Vietnam Deel 2

Hoteliers put properties up for sale en masse in Da Nang

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This image displays Vo Nguyen Giap Street in Son Tra District, Da Nang, Vietnam, where many hotels are located. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre


Many owners of small and medium-sized hotels in Da Nang are offering to sell their properties in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a research by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

A steep drop in occupancy, worsened by hefty bank loan interest, has caused them to bear the brunt of the global health crisis. Tourism and hospitality are among the industries hit the hardest by the virus, which has infected over 13 million people and claimed more than 575,000 lives around the world.

Hoteliers in Da Nang, located on the central coast of Vietnam, are putting their hotels up for sale en masse, at a time when the Southeast Asian country still seals its borders to foreign visitors and domestic tourism is slowly improving. Many of the sale offers come from small and medium-sized properties situated along the beach in Son Tra and Ngu Hanh Son.

A quick search by Tuoi Tre found above 70 hotel sale advertisements to be published on a website only on Tuesday.

One case in point is an eight-floor hotel on Vo Van Kiet Street in Son Tra District, on sale for VND29 billion (US$1.25 million). Boasting enclosed apartments, the hotel is located at a prime location near a tourist street, the beach, and the iconic Dragon Bridge, according to the advertisement.

Another owner demands VND33 billion ($1.4 million) for a six-floor hotel on Le Quang Dao Street in Ngu Hanh Son District. Many other hotels are now on sale on such touristy streets as Ha Bong, Tran Bach Dang, Ho Nghinh, Vo Nguyen Giap, and Ho Xuan Huong.

These hoteliers are struggling so they have to sell their properties, said Cao Tri Dung, chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association. Vietnam’s tourism is suffering even though the country has contained the COVID-19 epidemic, Dung remarked.

The Southeast Asian country has reported less than 400 coronavirus cases out of a population of almost 100 million people, with most having beaten the virus and zero deaths.

The association has proposed many solutions for helping lodging businesses but all have failed to prevent hoteliers from selling their hotels because of high operation costs and bank interest, the chairman admitted.

Lodging facilities have filled just 50-60 percent of their rooms even when Da Nang is in peak tourism time, according to data pooled by Tuoi Tre. Occupancy rates are forecast to continue plummeting from August, when far fewer people travel.



Bron: Hoteliers put properties up for sale en masse in Da Nang - Tuoi Tre News


Morgen een “soort van” vervolg hierop.
 
Antwoorden

Ik heb wat antwoorden gekregen op een reeks van vragen die ik in diverse posts heb gemeld.

De Bron? Als bijna altijd een onbekende die op een terras wat Engels met mij wil oefenen. En goed-sul die ik ben… :X :+ O-)

Lees en huiver.


Hotels in Nha Trang
Op dit moment is volgens een hotelmanager in Nha Trang de bezettingsgraad max. 20%. Men schat (maar dat is echt met de dikke duim) dat het voor de hotels bij het vliegveld max. 10% is. Op basis van het artikel van gisteren lijken deze cijfers reëel.


Hotels bij vliegveld
In eerdere posts sprak ik zelf al mijn twijfels uit over de bezettingsgraad van de hotels bij het vliegveld.

Fout, fout, fout!

Of toch niet?

Oordeel zelf.

Het eerste deel van de weg van Nha Trang richting vliegveld is een fraaie bergweg. Leuk op de motor, zolang er tenminste geen los zand in de bochten ligt. Vanaf het einde van die bergweg tot aan het vliegveld is 17 km. Daarop moeten uiteindelijk in totaal 67 (!) hotels en resorts komen. Op dit moment zijn er daarvan 29 klaar.

Een overnachting in de meeste hotels kost VND 4 - 5 M / nacht (= ca. €150 – 190). Dus lijken mijn aannames en die 10% bezetting nog steeds juist.

Maar er blijkt meer mee te spelen. Land aan zee kost inmiddels VND 50.000.000 / m2 (= ca. €1.900). Ik vermoed dat dit vroeger heel goedkoop is aangekocht en nu voor woekerprijzen wordt verkocht. Daar worden vervolgens bungalows op geplaatst. Die kosten gemiddeld $200.000 en staan dan op 200 m2 land. En veel van deze bungalows worden gekocht als tweede huis door de rijken uit HCM en Hanoi. Ofwel een soort goudkust.

Het lijkt er een beetje op dat ze met de winsten op de bungalows de hotels financieren en gewoon zien hoeveel rendement ze daar uit halen. Maar het zou me niets verbazen als ook hier een andere dynamiek meespeelt. Welke? (Nog) geen idee.


Kerk
De in Vietnam Deel 2 getoonde kerk behoort in feite tot Cam Ranh: de plaats waar het vliegveld is. Dit is een sterk katholieke omgeving met een eveneens sterke katholieke organisatie. Ook die omgeving zal verder uitgebreid worden. De landprijzen in dat deel, westelijk van de weg naar het vliegveld, waar dus ook de kerk staat, stijgen al. Waren ze een paar jaar geleden nog VND 3.000.000 / m2 (= ca. €110), nu is dat al VND 27.000.000 / m2 (= ca. €1.000).


Nha Trang
Ondertussen rommelt het ook in Nha Trang. De kust is volgebouwd. Een schitterend resort als Ana Mandara (twee keer bezichtigd, ver boven mijn schamele budget) wil ook verhuizen naar de nieuwe goudkust. Een bijkomende reden is de watervervuiling door de rivier, die in zee uitmondt. Daardoor is het water maar maximaal 8 maanden helder.


VinPearl Eiland
Het grote eiland voor de kust van Nha Trang waar het 5-sterren resort VinPearl op ligt. Een paar jaar geleden is daar naar toe een uitzicht-verpestende kabelbaan aangelegd. In Vietnam Deel 2 stond het bericht dat men de kabelbaan wil vervangen door een brug.

In mijn onschuld dacht ik nog dat een brug uitsluitend voor bezoekers van het resort voor het geschatte bedrag van VND27.1 trillion (US$1.16 billion) niet bepaald een intelligente investering is voor de overheid.

Wederom fout, fout, fout!

Ook daar blijken de zaken heel anders te liggen.

Op dit moment kost land op het eiland VND 1.000.000./ m2 (= ca. €40).
Zodra er een brug is stijgt dat bedrag naar VND 100.000.000 / m2 (= ca. 4.000).
En dan is het een simpel rekensommetje: het aantal m2 beschikbare m2 grond op het eiland versus de kosten van een brug. Die –naar horen zeggen- niet door de overheid wordt betaald.

Dat het uitzicht nu volledig wordt verkloot interesseert verder echt helemaal niemand.

Louter $$$$$.

Is dit nu wat ze “Socialistische economie” noemen? O-)


Uitsmijter
Als laatste hoorde ik deze: “Vietnamezen zijn allemaal kleuters: ze zijn ongehoorzaam, luisteren nooit, en altijd schreeuwen en krijsen.”

Briljant!
Goh, waarom heb ik die zelf niet verzonnen.
 
@leeqnl
Eén van de grote problemen is, dat ik mij niet nog een miskleun kan veroorloven. Dus ben ik links en rechts wat aan het informeren bij mensen, die ervaring hebben met wonen in andere landen. En heb al één land geschrapt.

Mijn grote wens is altijd Bali geweest. Ik heb een keer twee maanden op een ICT-project in Jakarta gezeten (OZB-project) en ben daarna met de familie twee jaar achtereen in Indonesië op vakantie geweest. Geweldige tijd. Maar dat is al weer lang geleden en ik ken er nu niemand meer. En is het land waarschijnlijk net zo hard veranderd als hier. Hoewel…

Ik heb dus nog niet echt een specifiek land op het oog. Maar wel de kenmerken: rustig, warm, niet te duur, veilig, fietsvriendelijk, winkels en redelijke gezondheidsvoorziening in de buurt…

Suggesties?

Dit zijn de ongemakken waar elke westerling mee van doen heeft in heel zuid-oost Azie. Er is genoeg wetgeving maar weinig handhaving. Er wordt weinig doorgedacht, tenzij het om snel cashen gaat. Het is lastig tussen de lokalen te wonen in een redelijk dichtbevolkt gebied. Het beste is om wat geisoleerder te zitten op een groot stuk land, of in een urbanisatie/compound bij de meer welgestelde klasse.

Je zou kunnen overwegen om na de corona eens naar bali te vliegen en eens te kijken hoe het daar nu is.

Ook kun je even proeven op palawan, daar is het nog rustig/dun bevolkt en ik kan je daar goedkope accomodatie aanbieden. Ik heb veel relaties en familie die je kunnen helpen met wat dan ook. Ik zie daar in toenemende mate mensen neerstrijken die voorheen op bali en thailand zaten. Ook de backpackers hebben het nu ontdekt.
 
Laatst bewerkt:
Dat handhaven gebeurt hier sowieso al uiterst selectief.
  • Met harde hand, als het gaat om een dame in een wat blote jurk op de rode loper van het filmfestival in Cannes, een topless dame met een punthoedje voor de borsten in Hoi An of een tentoonstelling over de onderdelen van het menselijk lichaam met "creepy" foetussen op sterk water.
  • Pas sinds 1/1/ een beetje als het gaat over (straal)bezopen aan het verkeer deelnemen.
  • Totaal niet als het gaat om gehoorbeschadigende pestherrie.

Ik woon al in een buitengebied. En hoor je de geluidsinstallaties op 400-500 m. Over de rijstvelden nog een paar honderd meter meer. Ofwel, het moet midden op een stuk land van 1500 x 1500 m. wonen. Tja...

Corona blijft op dit moment een onoverkomelijke hindernis. Dus alle fysieke research wordt voorlopig doorgeschoven. De hints staan genoteerd. Bedankt daarvoor.
 
Vietnamese man assaulted after bashing new attraction in Da Lat

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Do Khoi Nguyen falls to the ground after being attacked at a coffee shop in Da Lat City, Vietnam, July 11, 2020 in this screenshot taken from CCTV.


A man has been attacked by strangers at a coffee shop in Da Lat, a popular tourist destination in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, after criticizing a new attraction in the resort city on his Facebook account.

Do Khoi Nguyen, 34, was assaulted by a group of four men at a coffee shop near his house in Ward 2, Da Lat City on Saturday afternoon, police confirmed on Monday.

Nguyen was hospitalized with soft-tissue injuries following the incident.


Video (zie link)

One of the attackers was later identified as Pham Duc Vuong, an employee of Lien Minh Group.

Lien Minh Group is the developer of a brand new and rather controversial attraction in Da Lat – the Quy Nui-Suoi Ma (Mountain Demon-Ghost Stream) tourist area. The venue is designed with a dark theme and features various types of demons, monsters, and other horrific creatures.


Dalat 2.jpg



In this screenshot are photos of the Quy Nui-Suoi Ma tourist attraction posted to the Facebook account of Do Khoi Nguyen.

Nguyen said he had posted two photos of the demon statues at the tourist area to his Facebook account last week, along with a negative caption. The men also mentioned Ngo Quang Phuc, chairman of Lien Minh Group’s management board, in his post.

Shortly after the status was uploaded, Vuong contacted Nguyen and came to his workplace, demanding that the post be removed. When Nguyen agreed to delete the photos, Vuong invited him to a nearby coffee shop. Vuong and three other men who were already there then required Nguyen to make an on-camera apology. Nguyen refused and ended up being attacked by the men.


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Do Khoi Nguyen suffers an injured face after being attacked at a coffee shop in Da Lat City, Vietnam, July 11, 2020. Photo: L.D. / Tuoi Tre


A representative of Lien Minh Group has confirmed that Vuong is a probationary employee of the firm who is in charge of teaching martial arts at a subsidiary of the group that provides security and bodyguard services.

The representative asserted that Lien Minh did not ask Vuong or any of its employees to contact or attack Nguyen. “We have been working with police officers to verify the case and asked Vuong to apologize to the victim,” said Vo Thi Khiet, vice-chairwoman of Lien Minh Group.

Meanwhile, Ngo Quang Phuc, Lien Minh’s chairman, stated that Vuong has been dismissed following the incident. “We would never do such a thing. It would surely damage our credibility,” Phuc said. “However, we will take responsibility for Vuong’s action as he was our employee, and make sure Nguyen will be protected from other potential harm.”



Bron: Vietnamese man assaulted after bashing new attraction in Da Lat - Tuoi Tre News


Voor de video zie de link.

Tja deze leek me wel toepasselijk na de post van gisteren. Het lijkt dus nogal gevaarlijk om op terrassen “te helpen om andermans Engels te oefenen”. O-)

Op dit moment is het park gesloten is om te zien wat er met de beelden moet gebeuren.
 
Laatst bewerkt:
Dat handhaven gebeurt hier sowieso al uiterst selectief.
  • Met harde hand, als het gaat om een dame in een wat blote jurk op de rode loper van het filmfestival in Cannes, een topless dame met een punthoedje voor de borsten in Hoi An of een tentoonstelling over de onderdelen van het menselijk lichaam met "creepy" foetussen op sterk water.
  • Pas sinds 1/1/ een beetje als het gaat over (straal)bezopen aan het verkeer deelnemen.
  • Totaal niet als het gaat om gehoorbeschadigende pestherrie.

Ik woon al in een buitengebied. En hoor je de geluidsinstallaties op 400-500 m. Over de rijstvelden nog een paar honderd meter meer. Ofwel, het moet midden op een stuk land van 1500 x 1500 m. wonen. Tja...

Corona blijft op dit moment een onoverkomelijke hindernis. Dus alle fysieke research wordt voorlopig doorgeschoven. De hints staan genoteerd. Bedankt daarvoor.

In de filipijnen is dat nu wel een beetje aan banden gelegd. Na 22.00 uur sowieso geen luide muziek meer. Minderjarigen mogen dan ook niet meer rondhangen op straat.
 
Tja, volgens ons dorpshoofd schijnt dat hier ook te gelden: niet tussen 11:30 en 13:30 en niet na 22:00, hoewel hij ook al eens 20:30 heeft genoemd.
Deze regels "schijnen niet algemeen bekend te zijn" of beter: "men trekt zich er geen bal van aan".
 
Luminar

Omdat afgelopen zaterdagavond tijdens Q1 van de F1-kwalifikatie de elektriciteit voor ruw geschat de vijfde keer die week uitviel (de meeste waren ’s nachts, dus geen airco en je bed uitdrijven) ben ik maar in het donker achter mijn laptop gekropen en –hoe kan het anders- een Black & White look uitgewerkt. Dik 1½ uur later was de prik weer terug, de nieuwe Look redelijk getest maar de F1-uitzending uiteraard afgelopen. Het was voor zover aan andere huizen te zien voornamelijk in ons blok, dus het gebonk en gekrijs van de aso’s achter ging onverminderd en nog duidelijker hoorbaar gewoon door.

OK, terzake.

Om het voor iedereen wat gemakkelijker te maken heb ik de voorgaande MM in twee delen gesplitst.
1.De structuur van de diverse Looks, incl. de nieuwe B&W Look..
2.De procedure om e.e.a. uit te voeren.

Beide zijn hieronder toegevoegd.

Gewoon één keer de video van SlrLounge bekijken How to Retouch Hundreds of Portraits in Minutes Using AI! en de hele procedure is helder.

Succes.

Luminar 1.jpg


Bekijk bijlage Luminar 2.jpg
 

Bijlagen

  • Luminar 2.jpg
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Garbage piles up in Hanoi as people block road to dump

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Uncollected garbage piles up on a street in an urban district of Hanoi, Vietnam, July 16, 2020. Photo: Chi Tue / Tuoi Tre


People living near a waste treatment plant in Hanoi blocked a road leading to its dump due to a compensation dispute, causing garbage to remain uncollected and pile up in many districts.

Local people in Nam Son and Hong Ky Communes of the capital’s Soc Son District started assembling and stopping trucks from entering the Nam Son waste treatment complex on Monday night. They pitched tents on the main road leading to the landfill, the largest in Hanoi, and remained there until 1:00 pm on Friday, when they finally agreed to leave following a dialogue with city leaders.

Their action was a response to the city’s tardiness in paying compensation to and resettling people living within a 500-meter radius of the dump. Affected families said have only received compensation for their agricultural land but not for their houses or gardens.


Dump 2.jpg

Uncollected garbage piles up on a street in an urban district of Hanoi, Vietnam, July 16, 2020. Photo: Chi Tue / Tuoi Tre


Authorities of Soc Son District and Nam Son and Hong Ky Communes tried to negotiate with the local people to no avail. As of Thursday, about 9,000 metric tons of garbage had heaped up along many streets across the Vietnamese capital city, including 6,600 metric tons in its 12 urban districts.

As a quick fix, the municipal Department of Construction directed that waste from the four urban districts of Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, and Hai Ba Trung would be temporarily transported to the Cau Dien waste treatment complex in Tay Mo Ward of Nam Tu Liem District. However, locals in Tay Mo Ward also prevented garbage trucks from entering the place.


Dump 3.jpg

Uncollected garbage piles up on a street in an urban district of Hanoi, Vietnam, July 16, 2020. Photo: Chi Tue / Tuoi Tre


As a result, the Cau Dien waste treatment complex had only been able to receive only 283 metric tons of garbage from the four aforementioned urban districts by 6:30 pm on Thursday, according to the online newspaper Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi), the mouthpiece of the municipal Party Committee.

As a last resort, the construction department coordinated for 4,268 metric tons of garbage to be sent to the Xuan Son solid waste disposal complex in Ba Vi District, the Ha Noi Moi reported.

This is not the first time such an incident has occurred at the Nam Son waste treatment complex. People in Soc Son also blocked the entry to the plant’s dumpsite last year and several other times in the past. Yet Hanoi and Soc Son authorities have been slow to compensate people suffering from the environmental impacts of living close to the complex.


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Uncollected garbage piles up on a street in an urban district of Hanoi, Vietnam, July 16, 2020. Photo: Chi Tue / Tuoi Tre


Built in 1999, the Nam Son waste treatment complex spans over 157 hectares in Soc Son, receiving almost 5,000 metric tons of garbage every day and burying all of it, according to the news site VnExpress. It also reported that Hanoi generates 6,500 metric tons of solid domestic waste daily, 89 percent of which is buried.

In January, the city ordered Soc Son District to quickly finalize plans to compensate and relocate affected families living within a 500-meter distance from the Nam Son dump. There are 2,000 households living and farming on a total area of 396 hectares set to be relocated, according to VnExpress.

After a dialogue with Hanoi’s deputy Party chief Dao Duc Toan and the municipal leaders on Friday morning, local people in Nam Son and Hong Ky Communes packed up their tents and left.

Garbage trucks entered the Nam Son landfill for the first time in four days on the same afternoon.


Dump 5.jpg

Uncollected garbage piles up on a street in an urban district of Hanoi, Vietnam, July 16, 2020. Photo: Xuan Long / Tuoi Tre


Dump 6.jpg

Uncollected garbage piles up on a street in an urban district of Hanoi, Vietnam, July 16, 2020. Photo: Chi Tue / Tuoi Tre


Bron: Garbage piles up in Hanoi as people block road to dump - Tuoi Tre News


“Their action was a response to the city’s tardiness in paying compensation to and resettling people living within a 500-meter radius of the dump. Affected families said have only received compensation for their agricultural land but not for their houses or gardens.”

Tja, ik kan “me wel iets voorstellen” bij deze actie. O-)
 
Vietnamese farmers enslaved, poisoned by toxic chemicals

By Phuong Lam, Thu Ngan July 22, 2020 | 10:00 am GMT+7

"I don't want to know, as long as it's herbicide," Theu said while holding a bottle containing paraquat, a deadly banned chemical.

Costing VND25,000 ($1.08), Theu described the contents, wrongly labeled in Vietnamese, as nonselective herbicide. In fact, the bottle contains paraquat dichloride 210g/l, a highly hazardous pesticide banned in agriculture activities in Vietnam since 2017.

On her 180-square meter plot, the farmer in Hanoi's Bac Tu Liem District grows lettuce. Previously, Theu and her partner rented a 2,880-square meter plot to grow flowers, for which her village Tay Tuu is famous.

But in winter 2015, her partner Huu suddently fell to the ground while spraying their crop. "The doctor said he had vestibular disorder," Theu said, adding since the incident his arms and legs have always shook.


Toxic 1.jpg

Bottles of herbicides used by Theu. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Hue.


With Huu having to visit the Department of Neurology at Hanoi's Bach Mai Hospital several times per month and no one to help, Theu was forced to give up on her flower business. "Roses and chrysanthemum could die after several days without being sprayed," she explained. Still, bottles of herbicide carrying little information remain integral to her practice of growing vegetables. Theu is among many Vietnamese farmers trapped in a circle of chemical usage in the past few years.

In 1956, plant care products did not exist in Vietnam. Nearly 44 years later, in the first half of 2020, the country has imported more pesticides than gasoline. Since the beginning of this year until June 15, Vietnam imported $308 million worth of pesticides and materials to produce related products. According to General Department of Vietnam Customs, only $249 million was used to buy gasoline from abroad.

In a 2017 report, World Bank revealed 50-60 percent of rice farmers in Vietnam used more than the recommended pesticides level. A total 20 percent had violated regulations while using these products, including buying illegal, banned, or fake products.

In the middle of this decade, the General Department of Environment warned: "there were hundreds of polluted spots caused by residual plant care products," posing threats to the environment and public health.

Poison market
The deadly herbicide paraquat was banned in China during 2012, though it still approves domestic manufacturers who produce the chemical for export. Now, China supplies 80 percent of the world's paraquat.

Paraquat and its effects have been researched in many countries. The American National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the relation between the chemical and Parkinson's disease.

In South Korea, the rate of people killing themselves decreased by 10 percent after authorities banned paraquat in 2011.


Toxic 2.jpg

Theu clears her garden before planting lettuce. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Hue.


Over many decades, Vietnamese farmers have been depended on this lethal chemical to maintain their livelihoods. The government removed it from the legal plant care products list in 2017, though without informing farmers like Theu. She does not care about the chemical inside the bottles she buys. The only thing that matters is their abilities to kill grass.

With only a few clicks on the "Gardening Tool" section of a popular e-commerce website, buyers could easily purchase the lethal chemical. With 600-square-meters, Theu would need only one bottle, but used three just in case.

Once, local authorities gave her some packages of bio-herbicide, left in the kitchen after six seasons. "I don't know whether it is good for my health, but it is not as 'sensitive' as the product I am using," Theu said, adding she probably would not use the packages again.

Around 2,000 km from Theu's farm, Pham Bien, 50, stands amid his vegetable farm on an islet in Mekong Delta's Hau River. Tasting the salty dew on his vegetables, only to learn it was rime, he immediately irrigated the 2,000-square-meter farm he rents from the local Cham ethnic community for VND5 million ($215.59) per year. The plot, used to grow vegetables and fruits, is located in Khanh Hoa Commune of Chau Phu District, southern An Giang Province.

Later, he takes two bottles from his hut, the first, "buffalo head" as he calls it, containing paraquat priced at VND100,000 ($4.31). The other bottle, with a blue cap, contains glyphosate, also a banned chemical.

Bien believes if his vegetables were to be tested, they would be classified chemical infectious. "If the vegetables have a problem, I take them to the store, and they show me. I know little, but there are many sprays," he confessed, adding as long as farmers demand, local stores give them the strongest and most effective pesticides.

Illegal chemicals are only sold to acquaintances. Like Theu, Bien does not care about brands and refer to them using local nicknames like "tiger" or "eggplant growth medicine."

Vegetables have a one-month life cycle, and herbs 1.5. But Bien complains vegetables are "dirt cheap" and vulnerable to pests and disease. This is why he sprays pesticides around 10 times during each cycle of 40-50 days, meaning once every four days. Last week, he sprayed thrice. If you want to know whether the chemical is efficient, just put a drop on your finger and taste it, the saltier it is, the stronger the pesticide, Bien noted.

Bien takes part in local training courses, in which people are advised to use bio-herbicides and bio-pesticides. "But they are pricey and take a long time to be effective. Pests only die after eating the leaves," Bien maintained while shaking his head.

Meanwhile, partner Nga prepares vegetables for delivery. This year, the family has earned VND8 million ($344.95) from scallion and VND5 million ($215.59) from mustard greens. They will use the money to buy seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers to prepare for the coming season.

After a decade growing vegetables on the islet, Bien does not see ladybugs, long-horned grasshoppers or bullfrogs anymore. He believes all natural enemies have died due to pesticides, just like pests. "The land here is polluted because farmers use plant care products interminably."


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The bottle of herbicide often used by Bien, containing paraquat. Photo by VnExpress/Thu Ngan


The Mekong Delta farmer does not care where his monthly five tonnes of vegetables end up.

Some are brought to Chau Long Market from where they are dispersed across Chau Doc Town. Others are transported to southern Can Tho City, or Cambodia. Over 50 percent gets delivered to Ho Chi Minh City.

In Saigon, home to nine million citizens, local farmers, mostly in Cu Chi, Hoc Mon Districts and District 12, supply only 20-40 percent of urban demand. The rest are imported from southern An Giang Province, Lam Dong Provine in the Central Highlands, etc.

The World Bank report further revealed Vietnamese farmers leave bottles and packages of used chemicals on-site, causing the leftover pesticide to be absorbed into local land and water sources. In 2013, only 17 percent of surveyed farmers said they properly disposed of or recycled such packages.

According to Huynh Tan Dat, head of the Plant Protection Division under the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, it is challenging to manage farmers who store and use illegal chemicals since they fall under personal property. "According to the law, these products are banned on the market, but farmers keep using them due to lack of awareness," Dat said.

Luu Thi Hang, head of the legislation division under Hanoi's Department of Plant Protection, said punishment only tackles the iceberg's tip. "Dealing with illegally imported plant care products depends on authorities, and public awareness especially," she maintained.

World Bank observers said one of the problems in pesticide management in Vietnam is "a lack of regulatory scrutiny, economic incentives, alongside technical, financial, and spatial capacity (especially in the case of smallholders)."

The organization suggested Vietnam encourage farmers to use new planting methods to reduce costs and pollution without hurting productivity.

Lying in the hut on his farm, Bien rests after a long day spent toiling under the southern sun. Over the past decade, he has faced headaches and dizzy spells whenever he uses fertilizer and pesticides.



Bron: Farmers enslaved, poisoned by toxic chemicals - VnExpress International


"I don't want to know, as long as it's herbicide," Theu said while holding a bottle containing paraquat, a deadly banned chemical.”
Deze eerste zin vertelt het gehele verhaal.

Ongetwijfeld worden dezelfde chemicaliën ook hier in de omgeving gebruikt. En zitten dus vrij zeker ook in het slootwater dat onder het vergelijkbare motto “je ziet er niets in dus is het goed” hier over tuinen wordt gesproeid. Of dat door geblokkeerde sloten over de rand van de sloot stroomt o.a. in de omgeving van mijn waterput (inmiddels buiten gebruik omdat we een “echte” waterleiding hebben. Nu ja, meestal).

“If you want to know whether the chemical is efficient, just put a drop on your finger and taste it, the saltier it is, the stronger the pesticide, Bien noted.”
Zoiets dus… :? :N

“It was also a popular poison among those who wanted to commit suicide in countries from Japan to Vietnam.”
:X :X :X
 
24 juli 2020 16:43Laatste update: 54 minuten geleden

Goed nieuws valt soms weg bij NU.nl. Daarom maken we dagelijks een overzicht van het positieve en vrolijk makende nieuws.

Vietnam verbiedt handel in wilde dieren
Vietnam heeft in verband met het coronavirus de handel in wilde dieren per direct verboden. Volgens premier Nguyen Xuan Phuc wordt het verbod ingesteld om een nieuwe opleving van het virus te voorkomen.

Wetenschappers vermoeden dat het coronavirus is ontstaan op een markt in de Chinese stad Wuhan waar onder meer wilde dieren werden verhandeld.

Het verbod geldt voor de import van alle levende wilde dieren en producten van wilde dieren, waaronder schubdieren en ivoor.


Bron: Goed nieuws: Vietnam stopt handel wilde dieren | Fietsenverkoop stijgt


Dit stond gisteren op Nu.nl. Op de Vietnamese sites, die ik regelmatig check, heb ik nog niets gezien. Alleen belangrijk voor het buitenland? O-)
 
Check out Vietnam's third UNESCO Global Geopark

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Ta Dung National Park, a part of Dak Nong Global Geopark in Dak Nong Province, Vietnam, is seen in an aerial photo. Photo: Pham Quang Hung


The recent designation of a geopark in Dak Nong Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands as a UNESCO Global Geopark will provide the province with a golden opportunity to boost its tourism sector, the provincial administration told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

A virtual ceremony was held by UNESCO at 10:00 pm on Thursday to announce 16 newly designated Global Geoparks, including Dak Nong Geopark in the namesake Vietnamese province.

The event, which is annually organized by the Global Geoparks Network (GGN), a body of the UN agency, was held online this year due to concerns over the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.


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A man looks toward an opening of cave C7 in Dak Nong Global Geopark's volcanic cave system. Photo: Takeshi Murase


Five years in the making
The UNESCO recognition has a special meaning for Dak Nong, a province approximately 230 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh City, as it not only opens the door to promote Vietnam's image as a whole but also provides provincial authorities with a significant opportunity to boost its tourism sector.

The process to prepare Dak Nong Geopark for the designation began in 2014 after a team of Japanese scientists discovered the Krong No volcanic system in the park. Since then, local authorities have been laser-focused on developing the Dak Nong Geopark in order to meet the GGN’s membership criteria.


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A person stands inside cave P8 in Dak Nong Global Geopark's volcanic cave system. Photo: Takeshi Murase


UNESCO reviews each of its recognized Global Geoparks every four years to ensure they meet the guidelines and criteria of the GGN. This means that Global Geoparks, such as the one in Dak Nong, are expected to uphold the GGN’s standards in order to maintain their designation.

In a discussion with Tuoi Tre on Monday, the Dak Nong People's Committee laid out a strategy to invest, develop, and promote the park as an official UNESCO Global Geopark. Apart from prioritizing the park’s management, conservation, and further exploration, Dak Nong leaders will also push for investment in tourist attractions and community-based tourism initiatives.


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This aerial photo shows the Nam Kar volcano within Dak Nong Global Geopark in Dak Nong Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tran An


The UNESCO executive board, at its 209th session on July 7, approved the designation of Vietnam's Dak Nong Geopark as a UNESCO Global Geopark. UNESCO will officially hand over the geopark's recognition certificate at a ceremony held at the South Korean Jeju Global Geopark on September 9, 2021.

Dak Nong Geopark will join two other Vietnamese parks on the UNESCO list, including the Dong Van karst plateau in the northern province of Ha Giang, which made the list in 2010, and Non nuoc Cao Bang in the northern province of Cao Bang, which made the list in 2018. There are currently 161 Global Geoparks in 44 countries and territories, according to this year's updated list.


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Dak R'tih Spring located within Dak Nong Global Geopark in Dak Nong Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vo Anh Tu

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Lieng Nung Falls located within Dak Nong Global Geopark in Dak Nong Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vo Anh Tu


Bron: Check out Vietnam's third UNESCO Global Geopark - Tuoi Tre News


“The recent designation of a geopark in Dak Nong Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands as a UNESCO Global Geopark will provide the province with a golden opportunity to boost its tourism sector, the provincial administration told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.”

Exact!

Hierbij, om de gedachten alvast te bepalen, een voorzet, gratis en voor niets. O-)

BUSINESS PLAN TA DUNG NATIONAL PARK

Kernpunten

  • Een comfortabel wandelpad door grotten en langs watervallen, uiteraard geschikt voor flaneren door dames met hoge hakken
  • Speciale uitkijkpunten voor de broodnodige selfies (al dan niet topless met een punthoedje ervoor :+ ),
  • Boottochten door het nationaal park,
  • Wegen met riante parkeerruimte tot bij de attracties.

Huidige situatie
Een nutteloos stuk land dat nauwelijks bezocht wordt.

Toekomstige situatie
Een top-toeristische attractie, waarvan de opbrengsten de kosten riant zullen overstijgen.

Kosten/Baten analyse
Kosten
Minimaal
  • Wat beton voor de wegen
  • Paar bootjes
  • Hier en daar een lampje (mogelijk kan ook net als hier de bevolking een bijdrage “leveren” O-) )
  • Wat zuinig betaalde mensen voor de kaartverkoop

Baten
Een diarree van toeristen-dollars zal binnenstromen.
  • Ta Dung National Park zal een wereldberoemde attractie worden.
  • Dak Nong Province krijgt een forse duw in de vaart der volkeren.
  • De toeristen- en andere sectoren zullen een geweldige boost krijgen.
  • De Provicinial Administratien verdient een hele grote pluim voor het herkennen van dit soort kansen!

Risico’s
Nihil.
Er moeten alleen borden komen dat topless foto’s met punthoedjes ervoor uitsluitend tegen een neutrale achtergrond genomen mogen worden. Dit om klachten in de media over culturele en historische achtergronden te voorkomen.

Tijdsplanning.
Er kan meteen met de aanleg worden gestart. Er is niets dat dit tegenhoudt.


Aan het werk!

O-)
 
Ho Chi Minh City launches Vietnam's first website to promote medical tourism

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People experience traditional medicine medical services at a tourism festival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in an undated file photo. Photo: D. T. / Tuoi Tre


Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Tourism and Department of Health have collaborated to introduce the first website in Vietnam aimed at promoting medical tourism.

The website was unveiled at a medical tourism conference in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

Available at
www.dulichytetphcm.com , the website provides visitors with official information about the healthcare facilities and services on offer in the city.

Tourists to the city can enjoy medical packages for services such as dental care, gynecology, health screening, aesthetic medicine, and traditional medicine. In addition to high-quality health professionals, medical services in Ho Chi Minh City also offer more accessibility and competitive pricing compared to other countries in the region, the municipal tourism and health departments said. In the immediate future, the medical tourism packages will be available on an on-demand basis.

More packages are expected to be launched in the future to meet wider healthcare needs while aiming to attract both domestic and foreign tourists.

In addition to ecotourism, agritourism and inland waterway tourism, medical tourism is an emerging sector with great potential for growth in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City, especially as the Southeast Asian country has been internationally recognized for sucessfully containing the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, said Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the municipal tourism department.

Data shows that more and more foreign tourists are coming to Vietnam for healthcare services, with the sector valued at around US$2 billion.

In 2018, about 300,000 foreigners arrived in Vietnam for health examinations, with 57,000 receiving in-patient care, 40 percent of whom received treatment in Ho Chi Minh City. Such figures indicate great potential for the development of medical tourism in Vietnam in the future.



Bron: Ho Chi Minh City launches Vietnam's first website to promote medical tourism - Tuoi Tre News


Briljant!

Om nuttig gebruik te kunnen maken van de website moet je als toerist –waar deze site toch echt voor bedoeld is- wel de Vietnamese taal beheersen. Zelf zou ik minimaal buttons hebben toegevoegd met diverse gangbare talen van bezoekende toeristen en “Under construction” of het equivalent van de andere talen (ik benoem het maar even anders staat het bij elke taal in het Engels O-) ). Maar ja…

Onthoud in ieder geval het European Eye Center (Dr. Jan-Dirk Ferwerda) voor oogproblemen en Family Medical Practice (Dr. Rafi Kot e.a.) voor alle overige medische zaken.
 
Verlaten plaatsen in Vietnam: Wachthokje

Deze vond ik aan een zijweg, vlak bij het vliegveld. Het lijkt op een wachthokje, maar er is zoals te zien alleen maar gras en onkruid in de wijde omgeving. Wachten om het gras te zien groeien?

Misschien was dit vroeger een toegangsweg naar een bedrijf en is het land verkocht om ook hier hotels te bouwen.

Is de bewaking alvast geregeld.

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Climbing Vietnam’s fourth highest mountain peak, Bach Moc Luong Tu

By Xu Kien July 26, 2020 | 12:28 pm GMT+7

Towering mountain peaks appeared before me as I held tightly onto rocky aiguilles before taking my next step. Bach Moc Luong Tu is a perfect venture for adventurers.

Finally, after a difficult trek and heaps of effort I reached the top of Bach Moc Luong Tu, gripping the peak with my bare hands. For the first time in my life, I was drained of energy from a mountain climb but also faced with a sublime panoramic view of the Vietnamese border.

Bach Moc Luong Tu, 3,046 m high, is Vietnam's fourth highest mountain peak, after Fansipan, Putaleng and Pusilung, all in northern Vietnam. The mountain, locally called Ky Quan San after the ethnic village at its base, lies between the northwestern provinces of Lai Chau and Lao Cai.

There are two ways to conquer Bach Moc Luong Tu. The first route departs from Sang Ma Sao Ward of Bat Xat District in Lao Cai Province whilst the second starts at Sin Sui Ho Ward of Phong Tho District in Lai Chau Province.

The former is recommended and preferred since the route via Lai Chau Province passes by Chinese territory and requires a special border pass. When visiting Bach Moc Luong Tu, most hikers opt for the first trail from Sang Ma Sao Ward to avoid the additional paperwork.

Our sherpa during the hike was A Tru, a H'mong local from Sang Ma Sao Village. A Tru has over seven years of experience and knowledge in guiding travelers to northern mountains like Bach Moc Luong Tu, Nhiu Co San, Cu Nhu San, Pa Vi, Lao Than, Ta Lien Son, Putaleng, and Ngu Chi Son. Therefore, he knew his way around Bach Moc Luong Tu like the back of his hand.

That morning I woke up early in Y Ty Commune then walked to Sang Ma Sao Village in Muong Hum Commune. The route was fairly easy. At 8 a.m., I arrived at A Tru’s house and waited for the rest of my crew to arrive.


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H'mong people's terraced rice fields. Photo by Xu Kien.


At 10 a.m., we began our journey to Bach Moc Luong Tu. Already, the first steps seemed steep and hard. From Ky Quan San Village, we made our way up the winding and rocky slope, which proved very tricky to climb. As we neared to the top, we encountered an emerald staircase of rice terraces draped over surrounding hills, dotted with H'mong clay houses basking in smoke. The dreamy view seemed to compensate for the laborious climb.

There were eight of us, plus two porters who carried our gear. One led the crew and the other monitored our progress from the rear. Engaged, I followed in leader A De’s footsteps.

As we continued the journey up the mountain, our view was no longer of rice fields but of fresh cardamom gardens. Since cardamom was in season, locals were busy picking cardamom pods wherever we looked. Not only is it a northern specialty used in many dishes, but also a key ingredient in curing a stomachache or other illnesses.

Under the blazing sun, we moved towards a majestic forest that gradually loomed larger. The forest was wild and dense with bushy vines strung between trees. The wind swept through narrow spaces in between trees, making a rustling sound reminiscent of some kind of a monster lurking in the shadows. At that moment, I was scared. The dark and thick forest made me feel like it held the power to hypnotize and disorient me if I were found alone.


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The dense forest seen on the way to Bach Moc Luong Tu. Photo by Xu Kien.


As if Mother Nature understood how arduous the journey was, we were welcomed by a refreshing spring at noon. Overjoyed, the whole crew quickly jumped in for a much-needed dip. At the same time, A Tru set off to the side of the path to prepare sesame rice and meat for lunch.

Apparently, the challenging and steep route we took this morning was just the warm-up. The real hike awaited us after lunch. The weather was scorching by now and the trail with acute slopes looked much more dangerous. To move forward, the crew crawled, climbed, and wiggled its way through the relief. At 5 p.m., we reached an altitude of 2,100 m and halted at our rest stop where three huts were prepared with sleeping bags and bedding. After a nice shower and a foot soak we had dinner.

When evening fell, we huddled around a toasty fire pit and enjoyed homemade regional cuisine. The dinner spread was delightful with intriguing dishes like forest greens, grilled pork and chicken appetizingly served on banana leaves. In the heart of the wild and mysterious forest, the night was silent as we sipped on fragrant rice wine and dined. The meat was indescribably juicy and delicious. After a passionate guitar performance by one of the crew members, we went to sleep in preparation for the packed day ahead.


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Muoi Mountain engulfed in clouds. Photo by Xu Kien.


Muoi Mountain is the most beautiful spot from where to catch the sunset and sunrise on the journey to Bach Moc Luong Tu. However, yesterday’s arduous climb completely exhausted the crew and we missed the sunset. The following morning, we all agreed to wake up early to contemplate the sunrise together. After a mere five-minute walk from A Tru’s huts, I was standing in front of floating fluffy clouds. The sun shone its morning rays down on the mountain, painting the clouds a light amber that slowly faded to shell pink.

No words can describe the hypnotizing beauty of Muoi Mountain. We stood in awe of the majestic appeal of nature. The inviting coffee aroma wafted from A Tru’s huts. We quickly trickled back to the lodge to have breakfast before embarking on our second day of trekking.

As if to compensate for yesterday’s fatigue and soreness, our second day was filled with easier, flatter hikes and a beautiful view. Lined along the trails were beautiful blossoms in yellow, orange, and purple.

But as soon as we passed an arresting rhododendron garden, we were greeted by a dreadfully steep slope. Perhaps, no individual has gone on this expedition without a traumatic experience here. The slope ranged from 2,600 to 2,800 m in elevation, requiring me to pass my trekking pole to A De so I could grip the rocks with my hands. The harder I held onto the rocks, and despite my heavy backpack that anchored me, the more I felt slapped about by the wind.


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Trekkers at 2,800 meters above the sea level. Photo by Thang Win.


The closer we got to the peak the more I struggled with breathing and keeping pace due to the drop in air pressure. I grappled with moving forward to the point where my legs were dragging along the ground. Before us, was a slippery white slope.

A De said in the past hikers had to use ropes to pull themselves up but because of how dangerous it was, they built stairs next to it. As A De expertly climbed his way up to the top without a rope whilst sporting a woven basket full of gear on his back, I felt the utmost respect for him. He looked so gentle and calm as if he was vertically skating on ice. On the other hand, I opted for the staircase to prevent unwanted accidents.

Simultaneously, the air pressure and temperature radically dropped as we got higher. The northern fog and glacial air wrapped around us. I did my best to crawl forward as my energy drastically decreased. At one point, I halted and laid in the nut forest. Feeling my frailty, A De quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me forward.

He dragged me for a long distance before I saw the peak of the mountain. Encrusted with ‘Ky Quan San – Altitude 3,046 m’, the peak of Bach Moc Luong Tu appeared before me. An indescribable emotion engulfed me as I realized all my relentless efforts had brought me this magnificent view. I fell to the ground, leaned against the peak and let out a hard-earned sigh.

The Chinese mountains briefly flashed through fog holes every now and then before my friends joined me at the top. Everyone wore a bright smile, full of excitement and pride. Rapper Den Vau’s edgy songs filled the air, beating away our collective tiredness. We sat next to each other on the peak and listened to melodies blending with the wind while inhaling the earthy scent of the woods. This journey was truly one for the books.


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The author, Xu Kien, at the peak of Bach Moc Luong Tu. Photo by Thang Win.


*Before traveling
Transportation: If departing from Sa Pa Town or Y Ty Commune, you can either rent a motorbike or hop on a coach to reach the Muong Hum intersection. The road is wide enough for a six-seater car. However, a rental motorbike is recommended since the path is beautiful and you might want to stop along the way for some pictures.

When to go: The most optimal period for your Bach Moc Luong Tu conquest is from August to May. The rainy season lasts from June to July during which the trails are slippery and dangerous. July is to be especially avoided since the winds are extremely strong and violent.

Guide/porter: There are two reasons why you need to hire a porter for your hike. Firstly, the trails can get deadly dangerous. Secondly, some have reportedly climbed the mountain alone only to mysteriously disappear without ever being found. Also, porters are skilled experts and can prevent disorientation during the route. A Tru is our recommendation since he was very friendly and enthusiastic during our trip. His contact number is 0914 402 295.

Sleeping accommodation: At an altitude of 2,100 m, there are many H'mong huts where one can spend the night. These huts are fully equipped with bedding and sleeping bags. An additional cost of VND50,000 ($2) is charged for a shower and a medicinal foot soak costs VND20,000 ($0.9).

Food: All of our meals were made with local ingredients from the village including livestock like chicken and pork, forest vegetables, corn wine, and rice wine. For breakfast we had rice porridge, fried rice, and rice balls with sesame salt.

Duration: For those who are less active with less stamina, a three-day and two-night trip is recommended. More active and stronger hikers can opt for a two-day and one-night trip.

Costs: The cost is VND1.4 million ($60) for the trip if you depart from Sa Pa. If you choose to be picked up by a porter from Muong Hum, the cost is less at VND900,000 ($39).

Hiking gear: You will need trekking poles, hiking shoes, hiking gloves, a wide-brim hat, flashlight, and medicine.

*Xu Kien, 28, is from the central province of Quang Ngai and lives in Ho Chi Minh City. She travels around Vietnam and writes books and a travel blog.



Bron: Climbing Vietnam’s fourth highest mountain peak, Bach Moc Luong Tu - VnExpress International


Voor wie niet alleen met zijn buik in het zand op het strand van Cam Ranh (bij het vliegveld van Nha Trang) wil liggen. :+
 
Mail van Matt Granger

Onderstaande mail ontving ik gisteren. Matt is een van oorsprong Australische fotograaf, die nu in de US woont. Ik heb diverse video-cursussen van hem gekocht omdat zijn stijl van fotograferen en instrueren mij aanspreekt. Zie Matt Granger - Home

Een link met Vietnam is er ook. Zijn beide vaste modellen Tina Yong in Australië en Stephanie Pham in de US zijn beide van oorsprong Vietnamees. Ook op zijn nieuwe website staan een aantal in Vietnam gemaakte foto’s: o.a. de dame in het deels afgebroken ovale zwembad in HCM: zie de onderstaande foto.

Daarnaast herken ik zijn problemen wel. Ik heb al eerder gepost over de enorme ophef rond het Vietnamese model in een ietwat blote jurk op de rode loper van het filmfestival in Cannes. Of de topless dame met punthoedje ervoor in Hoi An.

Al lukt het de Vietnamese fotograaf Thai Phien ThaiPhienPhoto.Com blijkbaar nog steeds om redelijk ongestoord te werken en zelfs boeken te publiceren en tentoonstellingen van zijn werk te organiseren.

Dus ter informatie Matt’s mail…



Bit of a long email today Fred

Firstly - thank you for being part of this community and subscribing to the mailing list.

Today I want to share an update with you all - and I think it is all good news!

From 2008 to 2017, outside of YouTube I specialised in Art Nude Portraiture. I published two books of nude portraiture and shot literally hundreds of subjects all around the world. I love it as an artform and I think it is the genre I am best at. I also personally feel that the human adult body is beautiful and not something offensive or that needs to be censored.

However - I appreciate that it is confronting/offensive for some people. When I moved to the USA in 2017, whilst I continued shooting some art nudes and boudoir photography - I didn't make it so public, despite releasing
Implied Nude Portraiture with Steph last year.

I have been trying to walk a tightrope of wanting to normalise artistic nudity and also not pushing it in peoples faces unless they have signed up for it. And I have failed at times.

So today I am happy to announce that I am splitting up my work, and have created a new website specifically for adults who are interested in Art Nude portraiture, and are not offended by full nudity.
artnudeportraiture.com is now live and my first new course is live. It goes without saying - these sites are NSFW and contain complete nudity and are intended for an adult audience.

My goal is to fully seperate my general photography (free education, YouTube, lighting and gear reviews) and my Art Nude Portraiture, into two seperate sites.

So if you ARE interested in learning Art Nudes, please visit
artnudeportraiture.com and sign up to that mailing list as it will start getting custom content soon - and everyone who signs up will soon be sent a full BTS Lingerie Photoshoot I did with Yasmin. You can also follow the new Instagram account too!

There is still a lot of work to do - and as I transition and move all the nude content there, I will still have some communications here that are walking that tightrope. But soon I hope to have them fully separated and those who ARE interested will hear all the latest news, and those who AREN'T won't be surprised by lingerie and nudes popping up in their inbox!

I actually have even more news coming soon, but that will do for now. Thanks for reading this far.

For the record, I am not planning to make any changes to YouTube or all the free stuff we offer at mattgranger.com - I am just transitioning the 'adult content' over to
artnudeportraiture.com.

Have a great week!

Matt



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Photos capture beauty of Ho Chi Minh City's rural Can Gio District (1)

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A girl smiles while holding freshly harvested nipa palm fruits at the Can Gio Mangrove Forest in Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City in this first prize-winning photo by Tran Cao Bao Long.


The best photos capturing the life and landscape in Ho Chi Minh City's outlying Can Gio District were unveiled at the awards ceremony for a local photo competition on Sunday morning. The prize-giving ceremony for the photo competition was held at the headquarters of the Can Gio Mangrove Protection Forest Management Board.

The photo contest, entitled ‘The value of Can Gio’s mangrove forest,’ is part of a publicity campaign to mark this year’s International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.

The competition was launched by the Southern Institute of Ecology in collaboration with the Center for Communications and Environmental Education under the Can Gio Mangrove Protection Forest Management Board.

The contest organizers gave awards to the 13 best photos selected from a total of 465 submissions by more than 50 photographers who participated in three categories: single photo, album, and photojournalism.

The first prize went to photographer Tran Cao Bao Long for his photo capturing a girl harvesting the fruit of nipa palm trees, which are grown in abundance in Can Gio District.

Two second prizes were given to the photos ‘The Floating Oyster Farming Rafts" by Bui Van Nghiep and ‘The River Confluence’ by Nguyen Van Sang. Ten third prizes were also awarded.

Can Gio is a coastal suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City, located around 50 kilometers from the city's downtown.


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'The River Confluence' by Nguyen Van Sang, which won second prize at a photo contest in Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City


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Oyster farming rafts in Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City are seen in a photo by Bui Van Nghiep, which won second prize at a local photo contest.


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Two laborers carry salt at a salt field in Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City in this photo by Nguyen Manh Cuong, which won third prize at a local photo contest.


De laatste foto doet me terugdenken aan mijn eerste georganiseerde reis naar Vietnam. Daar stopten we ook bij een zoutwinning. Daar waren het uitsluitend dames, die met dergelijke vracht liepen, zij het met platte manden aan het juk. Ik heb dat ook even geprobeerd, gewoon op de weg. Loodzwaar! Groot respect voor de dames met figuurtje stopnaald, die dit gewoon moeiteloos de gehele dag doen. Zie Vietnam
 
Photos capture beauty of Ho Chi Minh City's rural Can Gio District (2)

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A bat hangs upside down in this photo by Pham Thanh Son, which won third prize at a local photo contest.


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An otter roams the Can Gio Mangrove Forest in Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City in this photo by Nguyen Thanh Tung, which won third prize at a local photo contest.


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Photographer Tran Cao Bao Long poses for a photo next to his first-prize winning photo, which he said he had taken by chance during a trip to Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Anh Trinh / Tuoi Tre


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Participants view photos of the Can Gio Mangrove Forest in Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City at the prize-giving ceremony of a local photo contest, July 26, 2020. Photo: Thanh Chieu / Tuoi Tre


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Participants view photos of the Can Gio Mangrove Forest in Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City at the prize-giving ceremony of a photo contest, July 26, 2020. Photo: Anh Trinh / Tuoi Tre


Bron: Photos capture beauty of Ho Chi Minh City's rural Can Gio District - Tuoi Tre News
 
Zomaar wat statistieken en andere cijfers

Gisteren, tijdens een gedwongen quarantaine in mijn eigen kamer vanwege de reguliere pestherrie van de overbuurman (van 08:00 tot 21:00; kwam weer eens riant door mijn eigen installatie heen) heb ik in een behoorlijk narrige bui wat cijfers verzameld. En, door de omstandigheden gedwongen, nogal selectief. O-)

Het bewijst mijn stelling, dat Vietnam niet naar de kloten gaat, maar dat al lang is:

Landelijk
Verkeersdoden...................................................ca. 10.000 / jaar
Verdrinkingsdoden............................................ca. 3.500 / jaar
Corona-slachtoffers..........................................6 doden (geregistreerd O-) )
Karaoke-slachtoffers........................................24 doden (alleen via Engelstalige sites)
Aangerande kinderen........................................ca. 8.700 in 4½ jaar [1]
Geen antwoord krijgen op vragen....................heel veel, niet meer bij te houden

Straal ca. 20 km.
LF gesponsord naar HBO of Univ.....................60-80%

Straal ca. 10 km.
Snelweg zonder uitwijk.....................................1 (maar wel geschat ca. 10 km. lang)
Te hoog gebouwde brug....................................1 (en wordt verder niets aan gedaan)

Straal ca. 5 km.
Bird nest fabrieken.............................................16 die duidelijk zicht- en/of hoorbaar zijn.
Aantal ingestorte bruggen.................................2 (1=regenbui en 1=hoog water in rivier)

Straal ca. 500 m.
Hoogste db in huis gemeten overbuurman:.....93 gem., 110 piek
Afstand geluidsboxen........................................hoorbaar 400-500 m., over de rijstvelden paar honderd m. verder.
Aantal regelmatig hoorbare aso’s.....................10-15


Er stonden oorspronkelijk nog wat meer cijfers over “vriendendiensten”, “tuinkabouters en zo, maar die heb ik omwille van zelfbescherming en met name voor de veiligheid van de honden maar weggegooid. Een leven, zeker dat van dieren, is hier niet veel waard. Het mijne ook niet, vrees ik zo af en toe.

Af en toe, maar wel steeds vaker, bekruipt mij het gevoel dat er meer naar de bewoners van Noord Korea wordt geluisterd en dat die meer rechten hebben dan de bewoners van de omgeving waar ik woon.

Hier in Vietnam gaat het aloude Nederlandse gezegde op: “Ikke, ikke ikke en de rest kan stikken”: Neem bv.:
  • Karaoke.
  • Het verkeer
  • Roken
  • Overal voordringen
  • Etc.
Nee, geweldig land!! O-)

En met de tweede Covid-19-golf is vertrekken op dit moment helaas ook geen optie.

[1] Zie ook Vietnam Deel 2
 
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Huh??
Deze had ik gisteren geplaatst.
Dacht ik.
Hij was ook gemerkt als "geplaatst". Alles staat in Word en maak ik geel als het is geplaatst.

Begin ik dement te worden?
Ben ik vergeten om op opslaan te klikken?
Is een oudere back-up teruggezet?

OK, in de herkansing...

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