Flower Market on Tien River

: Nhan Dan- After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month every year, the flower market on the Tien river, a branch of the Mekong River in South Vietnam, opens.
During the first days, there are only a few numbers of boats carrying flowers on the Tien river. However the number increases over the following days. The river becomes busy with boats carrying people, including buyers and sellers.
Before Tet (lunar New Year Festival), after the day of the Kitchen God (the 23rd of the lunar December), the market becomes bustles with various kinds of flowers. Flowers are brought from flower planting villages in the western region. Various kinds of roses from Dong Thap and Tien Giang provinces, dahlias and sunflowers from Ben Tre, apricot flowers from Vinh Long and Can Tho all are seen in this floating market. In recent years, other kinds of flowers such as peach blossoms from Hanoi, roses from Da Lat, and others are also available at this western floating flower market. Even imported flowers from Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan are seen there, thus adding diversity to the floating flower market."

Canon present Tet Gifts to Poor

"Canon presents Tet gifts to the poor
Canon Vietnam on January 29 presented garments valued at VND 300 million to the 'Golden Heart' Fund of Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper. The donation will be distributed to the poor across the country on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year).
Sachio Kageyama, General Director of Canon Vietnam, said that his company’s export turnover reached US $950 million in 2007 and it wants to increase its contribution to Vietnam’s disadvantaged people.
Canon Vietnam had given aid to flood victims in central provinces, granted wheelchairs to the disabled in Son La province. Especially, Canon Vietnam began the construction of four schools for children in remote areas in the northern mountainous provinces of Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang and central Thanh Hoa province, the CEO revealed.
The company has job training recruited disabled people for work at its factory in Que Vo, Bac Ninh province and plans to employ workers with disabilities for the Thang Long factory in 2008. (VNA)"

HCMC-Vinh, Nha Trang, Hue New route

"Pacific Airlines launches HCM City-Vinh route
Pacific Airlines officially launched the Ho Chi Minh City-Vinh route with one flight daily on January 25.
This is the company’s sixth route since it became a budget airline.
Others include three routes from Ho Chi Minh City to central Nha Trang city, the imperial Hue city and the northern port city of Hai Phong and two code sharing flights with Bangkok Airways from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok and with Jestar Asia Airways from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore .
The same day, the company put a Boeing 737-400 plane into use to increase flight frequency between Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to 10-11 flights per day and Ho Chi Minh City to Hue to 2 flights per day.
This year, Pacific Airlines expects to receive 5 more planes and open more domestic routes linking Ho Chi Minh City and the resort city of Da Lat and from Hanoi to central Da Nang city and Nha Trang, Hue and Da Lat cities. (VNA)"

Nhan Dan ---Business

Foreign banks keen on firm niche in Vietnam
A bevy of foreign banks would flock to Vietnam in the coming time, as they find the market attractive thanks to a high growth rate in exports and rises in foreign investment capital flow, international payment and foreign arrivals, financial experts have predicted.
ANZ bank, which opened its first branch in Hanoi in 1993, has unveiled a plan to open between 10 and 12 more branches in Vietnam by the end of this year after it receives permit to become a wholly foreign-invested bank here.
more info->Nhan Dan ---Business

Tet for H'mong ethnic people

Tet for H’mong ethnic people takes place at the end of January (the beginning of the last lunar month) and often in the last several days with many specific communal activities.

The H’mong ethnic people live in high mountainous areas in northern Vietnam. Their lives are closely associated with maize.

During the Tet holidays, apart from religious rites, many folk games such as pao throwing, crossbows competitons, horse riding and dancing are also held.

M’nong ethnic people do not welcome in the new year’s eve. For them, the first cock-crow in the early morning of the first day marks the beginning of a new year. In the evening or at night of the last day of the last lunar month, they worship their ancestors with a living pig and cock.

After that, the pig and cock are killed. In rich families, they kill a pig two or three days earlier. Then a dish of cooked meat is worshipped. When hearing the first cock-row, they will then bring the meat to eat.

Poor families may not have meat to worship. But it is impossible to lack of “day” cake. Therefore, during the festival, a contest to make this cake is often very cheerful and is held first.
Sticky rice is cooked at home and then brought to the festival. After hearing the order, hot rice is quickly put into mortars and ground. By doing this, the cake will be soft.
Competitors will make five cakes with 20cm diameter in 50 minutes.
While the men grind, the women prepare the leaves and the mix egg yolks with flour before kneading the cake.

VietNamNet - Vietnam supports UN-AU cooperation for peace process in Darfur

A Vietnamese representative to the United Nations, on February 8, affirmed Viet Nam’s support for the UN-African Union (AU) cooperation for the peace process in Darfur.Ambassador Hoang Chi Trung, Deputy Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the UN, was attending the UN Security Council’s debate in New York regarding the situation in the Sudan .The ambassador also spoke highly of the efforts made by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on the sidelines of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa on January 31 towards facilitating the deployment of the AU/UN joint operation in Darfur (UNAMID).He also reiterated Viet Nam ’s support for the full deployment of UNAMID in conformity with the mandate provided by the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1769.He said: “It is our conviction that a full and effective deployment of UNAMID in Darfur will help restore peace and stability not only in Darfur and the Sudan but also in other countries in the sub-region.”The diplomat called on all parties concerned to join negotiations in order to reach a just and lasting solution to the Darfur conflict and reaffirmed Viet Nam ’s support for the efforts made by the UN and African countries for the full and effective deployment of UNAMID in particular and in bringing about peaceful resolutions to conflicts in Africa in general.

Hanoians proud of elegant culinary art

The diversity of food specials and elegant decoration of dishes as well as the refined taste have made the Ha Noi culinary art different. Many of Ha Noi specialties have gone down in popular folk sayings such as “Steamed rolled rice pancake of Thanh Tri, glutinous rice dumpling of Quan Ganh, plain rice flan of Ke village, rice cake of Dien village, meat pie of Chem and spring rolls of Ve.” The delicacy of the Ha Noi culinary art has been illustrated in its processing, eating habits and the hearts of both the cooks and the gourmets. The author of a book entitled “Ha Noi of 36 ancient streets” published in 1942, Thach Lam, has touched the hearts of readers with vivid description of the delicate tastes of steamed rolled rice pancake, various types of rice vermicelli soups, shrimp cake and especially Pho, which is considered a trademark of the millennium-year old city. Pho, a rice noodle soup added with various sorts of meat such as beef and chicken, became popular in early the 20 th century with famous names such as Pho Thin and Pho Giang. Pho is now available everywhere in the capital city from paddling shops to luxury restaurants.
more info->VietNamNet - Hanoians proud of elegant culinary art:

Tra catfish hits record $1 billion in exports

Tra catfish exports reached a record high of one million tonnes last year, an increase of 34.4 per cent over 2006, at a total value of US$1 billion, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
These figures, which satisfied the export targets for 2010 well ahead of schedule, were accomplished despite fluctuations of price on the market, technical barriers in food hygiene and safety, and the levelling of anti-dumping tariffs by the US.
Last year, exports of tra and basa catfish grew in almost all markets, especially the Ukraine, Egypt, UAE, Jordan, Costa Rica and Algeria.
The EU brought in 49.1 per cent of the nation’s total tra catfish export value at $400 million.
Seafood market experts said the EU, Eastern Europe and North America were still potential high-growth export markets for Viet Nam’s tra catfish.
The exporters shifted their focus to the EU, Canada and Australia after facing anti-dumping tariffs on catfish from the US.
Volatile prices, which could rise to VND18,000 per kilo or decline to less than VND13,000 per kilo of tra also presented difficulties for processors and exporters.
The Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors expected that in the coming year the main tra catfish export markets for Viet Nam would be the EU, ASEAN and Russia.
Luong Le Phuong, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the exporters should meet the requirements of export markets in quality as well as food hygiene and safety.
To that end, the ministry plans to license certificates to enterprises that consistently meet standards of quality and hygiene and invest in the expansion and improvement of their tra and basa catfish production, Phuong said.
(Source: VNS)

VietNamNet - Bangladeshi official praises Vietnam’s achievements

Bangladeshi official praises Vietnam’s achievements
09:57' 10/02/2008 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge - Chief Advisor of the Bangladeshi Government Fakhruddin Ahmed has praised Vietnam’s achievements during its 20 years of renewal process, describing the country as an example of stable development. The Bangladeshi government official made of the comment while receiving Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Nguyen Van That, who paid him a courtesy visit in Dhaka on February 5.He expressed his wish that Vietnam would support Bangladesh ’s participation in the Ganga-Mekong Cooperation programme and bilateral cooperation would be boosted through the Joint-Government Commission.Fakhruddin Ahmed congratulated Vietnam on its membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the non-permanent seat the UN Security Council and expressed his hope that Vietnam would support Bangladesh in regional and international cooperation and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). He asked Vietnam to give an early reply regarding rice export to Bangladesh .Ambassador That thanked the Bangladeshi people and government for their support to Vietnam’s struggle for national freedom in the past and the current national construction, as well as cooperation at international forum.
(Source: VNA)

Vietnam latest news

"U.N. announces Vietnam training projects
Vietnam will benefit from United Nations human resource training projects to improve trade competitiveness.
Bhutan, Indonesia and Nepal will also be involved in the projects, designed to improve the nations’ global integration, the U.N. announced at a conference in Cambodia.
The three-day U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in Phnom Penh from February 5 to 7, drew delegations from Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal and Vietnam, as well as donors, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) and France.
The attendees discussed strengthening local capacities and training methodologies in the areas of trade and development.
The conference also reviewed UNCTAD’s training for trade program for Cambodia and Laos, which began in 2003, and discussed the lessons from the program for similar projects in Bhutan, Indonesia, Nepal and Vietnam"

Taiwan's textile industry builds production base in Vietnam - February 10, 2008 Sunday 7:28 PM TST - Manufacturing Business Technology

Vietnam has become an important production base for Taiwan's textile industry, with many Vietnam-bound investments seeing growth in output value and profits, an industry representative said Sunday.
Many of Taiwan's textile enterprises that have invested in China have transferred their investments or moved their investment focus from China to Vietnam to diversify operational risk and reduce production costs due to operational difficulties stemming from China's increasing labor costs, the rising renminbi exchange rate, and the more and more strict environmental laws and regulations in China.
Compared with China, Vietnam is attractive for investors because of its large population, abundant labor force, highly skilled workers, and relatively low labor costs. Its entry into the World Trade Organization last year has made the country a preferred investment destination for foreign investors
more info->Taiwan's textile industry builds production base in Vietnam - February 10, 2008 Sunday 7:28 PM TST - Manufacturing Business Technology:

Acupuncture tops aspirin in Vietnam

Hanoi is a city where stately French colonial buildings overlook a beehive of street vendors and tourists fighting for precious sidewalk space.
Motorbikes are everywhere. They're parked in intersections and come raging down the narrow streets like a new flash flood with every green light. Sidewalks are the only place where pedestrians have a few precious inches between themselves and near-certain calamity.

The sites in Hanoi are among the best in Vietnam. The Temple of Literature was Vietnam's first university, and is now a sprawling oasis of classical architecture and calm. Hoan Kiem Lake, the scenic centerpiece of Old Hanoi, is where Vietnamese legends are born.

Despite the beauty of the place, the sheer crush of people and constant battle to avoid hassles by the city's infamous motorbike taxi drivers had me down. I was sick and tired.

I thought of going to the hospital, but a pharmacist -- a traveler's best friend in Vietnam -- had already put me on a regimen of antibiotics and aspirins. After a few days, though, I was only getting worse. To get my mojo flowing again, I followed a small beacon of hope: the National Institute of Acupuncture.

I'd never had acupuncture before, but figured that was all the more reason to give it a stab at last.

It took a bit of trying to find the place -- it was a cold and rainy day, and I slogged around a residential neighborhood for an hour or so to no avail.

The few locals I stopped on the street didn't understand



more info->ContraCostaTimes.com - Acupuncture tops aspirin in Vietnam

Enjoying Year of Mouse at Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has become a popular venue in Hanoi on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. This year, the program “Enjoying the Year of the Rat” will take place over two days: the 4th and the 5th of the Lunar New Year (10th and 11th February 2008). The programme will be hosted by the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (VME) and supported by the Danish Regional and Ethnic Culture Fund. Visitors will not only see the diverse cultures of different ethnic peoples, but also have the opportunity to experience live demonstrations and performances such as traditional plays, lion and dragon dances, fireworks, water puppets, calligraphy, and enjoying ethnic cuisine. This is the first time the Pa Then ethnic people from Ha Giang province have come to Hanoi to perform their “Fire dancing” ritual, one of their unique traditions. In addition, visitors can join in with the bamboo-stick dance of the Thai ethnic people, pan-pipe dancing of the Hmong ethnic people and enjoy the traditional food of the Thai people from Son La province. Traditional plays will be performed until 17th February 2008 to family groups. On February 10th, the VME will open a photo exhibition entitled “Lai Xa villagers tell their stories”. Photos displayed at the exhibition were taken by Lai Xa villagers in Kim Chung commune, Hoai Duc district, Ha Tay province, portraying about their community’s way of life. Accompanied by over 130 photos are stories and the thoughts of the villagers. This photo exhibition is the result of a photovoice project hosted by the VME in which seven people from Lai Xa village participated, taking around 2.500 photos.

(Source: CPV)

Vietnam’s beauty introduced to the world

Millions people in the world had the chance to watch the images of Vietnam, its landscape, culture and people which were broadcasted on famous TV channels in 2007. It is expected that more film crews will arrive in Vietnam in 2008 to capture wonderful pictures of the country.

more info->VietNamNet Bridge

Vietnam ONE year after joining the WTO

In the year since joining the WTO, Vietnam has welcomed many high-ranking delegations to discuss cooperative issues. Many foreign investors, enterprises and tourists have come to Vietnam to seek investment opportunities. As of January 11, 2007, under its WTO commitments in the services sector, Vietnam had to open up 11 of its industries. Due to these commitments, some sectors are facing fierce competition, including finance, banking, and telecommunications.
However, the competition has also brought a lot of benefits as Vietnamese goods will more easily penetrate foreign markets, benefiting many local manufacturers. So far, Vietnam has opened almost all areas to foreign investors.
The country’s export turnover in 2007 reached US$48 billion, up US$8.2 billion from 2006 and surpassing the 3.1 percent growth target set by the government. Vietnam’s key exports have posted high turnover, including seafood, rice, coffee, vegetables, rubber, cashew nuts and pepper
more info->VietNamNet Bridge

Vietnam veterans’ moving wall coming to Locust Grove

We are thrilled to be hosting The Wall, and hope that it will be a healing experience for those who served in Vietnam and an educational experience for our students,” Whalen said. Further information about The Walls visit to Locust Grove, Oklahoma, including contact information for volunteers and events, can be found on the project Web site: www. lgvietnammovingwall.com.

Pryor Daily Times - Vietnam veterans’ moving wall coming to Locust Grove

Study warns of billion smoking deaths by 2100

Smoking could kill 1 billion people this century because countries aren't doing enough to combat the deadly epidemic, according to a World Health Organization report out Thursday.
Mayor Bloomberg's private foundation funded the $2 million study, which was billed as the most comprehensive country-by-country look at the issue ever.
"As a global community, we can't allow this to happen," said WHO director Margaret Chan. "The tobacco epidemic is entirely man-made."
The mayor argued the U.S. government should get a grade of C or D for its efforts to tackle the problem. New York City, which instituted a smoking ban in bars during his tenure, deserves an A or B, he said.
"We all can do more," Bloomberg said.
In the past century, smoking killed 100 million people. By 2030, scientists predict, 8 million people a year will die from the epidemic if it goes unchecked, the study found.
Research also showed India and China account for 40% of the world's smokers.
The organization unveiled six steps countries should take to reduce smoking rates, with higher taxes on cigarettes topping the list.
Bloomberg also favors using gruesome graphics like a skull and crossbones on cigarette cartons to deter smokers, a technique used in Canada and Brazil

Veteran helps preserve conical hat making craft

The Party and State of Vietnam always gives top priority to ensuring and promoting human rights which is reflected in their unswerving policies and the legal system. Despite facing major difficulties in 2007, Vietnam achieved significant socio-economic development thanks to its tireless efforts.
Along with maintaining political stability and security, the country paid more attention to supplementing and putting in place State-governed legal and judiciary reforms in a bid to ensure people’s rights and facilitate the country’s implementation of its international commitments to respecting human rights.
more info->VietNamNet - Veteran helps preserve conical hat making craft

Vietnam "Asia's Rising Star"

Vietnam – Asia’s rising star” was the main theme of a business roundtable held recently in Hanoi with the participation of nearly 130 chief executive officers and more than 600 representatives from leading domestic and international businesses. While attending the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had direct talks with the business community. Great advantages “Vietnam has great advantages.” This view was shared by all investors and businesses at the conference.
more info->VietNamNet Bridge

Vietnam attracts foreign banks

Industry analysts are predicting that Vietnam will see a plethora of foreign banks flocking to the country.
The forecasts come as Vietnam enjoys strong rates of growth in exports and foreign capital investment.
ANZ has revealed its intention to open between 10 and 12 branches by the end of 2008, once it has been granted approval to become an entirely foreign invested institution.

more info->Vietnam attracts foreign banks

Egyptian Woman in Hanoi

Sitting in the silence of a Hanoi night, next to a large window overlooking the sparkling surface of West Lake, is an Egyptian woman. Quietly she moves her brush, outlining the figure of a young Vietnamese girl wearing a traditional long dress, the flowing Ao Dai.

The painter’s name is Dina Osman, whose sleepless nights have often been given to painting, after joining her husband, an Egyptian diplomat three years ago. Her canvasses instil Vietnam’s landscapes and people with vibrancy on those peaceful nights.
more info->VietNamNet Bridge

Woman with Long Hair 1.5M in length

Looking from behind, the hair looks like a small papoose, swinging after each move of the woman.
For the past 17 years, Phung Thi Mau in Chua village, Van Thang commune, Ba Vi district, northern province of Ha Tay, has carried hair of 5kg in weight and more than 1.5m in length.

This strange hair has caused many troubles for Ms. Mau. She has planned to cut it several times but each time she planned to do that, her head began to hurt painfully, like someone tightened a rope around her head.
more info->VietNamNet Bridge

Vietnam #1 Worlds Largest Exporter

$650 million in cashews

In 2006, for the first time in 15 years exporting cashews, Vietnam became the world largest exporter. The country held on to its title in 2007.

According to the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas), over 200 cashew producers processed over 600,000 tons of raw cashews to make 153,000 tons of cashew nuts of all kinds, 20.6% more than 2006.

There are 20 cashew exporters, who shared revenues exceeding $650 million. India and Brazil ranked second and third.
more info->VietNamNet Bridge

Restaurant in Vietnam remembers role in Tet offensive

more info->Restaurant in Vietnam remembers role in Tet offensive - International Herald Tribune: by Samuel Abt "The pho bo is tasty at the Pho Binh soup restaurant, but in truth no better than at other places in Vietnam. The broth is hearty, the noodles are chewy, the small slices of beef tender even if the accompanying pieces of lime and chili pepper looked a bit tired. The price is right: 22,000 dong, or about $1.30.
But the pho bo, however filling, is not the reason to visit the Pho Binh, or Peace Soup, restaurant."
See original photos from our visit: http://www.pbase.com/ckuhn55/gallery/pho_binh

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily

A bronze statue of General Le Van Duyet was erected on Monday at his tomb in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.

more info->Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily:

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily

Vietnam's tabletennis star Doan Kien Quoc secured the sole Southeast Asian spot to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games after defeating Thai competitor Phuchong Sanguansin 4-2 in the final round held in Singapore Monday.

more info->Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily

A symphony of colours

Flaming red violins and cellos, austere instrumentalists and rugged hands express a state of excitement, a passionate internal life hinting at the climax of a symphony orchestra.
“Music depicts life with sounds, I depict music with my colours,” says Tran Manh Hung. “One day I turned on my radio and heard a classic symphony. Suddenly from the bottom of my heart, I felt moved with the melody. Then, I painted seductively and naturally without any definite aim.” Now he nearly has enough paintings on classical musicians to organise a solo exhibition

more info->VietNamNet - A symphony of colours

Mixed-media painter presents life’s work

Le Ba Dang, one of the most renowned overseas Vietnamese artists in Europe , presented 120 works to Thua Thien Hue province. The oil and water colour paintings on paper and canvas and works made on airplane body parts taken from American B-52 aircraft are on display at Le Ba Dang Art Centre.

more info->VietNamNet - Mixed-media painter presents life’s work

Supermarkets get flooded with customers

Customers have to wait for security guards to first give them a ticket and then find a “park” for their motorbikes and cars.Then comes the hardship of choosing goods.“There were only a few trolleys left when I arrived and I almost had to run to snare one,” said Big C customer Doan Thi Thuan.But payment to the cashier is the most difficult.Vu Thi Hoa, of Thanh Xuan District’s Nhan Chinh Ward, said she had to wait for about two hours to pay for her goods at the Big C Supermarket.

more info->VietNamNet - Supermarkets get flooded with customers: "

Samsung may invest in wireless handset factory in Vietnam

Foreign direct investment in Vietnam jumped to more than US$20 billion last year from $12 billion in 2006, with companies including Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, and Compal Electronics Inc. taking advantage of the country’s cheaper labor costs.Intel Corp., the world’s biggest semiconductor maker, started building a $1 billion factory in Ho Chi Minh City in March, and Taipei-based Hon Hai plans to invest $5 billion in five years to make parts for personal computers, digital cameras and mobile phones.
more info->VietNamNet - Samsung may invest in wireless handset factory in Vietnam

Office rents soar in HCM City as economy grows

Real estate specialists at Savills, CB Richard Ellis and Collier, all say that the shortage of grade-A office space downtown will remain for another three to five years. Rudolf Hever, research and consultancy manager of CB Richard Ellis, predicts the price of grade-A office space will jump to 70 USD per sq.m a month, while retail space downtown will rise to 200 USD per sq.m.
more info->VietNamNet - Office rents soar in HCM City as economy grows:

Northerners killed by carbon monoxide while burning coal for warmth

Since the beginning of last week, the Detoxification Center of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi has received over ten cases of carbon monoxide poisoning (CO).
more info->VietNamNet - Northerners killed by carbon monoxide while burning coal for warmth:

VietNamNet - Flight shortage affecting Tet travelers

more info->VietNamNet - Flight shortage affecting Tet travelers: "Passengers can’t get enough flights for Tet; why don’t you increase the number of flights?
General Director of Pacific Airlines Luong Hoai Nam
Air tickets are running out because the demand has exceeded the supply. The demand for traveling increases by 30-40% in the months before Tet and airlines can only provide 10% more flights.
In fact, airlines dare not offer more flights, because the more flights airlines provide, the bigger losses they incur. The fuel price has increase by three times, while the ceiling airfare remains unchanged. The world’s oil price has reached the record level of $100 per barrel, while the ceiling airfare has been capped at VND1.5mil since 2001."

VietNamNet - A double happiness for overseas Vietnamese

more info->VietNamNet - A double happiness for overseas Vietnamese: "Overseas Vietnamese always have the thrill of returning home for the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet). Despite the chilly weather, they are all warm with joy as never before they have seen such positive changes in the country.

The number of Overseas Vietnamese coming home for Tet is much larger compared to previous years."

ed note: How many vietnamese do you see on scooter?

San Jose Mercury News - Food takes center stage at Tet

When Vietnamese people celebrate Tet, they say "an Tet" - literally "eat the Lunar New Year." During the festivities, which traditionally last a full month in Vietnam, food is indeed a major focus.
But people actually take in the holiday with all their being. Tet is the most important event of the year, symbolizing rebirth, family and relaxation. It's like Christmas, New Year, Easter, Thanksgiving and Rosh Hashanah all bundled together.
The anticipation and excitement can be intense. Many Vietnamese living overseas return to Vietnam to spend Tet with family and to pay respect to elders and ancestors.
Wherever Vietnamese people are during this time of the year, they're apt to be super busy in the days leading up to the first day of the New Year, known as Tet Nguyen Dan. They clean their homes and then decorate them, particularly with flowering branches of yellow hoa mai or pink hoa dao, which are similar to delicate apricot, peach and quince blossoms. Showy pots of yellow chrysanthemums are displayed, too.
To get in on the floral action, I usually head to Grand Century Mall at Story Road and McLaughlin Avenue in San Jose about a week before Tet, which falls this year on Thursday, when the Year of the Rat begins. The brisk little flower market outside the mall is a fun place to browse and buy. (If you go, know that it's cash only.)
more info->San Jose Mercury News - Food takes center stage at Tet:
ed note: I'm planning on visiting the flower market/mall today Weds

San Jose Mercury News - Asking hard questions during Tet

Asking hard questions during Tet
By Andrew Lamfor the Mercury News
Article Launched: 02/06/2008 01:48:12 AM PST
The Lunar New Year, or Tet, is the most important and popular holiday in Vietnam, a festival traditionally celebrated for up to three weeks. It is a time when families come together, far-flung relatives reunite, good wishes are offered all around and old grievances are forgiven.

San Jose Mercury News - Asking hard questions during Tet
ed note; opinion by Andrew Lamfor

Hoi Tet Viet Nam Fairgrounds

VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR
TET ORGANIZING COMMITTEE - ỦY BAN TỔ CHỨC & ĐIỀU HÀNHTel. 408-295-9210 - Email: laiduchung@aol.com
Hoi Tet MAU TY - Tet Festival 2008 - FEB. 09-10, 2008
Thong Bao Le Ruoc Lua Thieng Ban Do (Map) Miss Vietnam Pageant] Nhac Tho]
Hoi Tet Viet Nam Fairgrounds: "VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR
TET ORGANIZING COMMITTEE - ỦY BAN TỔ CHỨC & ĐIỀU HÀNH
Tel. 408-295-9210 - Email: laiduchung@aol.com
Hoi Tet MAU TY - Tet Festival 2008 - FEB. 09-10, 2008
Thong Bao Le Ruoc Lua Thieng Ban Do (Map) Miss Vietnam Pageant] Nhac Tho]"
ed note: I will be attending Tet Festival Feb 9-10 this weekend in San Jose, Ca

Former Beatles Guru Dead at 91 - TIME

Former Beatles Guru Dead at 91 - TIME: "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru to the Beatles who introduced the West to transcendental meditation, died Tuesday at his home in the Dutch town of Vlodrop, a spokesman said. He was thought to be 91 years old."

NPR: Real Estate Booms in Communist Vietnam

Home prices may be slumping in the United States but in communist Vietnam, they are going through the roof.
In Hanoi, Bui Vu Thi has a new apartment in a good neighborhood with two bedrooms, one bath and a great view of the lake. She bought it three years ago, before it was even built. With some help from her parents, she paid $92,000 in cash. Today, she says, it's worth three times that.

more info->NPR: Real Estate Booms in Communist Vietnam:

Vietnam to pour $1.6 bln into building more schools, rooms_English_Xinhua

HANOI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese government has approved a program totaling 25.2 trillion Vietnamese dong (VND) (nearly 1.6 billion U.S. dollars) to build more permanent schools and boarding rooms for teachers nationwide from now until 2012, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Tuesday

More info->Vietnam to pour $1.6 bln into building more schools, rooms_English_Xinhua

FT.com / Business Life - Broadband makes connections in Vietnam

Five months after its launch, the Ta Van pilot project – which is free to the villager’s users – still faces challenges. For a start, Ms Phuong’s enthusiasm for the internet does not seem to have spread like wildfire in Ta Van, which is home to about 3,000 people from three Vietnamese ethnic minorities. Many seem to be still adjusting to much more basic technology in a village where the first fixed phone was installed at the post office in 2004 and which was only hooked up to the regional electricity grid in 2005.
“My parents have no idea or interest in the internet, but I guess that’s normal because they’re just old people,” says Ms Phuong.

more info->FT.com / Business Life - Broadband makes connections in Vietnam:

Cost-of-living increases of concern in Vietnam

Worries about the soaring cost of living are being felt across Asia, but in few places is there more concern than in Vietnam, where the government last week said the annual inflation rate had hit 14.1 percent, its highest since 1995.
On Jan. 30 the central bank raised its various official interest rates by up to 1.5 percentage points to try to prevent an inflationary spiral.
The country is suffering from the worldwide surge in the cost of fuels and foodstuffs -- food prices are up by a whopping 22 percent year-on-year. But the inflationary spike is also partly the consequence of a prolonged boom: Vietnam's economy grew by around 8.5 percent last year, one of Asia's most impressive rates, having grown by an average of 7.5 percent annually in the previous decade.

more info ->Cost-of-living increases of concern in Vietnam:

Indonesian floods displace thousands | U.S. | Reuters

Indonesian floods displace thousands U.S. Reuters: "JAKARTA (Reuters) - Heavy rain and high tides have caused chaos in the Indonesian capital for three days, forcing thousands to abandon homes or cars and cutting the roads to the airport, highlighting the city's inadequate infrastructure.
The flooding delayed flights elsewhere in southeast Asia and reminded travelers, including the investors and bankers Indonesia most needs to attract, of its pressing problems."

In Bangkok, it's a tough life for elephants - International Herald Tribune

BANGKOK: Of all the illegal activities that animate the streets of Bangkok - the vendors who hawk pirated DVDs and fake watches, the brothels that call themselves saunas - one stands out more than others.
Elephants are not supposed to saunter down the city's streets as they do almost every night. For at least two decades the giant gray beasts have plodded through this giant gray city, stopping off at red-light districts and tourist areas where their handlers peddle elephant snacks of sugar cane and bananas to passers-by.
more->In Bangkok, it's a tough life for elephants - International Herald Tribune:

Global Credit and Environmental Issues affect smaller developers in Bangkok

Small and medium-scale property developers in Bangkok are being forced to sell their projects to larger developers as they start to face difficulties in obtaining financial support for construction. This is according to Visanu Suchatlumpong, vice-president of Asian Property Development Plc.
“Financial institutions did not approve project loans as they considered their (smaller developers) branding was not strong and their products might not be saleable,” he said.
But he also played down the role the global credit crunch was having, saying, “Some of them did not meet financial institutions’ conditions that required them to have sales of at least 40%.”

more info->Global Credit and Environmental Issues affect smaller developers in Bangkok:

Property in Thailand: Beach huts for the billionaire backpacker - Telegraph

They may be in Thailand, but these pads are a long way from the shacks of gap years past, writes Anne Cuthbertson
Backpackers first started coming in numbers to the Gulf of Thailand islands in the 1980s. In tie-dye T-shirts, they journeyed by coconut boat to the undiscovered beaches of Koh Samui and Koh Pha-Ngan. They stayed in 50p-a-night bamboo bungalows, watched the sunset from their hammocks, and thought they'd found nirvana.
Lap of luxury: This vast private villa, with four bedrooms and an infinity pool, is one of 36 to be built at the Soneva Kiri resort
Those Lonely Planet-clutching gap-year students are now in their late 30s and 40s and some have risen to become hedge fund managers, law partners and corporate leaders. Cash-rich, time-poor, with families in tow, what is their fantasy holiday home now?
The creators of Soneva Kiri think they have the answer. This ambitious villa development on the Thai island of Koh Kood, within sight of the Cambodian mainland, promises to recapture memories of barefoot bliss for former backpackers, combined with the comforts they have grown accustomed to in business hotels.
These are holiday homes with prices to make even a hedge fund manager choke on his pineapple. With villas weighing in at up to $7·5 million (£3.8m), they kick sand in the face of other island developments in Barbados and the Seychelles.
As one who has strung up a hammock outside many a cheap Thai beach hut, I was intrigued to see Soneva Kiri's rather more luxurious version. Residents will eschew the coconut boat in favour of a private jet which takes 45 minutes from Bangkok airport. The fourth largest island in Thailand, Koh Kood is one of the least developed, with threequarters of it cloaked in rainforest. A few small resorts are already tucked into its coves - the delightful Captain Hook bungalows are $60 a night - but any whiff of cheap luggage is kept a safe distance from the 150- acre Soneva site.
more info-> Property in Thailand: Beach huts for the billionaire backpacker - Telegraph

AFP: New season signals big expansion for Asian Tour

The Asian Tour kicks off its anticipated 2008 season this week in India, bolstered by more events and bigger prize money than ever as interest in golf continues to soar.
Since professional golfers in Asia formed a new player representative body in January 2004 -- the Asian Tour -- to ensure control over their careers and the development of the sport in the region, growth has been phenomenal.
more info->AFP: New season signals big expansion for Asian Tour

Indonesian 2007 foreign tourist arrivals up 13 percent

The number of tourists visiting Indonesia rose 13 percent to 5.51 million in 2007 from 4.87 million in 2006, data from the Central Bureau of Statistics showed Friday

more->AFP: Indonesian 2007 foreign tourist arrivals up 13 percent

Townhall.com::Mitt's Vietnam Flip-Flop: His Most Distrubing Yet::By Deroy Murdock

But nothing prepared me for Romney’s most amazing flip flop of all. Somehow, I missed it, despite months of researching his bipolar record.
During CNN’s January 30 debate from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Romney said, “one of the two great regrets I have in life is I didn’t serve in the military. I’d love to have.” This echoes what he told the Boston Globe last June 24. “I longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and be representing our country there and in some ways it was frustrating not to feel like I was there as part of the troops that were fighting in Vietnam.”

more-> Townhall.com::Mitt's Vietnam Flip-Flop: His Most Distrubing Yet::By Deroy Murdock

Agent Orange Work Progresses in Vietnam

More than three decades after the Vietnam War, the United States and Vietnam have just completed temporary steps to contain dioxin contamination at a former U.S. air base in Danang.
But the U.S. government, as well as U.S. foundations and corporations, should contribute more money to clean up the site permanently, members of a joint U.S.-Vietnamese working group on Agent Orange said Friday.

more-> The Associated Press: Agent Orange Work Progresses in Vietnam

Luc Cung Dance

Luc Cung (Six floral lamp worship offering) is an ancient dance which was transferred to northern Vietnam by Indian bonzes, according to some traditional music researchers.

In the past, the dance was performed to offer agricultural produce to the Buddha whenever farmers had a good harvest.

Under the Nguyen Dynasty, King Minh Mang told the Ministry of Rites to restructure Luc Cung dance into Luc Cung Hoa Dang to use during royal ceremonies.

more info ->VietNamNet Bridge:
ed note: visit more info to see pictures of the wonderful pagoda dances

Dong Ho loses painting tradition; switches to making paper objects

In recent years, Dong Ho villagers’ folk paintings have trickled out of style; now they make paper votive objects to supply to Hanoi and other Northern Provinces. As the lunar New Year approaches, the entire village is bustling.
“In the past, villagers were mostly painters but they have now shifted to making paper religious offerings. Each family produces a different kind, for example, clothes, footwear, motorbikes, horses, cars, etc.,” said Ha Thi Cheng, a villager. Cheng’s family specializes in producing colored papers that other families use in producing the final product.

more info...VietNamNet - Dong Ho loses painting tradition; switches to making paper objects
ed note: We were here in Dec 2006

Electricty of Vietnam/4subsidiary Real Estate Companies

Real estate market booms, more firms pop up
VietNamNet Bridge
ed: Having travel thru-out Vietnam the last 2 yrs, I have a feeling my trip this year is going to cost more.

Preservation of Hanoi's OLD Quarter brings benefits

VietNamNet Bridge: "“Hanoi is a city with a lot of character and with little extra effort could be preserved and become the cultural capital of Asia, where not only major cultural events could be organised but also major national and international conferences.”"

Wealthy go on Tet Spending Spree

Chairman of a big bank in HCM City said businessmen like him now mainly talk about projects worth tens of millions of USD during the New Year, super-deluxe cars, and special tours as well as where will they go to present Tet gifts to poor people
more info-> VietNamNet Bridge:

Vietnamese gamble on Cambodian town Border town casinos show

The crowds of Vietnamese trying their luck at the casinos that have sprung up in the southeastern border town of Bavet are a tangible example of the widening social divisions in their home country.
more info Vietnamese gamble on Cambodian town Border town casinos show gap between Vietnam's rich and poor since economic reforms : World : DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE (The Daily Yomiuri):

Vietnam Airlines Los Angeles to HCMC late 2008

The Canadian Press: U.S. gives Vietnam $1.4 million to prepare direct flights between countries: "Vietnam Airlines could then launch its direct flight to the U.S. in late 2008"

Tasty Bun Bo Cay,

Although bun bo cay is available in other Mekong Delta provinces, the dish tastes best in Bac Lieu, 280 kilometers from southern hub Ho Chi Minh City, where it originated.
The dish is similar to bo kho (beef stew) but the recipe is simpler.
Different kinds of beef such as lean beef or beef tendon are cooked with sate, a condiment comprising roasted ground chili and garlic.
Fresh chili can also be added, giving the dish an inviting bright red color.
The tender cooked beef is served with bun (rice vermicelli).
But unlike bo kho, bun bo cay does not include carrot, potato, sweet potato or onion.
The flavor is enhanced with a sauce made from pounded unrefined salt, fresh chili and lemon juice.
The spiciness from chili and the sourness from lemon combine with the beef to give the dish a distinct flavor.
The delicacy can be eaten with several kinds of seasoning herbs and aficionados say bun bo cay tastes best when served hot.
The spices and the heat make diners perspire profusely, which enthusiasts say is beneficial to health.
The pungent taste of sate makes the dish unique in Bac Lieu and all over the Mekong Delta, where people do not usually fancy spicy food, unlike those living in the central region.
The bun bo cay recipe is simple and there are many shops selling the dish throughout the province.
However, Minh Nguyet, who sells bun bo cay at the corner of Cai Market in Ward 1 of Bac Lieu Town, cooks it best.
Although she has only a basic setup and often moves, her shop is always crowded.
Reports of her bun bo cay expertise has even made it onto several newspapers.
What makes her cooking so special is the pungent savor of sate and the tender-but-not-too-greasy beef.
The special recipe was passed on from Nguyet’s grandfather to her father and uncle who were chefs before 1975.
Her father, in turn, handed the recipe down to Nguyet over three decades ago.
Reported by Diem Thu

Hotel Rooms increasing for International Visitors

International visitors to Vietnam will find it more difficult to secure comfortable lodging at fair prices as hotel fares soar in big cities across the country.
A report from Ho Chi Minh City Department Tourism said the average price of hotel rooms in the city in 2007 increased 23 percent from the previous year, with three- to five-star luxury hotels experiencing a 31 percent price escalation.
Visitors pay on average about VND1.2 million (US$75) a night presently, compared to the average price of VND965,000 in 2006.

Meaning of Tet for Foreigners

The meaning of Tet for foreigners

Tourists enjoy participating in the local community activities for the Tet Holiday
At midnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve, every Vietnamese family whispers similar fervent prayers while bells ring and drums beat in temples.
Tet or Lunar New Year is a festival which epitomizes Vietnamese culture.
Chuck Kuhn plans to be there for Tet in 2009


Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily

Kidney Special

Sell your Kidney Special (US $4,400) each
Police probe live kidney export racket to China
Police in southern Soc Trang Province are hunting for the leader of a ring illegally sending local people to China to sell their kidneys.
The investigation was prompted from residents’ complaints accusing a resident of Ho Chi Minh City of conning people in Soc Trang Province’s Trung Binh Commune to sell their kidneys in China for VND70 million (US$4,400) each

more info Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily

75 lumps-20 years

2 Lumps in Anus, gets 20 yrs (0uch)

Vietnamese-Australian gets 20 years for heroin trafficking
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court Monday sentenced a Vietnamese-Australian man to twenty years in prison for trafficking heroin.
In May last year, Nguyen Kant lost consciousness on a Vietnam Airlines flight from HCMC to Sydney.
An airline attendant examined him and found two lumps of what turned out to be heroin around Kant’s anus.
The plane returned for an emergency landing at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
Doctors at HCMC’s Cho Ray Hospital then removed another 75 lumps of balloon-wrapped heroine from Kant’s stomach.
Kant, 37, admitted that another Vietnamese expatriate had hired him to transfer 226 grams of heroin for US$20,000. leading singers and models.
Source: Thanh Nien

RIO-five days of uninhibited carnival madness.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - To the sound of blasting samba, men dressed as nuns swilled beer and danced down the cobblestoned streets of a Rio hillside Friday night to kick off five days of uninhibited carnival madness.
Dutch tourist Drey Urhahn watched in awe from a sidewalk in the historic Santa Teresa neighborhood as hundreds of members of the Carmelitas street samba group danced by him in flip-flops and black-and-white habits to thundering rhythms from a drum corps backed by a booming brass band."
more info..AT&T - News: "Street Dancers Open Rio's Crazy Carnival
Published: 2/1/08, 12:05 AM EDT
By MICHAEL ASTOR

1,500 homeless Floods Jakarta

"JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Flooding from torrential rain killed three children and left nearly 1,500 people homeless in Indonesia's capital, an official said Saturday, as waist-deep waters started to recede."
more info AT&T - News: "

Turning point in Vietnam war recalled- Hindustan Times

The Tet Offensive 40 years ago on Thursday is seen as the decisive battle of the Vietnam war, a wave of urban attacks that broke the will of a superpower bogged down in a faraway conflict




Turning point in Vietnam war recalled- Hindustan Times

Vietnam landmark gets a face-lift - Travel - LATimes.com

Vietnam landmark gets a face-lift - Travel - LATimes.com