Tieng Viet lovers club

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by lovesprout

So who is tr and what is the relationship among these people? If you can clarify, then it is easier for me to translate.

think is tra loi = tr lay

[vietboy]

Originally Posted by lovesprout

So who is tr and what is the relationship among these people? If you can clarify, then it is easier for me to translate.

Think its Truc or any name starting with tr. if that bro did state names, its just a game of guessing.

[billgates]

"Chuc mung nam moi" and "Chuc mung tet vui" -- quite similar meaning but the 1st one usually refers to ang mor new year while the 2nd one is specific to Tet or Lunar New Year. "Vui" is from the word "vui ve" meaning happiness.

Originally Posted by vietboy

So no chuc mung tet vui ha?

[shysaint]

My Early Wishes To ALL BROs and FRIENDS in the thread :


" Chúc Mừng Năm Mới .... vạn sự như ý "
"... an khang thịnh vượng ... sức khỏe dồi dào ..."

Chúc bạn có một ngày Tết hạnh phúc , thịnh vượng và thành công đến với bạn cùng toàn thể gia đình bạn.

Cheers ...

[jackbl]

Originally Posted by billgates

"Chuc mung nam moi" and "Chuc mung tet vui" -- quite similar meaning but the 1st one usually refers to ang mor new year while the 2nd one is specific to Tet or Lunar New Year. "Vui" is from the word "vui ve" meaning happiness.

My understanding is that Chuc mung nam moi(Happy New Year) can be use and are use commonly for both Ang Mo New Year and Lunar New Year.... as in singapore u also wish ppl Happy New Year whether it is 1st Jan or it is 正月初一..... Anyway thanks for introducing me the new phrase Chuc Mung Tet Vui....

[jackbl]

New Year Greeting to all people here :

Năm Mới Vui Vẻ
Luôn Luôn Phát Tài
May Mắn Trọn Năm

[vietboy]

Originally Posted by billgates

"Chuc mung nam moi" and "Chuc mung tet vui" -- quite similar meaning but the 1st one usually refers to ang mor new year while the 2nd one is specific to Tet or Lunar New Year. "Vui" is from the word "vui ve" meaning happiness.

Originally Posted by jackbl

My understanding is that Chuc mung nam moi(Happy New Year) can be use and are use commonly for both Ang Mo New Year and Lunar New Year.... as in singapore u also wish ppl Happy New Year whether it is 1st Jan or it is 正月初一..... Anyway thanks for introducing me the new phrase Chuc Mung Tet Vui....

Even our prof level jackbl with at least 6 yrs of TV vocab also find this phrase new, u must be super prof level to invent this new phrase.
Even my bx also nvr heard this b4.

Yes, as jackbl has mentioned, Chuc Mung Nam Moi can be used both for ang mo new yr n Tet. Actually, in ancient vietnam, dai viet, ppl only celebrate lunar new yr( just like chinese), so this Chuc Mung Nam Moi is used. As for the ang mo new yr, which is more n more being celebrated in major VN cities as due to westernisation, this phrase is then more recently being used for it.

Bros can check out bro jackbl's earlier post for Tet greetings or refer to Shysaint's post: http://sbf.today/showpos...ostcount=12676

[jackbl]

Originally Posted by vietboy

Even our prof level jackbl with at least 6 yrs of TV vocab also find this phrase new, u must be super prof level to invent this new phrase.
Even my bx also nvr heard this b4.

Maybe he is correct maybe not. I didn't verify with any natives. Anyway let's continue to learn further.

[billgates]

Another way of saying is:
Chuc tet vui ve!

[jackbl]

Pop stars groove on festive vibe
==============================================
As the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival nears, pop singers have released new albums that they are confident will strike a chord with listeners.

"I have invested all of my energy and passion in my new album for the Tet season," said pop star Dam Vinh Hung.

To finish his DVD, Chuc Xuan – Ben Em Mua Xuan (Happy Tet – Enjoy Spring Together), Hung worked with a group of professionals in the field.

"Singing lyrical tunes by veteran musicians such as Nguyen Ngoc Thien and Quoc Dung is not an easy task," said Hung, winner of the Mai Vang (Golden Ochna) award for the most favourite male singer of 2011.

Hung spent several months in a studio to perfect his recording. "I sang with my heart and soul," he said.

Hung's DVD features 14 songs in pop and dance music, including La Hoi's Xuan va Tuoi Tre (Spring and Youth) and Dung's Diep Khuc Mua Xuan (Spring's Melodies).

The album's guest singers, Duong Trieu Vu and Hong Ngoc, performed confidently with their idol Hung.

Singer Ho Ngoc Ha is also confident that her latest album, Ngay Tet Que Em (Tet in My Native Land) – a CD of 20 popular songs in praise of spring written by famous composers like Duong Thu, Minh Ky and Hoai An, will do well.

The highlight of her album is Ngay Tet Que Em by Tu Huy, which has been sung many times by other artistes, young and old.

Ha recorded the song with her younger colleagues Minh Hang, Nhu Quynh, Ai Phuong and V.Music – one of the country's most favourite pop bands.

"Ha's album is an unusual CD for her fans," said music critic Pham Hoang Nam, noting that the singer and her producer spent a lot of efforts to make the CD a high quality product in both appearance and content.

Young singers Hang, Quynh and Phuong also worked on other albums for release during the Tet festival.

Veteran singers Ho Quynh Huong, Quang Dung and My Le have worked with HCM City Television to produce DVD Dat Nuoc Mua Xuan (Spring-Country).

The album has nine songs and a track, including Chao Mua Xuan (Hello Spring) and Mua Xuan (Spring Rain), popular songs on online music forums.

Meanwhile, Ha Noi-based Trang Nhung finished recording her latest album, Trang Nhung Xuan (Trang Nhung and Spring), featuring romantic songs about the capital city and spring that she promises "will have new and strange things to surprise my fans".

The CD will be released this Sunday.

[jackbl]

10 things you should NOT do during Tet
==================================================

Like any culture, there are taboos to be avoided. For the Vietnamese, Tet is a wonderful occasion for family reunion but certain things must not be done during this festive season.

For foreigners who are still not familiar with Vietnamese customs, or the way the Vietnamese celebrate Tet, here is a Watch out list!

Rule number 1: Don’t show up at somebody’s house on the 1st day of the new year unless you have been invited by the house owner first, and especially if you are not lucky enough to possess a name associated with wealth, happiness, prosperity or longevity.

Well, still plenty of time to get your name changed! And be careful not to visit anyone’s house for the first 3 days if you have funerals in your immediate family in the last 3 years.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Hurricane88]

To the TS and supporters of this thread....

Chuc Mung Nam Moi

Cung Hi Phat Tai

[jackbl]

Xong dat or first-footing during the Dragon Year
================================================== ===

Among the many taboos and rituals connected with the Lunar New Year in Vietnam is xong dat, or “first-footing” as the Scots call it.

It is a deep-rooted belief that the first person to enter the house in a year will have a bearing on the family’s fortune through the year. Thus, the rich and popular are invited to come home at that time.

Traditionally, the first visitor hands out “lucky” money and New Year gifts to the hosts and seldom stays longer than a few minutes. This is to ensure that things do not get “stuck” in the new year.

But like many other traditions, xong dat too has evolved into a personal belief without a strict interpretation. It is altered to suit each family and varies according to region.

What has remained unchanged is the fact that a person who can bring luck should be the first-footer.

The flip side is that Vietnamese are chary of visiting anyone’s house early on New Year’s Day for fear they may be held responsible for any possible misfortune.

“I still remember the year when my husband suffered from a serious illness and passed away,” an elderly woman in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, said.

“An unwanted guest visited us early morning on the first day and I cannot help recalling that experience.”

Who will bring luck?

There are several important qualities a family will look for to find their first-footer: The person’s Chinese Zodiac sign is the most common, especially in the northern and central parts.

In Chinese astrology, each year -- and a person born in that year -- is represented by an animal in a cycle of 12 signs. The hosts ask a fortuneteller to identify the animal that is luckiest for a particular year and themselves.

“I [ask] for a sign compatible with my husband’s because he is our family’s breadwinner,” Le Anh Dao, a public official in Tan Binh District, said.

“It is important because the compatibility of Zodiac signs under which we are born and derive our fate from determines everything important in our life -- family, career, health, and luck.”

But in other families, sign compatibility is not a big deal.

“I don’t look at the person’s sign. As long as the person is good, healthy, and cheerful, I am fine,” the elderly women in Tan Binh district said.

“I would even prefer a family member who I can trust and know well rather than some distant relative even if he or she has the right Zodiac sign. I want to make sure of my family’s luck.”

First-footers also need to have a bright and cheerful disposition, good health, career success, and a happy family, things people normally aspire for in the new year.

Personal beliefs and experiences have already altered xong dat and it is now the turn of modernization and consumerism in urban areas, with agencies like Hoa Da in Hanoi offering xong dat services.

For VND600,000 (US$31), Hoa Da will dispatch an embodiment of luck to your house for 30 minutes. Young men born under various Zodiac signs and with good looks and a lively and cheerful countenance are hired by such agencies to call on families who do not mind paying to get the right first-footers.

Customers are also provided consultation on signs and identification cards of first-footers as proof.

Customers are usually companies or individuals running businesses who seem especially sentimental about a good beginning.

[jackbl]

Li xi or the gift of lucky money during Tet
================================================== ===

Traditionally the most special and most waited-for holiday in Vietnam, the lunar New Year usually arrives around late January or early February.

The first three days of the springtime new year are celebrated by everyone, although for many others, the festivities and other forms of celebrations can last an entire week.

Many traditional customs are practiced during this special occasion, like honoring the ancestors’ spirits, visiting close relatives on the first day of the New Year, exchanging New Year’s wishes with relatives, neighbors and friends, and especially the custom of giving lì xì or lucky money to children and elders.

This custom – which is known as mừng tuổi (many happy birthdays return) in the north and lì xì (similar to the Cantonese pronunciation "lai see") in the south - is a way of honoring children and elders in Vietnam during Tet. "Lai see" in Chinese means a thing that brings lots of luck and good fortune to kids. Nowadays, it is also a symbol of good health, success, and happiness.

Despite staying up late on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the arrival of a new year and especially honor traditional rituals dedicated to greeting the ancestors’ spirits coming back to the family for the occasion, the locals wake up early the next morning, put on their best clothes and the entire family, usually multi-generational, gathers in the living room to welcome the New Year.

Children will respectfully fold their arms in front of their chests, and, facing their parents as well as grandparents, give them the best wishes for a “Happy New Year” or “good health and longevity”.

The adults, in return, also extend their wishes to children for “Eating well and growing up healthy”, and “Happiness and prosperity” for all family members. Guests also give children lì xì as well.

To rejoice over or pray for happiness and longevity, on the first morning of Tet, adults congratulate children on becoming a year older by presenting them with red envelopes holding some freshly-minted banknotes inside.

According to traditional beliefs, the money in red envelops, usually in nominal quantity, bears a symbolic meaning while the red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits.

Giving li xi during the lunar New Year has been considered fortunate for both the givers and receivers. Those who give will also invite the flow of money into their house during the entire year.

Giving these envelopes symbolizes that the family fortune would be passed on to the children and the unmarried teens or adults.

According to some beliefs, lì xì is best kept and not spent immediately, a way to encourage young people to save money. Furthermore, the “lucky money”, as its name suggests, is believed to bring luck and wellness so the recipients might as well keep it.

In Vietnam, lì xì are typically given to those who are younger.

Red envelopes are used to deliver payment for favorable service to lion dance performers and religious practitioners.

[jackbl]

Vietnam plagued by illegal cabs
===========================================
Experts say more should be done to eliminate scam taxis after inspections led to the suspension of eleven firms in HCMC and Hanoi

Nguyen Chi Hieu hailed a slow-moving taxi when he and his family arrived at Ho Chi Minh City’s hydrofoil station on their way back from a weekend beach vacation in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

After telling the driver to take them to their home in Binh Thanh District, he recognized that he was on an illegal taxi advertising the logo and phone number of a reputable taxi company.

“We were well aware of the presence of scam taxis through the media. But we were really tired after the hydrofoil trip and forgot to carefully check the taxi brand,” he said.

“I decided to continue driving, but kept a close eye on every movement of the driver as well as the meter to see if there was anything unusual,” he said. “Finally, we paid VND150,000, as the meter showed, although we normally pay only VND85,000 to go the same distance. It was a scam taxi and the meter may have been modified to increase the fare.”

But Hieu was luckier than some foreign tourists, who have been badly ripped off by con taxis in big cities.

In a recent case, Hanoi police arrested Nguyen Van Thong and Nguyen Van Hung in Hanoi for allegedly swindling a Swedish tourist on a drive from Noi Bai International Airport to a hotel on Hoan Kiem District.

Police said Hung offered the Thong’s taxi – which was unregistered– to the tourist for VND300,000. On the trip, they told the tourist to pay VND4 million, supposedly to cover tolls and other fees.

In May, a Malaysian tourist in HCMC took a trick taxi from Ben Thanh Market to Tan Son Nhat International Airport and was charged VND4 million for a trip that should have cost only VND150,000 in a registered taxi.

In a recent effort to improve taxi services and busting scam artists, the Transport Ministry conducted inspections of taxi companies in Hanoi and HCMC, suspending eleven taxi firms, including six in Hanoi and five in HCMC.

In Hanoi, inspectors suspended operations for the following taxi companies: Mua Xuan, Le Gia, Phu Gia, Hong Hung, BG and Taxi 14. Major violations included lacking a communication device and management personnel; some companies had fleets of only four or five taxis.

In HCMC, Minh Duc Taxi and the Transport and Travel Service Cooperative No. 2 had their business licenses revoked, while Happy, Festival and Petrolimex were suspended from operating at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Thach Nhu Sy, the ministry’s deputy chief inspector, said the offending taxi firms were also fined for violations, which included not following registered car colors and logos and failing to monitor their vehicles’ operation.

He said it come under the authority of HCMC to grant new licenses to the two firms whose licenses were revoked.

“Currently, 11 of 33 taxi firms registered to operate in HCMC are allowed to operate in Tan Son Nhat International Airport and the transport ministry has been instructed to draft regulations for taxi operation in the airport,” he told Saigon Tiep Thi (Saigon Marketing) newspaper.

Sy confessed that it would be very difficult to enforce such regulations; however, he did not elaborate why.

Chairman of the HCMC Taxi Association Ta Long Hy said it would be difficult to ensure taxis operated according to code, despite the stern action taken against violators. “Inspection is only an ad hoc measure, unable to effectively solve the problem,” he said.

He said taxis should be given more favorable tax policies, as opposed to the current policy which charges them the same amount as private cars. When private cars have to pay higher taxes, there will be fewer illegal taxis, he said.

“We proposed reducing registration fees to encourage the purchase of new cabs and improving taxi services, but it was rejected,” he said.

Taxi problem

Experts said that the last resort was to limit the number of cars and ban taxis from operating during designated hours on specific streets in the city.

In Hanoi, transport authorities have banned taxis from operating on certain streets during peak hours this Tet, which falls on January 23, a controversial decision considering that citizens assume that demand for taxis will increase then.

Taxi firms expressed fear that their profits would be reduced.

Nguyen Xuan Tan, deputy director of the Hanoi Transport Department, rejected rumors that they would prohibit taxis around the clock on some streets during Tet.

According to a plan issued by municipal transport and police departments, the taxi ban will take effect from January 9 to February 6, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day on several streets, including Tay Son, Nguyen Luong Bang, Ton Duc Thang, Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, Lang Ha, Pham Ngoc Thach, Chua Boc, Thai Ha and La Thanh and the Chuong Duong Bridge.

Dao Vu Minh Tuan, deputy director of North-East Mai Linh Company, said it would be easier if the ban was implemented both before and after Tet.

“The demand for taxis during Tet always increases together with that of residents to visit their relatives during the holiday,” he said.

HCMC authorities suspended registration for new taxis in mid-2010, following a boom in the number of the vehicles. Earlier, the city planned to have 9,500 taxis by 2015 but the actual number increased to 12,550 by early 2010, not including thousands of unregistered taxis.

However, taxi drivers said the decision was ineffective because many firms simply dispatched their taxis from other provinces to the city.

Dang Hoang Phuong, chairman of Sai Gon Hoang Long Taxi, said harsh competition exists in the taxi market and every firm has tried their best to increase their number of cars in an effort to introduce their brand to passengers.

“Furthermore, investing in more cars would increase revenue and promote the brand,” he said.

Hy of the HCMC Taxi Association said many firms have taken their cars from nearby provinces to HCMC following the city’s registration suspension.

According to Hy, a large number of taxis with different local license numbers, models and colors have made it easier for illegal taxi rings to operate.

Duong Hong Thanh, deputy director of HCMC Transport Department, admitted that current regulations do not ban firms from assigning cars from other provinces to HCMC.

Many people have noted that similar problems with taxis plague cities all over the world and that passengers should be vigilant to protect themselves.

Tony, an expat living in Vietnam, said HCM is no worse than London or Naples (Italy) or any other big city.

“In Naples my wife had her bag ripped from her shoulder and my friend had his wallet stolen on a bus. London is bad for thieves too; so it’s the same wherever you go,” he said.

“Just try not to be too stupid. It's easy enough to do some research before making a trip to find reputable taxis and always go on the meter.”