Vietnam Deel 2

[FredVN]

Vietnam intensifies crackdown on public peeing, littering

Those who litter or urinate in public will be fined up to VND7 million (US$313), starting February 1, according to a recent decree by the Vietnamese government.

The act of public littering is subject to a fine of VND3-5 million (US$134-223), the fiat says.
Those who litter on the streets, sidewalks or into drainage systems will pay an even higher fine of VND5-7 million ($223-313).

People who put away cigarette butts in undesignated areas at condominiums, shopping malls or other public places will be fined between VND500,000 ($22.5)and VND1 million ($45).

Public urination and defecation will also be subject to penalties of VND1-3 million ($45-134), according to the new decree. The old penalty for such an illegal act is from VND200,000 ($8.7) to VND300,000 ($13).

The new fines are between five and 25 times higher than those previously enforced in Vietnam, as the highest penalty for such actions were only set at VND500,000 ($22.5), a sum many had deemed ineffective in raising public awareness of environmental protection.

Local experts have aired support for the heftier penalties for public urination and littering, saying that the harsher punishments are necessary for combating such illegal behaviors.


Bron: TEMPLATE | HOME


Het werd tijd!!

Nu nog handhaven...

 

[FredVN]

Ratten...

Voor de afwisseling dit keer die op 4 poten en met een staart.

Ze zijn al een paar keer ter sprake gekomen: gebraden in FredVN in "Vietnam" of als knager aan de bekabeling van mijn motor in FredVN in "Vietnam"

Dit keer begon de ellende met een slechte ontvangst van de weersatellieten. Eerst van alles gecontroleerd: ontvanger, pluggen, snoertje naar de computer, antenne op dak...
Totdat ik met enige moeite onder de werkbank kroop waar de antennekabel op ca. een halve meter hoogte in een pijp naar het dak verdwijnt. En ja hoor, grotendeels doorgeknaagd, tot de metalen afscherming toe.

Na een paar dagen had ik eindelijk weer een beetje zin gemaakt om de zaak te repareren. Omdat het stukgeknaagde deel in de pijp zat, moest ik eerst naar het dak om daar de kabels los te maken zodat ik beneden wat meer speling zou hebben. Ik kijk boven in de pijp en &*^%^#^*%#$&^#$: OOK AANGEVRETEN! Het kleine beetje zin was in no time vervlogen. Het is me nog steeds niet duidelijk hoe die beesten daar zijn gekomen: door de pijp omhoog? Op de één of andere manier via het dak? Geen flauw idee.

Afgelopen donderdag was het eindelijk droog, dus dan maar uitblazen op de motor om wat zin te maken voor de reparatie. (*&^%*^%#*$^*&%)(*^ VAN BEIDE HELMEN HET BINNENWERK AANGEVRETEN!

Afgelopen zondag met gepaste tegenzin toch maar aan de slag. Beneden een stuk kabel er tussenuit geknipt en weer aan elkaar gesoldeerd. Boven een heel stuk afgeknipt en de plug opnieuw aan de kabel gesoldeerd. En jawel, de ontvangst is weer normaal. Zucht. Denkelijk zowel boven als beneden op de een of andere manier de kabels maar met gaas beschermen. Het vreemde is, dat de kabels van de HRPT-schotelantenne al maanden beneden los op het terras liggen en daar is helemaal niets mee.

Maar met al deze ellende ben ik wel aan het twijfelen geslagen: is het wel zinvol om een nieuwe motor te kopen als de ratten misschien weer de bekabeling opvreten? Mijn huidige barrel is vrij eenvoudig en dus gemakkelijk zelf te repareren. Nog eens diep over nadenken.

Een bijkomende reden is het (bij)geloof van alle mensen hier in de omgeving.

Onze twee honden zijn de laatste tijd behoorlijk actief als het op ratten vangen aankomt. Het lijkt wel of ze samen afspraken hebben gemaakt. Vroeger duwden ze elkaar weg in hun ijver om ze te vangen. Als er nu een rat in de berging zit, ligt Bugi in de deuropening en Ruby 1- 1½ m. daarachter. Schiet hij er bij Bugi langs is het een prooi voor Ruby. Zit er één onder de koelkast kiezen ze beide een andere uitgang waar hij langs kan komen. Ze hebben er samen de laatste paar weken al een heel stel gevangen. En volgens iedereen hier komen ratten terug om wraak te nemen als er een soortgenoot gedood is.

Als ik zie wat er bij ons in zeer korte tijd geruïneerd is, zou dit wel eens heel serieus op waarheid kunnen berusten.

 

[Ellan Vannin]

Hoorde vroeger weleens van mijn oma wijlen dat ze wanneer de rattenplaag op de boerderij te groot werd ze er eentje vingen in een kooitje stopten en met een gloeiend ijzer bewerkten. Het geschreeuw van de rat zou de soortgenoten (tijdelijk) verjagen.

 

[Badgast]

Misschien een optie om de kabels zo veel als mogelijk in een PVC buis te doen?
Of bij een volgende renovatie buitenkabels gebruiken die wat steviger/dikker zijn?

Zijn ze een beetje lekker om te eten? ;-)

 

[FredVN]

@Ellan Vannin
Ik ben bang dat, als ik dat doe, ze elke soortgenoot uit de wijde omtrek mobiliseren om me dwars te zitten op een manier, waarbij de doorgeknaagde antennekabel kinderspel is...

 

[FredVN]

@Badgast
Tja, wordt lastig. Het is in feite het laatste stukje vanaf de pijp, die door de muur omhoog naar het dak loopt, naar de ontvanger. Misschien inderdaad maar over iets meer pijp nadenken of toch iets van gaas. Ben er nog niet helemaal uit.

Die hier in huis rondlopen niet volgens de buurvrouw. Maar de scharrelratten uit de rijstvelden schijnen goed te eten te zijn. Ik moet bekennen dat rat nog niet op mijn lijst staat van gegeten dieren.

 

[FredVN]

Flashing back to when the bicycle ruled Saigon

Male students at Petrus Truong Vinh Ky High School (now Le Hong Phong High School) are pictured with their bicycles in Saigon in the 1930s.
NADAL Saigon


The bicycles that became a fixture in people’s daily life in Saigon fluctuated from simple to sophisticated at different times.

The bicycle has remained a dear object to most Vietnamese, and those living in bygone days would find it difficult to part with the item, as they would ride to school, their workplace, and to markets along canopy-lined streets. The bicycle was even a friend to soldiers who fought in the historic battle of Dien Bien Phu, which liberated the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi from French colonial rule on October 10, 1954. The humble transport was also witness to myriad romances in real life as well as being featured in poetry, music and movies.

Despite its irresistible appeal and significant role in history, few really understand the tale behind the bicycle in Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City. The first verifiable claim of a bicycle being used came in 1817, exactly 200 years ago, and belonged to German Baron Karl von Drais, a civil servant to the Grand Duke of Baden in Germany.

Drais patented his design in 1818, which became the first commercially successful two-wheeled, steerable, human-propelled machine, commonly called a velocipede at the time.
The bike followed the French people into Vietnam in the 19th century, but it did not emerge as a necessity until some decades later.

A couple walk with their bike on a Saigon street in 1950. Photo: LIFE


As far as Nguyen Cuong Phu can remember, now 80, and a former resident of Xom Ga (Chicken Hamlet) in the old town of what was known as Gia Dinh Town, the bicycle was first introduced to Vietnam in the late 1940s. At first, not everyone could get their hands on the novel mode of transport. Many had to save for a long time and normally purchased a used bike before they could own a brand new one. Apart from the affluent minority who could afford a car, most would walk or ride horse-drawn carriages for longer trips. Thus, owning a bike became a great source of pride and made traveling around considerably easier.

At 10, Phu was elated at his father’s purchase of a man’s bike for nearly 300 piastres, the currency in French Indochina between 1885 and 1952. The little boy proudly taught himself how to ride in front of envious children in the neighborhood.

Despite their desirability, few attempted to tamper with their locks in an attempt to steal them.
The hobby horse’s golden age in Saigon came in the 1950s, with a surge in the number of bicycle owners, ranging from office workers to students at some of the more famous schools for boys and girls including Marie Curie, Taberd and Chasseloup Laubat. These schools, Marie Curie, Tran Dai Nghia and Le Quy Don as they are now known, have stood the test of time with their hallmark French architecture remaining, and now admit both girls and boys.

People from other provinces would ride their bikes to the coach station, where they bought tickets to Saigon before assistant drivers loaded the roof of the bus with their bikes. On their arrival in Saigon, the driver’s assistants would unload their bikes and the passengers would then ride them to the desired address.

The soaring popularity of the bicycle became symptomatic of the decline in the use of horse-drawn carriages, which were later restricted to small-scale traders transporting their goods from the countryside into the city.

All households, rich or poor, would own at least one bike. Schoolgirls cruising elegantly on their women’s bikes made a pleasant sight, modified as they were with colorful nets to cover the rear wheel so as to keep the girls’ “ao dai” (traditional Vietnamese long gown) from getting tangled in the spokes. These bicycles became the fashion during a period of what was mostly sturdy design. The men’s versions boasted an ergonomic U-shaped handlebar with the bar ends turned up so that riders did not need to bend their body to fit.The bikes included a large saddle with springs beneath it, and a durable luggage rail built from an iron bar.

More stylish models were also imported from France, including the Reynold, Royal Stella and Peugeot, and were sought after by Saigon’s elite. These collectibles, which continue to fetch high prices, were installed with down tubes and top tubes built from lighter materials. Local manufacturers then began producing their own top tubes and down tubes from similarly light materials, and these soon reached a high standard, though they were considerably cheaper. Cyclists, including poor high school students, had to pay taxes, while some streets were reserved for bicycle riders only.

A bicycle parking lot in Saigon in the late 1950s. Photo: LIFE


After peaking between 1954 and 1960, the use of bicycles gradually declined due to the rising availability of imported motorbikes, including brands like Velo Solex, Mobilette, and CNC, the emergence of Motobecanes (a type of French-manufactured moped) and later on, cars. Bicycles later made a comeback, particularly among adults and high school students as fuel prices spiked in 1972.

A new addition to the market was a miniature version of the women’s model with curved down tubes, an elegant-looking U-shaped handlebar and smaller wheels. The mini-bike and flared trousers soon became a fashion fad around the city, especially after the release of the hit film, “Tuoi Than Tien” (Angelic Age), which featured actresses singing while riding the sought-after machines.

That said, the second heyday of the bicycle was not fully realized until the centrally planned, subsidized economy of Vietnam came into being after 1975. Petrol became scarce during the period, meaning the bicycle again ascended to the throne. New bicycles were predominantly locally produced, with parts coming from various sources and of generally poor quality. A cyclist at the time would not be shocked if his top or down tubes snapped without warning while on the road. This second golden era only drew to a close by the early 1990s.

Who knows if another bicycle heyday will return to Ho Chi Minh City, with residents of the southern metropolis increasingly aware of the adverse impact of air pollution and its encroachment on their daily life.
The heyday of the bicycle gave birth to racing associations whose members competed in races around Indochina.
Several riders catapulted to fame.
Races held around Saigon, which took place on a regular basis, were a magnet for contemporary youths.
Independent buffs also joined the competitions.


Bron: TEMPLATE | HOME


Als ik deze foto’s zie en vergelijk met de tegenwoordige bende krijg ik heimwee.

 

[sammie]

Hoorde vroeger weleens van mijn oma wijlen dat ze wanneer de rattenplaag op de boerderij te groot werd ze er eentje vingen in een kooitje stopten en met een gloeiend ijzer bewerkten. Het geschreeuw van de rat zou de soortgenoten (tijdelijk) verjagen.

Dat is bizar wreed..

 

[Xir]

Dat is bizar wreed..

Oude boeren zijn niet wreed...wél "pragmatisch"

 

[FredVN]

Ksssttt, ksssttt roepen helpt ook niet weet ik uit eigen ervaring.

 

[FredVN]

Overseas home cooks wow worldwide followers with daily Vietnamese dishes (1)

Gezien de grote hoeveelheid foto’s heb ik dit artikel maar in tweeen geknipt. Morgen deel 2.

Conquering both their nostalgia and social media, Vietnamese-origin home chefs are taking to Facebook and Instagram to show off their mouth-watering dishes to thousands of fans and followers. Juggling their passion for cooking with their career and personal responsibilities can be tough at times but for these cooks, dedicating time each day to sharing their motherland’s food with the world is well-worth the effort.

#vietnamesefood
#vietnamesefood leads to more than 861,600 Vietnamese food-related photos on Instagram posted from accounts across the globe. Among them are many from overseas Vietnamese, like @thepetitechef of Agnes Bach Thuy Dinh – a Melbourne resident with over 21,000 Instagram followers.

Using the handle @thepetitechef, the mother of three fascinates people with hundreds of photos featuring Vietnamese dishes such as bap nuong mo hanh (Vietnamese-style barbecued corn on the cob with spring onion oil), banh bot loc (tapioca dumplings with prawns and pork in banana leaves), canh khoai mo nau tom (purple yams and prawn soup with rice paddy herbs), banh thuan hap (Vietnamese steamed sponge cupcakes), che dau xanh duong phen pho tai (green beans in rock sugar syrup and seaweed), and many more.

A photo of banh thuan hap on @thepetitechef

Despite being busy running her own business, the 49-year-old home cook updates her Instagram regularly. She says the dishes she posts are simply what she serves on a daily basis to friends and family. “Cooking is my long-time passion,” she told Tuoi Tre News via email. “I have cooked for lots of my non-Vietnamese friends and thank God they all love my cooking.”

Agnes Bach Thuy Dinh

Dinh began her instajourney with only 18 followers after being encouraged by her children to share her passion. Since then, @thepetitechef has continued to inspire more and more fans with photos of home-cooked mouth-watering dishes. “Many have left very positive comments and emails flood in with people asking for recipes,” Dinh said.

Worldwide fans
Living in Canada, cooking enthusiast Justine Nguyen has succeeded in winning over more than 15,800 subscribers with her YouTube channel, Jn Cooking Channel. Coming from a family which placed heavy importance on passing down recipes to the next generation, Nguyen began sending photos and videos detailing recipes to her nieces and cousins once they grew up and moved out on their own. “Their friends started following the instructions too. They had great success and talked me into posting the videos on YouTube,” Nguyen said. Since then, her 5-year-old YouTube channel has become a hit, along with Facebook and Instagram accounts under the same name.

Justine Nguyen

Between the three platforms, the home chef has over 68,000 social media foodies eagerly awaiting her next Vietnamese dish. The self-proclaimed recipe developer and consultant shared that she has received reactions from fans from all over the world, including Russia, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Laos, the U.S., Canada, and of course Vietnam. “An East Indian lady who is married to a Vietnamese man reached out to me and said she’s so happy she found my YouTube channel because she can now cook all of her husband’s favorite Vietnamese dishes,” Nguyen happily shared. “A woman in Greece, who loves Vietnamese food but can’t find it, is now able to make her own dishes because of my online videos.”

Banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake) made by Jn Cooking Channel

Nguyen’s Canadian friends have even expressed their jealousy of Vietnamese cuisine because “Vietnamese foods include such a variety of soups, seafood, pork, beef, fish, and poultry, with variations of rice and noodles and wraps and rolls.”


Bron: zie artikel morgen

 

[FredVN]

Overseas home cooks wow worldwide followers with daily Vietnamese dishes (2)

Similarly, owner of the over 66,600-subsciber YouTube channel RunAwayRice, Huyen Ton Nu Thuy Trang, also has fans from around the globe.
Trang launched her channel in 2012 with simple videos demonstrating how to make Vietnamese sauces and pickled vegetables. Her goal was to share recipes that were easy to follow, healthy, and delicious.

Huyen Ton Nu Thuy Trang

“At the time, there were just a few YouTubers sharing Vietnamese cooking tutorials in English and I really liked the idea of sharing Vietnamese cuisine to an English-speaking audience,” she said. Since then, the San Diego-based software consultant has flooded her channel with Vietnamese dishes, ranging from cha lua (steamed pork roll) to bun rieu (crab noodle soup). One of her latest dishes is banh chung (Vietnamese traditional rice cake for the Lunar New Year).

Shying away from YouTube and Instagram, Brazil-based To Van Anh Kiet shows off his creations in person by hosting a cooking class aimed at connecting Vietnamese food lovers in Rio de Janeiro. “My class typically has 8 to 12 learners from many countries. Some live in the city and some are tourists,” Kiet said, adding dishes like fresh spring rolls, pho, and chicken with rice are often requested to be featured in his class.

When he is unable to organize a class, Kiet shares the dishes and recipes on his Facebook page Culinaria VietnamitaOriental No Rio. During his lesson, Kiet not only teaches people how to cook, but also tries to explain Vietnamese cuisine culture, such as the meaning and origin of the dishes, in an effort to help learners understand more about Vietnam, its people, and culture.

To Van Anh Kiet

On December 31 last year, Kiet was voted among Rio de Janeiro’s 10 most interesting foreigners of 2016 by The Rio Times.

Cooking to connect with home
Moving to Rio for work since 2011, Kiet said he began cooking to ease his own desire for Vietnamese dishes since so few Vietnamese live in the city. His friends quickly fell in love with Vietnamese food, partly because it is so healthy, he said. “Collecting spices has always been one of the hardest parts of teaching, but fortunately I can find some of the major ingredients in Rio," Kiet shared. “However, some I have to grow, like Vietnamese coriander, laksa leaves, shiso, and basil. Sometimes I also bring dried ingredients from Vietnam when I visit home.”

Photos of Vietnamese dishes made by To Van Anh Kiet posted on his Facebook page

Meanwhile, to Vietnamese who have been away from home for a much longer time, like Dinh, Trang, or Nguyen, cooking Vietnamese food not only helps them remain connected to where they were born, but also maintain their family traditions. “I call Australia home but Vietnam is definitely my homeland,” Dinh said. “I grew up learning how to cook from my grandparents and my mother, therefore I'd like to keep our family traditions in the kitchen.”
“My children will definitely learn their roots from my cooking and from our traditional customs and values,” she added.

RunAwayRice creator Trang also shared that she “definitely considers Vietnam her homeland.” “My passion for Vietnamese cuisine has been a wonderful way for me to learn and connect with my heritage,” Trang said. “I lived in Vietnam until I was 6 and clearly remember the sights and smells of the markets and street vendors. Even though we were poor, food was always a focus of family gatherings and my mother and oldest sister could turn basic foods into feasts with their mastery of seasonings and sauces,” Nguyen recalled.

To her, one of the most heart-touching reactions is from people who say learning to cook using her Vietnamese recipes has reconnected them with their own families and heritage.
“Some are rediscovering dishes they haven’t had since childhood,” she said.


Bron: TEMPLATE | HOME

 

[FredVN]

Fotograferen

Fotograferen doe ik al sinds pakweg mijn 10e jaar, toen ik af en toe met de box-camera van mijn vader een foto mocht maken. Iets als http://www.thecamerasite.net/05_Box_Cameras/Pages/boxit.htm

Het heeft een tijd op een wat lager pitje gestaan. Op de fiets ende motor heb ik wel altijd mijn kleine waterdichte camera bij me: FredVN in "Vietnam" Maar ik heb tijdens mijn laatste vakantie nog één keer (althans, dat is de bedoeling ) een goede uitrusting gekocht.

Naast verder gaan met wat ik altijd het leukste vond (landschappen) wil ik nog iets met modelfotografie proberen. Maar aangezien ik daar een volstrekte beginner in ben zal ik daar zeker niet mee naar buiten treden.

Ook in de planning zitten een serie fotoshoots van allerlei kleine bedrijfjes die mensen hier gewoon thuis hebben. Een tijd terug was de rijstwijn-stokerij te zien in FredVN in "Vietnam"

Op de lijst staan o.a.
• Markt
• Kapster
• Maken van poefs FredVN in "Vietnam"
• Hai, mijn lasser
• Kokosnotenfabriekje
• Motorreparatiebedrijfje
• Koken op school voor minority-kinderen
• Etc.

In de komende tijd probeer ik af en toe iets te regelen: met uitzondering van het koken moeten alle afspraken nog worden gemaakt. Dus hoeveel er toestemming geven...?

De moeder van twee van Minh’s leerlingen is degene die kookt op de school. Ik heb haar toestemming afgetroggeld in ruil voor het kaal mogen plukken van onze bananenbomen.
De bladeren worden rond TET gebruikt voor diverse gerechten. Zie FredVN in "Vietnam"

Hopelijk staat hier over een aantal bedrijfjes toch binnenkort een kort verhaaltje en wat foto’s.

Wordt dus –afhankelijk van de medewerking- vervolgd.

 

[FredVN]

Rambling’ tours a new draw in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Instead of taking conventional tours with professional guides and pre-chosen spots, green-fingered tourists can now design their own excursions along shady canals in a Mekong Delta province.

Conventional eco-tours typically adopt fixed itineraries, leaving tourists with few chances to explore the most inaccessible nooks and crannies and behold less-seen, pristine scenery.
Visitors to Vinh Long Province are no exception, as they are taken to much-frequented orchards and eco-tourism sites by guides or boat steersmen. Steersmen can even carry two or three groups of visitors to the same site at or around the same time.

Minh Uy, a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper contributor, recently roamed into “uncharted” waters for three hours on a motorized sampan. He and his companions hired a lidded sampan capable of seating more than 10 passengers at a wharf at Tien River Park, which invariably teems with commotion from scores of tourist-laden boats. The Tien River is the main northern branch of the Mekong River that starts in Cambodia and snakes through a number of Vietnamese provinces in the southern region before entering the East Vietnam Sea.

Having had enough of conventional eco-tours, Uy asked his steersman to keep his boat running freely on canals so that he and the other tourists could regard the rustic landscape with composure and unwind to the refreshing breezes. One of the helmsmen revealed his clients sometimes ask him to manipulate his sampan into less-frequented ditches which boast shady canopy and stunning scenery. “There’re canals which I had never rode through, until my clients asked me to. We steersmen generally take the major waterways to save time,” he admitted.

He once chanced upon a luxuriant bush of cypress, the dappled shade of which appealed so immensely to his clients that some of them failed to return to his boat on time. His boat was thus grounded for a few hours to the other tourists’ delight. “I was on edge then as the delay meant I would not be able to carry more holidaymakers and thus would earn much less that day. Luckily, the greatly amused tourists gave me generous tips,” he added.

Sampan rental costs only VND400,000-500,000 (US$17-22) for a waterway excursion to villages making candy and com (green rice flakes) and fruit gardens. Meanwhile, it costs tour-goers around VND1 million ($44) to hire a sampan for a ‘roaming’ river trip and get ready for its singular offers. A wide array of dishes, particularly specialties, are readily available at Vinh Long Market or prepared in advance by some fruit garden owners. Sometimes groups bring their own cooked food, beer and ice and throw party-like get-togethers on the hired sampan.

Minh Vuong, a patron tour-goer to Vinh Long Province, recalled the difficulties he had persuading local steersmen to give him rambles instead of stopping at fixed tourist spots. The steersmen showed initial reluctance over concerns that tourists would make a mess on their boat and they would not earn as much as they do with conventional eco-tours. Vuong finally got their nods.

Xuan Trong, another regular taker of such tours, also reveled in the idea of singing their hearts out while wandering afloat that his friends came up with. Uy, the Tuoi Tre contributor, recalled he and his high school classmates hired a sampan for their first waterway outing quite a long time ago.

A couple pose for a bridal photo aboard a sampan afloat a canal in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long. Photo: Tuoi Tre


The eye-opening excursion led them to relics across Vinh Long, their hometown, including former landlords’ edifices, century-old pagodas perched along the river and Vinh Long Van Thanh Shrine. To their amazement, the students realized the readily accessible relics by road could also be reached by waterway.

Minh Tri, owner of a dental clinic chain in Ho Chi Minh City, has purchased a 2.2-hectare plot on Tan Tao Islet in Long Ho District out of his ceaseless passion for such tours. “It’s like destiny. Once I dozed off in a hammock hung under the leafy canopy along a canal. When I got up, I was amazed at the house owner’s hospitality and bustling homestay services for foreign tourists in the neighborhood,” he explained.

His garden is now where steersmen drop by for food and drink supplies and also where city dwellers can immerse themselves in pastoral delights and become one with nature. Most eco-tour goers and steersmen agree that food savored on the river tastes different than when eaten on land. “We asked the steersmen to take us to My Thuan Bridge [on Vinh Long’s side] before letting us ramble for a few hours to reach Ben Tre Province,” a group of tourists told Uy. “We had the engine shut down and unwound to the melodious vong co [traditional southern music] pieces in the absence of its purrs,” they added.

The pastoral waterway landscape also makes a striking backdrop for bridal photos.
Thum, another local steersman, disclosed many couples have hired him and his sampan for bridal photo shoots. “I kept running my boat around and around on the canals to scour for lovely spots for their photos. They asked me to stop at some which I initially found not alluring enough but later looked dazzling in their photos,” he shared. Some years later, some of these married couples returned and asked him to get them back to their photo shoot settings. “I couldn’t remember all of the spots as several of them have changed beyond recognition. So the couples went on a new tour,” Thum added.

Nguyet Cam takes immense pride in her original bridal photos which accentuate the unique aquatic setting and locals’ hospitality. “Some cheery residents even volunteered to ‘act’ in the shoot, resulting in one-of-a-kind bridal photos,” she noted. “It is a lot of fun riding for such shoots. The brides and grooms often give me tips,” Thum added.

He was, however, reluctant to carry photographers who often wade in mud to search for vantage points to take photos and leave dirty footsteps all over his sampan.
Green-fingered tourists can hire sampans in Cai Be Town in Tien Giang Province and take three-hour rides all the way to Vinh Long Province.
All tourist boats must be armed with life jackets and buoys as stipulated by law.
Tourists should request that steersmen show them how to put on the jackets and buoys properly to make sure their trips are fun-packed and safe.


Bron: TEMPLATE | HOME


Bij mijn eerste bezoek aan Vietnam (de georganiseerde reis) heb ik iets vergelijkbaars gedaan, alleen in een smallere boot. Latere trips naar de Mekong waren allemaal met grote boten een stukje op de rivier en helaas absoluut niet te vergelijken met mijn eerste trip.

Heb je ooit de kans om een trip als hierboven te maken: doen!!

 

[FredVN]

Punthoed?

In FredVN in "Vietnam Deel 2", mijn stukje over de stukgeknaagde kabels ben ik eigenlijk tegen de Vietnamese gebruiken ingegaan. In dit soort gevallen worden deze beesten nooit bij hun naam genoemd maar spreken Vietnamezen altijd over "Ông mỏ nhọn" wat je letterlijk kunt vertalen als “Mr. puntige snuit”.

 

[FredVN]

All-in: Young Vietnamese put it all on the line for startup dreams

Two young Vietnamese who risked everything to grow their startups have managed to accomplish their dreams, despite the many potholes on their road to success.

Lam Thi Thuy Ha and Nguyen Huy Binh, both residents of Ho Chi Minh City, are standouts amongst a sea of entrepreneurs for their commitment, determination, and recklessness in the pursuit of their life-long aspirations. The two have triumphed in the ultra-competitive startup world, despite being forced to gamble with their livelihoods against constant obstacles along the way.

Selling the house, starting the business
Ha, co-founder of the travel project Triip.me, shared that she was forced to sell her house to raise capital after the business’s original flop. The entrepreneur and her husband, Hai, had just given birth to their second child and their meager income meant the couple had to move into her parents’ house. Previously a tour guide, Ha was well aware that travelers are shying away from organized tours, instead opting for more unique experiences. To satisfy this newfound hunger for authenticity amongst travelers, Ha and her husband founded Triip.me – a platform designed to connect foreign tourists with local people through specially designed trips.

The packages organized by Triip.me typically include tours given by local residents, meaning travelers are given a culturally unique experience while serving as a valuable source of income for the communities which they visit. In the early days of Triip.me, Ha and Hai rented space in an alley near Le Van Tam Park in District 3 to serve as the headquarters for their 15 employees and a residence for five of their staff. It also gave the young startup a location for lunch and dinner gatherings, as well as their tri-weekly yoga classes. Even with the team’s dedication, Triip.me failed to gain significant revenues during its first year, forcing the founders to abandon the business.

In early 2014, Ha became pregnant with her second child and decided to lay off the business for a while, giving her some time to rethink the idea and focus on where she went wrong. After the baby came in September 2014, the businesswoman, with unconditional support from her husband, sold the family house to give Triip.me another shot. The business started to take flight when a Singaporean tourist booked and experienced a tour to Vietnam with Ha’s company that led him to his love of the unique idea. Shortly after the trip, the man pledged support of the business with a small investment.

A second investment came when another Triip.me client, the president of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, became involved in the business after a trip provided by Ha and her team. With two new investors on board, the business ran strong until the end of 2015 when funds began to dwindle, forcing Ha to borrow money from her parents and friends to keep it alive through the first four months of 2016. Later the same year, the project received a US$500,000 boost from Gobi Partners venture capital funds. Triip.me now provides services to travelers from 655 cities in 98 different nations across the globe, Ha said, adding that her project has only reached about 10 percent of its mission.

Nguyen Huy Binh in this photo provided by himself


Five times of failure
Binh, dubbed Binh Applancer, the developer behind applancer.net, a project which provides HR support in the IT field, is not ashamed to admit his five failures before he struck success with his current project. During the 14-year pursuit of his startup dream, the young man worked many jobs to earn money to fund his projects. Binh recounted the most painful lesson from his journey, when back in 2010 he opened a technology firm specializing in surveillance cameras. The products were sourced from the Philippines in order to meet high standards, resulting in a much higher price than similar devices sold on the general market in Ho Chi Minh City.

Market research was vital, Binh stated. “I spent too much time and effort developing high-end products. I didn’t understand that most consumers were interested in more basic devices.”
Binh then switched to mobile gaming, hoping to become an instant millionaire like Flappy Bird creator Nguyen Ha Dong. After creating 50 games, all of which fell into obscurity, Binh opened a small computer service business.

Learning from his clients, Binh spotted a rising concern amongst parents over the obscene content their children were exposed to on the Internet, sparking the idea for his “kill porn” application, a program which was also named the winner of a local contest. With the cash prize, Binh paid off his debts and started applancer.net to meet the increasing demand by local businesses for IT specialists. Applancer provides IT experts that meet the requirements of its corporate clients, with fees charged based on the success of each project. The service is quickly growing and Binh says there is still plenty of room for development.


Bron: TEMPLATE | HOME

 

[FredVN]

Hon Ba

Iin een eerdere post stond al, dat ik iets met modelfotografie wil proberen. Dan kan heel goed in de tuin, die volledig vrij ligt en waar ik dus naar hartelust kan modderen. Maar ik zou ook wel wat shoots in de vrije natuur willen doen. Alleen heb ik dan geen zin om meteen alle gestuntel ook aan een grote hoeveelheid toeschouwers om mij heen te tonen.

In FredVN in "Vietnam" stond al het voorbeeld, dat er in no time 12 man van één of andere militaire patrouille in het zand zaten te kijken hoe Minh in bikini de zee in ging. Op zich zal het me een zorg zijn dat ze naar mijn model zitten te kijken, ze kijken al het mooi er toch niet af. Maar liever niet als ik zonder toeschouwers al moeite heb om een behoorlijke opname te fabriceren.

Dus kreeg ik van iemand de raad om naar Hon Ba Nature Reserve te gaan. Dat is een groot natuurpark, waarvan de grens een kilometer of 15 van huis ligt. Ik ben er wel vaker geweest. Het in FredVN in "Vietnam" beschreven meer ligt op de rand van het gebied. Ook het huis annex museum van Dr. Yersin liggen in dat gebied. Dit zijn beide plaatsen die wat drukker zijn, maar er zijn in een gebied van zeker 20 x 20 km. vast wel wat rustige plaatsen te vinden. Wordt dus een leuke zoektocht tijdens een motortripje samen met Erich (ooit beroepsfotograaf geweest).

Wie in Nha Trang verblijft en een leuke bestemming zoekt voor een dagtrip per motor moet zeker even googlen op “Hon Ba Nature Reserve”. Het is pakweg 30-35 km. van Nha Trang naar het meer. Een kaartje (zie hieronder) en veel mooie foto’s, al zijn ze niet allemaal in dat gebied gemaakt. Ik zag ook nog een 2-daagse fietstocht op Nha Trang Cycling To Hon Ba Mountain | Vietnam Cycling Tours Nha Trang. Geen idee of die nog wordt aangeboden.

Aanvulling
Erich en ik hebben een paar dagen geleden zelf een trip door het gebied gemaakt. Binnenkort zal ik daar nog wat over posten. Daarvoor moet ik, om de routebeschrijving te completeren, eerst nog even een andere route rijden omdat de binnendoorweg, die ik zelf neem, bar slecht is en bovendien vanuit Nha Trang een heel stuk om.

 

[FredVN]

Fransen lopen vaker door rood stoplicht dan Japanners

Fransen zijn veel vaker geneigd om door een rood stoplicht te lopen dan Japanners, zo blijkt uit een nieuwe studie.

Voetgangers in Frankrijk negeren in veertig procent van de gevallen een rood licht bij een oversteekplaats. De kans dat Japanners op een zebrapad illegaal oversteken, is gemiddeld slechts twee procent. Dat melden Franse onderzoekers in het wetenschappelijk tijdschrift Royal Society Open Science.

Videobeelden
De wetenschappers analyseerden videobeelden van voetgangers op zebrapaden in Franse stad Strasbourg en de Japanse stad Nagoya. In totaal bestudeerden ze 5.000 mensen bij het oversteken. Fransen bleken 20 keer vaker door rood licht te wandelen. Ook zijn Fransen twee keer zo vaak als Japanners geneigd om andere voetgangers te volgen op het zebrapad zonder dat ze zelf naar het stoplicht kijken, zo meldt nieuwssite Science Now. Soms werden ze daarna verrast door een auto, omdat het licht al op rood stond.

Ontmoedigen
Volgens hoofdonderzoeker Marie Pélé van de Universiteit van Strasbourg bewijst de studie dat de cultuur in een land van grote invloed is op het gedrag in het verkeer. Ze wil meer studies naar verkeersgedrag in verschillende landen uitvoeren om tot betere verkeersmaatregelen te komen. Zo zou het in sommige landen volgens haar een goed idee zijn om een waarschuwingssignaal te laten horen als mensen door rood lopen. Daardoor zouden anderen worden ontmoedigd om achter deze voetgangers aan te lopen.


Bron: Fransen lopen vaker door rood stoplicht dan Japanners | NU - Het laatste nieuws het eerst op NU.nl


Aha, nu snap ik waar het gedrag van de Vietnamezen vandaan komt. Gewoon een overblijfsel van het Franse koloniale tijdperk. Maar ik heb grote twijfels of er iets is dat Vietnamezen kan ontmoedigen om door rood te lopen. Vooruit, heel misschien een mep met een knuppel van een agent.

 

[Xir]

~FredVN schreef op 24 februari 2017 @ 03:07 bewijst de studie dat de cultuur in een land van grote invloed is op het gedrag in het verkeer.

Doe maar eens een zelftest...
Blijf in Amsterdam voor een rood voetgangerstoplicht staan. Kannie, de stroom sleurt je gewoon mee

Loop in Bremen door een rood voetgangerstoplicht (bij lege(!) weg). Ben je de enige en krijg je een preek van voren en van achteren.

 

[FredVN]

Materialistisch

Al meerdere keren zijn voorbeelden gegeven van de materialistische instelling van de gemiddelde Vietnamees. Tijdens onze laatste motortrip kwam dit onderwerp toevallig aan de orde en Erich blijkt –het is bijna niet mogelijk- op dit gebied een nog grotere cynicus te zijn dan ik al ben.

Hij gaf een paar voorbeelden uit zijn nabij omgeving. Een oom, airco-monteur, die achtereenvolgens een motor, een zware Honda-scooter, een auto, een SUV en een groot stuk land met een bungalow-achtige woning kocht. Totdat de bank er genoeg van had. Hij zit nu in een oud en bouwvallig hutje.

In de flat waar Erich woont, precies hetzelfde. Mensen in mooie kleding lopen naar hun auto om naar het dichtsbijzijnde restaurantje te rijden voor ontbijt, lunch of diner. Maar als je langs hun flat loopt, waar de voordeuren meestal open staan vanwege de warmte, staat er echt geen enkel meubelstuk. Alleen een matje op de vloer en –uiteraard- een TV aan de muur.

Alles voor het uiterlijk vertoon.

Eén van de belangrijkste redenen dat Minh nog maar met enkele klasgenoten contact heeft. Maximaal binnen twee minuten, maar meestal veel eerder, wordt gevraagd wat voor baan ze heeft (geen), in wat voor auto we rijden (geen), wat ik doe (niets)...

Tja, we zijn nu eenmaal een stelletje arme nietsnutten...

Tijdje terug vertelde onze overbuurvrouw tegen Minh dat ze een nieuwe motor had gekocht. En bijna verontschuldigend zei ze er achteraan dat men wel zal denken dat ze arm is omdat ze geen scooter heeft gekocht. Er zat wel een goede reden achter: over een poosje kan haar dochter erop naar school en ze wilde haar niet meteen iets heel duurs geven. Zelf vind ik het om een andere reden een goede keuze: met de bar slechte wegen hier is een motor stabieler dan een scooter met kleine wielen.

O ja, 'Samsung gaat alsnog Galaxy Note 7 met nieuwe accu verkopen' | NU - Het laatste nieuws het eerst op NU.nl past natuurlijk perfect in bovenstaand plaatje...


Aanvulling van Minh:
Volgens diverse Vietnamese websites heeft het hoofdkantoor van Samsung in Vietnam de geruchten, dat de Samung Galazy 7 met een nieuwe accu in Vietnam verkocht zal worden, ontkend.

Ehh...

 

[FredVN]

In Vietnam, women excel in male-dominated arena of long-distance bus driving

Chau My Huynh is pictured driving a shuttle bus from Ho Chi Minh City to her hometown, Dong Thap Province in the Mekong Delta.


Women in southern Vietnam have been challenging gender stereotypes for decades as long-haul passenger bus and truck drivers. The physically demanding job, which involves hours of maneuvering bulky vehicles through dense traffic and avoiding accidents, has been traditionally the domain of men. Long-haul female drivers are not something one expects to see every day.

At 4:30 am, a commotion stirred at the Western Bus Station, one of Ho Chi Minh City’s major coach stations. While a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter searched for a coach to Cao Lanh City, in the heart of Dong Thap Province in the Mekong Delta, a slightly-built woman enthusiastically ushered her to a blue bus parked nearby. That woman was Chau My Huynh, 41, a native of Dong Thap. To the surprise of many, Huynh has been on the job as a long-distance passenger bus driver for nearly 20 years now. “Huynh is the only woman on the job at this bus station. Despite her slight build, she is a really tough, careful driver. Patrons usually insist she carry them,” one of the station’s supervisors said.

Chau My Huynh (right) spends rare moments with her grandmother during her days off work. Photo: Tuoi Tre


After drinking coffee to stay awake, Huynh climbs into the driver’s seat of a bulky 45-seat passenger bus and slowly drives away. Born into three generations of long-distance passenger bus drivers, as a child, Huynh would accompany her father on many of his inter-provincial rides throughout the Mekong Delta. The little girl gradually developed a fondness for the job, which involves quick meals and spending nights in the vehicle, as well as dealing with the likelihood of thugs and extortionists. “At 14, during one such ride to Sa Dec [another city in Dong Thap Province], I was amazed at the sight of a woman driving a truck overloaded with rice. My dream of becoming a driver started then,” she recalled.

Huynh met with fierce family objection, however, as girls were supposedly not cut out for the driving job. Set on realizing her dream, Huynh taught herself how to drive without her family’s knowledge by observing her father closely and driving his bus at night while he was fast asleep. She would sometimes doze off in the cabin.

When she turned 18, the girl sought her family’s permission for a months-long trip, during which she took a driving course in a neighboring province. Her family’s reaction was mixed but when she later brought home her driver’s license, they finally yielded to their daughter’s indulgence. Huynh soon matured from a driving assistant to an official driver and was recruited by a transport company.

With the job, she became the breadwinner of the family, providing for her parents and supporting her younger brothers’ university education. “I had a tough beginning. My boss and colleagues doubted I could stick to the job, but gradually I proved to them how careful I was as a female driver,” Huynh said. Ten years ago, she worked as both the driver and an assistant by helping passengers carry their baggage. “I still help my patrons, but now my back aches a lot after long trips,” the woman added.

Female driver Tran Thi Tuyet. Courtesy of Tran Thi Tuyet

With two shuttle rides each day from Ho Chi Minh City to Cao Lanh City, approximately 160 kilometers apart, Huynh typically leaves home in the wee hours and does not return until midnight. Over the past 20 years, the single woman has rarely even been treated to cozy meals with her grandmother, who she lives with.

Huynh earns VND200,000-250,000 (US$9-11) per day, which is enough to support herself, her grandmother and youngest brother who is studying at a topnotch university in Ho Chi Minh City. “Upon my youngest brother’s graduation, I will start saving money to buy my own bus and offer passenger transport services, which will be less physically strenuous,” Huynh said.

Meanwhile, Tran Thi Tuyet, 45, has eked out a living by driving trucks loaded with produce from An Giang Province, also in the Mekong Delta, to the Thu Duc wholesale market in Ho Chi Minh City. Her salary barely provides for her family of five, including her three growing children. “I’m never at ease whenever I’m behind the wheel. Luckily my male colleagues often make way for me to overtake them, or help me fix my truck when it breaks down,” she said.

Tuyet said that she now knows what is wrong with her vehicle and how to fix any problems just by listening to the engine. The woman, whose face is gaunt from lack of sleep, revealed that her husband walked away following the birth of their third child, leaving her alone to care for their three kids and her own aging parents. She borrowed money for a truck driving course and later earned her license. However, she was denied a job until several male drivers quit their jobs several months later, when she was finally hired to transport coconuts from Ben Tre, another Mekong Delta province, to Ho Chi Minh City. Tuyet later took on longer trips to earn more and develop her experience.

Apart from daytime driving, the woman, who looks much older than her years, also drives at night carrying heavy loads for extra money. During these trips, the mother can never shake the anxiety she feels for her children at home.


Bron: TEMPLATE | HOME


Als je dit soort schema’s en rijtijden leest is het niet verwonderlijk dat er om de haverklap enrnstige ongelukken met bussen gebeuren. Krankzinnig!

 

[FredVN]

Zucht...

Om moedeloos van te worden.

Onze honden staan af en toe voor het toilet te kijken, te snuffelen en te blaffen. Maar daar kunnen geen ratten oeps, puntsnuiten komen.

Dachten we.

In onze onschuld.

Totdat ik het roostertje van de ventilator in het plafond verwijderde...

Op de een of andere manier komen die puntsnuiten boven op het terras waar de pijp van de ontluchting uitkomt. Misschien via de bananenboom, die inmiddels een beetje schuin en bijna tegen het dak aanstaat. Ik zie ze nog niet over de elektriciteitskabels balanceren, hoewel me dat inmiddels ook niet meer zou verbazen. Ik bedoel, als olifanten het kunnen...

Of hadden die nu een lange snuit...

Dus dat wordt voor alle zekerheid een bananenboom kappen en in ieder geval gaas voor de ontluchtingspijp monteren.

Zucht...





Kappen en gaas is inmiddels gebeurd.

 

[Xir]

Bestaan er niet van die schijven voor om de kabels om balancerende olifanten puntsnuiten tegen te houden?

 

[Coert65]

Die worden inderdaad veel in de scheepvaart gebruikt,om het binnenklimmen van de snuitjes tegen te gaan via de ankerkettingen/afmeer-kabels. Is wel eventueel een optie om naar te kijken Fred.

 

[FredVN]

De kabels voor electriciteit en internet lopen over een afstand van een paar meter vrij tussen een muur met gaas en het huis. Ik heb nergens terug kunnen vinden dat ze daar ook daadwerkelijk overheen kunnen lopen. Wel dat ze via bomen en struiken kunnen klimmen. Ik moet daarom nog één andere boom wat snoeien.

Die schijven ga ik zeker naar kijken. En er staat nog een uitgebreide controle van alle mogelijke ingangen op het programma.

Maar het eenvoudigst voor ze is natuurlijk bij ons door de open deuren overdag. En daar is eigenlijk niets tegen te doen.