Tieng Viet lovers club

[jackbl]

Top 10 taboos during Vietnamese Tet
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For Vietnamese people, Tet is a wonderful occasion for family reunion but certain things must not be done during this festive season. For foreigners who are still not familiar with Vietnamese customs, or the way the Vietnamese celebrate Tet, here is a Watch out list!


Rule number 1: Don’t show up at somebody’s house on the 1st day of the new year unless you have been invited by the house owner first, and especially if you are not lucky enough to possess a name associated with wealth, happiness, prosperity or longevity.
Well, still plenty of time to get your name changed! And be careful not to visit anyone’s house for the first three days if you have funerals in your immediate family in the last 3 years.

Rule number 2: No black and white, or dark clothes– they are for funerals, not New Year holidays. Wear red –hopefully bulls will pardon you during these days.

Rule number 3: Don’t swear, curse or argue. Avoid negative topics such as accidents, deaths, or funerals. Put on a smile for at least the first 3 days of the year, even if somebody slaps you in the face, and on the safe side, do as the Brits do – talk about the weather! Oops, but maybe not the black holes or floods!

Rule number 4: For those who enjoy giving presents, make sure you avoid the followings: clock or watch (the recipient's time is going to pass), cats (mèo in Vietnamese language pronounced like nghèo, poverty), medicine (the receiver will get ill), writing ink (ink is black, an unlucky color), scissors or knives (they bring incompatibility).

So if you are thinking of giving your girlfriend a Rolex, it is high time you changed your mind!

Rule number 5: Don’t sweep the house or empty out the rubbish to avoid luck and benefits going with it, especially on the first day of the New Year. So be prepared to live with dust and dirt!

Rule number 6: Don’t ask someone to repay you a debt or loan (but wait until the next 2-3 weeks!) People believe that if they have to repay or borrow money at the beginning of the year, they will have to borrow and repay money for the rest of the year. Best time of the year to dodge your debts, eh?

Rule number 7: If you have been proud of your ability to devour any kind of food, stop yourself from eating squids (its ink is black, not the favorite color, remember?), duck meat (duck is stupid), or shrimps (you will move backwards like them!).

So if you are seeking promotion, probably best not to eat shrimps for the whole year – not so sure about lobsters though!

Rule number 8: Don’t take things that are related to water or fire out of somebody’s house: Fire is considered to be the source of the warmth of the family, whereas water appears in the popular wish “Tien vo nhu nuoc” (“Money rushes in like water).

So, taking water out of somebody’s house is equivalent to taking away their wealth. A relaxing time for firefighters!

Rule number 9: the fifth day of the New Year is considered to be anniversary of the death, not good for departures. A good excuse for not having to start work that early, and if your boss is a western, he needs education!

Rule number 10: And last but not least, don’t kill, or hurt! If you feel like eating chicken, buy it ready prepared – the guilt is with the slaughter house owners and we remain always innocent and pure!

VGP

[jackbl]

Chúc Ngày Tình Nhân Vui Vẻ !

[jackbl]

Break in the 'cosy nest' of homosexuals
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VietNamNet Bridge - Looking at the radiant face of Tan when he said the word "together," we can recognize the simple happiness from this small "nest" of the two men who are in love and always want to be happy for long.

Despite the country's current laws which do not recognize same-sex marriage but the pursuit of happiness is the fundamental human rights and it is protected by laws. Thus, the families of same-sex couples are no longer uncommon in Vietnam.

VietNamNet does not criticize or support, but we will learn about all aspects of the life of homosexuals to give our readers better understand about them.


Many happy "families"

Leaving home at the age 18 to start independent life, Hoang tried to study and work hard so he currently has a good job that many people have dreamed of. In addition to the relationship at works and friends, not many people know that Hoang has been living with a gay for many years.

"We have known each other for 6 years and lived together for four years, but only our close friends know about us. Our friends all understand and sympathize with us so there is nothing for worrisome. The two families also know but we are adults so our parents do not monitor our lives anymore," Hoang said.

In addition to their work, Hoang and his 'lover' often travel together to change the air and to live in romantic atmosphere. Hoang said he was looking forward to have same-sex marriage recognized in Vietnam to reassure to build his “family.”

Hoang said if the law does not recognize same-sex marriage, he would still live with his “lover” but he wished the society to open up a little to regard homosexuality as a normal sex.

Unlike Hoang and his lover, Thanh Tam and Thu Huong choose a flower shop as a place to build their 'cosy nest.'

As one of the several lesbian couples who have openly been living together for nearly 3 years, they have had a lot of good memories together. Both attended the same university. After a long period knowing each other, they decided to live together and work together at a flower shop.

Referring to the early days of fighting for the love of two people against their families, Thanh Tam said: "That day our parents severely opposed it and they threatened to break off with us. They also tried to persuade us but finally they had to accept our love.”

Tam said she loves her parents but she could not live different from her true self and her heart. “Now it is important to live well so that our parents do not regret for accepting us," Tam added.

Unrecognized but still durable

Many people think that the love of gay people is often not durable and less faithful. However, there are many gay couples though not being legally recognized still living together happily for years.

Through the introduction of a long-time friend, I went to the room of two men in Go Vap District, HCM City. For a long time, close friends have known that Tan, a healthy young man with a stable job has lived with his gay lover very happily for over three years.

Welcoming us very warmly, Minh Tan, 30, was not afraid to talk about her relationship with his 'lover' for over 6 years.

Tan said: "We happened to know each other through an online forum for gay people. A few months after the meeting, we dated and then moving in to live together. It has been 6 years but our relationship is still very good."

Seeing our surprise for the long period that they lived together, Tan smiled and said: "6 years? 10 years, 20 years would be the same. People need a lifetime to love each other."

Tan said since they lived together, the couple also quarreled or took offense against each other but they have never “hurt” their lovers. On the contrary, after each quarrel, they further understood and 'trusted' each other.

When we wondered in not seeing his partner at home, Tan said: "Today he goes to work but he is about to go home. Perhaps he drops by the market to buy food for the dinner. We are going to cook together."

Looking his radiant face when Tan spoke the word “together," we could recognize the simple happiness from this "nest" for the gay couple who always wanted to be happy for long.

Leaving the "family" of Tan, we knew that: whether it is legally recognized or not, we cannot stop gay people living together as husband and wife, when that relationship comes from the feeling of communication, sharing and love.

Hieu Minh

[jackbl]

Snakes in Vietnamese culture
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In Vietnamese culture, snakes compose a popular icon having a strong obsessiveness. For centuries, the worship of snakes became one of most ancient belief practices of the Vietnamese people who live in water-related environment.

This is the Year of the Water Snake Quy Ti, which only comes around once every 60 years.

In fact, snakes are worshipped by the Vietnamese people not only as the Gods of Water but also their ancestors. The Vietnamese people are so proud of their legend “Descendants of the Dragon and the Fairy” which explains their origin as children of a Bird Mother (Au Co) and a Serpent Father (Lac Long Quan).

Folklore scholar Dinh Gia Khanh explained “Lac Long Quan comes from a dragon family. This detail reflects the worship of serpent... The ancient Viet people, who used to tattoo their bodies with serpents, considered themselves as descendants of the animal”.

Why snakes?

In the process of evolution, the class of fishes was followed by the calss of replites in which snakes are a member. According to scientists, snakes might appear on the earth in the Triassic, around 200 million years ago.

Snakes have all colors and sizes and they can exist in almost all different natural environments, from high mountains to deep seas, from deserts to rain forests. Being legless reptiles, they can move fast without making noises.

Their shape and movement may be the grounds on which they are identified with rivers and water sources. Viewed from a high position, a river looks similar to a moving snake. Snakes hibernate in winter and reappear in rainy season. They can swimm well and many species inhabit in water. In many cases, such natural phenomena as waterspouts and whirlwinds are incarnated as snakes.

A symbolized lightning (signal of rain) is similar to snake’s tongue. Thanks to their colors and stripes running along the body, snakes are sometimes linked to rainbows.

Snakes lay many eggs in a batch. A male snake normally has a big sex organ. The shape and movement of snakes’ head also evoke sex organs. Therefore, snakes are a symbol of fecundity.

They also symbolize immortality because they can regularly shed their skins.

Obviously, there is an interrelationship between snakes and natural phenomena. These natural phenomena directly affect production and life of the ancient people, especially the wet-rice cultivators like the Vietnamese. This is why snakes became a totem and were worshipped in Vietnam.

[jackbl]

Fortunetelling big business after Tet
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In recent years, the time immediately following Tet has been very lucrative for fortunetellers.

After Tet, fortunetellers have been working all day and even late into the night in order to serve the increased numbers of customers, usually young women who are single or are having trouble conceiving children.

Many customers are willing to wait for hours, with some coming early in the morning and waiting well into the evening for their turns. Some will even sell their place in line to less patient customers for thousands of VND. A number of people hope that fortunetellers could predict their unlucky things so that they can avoid them.

Vu Dinh Chung, 27, speaking about the fortuneteller he was referred to, said, “Many people said this fortuneteller is very accurate. I had to travel dozens of kilometres to get here and then wait for more than two hours for my turn. Some people choose to pay VND10,000-50,000 for a few minutes, but I'd rather have the fortuneteller spend a few hours with me, so I was willing to pay VND500,000. In the end I was a bit disappointed because he only gave me general predictions like all the other fortunetellers I've seen. He told me that if I wanted to avoid bad luck I would have to spend millions."

Customers trouble themselves

Most questions at one famous fortuneteller’s home in Thai Binh Province’s Kien Xuong District, were about their jobs and marriage in the new year.

One of the most popular questions for young women was, “When will I get married and what will my future husband be like?".

Many have come to see fortunetellers as something akin to professional actors, who learn certain lines and can repeat them with conviction. These are the most successful.

Mrs. Bui Thi Thu, 54 years old, a neighbour of a fortuneteller said, “He told my daughter that she would get married at the end of 2012, but she remains single. I went to see him again, and have just heard him repeat the same things he said to my daughter to another customer. Local people do not trust him, it's mostly people from other places who come to see him."

Many fortunetellers ask their relatives to promote their prestige so that they become more well-known.

A fortuneteller at work

Ms. Loan, who went to a fortuneteller in Kien Xuong District, said, “Even though he was not completely off, I later found out that my neighbour, who recommended him, was actually his younger sister."

With fortunetellers more money equals more time. Mrs. Tu, of Thai Binh Province, said that she spent VND1 million (USD47.6) for her fortuneteller to spend the morning with her, making other customers jealous.

Afterwards she admitted that the money she spent was a waste, and only caused her more worries. She has decided that the 'craft' is actually a con and will not return.

Dan Tri

[Honey Boon]

bj is $80

hj is $50

Originally Posted by jackbl

I guess that they are :

bj bj = bi bi = bye bye

hj=hj= hi hi = hehe

[Honey Boon]

Huat ah !!!!!

[jackbl]

Students spend millions of dong to invite teachers to New Year parties
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VietNamNet Bridge – Pre-Tet and Tet days prove to be the busiest days for students, because they not only have to prepare for the semester exams, take extra jobs to earn money for Tet celebration, but also have to move heaven and earth to arrange money to invite teachers to Tet parties.


Giving gifts to teachers is a normal practice

Dang Duong, a fourth year student of a technology school in Hanoi, said visiting teachers and giving presents to them was the “most important thing” he had to do before leaving for the home village to celebrate Tet.

“In previous years, I left Hanoi right after the semester exam finished. However, as I will finish school this year, I have to give presents to the lecturers in a hope that the lecturers would be “more generous” when marking exam papers,” he said.

Duong and the other four classmates invited the lecturers to a New Year eve’s party at a luxurious restaurant, where they gave presents to them instead of visiting the lecturers at their homes.

“I have heard from the elderly students that visiting lecturers and giving presents is a normal practice,” he said, adding that the presents cost him a big sum of money. “Each of us has to contribute VND500,000,” he said.

The Phuong, who also graduates university this year, also complained that it takes him a lot of time and money to “take care of lecturers.”

“I am not a good student, therefore, I have to meet lecturers more regularly and give presents, hoping that the lecturers would ignore my mistakes and let me pass the exams,” he said.

“I am now writing a thesis. It is a completely new theme; therefore, it’s very difficult to find materials. I have no other choice than asking for the help from lecturers,” he complained.

When asked how much money Phuong gave to the lecturers, he declined to reveal the sums, but said that he visited lecturers many times during the time of writing thesis, and he always gave the envelops with no less than VND1 million inside.

Chivas, Napoleon or envelops with money inside?

Thuy Nga, a student of an economics school, said she feels luckier than the students from technology schools. Nga thinks she would give the children of the lecturers some hundreds of thousands of dong as presents on New Year, while she doesn’t have to spend money on luxurious presents.

Meanwhile, Lan Phuong said students would think carefully before buying presents for teachers after considering their needs and hobbies.

“The lecturers at my faculty go abroad regularly to attend seminars. As they have got used to the western lifestyle, they would only accept valuable gifts,” {jipmg said.

In general, students visit teachers at their homes in groups of four or five. Each of them contributes VND1 million which would be used to buy valuable presents. “Foreign made liquor such as Chivas or Napoleon are the top choices for us,” she said.

Tuan Anh, a student of an economics school, though having contributed money to buy presents to lecturers, still feels insecure, because he does know if the money can help. Since Anh could not come to see the lecturers, he wonders if the lecturers realize who they received money from.

Van

[jackbl]

“VND100mil bribe for becoming a Hanoi’s public servant just rumors”
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VietNamNet Bridge - Director of the Hanoi Department of Home Affairs - Tran Huy Sang, affirmed that by January 4, the city did not find any case of giving or taking bribes to get a post of public servant in Hanoi.

Talking to the press on January 21, Sang said after the Hanoi leaders decided to set up inspection to verify information on corruption related to the recruitment of public servants, he directly met with the Head of the Hanoi Party Committee’s chief inspector--Tran Trong Duc. Duc said the rumors of giving bribes of VND100 million ($5,000) to become a public servant came from the districts of Thanh Tri, Ha Dong and Ung Hoa.

After the media mentioned a number of violation cases associated with public servant recruitment in Ung Hoa District. The police identified 16 candidates in violation of the exam, related to 12 officials of the education department of the district.

According Sang, the verification of three inspection teams in the above districts showed that, by January 4, no bribe cases related to public servant recruitment was detected. Even the violation in Ung Hoa District was not “bribe.” The district police claimed that some people took advantage of their relations to ask for favor, not giving bribes to officials. Sang said the "information on VND100 million bribes for becoming a public servant in Hanoi is only rumor."

Asking Sang that why violations related to public servant recruitment in Ung Hoa district were detected but the head of the home affair department of the district was appointed as a commune chair, he said the transfer had been arranged before the violation was detected. However, if he made mistakes before the transfer, he will be punished under the law.

Sang also said that the inspection teams found some error-prone steps in the civil servant recruitment exams.

At the Hanoi People’s Council meeting in December 2012, the Hanoi Party Committee’s Chief Inspector--Tran Trong Duc, said to become a public servant in Hanoi, some had to pay VND100 million. He also said that the quality of these exams is problematic and the exam papers of some contestants are 100 percent precise to the answers.

Compiled by Tran Cham

[jackbl]

Sea horses – gentlemen’s panacea - get exhausted
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VietNamNet Bridge – Sea horses have been hunted everywhere in coastal provinces by people, just because they are considered the panacea for gentlemen.


Sea horses favored by men

The Song Cau town in Phu Yen province is called the “metropolis” of sea horses. Numerous sea horse shops can be seen on the Highway No. 1A which goes across the Xuan Thinh, Xuan Canh and Xuan Binh communes. Especially, the shops were always crowded on pre-Tet days, since people flocked there to buy the “gentlemen’s panacea.”

A truck was seen stopped in front of Ty Shop in Xuan Thinh commune. The driver got out of the truck and entered the shop. There were two decanters of liquor soaked with starfish, seahorse. The driver gave the shop owner VND3 million and took the two decanters away.

“As a driver, I have been tied to my seat all day long. I heard this is not good to my sexual capability. Therefore, I have to drink the liquor soaked with sea horses. It is a kind of panacea for men,” he said.

Le Thi Hang, the owner of Ty Shop, said more and more people have been flocking there to buy sea horses, which has pushed the prices of the panacea up. In the past, a couple of fresh sea horses (sea horses can be panacea only if people have them in couple, while a male or a female sea horse separately would be useless) was priced at VND200,000 only. Meanwhile, the price has increased to VND250,000.

Similarly, a decanter of liquor with a couple of sea horses, which was sold at VND1.2 million, now is valued at VND1.5 million.

Hang said that sometimes she could sell 12 liquor decanters and 8 couples of sea horses a day.

Sea horses get exhausted because of the cupidity of people

Diem Truong of Xuan Binh commune has been well known as the sea horse hunting hamlet.

Nguyen Xuan Hiep, a young man, happily said to reporters that he found three sea horses all morning. “This is an encouraging result. Many other people could find anything though they dived under the water all the day,” Hiep said.

The three sea horses could be sold at VND200,000 to the shop owners, with which, Hiep would have some more money to buy new clothes for his children to celebrate Tet.

The Cu Mong lagoon was once the favorite destination for sea horses to come to look for ephemera. However, since people have been hunting for sea horses, they have got nearly exhausted in the area.

“I previously just needed to dive at the 2 meter depth to get a lot of sea horses. But now I have to dive at six meter depth, but sometimes I could not find anything,” said Nguyen Chi Hieu, a young man, showing reporters the empty basket.

Since sea horses are getting exhausted, in many cases, people mistakenly bought fake sea horses. Therefore, people have been advised to spend more money to buy fresh sea horses in order to avoid fake products.

Meanwhile, the owner of Hai Ban Shop said it’d better not to buy dried sea horses, even though they are cheaper than fresh ones.

“In many cases, dried sea horses have no nutrition, because their nutrition has been squeezed after many times of being soaked in liquor already,” he explained.

Also according to him, in general, buyers want couples of sea horses, but they cannot tell the difference between the female and male sea horses. Therefore, they have to pay money for two male or two female sea horses.

NLD

[jackbl]

City shoe shine boys ripping off tourists
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Editor’s Note: Jason Kan, an expat in Ho Chi Minh City, sent Tuoitrenews this article about shoeshiners fleecing foreign tourists. He said that he saw many boys overcharging their victims in front of his very eyes.


Many articles have addressed the issue of street peddlers ripping off tourists, but few have mentioned shoe shine boys on the street.

Many times I have seen a group of four to six boys hanging around in front of hotels near Ben Thanh and also Dong Du Street where they hunt for victims.

When they first approach a victim, they will show their pitiful faces and persuade victims to accept their shoe shine service. They will say that the service is cheap and also that they have not eaten for a few days.

They offer to polish shoes for VND 20,000 per pair until the victim takes pity on them. After polishing the shoes, then they will slot in shoe pads and ask for VND 300,000 for the extras.

When foreigners ask why the price is so expensive, the boys will pretend not to know English and try to confuse the victims. They will threaten not to return the shoes if the victims do not pay.

Sometimes, when the victims do not know the exact amount and give them VND 500,000, the boys even try to give the excuse that they do not have small change and even expect the victims to forget about their change.

I came across one incident involving a victim who had just arrived in Ho Chi Minh City for the first time and was not used to Vietnam’s currency, which has so many zeros. He was trying to find the correct notes and when he opened his wallet, the boys snatched the amount they wanted and ran away. That evening the victim lost VND 700,000.

I once saw a victim who was surrounded by six of these boys, as they were trying to confuse him and cheat him out of a big amount. Seeing this, I could not stand by and told the boys to return the change, and if not I would report them to the police. After arguing for some time, they finally gave the man his change and cursed me for intruding on their business.

I guess local authorities should look into this matter, as these groups are damaging the image of this country. Elsewise, tourists will think that Vietnam is a country full of con men and rip-offs.

I think it is time for all expats to warn their friends who come here to be on the alert for shoe shine boys, too

[jackbl]

Expatriates experience joys of Vietnamese New Year festival
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VietNamNet Bridge – One week after Tet, the party spirit is still very much present in the streets and in the houses of Vietnamese families. While it has long been a sacred festival for Vietnamese people, it has deeply impressed the increasing number of foreigners living in the country who are able to experience its rich traditional and cultural heritage.


This year was the fourth Tet holiday spent in Viet Nam for Matt Dworzanczyk, a Polish-American man who works in film and television production.

During this year’s holiday, he visited a friend and his family in Yen Bai Province.

Unlike many expats who chose to go overseas to escape the cold Ha Noi weather and empty streets as shops and restaurants close for Tet, Dworzanczyk has chosen to stay in Viet Nam every year to celebrate the holiday since he arrived. He always spends time with his Vietnamese friends and their families who invite him to parties at their homes.

“I always love eating fried banh chung (sticky rice cake) and other good stuff. On my way back from Yen Bai, my friend’s family gave me a whole bag of banh chung, so I’ve been eating them for every meal this week.”

He cherishes souvenirs of Tet and the warm sentiments of Vietnamese people have deeply touched him.

“I always appreciate how friendly and welcoming all Vietnamese people are. This year, even on the way back to Ha Noi, when I stopped for a short break from driving, people nearby still invited me to eat and drink with them,” he recalls.

He’s always kept with him some Vietnamese banknotes he received as “lucky money” from a friend, as well as an ethnic minority scarf a friend’s mother once gave him in the northern mountains.

For Dworzanczyk, Tet in Viet Nam is like a western Christmas, New Year’s and birthday combined into one holiday.

However, he was surprised to realise the importance of the altar in Vietnamese houses, which is different from the west.

“My first Tet, the family asked me to take a picture for them and I did, but then they were confused why I didn’t get their altar in their picture with them – I didn’t know before, but they said that I need to take a picture of the altar together with their family, so that their family members who died would also be in the picture – that’s a really nice custom. I appreciated it a lot,” he said.

Like Dworzanczyk, Philippa Wood from Australia, an events manager, producer and writer, has also celebrated Tet every year since she first came to Ha Noi six years ago.

Thisy year, her family spent a lot of time preparing for Tet and decorating the house.

“We bought a very large pink peach blossom branch – I am sure it was the most beautiful one ever to be found in Ha Noi,” she says.

“I purchased some decorations from Hang Ma Street specially to tie to the branches and also some large pieces to decorate the inside and outside of our house.”

“We have a big red and gold sign to hang on our gate to wish luck and happiness during the year, and one for our front door.”

During the celebrations, Wood and her sons enjoy watching the lion dancers and drummers, finding their colourful costumes and rhythmic movements “spectacular”.

She also loves seeing Vietnamese families dressed up to visit their relatives and friends, looking happy and enjoying their holiday.

But what amazed her the most, however, is the work of Vietnamese women.

“I cannot believe how much extra work the women manage to do in preparation for the celebrations and also during the festival – so much shopping, cooking and cleaning on top of their regular jobs,” she says.

The Tet holiday not only attracts those who have lived for a long time in Viet Nam but also newcomers.

“Even though it was my first Tet, I understand how important this traditional festival can be for Vietnamese families,” says Pierre Aguado, a French volunteer who works as the Communication Advisor of the Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and has lived in Ha Noi for eight months.

Meanwhile, for James Fox, Senior Regional Programs manager in Asia for Operation Smile Incorporated, who has lived in Ha Noi for a year and a half, Tet is a special festival where he can receive lucky money as well as the traditional cake.

“I like Tet because I love how people spend time with their families and get together to celebrate the new year,” he confides.

Source: VNS

[jackbl]

Tra chanh phenomenon in Saigon
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VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoians or those who have visited the capital are probably familiar with a popular treat called tra chanh (lemon ice tea) served at numerous streetside shops around Hanoi Cathedral.

The image of a tra chanh shop is considered a cultural trait of the capital. After creating a phenomenon in the central city of Danang, tra chanh arrived in HCMC earlier this year and has received a great response from local people, especially the young and celebrities.

After bun dau mam tom (vermicelli served with tofu and shrimp paste) which was a hit last year, tra chanh is another trendy food in town. “Tra tranh chem gio” which means drinking tea and chatting is now a popular phrase with Saigon’s youth on Facebook and texting language.

The first and most popular tra chanh shop in town is at Ngo 89 (Alley 89) in Nguyen Du Street in District 1. Then numerous shops were born in the streets of Nguyen Trai, Pho Duc Chinh, Le Thi Rieng, Tran Quang Khai in District 1 and No Trang Long in Binh Thanh District. They have drawn huge crowds sitting on some small tables and chairs on the pavement daily after work or after school time from 6 p.m. onwards.

These shops serve simple Hanoi-style food and drinks like nem chua ran (grilled fermented pork roll), pho mai que (cheese stick), hat huong duong (sunflower seeds), sua chua nep cam (yogurt with violet glutinous rice), and mo dam (soaked apricot), among others. But some also offer shisha pipe, a treat that is normally found at luxury bars, clubs or lounges.

Minh, a Hanoian who works in HCMC, said that she can feel a bit of nostalgia for the capital whenever she comes to Alley 89 shop as it serves the same taste of tra chanh in Hanoi and the shop’s owner is also a Hanoian.

No one knows when the tra chanh phenomenon will be over but for now it’s a hot trend to city people and a night out with friends at a tra chanh shop is a must to many of them at weekends.

Food and drinks at tra chanh shops are priced from VND12,000 so everyone can afford to go. If you haven’t heard about this phenomenon or a new style of hanging out with friends, check out tra chanh this weekend to get your own experience.

Source: SGT

[jackbl]

People desert offices for pagodas and post-Tet parties
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VietNamNet Bridge – Offices in many parts of the country remained deserted during the first working days after Tet as people instead visited pagodas or met friends.


Deserted offices

On the first working day after Tet on February 18, several one-door state offices in Hanoi remained almost deserted despite the need for administrative procedures.

While most office staff follow normal working hours, in some places the staff did not appear at their workplaces.

Notary Office 2 in Long Bien District served only three members of the public on the first working day after Tet.

“People often apply for notary services for trading, leasing and mortgage procedures before the end of the lunar year. During the first working day after Tet people only visit for less important issues,” a staff member at the office said.

Only a few people filed for business registrations at the municipal Department of Planning and Investment at Cat Linh Street after Tet. Normally the office suffers from serious overcrowding.

While several desks remained empty, only one person was sitting in the waiting room on the afternoon of February 18.

“Normally the offices receive hundreds of dossiers from people. The number tumbled on the first few days of the new lunar year,” Tran Minh Quang, head of Busines Registration Office 2 at the department said.

The same situation was replicated at several other one-stop offices at ward and district people’s committees citywide.

“We’ve requested all one-stop staff to arrive at work on time. However, only a few people file procedures on the first working day after Tet,” Nguyen Tiet Cuong, Chairman of Hoang Van Thu Ward People’s Committee in Hoang Mai District noted.

Only two staff were at their seats at Dong Da District’s Taxation Office on the afternoon of February 18 while almost all other seats remained empty.

A staff member named Tuan said while leaders were busy with New Year greetings, many staff were happy to go elsewhere as too few people coming for transactions.

Many state offices in Danang City also experienced the same situation.

Only one vice chairman of Tan Chinh ward’s people’s committee and one staff were on duty on the morning of February 18.

One staff member said only a few people had come for transactions since the beginning of the day.

Nguyen Minh Tam, vice chairman of the ward people’s committee said that all staff had come and attended a morning meeting. Some were busy doing the cleaning and others had disappeared.

“We often receive from 30-40 dossiers a day normally but only a few people have wanted to be served in the first working day after Tet,” Tam commented.

Only a few people came for transaction at one-stop office in Chinh Gian ward of Thanh Khe District and Hai Chau 2 Ward in Hai Chau District.

Dang Ngoc Phong, a staff member from Hai Chau 2 Ward office said they often received between 50 and 60 dossiers per day, but the figure fell to about a dozen in the first working day after Tet.

Crowded pagodas

After the Tet holiday, it seems few people have not regained their enthusiasm for work.

A vocational school in Hanoi’s Cau Dien area remained deserted, until some teachers came in later in the morning of February 18 to meet colleagues and visit the pagoda.

“We don’t want to work after a long Tet holiday. Many students have yet to return to school, so we’ve decided to go to the pagoda to pray for good luck for the whole year,” one teacher said.

A state office on Dai Co Viet Street in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung District was full of staff, but they were too busy with meeting and parties.

“In the first working day after Tet we came to office for a meeting. Some went to the pagoda while others went on the internet or meet friends,” one staff said.

In contrast to deserted offices, several temples and pagodas around the capital city were seriously crowded. Overcrowding was a problem at Tay Ho Temple, Ha and Phuc Khanh pagodas and Kim Liem Temple.

Serious traffic congestion around the sites was also a problem.

Some companies and state offices even arranged tours to go to pagodas of Bai Dinh, Yen Tu and the Huong Pagoda to pray for good luck.

Nguyen Thinh Thanh, head of office of Hanoi municipal People’s Committee said the city’s leaders have requested leaders of departments, offices and agencies in the capital city to direct their staff to restart work right after the Tet holiday in order to ensure meeting the socioeconomic targets set for this year.

“Strict punishments will be applied to any cases of violation, especially those who organise tours or use public vehicles for their staff to go to festivals or pagodas during working hours,” Thanh added.

Source: DTriNews

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The ones who earn big money in economic crisis
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VietNamNet Bridge – While tens of thousand of businesses went bankrupted, a lot of others still can earn big money with small scaled business.


The benefits brought by crisis

AppeRice, a rice burger chain, which started up its business five months ago, has had tens of shops on advantageous positions in HCM City. AppRice has invested one million dollars on the production line, which is a big sum of money for the investor who cannot get the finance support from banks.

However, the investor not only sees the financial difficulties, but great advantages as well.

It is now easier than ever to lease retail premises: the rents are low, while the supply is profuse, which allows AppeRice to easily access consumers, cut down expenses and become more competitive.

In the economic crisis, people tend to look for stable sources of income instead of big but risky ones. Since the required investment rate is small, just VND50-100 million for an AppeRice shop, which fits the pockets of many people, a lot of investors have been running AppeRice shops under franchising contracts.

Facing the high inflation, people have to fasten their belt, but they still need to spend money on basic needs such as meals and drinks. Therefore, AppeRice still can attract a lot of customers, especially with the competitive prices.

Niche markets can bring fat profits

The Nui Ba Cable Car Company in Tay Ninh province, carrying passengers and cargoes with cable car, has a modest chartered capital of VND31.97 billion. However, its profits have been always very big in the last many years, far higher than the chartered capital, despite the economic recession.

In 2008-2010, the company’s profit grew by 15-16 percent per annum. In 2011, the growth rate jumped to 50 percent with the profit reaching VND47.76 billion, or 50 percent higher than its chartered capital.

The company planned to obtain VND62.5 billion worth pretax profit in 2012. However, it had got VND68 billion just by the end of September. The encouraging business result has been explained by the fact that the company has been concentrating on the core business field by providing services in the Ba mountain area, while it did not borrow capital and throw money into many other business fields which were out of its control.

The company’s shares have been traded at VND76,000 per share, the highest level now seen in the market. The share price has increased by 86 percent just over the last year from the deepest low of VND3,000 per share.

Earning fat profit by providing safe food

The Vietnamese husbandry met a very tough year in 2012, but some enterprises in the field still could find the ways to develop.

Lam Thanh Duc, the owner of the Thanh Duc fowl farm in Dong Nai province, believed that developing animal husbandry and making food was the wisest investment for now, because food can be consumed everyday, no matter they have much or little money. That explains why the demand for meat, dairy products and eggs keeps increasing.

However, Duc understands that smart consumers nowadays only want clean and safe products. And the thought then gave him a good idea to earn money – providing clean and safe products.

In early 2012, Duc decided to spend VND8.5 billion dong to install two German production lines which allow to raise animals in an automatic and clean process. Though the husbandry scale has increased recently, Duc does not have to expand the farm area. Meanwhile, he can save the production costs and earn more money thanks to the higher productivity.

Tran Thuy