother to consider she wants you...:p

Hurricane88
15-12-2013, 08:44 AM
She's using a smartphone but I guess old habits die hard. :)

yes...gen y and z will still use j instead of i even they used smartphones....:)

Eh, isn't the sleeping part universal and not limit to VB?

no no no...in many asian culture...been bf/gf is not a must to hv sex together yet until marriage although today maybe mostly will have pre-marital sex...so marriage is on the cards...:p

but in Vietnam culture...once VB agreed to be gf and you become bf, the VB expects to have sex with you and insists she enjoyed the love making...this love making will go on without marriage been discussed...see the difference...of course bf also can continue or break off the relationshp without marriage...:p

Hurricane88
15-12-2013, 08:45 AM
choi nhieu voi a = love me?? :confused:;)

haha...is for the newbie to learn ma...not for expert like you...:p

Hurricane88
15-12-2013, 08:50 AM
no no no....me just get into Primary 1 nia....:)

alo alo...thought I am still in primary school and you said you already in secondary school long ago...do you want me to dig out what you posted before...:p

jackbl
16-12-2013, 12:30 AM
Qua li = very stubborn.

Where can i find this translation? Finding all the known dictionaries but ....

volcano
16-12-2013, 02:57 AM
alo alo...thought I am still in primary school and you said you already in secondary school long ago...do you want me to dig out what you posted before...:p


oh....so i finish PSLE liao ah...okie okie...now i waiting for my O Level...:D

vietboy
16-12-2013, 09:05 AM
haha...is for the newbie to learn ma...not for expert like you...:p

No no i not expert. I only pre-school level only nia. :D

vietboy
16-12-2013, 09:09 AM
Where can i find this translation? Finding all the known dictionaries but ....

Get a long hair dictionary. :D:p

decent02
16-12-2013, 09:25 AM
if a VB use

toi - I
ban - friend

means you two are not close or strangers...I will not bother to consider she wants you...:p

not true lah

1st day - toi / ban
2nd day - em / anh
3rd day - bx / ox

:D:D:D

decent02
16-12-2013, 09:30 AM
the actual way shld be "neu anh chua ngu thi em co di khach san voi anh khong"

lppl:d .........

jackbl
16-12-2013, 10:56 AM
neu anh chua ngu thi em co di voi anh di khach san

the actual way shld be "neu anh chua ngu thi em co di khach san voi anh khong"

lppl .........

Maybe you will think both are the same. I felt the 2nd sounds better and easy to understand.

co di voi anh di khach san = got go with me go hotel

co di khach san voi anh khong = got go hotel with me or not

jackbl
16-12-2013, 10:58 AM
Get a long hair dictionary.

Are you sure your dictionary is correct? Can you help to write the 2 words in vietnamese with diacritical sign?

decent02
16-12-2013, 11:02 AM
Maybe you will think both are the same. I felt the 2nd sounds better and easy to understand.

co di voi anh di khach san = got go with me go hotel

co di khach san voi anh khong = got go hotel with me or not

I missed out a kg at the end of sentence

neu anh chua ngu thi em co di voi anh di khach san ko

sounds better

got go with me go hotel a not

KangTuo
16-12-2013, 11:20 PM
Maybe you will think both are the same. I felt the 2nd sounds better and easy to understand.


Wrong... Easiest to understand is just "lam tinh" :)

pushup
18-12-2013, 12:53 AM
What is toj dag lm vjet?

jackbl
18-12-2013, 01:08 AM
Hundreds loot capsized beer truck
================================================
Ho Kim Hau could do nothing but hopelessly shout for help when hoards of people ran out to the street to loot the hundreds of beer cans that poured from his overturned truck on Wednesday.

Hau was driving his truck past the Tam Hiep roundabout in Bien Hoa City, some 35km from Ho Chi Minh City, when his truck overturned, scattering some 1,500 cartons of Tiger beer on the street at around 2pm on December 4.

Instead of helping Hau clean up the mess, hundreds of people happily rushed to loot the beer cans, ignoring the desperate cries of the poor driver.



The looters nearly fought each other to steal undamaged beer cartons. Some hastily put the scattered cans into plastic bags. Some even deployed cargo motorbikes to carry the beer away.

No one bothered to help the desperate driver. Some even threatened to beat him when he tried to prevent them from stealing his beer.

Thousands of beer cans were cleared out of the street within just 15 minutes.

The ugly image was recorded by a reader named Phuong Thanh, who later sent the footage to Tuoi Tre.

“I have no idea how people can be so mean,” Thanh spoke to Tuoi Tre.

Thanh said she recorded the disgusting scene because she wanted everyone to see it and think about it.

“I believe the looting must be condemned,” she pressed.

Huy, the owner of the truck, said Hau was delivering the beer for a dealer when the accident happened.

“The mobs rushed out to loot before the driver could do anything. He could do nothing but cry,” Huy told Tuoi Tre.

“Each of them took only a couple of beer cartons, but the damage for us is very large,” he added.

A chief officer of Binh Da Ward Police, where the incident took place, said police arrived at the scene a minute too late.

“When the police arrived, all that was left were empty beer cans,” he admitted.

KangTuo
18-12-2013, 05:58 PM
What is toj dag lm vjet?

It means "i am bonking now"

milkyshake
18-12-2013, 11:41 PM
"I'm working now" and working can mean getting fucked.

jackbl
19-12-2013, 02:02 AM
What is toj dag lm vjet?

It means "i am bonking now"

"I'm working now" and working can mean getting fucked.

You people good leh. Wrong spelling also know the meaning.

milkyshake
19-12-2013, 12:46 PM
You people good leh. Wrong spelling also know the meaning.

Paid too much school fees already.

decent02
19-12-2013, 02:18 PM
You people good leh. Wrong spelling also know the meaning.

if I understood correctly ....is dang lam viet

viet for vn

working in Vietnam now

Hurricane88
19-12-2013, 04:07 PM
if I understood correctly ....is dang lam viet

viet for vn

working in Vietnam now

is actually

dang lam viec

nowadays viets like to write with similar sounds and dun care if they spell correctly...:)

Evilectus
19-12-2013, 06:26 PM
is actually

dang lam viec

nowadays viets like to write with similar sounds and dun care if they spell correctly...:)

I agree with this translation. Lam viet is work instead of vietnam. :)

jackbl
20-12-2013, 01:30 AM
Lam viet is work instead of vietnam. :)

Work = lam viec

volcano
20-12-2013, 02:01 AM
sigh....i notice something recently....

if ppl cant understand simple viet that is as easy as ABC,then why msg the gals in Vietnamese...they can send msg using translator,but when the gals reply,they will log in to 24h Vietnamese language helpline....

maybe its time to go back JC/GL to set up a Vietnamese language school...:p

volcano
20-12-2013, 02:02 AM
Work = lam viec


errrrrrrr........

lam viec - working

Evilectus
20-12-2013, 02:36 AM
I just checked the dict (book type, not long hair).

tôi đang làm việc

tôi - I
đang - be (shows present continuous)
làm việc - work

So it should be 'I am working'. :)

decent02
20-12-2013, 12:10 PM
maybe its time to go back JC/GL to set up a Vietnamese language school...:p

alredy so many tv language schools there ....88, v, bonkers, etc:D

Singkieu
20-12-2013, 11:56 PM
I missed out a kg at the end of sentence

neu anh chua ngu thi em co di voi anh di khach san ko

sounds better

got go with me go hotel a not

Grammar is wrong lah. You are repeating the verb 'di'. It should be:

Neu anh chua ngu thi em co di khach san voi anh ko?

If I havent slept will you go to hotel with me?

volcano's tieng Viet quite solid, even though he did not learn it in a local Vietnamese university for nearly a year like me (going 3x per week after work for 10 months).

milkyshake
21-12-2013, 04:42 PM
Meu anh chua ngu, em di choi voi anh, dc kg?

coffeevan
22-12-2013, 01:19 AM
Sao e gọi cho a khog dc

What is the meaning? Thanks

volcano
22-12-2013, 02:06 AM
Sao e gọi cho a khog dc

What is the meaning? Thanks


ask her to use translator and text u in English in future

volcano
22-12-2013, 02:35 AM
volcano's tieng Viet quite solid, even though he did not learn it in a local Vietnamese university for nearly a year like me (going 3x per week after work for 10 months).



no lah Uncle...my tieng viet wayang wayang nia...i learn from Social Uni de....:D

vietboy
22-12-2013, 02:38 AM
Are you sure your dictionary is correct? Can you help to write the 2 words in vietnamese with diacritical sign?

Sorry for keeping u waiting so long. Here it is: lì
:)

vietboy
22-12-2013, 02:40 AM
sigh....i notice something recently....

if ppl cant understand simple viet that is as easy as ABC,then why msg the gals in Vietnamese...they can send msg using translator,but when the gals reply,they will log in to 24h Vietnamese language helpline....

maybe its time to go back JC/GL to set up a Vietnamese language school...:p

Totally agreed. :D

vietboy
22-12-2013, 02:42 AM
Sao e gọi cho a khog dc

What is the meaning? Thanks

Help u for once next time u can consider bro volcano's advise.
Sao e gọi cho a khog dc - Why i cannot call u?

ask her to use translator and text u in English in future

jackbl
22-12-2013, 11:57 AM
Are you sure your dictionary is correct? Can you help to write the 2 words in vietnamese with diacritical sign?

Sorry for keeping u waiting so long. Here it is: lì
:)

Thanks for giving me the 1 word. I check on all the dictionaries but can't find the meaning to this word, Qua lì = very stubborn. I think all those dictionaries on the internet can throw away/shutdown. Should ask your long-hair dictionary to come out with New version of dictionary :)

jackbl
22-12-2013, 12:02 PM
English teachers bad at listening and speaking
================================================== =======
VietNamNet Bridge – Refresher courses cannot help English teachers improve their listening and speaking skills. The lack of qualified teachers may lead to the failure of the national English teaching program.

Retraining cannot help

More than 180 English teachers from secondary schools and 32 high school teachers have been summoned by the HCM City Education and Training Department. They would have to attend a refresher course to be opened on December 20 as a part of the project on standardizing English teachers.

Asking teachers to attend retraining courses proves to be the only solution for now to improve the quality of the teaching staff which has been found as unable to meet the standards.

However, according to Dr Nguyen Kim Hong, President of the HCM City University of Education, the qualification of teachers, especially the elderly ones, has not been improved after the retraining.

“The training courses which last 400 or 450 hours showed unsatisfactory results,” Hong said.

In order to improve their qualification, teachers not only need to attend refresher courses, but also need to train themselves everyday. Meanwhile, it is very difficult for the teachers in rural areas to practice English everyday because the conditions in the localities are not good enough.

In many cases, teachers don’t have time to attend training courses or practice themselves because they have too many teaching hours at school.

Dr. Phan Van Hoa, President of the Da Nang Foreign Language University, also complained that a lot of problems have arisen during the retraining process. The refresher courses prove to be helpless to the old teachers who have bad basic knowledge.

A lot of them were initially trained as Russian teachers, but have been working as English teachers. The teachers are now under a hard pressure as they fear they would be dismissed if they cannot meet the B1 standard after the retraining.

Doan Thi Minh Cong, Deputy Director of the Hai Duong provincial Education and Training Department, noted that English teachers are worst at listening and speaking. A lot of teachers are very good at grammar, but cannot communicate with foreigners.

“During the lessons, teachers ask students to read texts and then explain grammar rules. They don’t have the opportunities to practice listening and speaking. Therefore, when communicating with foreigners, they can only mumble some simple words,” she said.

The “finish” still far away

English teachers admitted that they are bad at listening and speaking for many reasons. A primary school teacher in Da Nang City said the current curriculums are designed in a way which does not focus on the listening and speaking skills.

“We don’t have the opportunities to practice listening and speaking,” he complained.

Under the national English teaching program, English teachers may be sent abroad to attend training courses with native speakers to improve their skills. However, analysts have noted that it is a great waste as local authorities and schools lack information and experiences in international cooperation.

Experts have warned that it is a far-away target to produce the Vietnamese students who can communicate well in English by 2020 once Vietnam still lacks qualified teachers.

Mai Chi

vietboy
22-12-2013, 12:11 PM
Thanks for giving me the 1 word. I check on all the dictionaries but can't find the meaning to this word, Qua lì = very stubborn. I think all those dictionaries on the internet can throw away/shutdown. Should ask your long-hair dictionary to come out with New version of dictionary :)

Maybe u can go find a long hair dictionary n check with her. :):D

jackbl
22-12-2013, 12:46 PM
Maybe u can go find a long hair dictionary n check with her.

I have seek many help but they dunno....

decent02
22-12-2013, 04:17 PM
I have seek many help but they dunno....

My dictionary has...li is thick skin

coffeevan
22-12-2013, 10:20 PM
Thanks for the advise. I will take note.


Help u for once next time u can consider bro volcano's advise.
Sao e gọi cho a khog dc - Why i cannot call u?

jackbl
23-12-2013, 12:28 AM
Qua li = very stubborn.

My dictionary has...li is thick skin

Different dictionaries different translation ...... :confused: :( :eek:

mutantchicken
23-12-2013, 01:39 AM
Qua li = very stubborn.

i disagree qua li is more very recalcitrant, not obedient, rebellious

vietboy
23-12-2013, 02:39 AM
i disagree qua li is more very recalcitrant, not obedient, rebellious

MC, yur TA very the powderful. Yes. It shld be more disobedient than stubborn.

vietboy
23-12-2013, 02:41 AM
I have seek many help but they dunno....

My dictionary has...li is thick skin

i disagree qua li is more very recalcitrant, not obedient, rebellious

Jackbl oi time to change dictionary roi. :D:p

KangTuo
23-12-2013, 08:16 AM
Qua li = very stubborn.

i disagree qua li is more very recalcitrant, not obedient, rebellious

All this while, i thought it is spelt as "le"
i.e. when my son or other young kids are naughty, i always heard my bx say "le qua".

Is it a different meaning?

vietboy
23-12-2013, 11:29 AM
All this while, i thought it is spelt as "le"
i.e. when my son or other young kids are naughty, i always heard my bx say "le qua".

Is it a different meaning?

Its the same meaning. Ask yur bx how to write it. :)

decent02
23-12-2013, 01:51 PM
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/decent02/Mobile%20Uploads/20131223_134011_zps5a363bea.jpg

jackbl
24-12-2013, 12:48 AM
Jackbl oi time to change dictionary roi.

Your dictionary translate Qua Lì = stubborn which is inaccurate. I ask many dictionaries but none understand what is it. So do u think u shd change your dictionary instead???? :confused: :rolleyes: :cool:

vietboy
24-12-2013, 03:25 AM
Your dictionary translate Qua Lì = stubborn which is inaccurate. I ask many dictionaries but none understand what is it. So do u think u shd change your dictionary instead???? :confused: :rolleyes: :cool:

My dictionary actually translated it same as KT's bx. The "stubborn" is my initial wrong understanding.(sorry my bad) After checking with my dictionary, it is just as KT's bx. So u shld check again for "li qua" see what results u will have. :)

jackbl
24-12-2013, 11:09 AM
My dictionary actually translated it same as KT's bx. The "stubborn" is my initial wrong understanding.(sorry my bad)

No problem. Learn more, find out more, and your standard will improve :)

Hurricane88
24-12-2013, 08:27 PM
Merry Xmas to all...Wish you all the best in 2014...:)

http://img4.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/18803/188035049472b791e6da51dee87ebd9536b8a6f5.jpg

vietboy
24-12-2013, 09:55 PM
No problem. Learn more, find out more, and your standard will improve :)

So di u managed to find out Qua Li or Li Qua?

vietboy
24-12-2013, 09:55 PM
Chuc moi nguoi giang sinh vui ve!

jackbl
25-12-2013, 12:25 PM
OTT battle field: Zalo combats against Viber and Line
================================================== ==================
VietNamNet Bridge – A new chapter has begun in the history of the OTT (over the top) app market. As some service providers have left, the market is now controlled by the three big guys Zalo, Viber and Line.

Hai Linh, a worker of a foreign advertisement firm in HCM City, said she has been using OTT apps for more than one year.

“This is the main communication channel,” Linh said. “I have been using OTT apps not only when contacting my friends, but also in my work. OTT is quicker than email which allows receiving messages, answer messages and calls at any time.”

Linh began using a new mobile phone last month, an iPhone 5S. Viber, Zalo, Line have been installed in her phone. The 24-year-old girl said she is not loyal to any particular software, but she has been using all the three.

“Zalo is for messaging and chatting. It is the software I use most. Meanwhile, I use Viber to call my boss overseas. I also use Line, but this is just for contacting my friends, the young people who play games,” Linh said.

Like Linh, a lot of Vietnamese young people install all the OTT apps available on the market in their phones.

As Kakao Talk has nearly disappeared on the market, Chinese Wechat has been boycotted by the Vietnamese users, the market is now being controlled by the three big guys – Viber, whose advantages in voice service, Line, which has advantages in games, and Zalo which focuses on messaging feature.

Of the “big three,” Zalo is the only Vietnamese brand, while Line is the only East Asian name holding out in the Vietnamese market.

In late November, Viber announced it had had 8 million users in Vietnam, becoming the network with the highest number of users. The advantages of Viber lie in the feature which allows making international calls at low fees. Present in Vietnam very early, Viber has been targeting the clients who have relatives and friends overseas and need to communicate them regularly.

In December 2013, Viber marketed Viber Out, the service which allows users to make calls to fixed line subscribers at low costs. With VND400 per minute in fee, it is obviously cheaper to make calls with Viber than Skype which had been familiar to Vietnamese until the appearance of Viber.

Meanwhile, Line has been very popular among teenagers. The OTT app has also been chosen by the people who love icons and Line Pop games.

Line is known as the first commercialized OTT app after a lot of games have been known on its platform. Experts say there have been not many contacts via Line. It has been installed just for users to pay games and take pictures. Line’s ecosystem has been unceasingly expanding, while it has been trying to encourage people to spend money to upgrade games or buy icons.

Meanwhile, Zalo, the only Vietnamese OTT app, has the advantages in messaging. Zalo has a lot of features, from phone call, voice, text, picture chatting to personal blogs. However, the other features have not caught the users’ special attention.

Buu Dien

decent02
25-12-2013, 12:50 PM
Chuc cac ban noel vui ve nha

jackbl
26-12-2013, 01:28 PM
Vietnamese-American women place strict rules on men returning to homeland
================================================== =======================================
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam -- The trouble for Henry Liem begins every time he prepares to return to his homeland.

Getting the required visa from the Vietnamese government is a breeze. It's the "second visa" -- from his wife worried that he will stray over there -- that requires diplomatic skills.

"My wife is always cranky every time I go," said Liem, a philosophy instructor at San Jose City College who visits Vietnam twice a year to teach at a university. "So I rarely disclose my upcoming trip until the last minute. It's pain minimization. The longer she knows, the longer I have to bear the pain."

Thirty-six years after the Vietnam War ended, Communist government officials openly welcome Vietnamese-Americans back, even those who fought against them. But another Civil War has erupted, this one pitting Vietnamese-American women against their husbands and boyfriends who want to return to the Southeast Asian country. The men's significant others contend that Vietnamese women lie in wait to ambush them, often eager for the financial stability such a match would bring.

"All the girls in Vietnam are aggressive. They attack!" said Ha Tien, 38, who owns an accounting business in San Jose. She said she lost her man to such a love guerrilla a few years ago.

Women are worried

The tension over this issue has reached epic proportions in the Bay Area Vietnamese community and elsewhere. Vietnamese comedy skits poke fun at the household strife and pop performers sing about it. It's the No. 1 topic for women, Tien said. Any time a man travels back alone, she added, it's assumed he's not just going to visit Uncle Vu or Cousin Thuy but to play in a country with an abundance of attractive young women.

"There is not a Vietnamese family (in Silicon Valley) that doesn't know a man who has done this," Tien said.

Hien Nhan, who owns the Polo Bar in the central part of bustling Ho Chi Minh City, said that Vietnamese-American women do have reasons to worry.

"The problem is, Vietnamese women are getting prettier and prettier," said Nhan, perched on a stool at his cozy establishment that serves up draft beer, hamburgers and female employees in short shorts who flirtatiously brush against male customers they like. "They wear more cosmetics. They eat better. They exercise."

And they are not afraid to let foreigners know they are open to a frolic, a fling or something more serious.

"The tradition has been the male chases after the female," Liem said. "Now, it's the other way around in Vietnam."

Said one Vietnamese-American tech executive from Silicon Valley who didn't want to reveal his name for fear of causing his own second visa problems: "You get hit on all the time. Even at the hotel. You check in and they hit on you. I can't do more than 10 days in Vietnam at a time. Otherwise, I get into trouble."

Those who get a second visa often have strict limits placed on them, said San Jose's Peter Nguyen, who until recently had a girlfriend in Ho Chi Minh City. Not long ago, a buddy of his overstayed a two-week second visa issued by his girlfriend. "When he came back, she tossed all his stuff out onto the street," he said.

"He was having so much fun," Nguyen added. "The temptations are so great. Guys 50 and over can get girls who are in their 20s and look like models. It's too good to pass up."

A friskiness permeates the culture in Vietnam that many men visiting from other countries find irresistible.

"There's a certain charm here that you don't see in Singapore or China," let alone the United States, said Chung Hoang Chuong, a faculty member in the Asian American Studies department at City College of San Francisco, who spends about half his time in Vietnam. "If you make a pass at a girl, she won't push you away. She'll answer with a smile."

The apparent role reversal is driven in part by the popularity of Western culture and poor economic conditions in Vietnam. Indeed, Nguyen, a 40-year-old who works in customer service but is now unemployed, said his girlfriend in Vietnam recently dumped him because he failed to find a good job in Vietnam.

It's a money thing

Vietnam is a demographically youthful society -- about 70 percent of the country's 90 million citizens are younger than 35 -- and young people flow into the big cities from the countryside every day looking for opportunities. Viet Kieu, the term for ethnic Vietnamese living overseas, and foreigners are seen as ideal catches for some women because they can support them and their families.

"Good-paying, decent jobs are extremely difficult to find," even for Vietnamese with college degrees, Nhan said.

Nguyen Le, a 29-year-old who operates a Ho Chi Minh City sidewalk cafe, says she and other women are attracted to Viet Kieu and foreigners for a number of reasons, the first being financial security.

"They have more money, more earnings," said Nguyen. "And they are more considerate, more tender and caring with their women. In the eyes of a foreigner, love is more important than it is with Vietnamese gentlemen."

Suspicions unfounded

Still, some men say the suspicion that most Vietnamese-American males come here just to play is overblown -- plenty of Viet Kieu come back only for business or family visits.

"We love fun, but we are not stupid," said Khanh Tran, a retired teacher who lives in San Jose. "I am still healthy, but I am not going to (misbehave in Vietnam) at the expense of my family, my wife. We have been together for more than 40 years."

Nonetheless, his wife, taking no chances, refuses to issue the former officer in the South Vietnamese military a second visa. "I would love to go back," he said wistfully.

Increasingly, some Vietnamese say, the appeal of foreigners is waning because of a new class of wealthy Vietnamese, including many multimillionaires. And some Viet Kieu males have a bad reputation because they act like playboys who throw money around and convince women they are sincere in their affections -- only to disappear when they return to the United States.

But at times it's the Viet Kieu who end up on the losing end. Some who marry and bring their new bride home to the United States have discovered the women envisioned a much richer lifestyle than they can provide, leading to strife and divorce.

Viet Kieu men receive little sympathy from Viet Kieu women for their dalliances, whether they lead to love or heartbreak. "We blame the men for their weakness, for not being responsible," said My Hanh, a 31-year-old San Jose resident.

Returning to Vietnam holds little appeal for women like her: "There's a saying, 'If a girl goes back to Vietnam, it's like bringing wood to the forest.'

jackbl
28-12-2013, 11:14 AM
Vietnamese brides struggle in Korea
================================================== =======
VietNamNet Bridge – She has experienced very difficult times, but 28-year-old Truong Thi Kim Loan considers herself lucky.

The hope of a more secure financial future for herself and her poor family prompted Bac Lieu native Loan, five years ago, to marry a 47-year-old man from the northeastern province of Gangwon-do in South Korea.

However, language and other cultural differences gave rise to many conflicts and the marriage was floundering.

However, Loan was helped by the Republic of Korean Women's Association and the Viet Nam Women's Union in her locality to solve the tensions between her husband and herself.

Understanding the difficulties involved in adjusting to life in the Republic of Korea, her husband and his parents as well as sisters encouraged her to learn Korean and guided her on adapting to living circumstances in their family.

"They are very kind to me," Loan says, adding, "I am lucky to receive love from my husband and his relatives."

Now, Loan is able to communicate in Korean with her husband and his relatives as well as their neighbours.

She has also found work with a food processing company in her locality.

Loan says that her neighbour, a Vietnamese woman, was not as lucky.

Tham of Tra Vinh Province was introduced to her husband by a marriage broker. Although she did not get any good information about her husband and his family, she agreed to marry him in the hope of providing financial assistance to her poor family.

Her husband took Tham to Gangwon-do Province after the marriage, but treated her like a servant.

She worked on the family's fields, but received no financial assistance from her husband's family. She also found that her husband was not of sound mental health.

Tham told Loan that she would run away from her husband and his family and seek better chances to improve her situation.

Loan no longer sees Tham and does not know what happened to the latter.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, 27, of Hau Giang Province is married to 46-year-old Lee Chong Hyun of ChungCheongbuk- Do Province. The couple have three children.

Thuy said it is very important that Vietnamese women give confidence to their Korean husbands and families by learning Korean language and understanding their customs and culture.

For his part, Hyun says that the wife should explain the difficulties she is having to the husband, and for both to sympathise with each other.

Twenty-five year old Thi My Tan of Kien Giang Province, who married 44-year-old Jang Jae Hoo of Chejudo Island, says she is satisfied with her life.

Vietnamese women should learn to accept their husband's financial situation, Tan says. They should not create financial pressures on their husband in the case his family is facing financial difficulties, she adds.

Tan's husband is not rich and "I have learnt to be satisfied with my husband and help him take care of the tangerine garden that is the main source of income for his family."

The Chosun llbo, South Korea's largest newspaper, recently reported that 1.7 per cent of 471,000 babies born in the country last year had Vietnamese mothers.

According to South Korea's Ministry of Public Administration and Security quoted by Ha Noi Moi (New Ha Noi) newspaper, about 52,000 Vietnamese women have so far married Korean men.

Coming home

Nineteen families of Vietnamese women in the Republic of Korea on December 5 started an eight-day trip to Viet Nam with assistance from Seoul-based Nonghyup Bank.

Apart from assistance with overall expenses, each family receives US$500 in cash. To date, the bank has helped more than 1,300 Vietnamese brides in the Republic of Korea make such trips.

Source: VNS

jackbl
29-12-2013, 11:06 AM
Ten best places to visit in Vietnam, Touropia finds
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VietNamNet Bridge – A long, narrow country squeezed in between the East Sea and the Laos and Cambodia borders, Vietnam is a land of striking landscapes that range from the lush rice terraces and forested mountains in the north to the picturesque valleys of the Central Highlands and the fertile delta and beautiful beaches of the south. Included in the mix are booming modern cities, colonial towns, traditional villages, archaeological sites and otherworldly islands.

An overview of the best places to visit in Vietnam by touropia.com, a travel list website that features the most amazing sights around the world divided into various “best of” lists.

10. Da Lat

Year-round cool weather and idyllic scenery of misty valleys, lush pine trees and colorful flowers are some of the reasons that Da Lat was once used by Vietnamese emperors and French colonials as a summer retreat. Today, this charming town in the South-Central Highlands of Vietnam is a popular destination for honeymooners, weekend getaways and for those looking for relief from the heat.

A walkable city, Dalat is a beautiful scene of French colonial architecture and villas set amid picturesque landscapes. The city is well known for its royal palaces owned by the last emperor of Vietnam. These lovely palaces are open for tours as is the Hang Nga Guesthouse, the city’s most bizarre attraction. Informally called the “Crazy House”, this structure is a fantastical construction with caves, spider webs and shapes of animals and mushrooms. Dalat’s lively market is a great place to find fruits, flowers and vegetables grown in the local area as well as handicrafts and silk embroidered items.

Outside the city are scenic lakes, flower gardens, historic monasteries, plantations and mountains offering pretty waterfalls and trails for hiking and mountain biking. A must-do is the Valley of Love, an incredibly beautiful valley with pine forests, flowers and lakes where tourists can enjoy pedal-boating, horse riding, jeep safaris and canyoning.

For dining and nightlife, Dalat offers numerous cafes and restaurants to suit every budget and taste from regional dishes to French and Western cuisines as well as a few bars and nightclubs.

9. My Son

Located on the central coast of Vietnam near the Duy Phu Village is the important archaeological site known as My Son. One of Southeast Asia’s most notable heritage sites, My Son was once a significant center of religious Hindu ceremonies where the kings of the Champa Kingdom built numerous temples devoted to the worship of the god, Shiva, between the 4th and 14th centuries.

Believed to have once contained more than 70 temples that were constructed with brick and decorative carvings and sculptures bearing scenes of animals, priests, gods, mythical battles and inscriptions of Sanskrit and Champa, My Son today features a complex of ruins in varying states of disarray and repair, all arranged in several groups that are marked by letters of the alphabet.

Within the site is a museum where visitors can check out exhibits and artifacts to better understand and appreciate the ruins. Near the entrance of My Son are a few cafes, food vendors and a shop selling souvenirs. At certain times of the day, visitors can watch live Champa dance performances. Additionally, the site is surrounded by jungle, hills and a lake where visitors can enjoy hiking and kayaking.

My Son is often reached by organised tour groups in vans and buses from Hoi An. However, visitors can also arrive at My Son by motorbike taxis and motorbike rentals.

8. Ho Chi Minh City

Lying along the Saigon River near the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City was formerly known as Saigon and served as the capital of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Today, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city of the reunified country, offering plenty of reasons to visit, from its blend of historic and modern attractions to vibrant shopping, dining and nightlife.

Ho Chi Minh City is most commonly explored by motorbike taxis, but buses and car taxis are also plentiful. Sightseeing the city’s centre awards elegant boulevards lined with French colonial architecture, beautiful churches, pagodas and prominent landmarks like the Reunification Palace, City Hall, the Opera House and Notre Dame Cathedral. A number of museums exhibit war history and local culture.

The city’s business and entertainment district offer modern attractions like the Bitexco Financial Tower skyscraper and the Dai Nam Tourist Park, which features a man-made mountain range, zoo, temples, hotels, shops and restaurants. The Night Market and the Ben Thanh Market are lively places to buy food, handicrafts, souvenirs and experience local food and culture. Outside the city, jungle and river tours are available to see bamboo villages and floating temples.

From market stalls to street vendors, cafes, coffee shops and international restaurants, Ho Chi Minh City offers the largest variety of dining choices in Vietnam. Local cuisine consists of traditional dishes like Pho (beef and chicken noodle soups) and Com tam (a plate of rice, grilled pork and vegetables). Nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City buzzes with a wide selection of bars, lounges, nightclubs and theaters.

7. Mekong Delta

Colorful floating markets, fruit orchards, rice paddies, sugar cane groves, bird sanctuaries and quaint villages are all what draw many to the Mekong Delta in southwestern Vietnam. Nicknamed “Vietnam’s Rice Basket”, the Mekong Delta is an agricultural region made fertile by the maze of canals and streams fed by the Mekong river. Stretching from the Gulf of Thailand to Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta feeds more than a third of the country from its rich plantations, orchards, rice paddies and fish farms.

With plenty of bus connections and motorbikes, tourists can explore the Mekong Delta and its towns like Tra Vinh, which is considered one of the prettiest villages of the delta. Many towns in the region provide shops, restaurants and hotels for travelers. Others places like Hon Chong, feature attractions like pictorial stone grottoes, while Ben Tre is dominated by fruit orchards, Sa Dec is rife with colorful flower farms, and Cao Lanh is a paradise for bird lovers. The beautiful island of Phu Quoc offers scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking and hiking. Just outside Chau Doc, Sam Mountain presents temples and lovely views. A river boat cruise in Vinh Long brings tourists to a floating market teeming in busy workers and fresh produce and fish.

6. Nha Trang

Located on one of Asia’s most beautiful bays off the coast of South Central Vietnam, Nha Trang is a popular seaside resort city. Picturesque mountains, beaches and lush islands all make it a favorite destination among tourists, Vietnamese and scuba divers.

Adorned with resorts, palm trees and a lovely promenade, Nha Trang’s beach is its main draw. As a popular stopover for sea cruises and annual Hong Kong yacht races, Nha Trang and its beach offer plenty of water activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, kite boarding, sailing and catamaran rides. Amusement and water parks provide fun for everyone with roller coasters and wave pools.

Within the city of Nha Trang, tourists can visit a few important landmarks like pagodas, the Nha Trang Cathedral and the historic Po Nagar Cham Towers. The Nha Trang Oceanography Institute is home to an aquarium housing thousands of ocean creatures. Just outside the city, tourists can enjoy river boat cruises and explore the picturesque countryside, fishing villages, plantations, waterfalls and natural hot springs.

Dining choices in Nha Trang are abundant for every budget and taste from casual sidewalk cafes to high end restaurants. The city’s cuisine is known for its seafood dishes as well as bird’s nest soup and barbecued pork rolled in rice paper. Bars, lounges and clubs provide plenty of nightlife options.

Nha Trang is easy to explore by walking and cycling, but tourists can also get around by buses, taxis, motorbikes and cyclos (three-wheeled motorised vehicles).

To be continue ........

jackbl
29-12-2013, 11:07 AM
Ten best places to visit in Vietnam, Touropia finds
================================================== ===============
5. Sapa

Surrounded by pictorial mountains, rice terraces and a diversity of hill tribes in the remote northwest of Vietnam, Sapa is a quiet town frequently used as a base for trekking in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains and touring rice paddies and traditional villages.

Sapa’s main attraction is its proximity to the mountains, villages and rice terraces. From the town, there are many organized tours that aide tourists in mountain hikes and exploring the nearby rice paddies and remote villages. These tours present views of wildlife, beautiful waterfalls and the opportunities to experience the food, customs and way of life among the local tribes.

In the town of Sapa itself, there are attractive French colonial sites worth visiting such as the Gothic church, the town square and city hall. Sapa is a major market town where the various ethnic tribes in the area often gather to sell their handicrafts, which make excellent souvenirs. At the Sapa Culture Museum, visitors can learn all about the history and cultures of these ethnic groups.

Because it is a popular tourist base, Sapa boasts a wide variety of restaurants ranging from traditional Vietnamese to international cuisines. At the town market, food stalls serve the local specialty, hot pot, a simmering broth of meat, greens and mushrooms. Nightlife options are limited in Sapa, but there are a few bars where one can enjoy drinks, music and socializing.

Getting around Sapa is easily done by walking, but exploring outside of town should be done by organised tours, motorbikes and 4WD vehicles that can be rented at hotels.

4. Hue

Situated on the banks of the Perfume River in Central Vietnam, Hue once served as the imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty, which ruled from 1802 to 1945. Today, the vestiges of this former glorious period are reflected in the city’s architecture, culture and cuisine, making it a popular tourist destination.

Hue is a compact city, making it easy to get around by walking although motorbikes, cyclos and taxis are plentiful. The city’s main attractions are its well-preserved historic monuments that mostly lie along the Perfume River, a scenic river so named from the pleasant aromas of flowering orchards. Of the city’s monuments, the Citadel is the most famous. Once the seat of the Nguyen emperors, the Citadel is a sprawling complex of grand palaces, ornate temples, walls and gates. Prime attractions within the Citadel are the Forbidden Purple City, Thai Hoa Palace, and the Ngo Mon Gate. Another important landmark on the river is the city’s official symbol, the Thien Mu Pagoda.

Just a short bicycle ride or scenic river cruise outside of the city is the must-see Tombs of the Emperors, an elaborate tomb system of which the Tomb of Tu Duc is the finest. While exploring the tombs, tourists may also want to visit the nearby hot springs and spas for a bit of pampering and relaxation.

Hue’s cuisine is another of its attractions, noted for its refined presentations that date back to the imperial period. Popular local dishes are Nem lui (sweet pork grilled on bamboo sticks) and Banh khoai (a pancake of shrimp, pork and bean sprouts). Hue offers a good supply of cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs.

3. Hoi An

Located off the coast of the East Sea in South-Central Vietnam, Hoi An is a beautiful, old city dating back 2,000 years to the Champa Kingdom. The city’s historic architecture, traditional culture and textiles make it a popular destination in Vietnam.

At the heart of Hoi An is its atmospheric Old Town, which is small enough to walk around easily. The narrow, winding lanes of the Old Town are lined with beautiful old architecture, traditional wooden houses and hundreds of tailor shops selling clothing, shoes, bags, souvenirs and custom-made services. The central market is here as well, bustling with vendors selling fresh food, cooked dishes, ceramics and handicrafts. Important landmarks not to miss are the 17th century Japanese covered bridge, the Quan Cong Temple and the Cantonese Assembly Hall.

Outside the historic center, motorbikes and taxis provide transportation around a more modern district booming in attractions, museums, hotels, restaurants, shops and tourist facilities. To experience the city’s historic culture, the Hoi An Handicraft Workshop and the Traditional Theatre present performances of folk customs and music. Bicycle tours to nearby villages offer picturesque countryside, rice paddies, water buffalos and traditional cuisine.

Hoi An has a good range of restaurants, pubs and clubs. Many of the city’s restaurants offer cooking classes, so visitors can learn to cook the city’s local specialties that include Cao lau (rice noodles topped with roasted pork, vegetables and dough fritters) and White rose (a shrimp dumpling shaped to resemble a rose).

2. Hanoi

For the last century, Hanoi has survived through the invasions and occupations of Japan and France as well as the Indochina and Vietnam Wars to emerge as the booming capital city of a reunified Vietnam. Located on the banks of the Red River in northern Vietnam, Hanoi is a large city offering more than 1,000 years worth of history and culture now blended with modern attractions, dining, shopping and nightlife.

At the heart of Hanoi is its Old Quarter, an open-air museum of historic Asian and French colonial architecture that has largely remained intact despite the bombings of the Vietnam War. Here among scenic tree-lined boulevards, tourists can browse busy markets, sip coffee at quaint cafes and visit prominent sites like the Grand Opera House, the Presidential Palace and Saint Joseph Cathedral. Beyond the Old Quarter, the city is full of impressive temples and museums exhibiting the country’s eventful history.

Hanoi has many beautiful lakes surrounded by parks and green spaces with the most popular being Hoan Kiem Lake. A good way to experience the local culture is to attend a live performance of Ca tru, a traditional form of Vietnamese music, or to see history and folklore demonstrated at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. One of Asia’s top shopping cities, Hanoi is teeming in malls and shopping centers.

Hanoi’s dining scene is vibrant from numerous market stalls and street vendors selling traditional dishes like Pho bo (Beef noodle soup) and Pho ga (chicken noodle soup) to fine restaurants serving a variety of Asian and international cuisines. Nightlife choices are plentiful from karaoke bars and dance clubs to cinemas and theaters. The best options for getting around Hanoi are bus, taxi and motorbike taxi.

1. Ha Long Bay

With its aqua-green water and cluster of limestone rocky outcrops rising from the water like sea dragons, Ha Long Bay resembles a scene from a fantasy story. Located about 130 km east of Hanoi in northern Vietnam, this otherworldly bay features more than 2,000 jungle-covered islands pitted with intriguing caves, grottoes, sinkholes and lakes. Ranging between 50 and 90 metres high, many of the islands and outcrops have been sculpted over the centuries by natural processes into fantastic formations. The names of these islands reflect the unusual shapes they resemble such as Voi (elephant) islet, Mai nha (roof) islet and Ga choi (fighting cock) islet.

Although most of the islands are uninhabited, some of the larger islands such as Cat Ba offer restaurants, bars, hotels and tourist attractions like beaches, historic sites, a national park, markets and souvenir shops. Other islands like Dau Be and Bo Hon feature lakes, coral and grottoes that are ideal for swimming, kayaking, diving and cave-exploring. Rock climbing, jungle trekking and wildlife viewing are also available activities.

Boat cruises are the best way to experience the natural wonder of Ha Long Bay. With hundreds of boats ranging from traditional Chinese junks to luxury cruisers, boat tours can vary from day trips to multiple-night journeys. These tours often provide meals, nightlife activities and excursion stops where islands, caves and lagoons can be explored. Most boat cruises are arranged either from Hanoi or from ports such as Hai Phong, Ha Long City and Cai Rong.

Source: Vietnam Plus

jackbl
29-12-2013, 11:09 AM
Has anyone visited all the 10 places listed above?

I have not yet visited the below:
9. My Son
5. Sapa
4. Hue

derrickcool
29-12-2013, 05:33 PM
Has anyone visited all the 10 places listed above?

I have not yet visited the below:
9. My Son
5. Sapa
4. Hue

return +9 and up u from 5436 to 5445. cheers :) derrickcool

volcano
29-12-2013, 05:59 PM
Has anyone visited all the 10 places listed above?

I have not yet visited the below:
9. My Son
5. Sapa
4. Hue


My Son is the only one which i have not visited...:cool:

KangTuo
30-12-2013, 07:39 AM
Has anyone visited all the 10 places listed above?

I have not yet visited the below:
9. My Son
5. Sapa
4. Hue

I visited 7 and 8 only :o

jackbl
30-12-2013, 12:26 PM
My Son is the only one which i have not visited...:cool:

You are in vn, you can visit many many places :)

jackbl
30-12-2013, 12:27 PM
I visited 7 and 8 only :o

Wanna try visit 1 and 2 next March?

KangTuo
30-12-2013, 01:07 PM
Wanna try visit 1 and 2 next March?

next march i party in sillypore :p

Hurricane88
30-12-2013, 01:56 PM
Wanna try visit 1 and 2 next March?

I will be going danang, hoi an and hue...maybe Can Tho and Chau Doc too...:)

jackbl
31-12-2013, 11:25 AM
I will be going danang, hoi an and hue...

Nine interesting things to explore in Hue
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VietNamNet Bridge – The ancient capital city attracts tourists with its relics, the magical night in the Royal Palace or sweet lyrics on the Huong River.


1. The most intact royal citadel in Vietnam

If you have been to the ancient capitals of Vietnam like Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh province or Co Loa and Thang Long in Hanoi, which have become ruins, you will see how good the relics in Hue have been preserved. With palaces, fortresses, temples, royal tombs and many nha vuon (house-garden) of a few hundred years old, Hue has serene beauty.

Visitors to Hue will admire the artistic masterpieces of royal palaces, splendid temples and shrines, majestic tombs and beautiful landscapes.

2. Military structures

Hue Citadel was built under Kings Gia Long and Minh Mang, located in the northern Huong River, facing south. Hue Citadel is a unique combination between the traditional architectural principles of Vietnam, the Eastern philosophy with the yin and yang theory and the traits influenced by western military architecture.

3. The most unique royal tombs

The tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty’s kings follow the principles of feng shui. The ground layouts of all tombs are always divided into two main parts: the tomb and the surrounding area. The tomb areas are where the kings were buried while palaces and temples were built in the surrounding area to serve the kings when he was alive. Therefore, each royal tomb is not only a historical relic but also a cultural landscape.

4. Royal treasures

Located in the Forbidden Citadel, the Museum of Hue Royal Antiquities was established in 1923, with the first name as Musee' Khai Dinh. The name has been changed five times and in 1993 it became the Museum of Hue Royal Antiquities.

At this museum, you will see and learn about thousands of artifacts made of pottery, wood, copper, enameled, stone, bone, ivory, horn, stone sculpture.

5. Unique royal festivities

The imperial ceremonies in Hue in the past were national festivals, held by the state. There are dozens of large and small festivals held annually in the ancient capital, under strict regulations set by the royal court. From the king to the people had to comply with these strict rules. Today, visitors to Hue will be watching some royal festivals.

6. Court music

Nha Nhac or Court Music is the unique art and culture of Hue which was recognized by UNESCO as the intangible heritage of humanity. This is the only oriental court music conserved in this city. Visitors can enjoy the musical talents with elaborately manufactured instruments performed in Hue.

Previously, Nha Nhac was performed during royal rites such as the coronation, the funerals of kings or other solemn festivals of the Nguyen Dynasty.

7. Royal night

Every Hue Festival, the ancient citadel is lit up at night to restore the life of the royal palace when night falls. Visitors will be dropping their soul into a magical space with the smell of incense.

8. Hue songs on the Huong River

The "Hue songs" genre is a form of classical music of Hue. The singer sings solo, accompanying herself with small wooden clappers. Before and between the solo songs a traditional ensemble will play instrumental sections to complement the singer

Ca Hue is a precious spiritual food, an elegant pleasure that any visitor to Hue want to have the opportunity to enjoy. It is wonderful to sit on a boat in the Huong River to enjoy Ca hue in a full moon night.

Ca Hue show on the Huong River usually starts at 7pm. The boats offering Ca Hue shows float from Phu Van Lau to the Trang Tien Bridge, across the ancient citadel so visitors will experience the unique perspective of the history and culture of Hue.

9. Royal food

Mentioning Hue’s food, people often think of the royal diet, a culinary style formed to serve the Nguyen Dynasty. Hue cuisines are always quintessential, sophisticated, elegant and noble. The Hue people have well preserved royal cuisines so go to Hue you will enjoy the culinary elite.

Pha Le

jackbl
31-12-2013, 11:32 AM
I will be going danang, hoi an and hue...maybe Can Tho and Chau Doc too...:)

Going these places within a week's period?

jackbl
01-01-2014, 01:17 PM
Vietnamese measure richness in luxurious cars and smart phones
================================================== =====================
VietNamNet Bridge – Experiencing the difficult period in economic development, Vietnamese still spend billions of dollars on luxurious cars and smart phones.

Vietnam had imported 31,469 cars by the end of November, worth $643.88 million, an increase of 28.8 percent in quantity and 16.1 percent in value.

The two in the collection of luxurious cars owned by Nguyen Duc Thuy, who was the owner of Xuan Thanh Saigon Football Club.

More Rolls-Royce, Lexus in Vietnam

Vietnam has been importing cars from 20 countries and territories, including the US, UK, Germany and France, the suppliers of luxurious cars. From the four markets alone, 2,433 cars have been imported so far this year, worth more $90 million.

Vietnam has imported 13,094 cars so far this year from South Korea with the import turnover of $150.749 million.

Analysts have noted that more luxurious models have been used by Vietnamese. Though the car market sometimes got dreary in 2013 with the low sales of domestically assembled cars, the imports of luxurious cars still have been increasing steadily.

The sharp increase in the number of luxurious cars in Vietnam was the reason why the first authorized dealer of Rolls-Royce was opened in June 2013. By that time, some 70 Rolls-Royce had been imported.

Lexus, another luxurious car brand, also made its official presence in Vietnam in the first quarter of 2013.

$1 billion on mobile phones

The latest report of GFK, a market survey firm, showed that Vietnamese spend $1 billion to buy new mobile phones ever year. About 17 million mobile phones have been sold so far this year, including 7 million high end products.

The high growth rate of 156 percent of the Vietnamese smart phone market, the highest in South East Asia, is an attractive figure to any manufacturer.

Being a poor country, Vietnam has listed itself among the countries with the highest growth rate in telecommunication. Every Vietnamese possesses 1.4 mobile phones, a half of which is high end smart phones.

The noteworthy thing is that Vietnamese spend big money on luxurious products not because they need the products, but just because to show off their richness.

A survey on smartphone users in Asia Pacific conducted by Ericsson Consumerlab found that Vietnamese use smart phones for five basic purposes - making calls (99 percent), making messages (95 percent), surfing on Internet (68 percent), accessing to social networks (38 percent) and for other purposes (35 percent).

64 percent of Singaporeans use smart phones to access to social networks, 82 percent to surf on Internet, 75 percent to send emails and 70 percent install apps. Meanwhile, the figures are 38 percent, 68 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent, respectively, for Vietnam.

The figures showed that Vietnamese use hi-tech phones just to conduct the operations they can do with normal phones.

Commenting about the luxurious car imports, Dr. Nguyen Minh Phong said the import turnover increase in the context of the current difficulties showed that a part of the Vietnamese have not cut down expenses despite the economic recession.

He said the government needs to apply a more flexible taxation policy, under which a high tax need to be imposed on luxurious cars to restrict the imports.

Nam Phong

jackbl
02-01-2014, 09:10 AM
On Vietnamese and the Vietnamese identity
================================================== =======
HANOI – Is the defiant four-year-old boy with the family name from the British Isles and the given name from Vietnam becoming bilingual?

His one word answer to a different question from his mother warmed her Saigonese heart. “Khong,” he said, meaning “no.”

So what if he was refusing to do something she had asked him to do, like putting down the iPad or something. What mattered was not what he said but how he said it.

And perhaps he will need to speak Vietnamese if he wants to actually be Vietnamese, and not just another monolingual American like his father. That, at least, is the notion that my new friend Nhuong advanced the other day when we chatted at the Bookworm, the capital’s English language bookstore.

Nhuong, speaking English quite well, was curious about how her mother tongue was faring in my big phat extended Vietnamese-American family. All considered, I would have to say it is complicated. But it is interesting to think that, while Nhuong would surely consider my wife Vietnamese, she might not say the same about my wife’s seven younger siblings, even some who were born in Vietnam, because of their lack of fluency.

“If they can’t speak Vietnamese,” Nhuong declared, “then they really aren’t Vietnamese.” So Viet Kieus who cannot speak the native tongue, in her view, really are not Vietnamese at all.

An interesting point of view. I explained that my wife, the eldest of eight siblings, arrived in the U.S. in the first grade speaking no English. By the end of the year, she was fully fluent and served as her parents’ translator while they struggled to learn the new language. But today my wife says her Vietnamese still is not nearly as polished as the English of the Vietnam-born colleagues she manages here for an international company.

Far be it from me to judge the quality of her siblings’ Vietnamese, but I know that I have rarely heard them use it, even in conservations with their parents. The older ones, especially, seem to understand a fair amount; in addition to their parents, they spent a lot of time with their ba ngoai (maternal grandmother) and ba noi (paternal grandmother). Growing up, they all took Vietnamese lessons on Saturdays – part of the proud immigrant community’s effort to preserve their identity and culture. First-generation immigrants to America want to honor and preserve their culture – but they know that assimilation is more important.

Certainly through the multicultural American eyes they are considered Vietnamese – Vietnamese-American, to be more precise – even if they struggle with the mother tongue. They still look Vietnamese, they still visit Little Saigon, they still eat pho ga (Vietnamese noodle soup with chicken). They are perceived as Vietnamese and perceive themselves as Vietnamese as well. Tell them they are not Vietnamese and they might take offense. Immigrants losing their mother tongue is nothing new; America is home to millions of millions of people with Spanish surnames who do not speak Spanish, and millions of Asians who only speak English.

But I get Nhuong’s point. In another week, my American-born sister-in-law will arrive. She is certainly a Vietnamese girl in America, as were many of her sorority sisters at university. She certainly knows her way around Orange County’s Little Saigon. But her Vietnamese, I am sure, is quite limited. This could be quite a culture shock experiencing the real Saigon and the one and only Hanoi for the first time. I wonder how she will feel when she needs to find a shopkeeper, say, who speaks a little English.

When we came to Vietnam three years ago, we thought the chances were good that the little guy could become fully fluent in Vietnamese. We would hire a Vietnamese nanny, maybe even put him in Vietnamese preschool. We were pleased, also, that his older brother and sister, now ages 12 and 10, would study Vietnamese in their international school.

To encourage them, I proposed a competition with a wager, promising a few bucks if they proved better at Vietnamese than the old man. The girl, 10, is far beyond my “taxi Vietnamese” and delights old folks in the Old Quarter with her rudimentary questions. But the boy, 12, has switched to Spanish because, strangely, Vietnamese is not offered in middle school. (Spanish is fine though; that was his mother’s third language.)

Still, the greatest hope lies with the little guy. He understands a lot of Vietnamese, I am told by his mother and his nanny. But he prefers English, and he is stubborn.

So when they ask him to speak Vietnamese, he usually just says that one word: “Khong!”

It is a start, anyway.

jackbl
03-01-2014, 01:38 AM
Will Vietnam change time zone to GMT+8?
================================================== =======
VietNamNet Bridge – Some scientists and analysts believe that Vietnam would gain bigger benefits in its socio-economic development if it applies the GMT+8 time zone instead of the current GMT+7. The issue remains controversial.

Vietnam was once advised to change the time zone into GMT+8 many years ago by a Japanese economist.

As all the regional economic centers, including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan) are located in the GMT+8 zone, the financial news always “go ahead” of Vietnam and Thailand because the markets open sooner than Vietnam and Thailand.

Therefore, the negative impacts, if they occur, on the finance market would seriously influence Thailand and Vietnam. Meanwhile, since the other regional markets close one hour earlier, investors and economic policy makers would have one more night to think carefully until the markets open the next morning.

What happened with the 1997 Asian financial crisis could be seen a valuable lesson for Vietnam. The Bangkok stock market then incurred the “tsunami” when investors rushed to bargain stocks away. Meanwhile, the Singaporean market, which ignited the tsunami, closed the door one hour before.

This explained why the then Thai Prime Minister Thaksin in 2001 announced the intention of applying the time zone GMT+8 to foster the Thai economy, even though Thailand is geographically further than Vietnam from the GMT+8.

The GMT+8 time zone would also help shorten the night and lengthen the day.

If so, cities would light up later than currently. Street lamps would be turned on at 6.30 am or 7 am instead of 6 am as currently. This is enough to save trillions of dong.

And people would go to bed sooner. At present, they go to bed at 10 pm, which means that they use electricity for four hours, from 6 pm to 10 pm. But if the new time zone is applied, they would use electricity for 3-3.5 hours only.

Doan Huu Nguyen, a reader, in the email to VTC Editorial Board, affirmed that this is a very cheap and easy method to help save electricity, especially when Vietnam still faces the power shortage, while the Electricity of Vietnam is hungry for capital to develop electricity plants.

Some scientists have also agreed that the GMT+8 would bring more benefits. At present, people finish their working hours at 5 pm and get home at 6 pm, when it is dark. But with the GMT+8, they would get home when it is still light, and they can delay the turning of the light on for one hour.

GMT+8 would also help create more jobs and accumulate demand. If people finish working hours when it is still light, they would try to go shopping, playing sports or taking extra works, which would create more GDP to the society.

Meanwhile, if people leave the office late, when it gets dark, they would rather to go home instead of joining other activities.

Especially, the GMT+8 solution has been applauded by economists. In principle, the smaller the difference between the Vietnam time and international time is, the better it would be for Vietnam.

This explains why Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, which are located at a lower longitude than Vietnam should apply the GMT+7 time zone, but they are applying the GMT+8.

Mai Chi

jackbl
05-01-2014, 12:10 PM
Vietnam through a young expat’s eyes
================================================== =====

Having lived in Vietnam for three years and cycled from Hanoi to Saigon in just one month, a young Canadian girl wants to learn even more about Vietnam and its people.

She dreamed of telling her own story of VN in a book read by many people across the globe. Her dream suddenly came true in June when Moon Travel Guides, a top publishing house based in the US, hired her to write a guidebook about Vietnam.

The lucky girl is 25-year-old Dana Filek Gibson. Her friends in Saigon gave her the nickname Little Na because she is petite. She speaks Vietnamese well, enjoys driving a motorcycle, and loves Vietnamese street food.

The more I travel, the more I love VN

Dana has to work every day from 7am to midnight to meet her March deadline. She acts as a tourist to collect information about hotels and restaurants in popular tourist destinations, recording the details as she goes.

Dana takes time to find information before travelling to a certain city or province. She says it is much easier to find information about tourist attractions in big cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi by doing research on the Internet or asking experienced tour-guides. For attractions in rural areas and the countryside, she asks local people or her friends for information.

Dana said she became interested in studying about VN because it helped her understand more about its culture and history. She told Tuoi Tre that when she first came to Saigon in 2010, she was much impressed by several tourist attractions such as the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Church, and Ben Thanh Market, but she took them at face value. However, after researching these sites, she began to find Vietnamese history more and more fascinating.

Dana told Tuoi Tre that she loves learning about Con Dao Island because its history is important to Vietnamese people. Her favorite beachside city is Da Nang and the mountainous area she loves most is the northwest.

Dana also said she loves local people. “I’ve been in Vietnam for a long time and have talked to many Vietnamese in Saigon, Hanoi, and Da Nang. I’ve realized local people are very kind,” she revealed.

She said foreign tourists appreciate the hospitality and friendliness of Vietnamese people. When she cycled from Hanoi to Sa Pa to Dien Bien Phu with her parents earlier this year, they were welcomed by locals warmly and made to feel they were part of their families.

From the letter in 1964 to “rip-offs”

Dana said she would never forget a story told to her by an old Vietnamese man she met in Tra Vinh when she was in the Mekong Delta region to collect materials for her book. When she was walking around Hang pagoda in Tra Vinh province, a local man in his 70s appeared and began talking to her.

He told her many interesting stories about antiquities, tourist attractions, and historic relics in Tra Vinh, including Hang pagoda. Before leaving, the old man showed her an old letter sent to him by an American military official nearly half a decade ago.

In the letter, it was written that in a town where just a few people could speak English, he [the old man] spoke English very well and was a kind and honest person. It urged visitors of the town to ask him for help. The writer’s signature was at the bottom.

Dana believes that the biggest problems that Vietnamese tourism authorities have to deal with are rip-offs and scams that target foreigners. “If a product is worth VND10,000, it is acceptable if you sell that product to foreigners for VND12,000, but it’s not fair if it is sold for VND30,000,” she said.

In her guidebook, Dana will provide readers with some tips to avoid being ripped off or fall victim to scams. She suggests that tourists request the price of an item before paying, bargain for a cheaper price, or simply select the best option from shops that sell similar products.

She hopes her book will become a dependable guide for tourists to Vietnam, especially for those hailing from America.

When asked about whether or not she can compete with Lonely Planet, Dana replied that she just hopes that her book is able to offer tourists more choices. “Most western tourists don’t like to buy tour packages because they cannot explore a real Vietnam,” Dana said. “If everyone reads Lonely Planet and goes to the places it recommends, there is no real Vietnam any more. So I hope my book will have its own readers,” she added.

After graduating from the Writing faculty at Emerson University based in Boston, Massachusetts in 2010, Dana came to HCMC in Vietnam to learn about Asian culture.

During her first year in the city, she was a teacher at some major English schools. She said she enjoys teaching kids but her passion for writing is stronger. In 2012, she began her own column in Asia Life Magazine, titled “Odd One Out,” a lighthearted take on expat life. She also writes in-depth features about Vietnamese culture, such as the Chicken Beauty Contest in Hoc Mon, a rural district of HCMC.

Dana says that after finishing her travel guide, she will continue to write about Saigon, where she first fell in love with Vietnam and where she has lived for three years.

“The more I study about Vietnam, the more I love it and realize that it is part of my life,” Dana said.

“I’m very happy. This opportunity (writing a guidebook) is not for everyone. I find it very meaningful to study about Vietnam and to travel. It’s very hard to find a job at newspapers or magazines, especially in the US and Canada where employers often prefer experienced people to youth" - said Dana Filek Gibson.

decent02
05-01-2014, 06:47 PM
Anybody know the translation in tieng viet....拜太岁

jackbl
06-01-2014, 01:06 AM
Anybody know the translation in tieng viet....拜太岁

Not sure whether they have such practices... I try to search for 1 hour but cannot find :(

jackbl
06-01-2014, 01:08 AM
Vietnamese New Year customs
===============================================
The Lunar New Year Festival is the most important popular in Viet Nam as during the time, Vietnamese people practice a number of New Year customs.

1. Clean and decorate the home

One of the first preparation steps to welcome Tet Holiday is cleaning and decorating the house.

It is a common belief that cleaning the house will get rid of the bad fortunes associated with the old year.

Vietnamese usually carefully sweep and scrub the floor, begin for the cleaning is the ancestor altars then ahead to the kitchen where is believed that the Kitchen God exists.

Some make up with new paintings, flower vases while others make the house newer with a new color painting wall or some colorful ribbons.

2. Literally means "getting new clothes"

Likely to some other biggest holidays, Christmas, New Year’s Days, Thanks Giving, either Tet Holiday brings to all people a new look through new clothes.

This is often the most exciting part of the Vietnamese New Year among children.

Parents usually purchase new clothes and shoes for their children a month prior to the New Year. However, children cannot wear their new clothes until the first day of the New Year and onward. The best outfit is always worn on the first day of the year.

3. Sending the Kitchen Gods to the Heaven (Ong Tao)

It is important to offer a farewell ceremony “The Kitchen God” to the Heaven Palace on 23rd (seven days prior to Tet holidays) because he needs to report to the Emperor what has happening through the year.

An interesting vehicle for the God is “Carp Fish.” People said that the bigger the carp is the faster the God could reach up the Heaven. And Vietnamese usually send the carp to the Kitchen God by grilling and praying at the kitchen.

4. New Year's Eve

A common and significant task that happens on New Year is New Year’s Eve, when all people gather and pray for the incoming year.

It is also time for the Kitchen God returning. At the stroke of midnight all problems from the previous year are left behind and mayhem ensues.

5. The aura of the earth

Giao Thua is the most sacred time of the year. Therefore, the first houseguest to offer the first greeting is very important.

If that particular guest has a good aura (well respected, well educated, successful, famous, etc.), then the family believes that they will receive luck and good fortune throughout the year.

The belief of "Xong Dat" still remains nowadays, especially among families with businesses.

6. Apricot flowers and peach flowers

Flower buds and blossoms are the symbols for new beginning.

These two distinctive flowers are widely sold and purchased during Tet.

Apricot flowers (Hoa Mai) are the yellow apricot flowers often seen in Southern Viet Nam. Hoa Mai are more adaptable to the hot weather of southern regions, thus, it is known as the primary flower in every home.

Peach flowers are the warm pink of the peach blossoms that match well with the dry, cold weather from the North.

7. Giving away red envelopes (filled with lucky money)

This is a cultural practice that has been maintained for generations. The red envelopes symbolize luck and wealth.

This greeting ritual and Li Xi is also known as Mung Tuoi, honoring the achievement of another year to one's life.

Before receiving the red envelope, children must send some best wishes to their ancestors.

The amount of money would grow up to the children age.

Hurricane88
06-01-2014, 11:03 AM
Not sure whether they have such practices... I try to search for 1 hour but cannot find :(

the Viet chinese knew where to pray to tai sui...the grand duke jupiter...there is popular temple in d5 where they go to pray to tai sui yearly near Tan Da...local xe om around there should know how to go...:)

Viet who are non chinese dun know about praying to Tai Sui...so dun bother to waste time talking to them...best way is to get their full name, birth date and find the conversion of lunar birth date and the time of birth...pray on their behalf...:)

KangTuo
07-01-2014, 06:05 PM
Anybody know the translation in tieng viet....拜太岁

Google translate is Nhờ vào sao Mộc
太岁 = Sao Mộc

Maybe try sms a vb say " anh di Chua cung sao moc"
See what vb reply :)

jackbl
08-01-2014, 09:49 AM
Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?
==========================================
It is one of those questions that pop up whenever there is a new gathering of expatriates in Vietnam. Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City? Which do you prefer?

This time it was at a soiree the day after Christmas, or “Boxing Day,” as the Brits call it. Around the table were folks from Europe, North America, South America and New Zealand. As the young German explained his preference for Hanoi, I nodded my concurrence.

This is a question that divides my wife and I. She was born in Saigon and left a few years later, after it was renamed in honor of the late Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh. So naturally she thinks of Saigon as home. She speaks with a southern accent and enjoys visiting not-so-distant relatives. She finds the southern food more flavorful, the society friendlier. She does not mind the heat and she likes the hustle and bustle.

But I have never lived in Ho Chi Minh City. And Hanoi is starting to feel like. . . well, if not home, then maybe a bit homey.

But it is not a matter of sentiment and weather. While some cities are blandly generic, others have distinctive personalities. Visitors from Mars, I suspect, could sense the way that Ho Chi Minh City leans into the future, toward globalization and modernity, while Hanoi seems more resistant, more wedded to the past.

So like the German, I prefer the somewhat less hurried pace of Hanoi and its mildewed charm. Hanoi can be frenetic, of course, but the lakes seem to provide a natural antidote. What we both like about Hanoi – Indeed, what charms many foreigners about Vietnam’s capital – is the sense of antiquity, a living antiquity, and the way Hanoi conveys that past, present and future. Somehow the sight of a Rolls Royce or Ferrari seems stranger in Hanoi than down south.

To me the difference between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi is visceral. You can see it in the people, in the streetscape, in the architecture. All leave an impression.

Consider: When you think about the people you see everyday that symbolize Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, which ones come to mind? What do they look like?

Down south, the stereotypical Saigonese may be more stylishly dressed and ride a shinier, newer motorbike. They work in offices and might follow the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange. These days they can also drop by Starbucks stores – still yet to arrive in Hanoi.

Up in the capital, among the workaday masses, there seems to be more men in uniform –more military, more police, and more authority figures. But even more so, there seem to be more women (almost always women) carrying ganh – the bamboo yokes hung with baskets at each end that in the morning can carry loads of produce and in the afternoon may carry cans and cardboard for recycling.

Think about the ganh for a moment. Vietnam is a young nation, dating to 1975 in its current borders. But the culture dates some 4,000 years. It is safe to assume that the ganh was used before the wheel. Why? It was used as a pram, of sorts, by my wife’s maternal grandmother. When my wife was a toddler, she and her younger brother would be balanced on a ganh and carried during her immediate family’s visits to her grandmother in the countryside.

Now consider the architecture. No landmark exhibits the aspirational ambition of contemporary Vietnam more than the Bitexco tower in Ho Chi Minh City. So what works of architecture best symbolize Hanoi?

It’s certainly not the 72-story Keangnam Tower, tall but boxy and far from central. Nope, to me, two postcard images come to mind. One is the austere, stately tomb of the late president Ho Chi Minh. The other is the old Turtle Tower on the tiny island in Hoan Kiem Lake. This humble, photogenic landmark is fittingly under the gaze, from across the street, of a statue of legendary 10th century King Ly Thai To, from the era when Hanoi was known as Thang Long, or “Rising Dragon.”

Hanoi’s public art honors its history. Ly Thai To is credited with repelling invaders from the north, and here he presides over the legend of the Lake of the Returned Sword – and the remarkably true, living legend of the surviving Ho Guom turtle. Meanwhile, a few miles away, the statue of Vladimir Lenin stands opposite the landmark Flag Tower, gazing toward an old MIG jet fighter from the American War era, as if wistfully saluting Vietnam’s triumph over another great foreign power. This is more poetic than the military history displays one sees in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnamese, too, can go on and on about the differences between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. I prefer to apply my pet theory for understanding the yin and yang of Vietnam, the duality of north and south. Imagine a ganh that balances two creatures of culture’s folklore, the turtle and the dragon.

Ho Chi Minh City is a dragon – quick, daring, creative and fanciful. Hanoi used to be “Rising Dragon,” but now it is more like a turtle – stolid, conservative, persevering, and as real as the old one in Hoan Kiem Lake.

jackbl
09-01-2014, 12:11 AM
Sleeping man’s penis cut off by his wife
================================================== ======
VietNamNet Bridge – The Can Tho General Hospital has announced to successful reconnect the penis of a patient whose penis was cut by his wife while he was sleeping.

According to medical records, at 4.10pm on January 3, the hospital received patient Phan Van D, 45 years old, a native in Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City, with a cut-off penis.

According to the testimony of the patient’s relatives, the man’s penis was cut off by his wife when he was sleeping. Shortly after, the patient's relatives froze the penis with ice and took the man to hospital.

Doctors said that the penis was cut about two hours earlier. A group of four doctors conducted an emergency surgery to reconnect the penis.

The surgery lasted four hours and was successful. Currently the patient is recovering very well and he will be discharged from hospital in the next few days.

The patient, Mr. D, said that the incident occurred at about 3am on January 3, when he was sleeping. Then he called a younger brother to take him to hospital.

At the hospital, D’s brother told doctors that his penis was cut with scissors but D’s wife said that she cut it with a knife.

The woman felt regret for her act and asked for her husband’s forgiveness.

Before cutting her husband’s penis, this woman had warned her husband several times that if he has promiscuous behaviors, she would cut off his penis.

"I thought that she joked but she did it," D said, adding that his wife is very jealous with his business partners.

Le Ha

jackbl
10-01-2014, 01:03 AM
Waiting for the big one – Tet
=================================================
As an expatriate in Ho Chi Minh City, the festive period can be a strange time. On the one hand, you want to be with your family back home for a few days to enjoy the Christmas celebrations. On the other, you know that if you can ride it out with gritted teeth, then you can look forward to what is now your new Christmas – Tet.

When people back in the UK ask me what Christmas is like in Ho Chi Minh City, I tell them it is more about local people going into District 1 to look at the city lights on streets like Nguyen Hue Boulevard and taking advantage of the photo opportunities than sitting around the Christmas tree to unwrap your presents, lots of alcohol, turkey and trimmings, Christmas pudding and the likes.

Well as it happens, my wife actually could tell I was a little homesick and invited a few of our friends round for a Christmas party which perked me up, and we had a singsong and dance with some food and drink.

Although it is not the same as being back in my native country, the temperature for one thing makes you realize that. It was good fun.

The last time I went home for Christmas, I went from around 30 degrees to -5. Talk about a shock to the system. Just as well I had put a big jumper and jacket in my suitcase.

Now that the western festivities are almost out the way, with just New Year to come in a few days and the fireworks downtown, it is the real holiday season.

In Scotland, most people go out to ‘celebrate the bells’, i.e. when the church clocks strike midnight bringing in a new year of hope, prosperity and happiness in street parties despite the cold weather, organized bashes or just home gatherings for close family and friends. New Year’s Eve in Scotland is called Hogmanay and the Scots have a long, rich heritage associated with this time of year.

The New Year’s Eve custom of singing Auld Lang Syne all around the world is a Scottish tradition. The song comes from a Robert Burns poem which is set to music and people link arms in a circle as they sing this song when the clock strikes midnight for New Year’s Day.

Now, I live in a country which I reckon looks forward to Tet more than western people anticipate Christmas and New Year put together.

I have tried to describe Tet to friends and family but fail to encapsulate the enormity of it.

The western festive period sees a complete standstill for a day or two. But for Tet it is literally two weeks of deserted streets, especially in the big cities, as the workers all head back to their home provinces.

Trying to describe that to people who have never visited Vietnam is a tough ask. I suppose it is one of those things that you have to live among to appreciate.

A lot of foreigners come to Vietnam’s big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City during Tet, thinking it will be a great time to visit and party.

I had a friend who did exactly that, spending around a week during the holiday season in Ho Chi Minh City. He was complaining it was boring, the streets were dead and there was no one here. But how would he know? If he had gone to a western city during the festivities, he would have found his party. Obviously things are a little different here.

I think one of the main differences is that whereas the western festive period seems to be rushed and split up, as maybe you get Christmas Day or Christmas Eve off and New Year’s Day and January 2 off, Tet is more spread out and makes for such an enjoyable time when you can literally do nothing for a week (or two), recuperate and then head back into the firing line.

Maybe western economies decided they can’t afford to let the whole country off for such a long time. The extended break in Vietnam is desperately needed for local people and expatriates residing here. For most it is their only holiday for the whole year. Some people literally work every day and hang on in there knowing their fortnight of family time is awaiting them.

If Christmas is for family, then multiply that by 100 for Tet.

I myself will be heading down to the Mekong Delta to visit my wife’s family for my first holiday since last Tet. I too share that desperate need to just get away from it all and enjoy time in a quiet village, doing the simple things, living the good life without a worry or care in the world.

I can’t wait, roll on Tet

jackbl
11-01-2014, 12:11 PM
Almost 33,000 prostitutes work in Vietnam, illegally
================================================== ================
Prostitution is totally banned in Vietnam but the nation was reported to have almost 33,000 sex workers in 2013, up 2,800 over the previous year, according to an online meeting on HIV/AIDS prevention.

At the conference organized in Hanoi by the National Committee for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS, drugs, and prostitution, authorities said they could only identify 9,000 of them.

The period in the two years 2012-13 was the most complicated time since prostitution, which is considered a social evil, developed further beyond the control of relevant authorities. Sex workers mainly gather in tourist hotspots as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Nam Dinh, according to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

Now, Vietnam has 83,000 units working in sensible condition as bars, discotheques, karaoke and massaging. 8,000 of them have the regular services of young women who are suspected of disguised sex workers.

So far, Vietnam has carried out a national plan in 20 pilot provinces to help prostitutes give up the job and further integrate into the communities by giving them loans, but only 500 prostitutes have been given loans worth a total of VND2 billion (US$96,200).

Last year saw an increase of cases of prostitution-related crimes over the previous year.

jackbl
11-01-2014, 12:14 PM
Local music, paintings to be showcased in Singapore
================================================== ===============
A music show featuring Vietnamese singers Bang Kieu, Hong Nhung, Le Hieu and Phuong Vy will take place at the famous Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore on January 11.

Themed “Da Khuc Mua Xuan” (Spring Serenade), the show is organized to bring the atmosphere of Vietnamese Tet to Vietnamese people living and working in Singapore as well as Vietnamese tourists there. The audience will see love and spring-themed songs which have made the reputations of the participating singers. Besides solo performances, the singers will also perform never been seen before duets.

Tickets can be bought at www.sistic.com.sg or Dong Dao Music Lounge, 164 Pasteur Street in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1. “Da Khuc Xuan” will be held at 7:30pm at Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Theatre.

Four days later, the Hanoi-based CUC Gallery will participate in the Art Stage Singapore 2014 fair from January 15 to January 19 also at the Marina Bay Sands. The Gallery will present paintings by local artists including Nguyen Trung, Do Hoang Tuong, Nguyen Son, Ly Tran Quynh Giang and Duong Thuy Lieu.

Founded by Lorenzo Rudolf, Art Stage Singapore has attracted art collectors and artists from many countries with a focus on Asian contemporary art. Last year it attracted more than 35,000 visitors with the participation of over 100 galleries from 23 countries.

owen10
11-01-2014, 01:59 PM
Almost 33,000 prostitutes work in Vietnam, illegally
================================================== ================
Prostitution is totally banned in Vietnam but the nation was reported to have almost 33,000 sex workers in 2013, up 2,800 over the previous year, according to an online meeting on HIV/AIDS prevention.

At the conference organized in Hanoi by the National Committee for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS, drugs, and prostitution, authorities said they could only identify 9,000 of them.

The period in the two years 2012-13 was the most complicated time since prostitution, which is considered a social evil, developed further beyond the control of relevant authorities. Sex workers mainly gather in tourist hotspots as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Nam Dinh, according to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

Now, Vietnam has 83,000 units working in sensible condition as bars, discotheques, karaoke and massaging. 8,000 of them have the regular services of young women who are suspected of disguised sex workers.

So far, Vietnam has carried out a national plan in 20 pilot provinces to help prostitutes give up the job and further integrate into the communities by giving them loans, but only 500 prostitutes have been given loans worth a total of VND2 billion (US$96,200).

Last year saw an increase of cases of prostitution-related crimes over the previous year.

actually not surprsing at all. prostitution is 1 of the oldest professions around and thriving everywhere. the report didnt take into account the number of prostitutes working in S'pore and worldwide. figures would be very alarming indeed.

jackbl
12-01-2014, 11:47 AM
Learn Vietnamese with Video - Have Your Vietnamese Skills Been Declared a Natural Disaster?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO-fiVEs4cA

jackbl
12-01-2014, 11:49 AM
Learn Vietnamese with Video - Have Your Vietnamese Skills Been Declared a Natural Disaster?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9C1ok3PSVo

jackbl
13-01-2014, 01:13 AM
Learn Vietnamese with Video - Did You Know Learning Vietnamese is Considered a Sport...Sometimes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECJxW2OBCJw

volcano
13-01-2014, 06:51 PM
did anyone here went to watch the performance at MBS?

jackbl
14-01-2014, 12:21 AM
Local music, paintings to be showcased in Singapore
================================================== ===============
A music show featuring Vietnamese singers Bang Kieu, Hong Nhung, Le Hieu and Phuong Vy will take place at the famous Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore on January 11.


did anyone here went to watch the performance at MBS?

Do you meant this??? Not for me :)

jackbl
15-01-2014, 12:56 AM
Five famous places on Vietnam’s banknotes
================================================== ==========
VietNamNet Bridge – Have you ever noticed the back of the Vietnamese banknotes and learned about the special places printed on them?


Hoi An Bridge Pagoda on the VND20,000 banknote

Hoi An - the World Cultural Heritage - with the iconic image of Pagoda Bridge has been known worldwide. The time of construction of the ancient bridge in Hoi An has not been clearly defined. In old documents of Vietnam, the name of the bridge was Nhat Ban Kieu or Japanese Bridge and that name was founding 1617, meaning that the bridge might be built before that year.

According to legend, in the ocean there was a sea monster called Mamazu by the Japanese. Its head was in Japan, in body was in India and its tail stretched through Hoi An. Every time the monster wriggled its body, earthquake occurred in Japan and Hoi An was not peaceful.

To control the Mamazu, Japanese people worshiped Monkey and the Dog deities on the two heads of the bridge. The Chinese also built a small temple adjacent to the bridge to worship Bac De Chan Vo for the purpose of controlling earthquakes.

The bridge is considered as a sword stabbing into the monster’s back, to hinder it from wriggling its tail to cause earthquakes. In 1653, a pagoda was built on the bridge and since then it has been called Chua Cau or Bridge Pagoda.


Nghenh Luong Dinh, Phu Van Lau on the VND50,000 banknotes

Located on the bank of the Perfume River in Hue City, Nghinh Luong Dinh (Nghinh Luong Pavillion) is a place where the kings of the Nguyen Dynasty took the air and enjoyed the view of the river.

Not far away, Phu Van Lau was built in 1819 under the reign of King Gia Long. It was used as a place for listing the important edicts of the king and the court or the results of the examinations held by the court.

Phu Van Lau is a two-story house, facing south. Under the reign of King Minh Mang, two stone steles carving four words "khuynh cai ha ma”, meaning that anyone who passes this house must take off his hat and get off the horse. King Thieu Tri considered Phu Van Lau and the Perfume River as one of the 20 scenic places in Hue.


Khue Van Cac on the VND100,000 banknotes

As the representative image for the entire Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, Khue Van Cac (Constellation of Literature Pavilion) was built in 1805. It is built on four white-washed stone stilts. At the top is a red-colored pavilion with two circular windows and an elaborate roof. Inside, a bronze bell hangs from the ceiling to be rung on auspicious occasions.

Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam or The Temple of Literature is a temple of Confucius in Hanoi. The temple hosts the "Imperial Academy," Vietnam's first national university. The temple was built in 1070 at the time of King Ly Nhan Tong. It is one of several temples in Vietnam which are dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars. It is one of 23 special national monuments.


Ha Long Bay on the VND200,000 banknotes

Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province has been repeatedly recognized by the UNESCO as a natural heritage of the world with thousands of islands made up by the creation. Ha Long Bay has magnificent landscapes and it is a very attractive tourist destination of Vietnam.

Ha Long Bay is a unique heritage because this area contains important traces in the formation and development of the Earth's history. It is also the cradle of the ancient Vietnamese people.

The Bay is also the great artwork of the nature, with thousands of islands and many caves, making a vivid and mysterious world.

Ha Long Bay is also home to thousands of animal and plant species. It is also associated with the country’s cultural-historical values.


The cottage of President Ho Chi Minh’s family in Sen Village on the VND500,000 banknotes

Anyone recognizes the simple house of President Ho Chi Minh’s childhood on the VND500,000 banknotes.

The cottage is located in Sen village of Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province, about 15km from Vinh City.

The entire monument consists of four main groups: President Ho Chi Minh’s mother’s village (Hoang Tru village), his father’s village (Sen village), Chung Mount (Kim Lien) and his mother’s tomb - Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan in Nam Giang commune.

Pha Le

Seletar
15-01-2014, 09:40 PM
did anyone here went to watch the performance at MBS?

I rather spend my time in jc/gl :D

jackbl
16-01-2014, 12:33 AM
I rather spend my time in jc/gl

To self perform? :D :p

Seletar
16-01-2014, 05:13 PM
To self perform? :D :p

see pole dancing :D:p

volcano
17-01-2014, 12:14 AM
I rather spend my time in jc/gl :D


i will go if i am in Sinkie...:cool:

ever watch Vietnamese musical concert twice in Sinkie...one in Esplanade and the other at NUS..

jackbl
17-01-2014, 01:03 AM
ever watch Vietnamese musical concert twice in Sinkie...one in Esplanade and the other at NUS..

U so supportive of Vietnamese culture :) Even in sgp u also go to their concert .....

jackbl
17-01-2014, 01:16 AM
Learn Vietnamese with Video - It's Not Whether You Win or Lose, it's How Your Vietnamese Helped!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZIHOQqu734

volcano
17-01-2014, 11:21 AM
U so supportive of Vietnamese culture :) Even in sgp u also go to their concert .....


i ever go all the way to Los Angeles to watch Paris By Night...:cool:

jackbl
18-01-2014, 12:24 AM
i ever go all the way to Los Angeles to watch Paris By Night...

You're the No.1 fan of the Vietnamese :)

jackbl
18-01-2014, 12:31 AM
How much do teachers get for Tet bonuses?
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VietNamNet Bridge – State owned school teachers may feel affected with the modest Tet bonuses of several hundreds of thousands of dong, while their colleagues at international schools can get up to thousands of dollars.

The highest Tet bonus in Hanoi, VND2.4 million, is expected to be given to the teachers of a secondary school in Thanh Xuan district.

Meanwhile, Le Thi Oanh, Headmaster of the Hanoi – Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, the most reputable school in Hanoi, said every teacher of the school would receive VND500,000 and a bunch of flowers.

Oanh said unlike private schools, state owned schools, which follow the bookkeeping mechanism set by the Ministry of Finance, do not have the funds to reward teachers. The school’s teachers do not expect too much on Tet bonuses, because they know the bonuses would be no more than VND300,000-500,000.

Nguyen Thi Thanh from the Bich Hoa Secondary School in Thanh Oai district confirmed that she would get VND500,000 like in the previous years. Those, who got excellent achievements in 2013, would get an additional sum of VND50,000 or VND100,000.

Thanh went on to say that the teachers of the schools dare not expect any gifts from the students’ parents like the other “schools of the rich”. Bich Hoa is located in a suburb area, where the intellectual standards of people remain low and the economic conditions are very poor. The local people live from hand to mouth, let alone the saving money for buying gifts for teachers.

Nguyen Thi Thuy from the Ta Thanh Oai Primary School in Thanh Tri district said she expects VND500,000 and a small gift.

“You should not expect more,” Thuy said, adding that she receives the same thing over the last 10 years since she began working there.

However, Thuy said she feels happy about it, because she is luckier than many other colleagues in rural and remote areas.

However, Thuy said teachers all still feel sad when comparing with the workers in other sectors. Like other civil servants and workers in enterprises, teachers have been devoting themselves to the social development.

Teaching has been praised as the noble career because it prepares the next generations for the country. However, the modest income proves to be undeserved to the noble career.

State owned schools’ teachers may feel jealous of their colleagues at private and international schools, who have much higher bonuses.

Huynh Lan Anh from North America School said the lowest bonus level would be VND5 million, while the highest would be tens of millions of dong. Teachers would get as they devoted in 2013.

A teacher from ACG Vietnam International School in district 2 revealed that she receives bonuses for both New Year and Lunar New Year (Tet) every year, which is a “relatively big sum of money.”

At Asia International School, the highest bonus level one can expect is VND12 million.

Some state owned schools in HCM City have promised “satisfactory” Tet bonuses for their staff. The money would be extracted from the schools’ saving funds, the bonuses and the donations from agencies and businessmen.

Compiled by C. V

Singkieu
18-01-2014, 04:30 PM
i ever go all the way to Los Angeles to watch Paris By Night...:cool:

Which year did you go? Easy to get tickets?

volcano
18-01-2014, 11:42 PM
Which year did you go? Easy to get tickets?


i went in 2008,not sure if its easy to get bcos my friend's mother get it.

the price is $100.

jackbl
19-01-2014, 02:31 AM
Learn Vietnamese with Video - What's in Your Daily Cycle of Vietnamese?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu0Fu-F58wY

jackbl
19-01-2014, 01:08 PM
Kitchen God Day - Tet Tao Quan
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Well-known for the long-lasting history and rich culture, Vietnam is the land of festivities and celebrations. December of Lunar Calendar (normally January of Gregorian Calendar) is usually the busiest month as everybody is in a rush to prepare for some biggest festivals of the whole year. Besides Tet Festival, Tet Tao Quan on the 23rd of December is considered one of the most essential festivals in Vietnamese religious beliefs.

The story behind a tradition

The tradition of celebrating Tet Tao Quan comes from a popular fairy tale about “2 men and a woman”, who later would become the trio of Deities, or “Tao Quan”.

The story began with the couple of Trong Cao- the husband, and Thi Nhi- the wife. They had got married for such a long time but had not had any children yet, which made them very upset and quarrel with each other frequently. One day, Trong Cao was so angry at his wife that he casted her out. Thi Nhi left home, and after that married Pham Lang.

As time went by, Trong Cao realized his fault, and went out to find his beloved woman. He spent every single coin on his way and unwillingly became a beggar. He met Thi Nhi by chance at her new home. Cao’s explanation touched Thi Nhi and they talked for hours about the past and their current life.

As Pham Lang came home, Thi Nhi thought it would be awkward if the two men saw each other so she told Trong Cao to hide inside the stack of straw in the backyard. Pham Lang burnt the straw into ashes for fertilizing the field, accidentally cremated Trong Cao. The story had a tragic ending when Thi Nhi decided to jump into the fire to die with Trong Cao, and Pham Lang also killed himself after witnessing the death of his wife. However, when their souls flied to the Heavens, Ngoc Hoang (the Jade Emperor) conferred them with the title of ‘Tao Quan”: Pham Lang would be Deity of Kitchen, Trong Cao would be the Deity of Land and House, and Thi Nhi would be the Deity of Market. Together, they looked after the well-being of people’ house and property. Every year, on the 23rd day of December in Lunar New Year, they would travel up to the Heavens to give the annual report as well as pray for next year’s prosperity. They would come back to Earth on the New Year’s Eve, continuing their duties for the rest of the year.

And current practices

The meaning of Tet Tao Quan is all about preparing a grand farewell for three Deities on their journey to the Heavens, and the ceremony is held at every Vietnamese household. On the 23r day of December, normally, grandmothers and mothers of the family will cook a lot of delicacies such as new harvest steamed sticky rice or plain porridge. They clean and decorate the altar with fresh flowers and fruits. On the altar also laid three votive paper caps, the yellow one in the middle for Mrs. Tao and two black ones for two Mr. Tao.

Along with these preparations, a large bowl of water with one live large golden carp or three small ones is kept aside. The carps are all alive and will be freed into a pond, lake or river after the worshipping ceremonies are finished. Tao Quan can only travel up to the Heavens with the help of golden carps, as carp is used to be the Heavens’ animal and is a very good swimmer.

Freeing the carps is also to show human’s respect and gratitude towards animal worlds, and wishing for the good fortune of the upcoming year. Nowadays, the image of Tao Quan is so familiar that they even appear in many dramatics, movies or TV shows on the occasion of Tet Festival.

jackbl
20-01-2014, 02:16 AM
Essential Foods for Tet holidays
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Vietnamese people have a very good habit of saving, which are reflected by the regular meals – rice with a main dishes (meat or fish/shrimp), a vegetable food and a bowl of soup. Vietnam food is thus often jokingly labelled "food for peasants". However, this statement no longer holds water during Tet holiday, when Vietnamese let themselves taste more protein-rich and sophisticatedly made dishes. Following are the most typical food found in Vietnamese' Tet holiday:


BANH CHUNG/ BANH TET - SQUARE CAKE:

Banh Chung (steamed square cake) and its Southern variety called Banh Tet - is unique to Vietnam's Tet holiday, though many other countries (China, Japan, Korean, Singapore, Taiwan) celebrate this holiday as well. Banh Chung is a food made from glutinous rice, mung bean and pork, added with many other ingredients. Banh Chung is covered by green leaves (usually banana leaves) and symbolizes the Earth, invented by the prince Lang Lieu from Hung King dynasty. Besides traditional reason, Banh Chung is chosen as the main food for Tet holiday because of it can last long for days in the severe weather of Vietnam (Banh Chung can survive at room temperature for nearly 1 month).



VIETNAMESE SAUSAGE:

Gio Cha (Vietnamese ham/sausage) is another traditional food in Tet holiday, and usually served with Xoi (sticky rice) and Banh Chung. Gio is different from Cha since Gio is boiled and Cha is deep-fried. Vietnamese people make Gio from lean meat, added fish sauce and covered by leaves then boiled for hours. Cha is also made of lean pork and ingredients, but Cha is not wrapped by leaves and boiled but deep-fried in oil. Cha just survive for some days when Gio can last for month due to its covers. There are many kind of Gio, categorized by its origins: Gio Lua (made from pork), Gio Ga (made from chicken), Gio Bo (made from beef). All these types are used not only in Tet holidays but also over the year.


STICKY RICE - XOI:

Xoi (Sticky rice) is also a very important part of Tet holiday in Vietnam, since the meals to worship the ancestors can not missing this dish. Moreover, along with Banh Chung, xoi is the main staple foods for Tet holiday. Xoi in Tet holidays can be seen in many forms: Xoi Lac (sticky rice with peanuts), Xoi Do Xanh (sticky rice with mung bean), Xoi Gac (sticky rice with special “gac” fruit). Among these types, xoi gac is favorite the most by people because of its special red color – symbolizes the luck and new achievement for the New Year. Xoi is usually served with Gio Cha or boiled chicken in Tet meals. Sometimes it can be served with Che (sweet soup) like a dessert.


BOILED CHICKEN - THIT GA:

Thit ga (boiled or steamed chicken) plays an important role in Tet holiday cuisine because all the tribute meals to the ancestors must contain a boiled chicken, whole or chopped. Chicken meat in Tet meals are various in forms: usually chicken are boiled and sliced, but sometimes people can place the whole chicken in a plate, or nowadays some families use roasted or fired chicken to replace the original boiled ones. Chicken meat is served with Xoi (sticky rice) and Banh Chung, and become one of the most popular main dishes in Tet holidays. Boiled chicken are always go with sliced lemon leaves and salt-and-pepper sauce, as a tradition. Chicken (especially bones, legs and heads) can be used to prepare the broths for other soups.


MUT - CANDIED FRUITS

Mut Tet (Tet jam) is not a food to serve in a meal during Tet holiday, but more like a snack to welcome guests in this special period. Mut is always kept in beautiful boxes and placed at the table in the living room, and it is the main food for the owners and guests to taste when they’re talking, enjoyed over a cup of tea. Unlike Western jam, which is usually in liquid form and served with bread, "Vietnamese jam" is mainly in dry form, usually dried fruits and some kind of seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds). This once-in-year mix of snack is very large in variety, with so many tastes: ginger, carrot, coconut, pineapple, pumpkin, lotus seed, star fruit, sweet potato. Nowadays, cake and sweet are slowly replacing jam in Tet period, but many people still love the taste this unique food – an angle of Vietnamese culture.

jackbl
21-01-2014, 01:09 AM
5 most popular roasted nuts and seeds for Tet holiday
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During Tet, every family in Vietnam prepares a special tray of snack to offer guests, containing a variety candies, biscuits, jam, fruits; and roasted nuts are indispensible components of the tray. Vietnamese people eat roasted nuts with the main purpose to create a cheerful and friendly environment in which the hosts and the guests enjoy nuts together. Unlike the already de-shelled seeds found in bulk store, cooked seeds are kept intact in Vietnam and sometimes trying to separate the edible part from the hull can be both an art and a time-consuming activity. Who would want to rush in Tet anyway? A cup of tea would be even more perfect and the discussion can last forever, just plainly with tea and nuts. In addition, each type of nut has its own nutrition considered to be good for health and the diverse flavor that can only feel by tasting them all. Below are top 5 most common roasted nuts and seeds in Vietnam during Tet.

1. Hạt dưa (Watermelon seeds)

If you have enjoyed watermelon, you should have seen numbers of black seeds inside the fruit. Those are actually hạt dưa we are discussing about. However, only the biggest nuts will be chosen to be dried under the heat and then be roasted in big pans to have the final product. There are 2 type of hạt dưa: red and black depending on the natural pigment used to color them.

Hạt dưa is a clean and healthy nut with a lot of nutrition such as protein, glucid, lipid; vitamins B1, B2, E; calcium, iron, zinc, etc. Especially, protid inside hạt dưa is an essential component for nervous system and the growing of muscles, blood and bones. Eating a handful of hạt dưa everyday may enhance memory and protect from coronary heart diseases.

2. Hạt bí (Pumpkin seeds)

Selecting from the biggest seeds of ripe pumpkin, hạt bí is among the most favorable nuts during Tet since it is easier to open than hạt dưa. The process of cooking hạt bí is exactly the same with hạt dưa, however, there is not any pigment to color the nuts.

Both traditional and modern medicine proved that hạt bí containing many substances which benefits human health such as protid, lipid, glucid, calcium, magnesium, fiber and L-tryptophan. This nut is now being remedy for diseases like kidney disease, intestinal disease and coronary heart disease.

3. Hạt hướng dương (Sunflower seeds)

The name of this nut indicated its origin quite clearly that is collected after sunflowers fully grown. After being dried and roasted under adequate heart and sometime added with additional flavor like salt and licorice, delicious hướng dương is ready to be enjoyed. This nut is the favorite snack of children and youngsters in Vietnam that it is eaten in the whole year, especially with ice-tea or lemon tea, not only during Tet. Besides possessing similar amount of nutrition like other nuts mentioned above, hạt hướng dương can also be used to slow the aging process of human, accelerate cell generation process and enhance memory.

4. Hạt điều (Cashew nuts)

Hạt điều has its origin from Northern China and Mongolia is among the most luxury type of roasted nuts because its trees can only produce fruits one time per 4-5 years. Hạt điều is usually roasted with salt for better preservation as well as improve its taste. In Vietnam, the food is regarded as a symbol of luck.

Hạt điều contains many healthy substances like vitamin B1, B2, B3, calcium, protein, phosphorous and cholesterol-free. Monounsaturated in Hạt Điều may reduce the risk of having cancer; and an ideal choice for people who are on diet due to a huge amount of fiber.

5. Hạt dẻ cười (Pistachio)

Pistachio is originated from Persia (Iran) is the most luxury and expensive type of roasted nuts available in Vietnam. Due to similar shape and the way to eat with chestnut, pistachio is called hạt dẻ cười (Chesnut is “hạt dẻ” in Vietnamese). The nuts is especially match with a cup of tea or snack for beers and wine since alcohol is the most common drink in Vietnam during Tet.

With its rich amount of nutrition, pistachio may reduce the oxidation process and stress; good for digestive system as it contains the highest level of fiber in all types of nuts. Heart diseases is also believed to be demolished by eating pistachio frequently.

jackbl
22-01-2014, 12:49 AM
New Year's Flowers
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Tet holidays are the days of relaxation, happiness and joy. And similar to pine tree for Christmas holiday in the West, Vietnamese also use many kinds of flowers and plants to decorate their house in this special period. Some names can be listed out: Chrysanths, marigold, Mao Ga flower, paperwhite flower, lavender, to name a few. Some people nowadays even use orchid and rose, although this is not yet popular. And above all, there are 3 kinds of plants that can not be missing in Tet holidays: peach flower, ochna integerrima and marumi kumquat.

Peach flower and marumi kumquat are familiar in the North while South people prefer ochna itegerrima for Tet holidays. Another reason is the characteristics of the plants. While marumi kumquat and peach trees grow well in cold weather, ochna integerrima just can survive in tropical lands with lots of sunshine.

People in 2 different parts of Vietnam have various explanations for this tradition. Northern people say that peach flowers blossom in spring – during Tet holidays while most other flowers still stay silent, symbolizing the strong vitality and a brave heart. Moreover, the pink colour of peach flowers shows the love and joy spread among people in this unique time of the year. Peach flower has 2 kinds: light peach with light pink colour and Nhat Tan – Ha Noi’s specialty peach with dark pink colour (nearly red).

Marumi kumquat bears different story. A tree with all 5 characteristics: full of fruits, flowers, leaves, branches and roots is a symbol for wealth and happiness for the new year. The tips for choosing a good plant are generated accordingly: the tree must have both ripe and green fruits, mature leaves and new bud - which represents wealth and luck brought to the family in the new year.

The ochna integerrima in the South has another meaning. The golden yellow of the flower means the noble roots of Vietnamese (folktales said that the ancestors of Vietnamese is a couple of dragon and fairy). In addition, the high rate of blossom of the flower in Tet holidays also symbolizes the wealth and passionate love among people.

Vietnamese usually buy those special plants from lunar mid-December from the flower market (some even try to have peach flower branches/trees from the mountains because of its impressive vitality) and keep them until lunar mid-January of the New Year. Some families keep the branches to the end of the lunar January.

jackbl
23-01-2014, 12:10 AM
Gifts for Tet festival
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Giving gifts on Tet Festival, which has been long a traditional custom in Vietnam’s ancient culture, represents not only the close relationship but also the thorough and subtle of human behaviors. Vietnamese are extremely careful in talking and behaving on the very first days of New Year, as it can determine the good fortune throughout the year.

In the past and present

Hundred years ago, Vietnamese, most living in rural areas, had a convention of exchanging agricultural products as the gifts whenever the Lunar New Year came. A pair of sticky rice square cakes, a cock or wine kept in pottery gourd was believed to contained the essence of heaven and earth; thus would show the amiability among families and signified their dream of prosperity and a full future. In the past, the tough living conditions made it difficult for people to have new clothes frequently but only on the occasion of New Year. This reason explained why children often gave a new piece of red cloth or velvet scarf for parents, in order to express their respect, gratitude, and the hope for good health. Over times, giving gifts on Tet Holiday has become a special piece of traditional culture that is well-preserving and passing to the following generations. Since the society is modernized and relationship among people has altered to catch up with the speed of development, giving gifts is not a must for token of exchange anymore, but a part of rules of propriety. Besides the traditional meanings as neighbors, friends and families ties; giving gifts represents the long-lasting corporation between colleagues or business partners as well. Nowadays, people are willing to pay millions for luxuriously limited “baskets” of gifts, giving to bosses, wishing for support for future career.

What to give in Tet Festival?

Choosing gifts for Tet Festival is definitely not an easy task, due to the complicated norms and religion beliefs. Normally, Vietnamese will avoid giving kittens (as their meow sounds like “ngheo”- poor in Vietnamese), ink (because the color of black is considered bad fortune) and sharp items such as knives and forks. While clothes, scarfs and sticky rice square cakes are still the traditionally meaningful gifts that parents and the elderly often receive from children; there are many modern products that can be used as gifts also.

Here are among the most popular gifts given for Tet Festival:

A branch of peach blossom

Together with kumquat tree, peach blossom is regarded as the irreplaceable decoration for Tet Festival in Vietnam. Legend has it that peach blossom is the home of two deities who can control evil spirits, thus, a branch of peach blossom in New Year will drive all the ghosts and bad fortune away. There are a few kinds of peach blossom, from the red, pink to the white ones, depending on whether it is grown in mountainous or plain area. In Hanoi, Nhat Tan’s flower garden is most famous for carefully-planted peach blossom, while in Moc Chau, we can easily see wildly high peach blossom trees.

Wine and gift baskets

If in the past, wine is kept in pottery gourds, nowadays; those old gourds are replaced by modern wine bottles with well-known brands coming from both local and all over the world. However, the meaning of wine as the gift of New Year has remained unchanged. It takes a lot of time for wine to ferment and distil; so wine is highly appreciated by Vietnamese. Nevertheless, drinking wine can make people feel warm and energetic, which are exactly what people wish for their upcoming year.

If you have a Vietnamese business partner, it is time to further enhance your bonds by sending them a gift basket with branded wine.

Red items

Spring is the season of the brightest and most effulgent colors. Especially in Asia’s beliefs, red is considered good luck, prosperity, joyfulness and contentment. We can see the red color everywhere, from the ornaments, lucky envelopes, to the clothes of the elderly on the first days of New Year. Coming to Vietnam during the Tet Festival, tourists can see the whole streets covered with the color of red. Whichever gifts you plan to give, place a priority on red and yellow and avoid dark colours. For example, if you want to buy children new clothes, try to pick the most bright coloured ones.

Greeting cards

Sending greeting cards is the custom having its roots from the contemporary era. It is fast, convenient, and certainly very suitable for today’s busy modern life. If you are a foreigner and confused about the Tet Festival gift a Vietnamese friend, there is nothing better than a greeting card. Typically, Tet Festival’s greeting cards are printed with vivid colors like red or yellow, and distinctive images such as apricot and peach blossom, square sticky rice cake, parallel sentences, etc. Common greetings can be told are “Happy New Year”, “All wishes come true”, and ‘I wish you a healthy and wealthy new year!”. Around a week before the holiday, at Vietnamese schools, teachers often help pupils making their own handmade cards. Pupils then will bring their cards home and give to show their love to parents and other family’s members.

jackbl
25-01-2014, 01:32 AM
Visiting pagodas and temples in the New Year
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Together with the festive atmosphere Tet brings to Vietnam every year, the event also the best time of the year for Vietnamese to spend time on their spiritual life and pay respect to religious institutions.Visiting pagodas on the first days of the year has long been a deep-rooted tradition.

The meaning of visiting pagodas and temples

It has been a long-lasted custom of the people in this country each time a New Year arrive to visit pagoda. In Vietnam, the custom is described as “Lễ Chùa” – in which “lễ” means not only visiting but also showing respects in all sincerity to Buddha and Gods of the pagodas or temples. No matter how busy Vietnamese are during the hilarious atmosphere of Tet, everyone attempts to burn an incense to wish for best wishes for the New Year like healthiness, happiness and wealthiness.

Not only is that, praying at pagodas and temples is among the best way to go out and enjoy the spring. Mixing ones’ soul with the spiritual spaces, breathing in the aroma of burning incense and flowers and enjoying relaxing glimpse in the garden of the pagodas help demolishing all the stresses and worries of the previous year.

Differences in visiting pagodas in the North and the South

Although people in both areas visiting pagodas with the same purpose and the same meanings of this lofty tradition, the way they conduct this activity is of some different.

Northern Vietnamese seem to be more sophisticated in this spiritual custom in which a long list of scarifying items ranging from pork, meat-roll and chicken to fruits, flowers, incense, hell-notes, real money and petition note written in Nho script with wishes for the new year on. When praying, people speak their wishes like a fold song with rhyme and tune. On the other hand, Southern people do not often bring so many offering items to pagodas, nor praying in rhyme and tune. They simply ask for what they wish, and this is called “khấn nôm”.

No matter how different they are in the two area, the noble tradition of visiting pagodas skill remains its real meaning, in which any barrier of age, status or sex are eliminated, everyone unite there, in a mutual spiritual world.

Picking Bud

After having done all the praying, no Vietnamese forget to pluck buds from pagodas. Buds picked by people could be a small flower like the very meaning of it, however, the most common bud we are discussing about is a small branch of trees in the pagoda’s garden. Vietnamese consider plant like a symbol of immortal life; growth and prosperity as no kind on this earth grow faster, more stable and more long-lasting than plant. Bring a small sacred branch of tree from pagodas would bring healthiness and prosperity to ones’ home.

Lots drawing & Fortune telling

Another interesting activity Vietnamese people often do while visiting pagodas and temples is lots drawing. Those lots have short paragraph to forecast about ones’ fortune in the New Year. Although this activity is kind of superstitious, people still enjoy it because whether it says good or bad ones can still interpret positively. For example, if good fortune is forecasted, people would be much happier to welcome the New Year while unlucky ones would be more careful in every act, thanks to this, they would even more successful rather than bad luck.

Pilgrimage

Vietnamese people often visit pagodas and temples right after the New Year’s Eve moment, and going out of the house on the very moment of the New Year is also counted a traditional custom of Vietnamese. This is called “xuất hành đầu năm” in Vietnamese, simply translated as the first going out in the New Year to bring lucky home. With this custom, people carefully pick elements that match ones’ zodiac such as day, time, and most importantly, direction. There are two common directions ones may prefer: “Tài Thần” and “Hỉ Thần”. The first one is believed to bring about wealthiness and fame while the second one is expected to come along with happiness. Certainly, happiness direction is more preferable by Vietnamese people because in the end the day, no matter how wealthy and successful people are, happiness is what ones seeking for.

jackbl
25-01-2014, 03:53 PM
Origin of Vietnam tradition Xông đất
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Year by year, Tết holiday has repeated in the role of the most fundamental and also biggest festival of a year to Vietnamese, from Kinh people to ethnic communities. In this crucial event, Xông đất (first visit to a home in a year) appears to be one of the indispensable rites. People in Vietnam have appreciated more and more the importance of this culture. It has been modified a lot with a considerable number of rules and requirements, which both preserve the essence of Xong Dat tradition while adapting to the modern life of a Vietnamese.

If one does a survey asking Vietnamese about the origin of “Xông Đất”, a majority of asked people might not be able to answer. Only a few elderlies and experts on Vietnamese culture have adequate knowledge to tell the stories about the origin of this traditional rite, but these stories are also different and sometimes confusing.

“Xông đất” and the connection with Taoism

Many Vietnamese people and cultural experts believe that Xông đất originated from Taoism when it was universalized in Vietnam thousands years ago. The main doctrine of this tradition generated from the elite of agricultural culture in the South of China, therefore it more concentrates on living harmonically and peacefully with the nature and people around.

In Vietnam, Taoism has been spread and become popular thousands year ago among normal people like farmers, merchants or vendors because of its emphasizing on nature. Therefore, this religious tradition has significantly impacted Vietnamese culture.

Vietnamese always keep in mind a desire of long last living and fortune for everything they do and seek ways to satisfy their demand. And with the doctrine of Taoism of the harmony of 5 nature elements (fire, water, earth, metal and wood), Vietnamese began to invite people who are suitable for them, expecting luck and success for the new year. For example, Vietnamese believe that water nurtures trees, so that people with “Water” clause are suitable for the first visiting (xông đất) people with “Tree” clause. The truth is that this harmony belief is also applied to many other affairs of Vietnamese such as building houses or purchasing cars and apartment.

Doctrine of the 12 Zodiac animals and impact on the appearance of “Xông Đất”

Another theory is stated that “Xông đất” might originate from traditional rites of Vietnamese people to worship the 12 Zodiac animals.

12 Zodiac animal theory refers to the collection of 12 animals that represent year and age of people, including: Rat, Buffalo (Ox in Chinese culture), Tiger, Cat (or Rabbit in Chinese culture), Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Hen, Dog, Pig. They are made up to 6 pairs that negatively impact each other. Also, there are pairs that positively influence each other which means that bringing fortune, success and good to each other.

Examples of the complementary astrology:

Household head: Mouse - First visitors: Monkey - Dragon - Buffalo
Household head: Buffalo - First visitors: Snake - Hen - Mouse
Household head: Tiger - First visitors: Horse- Dog- Pig
Household head: Cat - First visitors: Goa - Pig - Dog

Sometimes, choosing the first visitor to come to the family depends on other factors as well. Some people might not have the most matching astrology with the household head but they are known to be amiable and "luck-generator" which are preferred by the host. The vice versa also holds water. The Xong Dat tradition has grown in importance over years, as people place a higher value in spiritual and belief life and so is choosing the right one to Xong Dat.

jackbl
26-01-2014, 03:47 PM
Do and Don't when Xong Dat
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Tet Nguyen Dan- the biggest festival of the year- plays an extremely essential role in Vietnamese’s beliefs and culture. Among many complicated religious rituals performed in this occasion, “xong dat” (first visit to a home in a year) is believed to decide the fortune of the host for the whole year.

Being the first visitor is not easy

Being invited to be the first guest of the year is both an honor and a challenging responsibility to anyone. The best time for “xong dat” is from the midnight of New Year’s Eve until the morning of the first day of Lunar Calendar’s New Year. However, the host and the guest normally come into an agreement in advance about the time deemed most suitable for the host’s zodiac sign.

A successful and humorous gentleman, smiling happily, giving wishes is believed to bring the lucky new year to every member in the house. Before coming to the host’s home, the guest is expected to spend time visiting pagodas or temples praying for the fortune, health and achievement for the upcoming New Year. Afterward, he can bring some buds, tree branches with fruits or a bottle of wine, which stand for vitality and wealth as gifts for the host. He can also give some lucky money wrapped in red envelope for small children, in the hope for health and wisdom.

Does it sound fun and easy? Definitely not if you know that you are likely to be responsible for the family’s whole year luckiness. Of course, no one blames you for their bad luck, yet they may not choose you as the first visitor for the next year.

All hosts are nice at the time of Xong dat?

The answer is yes. Showing the generous hospitality is essential for the host in preparation for the first visit of the year. To welcome the guest visiting the house, a small party with some simple Tet’s food such as “banh chung”- sticky rice cake or sweet preserved fruits, and rice wine is considered indispensable.

Moreover, the host also needs to wish the guest all the best for the New Year and gives him some lucky money in return. In the southern of Vietnam, the host puts a small bucket of water and a branch of apricot blossom so that the guest can splash the water and scatter the flower on the way leading to the house. Water and apricot blossom’s petals symbolize “multiplying the luck”, according to Vietnamese’s beliefs.

Visitor’s difficult task with many taboos

When entering Vietnamese’s house for the first time of the year, a visitor is required to remember the taboos as well. The guest should wear the bright clothes that appropriate with the occasion, and black and white combined is definitely unacceptable, since they are mourning colors. People all avoid getting angry and saying words relating to unfortunate topics like death, accident, failure or breaking up. Normally, girls and women are not selected to be the first visitors, especially if she is pregnant or just gave birth. The guest is expected to be a man who has an open personality and achieved much success the previous year.

Understanding the significance of “xong dat” in Vietnamese’s belief, on the first day of New Year, before paying a visit to friends or relatives’ house, people often call to ask whether the hosts have welcomed them as the first visitor or not, as being an unwilling guest may make both the visitor and the host confused and feel inconvenient.

jackbl
27-01-2014, 01:37 AM
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New Year Wishes
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Tet holidays are the moments of happiness and family enjoy, therefore Vietnamese often dedicate the most beautiful words to their family and friends on this occasion. Here is the list of the most common ones:

1 - Năm mới dồi dào sức khỏe: I wish you a healthy new year

2 - Năm mới tấn tài tấn lộc: I wish you a wealthy new year

3 - Năm mới thăng quan tiến chức: I wish that you will get promoted in the new year

4 - Năm mới toàn gia bình an: I wish that the new year will bring health to all your family

5 - Năm mới thắng lợi mới: New year, new triumphs (often heard in political speech)

6 - Vạn sự như ý: All wishes come true

7 - Chúc hay ăn chóng lớn: Eat more, grow rapidly (for children)

8 - Chúc mau chóng tìm được người yêu: New lover will come in the new year (for single people)

9 - Tiền vào nhu nước sông Đà, tiền ra nhỏ giọt như cà phê phin: Money influx is as strong as Da's river; expenditure is as little as dripping coffee

Still there are plenty of wishes that people send to each others in Tet holiday, this list is simply an overview. Use them and impress your friends this coming Tet!

jackbl
29-01-2014, 12:36 AM
Tet Nguyen Tieu - First full moon of the year
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Besides Tet, Tet Nguyen Tieu (First Full Moon of the New Year) is also a good opportunity for foreigners to experience Vietnamese culture thoroughly. Although Tet Nguyen Tieu originates from China, when being spread to Vietnam, Tet Nguyen Tieu has adopted to the particular cultural aspect of VIetnam and plays a significant role in Vietnamese's cultural and religious life.

Most Vietnamese people believe that the First Full Moon of the New Year is the most important among all full moons throughout the year. On January 15th of Lunar Calendar, people are supposed to go to pagodas and pray for the best things coming to every family members and their beloved friends. It is not uncommon to see people eating vegan food and drinking plain water on the special day. Peaceful mind and lucks for the coming year are the general purposes.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the Cho Lon in District 5 is the most exciting place to visit during Tet Nguyen Tieu. You may try che troi nuoc, a special kind dessert, the sweet soup with rounded ball made from glutinous rice and sugar sauce, which symbolizes for “Reunion”. The Cultural Center of District 5 is often the place where most activities to celebrate Tet Nguyen Tieu take place. By coming over the center from 12th-15th , visitors may get a chance to experience the exciting atmosphere of the Hoa community here. People gather to see the lion-dragon dance show. It is believed the lion-dragon’s appearance brings luck, prosperity and success for the New Year. Besides, visitors can enjoy the parades around the streets in District 5 with many people and decorated vehicles, which is somehow like a small street carnival. Please make sure your camera is fully charged so that you can shoot or record any moment you would like. You are surely interested in those activities which you may not find anywhere else at anytime else.

If you want to have a shot of lanterns without traveling to Hoi An which is too far away from Ho Chi Minh City, you may like Tet Nguyen Tieu at the Cultural Center of District 5. Lanterns are decorated and exhibited in a gorgeous way. Along the streets, lanterns are also hung up in rows. That’s why visitors who even have been to District 5 before still get amazed at what they are seeing at the moment and wonder if they are traveling to another country.

While District 1 is younger with lots of occidental architecture and sparkling luxurious buildings to welcome Tet, District 5, as time passes by, still remains its oriental beauty of old-styled houses and intrinsic cultural values gathered by the Hoa community living here. Tet Nguyen Tieu, one of the biggest events beside Tet, cannot be missed with any excuse because of the chance to feel and take a breath of a combined Vietnamese-Chinese culture that visitors can hardly find out at any other places.

In general, Tet Nguyen Tieu is celebrated among the Buddhist community, especially in the centre and southern part of Vietnam. Similar to Ho Chi Minh City, if you are in Hue and Danang during the occasion, you will see a grand, though a lot calmer, celebration of Tet Nguyen Tieu. Vegetarianism is widely practiced.

In the Northern part like Thanh Hoa or Hanoi, Tet Nguyen Tieu is more to pray to the ancestors: people will be busy shopping for grocery and paper offerings to present the most beautiful flowers and freshest fruits to put up on the family's altars.

In 2012, Tet Nguyen Tieu will fall on Monday February 6th so if you are in Vietnam from February 4th, you will sure feel the festive atmosphere.

jackbl
30-01-2014, 01:00 AM
Vietnamese New Year (Tet)
==============================================
Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet for short, is considered the biggest and most popular festival of the year in Vietnam. Celebrated on the first day of the first month in Lunar Calendar, Tet’s celebration is the longest holiday which may last up to seven days (with the exception of Tet 2012 when the holiday is expected to last for 9 days!). Vietnamese New Year in 2013 will last from February 10-13, and in 2014 from January 31st to Feb 4th.

How Tet is calculated?

Different from the Gregorian calendar, Lunar Calendar has a fix number of twelve months with 30 days each, and a leap-year will have a whole intercalary month instead of the 29th day of February. The new year of Lunar Calendar normally will start in late January or beginning of February according to Gregorian calendar. That explains why Tet days vary from year to year: it is because the leap month may fall shorter or longer which create a smaller or bigger gap between the two calendars.

When is Tet?

* In 2014, Tet is on January 31st
* In 2015, Tet is on February 19th

The actual holiday will last 1 day before and about 3-5 days after the day mentioned above.

What is Tet?

Tet is the occasion for Vietnamese to express their respect and remembrance for their ancestors as well as welcoming the New Year with their beloved family members. Moreover, in the past, Tet was essential as it provided one of few long breaks during the agricultural year, which was held between the harvesting of the crops and the sowing of the next ones. To make it easier, one can imagine Tet as a combination of Christmas and New Year: every family will get together to have big meals, decorate Tet trees and eat Tet food but to welcome the new year instead of a religious cause.


How is Tet celebrated?

Since Tet occupies an important role in Vietnamese’s religious beliefs, Vietnamese will begin their preparations well in advance of the upcoming New Year. In an effort to get rid of the bad luck of the old year, people will spend a few days cleaning their homes, polishing every utensil, or even repaint and decorate the house with kumquat tree, branches of peach blossom, and many other colorful flowers. The ancestral altar is especially taken care of, with careful decoration of five kinds of fruits and votive papers, along with many religious rituals. Everybody, especially children, buy new clothes and shoes to wear on the first days of New Year. People also try to pay all their pending debts and resolve all the arguments among colleagues, friends or members of family.

Like other Asian countries, Vietnamese believe that the color of red and yellow will bring good fortune, which may explain why these colors can be seen everywhere in Lunar New Year. People consider what they do on the dawn of Tet will determine their fate for the whole year, hence people always smile and behave as nice as they can in the hope for a better year. Besides, gifts are exchanged between family members and friends and relatives, while children receive lucky money kept in red envelope.

No matter where Tet is celebrated, it must be clarified from the beginning that Tet is not a day, but several days of celebration.

The general process is as follow (all dates quoted in lunar calendar):

1. Ông Công, Ông Táo Day (Kitchen God day) - December 23rd

2. Wrapping Chung cake - December 26-28th

3. Family reunion and Tất niên - December 30th

4. Giao thừa - New Year's Eve: including praying sessions to God and Ancestors, Xông đất (First visit to a family in the new year)

5. First three days of the new year: visit paternal side on the first day, maternal side on the second day and teachers on the third day

6. Visit relatives, friends and neighbours: can take place from January 3rd - 5th

7. Hóa vàng - burn the offerings near Tet's end for ancestors: January 4th

8. Reopen business: usually owners pick a good date that matches their age

9. Tết Nguyên Tiêu: January 15th

Food for Tet

The following food is often consumed during Tet; some are particular to Tet and often associated with the grand celebration:

- Banh Chung/ Banh Tet

- Pickled onions

- Boiled chicken

- Mung bean pudding

- Vietnamese sausage - giò chả

- Xôi Gấc - Red Sticky Rice

- Roasted nuts and seeds


Travelling to Vietnam during Tet

Tet has a very special attached meaning to all Vietnamese. It is the time for everybody to come back to their hometown, gathering with family, visiting relatives and having a good relaxing time after a hard-working year. If you have the opportunity to visit Vietnam during Tet holiday, make sure you join this festive and happy moments of Vietnamese!

jackbl
01-02-2014, 12:43 AM
My heart can feel Tet
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Tet, the Lunar new year, is the most awaited time of the year. It brings about changes in everyday pace, much hope for a new start after tough times, a bit calm to the bursting flow of life and above all else, joy to the warm-hearted people of Vietnam.

Early spring sprouts new life after the dull winter months. Tet usually comes with a grey sky still, the leftover of the harsh cold winter. But when the occasional sun pierces through that cloud, it brings a wave of golden warmth that all manages to chase away the gloominess still linger in people’s mind. For the poetic composer in all of us, the days leading up to Tet are often drowned in a hazy mist that makes even the most common thing surreal. When the sun lights up the day and warms the heart, one knows that Tet is finally coming.

Tet is like rain coming down on the small alleys. Everyone seems able to hear its rhythm, and feel its touch. And it’s just like a warm refreshing rain, Tet urges people to hurry for the unfinished tasks, while at the same time slow down to be more careful and listening to changes in the air. Tet is not a torrential shower though, since it brings up smile on every face. Streets will choke with travelers all day long, but honks will not blare like usual. Everyone is onto something, but one can hardly see an unhappy face, for it is a time to rejoice and look forward to a new beginning.

As the blooming peach brightens days in the north, and golden apricot further heats up the sunlight of the south, the people of Vietnam are in full overdrive mode to prepare for Tet. Just about when families bid farewell and send red carps to accompany the kitchen gods to heaven, streets will take up a new vibrant coat. The flowers come to town, in bicycle-driven carts to bring Tet to each and every family, and public space is utilized to add the most dazzling colorful ones to shine in the dull concrete jungle. This year has been fruitful for the flower farmers, since temperate weather yields a good crop. By the sheer number of trees and the beaming smiles, the New Year will sure make some very happy.

It is a custom of the old days, but still very alive even now. Tet is a fresh start, and one has to come into the New Year full and abundantly. People will buy and sell a lot more in the days leading up to Tet. Perhaps it is another reason smiles are beaming on everyone. The occasion can make the most prudent savers spending a bit. There are a lot of activities going on, which convinces some that preparing for Tet is actually the best part of it.

In a twist of the thoughtful mind, some comment on a tough time in the year of the cat and how that can turn on a good Tet. The economic downturn has not spared many, and some will indeed have a less-abundant Tet than the previous year, but a meager Tet is indeed a more joyful Tet. It is a break for the people to actually ease from all the hardship that they have endured for an entire year. It will be a new beginning. The milestone is reached, and one has hope for a better day. Tet shall bring much hope for prosperity in the new year of the Dragon. After all, it is hope that can give even the most unfortunates the will to carry on. And it is Hope that Tet offers plenty.

Wait for the incense to fill every corner of the land! It is an unmistakable trademark scent that reminds every Vietnamese soul of her beloved New Year.

jackbl
02-02-2014, 10:50 AM
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New Year Wishes
=========================
Use them and impress your friends this coming Tet!

Were any of your vietnamese friends impressed??? :D

jackbl
03-02-2014, 12:40 AM
Overseas Vietnamese learn Vietnamese to retain their origin
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VietNamNet Bridge – Overseas Vietnamese, wherever they live in the world, have been learning Vietnamese language everyday to uphold and promote the national culture identity. However, they meet a lot of difficulties in the study.

Vietnamese need to know Vietnamese

When deciding to leave Vietnam with her family to the US, Vu Minh Hien, who now works for the World Bank in Washington DC, felt worried that her two daughters, Quynh Trang, 17, and Minh Khue, 8, may “forget” Vietnamese.

The two girls have to speak English at school when communicating with friends and teachers. The problem is that they spend more time at school than at home, which means that they speak English more than Vietnamese. This means that the two girls may forget the mother tongue.

Hien, on one hand, encouraged her daughters to communicate more with friends to improve their English and overcome cultural differences to get adapted to the new environment, on the other hand, decided that the girls have to speak Vietnamese at home.

“Our family members have to communicate with each other in Vietnamese,” Hien said. “Though my husband and the second daughter had to practice English hard on the first days in the US, they don’t forget Vietnamese.”

“No English word is permitted at home,” HIen added.

Thanh Phuong, a reporter of the Vietnam Television in Paris, France, also said she always asks the son, Armand, to speak Vietnamese with her. Phuong’s husband is French, and they communicate in French. However, Phuong always use Vietnamese in speaking with the boy.

Armand, now four years old, is a bilingual since he was born. “At first, my husband felt uncomfortable when my son and I spoke in Vietnamese and he did not understand the conversation. However, he later decided to learn Vietnamese from the son,” Phuong said.

A lot of barriers for Vietnamese learning overseas

According to Dr. Nguyen The Ky, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Committee, though there has been no large-scale survey on the Vietnamese learning in the overseas Vietnamese communities, he still can say for sure that Vietnamese have been trying to teach Vietnamese to their children and grandchildren.

However, Ky also said the Vietnamese second, third and subsequent generations now have to decide whether to learn Vietnamese and Vietnamese culture.

They need to get adapted to the living environment in the host countries to lead good lives. If they cannot speak foreign languages, they would lag behind and put difficulties for themselves.

As a result, a lot of Vietnamese would forget Vietnamese words and would not be able to speak Vietnamese in the future, even though they don’t want this.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Education Science Institute, noted that it is now very difficult to teach Vietnamese to overseas Vietnamese due to the unfavorable environment.

She said that the documents used to teach Vietnamese are not good enough. At most of the Vietnamese centers, there are not the documents on teaching Vietnamese as second language. The Vietnamese centers and classes have been set up by the Vietnamese communities themselves, while the documents have been collected from different sources.

GD&TD

jackbl
03-02-2014, 12:47 AM
Some things not to do during Tet
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There are many practices that are traditionally frowned upon during Tet, and if you believe, could even bring you bad luck in the new year.

Although people usually give their house a good clean before Tet to make it presentable for guests, it is not good to sweep or throw away trash on the first day of Tet because all the luck and money could be swept out with it.

Giving out fire and water

It is advisable to bring lighters when visiting pagodas because others will not lend out fire. Fire is red, and so is considered lucky, if a person gives out their fire on the first days of the year, they will be giving away their luck. Similarly, water is a symbol of prosperity and will not be given away. In the old days, people often kept their water tanks full on Tet to ensure a prosperous year.

Visiting neighbours' houses on the first day

People avoid visiting others' houses on the first day of Tet unless they are invited. In Vietnamese tradition, the first person enter one's house on Tet will decide that household's fortune for the year. If the household has a good year then all is well, but if the year is tough then they may blame it on the first visitor. That is why people tend to stay home to tend to the family altar and visit the homes parents or close families.

Breaking things

Breaking objects symbolises separation, a bad sign for relationships. However, accidents do happen. When something is broken, people will try to reassure each other with optimism.

Fighting and arguing

No matter how annoyed or angry one gets, it is important to keep ones temper in check in order to avoid an unhappy atmosphere in the house. On these days, parents will be more likely to look the other way when children make mistakes so as to avoid scoldings and the crying sure to follow.

Borrowing things

It is looked down on to either borrow or collect debts, whether it is money or objects, on Tet. Borrowing means the next year will bring want, giving loans means that the loaner will lose money and paying debts means giving away one's own fortune. Also, collecting debts will put everyone in a bad mood and ruin the atmosphere.

Holding funerals

In the old days, if a family was still in a mourning period when Tet arrived, they could take off their white funeral armband for the first three days of Tet. These families would not visit other households. Others can pay them a visit. If a person passes away on the first day of Tet, the family must wait until the next day to announce the funeral and wear mourning clothes.

Black and white are colours for funerals in Vietnam, so it is a bad sign to wear these colours on the holiday. Colourful outfits, especially red or yellow, are recommended.

Obtaining objects and foods equals bad luck

Foods such as dog meat, duck or silver carp are only eaten during the final days of the month or year to erase bad luck, but they are not favoured on the first days of the year. Similarly, people do not buy paintings or photos that depict bad things, such as court scenes or scenes of jealousy. They will also not say bad things in case those things may come to pass.

Everything that is bought on the first days hold significance of meaning to the households, and it always meant to bring luck and prosperity for the whole year. This is why the first things bought are more for spiritual satisfaction than anything. Knives and chopping boards are often avoided.

Dtinews

jackbl
03-02-2014, 11:21 PM
Vietnam's population is aging the fastest in the world
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VietNamNet Bridge - Many countries took decades or even centuries to enter the stage of aging an population, but it was only 16-18 years for Vietnam. Most of the elderly people are not retired; 70 percent still have to work for a living.

In 2009, the General Statistics Office predicted that by 2017 Vietnam would enter the stage of an aging population. But just two years later, the prediction became obsolete.

In 2011, Vietnam officially entered the aging stage. The aging speed of Vietnam is the fastest in Asia and the world, said Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, Deputy General Director of the General Department of Population and Family Planning, at the launching ceremony of the national action month on population in Hanoi this week.

The reason for this situation is that the average life expectancy is increasing while the birth rate and the death rate decrease. Vietnam's life expectancy increased about 1.5 times over that in the world.

However, Tan said that the healthy life span in Vietnam is not high. On average, each elderly person in the country suffers from 14 years of illness in his life. Up to 95 percent of the elderly are ill, mostly chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes...

In addition, the proportion of the elderly living alone is growing, mainly the elderly women. Most of them have difficult lives. They mainly rely on social care, family’s care or have to work without accumulation.

Only 30 percent of the elderly people have a pension or allowance from the state budget. Some 30 percent do not have health insurance. The pension and social insurance funds of Vietnam are facing enormous challenges.

The elderly care system does not keep pace with demographic change. Vietnam has only one national geriatric hospital.

Experts recommend that Vietnam needs to prepare its economic potentials, develop its social security system to bring a happy life for the elderly and at the same time, it should have a long-term strategy to slow down the transition time from aging to aged stage. Specifically, the birth rate should be maintained reasonably, not to be too low as South Korea and Japan today.

With 90 million people, Vietnam’s population ranks 14th in the world, 8th in Asia and 3rd in Southeast Asia.

Cam Quyen

jackbl
03-02-2014, 11:54 PM
10 famous architectures of Saigon
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VietNamNet Bridge – The Reunification Palace, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica and the Nha Rong Wharf are renowned for both their unique architecture and historic significance. Below are the most famous architectures in the city.

1. Reunification Palace

In 1868, French Governor in South Vietnam, La Grandière, placed the first stone on the 12-hectare area to mark the ground-breaking of the construction of the Indochina Governor Palace, also called Norodom Palace.

After the Geneva Treaty was signed, the area was handed over to PM Ngo Dinh Diem, who changed its named to Doc Lap (Independence) Palace.

In October 1955, Diem, through a referendum, deposed Head of State Bao Dai and proclaimed himself President of the Republic of Vietnam.

On February 27, 1962, a coup d’etat broke out against Diem’s regime. Leaders of the coup deployed two AD6 planes operated by two pilots Nguyen Van Cu and Pham Phu Quoc to bomb the palace, destroying its left side. Diem and his younger brother, adviser Ngo Dinh Nhu, escaped death and the coup ended in defeat.

As the palace was seriously damaged, Diem ordered the construction of a new palace at the same place but kept the structure’s name unchanged.

Construction of the new premise, covering 4,500 square meters, began on July 1, 1962, and was inaugurated on October 31, 1966. It was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu.

On November 2, 1963, another coup d’etat took place, leading to the death of both Diem and Nhu.

In October 1967, Head of State Nguyen Van Thieu won the presidential election to become the President of the Republic of Vietnam. He lived with his family in the palace until April 21, 1975.

Earlier, on April 8, 1975, pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung also bombed the palace.

These days, the palace, renamed Thong Nhat (Reunification) Hall after 1975, receives large numbers of foreign visitors. At the site of the bombing, there is a note written in both Vietnamese and English saying, “At 8:30 am on April 8, 1975, pilot Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Trung flying an F5E plane bombed the palace at this site.”

Guests can also visit the palace’s cabinet conference room, where on April 21, 1975, in the face of fierce military attacks by liberation army forces, Republic of Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu announced his resignation. He later fled the country. His deputy, Tran Van Huong, succeeded Thieu, but he also later resigned after failing to make headway in combating liberation forces.

On April 28, Duong Van Minh, a veteran general, took on the presidency, becoming the last president of the Republic of Vietnam, but his presidency lasted just 48 hours.

On April 30, 1975, a liberation army tank driven by Lieutenant Bui Quang Than crashed through the main gate, signaling the victory of liberation forces.

Lieutenant Than proceeded to raise a flag of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam at the palace, marking the victorious end of the 30-year resistance war of the Vietnamese nation.

Thirty-five years has passed since that time, and now Thong Nhat Hall is an agency managed by the Government Office. It serves sightseers and hosts both domestic and international conferences.

The architecture of the palace combines both Western and Eastern styles, and is also a combination of traditional and modern construction.


2. HCM City Opera House

The Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as HCM City Opera House is an example of French architecture in Vietnam. Built in 1897 by French architect Eugène Ferret as the Opėra de Saigon, the 800 seat building was used as the home of the Lower House assembly of the South Vietnam regime after 1956. It was not until 1975 that it was again used as a theatre, and restored in 1995.

After the invasion of Cochinchina, in 1863 French colonists invited a theatre company to Saigon to perform for the French legion in the villa of the French admiral at the Clock Square (Place de l'Horloge) (presently the corner of Nguyen Du and Dong Khoi streets). After a short time, a temporary theatre was built at the site of what is now the Caravelle Hotel. In 1898, the construction of the new theatre commenced on the site of the old one, and it was completed by 1 January 1900.

Between World War I and World War II, all costs of mobilization and demobilization as well as other costs for the theatre companies from France to Saigon were paid by the municipal government. Despite the fact that the theatre was planned as an entertainment venue for the growing middle class, its audience declined as more and more night clubs and dance halls boomed in the city. During this period, performances were presented only occasionally, some being concerts and others cai luong programs.

Following criticisms of the theatre's façade and the high costs of organizing performances, the municipal government intended to turn the theatre into a concert hall (Salle de Concert), but this was never carried out. Instead, decorations, engravings and statues were removed from the theatre façade in 1943 to make the theatre look more youthful. In 1944, the theatre was damaged by the Allied aerial attacks against Japanese Imperial Army, and the theatre stopped functioning. As Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, France returned to Cochinchina. In 1954, the French army surrendered to Viet Minh during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu which led to the Geneva Accords in the same year. The theatre was then used as a temporary shelter for French civilians arriving from North Vietnam.

In 1955, the theatre was restored as the seat of the Lower House of the State of Vietnam, then the Republic of Vietnam. After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, the building was restored to its original function as a theatre. In 1998, on the occasion of 300th anniversary of the founding of Saigon, the municipal government had the theatre façade restored.

The HCM City Opera House is a smaller counterpart of the Hanoi Opera House, which was built between 1901 and 1911, and shaped like the Opéra Garnier in Paris. It owes its specific characteristics to the work of architect Félix Olivier, while construction was under supervision of architects Ernest Guichard and Eugène Ferret in 1900.

Its architectural style is influenced by the flamboyant style of the French Third Republic, with the façade shaped like the Petit Palais which was built in the same year in France. The house had a main seating floor plus two levels of seating above, and was capable of accommodating 800 people. The design of all the inscriptions, décor, and furnishings were drawn by a French artist and sent from France.


3. Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica

Situated right in the heart of HCM City, the Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral is a famous age-long cathedral in Southern Vietnam. It is a magnificent building located at the Paris Square in HCM City downtown, attracting not only Catholics but also most tourists for its neo-Romanesque style architecture and a sacred atmosphere.

Established by French colonists, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. It has two bell towers, reaching a height of over 58 meters. Following the French conquest of Cochinchina and Saigon, the Roman Catholic Church established a community and religious services for French colonialists.

The first church was built on Rue 5 (today's Ngo Duc Ke Street). This had been a Vietnamese pagoda, which had been abandoned during the war. Bishop Lefevre decided to make this pagoda a church. In 1959, Bishop Joseph Pham Van Thien, whose jurisdiction included Saigon parish, attended Holy Mother Congress held in Vatican and ordered a Peaceful Notre Dame statue made with granite in Rome.

When the statue arrived in Saigon, on February 16th, 1959, Bishop Pham Van Thien held a ceremony to install the statue on the empty base and presented the title of "Regina Pacis." It was Bishop Pham Van Thien who wrote the prayers "Notre-Dame bless the peace to Vietnam." On the following day, Cardinal Aganianian came from Rome to chair the closing ceremony of the Holy Mother Congress and solemnly chaired the ceremony for the statue, thus the cathedral was then-on called Notre-Dame Cathedral.

The cathedral boasts its honored status as a Basilica consecrated tens of years ago. In 1960, the Vatican founded a Roman Catholic dioceses in Vietnam and assigned archbishops to Hanoi, Huế and Saigon. Notre-Dame cathedral was titled Saigon Chief Cathedral. Yet, in 1962, the Vatican anointed the Saigon Chief Cathedral, conferred it basilique in honor of the tri-centenary of the Bishopric of Saigon. Since then, this cathedral was called Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, which has enhanced its value and absorbed hundreds of thousands of catholics as well as international tourists to pay a visit.

Apart from the religious meaning that attracts tourists, the even more special captivating point of Notre-Dame Cathedral is its special neo-Romanesque style of architecture. During its construction, all its red bricks were imported from Marseilles and colored glass windows made in France’s Chartres Province, France.

Tiles have been carved with the words Guichard Carvin, Marseille St André France (perhaps stating the locality where the tiles were produced). Some tiles were carved with the words “Wang-Tai Saigon.” Many tiles have since been made in Saigon to replace the broken tiles caused by war. There are 56 glass squares supplied by the Lorin firm of Chartres province in France.

The cathedral foundation was designed to bear 10 times the weight of the cathedral. In front of the cathedral is a statue of the Virgin Mary. On a whole, the neo-Romanesque architecture and two 58m-high square towers tipped with iron spires dominate the city’s sky line, creating a beautiful religious site.

To be continue.....

jackbl
03-02-2014, 11:55 PM
4. Viet Nam Quoc Tu Pagoda

Vietnam Quoc Tu pagoda is located on 3/2 Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City. This is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the city and is a relatively new one, built in the early 1960s, designed by Ngo Viet Thu.

The main complex of the pagoda spans seven stories, with the first two open to the public, an example of Vietnamese architectural principles. Visitors are given access to view the beautiful Buddha statue that is the centerpiece of the pagoda and allowed to walk the grounds.


5. Saigon Central Post Office

Saigon Central Post Office was designed and constructed by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel (yes of Eiffel tower and Statue of Liberty fame) construction of this great Gothic architectural styled building began in 1886 and was completed in 1891.

Entering the Post office you are faced with a large portrait of President Ho Chi Minh and along the side wall there are there are old French colonial maps the first of which titled ‘Lignes telegraphiques du Sud Vietnam et Cambodge 1936′ translating to ‘Telegraphic lines of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia 1892. And the second is titled ‘Saigon et ses environs 1892′ Translating to ‘Sai Gon and its environment 1892′.

If you are interested in sending a postcard, the center counter has plenty of postcard packs at fairly good prices. After you have purchased and filled it in, just head to one of the first few manned counters on the left side of the building to purchase a postage stamp.


6. Ben Thanh Market

Built in 1870 by the French, the market was initially called Les Halles Centrales before being renamed Ben Thanh in 1912. From a wet market created by street vendors by the early 17th century, Ben Thanh has experienced many ups and downs throughout its history, and is now the oldest surviving market and one of symbols of Ho Chi Minh City. That makes it a must for any visitors travelling to this 300-year-old city.

Today, because the market possesses one of the most crucial locations in District 1 (the intersection of Le Loi, Ham Nghi, Tran Hung Dao Avenues and Le Lai Street), transportation is extremely convenient and trade is bustling. In the morning, you can find almost everything from dry food to clothes for a reasonable price. The market atmosphere can sometime be a real hustle and bustle, but it is an exciting experience after all. However, always remember that bargain is a must in any Vietnamese market.

From late afternoon until late night, the shops inside the market are closed, but several restaurants are open outside on the surrounding streets. These small yet interesting restaurants can offer you a variety of choices: bubble teas, grills, seafood, etc. When you are tired of eating, stand up and take a walk along the neighborhood which has in no time transformed into a night market full of lights and glamour.


7. Thu Thiem Tunnel

The Saigon River Tunnel or the Thu Thiem Tunnel is an underwater tunnel that opened on November 20, 2011. It runs underneath the Saigon River. The tunnel was built with capital from JCIA's ODA. It connects the existing urban center of Ho Chi Minh City with Thu Thiem New Urban Area in District 2.

The Saigon River Tunnel is part of the East-West Highway, an important road project under construction to ease the congestion of transport in the inner city as well as transportation from downtown to the Mekong Delta region. The existing downtown was previously only linked with the Thu Thiem New Urban Area by many bridges, namely: Thu Thiem Bridge, Phu My Bridge and Ba Son Bridge.


8. Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Building

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Building was first known as the Hotel de Ville when it was completed in 1908. Its French builders drew inspiration from town halls in Europe. The building was known as the City Hall of Saigon before 1975.

The building is closed to the public, as it is an official Vietnamese government building. Its beautiful French Colonial architecture and sunny cream-and-yellow hue, along with its iconic statue of President Ho Chi Minh, make it a tourist favorite and a symbol of Saigon.

The building stands at one end of Nguyen Hue Boulevard on The Le Thanh Ton Street, a brisk walk away from Dong Khoi Street.


9. Nha Rong Wharf

Nha Rong Wharf is a cultural site with special relics in Ho Chi Minh City, where late President Ho Chi Minh left to seek ways to save the nation over 100 years ago.

On June 5, 1911, the patriotic young man Nguyen Tat Thanh left the country on the ship, Admiral Latouche Treville, to begin his quest for salvation. Many changes have taken place over the past 100 years but Nha Rong Wharf still exists and ideals of the young man who later became the great leader of Vietnam are still shining along with the nation.

Nha Rong Wharf - Sai Gon’s trading port on the Saigon Vietnam River – was built in 1863 by French colonialists. The building was a combination of western and eastern architecture.

Nha Rong is the name that Vietnamese used to call the office of France’s Messageries Maritimes Company. This magnificent building was built in 1863, four years after the French seized Saigon. It has original and strange architecture. Its roof has the elegant beauty of the roof of a Chinese pagoda with two dragons competing for a fireball. As there are two dragons on the roof, Vietnamese call the building Nha Rong.

Nha Rong is located at the three-way intersection of the Saigon River and Ben Nghe Canal. On the far side of the canal, there was a rice field on a high area. At that time, there was no bridge over the canal, so people went to Nha Rong by boat. More than 20 years later, the Messageries iron bridge was built to connect Adran Street, now Ho Tung Mau Street, with the far side of the canal.

Messageries Maritimes was a big sea transport company and was established in 1851. It was headquartered in Marseilles and had shipping routes to America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Many ships of the company were named after Vietnam’s geographical places such as Annam, Tourane, Sontay, and Haiphong. Nha Rong Wharf was the stopover for ships going from Marseilles to Hong Kong and Yokohama.

Many postcards were printed with the images of ships and wharfs used by Messageries Maritimes and there were paintings of the company’s ships in storms. Nha Rong appeared in many postcards for decades. Later it was printed on the Vietnamese 50,000-dong banknote. Together with Ben Thanh Market, Nha Rong is one of the two symbols of Ho Chi Minh City.

After the French colonials were defeated in 1954, the wharf was managed by the South Vietnam government which repaired the roofs of the two houses and replaced the old dragons with two new ones that dance outwards.

After Unification Day, the building became a historical relic and memorial area for President Ho Chi Minh.

To mark the 10th death anniversary of President Ho on September 2, 1979, Nha Rong Wharf welcomed visitors to an exhibition on “President Ho Chi Minh’s career for salvation.” The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee decided to turn the “President Ho Chi Minh Memorial” into the “Ho Chi Minh Museum” on September 20, 1982.

The museum collects, preserves, displays and disseminates information about President Ho Chi Minh’s life and revolutionary career as well as his love for the southern people. The Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ho Chi Minh City currently has more than 11,000 documents and items and 3,300 books on President Ho Chi Minh.

Nha Rong Wharf is a great location for tourists Vietnam travel who want a unique experience.


10. Vietnam History Museum

The Museum of Vietnamese History is located at 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1. Formerly known as the Musée Blanchard de la Brosse, built by Auguste Delaval in 1926, and The National Museum of Viet Nam in Sai Gon, it received its current name in 1979. It is a museum showcasing Vietnam's history with exhibits from all periods.

Compiled by Pha Le

paulwwk88
05-02-2014, 11:05 AM
yesterday my girl message me said that i go out cheong and angry because i never message her at night... just now i message her and ask are she angry at me or not and she just reply..

e nek

:confused::confused: really don't understand what her mean with nek

Hurricane88
05-02-2014, 11:11 AM
yesterday my girl message me said that i go out cheong and angry because i never message her at night... just now i message her and ask are she angry at me or not and she just reply..

e nek

:confused::confused: really don't understand what her mean with nek

nek means NOT...is a gen y or z slang..same as hok, ko, kg, k, khong...:)

paulwwk88
05-02-2014, 09:58 PM
nek means NOT...is a gen y or z slang..same as hok, ko, kg, k, khong...:)

:) thanks... now i changing to syt and need to know more and learn about gen y or z slang :D

jackbl
07-02-2014, 12:18 AM
Five bars for expats in Hanoi's Old Quarter
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VietNamNet Bridge – Having a cocktail and talking with a few new friends is how to enjoy the nightlife of many expats and foreign tourists in the Hanoi Old Quarter.

Unlike the conceptions of many Vietnamese customers who usually go to a bar to release stress, dance and drink, foreign visitors go to bars to not dance but only just to listen to music, enjoy a few glasses of beer and talk. Below are several bars managed by expats and favored by expats in the Old Quarter.

1. Rockstore, 61 Ma May

Rockstore can be regarded as a typical western-styled bar in the Old Quarter, ran by Olivier Waryn, a Swiss man.

Opened in September 2013 and thanks to its soothing décor, open space with rock style, the new bar has quickly become a destination for many foreign tourists and expats in Hanoi.

The bar is a two-story yellow house in France architecture style. On the 1st floor is a bar serving alcoholic beverages such as wine, cocktails, mocktails, beer ... and lounges for small groups.

The second floor is designed for big groups and some billiard tables. The highlight of the bar is bent lampposts.

If other bars only open from afternoon to evening, Rockstore opens all day. But just when the night comes, visitors will understand how Rockstore is.

The bar has performances of DJs or rock bands in all evenings. In addition to drinks, the bar offers some Vietnamese cuisines like bun cha, spring rolls...


2. Fat Cat Bar, 25 Ta Hien

Fat Cat Bar is also managed by Waryn Olivier and a French friend. Compared with Rockstore, Fat Cat is smaller but its décor is very special.

The combination of a lively bar and a gently lounge creates a comfortable atmosphere at Fat Cat Bar.

Most of the customers are foreigners. They can gather around the bar inside or sit outside the door to sip a glass of beer and talk for hours. If they like sitting, they can climb up to the loft.

Fat Cat Bar regularly organizes music parties with different themes. The favored drinks here are beer and cocktails. If you want to call a special drink, it would be a Fatcat cocktail.


3. Finnegan's Irish

The name Finnegan's Irish apparently derives from the famous novel “Finnegans Wake” by the Irish writer James Joyce. Located on the 2nd floor of No. 32 Luong Ngoc Quyen stret, Finnegan's Irish is in European classic style with wooden and leather furniture in brown - black colors.

It is not too wide but Finnegan's Irish takes advantage of maximum light and space to create different spaces. If you go there alone, you can sit at the bar, if in a group, you can select a suitable table, otherwise you can call a beer and take the glass to the balcony to enjoy watching the streets.

In addition to alcohol drinks, Finnegan's Irish also serves tea, coffee and snacks. In particular, the bar regularly organizes events associated with international football tournaments.


4. Funky. B

Funky B (formerly called Funky Buddha) is a bar located at No. 2 Ta Hien, known for house, trance and techno music. With unique music style, this place is a very popular address of foreign tourists and the foreign community in Vietnam.

Compared to many bars in the Old Quarter, Funky B is fairly large with two bars of two different styles. The bar near the door is somewhat "ordinary" while the inside bar is more impressive with a bird-cage wine rack. If you do not like the bustling atmosphere with DJ music, you can sit at the bar near the door to drink and chat with friends.


5. Spy Bar

Spy Bar at No.12A Nguyen Huu Huan Street is similar to Finnegan's Irish in design but visitors can still find here unique features. The bar is small, with several long benches for groups and high stools at the bar. You can go upstairs if you want a more private space.

Spy Bar has live music and mini gameshows in Friday evening. Drinks here are quite cheap, VND20,000-40,000 ($1-2)/beer bottle, VND15,000-20,000/a cup of coffee and tea.

jackbl
07-02-2014, 12:20 AM
The best sidewalk restaurant for backpackers in Saigon
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VietNamNet Bridge – For Saigonese, it is a normal sidewalk restaurant but for foreign tourists, this is a must-visit site when they come to Vietnam.

In the last few years, the image of foreigners sitting on the sidewalk to taste noodles has become too familiar to the people living in Nguyen Dinh Chieu apartment blocks in District 1.

Come here at noon, you will see many Western tourists crammed around small plastic tables to enjoy traditional dishes of Vietnam such as bun mam (fish noodle), bun bo (noodle with beef), bun thit nuong (noodle with roast meat)…

That's because this is the restaurant introduced by famous chef Anthony Michael Tony Bourdain in the culinary discovery program No Reservations (US).

This 20 -year-old sidewalk restaurant has become famous among foreign tourists for about five years. According to the restaurant owner, Mr. Thanh, Chef Anthony and his crew came here to enjoy food and film the restaurant after they read an article on the journal Asialife.

After the conversation with Thanh, a jolly middle-aged woman, Anthony decided to call the restaurant “Lunch Lady.” Since then, the sidewalk restaurant has become famous with that name.

As a sidewalk restaurant, “Lunch Lady” looks indifferent from other sidewalk shops. It has only one glass cabinet containing enough materials needed for a dish with a huge pot of broth. The restaurant has no roof, no billboard nor the menu. Each day the shop offers one or two dishes, which are daily changed without any certain rules.

You will not know which dish that you will be served until you sit down at the table. You may be served with bun mam, hu tieu, bun thit nuong or sometimes bun bo. However, customers do not feel annoyed but they feel excited for that "unusual thing.”

This restaurant is not only famous for delicious food but also for the oral advertising by foreign backpackers. Though the shop sells only one or two dishes, without only two hours (from 11am to about 1pm), the dishes are always prepared very carefully. Thanks to the good quality, customers often come back to the shop to taste other delicious cuisines despite the blazing sun in Saigon at noon.

Pha Le

jackbl
09-02-2014, 12:08 PM
The 5 summer coolers of Ho Chi Minh City
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1. Coconut juice:

Coconut juice is a helpful beverage in such hot weather like Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are two kinds of places where you can get coconut juice: in a cafe or from the street vendors. In a cafe, a coconut costs you about $2. The good thing of having a coconut in such coffee shops is the cool and fresh atmosphere, because most coffee shops in HCMC is well-equipped with air-conditioner. Visitors can just enjoy the light sweet taste of coconut juice and relax. Another advantage is you can eat the coconut flesh by using the spoon and swirling inside out.

Unlike coconut from a coffee shop, coconut from street vendors is much cheaper. It costs less than $1 for each whole coconut. However, instead of sitting comfortably in the coffee shop, when drinking coconut juice from street vendors, you will just remain standing and finish your drinks because there is no seats available. Some people riding a motorbike often stop by a street vendor, buy a coconut, drink the juice and leave without eating the coconut flesh. Bargain is advised in case the price is much higher than expected.


2. Sugar cane juice:

Sugar cane juice is a popular drink in Ho Chi Minh City. With a small blending machine attached, a sugar cane juice shop does not take up too much space. When walking around the streets, you may accidentally see some or even many of them. Small chairs and stools are arranged around the small vehicle where people usually sit and talk with their friends while having drinks.

Sugar cane juice is just a simple and stress-relieving drink for it can cure thirsty, temporary hunger and sugar low situations. Besides, it is cheap. It can’t cost you more than 50 cents for a glass of sugar cane juice. Recently, some people makes some changes and mix some fruits into sugar cane juice while blending, such as: strawberry and orange, which increase the flavour and thus price of a drink up to 75 cents.

Places to try sugarcane drinks: Ben Thanh market is an easy place to find sugar cane juice at affordable price. If you like discovering around the city, you may see others on the street walks almost anywhere.


3. Smoothies:

Smoothie is another popular and widely available option when you are thirsty. Because Vietnam is a tropical country, there are plenty kinds of exotic fruits, some of which you may never try before. A smoothie is popular due to its good effects on people’s health, especially the skin.

Fruits contain lots of vitamins which are benevolent to your skin and your body as well. Unlike smoothies made in foreign countries, in Vietnam, fruits are blended with condensed milk. That’s why it may taste sweeter and richer than usual but more addictive, for sure. Besides, depending the seasonal availability of the fruits, some can be found in June but aren’t available in September.

Smoothies can be found at any coffee shop or even on the streets. The average price is $1-$1.5/ drink. Take-away is also available at some places. If you have special diet, such as sugar-free diet, you’d better go to a coffee shop and order your special smoothie rather than having one from the street vendors because the sweetener might not be available at these places.


4. Iced Coffee:

It would be a great mistake if one does not mention coffee when talking about local drinks in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnamese people often drink coffee to start a new day before going to work. They can either drink it at home (home-made coffee) or at the coffee shop or even on the streets. Coffee shop in Vietnam varies from designs, architecture to pricing.

Coffee from street vendors (again?!) is the most affordable one. It costs you about 25 cents for a tall. In upscale coffee shops, price is much higher up to $2-$4/ a cup of coffee. However expensive it is, the atmosphere and backgrounds with light music all the time can make it up. Is there anything better than sitting in a relaxing environment, savoring coffee to start a new day?

Coffee in Vietnam may be stronger than any other countries’. If you are not a good coffee drinker, you may try a little bit first or else you may stay awake all that night! In hot weather, a ca phe sua da (iced coffee with condensed milk) will certainly does the job.


5. Nuoc Sam:

Herbal tea or Nuoc Sam is a very typical drink of Ho Chi Minh City. It is made from boiling the water with some special herbal plants. These plants have a good effect on balancing self-temperature in hot weather and cool down the body as well. They can be bought at oriental medication shop along Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, District 5.

If you have time, you can buy some and make it at home. Just boil the water with the plants for a few minutes, let it cool down in open air, then put in the fridge for later use.

For busy people, you can find some on Cach Mang Thang Tam street after passing the Cong Truong Dan Chu roundabout. It costs less than 25 cents for a Nuoc Sam, a fairly cheap price.

After drinking, you feel like your body has been recharged and revived. Fresh taste of Nuoc Sam attracts lots of people. They can’t resist having a second drink. These shops are often designed for stopping-by or take-away. It might not be a great idea if you are planning to sit there for a long time!

jackbl
13-02-2014, 01:05 AM
Valentine’s Day and Vietnamese love language
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Editor’s Note: Stivi Cooke is an Australian expat based in Hoi An Ancient Town in central Vietnam. He is working as an English language and hospitality teacher in the town.

"Anh yêu em!", "Em yêu anh!" (both mean “I love you!”) Ah… it’s that special time of the year, isn’t it?

Spring’s not far away and young women across Vietnam are busy chatting online about Ngày Valentine or Valentine’s Day (February 14). It’s also known as the feast of love (Lễ Tình Nhân). Older men usually give their wives flowers or something romantic on March 8th (International Women’s Day) or the 20th of October (Vietnamese Women’s Day) but it’s not such a big thing for older couples.

You can imagine the comments… “Ooo, I wonder where he’s taking me?”, “I bet he’s going to buy roses!” and of course, “I dropped a dozen hints and he STILL has no idea! Humph!” It’s the most dangerous test of love of the year. Forget this one and you can bet your girlfriend will get her revenge later on! Still, it’s impossible to ignore in the Vietnamese online forums and media, so a smart guy should be safe!

I’ve got to admit, Vietnamese girls have an imaginative way of reminding men. A few years ago, I taught at a local university in central Vietnam’s Hoi An Ancient Town, where I currently live. My all too cute students would take to drawing manga-style love cartoons on my whiteboard before classes and dropping ‘hint bombs’ into our English lessons with a giggle while trying to keep a straight face.

“Mr Stivi, where are you taking your girlfriend on Valentine’s Day?” (Present continuous tense followed by howls of laughter)

“Teacher! Have you ever been in love?” (Present perfect and much sniggering)

“Teacher, will you buy me chocolates and flowers?” (Simple future tense and lots of finger pointing at the now very embarrassed teacher)

My revenge is setting the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet as homework…

The Vietnamese language of love is interesting too. Gấu can mean ‘bear’ – sometimes cute and cuddly or a big fat grumpy thing and mostly for girls nowadays. However gấu chó (literally translated as ‘bear dog’ but referring to ‘sun bear’) can mean an unfaithful partner. Chăn 37 độ (37 Celsius-degree blanket) can mean a warm boyfriend! Ghẹ or ghệ, depending on the region and probably the accent, can mean a girlfriend. As any foreigner who has lived here for a while can testify, Vietnamese is full of slang. Cưng can mean ‘honey’; ông xã or its short form ox for ‘hubby’ and bà xã for ‘wifey’!

Ngày Valentine is a recent and mostly young Vietnamese trend but it has unusual effects such as students missing from classes because it’s lucrative to go and sell flowers outside the school! The price of love is expensive too, up to VND150,000 for a bunch of flowers. I pity that boyfriend!

All the quintessential gifts are still there – teddy bears (gấu bông), chocolates, love messages and of course ‘couple’s bracelets’…Guess who loves you? I’m lucky that my girlfriend hasn’t given me a toy frog and asked me to kiss it yet! No, honey, it’s not a good idea…

Yet unlike affluent western romantics, a quiet romantic dinner is still an unusual thing here with most lovers settling for something simpler. Mind you, I have no idea how a date at the cinema can be considered romantic if everyone’s texting and chatting all the way through the movie! Or for that matter, parking the bike at one of Hanoi’s or Ho Chi Minh’s small parks as the traffic swirls around. Somehow honking horns are not a great soundtrack to love.

Hot dates here are more the KFC/pizza/ice-cream deal, a walk around the park, riding bikes together, hugging the boyfriend as the motorbike meanders around the rice fields in the cool night air (country love is more romantic, ha-ha…) or just chilling out at the coffee shop. However, it can be very weird to see a couple sitting next to each other, not talking, just staring at their mobile phones! If the couple is particularly daring, they may opt for a street-side stall with low lighting and trees to hide their kissing and cuddling!

It’s one thing that’s very constant here and one of the things that I love about Vietnam. I feel we are losing this sense of ‘active romance’ in the West – the endless parade of young couples riding to somewhere, chatting their way through the traffic, rushing in groups of couples to the coffee shops, the late night chats in front of the parent’s house and the flirting on school bikes as they ride home. You see life being lived to the full all around.

So remember guys, keep your girlfriends happy this Ngày Valentine and you’ll have a year’s peace!

It’s a great reminder that love in Vietnam is vibrant, frequent, energetic, and busy!

It’s also the one thing that makes us all the same, no matter wherever you are in the world.

jackbl
17-02-2014, 12:36 AM
The famous dishes from insects in Vietnam
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VietNamNet Bridge – Through the hands of Vietnamese chefs, the insects with ‘creepy’ looks like stink bugs, grasshoppers, ant eggs, coconut worms and bee larvae become unforgettable delicacies.


Steamed glutinous rice with ant eggs

Not all kinds of ant eggs are edible. It must be eggs of black ants that build nest on the tree. The ant egg season begins from March of the lunar calendar and this period lasts over a month.

Processing ant eggs is very sophisticated. These tiny eggs are cleaned gently with warm water and mixed with seasonings, dried onion and fried with fat until the eggs spread the nice aroma.

The eggs are then put on a banana leaf so the nice smell of eggs is mixed with the smell of the leaf. This dish goes with steamed sticky rice.

Stink bugs roasted with lemon leaves

For people in rural or mountainous areas, stink bugs are the material to make delicacies. It is believed that stink bugs live on essences of plants, so they are very nutritious.

To remove odors, bugs are soaked in brine for several hours and then it is boiled with water and sour bamboo shoots until the water is gone.

The bug tails are removed to reject the pungent smell. The bugs are roasted with lemon leaves, with high heat until their color turns into light brown to have a crispy, sweet and fleshy dish.

Cicadas, scorpions and grasshoppers can be also processed the same way but their tastes are different from each others.

Silkworm pupae roasted with lime leaves is also a delicious dish.


Crispy white crickets

White crickets are as fat as prawns, fresh as crab meat, delicious and nutritious. It is believed that eating white crickets can cure many diseases such as rheumatism and obesity.

White crickets are roasted in hot oil, together with chopped bacon and lemon leaves.


Larvae

Bee larvae contain a lot of vitamins, proteins, minerals, sugars and amino acids. People in several northern mountainous provinces of Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang and Cao Bang process bee larvae into many dishes with various spices like shallots, fresh ginger and chopped lime leaves. Eating hot bee larvae, you'll feel a fragrant, soft and succulent tastes.


Coconut worms

For many, it is fearful to see coconut worms which are as big as fingers wiggling. But with people in the southwestern region of Vietnam, they are the gift of nature, a specialty that is not always available.

In the southwestern region, coconut worms are most in Ben Tre, which is the home to vast forests of coconuts. Though they are harmful for coconuts, they are the raw material for processing many aromatic, fatty and delicious cuisines.

Every year, in the rainy season, may-bugs begin hollowing out coconut trees to lay eggs inside. When the eggs are hatched into larvae, the larvae begin to eat the coconut trees. When coconut trees are waned, it is also the time the coconut larvae are very fat. As such, people just cut down the coconut trees to collect worms.

The easy-processing and being the most popular dish, fresh worms served with chili sauce.

The living worms are dropped into a bowl of alcohol. After the worms emit contaminants, they are washed and put into a bowl of chili fish sauce. The living worms are fat and fleshy, which feels no different from egg yolk.

Coconut worms are also processed into other cuisines like fried butter worms, fried worms served with herbs, etc. But the most unique cuisine is coconut worms with sticky rice. Coconut worms are steamed on the sticky rice pot. When the steamed glutinous rice is done to a turn, the worms are also done. Sticky rice and coconut works are severed together, making a very special flavor.

Besides coconut worms, the southwestern people also have two other kinds of worms, which are quite rare – worms from dung dinh trees and worms from palm trees. According to their experience, worms from dung dinh trees are the best for gruel and the other kind is the best for grilling.

T. Van

profx
24-02-2014, 02:49 AM
Vietnamese language already difficult to learn and they using those short form to type, really make the learning even more difficult.
They like to type those 1 alphabet word like d, j, k.. ...got dictionary on hand also cannot translate.

nek means NOT...is a gen y or z slang..same as hok, ko, kg, k, khong...:)

:) thanks... now i changing to syt and need to know more and learn about gen y or z slang :D

pushup
02-03-2014, 07:59 PM
What is the meaning of co ong hoi tai sao toi di khong lai, nhung khong sao. cam on ban da quan tam toi?

thks

love09
03-03-2014, 01:08 AM
Welcome to Viet Nam
Chào mừng đến với Việt Nam

volcano
03-03-2014, 01:52 AM
Vietnamese language already difficult to learn and they using those short form to type, really make the learning even more difficult.
They like to type those 1 alphabet word like d, j, k.. ...got dictionary on hand also cannot translate.


same in Sinkie what....ppl also use knn,kns,nnkc,kpkb etc :D

profx
03-03-2014, 04:16 AM
The meaning could be

Have you ask why i not going? But no problem. Thank you for your interest in me.

What is the meaning of co ong hoi tai sao toi di khong lai, nhung khong sao. cam on ban da quan tam toi?

thks

pushup
03-03-2014, 12:47 PM
Can help translate

1) toi se ve vn 15 thang 3nay, ban hoi co chi khong
2) sao gio nay a chua ngu


Kum sia

Hurricane88
03-03-2014, 01:17 PM
Can help translate

1) toi se ve vn 15 thang 3nay, ban hoi co chi khong
2) sao gio nay a chua ngu


Kum sia

many dare not to reply because you will sure ask more...kkkk...:)

let me try ok...

1) toi se ve vn 15 thang 3nay, ban hoi co chi khong - I shall repturn to Vietnam on 15 March, you asked if I have older sister
2) sao gio nay a chua ngu - at this time now you have not yet sleep

co ong hoi tai sao toi di khong lai, nhung khong sao. - boss asked why you dun come, but no problem.
cam on ban da quan tam toi? - thank you for caring for me?

pushup
03-03-2014, 01:20 PM
many dare not to reply because you will sure ask more...kkkk...:)

let me try ok...

1) toi se ve vn 15 thang 3nay, ban hoi co chi khong - I shall repturn to Vietnam on 15 March, you asked if I have older sister
2) sao gio nay a chua ngu - at this time now you have not yet sleep

co ong hoi tai sao toi di khong lai, nhung khong sao. - boss asked why you dun come, but no problem.
cam on ban da quan tam toi? - thank you for caring for me?

Pai she lol.. thks

pushup
03-03-2014, 01:21 PM
many dare not to reply because you will sure ask more...kkkk...:)

let me try ok...

1) toi se ve vn 15 thang 3nay, ban hoi co chi khong - I shall repturn to Vietnam on 15 March, you asked if I have older sister
2) sao gio nay a chua ngu - at this time now you have not yet sleep

co ong hoi tai sao toi di khong lai, nhung khong sao. - boss asked why you dun come, but no problem.
cam on ban da quan tam toi? - thank you for caring for me?

Pai she lol.. Thks

volcano
03-03-2014, 02:22 PM
many dare not to reply because you will sure ask more...kkkk...:)

let me try ok...

1) toi se ve vn 15 thang 3nay, ban hoi co chi khong - I shall repturn to Vietnam on 15 March, you asked if I have older sister
2) sao gio nay a chua ngu - at this time now you have not yet sleep

co ong hoi tai sao toi di khong lai, nhung khong sao. - boss asked why you dun come, but no problem.
cam on ban da quan tam toi? - thank you for caring for me?


"ban hoi co chi ko"

the "chi" here does not mean "elder sister"

the meaning is "u ask if there's anything"


"co ong hoi tai sao"

"ong" does not 100% means boss (ong chu then is 100%)

"ong" means older men in general.

Hurricane88
03-03-2014, 02:25 PM
"ban hoi co chi ko"

the "chi" here does not mean "elder sister"

the meaning is "u ask if there's anything"


"co ong hoi tai sao"

"ong" does not 100% means boss (ong chu then is 100%)

"ong" means older men in general.

thank you very much...I knew that...but after I checked thru his previous posts...I can roughly confirmed what i translated...:)

that is why tieng viet is never easy...:)

volcano
03-03-2014, 02:29 PM
Pai she lol.. Thks


well...no offence bro,

do u do know why nobody translates for u after a long time?

many here do has the ability on doing that,but just like someone say that...once translate for u,there will be more coming and u will basically treat it as "dictionary"..

it is not doing u any good bcos the gal will misunderstand that u knows Vietnamese and ur life will be more miserable when u got to log in often to check if anyone has translate for u.

i have give advice on this matter countless times..why cant just tell the VB that ownself dont understand Vietnamese and send the msg in English??

i believe many are using smart phone nowadays and there is the dictionary app to make translation.

pushup
04-03-2014, 03:49 PM
What is toi noi khi nao ranh moi di?

KangTuo
04-03-2014, 04:35 PM
What is toi noi khi nao ranh moi di?

She is pissed off by you.

I say when I am free then go!!!

pushup
04-03-2014, 04:48 PM
thks brother

mutantchicken
05-03-2014, 03:17 AM
can any bro translate this for me?

Troi dat may thang nay qua ngu, di choi muon cua co gai vn ma ko hieu ko chieu hoc noi ra thi ko co kha nang de cua co gai, chac lan sao phai len day hoi ng ta chi keu fuck luon.

KangTuo
05-03-2014, 11:08 PM
can any bro translate this for me?

Troi dat may thang nay qua ngu, di choi muon cua co gai vn ma ko hieu ko chieu hoc noi ra thi ko co kha nang de cua co gai, chac lan sao phai len day hoi ng ta chi keu fuck luon.

I try..

omg, this bugger extremely stupid, go play want hook vn gals but don understand don want to learn. say out don have "kha nang" can hook gals. surely next time come here ask ppl teach pattern to fxxk

MeiZhenXiang
06-03-2014, 12:41 AM
LOL..

KT, I don't know whether your translation is really what it is or you make fun only. I do am able to pick up some TV in the message which tally with what you translated.

So, is your translation really what the TV saying? :o

mutantchicken
06-03-2014, 01:36 AM
I try..

omg, this bugger extremely stupid, go play want hook vn gals but don understand don want to learn. say out don have "kha nang" can hook gals. surely next time come here ask ppl teach pattern to fxxk

A- cuz may thang = these guys, kha nang means capacity, noi ra means say out or also to "claim" or state out

bigdude
10-03-2014, 12:19 AM
Anyone can help..

em cung co nho toi anh, nho anh toi an chao ech, khong nhin thay ot do mac. em nghi thay thoung anh

Thks

KangTuo
10-03-2014, 12:26 AM
Anyone can help..

em cung co nho toi anh, nho anh toi an chao ech, khong nhin thay ot do mac. em nghi thay thoung anh

Thks

I also have miss you. Miss you till eat frog porridge, did not see ot do mac. I think i love you dearly

bigdude
10-03-2014, 12:38 AM
I also have miss you. Miss you till eat frog porridge, did not see ot do mac. I think i love you dearly


Thks.. hmm.. the last sentence that u translate is it correct?;)

KangTuo
10-03-2014, 12:52 AM
Thks.. hmm.. the last sentence that u translate is it correct?;)

You can check with her...

jackbl
10-03-2014, 02:07 AM
What is the meaning of co ong hoi tai sao toi di khong lai, nhung khong sao. cam on ban da quan tam toi?

The 2 sentences do not seem to be related.... difficult to translate... unless u give a more details of whole conversation :(

jackbl
10-03-2014, 02:25 AM
Anyone can help..

em cung co nho toi anh, nho anh toi an chao ech, khong nhin thay ot do mac. em nghi thay thoung anh

A suspicious word. could be wrong spelling? only the writer will know :(

Pohchuan
11-03-2014, 01:04 AM
"nho anh toi an chao ech, khong nhin thay ot do mac. "

Maybe some kind of idiom or poetry or colloquial expression.

"Miss you till I gotta eat frog porridge but alas did not realize that those chilies (assume as a condiment to frog porridge) are expensive" - essentially means: miss you and she patiently wait through all suffering, but it drains her emotion and hurts a lot...blah blah blah.

Porridge wont cost much but the chilies are. Porridge represent suffering which she can endure but chilies which represent her pain and emotion, hurt her a lot.

jackbl
14-03-2014, 12:41 AM
Hanoi, HCM City in top cities with cheapest hotel prices in the world
================================================== ===========================
VietNamNet Bridge - Hanoi ranked second and HCM City ranked sixth in the top 10 cities with the cheapest hotel room rates on hotels.com.

According to this prestigious site, in 2013, the price of hotel rooms in Hanoi was $65.2 per night, down 20% compared with 2012 ($81.9). In Ho Chi Minh City, visitors had to pay $95.3 for one night, down 2% on the previous year ($98.6).

The remaining eight cities in the top ten include Phnom Penh (1st) for a night room rate of $55. Siem Reap ranked third with $70.2. Two Thai cities of Chiang Mai and Pattaya ranked fourth ($76.9) and fifth ($ 76.9).

The four cities ranked from sixth to tenth are Riga ($102), Bangkok ($102), Krakow ($103.6) and Vilnius ($107).

The world's most expensive places to stay in 2013 were Monte Carlo of Monaco with up to $331.1/night, followed by the city of Muscat (Oman) with $324.4/night, New York $309 and Key West $285.9.

The city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) ranked fifth with $279.2, then Cancun $265.9, Moscow $259.2, Boston $252.5, Cannes $252.5 and Geneva $250.8.

T. Van

bigdude
15-03-2014, 10:50 AM
Hi

Pls help what is E pua sin roi?

Hurricane88
15-03-2014, 12:06 PM
Hi

Pls help what is E pua sin roi?

Oops ask again....die die she said she dead liao....:)

mutantchicken
15-03-2014, 12:59 PM
Hi

Pls help what is E pua sin roi?

she say i love you fat boy (not sure is this refers to you being fat or ur penis being big) i wanna east you and swallow everydrop as its so yummy, and i want to do this for free, i will even pay u if u need money.

jackbl
15-03-2014, 01:01 PM
haha.các bạn thật hài hước.tôi là người việt nam.nếu ai qua việt nam du lịch.tôi rất sẵn lòng để đưa các bạn đi thăm quan đất nước xinh đẹp của tôi

Thanks! Hope u not another OKT :D :p

jackbl
15-03-2014, 01:04 PM
em cung co nho toi anh, nho anh toi an chao ech, khong nhin thay ot do mac. em nghi thay thoung anh

A suspicious word. could be wrong spelling? only the writer will know :(

Pls help what is E pua sin roi?

The last time u ask for translation, I seek your help to clarify with the gal. No response from u!!! :( :o

Hurricane88
15-03-2014, 03:42 PM
rất sẵn lòng đón tiếp bạn
be happy to welcome you :D translate.google.com :D

Why do we need u...what so special about your services...u mean we dun need to pay you...:p

volcano
15-03-2014, 05:45 PM
haha.các bạn thật hài hước.tôi là người việt nam.nếu ai qua việt nam du lịch.tôi rất sẵn lòng để đưa các bạn đi thăm quan đất nước xinh đẹp của tôi :D:D


majority of the people in this forum go to Vietnam for pussy rather then sight seeing...usually sight seeing or short gateway to other province will also have the accompany of pussy...:D

volcano
15-03-2014, 05:47 PM
The last time u ask for translation, I seek your help to clarify with the gal. No response from u!!! :( :o



why bother him and get upset abt it...he machiam come here shit liao then just go..let him wake up and get the gal msg him in English.

MrPimp
16-03-2014, 05:42 AM
no no...free download low speed.:D:D:D

What are you taling about?

mutantchicken
16-03-2014, 02:53 PM
What are you taling about?

if u look at his post history he is promoting a JAV website ie jap porn

jackbl
20-03-2014, 02:34 AM
What Vietnamese spend their money on?
================================================== =======
VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese rank seventh in the world in the amount of gold consumed, the third in Asia in the volume of beer drunk and it always is one of the biggest instant noodle consumers in Asia.


Vietnamese like gold

The report of the World Gold Council (WGC) showed that while the world’s demand decreased by 51 percent in 2013, the demand for gold still increased by 23 percent and the demand for gold jewelries by 4 percent in Vietnam.

An expert noted that the WGC’s report is reliable. “The market is now quiet, but this does not mean that it is frozen. People keep buying gold. This is why 70 tons of gold put into auctions by the State Bank has been sold out,” he said.

General Director of VGB Tran Thanh Hai noted that the fear for high inflation is the main reason which prompts people to continue buying gold, even though the watchdog agency has been trying every possible way to ease the “goldenization” in the national economy.

The gold price in the domestic market is VND36.06-36.13 million per tael.



Vietnamese spend billions of dong on beer, dog meat

While tens of thousands of businesses have shut down in the economic downturn, br$$$$$es still have been prospering with the steady growth rate of 10 percent per annum.

This is because br$$$$$es have a vast domestic market. Vietnam has always been among the 25 biggest beer drinkers in the world, while it is the third in Asia and leader in South East Asia.

A report showed that in 2012, Vietnam consumed 3 billion liters of beer, worth $3 billion.

In 2010, Vietnamese drank 200 million liters of H. beer, one of the best-known brands in the world, ranking third to the US and French in the list of the 170 markets where the brand has been present.

Vietnamese have also been famous in the world as eating 5 million dogs a year.

They also make records in the amounts of instant noodles consumed. A report of WINA, an instant noodle association, released in mid-2013 showed that 5 billion packs of noodles is consumed in Vietnam every year.

There are 50 instant noodle manufacturers in Vietnam which make out 50 billion packs of noodle a year, according to a report by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2012. Every Vietnamese consumes 1-3 packs a week.


Vietnamese most sparing in ASEAN

While Vietnamese are willing to spend money on their hobbies, they tend to practice thrift in daily life.

The latest report of Nielsen, a market survey firm, showed that Vietnamese are the most sparing in ASEAN.

Seventy-four percent of polled Vietnamese said they would save money after covering basic needs. The proportions were lower in other countries – 72 percent in Indonesia, 68 percent in the Philippines, 66 percent in Thailand, 64 percent in Singapore and 63 percent in Malaysia.

Ninty percent of Vietnamese said they have changed their consumption habits to save money. Most of them have cut down expenses on clothes and entertainment services. Besides, they also try to cut down expenses on gas and electricity bills.

Dat Viet

Teenboy
20-03-2014, 02:57 AM
Any nice viet pubs to intro ?

KangTuo
21-03-2014, 07:13 PM
Any nice viet pubs to intro ?

Yes, many many

jackbl
22-03-2014, 12:47 PM
Continue after 2 months :D


Learn Vietnamese with Video - What's in Your Daily Cycle of Vietnamese?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlutcjl6u7M

love09
23-03-2014, 12:56 AM
Xin chao = hello
Cam on = thank you

jackbl
29-03-2014, 12:24 PM
Learn Vietnamese with Video - Learn the Best Way to Spend Your Day with This Vietnamese Lesson!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_kCZVmEXP8

jackbl
30-03-2014, 11:48 AM
Vietnamese Listening Practice - At a Vietnamese Bookstore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwRRq8DTG5w

jackbl
02-04-2014, 01:54 AM
Vietnamese Listening Practice - At a Restaurant in Vietnam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI0sB_r4bhc

jackbl
07-04-2014, 01:04 AM
Vietnamese Listening Practice - Reading a Vietnamese Journal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKlqNCaqTDg

jackbl
16-04-2014, 12:01 AM
Vietnamese Listening Practice - Looking at a Photograph from Vietnam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U8qbFEOYcY

jackbl
20-04-2014, 01:56 PM
Vietnamese Listening Practice - At the Jewelry Store in Vietnam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBSo1rfQ4FM

jackbl
21-04-2014, 12:21 AM
Vietnamese Listening Practice - Rearranging the Office in Vietnam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy03ui0GWnM

jackbl
22-04-2014, 01:20 AM
Vietnamese Listening Practice - Getting Some Groceries in Vietnam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuJOiKQRfXE

jackbl
23-04-2014, 02:40 AM
Not sure whether I have posted this series before.... anyway more info could be better :D :p

Learn Vietnamese - Greetings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ufOgAOvS2Y

jackbl
23-04-2014, 11:45 PM
Learn Vietnamese - Making Apologies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C55JVGlgZd0

jackbl
26-04-2014, 02:17 PM
Learn Vietnamese - Vietnamese Manners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pukWsZ4BjLw

jackbl
27-04-2014, 03:35 PM
Why u must learn vietnamese if u go into Salon?

Vietnamese Hair Salon - Short Hair ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpnS6Sslsu4

jackbl
28-04-2014, 12:48 AM
Vietnamese language class for travellers - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyubhBnVNTY

jackbl
30-04-2014, 12:35 AM
School love: teens need sex education
================================================== ======
VietNamNet Bridge – Student psychology is becoming increasingly complex. This fact requires schools to change sex education methods.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Minh, Director of the Center for Reproductive Health and Family Planning of the Central Obstetrics Hospital in Hanoi, says sex education classes at schools are “just for fun” rather than providing meaningful information to students.

Currently, more than 1/3 of youth in Vietnam don’t have access to safe contraception; moreover, they have little understanding of how to deal with unwanted pregnancy.

"It is weird that up to 90 percent of teenagers are well aware of the risk of pregnancy when having sex, but more than 80 percent of them do not use any contraception method. It is dangerous that they just think that if they are pregnant, they can <perform | simply get> an abortion!" she says.

According to experts, teenagers have boyfriends or girlfriends and have sex at a very young age because of the impact of the modern lifestyle. In addition, they are not taught good living skills at school.

“This is the stage of entering puberty when children start to discover themselves and learn about friends of the opposite sex. If they are not guided, they will have deviant behaviors," says Dr. Luong Ngoc Truong, Director of the Center for Reproductive Healthcare of Thanh Hoa Province.

A survey by the Faculty of Psychology at the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities showed that for every nine people doing sex consulting work at high schools, only two are qualified.

Although the Ministry of Education and Training has added reproductive health contents to the curriculum at secondary and high school, sex education is ineffective due to the shyness of both teachers and students. Also, the lack of a specific curriculum creates difficulties for teachers.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Thu Hien from the Nguyen Huu Tho High School in Ho Chi Minh City says: "Some 12th graders still think that they can become pregnant from kissing. This demonstrates that they lack basic knowledge about sex. Yet both families and teachers shun sex education because it is a very sensitive topic."

Teacher Le Thi Muoi Mot from the Tran Quang Khai Secondary School in Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province, says that sex education in school is a formalism because of the lack of curricula. Teachers usually integrate sex education content with genetics lessons. "In every lesson, teachers only talk about sex for 5-10 minutes," she says.

Explaining the causes of high rate of abortion among teenagers, Mr. Ngo Minh Uy, a psychology expert in HCM City, says that teens see sexual behavior as a way of expressing love. The problem, he says, is that they lack knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, and hence do not know how to deal with related problems.

Sex education should be taught at all general schools

According to the Department of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City, the city has more than 5,000 primary and secondary schools, with a total of 51 full-time psychological and gender consulting teachers and 157 part-time teachers in charge of psychological and gender education. The 105 high schools in the city have only 53 full-time and 141 part-time teachers in charge of psychological and gender education.

Dr. Dinh Duy Phuong, Deputy Rector of the HCM City Officer Training School, confirms that students' psychology is increasingly complex and they need help from professional consultants.

Sharing this view, Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Hong, Head of the Psychology and Applied Education Faculty at the HCM City University of Pedagogy, suggests general schools recruit more consultants or further train their teachers to provide psychological and gender education.

Mr. Cao Huy Thao, Headmaster of the Vietnam – Australia High School in HCM City, says that sex education is offered to kids at a very young age. In some schools, students are even provided with condoms.

In Vietnam, according to an official of the Institute of Sociology, many young people have told him that having sex before marriage is not a big problem, but it is more important to have safe sex.

"The more adults avoid sex issues, the more curious children are. Without guidance from adults, kids are at high risk of having adverse behavior. Therefore, schools should hold talks about sex with parents because the parents often have better rapport with their children than schools do. Many teachers admit that they can teach students about sex, but that it is very difficult to talk to their own children about this topic," Thao acknowledges.

According to Thao, the sooner children are provided with knowledge about sex, the better. However, the material should be appropriate to each age group.

Deputy Minister of Health – Mr. Nguyen Viet Tien admits that contraception education for adolescents and unmarried youths has been overlooked. Recently, the health sector has taken many measures to raise awareness and support for reproductive health care for this demographic.

"We have to accept the fact that a significant proportion of adolescents have sex. Therefore, we need to give directions and teach them contraceptive methods to minimize the risk of early pregnancy, which can affect their health and future," Tien says.

NLD

vietboy
30-04-2014, 11:15 AM
Happy Reunification Day to all!

jackbl
30-04-2014, 11:59 PM
Saigon’s iconic Ben Thanh Market turns 100
================================================== ======

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, on Saturday held a ceremony to mark the 100th founding anniversary of its iconic Ben Thanh Market.

The market developed from a wet market next to Saigon River created by street vendors in the early 17th century. It was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt to become Saigon’s largest market, called Les Halles Centrales, by the French in 1870.

In 1912, the market was moved to a new location and renamed Ben Thanh Market which was officially inaugurated in two years later.

The current 13.056m² market, renovated in 1985, is home to 3,000 traders selling various products and daily receives 15,000 visitors on average.

The market has witnessed a number of historical events taking place in Saigon and ups and downs of many generations of Saigonese. It is also known as a place for real Vietnamese food.

In January 2012, Food and Wine magazine, a monthly publication of American Express Publishing, listed Saigon in the top 10 of the world's best street food destinations and recommended global food-lovers to visit Ben Thanh Market where they can discover the beauty of Vietnamese cuisine and enjoy delicious dishes.

“The thing I remember most is that when I was seven or eight, Chinese and Indian traders offered a variety of products at the market while Vietnamese ran food stalls in the middle area,” 84-year-old Ly Luoc Tam, a local researcher, recounted the days he went to the market with his father.

According to Tam, Ben Thanh Market used to serve as a transport hub including stations of buses, horse-drawn carriages, and trains in addition to being a market.

Nguyen Anh Kiet, another city resident, said that located at Ben Thanh Market used to be water morning glory fields in the past, the majority of which were possessed by his maternal grandfather.

“When the market was established, my grandfather’s family members were given many stalls in the place. My grandmother’s siblings ran businessese there from 1914 to 1944 when the Japanese troops dropped bombs.”

In the memory of the 60-year-old Kiet, Ben Thanh offered a wide range of luxury products to wealthy market-goers and was a major food supplier for restaurants and hotels operated by Indians and French in the old days.

“It was normal that she sold 1,000 dry coconuts to Indian restaurants per day at that time. Though my grandmother just worked six months per year during that period, she saved a big amount of gold,” Kiet said.

For tourists, Ben Thanh Market is a must-see. “I think all of those working in the tourism industry would like to bring tourists to Ben Thanh Market because it is one of Saigon’s icons,” said Pham Huu Minh, a tour guide of The He Tre [Young Generation] travel firm based in this southern city.

jackbl
01-05-2014, 11:45 PM
Luxury goods originating from Vietnam
================================================== ======
VietNamNet Bridge - The names of these luxurious foods and drinks attract not only Vietnamese but international gourmets.


Marou Chocolates

Marou, the first artisanal chocolate maker in Vietnam, makes its products for serious cocoa fans. The chocolatier has displayed its wares for the past two years at the annual Salon De Chocolate trade fair in Paris.

All products are dark chocolate. Tien Giang chocolate 70 percent is a rare type of chocolate which is produced with 70 percent organic cocoa beans grown in the southern province of Tien Giang.

Meanwhile, their Dong Nai chocolate is described by the two founders of Marou, Samuel Maruta and Vincent Mouro, as a rare chocolate. It is processed in their factory near Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai Province.

Marou also produces raw chocolate containing 65 percent cocoa. All products of Marou are packed with a special kind of paper with patterns inspired by Vietnam’s wooden patterns.


Dalat Grapes

In 2006, viticulture expert Daniel Carsol planted the first crop of four French grape varieties, including Cabernet, Caladoc, Merlot and Syrah, in Dalat.

Carsol says he had traveled everywhere, from Laos and Cambodia to Myanmar, before finding the "right soil" outside Dalat City in Lam Dong province.

Carsol has cooperated with local partners to establish Dalat Grapes joint ventures. The first vintage products were produced in 2012, with only 500 bottles of Syrah and 300 of Cabernet. The number rose to 2,500 bottles in 2013.


The Better Seafoods

More than a decade ago, discouraged over the European Union’s increasingly burdensome regulations related to food production in his country, Jean Christophe Sevin, owner of an oyster farm, moved to the suburbs of Nha Trang to live and work.

Over the past seven years, his company, Biological Vietnam Seafoods, has produced world-class quality seafood such as lobster, blue crab, mussels and abalone, but the main product of the company is organic oysters. This product is provided to high-end restaurants in Hanoi and HCM City, as well as other countries such as Cambodia and Malaysia.


Caviar de Duc

The sturgeon farm of Vietnam Sturgeon Group was established in Dalat in 2007 at an altitude of 1,500 m above sea level. This is the first company in Vietnam producing and distributing caviar from sturgeon varieties bred in Dalat.

Previously, sturgeon eggs were produced only in areas with cold climates. Today, modern technology enables the breeding of rare fish like beluga in cool climate conditions, such as found in the highlands of Vietnam.

The firm’s top-quality product line, Osetra Malossol black caviar, has become the choice for leading hotels in Vietnam such as Sofitel Metropole and Park Hyatt Saigon.

Na Son

jackbl
03-05-2014, 12:19 AM
Vietnamese’s bad habits: The ‘Tunnel Vision’ epidemic
================================================== ===============
Editor's Note: An Australian expat, who has been living and working in Vietnam for more than ten years and wants to be anonymous, filed this story complaining that Vietnamese are stuck in so-called “Tunnel Vision,” which only allows them to see what is directly in front of them, not anything behind or next to them. The opinions expressed here are the author’s.

Consider that you are on the street, you are driving your motorbike, and the person next to you or slightly in front of you just decides to turn or just pulls out blindly from a side alley and almost hits you. Or while exiting a building, the person in front of you opens the door just enough to allow themselves through but neglects to hold the door open for the person behind them. Let’s even consider a decision made in haste, with the only factors taken into consideration are those directly in front of the decision maker, without considering the past, or what other people think.

Have you ever experienced any of these things – here in Vietnam?

To probably explain this let’s go back to my first example about the motorbike, since it’s a perfect metaphor for what’s going on here in Vietnam. Many bikes in Vietnam have no mirrors to see what’s going on around them, or if they do, they are often not used - or if they are - then they are used by the rider to see how good they look when they ride (or perfect for squeezing pimples, shaving, or finding gray hairs). The same could be said about Vietnamese mentality in public areas.

What seems evident is that Vietnamese people often don’t care enough about the people around them – especially the ones they don’t know. Now, I’m not talking about the obvious people who need help in their daily lives (eg. disabled people, old people, and the sick) because I think Vietnamese people are very charitable and helpful to those in need. No, I’m talking generally about interactions of the Vietnamese public.

Many Vietnamese often complain that the reason that people do things like cutting off people while riding their bikes, or cutting in line, or pushing and shoving to arrive first is because they have no shame. Some say it’s because of their lack of education, but maybe it’s more to do with a lack of awareness or care about how it makes other people feel. Others say that there are just not enough boundaries and effective punishments in society. To go back to the motorbike metaphor, if the bike can go there, then we should go there since if we don’t, someone else will, and thus get ahead of us in the “rat race.”

One Vietnamese person told me that she is often disgusted by those who break these social rules, but when the time suits her, she will also break the very same rules because she’s in a hurry. And sometimes, I find myself doing the same thing.

I don’t think it’s because people just don’t care. But maybe it’s because they have “Tunnel Vision” – which only allows them to see what’s directly in front of them (and nothing beside or behind). Maybe this is a product of the past – the war, the food lines, and the painstaking rebuilding of a nation – or maybe it’s something more personal: the feeling of being left behind in an increasingly fast-paced world.

Now, I’m not saying that it’s much better in the West; everyone can be selfish at times. But at least on the roads we have something called “GIVE WAY” to the left or right and have some order on the roads instead of “GIVE WAY-to-those-with-more-determination-to-pass” or “GIVE WAY-to-everything-bigger-and-faster-than-you”! And in public, foreigners are generally polite and courteous to those around us – especially if people show it first.

So maybe the public just needs to consider their actions more, and also denounce the anti-social behaviors that have led to this situation. In Western countries, we have amusing TV campaigns, contemporary pop and rock songs, and creative slogans to help build the idea that positive social behavior is “cool,” rather than simply banners or posters.

Or could the many cinemas with their lists of do’s and don’ts, or shopping centers and fast food joints with their orderly queues and set prices, be responsible for training people to behave socially as they spend and eat and enjoy?

Or is it just a matter of time, waiting for the next generation to mature and lead their children by example?

Some Vietnamese people say they don’t know, as they push into the queue, as they are generally not polite to others, and as they continue to drive on the footpath to avoid a traffic jam or red light. You might even see me up there sometimes…

Maybe people here just need to find a cure for their “Tunnel Vision.”

jackbl
03-05-2014, 11:25 AM
Vietnamese’s bad habits: Littering, belching, refusing to queue
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Editor’s Note: Thanh Vu Bui, who identifies himself as an Australian expat, emailed this piece to us on Wednesday in response to the article “Vietnamese’s bad habits: The ‘Tunnel Vision’ epidemic” published on our website the same day. Bui said in the email that “I’ve heard of the many reasons for the Vietnamese bad social habits,” citing Tunnel Vision, lack of education, and corruption as examples. Tuoitrenews does not vouch for the opinions expressed here which are the writer's own.

Vietnamese seems to be really concerned with “saving face,” but have no shame for their [mis]conduct and [mis]behavior.

I have consistently witnessed the following bad social etiquettes in public:

- Urinating

- Picking their nose[s], especially by restaurant workers

- Belching

- Not queuing

- Rushing out of airplane[s] first during debarking

- Disobeying traffic laws, and not giv[ing] other drivers the right way when they are already in front

- Walking into elevators before people exit

- Not holding doors open for other people behind them, or sneaking in when someone [has] just opened the door for themselves

- Littering

- Rushing everywhere in general, but slowest golfers in the world

- Talking in cinema[s], better now with all the public announcements by Megastar and BHD. Galaxy Cinema is the worst!

- Still trying to rip people off in restaurants with fraudulent bills, or having a higher price menu for foreigners

I’ve seen Vietnamese visiting other countries and able to display good social etiquettes, so they are all not ignorant. It’s time Vietnam start[ed] behaving in public respectfully like a mature society. In other societies, these bad social etiquettes are faux pas, something people would be embarrassed about, in Vietnam, they are the norm, but foreigners are embarrassed about seeing it to the point that they take pictures and talk about it socially, viralling the bad image all over the world.

jackbl
03-05-2014, 11:29 AM
How you experienced the same as reported above???

jackbl
04-05-2014, 01:22 PM
Vietnamese’s bad habits: Honking horns in Saigon
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Editor’s Note: American expat Robert Ackley says that in order to ease the traffic madness in Ho Chi Minh City, drivers must stop incessantly honking their horns.

Much has been written, especially of late, on the erratic and confusing nature of Vietnamese traffic law and culture. This is something I have long ago sorted out in my head and I have resigned myself to the roads here. Now, I’m but another expat on a Honda Wave, inching through the madness at 5:00 pm or careening down Nguyen Thi Minh Khai before the break of day. Admittedly, I use the sidewalks to my advantage and I often tread up one ways to save time because this kind of behavior on a motorbike seems to be accepted here in Ho Chi Minh City.

While it can produce temporary headaches and occasional accidents, the chaos maintains a harmony that is nothing short of remarkable considering the sheer volume of motorbikes on the road. However, if we want to talk about reforming the traffic in the city and call it a “problem,” where do we begin? Do we talk about missing mirrors or the lack of turn signals or do we focus on the arbitrary right-of-way laws that are engrained in the traffic system? I think it’s safe to say there’s no single way to change everything, but I do think there are ways to ease the pain, so to speak. We could start with noise pollution. That’s right, could we all calm down with the horns please?

To me, honking a horn can mean one of three things: you’re in my way and I want you to move, I’m coming towards you and you may not see me so here I am warning you, or the friendly ‘hello’ as you pass an acquaintance. In this southern hub, there must be more.

As a safety issue, I get it – you’re trying to pass someone and you want to let them know you are coming in strong to their left. However, the roads are full of people trying to pass each other and this sometimes results in a whole lot of honking and very little passing. Other times people sit in standstill traffic and honk aimlessly. They seem to forget they are honking until the light blinks green.

Perhaps the biggest players in the game of Ho Chi Minh City noise pollution are the taxis. They are awful. We all understand that taxis and cars belong in the left lane, but then again who follows the rules anyway? Taxis feel that it is their right to remind motorbikes that they are in the wrong lane even if they are a safe distance away. There is nothing worse than being trailed by a Vinasun under the control of a happy-handed driver. As they fade further away in the rearview mirror, their shrill cries for justice shriek on.

In America, if you honk at someone then there is a problem. You’re angry at them and demand explanation. It’s rare but not impossible to see verbal or even physical fights that begin with a feisty exchange of horns. So you can imagine that the transition from this to the all out free-for-all volley of horn blasts can be quite disorienting.

Keep in mind that the culture of honking in America has its variances. Some cities are more liberal behind the wheel, while others subject drivers to fines for unnecessary honking in certain parts of town. The UK as well delivers different views on this kind of noise. Honking in general is seen as very disrespectful unless absolutely necessary although I’m sure they too have their noisier cities. Needless to say, the West has no city that comes close to matching the frenzied racket of Ho Chi Minh City.

To pursue solutions to the problem is difficult because the problem brings us back to this city’s hazy traffic laws. The laws, or lack of laws, support the notion that every driver has the right-of-way. If you have the right to cut someone off while traveling the wrong way up a one-way street then what don’t you have the right to do? Honk your horn while doing so? I don’t think so.

While it is not uncommon that the abrasive barking of a Vinsaun taxi horn makes me want to drive my motorbike off the Saigon Bridge, the madness does make me smile sometimes. For instance, when I was cut off by a man whose horn has become worn out after years of overuse and the sound was thus reduced to that of a choking chicken, I couldn’t help but giggle. Better yet, I remember driving home once on a deserted road in District 3. A man came cruising by in the other direction with a broom in one hand, the bristles pointed towards the sky. His horn sounded on and off as he approached me and continued like this all the way down the street. Was he celebrating the victory of his favorite football club? Honking in a blind rage? Expressing his wild love for life in a series of disjointed beeps? I don’t know. Nothing was apparent. Maybe he was drunk, maybe I was dreaming, or maybe we were both living in Ho Chi Minh City.

jackbl
05-05-2014, 01:52 AM
Vietnamese’s bad habits: Never sticking to the plan
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Editor’s Note: Stivi Cooke is an Australian expat based in Hoi An Ancient Town in central Vietnam. He is working as an English language and hospitality teacher in the town.

Bad habits in Vietnam huh? We could be here all day talking about this one! Hmm… Picking your nose in public? Especially if you work in a restaurant? Nah – that’s being covered. Men peeing in the street in full view of the public? Ha! Must have been mentioned before! Loud music? Throwing stuff on the floor in a Vietnamese restaurant? I really don’t know where to start…

Oh, yes I do! Sticking to a plan! Time is a good example. I used to tell people to come to my office at 10:00 am, only to find myself waiting in total confusion for up to an hour and sometimes more.

If I said 10:00 am – Vietnamese will leave their houses around 10-‘ish’ and turn up with ten minutes before lunch which starts at 11:30 am, depending on the road conditions, whether they’ve read and replied to all their emails and texts or have planned to go to the market and visit seven friends recovering from motorbike accidents in hospital. Equally likely is a 7:00 am BAM-BAM on my door by someone who’s climbed over my fence to see me.

Now, a Westerner will get ready around 9:00 am, make sure everything has been done, and give himself plenty of time to arrive early. For us, a plan is a PLAN. Agreed to, signed in blood, never to be broken or changed without asking the other party first. Here – forget it.

Building a house is another great example. Months of patiently drawing the designs with the Vietnamese architect who may or may not have a clue what you want. The doors go HERE. The light switches go THERE. Haha… Good luck with that!

Unless you are literally on the site at dawn every day, anything can happen. One of my friends built a hotel with an open floor plan only to have the builders decide to include a water feature smack bang in the middle of the bar area!

Another friend was gobsmacked to discover that a decorative ‘central pillar’ had been constructed in the middle of his living room, making it almost impossible to move around freely.

Even in my own home, where I have lived for barely five years, the power switch, hot water switch and water pump switch are in three different corners of the room, meaning I have to walk in silly circles every time I want a shower!

It does not matter that it’s our money or time that’s been wasted and it’s near-impossible to get any compensation after the event. A contract is not a contract – it is a work in progress, subject to changes at any moment. A verbal agreement is a fool’s dream and a meeting without note-taking is a disaster waiting to happen.

There have been times when I had to abandon teaching projects because the local managers decided to change timetables into impossible schedules. Why? The timetables didn’t suit them but no new plan was drawn up.

Again – a plan is a plan – stick to it. The Vietnamese are learning the hard and very expensive way that dozens of resort projects that are now way overdue for completion, or even commencement, and ridiculously underfunded never had any real plan to begin with.

Even worse, many projects clash with one another once finished quickly because the plans never included any thoughts of consequences, a concept so alien to many Vietnamese that it deserves a whole article of its own.

Study plans are an awesome example. Let’s agree to learn for three months. By the second month, a third of the class discovers it doesn’t have the budget to continue, another third realizes they can’t learn English fluently in twelve weeks, and the remaining third are what I call ‘the successful generation’ – those who will stick to the plan no matter how hard it is.

Yet the excuses can be quite entertaining. “I thought it would look better this way.” Really? Can I now change your house too? “Teacher, I was tired.” Is that so? I saw you drinking in the coffee shop until 1:00 am. “My grandfather died.” Come on, he’s died three times this year, you’d better pick another relative to blame. “We need the classroom for our meetings.” Nup! You only meet twice a month to listen to a boring two-hour lecture from the boss… Sheesh!

Will it ever change? Sure. The more savvy young Vietnamese entrepreneurs now working with foreigners are discovering and learning rapidly the benefits of keeping to a plan or agreement. Young women in the hospitality workforce are often on time and keep to the plans for study.

Even for working class Vietnamese – they are learning that they have to stick to the plan to beat their competition or get things done in an economy that now depends on speed of transport and construction to grow. My neighbors are discovering they have to book sand deliveries on particular days now because the market is bigger and busier than ever before.

So, the next time someone is late – it’s your fault and you can meet me at the beach – I changed my plans…

jackbl
06-05-2014, 02:26 PM
Re: Is it hard to kick Vietnamese’s bad habits?
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Editor’s Note: Dear readers! Our “Topic for discussion: Is it hard to kick Vietnamese’s bad habits” has attracted lots of comments and stories from expats and foreign visitors. Tuoitrenews welcomes any response from you regarding this matter, so please direct your comments or/and articles to [email protected]

Below are some opinions against those previously published on our website.

John Childs (Kangaroo Island, Australia)

Xin chao! I'm an expat living in Vietnam for six plus years. I love Vietnam and try to write a little from my experience here.

Yes, I know very well what your writer refers to. This criticism has become a well known dirge among foreigners in Vietnam.

I don't agree with the notion that Vietnamese behavior needs education from the West and I'll say why.

As a Westerner who has also lived amongst different cultures before coming to Vietnam, I was first struck by the freshness and novelty of Vietnamese people [and] their essential "get on with their neighbors" character.

This is their strength and their operating system. This drives behavior that has become lost in Western society, so yes we have all these rules and punishments on the roads, but ha! People behave very badly despite all that.

Your writer omits to mention how in "Western Paradise" despite all the rules and punishments, fundamentally bad behavior and anger persist. That's the difference and Vietnam is a far better environment for that reason. The west can learn from this, [fewer] traffic lights, personal responsibility, sure there is this so-called ‘tunnel vision’ but 'not anger'.

Remember I'll experience road rage in Sydney. I prefer Vietnam.

Lindsey Kiang (Boston, Massachusetts)

That is an interesting topic! But I think that "advice" from foreigners (expats) on how the Vietnamese should behave sounds quite colonial. It sounds like foreigners again telling the "locals" how they should come up to foreign standards. Didn't Vietnam fight a very long war to gain its independence from foreign dominance?

No doubt there are many annoying habits in Vietnam; as a frequent visitor, I have seen them myself. But the Vietnamese people are entitled to live the way they want to live. If there are to be changes in behavior, suggestions or recommendations should come from the Vietnamese people themselves, not from condescending expats who are not part of the culture.

Your series can be very interesting and positive, but only if the observations and recommendations come from your Vietnamese readers themselves.

Glynn-Michael

In the “Honking horns” story, your writer wrote: “Admittedly, I use the sidewalks to my advantage and I often tread up one ways to save time because this kind of behavior on a motorbike seems to be accepted here in Ho Chi Minh City”.

I don’t agree with this. Actions like this have caused numerous street accidents [to] the (worldwide) tourist[s]. More expats like your writer should obey the accepted (worldwide) rules of the road. Stay [out] of the sidewalk and don’t go the wrong way. Staying in the motorbike lane usually won’t reward you with HONK HONK.

The press is full of stories about how to enhance Vietnam’s tourist image. Maybe here is a good start for those who can make a difference.

Hurricane88
06-05-2014, 04:18 PM
How you experienced the same as reported above???

yes very often...sort of immune and just go with the flow since i am foreigner in their land...:)

jackbl
07-05-2014, 12:59 AM
Vietnamese’s bad habits: Those 'annoyin’ Hanoians!'
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Editor’s Note: Scott Duke Harris, our Hanoi-based columnist, responds to an April 9 article by an anonymous Australian who complained that Vietnamese are stuck in so-called “Tunnel Vision,” which only allows them to see what is directly in front of them, not anything behind or next to them.

HANOI – The other day I was riding in a crowded taxi, seated beside the driver. We eased to a stop on a busy street, our path blocked by the sedan with a clearly inexperienced driver making an awkward U-turn in front of us.

He had maneuvered around one of those slim concrete barriers, designed to prevent the kind of risky passing maneuvers common among Vietnamese motorists, and was blocking two lanes.

To my far right, I noticed a motorcyclist with one passenger move forward, hoping to slither past the sedan in the gutter against the beveled curb.

The driver of the car had paused, as if belatedly realizing he lacked space to make a U-turn and would have to back up a bit before proceeding forward. The motorcyclist seized the moment.

But then the sedan lurched forward – and the right front bumper smacked the motorcycle in the side, knocking it and its riders tumbling on to the sidewalk.

Both the driver of the car and the rider of the motorcycle seemed stunned, as if wondering how that could have happened. The good news was that nobody appeared seriously injured. The driver of the sedan backed up and then moved a few feet forward before stopping to check on the motorcyclist and his passenger.

This incident came to mind as I read a recent post in Tuoi Tre’s City Diary titled “Tunnel Vision” by an Australian who has lived in Vietnam for ten years but didn’t want his or her authorship known.

The anonymous Aussie suggested that “tunnel vision” on the road might be a metaphor for self-centered social behavior in general in Vietnam. Sometimes, I think, “tunnel vision” is just inexperience.

Still, there are certainly reasons to gripe. Because I spend most of my time in the capital, I sometimes classify certain people as “annoyin’ Hanoians.” These include jerks who drive too fast in residential areas, motorcyclists on cell phones and litterbugs. Why, I wonder, aren’t more Hanoians annoyed themselves by these annoyin’ Hanoians? How about a little civic pride?

Vietnam’s manic motoring – a Darwinian struggle that pits adaptability against brute force – is the first culture shock for many newcomers.

In my first days in Vietnam, my son and I were frightened when at rush hour a herd of motorcycles suddenly roared up behind us on a sidewalk. A sidewalk!

Over the passing weeks, absorbing and contemplating the cognitive dissonance, it struck me as oddly ironic that a nation trying to unshackle itself from central economic planning had such a laissez-faire attitude about traffic.

When my children attended Hanoi International School, the school’s principal and staff formed a security gauntlet at the entrance in the morning to prevent motorcyclists from plowing into the children.

I now understand why motorcyclists sometimes use the sidewalks – but why do so many pedestrians prefer to walk on the street even when a sidewalk is available? Often these are companions walking side by side.

I respect the chutzpah – the attitude that they, as human beings, have as much right to that piece of asphalt as any car, motorbike or bicycle. If somebody honks, they tend to ignore it. Similarly, student bicyclists in my neighborhood often ride four or five abreast.

Having scootered around Hanoi for about three years – earning a few scrapes along the way, learning by harsh experience – I can now proudly claim to have used the sidewalk to negotiate a traffic jam or two. (When in Hanoi, do as the Hanoians do.)

I’ve had reason to drive against the flow of traffic a few times. I do regret, however, that time when I frightened that pedestrian who didn’t see me coming after I made a wrong turn. I could accuse her of “tunnel vision,” perhaps, but that seems unfair.

Annoyin’ Hanoians sometimes appear wherever there’s a queue. The other day, I took my place at the rear of a long line for movie tickets at a mall cinema. The queue stretched past the ropes strung to ensure first-come, first-served order.

Soon there were five or six other people behind me. As I approached the ropes, I noticed a man casually lurking. I eyeballed him, suspecting that he might sidle in if I became distracted. He noticed my stare, hesitated – and gestured me forward.

I wasn’t seeking permission, jerk. Get in line.

Speaking of the cinema in Vietnam, I admit to getting a guilty pleasure from that advertisement that mocks the crude rural folk who talks loudly on cellphones during a movie. That ad would be deemed rude and politically incorrect in the U.S., but such denigration is tolerated here.

I don’t want to overstate these matters, because there is, of course, rude behavior all over the world. Perhaps the episodes of aggressive, annoying actions or thoughtless “tunnel vision” stand out because it’s a contrast to the polite, gracious norm.

Still, more public service ads might be a good idea.

jackbl
09-05-2014, 01:03 AM
Without anomalies, Vietnam wouldn’t be the same: expat
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Editor’s Note: In response to our topic for discussion: “Is it hard to kick Vietnamese’s bad habits?” American expat Martha Kennedy says she can only smile at the “odd behaviors of the Vietnamese and enjoy just how incongruous they are to the rules” she learned while growing up in the U.S. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author who is currently an English teacher in the central city of Da Nang.

When asked if I’ve ever found the habits of Vietnamese people strange or offensive, I couldn’t help but laugh. My short answer is yes, I have – of course I have. Vietnam is not my home, so of course I have observed habits that I’ve found strange, out of the ordinary, and even a bit offensive. But after living in Vietnam for nearly 1.5 years, these habits are no longer so offensive to me: they are simply a part of the very visceral experience of living in Vietnam, as intrinsic to its culture as anything that might be viewed more positively by foreign eyes. Without such differences, Vietnam wouldn’t be the same. For aren’t the anomalies of a country as important, and as integral to its identity, as its celebrated aspects?

From my own perspective, I’ll list a few things that have made me look twice, and would certainly cause my mother to wince.

To be honest, men seem to be the main offenders. Hardly a day goes by without at least one sighting of public urination, with no noticeable attempt at hiding the dirty deed. Sure, this occasionally happens in the U.S., especially in rural areas, but usually men are seen standing in a patch of trees or a bush, not standing on the sidewalk in broad daylight. Men also seem to spit quite a lot, and with such bravado that I can’t help but assume they want to draw the attention of passers-by. I have dodged many times a spit ball flying my way while walking down crowded city streets.

Other habits aren’t specific to one gender. People rarely stifle their sneezes, and it almost seems they try to be as loud as possible. When I hear my neighbor across the street from me sneeze, I often mistake it for a scream. Also, there seems to be no stigma against picking one’s nose here – something that is quite taboo back home, unless you’re a child, and even then it’s heavily discouraged. Here, adults and children alike do so with gusto.

Despite my original shock at such habits, my attitude toward them has changed. I can’t help but feel there is a satisfaction that comes with doing what you want when you want, without caring who might see and what they might think. I know many Americans would likely jump at the chance to urinate or pick their nose in public if they knew no judgment would follow.

Let’s not forget the civilities that Vietnamese people adhere to, their unique ways of showing respect. When my students hand me a pen or piece of paper with both hands to show their subservience, I’m always struck with how formal it seems. Pointing is considered even ruder here than it is in Western culture and people go out of their way not do to it. And as a teacher, I’m shown more respect and admiration than I ever would be back home, where teaching is often looked down upon as a job for people who can’t do anything else.

Expats shouldn’t judge those whom they live amongst. Ultimately, we are guests in a foreign land, and our hosts are some of the most welcoming and warm people in the world. Here, I’ve had complete strangers invite me to their homes to meet their grandparents. I can't say the same for actual acquaintances back home. When I have gone home with Vietnamese friends, I’m treated as a special guest, asked questions about my life and America, and my plate and glass are never empty.

In the end, I can only smile at the (to my foreign eyes) odd behaviors of the Vietnamese and enjoy just how incongruous they are to the rules I learned while growing up in the US. And when I return home, I will miss Vietnam for all of its beauty and all of its anomalies, without which it wouldn’t be the same.

jackbl
11-05-2014, 02:56 PM
On the origin of Vietnamese’s bad habits
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Regarding Vietnamese people’s undesirable habits and poor social etiquette, a local expert has made some attempt to explain the reasons.

Associate Professor Nguyen Minh Hoa, vice chair of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Urban Planning and Development, stressed that though all peoples have their own undesirable habits and make fun of them sometimes, Vietnamese people tend to have more of them.

In recent years, these habits such as looting, rip-offs, public urinating and belching, littering, spitting, and disobeying traffic laws have even got intensified.

According to Hoa, the first reason is the lack of a continuous historical heritage.

The handing down and cherishing of such a heritage is easily noticed among Japanese.

Though conflicts and wars were rife at any time, Japanese people have always tried to preserve desirable qualities, irrespective of who gave birth to them, including their enemies.

Qualities such as dignity, self-esteem, and loyalty, which were exclusive to revered classes in the old times including “shogun,” “daimyo” and “samurai,” later became the whole society’s asset, the professor noted.

That is an explanation for the “Japanese miracle,” which followed the tsunami on March 11, 2011, during which over 20,000 people were killed and missing.

Amidst the sheer devastation, there was no ravage, killing, or rape whatsoever. People tried their best to maintain their order in disorder.

“Meanwhile, in our country, many of our ethical and cultural values weren’t passed down as a treasure. The mere 1.8ha Thang Long Royal Citadel is home to overlapping cultural strata from up to four or five dynasties, who erased all or most of their preceding dynasties’ ideologies and culture after overthrowing one another,” Assoc. Prof. Hoa said.

The professor pointed to the mighty Tran Dynasty (1226–1400), who defeated Chinese invaders three times, as an example.

The dynasty’s architectural works were annihilated while its weighty tomes conveying the dynasty’s cultural, artistic and ideological values were wiped out.

“This may partly explain why our traditional values handed down to today’s generations are mostly fragments, not complete blocks,” Hoa concluded.

The professor also pointed out the fact that Vietnam did not go through certain historical forms such as slavery and capitalism may be the second reason for Vietnamese people’s undesirable habits.

“Vietnam is among the few countries which didn’t undergo such socio-economic forms in the history, which may explain why a number of Vietnamese people are law-defying citizens and poorly-disciplined, disloyal employees,” Hoa remarked.

Vietnam also did not undergo any complete production medium, which resulted in factions and a lack of social unity, and may account for difficulty in or hesitancy to teamwork as well as social divisions among a number of Vietnamese, he further explained.

The absence of preparedness for the market-oriented economy may be also to blame for Vietnamese people’s unwanted habits.

After some 20 years of destitution due to the U.S.’s embargo, economic crisis and government subsidy, the sudden switch to the market-oriented economy has left leaders and average people alike unprepared and bewildered.

“People then jostled against one another and trampled upon ethical codes to earn as much as they could. The wildness of the poverty-stricken times, the infancy of the market-oriented economy and negative elements from the global integration process were combined and sharpened the ‘distortion’ and ‘hideousness’ among certain people,” Hoa said.

The professor also underlined the inadequacy of the state management mechanism as the fourth reason.

Apart from certain accomplishments, government operations remain inadequate in several places, resulting in increasingly wider gaps between the rich and the poor, rampant corruption and misappropriation, miscarriages of justice, plummeting faith, and deepening grievances among locals, Hoa elaborated.

jackbl
18-05-2014, 02:03 AM
Re: On the origin of Vietnamese’s bad habits
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Editor’s Note: Vietnamese-Canadian Huynh Anh Tuan has sent us his opinions in response to the story “On the origin of Vietnamese’s bad habits” published on April 21. The views expressed herein are his own.

The first reason that Prof. Hoa raised was the lack of continuity in the social and cultural development (lack of continuous heritage). Although Prof. Hoa pointed to a strong heritage displayed by Japanese, there is no proof that such heritage or lack of it is the reason behind the turmoil behaviors of Vietnamese.

Using a reverse reasoning with a couple of examples, the Chinese did have strong continuous heritage at many times in [their] history. Yet Chinese do display similar bad habits to Vietnamese’s like nose-picking, spitting in public, disobeying rules and laws, lack of respect for community facilities, avoid[ing] queuing, and many other poor habits in public. While Canada has only 150 years of celebrations, Canadians do have a very strong respect [for] whatever belongs to the public and communities.

They respect the cleanliness in public facilities [such] as public washrooms [and] common areas used by all. You hardly see a display of nose-picking/spitting in public. Rules of the road are mostly respected. Queuing is normal behavior when needed.

With the Canadian example, I want to point out that Canadians are comprised of heavy multicultural backgrounds, i.e. Canadians are people from all over the world, with different cultural and history background[s]. Yet when they come to Canada, they display a strong respect for what the Canadian society, laws, culture [have] to offer. They do not have the "Japanese desirable qualities" that Prof. Hoa raised but still they do not have the bad habits of Vietnamese and Chinese.

The second reason as explained by Prof. Hoa also tends to be too simplistic. Canada did not undergo such periods as described by Prof. Hoa: slavery [and] capitalism. Canada's laws are developed based on the benefits for the society as a whole. Even currently, we could describe Canada society rules as developed to benefit the society rather than any other groups: the sets of tax laws, the benefits that society provides to the poor or elderly, all work hand-in-hand. The richer pay more in taxes. The elderly get old-age benefits.

How to curb family violence?

Regarding [the] habits of using violence in the family or in society, Canada has laws dealing with such violence quite effectively: even a verbal threat of violence is not acceptable and would be dealt with seriously by the police services. This is to show that law-enforcement is also a very important contribution to the health of the society as a whole. So the second reason that Prof. Hoa raised is not too convincing.

As an example, in Vietnam, violence is easily resorted to solve issues in the family, at schools or out on the streets. In order to help with the elimination of such issues, we need to have programs to educate citizens that there are alternatives to violence. Awareness programs would be needed at every level of schooling, from daycare to university. Related education programs should be available for broadcast on TV, using many ways of propaganda (comedies, dramas, movies....).

At the same time, specific laws are needed to be applied strictly to cases where violence is involved. Even verbal threats of violence must be [taken] very serious and [considered] potentially a criminal offence and punished severely. In a society where the concept of "husband is king, wife is servant" seems to be the norm, changes to eliminate such concept is very challenging. [So is the elimination of] family violence.

Family violence often occurs in all walks of life: educated and less-educated, therefore the police services must be allowed by law to do their work when calls for help are logged. The elimination of corruption is also an important factor in the success of such programs: if the violator could use money to buy him or her out of trouble then the violation will certainly be repeated. It is no doubt that effective changes to human behavior is highly challenging. In order to have an environment where mutual respect is nurtured, governments at all levels must be involved to take the lead in initiating, guiding and acting as the "brain" to plan and to facilitate the successful implementation of related programs.

"Bad habits" do not just show up overnight. They have been entrenched for years, if not decades, from society turmoil, instability, poor conditions and neglect. Because of their public-related characteristics, it would take time for those bad habits to be "undone". Strong leadership and well-thought-out programs are also necessary. The society leaders - like ministries of social development, education, justice, public safety - should have teams of researchers working together to develop long term strategies with the goal to reduce - if not eliminate - those undesired habits.

Some bad habits can also be blamed on the poor conditions of physical assets like poor infrastructure or poor roads. These "bad habits" would be cleared by themselves when the facilities/roads improve.

In the meantime, awareness of such bad habits can be expressed in schools, public banners, ads on TV, etc. so [as] to slowly program the citizens' mind to have stronger self-respect and respect for others.

jackbl
19-05-2014, 12:18 AM
US veteran on Vietnamese’s bad habits
================================================== ======
Editor’s Note: With regard to our topic for discussion “Is it hard to kick Vietnamese’s bad habits?”, Tuoitrenews continues receiving stories from expats and foreign visitors. Among them is a piece by a U.S. veteran who regularly visits Vietnam. In his article, he says that it is an exaggeration to think that "bad habits" are everywhere in Vietnam, adding that every country has "habits" that might be unacceptable to foreigners. The writer wants to stay anonymous.

I first visited Vietnam in 1995. This visit opened my eyes to the history and beauty of Vietnam and its people, and I have subsequently visited this country many times after I retired from my regular job.

Now please allow me to express some personal thoughts and opinions concerning the topic for discussion in this column:

1. There is no doubt that there are many "habits" or "behaviors" in Vietnam today that would not be acceptable in the more developed countries. However, most of these habits will inevitably change as Vietnam continues to develop, and as more Vietnamese travel internationally. It is bound to happen. When my Vietnamese friends express their impatience about change in Vietnam, I always have to remind them that today's Vietnam started to change only after Doi Moi or Renovation [the name given to the economic reforms initiated in Vietnam in 1986], and that's less than 30 years ago. Only one generation. In that short time, so much change has occurred that it's almost unbelievable. In many ways, the rate of material change has been faster than even in the U.S. or Europe.

2. Of course, the easiest changes are the material changes: people have better clothing, housing (even in the countryside), food, cell phones, motorbikes or autos, even travel opportunities. I call these "hardware" changes since they are comparatively easy to make. The "software" changes (in other words, changes in attitude, culture, behavior, etc.) will take longer because these are changes in how people think. And "manners" and "habits" are in the "software" of many Vietnamese people, and so it will take more than one generation to bring significant changes.

3. But it is an exaggeration to think that "bad habits" are everywhere in Vietnam. I have met many, many Vietnamese (including in the countryside) who are every bit as polite and well-mannered as people elsewhere. And many Vietnamese people themselves recognize and disapprove of "bad habits." I will always remember talking with a tour guide on a boat during a visit to Ha Long Bay some years ago. I asked him about the tour business, and I learned that the Chinese are the biggest group of tourists to Vietnam. I thought that meant good business for the tourist industry, but he said that they didn't like dealing with Chinese tourists, because of their "bad habits" like spitting, tossing rubbish into the bay, rudeness, etc.

4. One theory I've heard is that these "bad habits" are not part of Vietnamese culture, but are in fact new behavior brought out by the rapid growth of Vietnam. I have heard this many times from people in Hanoi who are from the "old families" who have lived in the city for many generations. They told me that in old Vietnam, people behaved politely and well, spoke softly, etc. But after the war, public behavior deteriorated with the huge influx of people coming into the cities, causing great crowding and stress, traffic jams unheard of before, and more competition for food and services, etc. As this population pressure is smoothed out in the future, behavior will hopefully go back to something more "normal," according to this theory.

5. One thing to keep in mind is that every country has "habits" that might be unacceptable to foreigners. I have seen that the French don't seem to queue and Parisians are unwelcoming to foreigners; I'm told the Arabs belch at the dinner table; I have been shoved aside by Chinese swarming around ticket counters, etc., etc. So it's really the worst kind of arrogance and condescension for a foreigner to go to another country and make public pronouncements about what kinds of behavior he finds unacceptable. He should simply avoid those situations he doesn't like and keep his opinions to himself – or just express them to those other foreigners who live in those self-contained, segregated "expat bubbles."

I think the topic is interesting and the most persuasive opinions would be from other Vietnamese, including those who have traveled and seen the world, or even from the government through educational campaigns (as the Chinese government did before the Beijing Olympics, or what the French government is trying to do to make the Parisian waiters less rude).

jackbl
21-05-2014, 01:55 AM
Vietnam: where the unexpected is normal
================================================== ======
You knew when sitting next to the fireplace in freezing, wherever, that booking a trip to Vietnam would be an adventure, right? That it wasn’t Thailand – all dancing girls and choking in the back of the Tuk-tuk. That it wasn’t Singapore, all glistening steel and mega-hotels. That it wasn’t Malaysia, all bargain shopping and street curry. Just checking…

Straight off the airplane in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi you can just feel it’s all different. The chaos, the noise. The Vietnamese busily chat on the phone even as the plane has just landed and is still rolling towards the terminal. They cart five huge parcels for their auntie’s shop dangerously balanced on their airport trolleys, rushing for the exit. It’s an endless, non-stop "I’m doing my own thing’ in a human cloud of confusion and energy. Welcome to Vietnam!

So you do the tours in both major cities. Yes, good, lovely, hang on honey! I want a picture of you in front of that tiny man with the ice-cream hat! You did the cyclo, the museums, the lake, the river and bought something for your loved ones back home, which you’re going to carry around Vietnam for the next two weeks unless the receptionist’s cousin’s uncle’s shipping business can help you out.

I often wonder about some tourists. It seems like they wander around with a checklist in their heads. Souvenirs – checked. Tried to negotiate with local people for a ride around town – done it. Visited every place the Lonely Planet said I should see – yep. Maybe it’s just me, I do live here after all so perhaps I’m a little bit too harsh towards tourists. I know a tourist’s time is short and often exhausting. It makes me wonder why we call modern tourism a ‘holiday’ because it seems more like the pain of paying a traffic fine.

You’re getting tired and feel the need to get out of the big cities. It’s all too busy and reminds you of why you needed a holiday from your busy world in the first place. A great holiday is full of surprises.

It’s time to go inland or upland or to the sea. Open Lonely Planet to page whatever and spend the morning reading it out aloud to your partner. Have a small argument – decide on somewhere. Terrific! With any luck, you’ve ended up in my neck of the woods – central Vietnam.

I’m not sure whether you’d agree to my proposition that the trick to enjoying Vietnam is to look beyond the traffic and the quick pace of life. Look at what people are doing, how they do it, how the Vietnamese passion for living plays out right in front of your eyes. The Vietnamese living room is the street. The sofa is the motorbike. The desk, office or kitchen is anywhere handy and the television is chatting with your neighbors.

Here in the center there are a thousand places to visit – sure, not that accessible but doable. A lot of tourists grab the opportunity to ride bicycles in Hoi An and some of the smaller places but you could also just take a boat for the day and throw the travel guide book into the harbor while you’re at it…

Life outside the cities is full of surprises, little unexpected things.

Even as I’m writing this, a gecko, that small lizard with the fat, round fingers that walks up the walls and gobbles up the flies is slowly crawling across the TV screen in the bar where I’m sitting. You never know what will happen that’s nice and usually not dangerous!

Sure, do the sights, but why not get your horoscope read by the local Sharman? Get a decent map and walk for a few blocks – yes, walk - check how people live for all the world to see – the local hairdresser with a lamp on her head picking out ear wax. Check out the dude down the street welding metal in open toe sandals or the motorbike seat tailors plying their trade between the mobile phone shops.

Shopping is a scream in the local shops. Prepare to be pushed, shoved, nudged and generally treated like a nuisance! It’s even better fun trying to tell the difference between the blue 20,000 dong note and the half million dong note in the dark lighting of a local café. Gotta watch that one! Check your notes by the way and learn to give the cashiers the faded old notes but don’t be surprised if they refuse to take them and demand fresh money!

I love watching the farmers cart pigs in baskets, stacked four or five high on an old Honda cub. I also like seeing the electricity guys carrying a four meter bamboo ladder across four lanes of traffic. Even better is when you have four of these guys in the middle of an intersection – no warning gear – three holding the ladder and the fourth swaying back and forth at the top wiring up festival lights. Cirque de Soleil, you guys should visit Vietnam and take notes!

A motorbike tour is a must-do. Either ride it yourself or get a guide and driver. There’s nothing quite like having to swerve around a tourist bus, a taxi, and cows crossing the street. You can marvel at the dogs sleeping in the street with the same disregard for personal safety as their owners. The most fun is scratching your head trying to figure out why someone decided to extend their wedding venue to part of the road at peak hour. Wedding music is the only sound I know of that can drown out a construction truck horn! You can’t see or experience this stuff in the big cities.

Unpredictable, unexpected, “what just happened?” moments are all around you in central Vietnam.

For the average Vietnamese in the countryside, foreigners are just obstacles to go around. We’re part of the background as they focus on the need to make a living or chill out over card games in ‘a million’ bamboo shack coffee shops.

It’s quite easy to get up close and see what they do. A local market outside any main town is a real revelation, a blast from the past; the way humans have haggled and bartered for centuries in between gossip and hard bargaining. Have you ever heard a thousand women shopping at the same time? Do buy some fruit, you’ll quickly discover the taste different to what chemical preservation is in a modern supermarket.

Above all, get to the mountains and look back at the beach. Central Vietnam has some of the best landscapes in the world. The best time to go is on a sunny day after a rainy night. It clears the sand and dust so you can see for miles. Yet again, be ready for anything. There are trucks rolling around tight corners, ducks crossing the street, wild buffalo staring you down, and views to die for. Go slowly, you’ll see sudden glimpses of sparkling rivers hidden between sharp valleys and cool clouds floating around like daydreams.

Someone once said that the best way to travel is just to pick a direction and go. Vietnam is waiting to surprise you at every turn, corner, and way. Take it all in stride and remember that’s why you came here – for the unexpected.

paolohen
26-05-2014, 02:41 PM
Can someone help me translate this to Viet?

my intended message: I have book a hotel room for one night, can you spend a night with me in the hotel? If you decided to take leave on that day, then I can bring u tour around Singapore.

Thanks bro!

KangTuo
26-05-2014, 02:45 PM
Can someone help me translate this to Viet?

my intended message: I have book a hotel room for one night, can you spend a night with me in the hotel? If you decided to take leave on that day, then I can bring u tour around Singapore.

Thanks bro!

Tôi đã đặt phòng khách sạn cho một đêm, bạn có thể dành một đêm với tôi trong khách sạn? Nếu bạn quyết định đi lại vào ngày hôm đó, sau đó tôi có thể mang lại cho bạn lưu diễn vòng quanh Singapore.

Thank you google translate...
Seems accurate

Hurricane88
26-05-2014, 02:50 PM
Tôi đã đặt phòng khách sạn cho một đêm, bạn có thể dành một đêm với tôi trong khách sạn? Nếu bạn quyết định đi lại vào ngày hôm đó, sau đó tôi có thể mang lại cho bạn lưu diễn vòng quanh Singapore.

Thank you google translate...
Seems accurate

replace toi and ban with anh and em...otherwise she will never spend the nite with you...hahah...:)

paolohen
26-05-2014, 03:18 PM
Thank you thank you!!

codenameahbao
26-05-2014, 04:51 PM
love this thread :p

reading all the bros discussion bout vn gives such a homely feel....

jackbl
27-05-2014, 02:36 AM
Thank you google translate...
Seems accurate

I felt that the "take leave" and "tour .." part not accurate at all. I too lazy to check the correct translation

paolohen
27-05-2014, 08:30 AM
I felt that the "take leave" and "tour .." part not accurate at all. I too lazy to check the correct translation

Noted. How about Don't go work.

KangTuo
27-05-2014, 09:37 AM
I felt that the "take leave" and "tour .." part not accurate at all. I too lazy to check the correct translation

I also lazy thats why i simply use google translate :p
But the main point is correct... Which is spend a night in hotel

KangTuo
27-05-2014, 09:38 AM
Noted. How about Don't go work.

Dung di lam

paolohen
27-05-2014, 11:26 AM
Haha.. "di Lum" makes me laugh.. in sg terms means mattress

sexy_lion
28-05-2014, 02:27 PM
I just up you back with my 10 roaring points!

I felt that the "take leave" and "tour .." part not accurate at all. I too lazy to check the correct translation

jackbl
29-05-2014, 11:54 PM
love this thread :p

reading all the bros discussion bout vn gives such a homely feel....

U from vn?

jackbl
31-05-2014, 02:06 PM
Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island listed among world’s 10 lost paradises
================================================== =========================
Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island has recently been cherry-picked as one of the lost paradises found at 10 unassuming beaches around the world, according to the Singaporean newswire AsiaOne.

The list, introduced by the newswire, is handpicked by the online travel agent ZUJI, promising to offer tourists a relaxing vacation away from the hustle and bustle of crowds.

Other places on the list are Thailand’s Banana Beach in Phuket, United Arab Emirates’ Al-Mamzar Beach Park in Dubai, the U.S.’s Fort Tilden in New York, Indonesia’s Amed in Bali, France’s Pinarello Beach in Corsica, Greece’s Seychelles Beach in Ikaria, Myanmar’s Ngapali Beach, New Zealand’s Muriwai Beach in Auckland, and Cambodia’s Koh Rong Island.

“Floating in the warm turquoise waters in the Gulf of Thailand is Phu Quoc Island, a gorgeous tropical paradise fringed with white-sandy beaches. Known for its untouched natural environment, chilled atmosphere, friendly locals and amazing scuba diving and snorkeling, Phu Quoc's peak season runs from November to March,” the Vietnamese tourist attraction was mentioned on the newswire.

“Night life is a little quieter, so opt for daytime adventures instead, like exploring in the reefs or kayaking in the bay. For something more laid back, indulge in a massage or dine on the freshest seafood by the beach,” it added.

On February 14 this year, Phu Quoc Island welcomed its first international flight carrying 290 Russian passengers.

The island’s new airport, which was officially opened in 2012, is capable of handling 2.6 million visitors and is expected to serve its development for the next 15 or 20 years, according to Dao Viet Dung, director of Phu Quoc airport.

Golden question
04-06-2014, 12:10 AM
Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island listed among world’s 10 lost paradises
================================================== =========================
Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island has recently been cherry-picked as one of the lost paradises found at 10 unassuming beaches around the world, according to the Singaporean newswire AsiaOne.

The list, introduced by the newswire, is handpicked by the online travel agent ZUJI, promising to offer tourists a relaxing vacation away from the hustle and bustle of crowds.

Other places on the list are Thailand’s Banana Beach in Phuket, United Arab Emirates’ Al-Mamzar Beach Park in Dubai, the U.S.’s Fort Tilden in New York, Indonesia’s Amed in Bali, France’s Pinarello Beach in Corsica, Greece’s Seychelles Beach in Ikaria, Myanmar’s Ngapali Beach, New Zealand’s Muriwai Beach in Auckland, and Cambodia’s Koh Rong Island.

“Floating in the warm turquoise waters in the Gulf of Thailand is Phu Quoc Island, a gorgeous tropical paradise fringed with white-sandy beaches. Known for its untouched natural environment, chilled atmosphere, friendly locals and amazing scuba diving and snorkeling, Phu Quoc's peak season runs from November to March,” the Vietnamese tourist attraction was mentioned on the newswire.

“Night life is a little quieter, so opt for daytime adventures instead, like exploring in the reefs or kayaking in the bay. For something more laid back, indulge in a massage or dine on the freshest seafood by the beach,” it added.

On February 14 this year, Phu Quoc Island welcomed its first international flight carrying 290 Russian passengers.

The island’s new airport, which was officially opened in 2012, is capable of handling 2.6 million visitors and is expected to serve its development for the next 15 or 20 years, according to Dao Viet Dung, director of Phu Quoc airport.

Just went last month,seafood was fantastic and affordable.There was a night street which line all the seafood stall.Airport was very new and it replace the abandon old one near a wet market which i saw.Not much traffic there

Beach is nice and most hotel conecpt there is like bungalow or chalet.Pretty affordable which mine cos 20 USD per night maybe due to low season.

Road was good surrounded by mountain of trees.Not much night life there except few pubs by the roadside cater for tourist.

Is still a quiet place which i saw a ang mo open a pancake stall hitting flies every night i presume and another one helping seafdsood stall holder to keep their wares during closing.Pehaps they are there for retirement.

Book a tour package over there,if u love scuba diving,then should go,heard some ang mo say the underwater world is more beautiful compare to thai side

Night time was quiet and and not like HCM .Maybe due to low season i go so i dont know.So go before everything it start to be very commercialise like pattaya,bali or phuket.

jackbl
04-06-2014, 02:44 AM
Just went last month,seafood was fantastic and affordable.There was a night street which line all the seafood stall.

Beach is nice and most hotel conecpt there is like bungalow or chalet.Pretty affordable which mine cos 20 USD per night maybe due to low season.

The night market is called "Cho Den Dinh Cau". About 300-400m long only.

If the beach is the one that where many chalets are located, it could be Truong/Long beach.

jackbl
07-06-2014, 03:45 PM
Secondhand stuff turned into luxury brand clothes in Vietnam
================================================== =========================
With special techniques and chemicals, dirt cheap secondhand (or colloquially “Sida”) clothes and other items can easily get a facelift and become brand clothes and accessories which can fetch some million dong apiece at shops in Ho Chi Minh City.

At TH Shop on Nguyen Thai Binh Street in Tan Binh District, which sells exorbitant brand clothing items, all kinds of clothes, footwear, eyewear and handbags of famous, expensive brands such as Levi’s, Tommy, Gucci, Guess, Louis Vuitton and Prada glitter inside the shop windows.

However, a large number of them are fakes or revamped secondhand real items, or “Sida” stuff.

“Sida” stuff is used clothes and accessories discarded by people in rich countries. The stuff, considered rich countries’ relief for developing ones, is typically purchased in bulk at low prices by local dealers.

The stuff is divided into different ranks, from worn-out to relatively new and even used real brand items.

A Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter, disguising herself as a new shop attendant at TH Shop, strained her eyes for signs of the items being used ones, but failed to spot any.

On her third day or so, the new attendant easily sold a shirt which is branded Gap for VND1.5 million (US$71) as the customer gullibly believed that Made-in-USA Gap shirts are premium quality.

To her astonishment, H., the shop owner, said that she bought the shirt for a mere VND100,000 ($5), plus VND50,000 for laundry and brand tag fixing.

She also revealed that she bought a Rayban pair of glasses, which sold for VND3.5 million, for a mere VND200,000, plus a small additional sum for revamping and scratch fixing. She made a profit of some VND3 million, which means she could earn a profit ten times her capital.

“Sida” items worth a mere $1 or so can also be turned into items which can fetch millions of dong.

“I can earn at least VND50 million a month from trading real brand items in the past three years, and another VND20 million a month from selling brand “Sida” stuff to credulous clients,” revealed another brand clothes shop owner in HCMC.

H. also disclosed that the key to her success lies in her intimate, trustworthy relationship with her dozens of “Sida” clothes wholesalers and various discreet fixers, as well as her proper understanding of luxury brand items and clients’ psychology.

Elaborate revamping techniques

Tam “Sida,” a wholesaler of relatively new “Sida” stuff who runs a shop in Ba Chieu Market in Binh Thanh District, saved H. three Levi’s jackets and two Nine West shoes.

Several other dealers like H. who run brand clothes stores in District 1 were also picking from Tam “Sida”’s piles of secondhand clothing items.

H. added that all “Sida” stuff wholesalers have phone numbers of shop owners just like herself. They will phone H. and others when they’re about to open their huge packages of “Sida” stuff, which is followed by a real scramble among shop owners for relatively new items.

In the stifling heat at Thu’s “Sida” shop on Pham Phu Thu Street in Tan Binh District, which is home to a clutch of large “Sida” wholesalers, dozens of people were waiting in tension.

As soon as Thu tore open the strings around her packages, the people dashed in, yelling, jostling and trying their best to reach for the best items.

The huge package vanished in less than 30 seconds.

H. said she hired two well-built men for VND50,000 each to do the scrambling task.

She then sat down, meticulously selecting from her pile. She noted that valuable items must bear brand tags, then have good materials and well-made stitches.

The Tuoi Tre reporter, who disguised herself as H.’s new shop attendant, was tasked with revamping four “Sida” brand items, which were bought for VND600,000 ($28.3).

The used items were first renewed thanks to a special laundry technique at laundry shops.

T., who runs one of such laundry shops on Au Co Street in Tan Binh District, revealed that it requires tricks to give the used items the brand things’ signature scents of different materials, such as jeans and silk.

He ordered clothing cleansing liquid from the U.S., as well as perfume, to give the revamped items the look and texture of “hand-luggage” luxury brand things and get rid of “Sida” stuff’s iconic detergent odor.

At a garment accessory shop in Kim Bien Market in District 5, the owner offered hundreds of brand tags in different materials, such as leather, cloth, and iron.

A packet of 10 cloth tags such as Levi’s, Gap, BeBe and Zara sell for a mere VND20,000 ($1), while iron logos fetch VND5,000 apiece.

The last thing to do is to have L. in alley 136 in Tan Phu District’s Luy Ban Bich Street skillfully sew the tags onto the revamped “Sida” items.

Once all the phases are completed, H. offered the four refurbished “Sida” items for VND1.2-1.7 million apiece.

One of them, a Levi’s jacket, was bought for VND1.7 million by an unsuspecting customer after only half a day of being displayed.

paolohen
07-06-2014, 04:02 PM
Hi guys, I just finished an intimate session with my VB. She keep saying "bit luck" while holding my dick. She refused to explain to me what she mean...

can any bros shed some light what does "bit luck" means?
:confused::confused:

KangTuo
07-06-2014, 05:55 PM
Hi guys, I just finished an intimate session with my VB. She keep saying "bit luck" while holding my dick. She refused to explain to me what she mean...

can any bros shed some light what does "bit luck" means?
:confused::confused:

Bit luck?... Or









BIG la!!!!

paolohen
07-06-2014, 05:59 PM
don't think they use singlish in conversation leh... why would she use a "lah"...
i remember the word ends with a "K" pronouce.. luck or lug or luc

jackbl
08-06-2014, 03:25 PM
Bit luck?... Or

BIG la!!!!

Only the person will know.....

paolohen
08-06-2014, 05:53 PM
Managed to clarify with her last night. Actually it is big liao. Trying to say my kkj harden liao.

Hurricane88
08-06-2014, 06:02 PM
Managed to clarify with her last night. Actually it is big liao. Trying to say my kkj harden liao.

haha...like that also can ha...:)

javhotus
08-06-2014, 06:34 PM
Chào mọi người, tôi là người việt
Ai không hiểu vấn đề gì về Tiếng Việt, tôi có thể giúp đỡ

Chao moi nguoi, toi la nguoi viet
Ai khong hieu van de gi ve Tieng Viet, toi co the giup do

KangTuo
08-06-2014, 10:34 PM
Managed to clarify with her last night. Actually it is big liao. Trying to say my kkj harden liao.

So i am correct in the 'translation' :)

jackbl
09-06-2014, 11:19 PM
Chào mọi người, tôi là người việt
Ai không hiểu vấn đề gì về Tiếng Việt, tôi có thể giúp đỡ

Chao moi nguoi, toi la nguoi viet
Ai khong hieu van de gi ve Tieng Viet, toi co the giup do

Thanks in advance! Are you living in vn or sing?

jackbl
09-06-2014, 11:31 PM
reading all the bros discussion bout vn gives such a homely feel....

Are you from vn?

deptrailam
10-06-2014, 01:59 AM
I can teach u the language but how are u going to pay me for it?

volcano
10-06-2014, 06:31 AM
I can teach u the language but how are u going to pay me for it?


that depends on how well is ur command of the language :)

deptrai4u
10-06-2014, 10:40 PM
I can teach u the language but how are u going to pay me for it?

Wah, mouth open so big, so how much????