Tieng Viet lovers club

[jackbl]

Viet Nam has 92.6 telephones/100 people
================================

Viet Nam has a teledensity of 92.6 telephones, the Ministry of Information and Communications has reported.

There are 79.1 million telephones in the country, of which mobile phones account for 66 million, or 83.5 percent.

By the end of last November, more than 13,700 new base transceiver stations had been installed to serve mobile phone services.

Over 20.67 million people, or almost a quarter of the population, use the Internet, two million of them broadband.

More than 90,000 .vn Internet domains and 4,156 Vietnamese domains have been registered.

The country has 18,215 post offices.

By T. Binh – Translated by Hoang Yen

Originally Posted by jackbl

Subscriber surge jamming cell-phone networks
===============================

With the number of users skyrocketing, network jams of the sort that usually occur only on festive days have plagued major cell-phone service providers over the last two months.

Reported by Truong Son

[jackbl]

Offerings for “Kitchen God”
===================

VietNamNet Bridge - On December 23rd of the Lunar Calendar (which falls on January 18 this year), Vietnamese families arebusy preparing rituals and votive paper for the Kitchen God (Tao Quan) to ascend to Heaven.

The shops that sell votive objects and other items of worship in Hang Ma, Luong Van Can, Hang Bong and Hang Dao streets are crowded. The best-selling goods include money, cars, motorbikes, and villas made of paper.

The sellers in these streets say there’s nothing different from last year except that the prices have increased by 10-15 percent. A set of three hats, three sets of clothes and three pairs of shoes are priced at about VND25,000-50,000. Other commodities such as cars, motorbikes, and electric cookers, can cost up to VND1 million.

As well as paper carp, many families buy real fish in the hope of helping the Kitchen God to return to Heaven. Many shops offer yellow and red Japanese carp; two red carp with scales are priced at VND20,000-25,000. Japanese carp with silver-colour scales sell for VND80,000-100,000.

[jackbl]

Hi anyone can help me to translate the below highlighted words? thanks a lot
"Du sao di chang nua dc quen anh em rat vui"

[jackbl]

HCMC deluxe hotels reduce rates 50 percent
=================================

Some luxurious hotels in HCM City have promised to cut their rates by 30 to 50 percent in order to stimulate travel demand.


Many tourism companies and hotels Friday signed a commitment to implement a promotional campaign that runs from January to September.

There are 19 international tour companies and 12 three to five star hotels in the city joining the stimulus program.

Source: SGGP

[Honey Boon]

LI XI sounds like cantonese version of "利市“。。。。

I realised many viet words have the direct translation of cantonese, like immigration, lawyer, commerical advertisement, and many more

Originally Posted by jackbl

Heard that over at vn, not married also must give LI XI right? for sgp, not married no need give... Other than that, most of the customs for the same

[Honey Boon]

bro, which part of Malaysia you are heading to? are u going there to study?

Originally Posted by lhhuy1

If you want to know then just do a google search for "sex viet". I know one website that used to be popular, but it got closed down by the authority. I have been back to HCMC a few times, but not this year because I'll be heading to Malaysia instead; need to save money .

Times around tet were not fun for me because mostly everywhere was closed and my wallet got very thin for giving away "li xi". But it's ok if you have someone to be there with you and have sexy times.

[jackbl]

Bro, i check dictionary

hóa trang = to camouflage; to disguise oneself


BTW, do the ppl here found that since yesterd, the system time become hay-wired? Look at bro casa's post..how can i post before him if i have not read his posting, his posting time is 2.16pm..i post at 1.41pm

Originally Posted by casannova03

(English = Mandarin = Vietnamese)
Make-up = Hua zhuang = Hoa trang
(almost same as mandarin pronounciation except a bit of difference in tonation)

[casannova03]

Originally Posted by Honey Boon

I realised many viet words have the direct translation of cantonese, like immigration, lawyer, commerical advertisement, and many more

Not only cantonese...there are similar pronunciations linked to mandarin and hokkien as well..

I.e

(English = Mandarin = Hokkien = Vietnamese)
Prepare = Zhun Bei = Chun Bi = Chuan Bi

(English = Mandarin = Hokkien = Vietnamese)
Husband = Zhang Fu = Ang Sai = Ong Xa (pronounced "Arm" Xa)

(English = Mandarin (PRC's context) = Vietnamese)
Police = Kong An = Cong an (pronounced "Gom" An)

(English = Mandarin = Vietnamese)
Make-up = Hua zhuang = Hoa trang
(almost same as mandarin pronounciation except a bit of difference in tonation)

(English = Mandarin = Vietnamese)
History = Li Shi = Lich Su ( pronounced as "lit" "ser")


So as you can see, Vietnamese is a bit of rojak of everything. The language itself does not have as deep a history as other languages. I did not read up the history but i think i read somewhere that it was created by an emperor after unification of land in his time and he made use of references to a few langauges to create a new language in Vietnamese.

So maybe you can say Vietnamese is an improvisation of a few other languages...(my opinion...those who have the history of the language, pls share and enlighten me/us here!)

[jackbl]

Vietnam’s int’l call charges are region’s lowest
==================================
VietNamNet Bridge – Thanks to the 50 percent discount offered by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) last September, international call charges from Vietnam are lower than any other country in the region.

The group’s 2008 revenue increased 19 percent against over 2007, at more than 55 trillion VND (3.2 billion USD), even in the face of the current financial difficulties that are affecting the economy.

These figures were announced on Jan. 16 during a press conference in Hanoi by Bui Quoc Viet, director of the VNPT’s Information Centre.

During 2008, VNPT added 22 million subscribers to its list of phone users, increasing the number of its subscribers to 49 million.

The launch of Viet Nam ’s first satellite, Vinasat-1, into orbit in April 2008 was a breakthrough improvement in telecommunications infrastructure, helping local service providers, including VNPT, to expand their networks and services.

The telecommunications sector is expected to experience even tougher competition in 2009 when Vietnam opens the industry to foreign service providers, in line with its WTO commitments.

However, VNPT plans to increase its revenue during 2009 to around 60 trillion VND whilst making further reductions to call charges.

(Source: VNA)

Originally Posted by jackbl

Viet Nam has 92.6 telephones/100 people
================================

[lhhuy1]

Originally Posted by jackbl

Hi anyone can help me to translate the below highlighted words? thanks a lot
"Du sao di chang nua dc quen anh em rat vui"

I don't know the correct translation of the word chăng.

đi = to go

From my understanding of the whole sentence, it is: "Anyway, at least I got to know you. I am very happy.

Originally Posted by Honey Boon

bro, which part of Malaysia you are heading to? are u going there to study?

I am heading to Monash in Sunway. I need to get a map.

Originally Posted by jackbl

Bro, i check dictionary

hóa trang = to camouflage; to disguise oneself


BTW, do the ppl here found that since yesterd, the system time become hay-wired? Look at bro casa's post..how can i post before him if i have not read his posting, his posting time is 2.16pm..i post at 1.41pm

I got problem accessing too.

[casannova03]

Originally Posted by jackbl

Bro, i check dictionary

hóa trang = to camouflage; to disguise oneself


BTW, do the ppl here found that since yesterd, the system time become hay-wired? Look at bro casa's post..how can i post before him if i have not read his posting, his posting time is 2.16pm..i post at 1.41pm

Yap some system syncro fault...BOSS said so in another thread!
http://sbfsg.agency/matters...uit-trade.html

Hoa trang is also make-up lei..my wife say one...but i guess it makes sense la... in order to camou, you need to put make-up ma, right??

Where bro IHHUY1??
hoa trang la make-up phai ko??

[jackbl]

TRAVEL IN BRIEF 16/1
==================

Tour operators set for busiest time of year

HCM City tour operators will be busy as usual during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays since bookings for domestic and outbound travel have remained strong despite the global economic woes.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, head of Fiditourist’s public relations and communications department, said her company’s business has been great this year. She added that there have been many bookings from local travellers. Fiditourist aims to serve some 12,000 travellers over 13 days during Tet.

Vo Anh Tai, director of Saigontourist Travel Service Co, said tour prices have changed significantly when compared to other times during the year. He said some tours are being offered at lower prices in order to attract customers.

Culture festival to open in Ba Ria-Vung Tau

The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau will organise a cultural and tourism festival themed "Resounding Seaside Town" to attract more visitors on the first days of the Lunar New Year. The one-month festival, which will kick off on January 26, will be the biggest event ever to display the distinctive cultural and tourism features of the province.

The festival will include cannon shooting, performances imitating legendary ships of the anti-American war of resistance, spring flowers, wine, food, photo exhibitions, folk games, lion dance performances and canoe dances.

Nha Trang may host Miss Universe VN

The provincial authorities of Khanh Hoa have been given permission for the joint stock Hoan Cau (Universe) to host Miss Universe Viet Nam 2009 in Nha Trang City. The pageant will take place from April 21 to 30 at Diamond Bay, site of the 57th Miss Universe, held last July. The contest will find a beauty queen to represent Viet Nam in the Miss Universe 2009 competition.

Khanh Hoa People’s Committee also asked Hoan Cau to report to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and to request a license for the event.

Australian speaker votes for Ha Long Bay

During his visit to the northern province of Quang Ninh last Saturday, Harry Jenkins, the Speaker of Australia’s House of Representatives, voted for Ha Long Bay as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

At the meeting with the provincial authority, Jenkins said he was happy about the province’s development but expressed his concern about the preservation and promotion of the World Cultural Heritage site of Ha Long Bay.

Saigontourist greets 450 New Year tourists

Saigontourist Travel Service Company welcomed 450 foreign tourists on board the five-star cruise ship Columbus.

The tourists, most of which are German, visited HCM City on Monday.

This is the second cruise liner received by Saigontourist during the first half of this month. The cruise tourists went on a city tour of HCM City and a tour of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta on Monday and Tuesday.

After HCM City, the Columbus weighed anchor at Nha Trang port in Khanh Hoa province on Wednesday and Tien Sa port in Da Nang yesterday.

Tour company launches new scenic tour

The HCM City-based Ben Thanh Tourist has launched a four-day tour which takes tourists to the most beautiful beaches in Binh Thuan and the great mountains of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

Atrractions in Binh Thuan include a stop by Ta Cu Resort to enjoy the mountainous scenery. One can also take a cable car to visit Linh Son-Truong Tho Pagoda. In Phan Thiet tourists can enjoy such splended scenes such as Fairy Tale Spring and Posanu Cham Tower in addition to sand dunes and beaches.

In Lam Dong, tourists can tour Damb’ri Waterfalls in Bao Loc District. Emperor Bao Dai Palace, Truc Lam Monastery, Tuyen Lam Lake, Love Valley and the Great Wall replica in Da Lat City.

Five-star, luxury Hoi An resort cuts rates

The five-star luxury resort The Nam Hai in the ancient town of Hoi An is inviting local residents on a luxurious getaway at a special rate. On weekdays (Sunday through Thursday) guests will pay US$260 for their first night at a one-bedroom villa and $160 for the second night. For a weekend stay from Friday to Saturday, the rate is $330 for the first night and $190 for the second night.

The promotion, which is valid for those with Vietnamese identification, Vietnamese local residence card, or six-month Vietnamese visa holders, is valid through March 31.

A special package is also offered for the Lunar New Year: the $270 package includes a two-night stay for one guest, breakfast, one two-course lunch, one three-course set dinner, early check-in, late check out and other amenities. The Tet package is valid from January 23-31.

(Source: VNS)

[jackbl]

Ben tre is famous for its coconut!

Coconut festival opens in Ben Tre
=========================

The first Coconut Festival opened on January 13 in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, promising to bring tourists a taste of various local coconut products.

The seven-day festival held by the provincial People’s Committee, marks the 49th year of the Ben Tre Uprising against the US aggression and celebrates the inauguration of Rach Mieu Bridge, connecting Ben Tre to Tien Giang province.

Coming to the festival, visitors will have a chance to sample traditional food and explore the mysteries of the “coconut culture”, organisers say.

It will also offer businessmen and investors an opportunity to access the economic potential of Ben Tre for eco-tourism, historical and cultural relics, and particularly, for coconut products.

More than 250 booths are showcasing products made from coconut as well as techniques in coconut breeding, harvesting and processing.

A contest will be held where artisans will compete to make cakes, jams and food from coconut. Another contest will see local craftsmen make handicraft items, such as knitting baskets made out of coconut blades, and spinning and weaving carpets out of coconut fibre.

Do Minh Triet, of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that a number of coconut-related records will be set.

For instance, the biggest carpet made from coconut fibre will be showcased at the festival. The carpet measures 6m long and 3m wide and was crafted by artisan Pham Minh Tam, a resident of Chau Thanh district.

Additionally, a 3 m high teapot made from coconut shells will also be featured. The teapot was created by Nguyen Thanh Liem of Mo Cay town.

Dong A Company, owned by Pham Thi To will display a 600-kg coconut candy measuring 1.06m long, 0.6m wide and 0.8m thick.

Other unique products by famous artisans will also be on show, such as a pair of life-sized buffaloes made entirely of coconut by animal bonsai artisan Nguyen Van Cong, a resident of Cho Lach district.(VNA)

[jackbl]

A mosaic of Tet festivals
=========================

HANOI – Spring Exhibition 2009 (Vietnam Exhibition Center, through Friday)

Tran Van Tan, director of the Vietnam Exhibition Center, says this year’s Spring Exhibition will be the largest in its 17-year history, with 500 businesses showcasing products from around the national at some 800 stalls.

Visitors to the Hanoi event can try various specialty products from several provinces, including ruou can Hoa Binh (local rice wine from Hoa Binh Province in the north), Nam Roi grapefruits from the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, as well as products from craft villages in Hanoi and Ha Tay Province.

A new section displaying flowers and ornamental plants has been added to this year’s festival, which will also feature both traditional and modern theater performances as well as rock and hip hop dance and music shows.

HANOI – Hanoi-Thang Long Spring Festival 2009 (from January 29 to February 1)

Hanoi will open its Hanoi-Thang Long Spring Festival in Ly Thai To Park and the Hoan Kiem Lake area with a celebration of the capital’s 999th birthday on January 29.

On the same day in Thanh Tri District, a festival commemorating the 220th anniversary of the battle of Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da, in which General Nguyen Hue crushed a Chinese invasion, will be launched.

At the intersection of Dinh Tien Hoang and Hang Khay streets, an exhibition titled “Images of Hanoi 2009” will feature photographs of the historic capital.

The exhibition’s opening ceremony will include traditional musical shows and a lantern ceremony at Thien Quang Lake in which lit lotus-shaped lanterns – the symbol of Hanoi – are placed in the lake.

BA RIA-VUNG TAU – Flower Festival (Bai Truoc Park in the town of Vung Tau from January 22 to February 4)

The VND1 billion flower festival, titled “Converging Spring,” will be the largest the province has ever seen.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, deputy director of festival organizer Lam Vien Green Plants, said an area of 17,000 square meters in Bai Truoc Park would be filled with flowers and plants, along with 20,000 crates of fruit.

The festival’s featured flower arrangement portrays a small river flowing from the land to the sea carrying a boat filled with fish.

A 15-meter-high flower sculpture will depict the Hai Dang Lighthouse, the symbol of the town.

A large area will be dedicated to the life-like reconstruction of the southern countryside, including bamboo houses, fishing ponds, bamboo bridges and a garden of specialty southern fruits.

Ho Si Tien, an official from Lam Vien Green Plants, said the flowers would arrive tomorrow, so they’ll stay cool and fresh throughout the festival.

A calligraphy and photography exhibition and a tourism exhibit featuring Ba Ria-Vung Tau’s nine premier tourism projects – such as the Ho Tram Strip and the Atlantics Resort Center – will also be on display.

The flower festival is part of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Culture Festival, which begins on January 26, lasting until February 4.

BEN TRE – The First Coconut Festival (Ben Tre Cultural Center, ends tomorrow)

The First Coconut Festival in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre celebrates tomorrow’s opening of Rach Mieu Bridge, which connects Ho Chi Minh City with Ben Tre Province.

The festival showcases investment opportunities in Ben Tre Province and features coconut-related games and an awards ceremony to honor Vietnam’s outstanding craft villages.

Some 250 stalls have been set up to showcase coconut-related products.

The festival also features several hands-on activities: knitting bags and carpets from coconut leaves and cooking with coconuts.

BINH THUAN – The Phan Thiet-Ham Tan Fireworks Show (January 25)

Two 15-minute fireworks displays at two locations in Phan Thiet – one near Le Hong Phong Bridge on Trung Nhi Street and one in Ham Tan District – will light up the night sky on January 25 to welcome the Lunar New Year.

HO CHI MINH CITY – Flower Markets (beginning today, ending January 25)

Three Tet flower markets are taking over the city’s three major parks: September 23rd Park, Gia Dinh Park and Le Van Tam Park.

September 23rd Park, across the roundabout from Ben Thanh Market, will be the city’s main flower market.

In District 7’s Phu My Hung area, the Wonderland Park flower market will close this Saturday.

HO CHI MINH CITY – Nguyen Hue Flower Street and Banh Tet Festival (from January 21 until January 28)

Tran Hung Viet, head of the organizing committee, said unlike previous festivals, this year’s event would not feature a giant pair of banh tet, which in the past had set a Vietnamese record.

Instead, organizers will host banh tet making contests – open to both individuals and organizations – throughout the city on January 21. The selected entries that make it through the qualifying rounds will compete in a final round at Dam Sen Park the next morning.

The first-prize winner will receive the honor of offering the cake at worshiping ceremonies at the Hung Kings (legendary founders of Vietnam) temple, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Ton Duc Thang Museum on January 25.

Organizers will also donate thousands of traditional cakes to disadvantaged people around the city to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The HCMC government said it views the Tet Festival as a special occasion for both residents and international visitors. The Saigontourist Holding Company has been the main organizer of the festival since 2004.

Nguyen Hue Flower Street, to open from January 23-28, will feature an array of flowers and ornamental plants, including many from the Central Highlands town of Da Lat. During the week, the scenic boulevard in front of the HCMC government office will be closed to all vehicles.

The festival will also include a parade and musical show featuring Vietnamese traditional folk and contemporary music.

Fireworks shows will be held at six venues around the city on the Lunar New Year Eve, which falls on January 25, the organizing committee said.

HO CHI MINH CITY – Tao Dan Park Flower Festival (From Tuesday to January 31)

Hundreds of booths will offer visitors the chance to experience the best of Vietnam’s Tet customs: writing cau doi (parallel poem lines), calligraphy, Vietnamese tea ceremonies, puppet shows and even an area for visitors and tourists to learn how to make Vietnam’s banh tet (a traditional rice cake).

On the morning of January 23, some 300 ex-soldiers – as well as local students and young people – will carry out a re-creation of the legendary Truong Son Road, known in the west as “The Ho Chi Minh Trail.”

Reported by Thuy Tien – Thuy Linh

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by jackbl

Hi anyone can help me to translate the below highlighted words? thanks a lot
"Du sao di chang nua dc quen anh em rat vui"

Du sao di chang nua dc quen anh em rat vui = no matter how i am very happy to know you

no matter how = du sao di chang nua