Tieng Viet lovers club

[jackbl]

Learn Vietnamese with Video - Have a Whale of a Time

[jackbl]

Originally Posted by poop_ant

Hi bros, may i know what does this means

Yeu Doi, Lac Quang, Nhung ko Hoang lac

Thanks

My guess:

yeu doi = yêu đời = enjoy life

lac quang = cant find, can find lac quan. Got 2 meaning lạc quần(sociable) and lạc quan(optimistic)

[jackbl]

Vietnamese bachelors lack skills in looking for jobs
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VietNamNet Bridge – A lot of excellent university graduates complain they cannot find jobs. This is not because of the economic recession, but because of the candidates’ lack of necessary skills.

Nguyen Anh Thu, the manager of a dairy company in HCM City, said many times the candidates with “excellent” university degrees “did not understand who they were and what they wanted.”

A bachelor from Ninh Thuan province insisted on having a meeting with the manager after hearing that his curriculum vitae was not shortlisted. He affirmed that no one of the new recruited workers deserved to get the job more than him.

Thu said that the attitude of the candidate alone made her believe that she made a right decision when refusing him.

“In general, the graduates with A-grade believe they are the best. Therefore, they tend to be very demanding when applying for jobs,” she said. “However, their overly high requirements cannot be met by the company.”

T Nguyen, an excellent economics bachelor remains redundant for the last six months because no company offers him the monthly salary of VND20 million, or nearly $1,000, as he expects.

Nguyen was a good student of a well-known university in Hanoi. Therefore, he believed that he would be the target of many head hunting firms. However, to date, Nguyen still cannot find the satisfactory job, because, according to Nguyen, the employers are not experienced enough to discover the talents.

Nguyen Minh, the owner of a glass table enterprise in HCM City, agreed to pay highly to T, the bachelor of an economics school in HCM City, but later, dismissed him.

Minh admitted that T is a qualified worker, but he still decided to dismiss him after some thoughts. The boss several times agreed to raise salaries for T after he excellently fulfilled the company’s plans. However, as T’s demands got higher, Minh decided not to satisfy him any more.

Minh, who believed that he was the only “star” in the company, then asked Minh to sack some workers, because he thought he did not accepted to work under the people who were not as good as him.

“As he is uncooperative with the colleagues, he will not be able to fulfill his duties. I need the workers with good teamwork skills, not a star,” he said.

T left the company when the boss refused to please his requirements. He planned to set up a firm of his own which he believed would compete with Minh’s company. However, his business failed completely, while Minh refused to invite him back.

The statement of a Hanoi Foreign Trade University’s bachelor some months ago-- that she would only take the job if the boss accepts to pay her $1,000 a month once stirred up the business community.

The Hanoi Foreign Trade University is one of the most prestigious schools in Vietnam, which is called the Vietnamese Harvard. Therefore, the school graduates believe that they have the right to be choosy when looking for jobs.

The school’s students, therefore, have been “boycotted” by many employers. Some Vietnamese enterprises, in their recruitment notice, state that they will refuse the Hanoi Foreign Trade University’s candidates.

Tien Phong

[jackbl]

Drug use on the rise in Vietnam
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Ineffective rehab programs see relapses in most people treated for drug addiction

Do not walk Ho Chi Minh City's bridges barefoot, or even in sandals. Used needles are everywhere.

A Vietweek reporter recently observed two men shooting up on the Cha Va Bridge (which connects districts 5 and 8) in two separate incidents in a short period of time.

One was a young man who walked along the bridge and put the needle in his arm for all to see. Another was a slightly older man who pulled his motorbike over to the side of the road and then shot up on the stairs out of view of traffic. Both men threw their bloody syringes on the ground after using them.

Drug addicts have long gotten high on bridges in HCMC because it is one of the few places in the crowded city – including their own homes where they are often watched by family members – they can shoot up away from the prying eyes of neighbors, family and local residents. Those who might catch a glimpse of them on the bridge are often driving by too fast to notice or do anything.

The more rampant use of drugs on HCMC bridges appears to be reflecting an increase of drug users nationwide. According to the government website, Vietnam had more than 171,000 drug users by the end of 2012, an increase of 12,900 over 2011. Experts say that one main cause is that rehabilitation centers are failing and most of their patients are relapsing.

Bridges to Babylon

Intravenous drug use, mostly heroin, is very common on several footbridges that cross Vo Van Kiet Street in District 5.

When a Vietweek reporter visited footbridge No. 6, a frightened man who was using the stairs warned: “Don’t go there, drug addicts just threatened me.”

The footbridge across Binh Thanh District’s No Trang Long Street near the Tumor Hospital is also a common place for drug users any time of day.

According to a 2010 decree on administrative fines against violations of public security and order, drug use is subjected to fines from VND500,000-VND1 million (US$23.5-47).

Repeat violations, after compulsory rehabilitation, are subjected to jail terms of between three months and two years.

However, many residents said current police efforts are not nearly enough and are in fact barely a deterrent at all.

A resident near the Nguyen Huu Canh Overpass in Binh Thanh District who wanted to be identified only as M. said he has never seen any guards or police confront drug users there.

“Local police just walk by without finding the drug users hiding in the small park under the bridge,” he said.

In the first half of this year, HCMC police arrested 1,519 people involved in drug crimes. A majority of the cases involved drug smuggling while the rest involved organized drug use. Nationwide, there were more than 14,300 people arrested for drug crimes during the period.

The Ministry of Public Security said Vietnam arrested 14,178 people for drug crimes in the first half of this year, up 22.3 percent from a year earlier. The amount of heroin seized by the police in the January to June period totaled 238.8 kilograms, more than double from the same period last year.

Rehab shmehab

According to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, an average of between 75-90 percent of drug addicts treated nationwide have relapsed after rehabilitation. Dien Bien Province has seen up to 97 percent of its rehabilitated drug users return to a life of substance abuse.

In HCMC, more than 2,100 drug users have been sent to compulsory rehab centers in the first half of this year, increasing the total number of people at drug rehab centers to more than 9,000 people.

Nguyen Thi Diep, a daily wage worker at HCMC’s Hoc Mon District said both her two sons died of AIDS they acquired by sharing needles.

“My second son died less than a month after being discharged from the rehab center. He had been discharged earlier in healthy conditions,” she said.

“But he relapsed then and died on the street. He did not tell me but subsequent tests showed he was positive for AIDS,” she said, adding that her daughter-in-law is also a drug user.

Nguyen Minh Quan, another drug user who has been using drugs for five years, said virtually all drug users think they will use drugs again sooner or later after rehabilitation.

“Very few people have quit for long. If they can find a stable job and their family shares their burden, they could forget drugs. But if they suffer some shocking event, they can return to drugs again for relief.

“For example, when their wife leaves them, they can relapse. And if they are infected with HIV/AIDS, they want to indulge in drugs for the rest of their lives without any intention of quitting,” he told Vietweek.

According to Vo Xuan Huy of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in HCMC, virtually all drug users relapse. If official figures do not reflect that, he said, the numbers are not being correctly reported.

A hard pill to swallow

In a bid to find an alternative to its controversial compulsory treatment centers, Vietnam has since 2008 opened 62 methadone clinics for heroin addicts.

Methadone, a substitution therapy used to treat opioid dependence, helps assuage withdrawal symptoms for heroin addiction and prevent the spread of HIV among injecting drug users.

14,000 drug users have got benefit from methadone treatment program in the last five years, Viet Nam News said last month, citing the Ministry of Health.

However, the figure was quite modest when the program targets treating 80,000 addicts in 30 provinces by 2015, the English daily said.

Meanwhile, a doctor at a methadone center in Hai Phong City who asked to remain anonymous said methadone therapy has been ineffective for many drug users.

“They stealthily spit out the pill after taking it,” he said.

Nguyen Trong An, a senior official at the social affairs ministry, said it was a strange situation.

“Methadone therapy has been carried out for a long time ago abroad. But the history and culture of other countries are different from ours,” he told Vietweek.

“For example in the Netherlands and Germany, it’s no big deal for a drug user to take methadone voluntarily. However, in our country, some places even stipulate that the people taking methadone have to say ‘ahhhhh’ or speak out loud to say good-bye to doctor or medical worker,” he said.

“It sounds really strange at first sight but the measure is to make sure they swallow the pill.”

Evading the law

From a law enforcement perspective, Nguyen Ngoc Tinh, a drug crime police officer in HCMC, said the increase of drug use is partly because of the lax surveillance of drug smuggling.

“Most drug smugglers and gang kingpins are criminals who have already served several jail terms and they are very cunning in coping with anti-drug agencies. It’s very difficult to bust a ring and takes a long time tracking them in interprovincial missions.

“It’s also difficult to bust the smuggling of drugs on buses from the north. And when we discover cases, we can’t arrest the gang’s mastermind. We have mostly arrested only the ones who directly smuggle drugs and those to whom they intended to deliver the consignment,” he told Vietweek.

Vietnam’s drug laws are among the toughest in the world. Under its penal code, anyone convicted of trafficking, illegally producing or transporting 100 grams or more of heroin or cocaine can be sentenced to death.

Despite the tough punishment, the Ministry of Public Security said earlier this year that the situation of drug crime in Vietnam is getting more “complicated,” partly due to the expansion of drug trafficking rings that smuggle drugs from Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia into Southeast Asian countries.

Asked about long-term measures to deal with drug use in Vietnam, Nguyen Van Minh, deputy director of the HCMC social affairs department, said rehab activities at both official rehabilitation centers and with local communities should be improved.

“But the family has to play the main role in preventing their children from relapsing after rehab. Many families don’t care about their addicted children, including how effective they are rehabilitated,” he said.

“How can these people find a job and who can they make friends with?”

[nyquist88]

Saw this message on my girlfriend phone
"Da guri cam xuc cho ban"

What does this mean ? Many thanks.

[jackbl]

Originally Posted by nyquist88

Saw this message on my girlfriend phone
"Da guri cam xuc cho ban"

Help u to break down the sentence to individual words so u can find in dictionary:

Da guri cam xuc cho ban = [Da] [gui] [cam xuc] [cho] [ban]

[jackbl]

The names in General Vo Nguyen Giap's life
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VietNamNet Bridge - General Vo Nguyen Giap had many other names in his illustrious life, which were associated with a heroic period of Vietnam's history.

Many people still believe that General Giap’s original name is "Van" but in reality, Vo Nguyen Giap is his birth name.

According to the habit of many families in Vietnam in the past, parents usually named their children in accordance with their year of birth. However, General Giap was born in 1911 (Year of the Pig or Tan Hoi in Vietnamese), unrelated to the letter “Giap”.

Perhaps, his father, teacher Vo Quang Nghiem put his desires on the names of his children and these names had an effect on their lives.

Vo means martial arts, Nguyen and Giap mean the first, Giap is also mean amour. Vo means amour. Despite graduating from the law school and working as a journalist and a teacher, Mr. Giap later became a world-wide famous high-ranking general and commander. Meanwhile, his brother, who was named Vo Thuan Nho (learning and studying), later served as Deputy Minister of Education.

At school, he used the names Vo Nguyen Giap and Vo Giap. His law degree (granted by the Hanoi University of Law in 1938) specifies the name Vo Nguyen Giap or Vo Giap.

During his life, General Giap used many different names.

In 1929-1930, he used pen names Van Dinh and Hai Thanh on the articles in Vietnamese and French on “Hon Tre” (Young Soul) or Notre Voix (Our Voice) and Le Travail (Labor) newspapers.

After the August Revolution, writing for the government newspapers, he used the names Vo Nguyen Giap and Hong Nam.

On 3/05/1940, joining Mr. Pham Van Dong (later the Prime Minister) to cross the border to China to meet with Ho Chi Minh, Vo Nguyen Giap used the alias Duong Hoai Nam.

Later he named his youngest son Hong Nam. His grandson, Hong Nam’s son, is named Vo Hoai Nam.

Pen name Van Dinh was also used by Vo Nguyen Giap in a book co-written with Mr. Truong Chinh (later Party Secretary General, Prime Minister and National Assembly Chairman) in 1938.

A popular alias is "Van." This alias was used before the August Revolution. Many generals, military officers and his inferiors usually called him “Mr. Van.” Senior leaders of Vietnam at that time were also commonly known by such aliases sch as "Mr. Than” (Truong Chinh), “Mr. To” (Pham Van Dong), “Mr. Ca” (Nguyen Luong Bang)...

In the uprising order issued on 12/8/1945, Vo Nguyen Giap signed on behalf of the Liberation Commission with this alias.

In Dien Bien Phu campaign, his codename was Hung. His letter sent to President Ho Chi Minh and "Comrade Truong Chinh and the Politburo” presenting his new policy of warfare at Dien Bien Phu dated 30.1.1954, used this name.

At the battlefield of Dien Bien, General Vo Nguyen Giap occasionally wrote important commentaries for the Radio Voice of Vietnam under this name.

In the Central Highlands campaign in March 1975, he used the code name “Chien” while General Van Tien Dung, who was sent to the South to control the campaign, was called “Tuan”. The two generals contacted with each others using these names.

In the last stage of the war against the US, General Giap again used the alias "Van." The historical telegram dated 7/4/1975 sent by General Giap to military units that were moving to the South was signed by this familiar name.

Tran Cham

[jackbl]

Seven attractive destinations in Vietnam
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VietNamNet Bridge - Beautiful beaches, year-round green tropical parks, mighty rivers, unique fishing villages, special culinary characteristics ... are always the force of gravity of Vietnam in the eyes of foreign travelers.

1. Hanoi

Voted by Smart Travel Asia magazine as one of the most attractive destinations in Asia, Hanoi has its own charm to attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Throughout the thousand years of its eventful history, marked by destruction, wars and natural calamities, Hanoi still preserves many ancient architectural works including the Old Quarter and over 600 pagodas and temples. Famous sites include the One Pillar Pagoda (built in 1049), the Temple of Literature (built in 1070), Hanoi Citadel, Hanoi Opera House, President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum...

Hanoi also characteristically contains 18 beautiful lakes such as Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, and Truc Bach Lake..., which are the lungs of the city, with their surrounding gardens and trees providing a vital source of energy.

Many traditional handicrafts are also practiced in Hanoi including bronze molding, silver carving, lacquer, and embroidery. Hanoi has many famous traditional professional handicraft villages such as Bat Trang pottery village, Ngu Xa bronze casting village, Yen Thai glossy silk...


2. Sa Pa

Cool climate all year round and the beautiful natural landscapes are the most charming features of Sa Pa. Photo: allwomenstalk .

Sapa Vietnam is a favorite attraction to tourists, both domestic and foreign thanks to its beautiful scenery and colorful culture. The French used to consider Sapa as Summer Capital of Northern Vietnam in the early decades of the 20th century. Its naturally gifted beauty keeps attracting more and more people to spend their vacation there since then.

Aside from leisure pace of sightseeing and exploring the diversity of culture in Sapa, this is also an ideal place for more adventurous tourists with many trekking tours available. Or, you can also do some trekking on your own and stay with the hill tribes for an insightful understanding of the ethnic groups here.

April and May are the best time for tourists to watch the most scenic beauties of Sapa, or else it might be cold and foggy before that and rainy after that. During these two peak months, the town is blossoming with pink and white flowers, and green pastures in valleys. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning would quickly disappear.

Most tourists agree that it would be regretful if the leisure and relaxation time in cool and fresh weather is not accompanied by visiting trips to Sapa's prideful natural beauty spots, such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.

Sapa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colors, unique in the vast country. When Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival, comes, the whole township of Sapa is filled with the pink color of peach blossom brought from the vast forests of peach just outside the town. Sapa is regarded as the kingdom of orchids as well.

Foreign tourists are actually fond of scarce and precious specialties of Sapa, such as forest's product, handicrafts, delicacies (smoked meat, "thang co", "cai meo", san lung wine, corn wine, etc.), typical of ethnic minority people.

Local markets are the town's typically cultural element, which are always crowded and joyful, attracting hundreds of visitors. This is the common place for minority groups to gather and exchange goods. Market sessions are also a chance for local people to promenade. No foreign visitor could help joining such a market session, a typical cultural element of Sapa. What’s more, tourists coming to Sapa at weekends have the great chance to learn about local ethnic people's courtship and martial life, through the Sapa love market and wife kidnapping ceremony of the H'Mong group. The ceremony will begin on April 29th.


3. Halong Bay

Imagine 2000 or more islands rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin and you have a vision of breathtaking beauty. Halong translates as ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’, and legend claims the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon from the mountains. As it charged towards the coast, its flailing tail gouged out valleys and crevasses. When it finally plunged into the sea, the area filled with water, leaving only the pinnacles visible.

Designated a World Heritage site in 1994, this mystical landscape of limestone islets is often compared to Guilin in China or Krabi in southern Thailand. In reality, Halong Bay is more spectacular. The bay’s immense number of islands is dotted with wind- and wave-eroded grottoes, and their sparsely forested slopes ring with birdsong.

Beyond a boat cruise, visitors to Halong also come to explore the caves. There are few real beaches in Halong Bay, but Lan Ha Bay has idyllic sandy coves a short boat hop from Cat Ba Town.

Sprawling Halong City is the bay’s main gateway, but the raffish collection of high-rise hotels and karaoke bars is not a great introduction to this incredible site.

Most visitors sensibly opt for tours that include sleeping on a boat in the bay. Some travellers dodge Halong City and head straight for Cat Ba Town, from where trips to less-visited, equally alluring Lan Ha Bay are easily set up. Cat Ba Island can also be a good base for visiting the landscapes of Halong Bay itself.

As the number-one tourist attraction in the northeast, Halong Bay attracts visitors year-round. February to April is often cool and drizzly, and the ensuing fog can make visibility low, but also adds an ethereal air. From May to September tropical storms are frequent, and year round, tourist boats sometimes need to alter their itineraries, depending on the weather. Some tour companies offer full or partial refunds if tours are cancelled; check when you book.


4. Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi Tunnel is 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City in the Northwest. It is miniature battle versatile of Cu Chi’s military and people during the 30-year struggle longtime and fierce to fight invading enemy to receive independence, freedom for motherland. It also is the special architecture lying deeply underground with many stratums, nooks and crannies as complex as a cobweb, having spares for living, meeting and fighting with total lengths over 200 km.

Real legends coming from the Tunnel are over human imaginativeness. Creeping down into the tunnel, only some yards, you can find out why Vietnam, A tiny country could defeat its enemy, the large and richest country in the world. Why Cu Chi, a barren and poor land could face strongly for 21 years to the army crowded many times compared with its force, warlike and equipped modern war weapons and means.

In the fight, Cu Chi people won illustriously. Thanks to systems of tunnel ways, fortifications, combat trenches, soldiers and people of Cu Chi fought very bravely creating glorious feat of arms. The American invaders at first time stepped into Cu Chi land, they had to face so fierce resistances from tunnels from important and very difficult bases that they cried out, “Underground villages”, “Dangerous secret zone”, “cannot see any VC but they appear everywhere”… With its war pasture, Cu Chi Tunnels become a historical war hero of Vietnamese People like a 20th century legend and famous land in the world.


5. Phu Quoc

One of Vietnam’s star attractions, mountainous and forested Phu Quoc is a splendid tropical getaway set with beautiful white-sand beaches and quaint fishing villages.

The tear-shaped island lies in the Gulf of Thailand, 45km west of Ha Tien and 15km south of the coast of Cambodia. At 48km long (with an area of 1320 sq km), Phu Quoc is Viet­nam’s largest island.

Phu Quoc is not really part of the Mekong Delta and doesn’t share the delta’s extraordinary ability to produce rice. The most valuable crop is black pepper, but the islanders here have traditionally earned their living from the sea. Phu Quoc is also famous in Vietnam for its production of high-quality fish sauce (nuoc mam).

The island has some unusual hunting dogs, which have ridgebacks, curly tails and blue tongues and are said to be able to pick up their masters’ scent from over 1km away (the nuoc mam their masters eat certainly helps). Unfortunately, the dogs have decimated much of the island’s wildlife.

Despite the impending development (of a new international airport, a golf course and a casino), much of this island is still protected since becoming a national park in 2001. Phu Quoc National Park covers close to 70% of the island, an area of 31, 422 hectares.

Phu Quoc’s rainy season is from July to November. The peak season for tourism is midwinter, when the sky is blue and the sea is calm.

To be continued........

[jackbl]

6. Mekong River

Vietnam is famous for its two big areas growing rice. The one in the North is the Red River Delta, and the other in the South is the Mekong Delta.

The Mekong Delta is formed from the mighty Mekong River which originated from the Tibetan highland plateau 2,800 miles away. The river makes its way through China, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam before flowing into the sea. The part of the river running through Vietnam is tore into nine branches and named Cuu Long by Vietnamese locals, which means Nine Dragons to describe the nine branches that terminate the flow of this great river as it is absorbed by the sea.

The locals in Mekong delta live right on the edge of the rivers or canals. Their home structures varied from place to place as they are built conveniently from whatever materials found. Fisheries can be found right under those homes. It can be said that life in the delta is tightly woven with its rivers with floating markets while other activities and businesses are conducted on its banks.

Visiting the Mekong delta, tourists can stop at major cities and towns such as Bac Lieu, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, My Tho, Chau Doc, Sa Dec, Long Xuyen and Can Tho… Aside from the cities, there are many national parks and nature reserves in the area. Some of the names are Con Dao national park, Lung Ngoc Hoang nature reserve, Mui Ca Mau national park, Nui Cam nature reserve, Phu Quoc national park, Thanh Phu nature reserve, Tram Chim national, etc…

Taking a Mekong river cruise is the best way to experience the local life on the river as well as to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. There are many cruise operator offering cruising services for tourists.

The usual itinerary for a Mekong trip is around 5-7 days. The trip often starts from Ho Chi Minh City and then goes down along the Tien River or Hau River. For longer itineraries, a few tourist destinations in Cambodia or Laos can be included in the routes.


7. Hoi An

The ancient town of Hoi An, one of six features in Vietnam granted world heritage status is a very popular destination for tourists. It is renowned for its peacefulness. But when the moon gets fuller in the middle of the lunar month, this cozy town with old houses and small streets looks even more romantic and beautiful as colorful lanterns light the night-time scene.

Long-lived traditions and customs tell tourists a lot about the lifestyles of Hoi An people going way back. Tourists have the chance to learn about such activities of Chinese origin as bai choi or Vietnamese musical bingo. Then there is Chinese chess, earthen-pot breaking while blindfolded and more.

In addition to the beauty of Hoi An, the dedication of local tourism managers have turned the town into a must-visit destination for tourists when they travel around the important central part of Vietnam. That Hoi An can provide tourists with more diversified services and local cultural features makes it even more attractive.

Walking, biking or using a cyclo-pedicab to cruise through the narrow streets is equally enjoyable. Visitors just need to bear in mind that they will need to stop a lot as every corner of the town is likely to attract their admiration.

The more the town is explored, the more enjoyable it is. Tourists are introduced to ancient mossy tile-roofed houses with special architectural features and very Chinese names like Sanh Hien and Phung Hung, the Japanese Bridge, the assembly halls of Chinese from Fujian and Guangdong, the Hong Phat Church, and the house of the Tran family.

Walking along Bach Dang Street by the Hoai River late in the afternoon or sitting at Cua Dai Beach to enjoy seafood in the dreamy light of kerosene lamps is a fantastic experience. With the lamps from afar, Cua Dai Beach looks like a piece of the dark and starry sky. In that atmosphere tourists have mysterious and floating feelings.

Greener rice fields, villages and islets are the new destinations that make Hoi An “a new ancient town." Besides the newly-built resorts at Cua Dai Beach, along the way to this area tourists can enjoy the freshness of the surroundings and the beauty of a picturesque scene with buffalos, fishing boats and spongy waves.

High-speed boats take tourists to Cu Lao Cham, also called Heavenly Islet. There, tourists witness the beauty and wildness of such beaches as Bai Bim, Bai Ong and Bai Chong, as well as take part in activities like exploring coral reefs, swimming, and enjoying seafood.

Compiled by T. Van

[jackbl]

Vietnam study finds street kids abused sexually, using drugs, urges help
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A., a street child living in Ho Chi Minh City's parks, was approached by some men who got him food and clothes and appeared kind.

They took him to a restaurant and a café for the first time, and around the city ostensibly for him to have fun.

“They treated me nicely,” the 17-year-old said.

And then they raped him, something he did not know happened to boys.

But it was by no means an unusual happening. A study released at a conference in Hanoi Tuesday said that virtually all street children in HCMC (92.5 percent) have been victims of sexual abuse.

The victims usually do not report it to the police due to embarrassment, the feeling of doing something bad, or because they were warned not to complain, according to the authors of the study, the Hanoi-based Research Center for Management and Sustainable Development (MSD) and public health NGO Fontana which has offices in Vietnam and Denmark.

Hoang Thu Trang of MSD said the abuses include hugs and kisses, touching of private parts, and being shown pornography.

The abuse left the victims scarred, even suicidal.

The study also found that 98.3 percent of street children in the city have used substances like alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, heroin, meth, adhesive, or even gasoline at least once.

Usually the sexual abuse and drugs went hand in hand.

A 16-year-old street boy identified only as T.V.H., a sex worker -- the study includes underage sex work in abuse -- told the study team that one time he shared a syringe with his customer.

“If I refuse, they would not pay me.”

The study found that many children do not even realize they are abused.

T.V.H. and D.Q.C., 15, believed that sexual abuse was only when they were forced, not merely because they were underage.

“I worked as a prostitute because only if I worked would I get paid. That is not sex abuse.”

But the boundary was not clear even for C., who became a prostitute because he had been raped.

“I felt ashamed, and decided to just go with it,” he said.

Many children offer sex to get money for drugs.

Adhesive is the most popular addictive substance among the children since they can afford it.

Some children inhale three tubes of adhesive a day, each costing less than a dollar.

They also inhale gasoline since it gives them a higher high than glue.

The study, which approached 120 street children, found that there are around 22,000 of them in the country, most coming from poor provinces and living in large cities.

They are poorly informed and easily get embroiled in dangerous jobs related to prostitution or drug trade.

MSD and Fontana called for better measures to inform street children about rehab centers for addicts, support centers for sex victims, and orphanages.

But they admitted that the children have not received enough help from social workers to believe in them.

One child told the authors of the study: “Those people didn’t help. They just asked questions.”

[decent02]

What is the correct TV for Fuck Buddy or bed buddy

Ban Cung Giuong - any TV expert can verify

[jackbl]

Originally Posted by decent02

Ban Cung Giuong - any TV expert can verify

Aiyo, u got so many VBs why dun ask them? Or maybe ask Honeyboon???

[decent02]

Originally Posted by jackbl

Aiyo, u got so many VBs why dun ask them? Or maybe ask Honeyboon???

Aiyo, how to ask a VB this type of question
Honeyboon a good good boy ....dun even know how to ask a gal for overnight ... how to translate

[jackbl]

Lotus Court serves finest dim sum, Cantonese cuisine in exquisite setting
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The Lotus Court Chinese Restaurant is the place to go immerse yourself in the finest of dim sum and Cantonese cuisine.

Lotus Court's interior, while conducive to traditions, is a stylish contemporary tribute to them. The colours chosen for Lotus court (mainly olive green, gold and yellow tones) were selected to underline the Chinese character of the outlet and to create a sense of place. The furniture reflects greatly on its aim to provide a warm and cozy atmosphere that clearly reflects Chinese characteristics and ornaments. The restaurant has used traditional Chinese lacquer paintings to blend with the general theme. Some guests have referred to the restaurant as an art gallery within a superior setting. It’s surely the only one with an open dim sum kitchen, so guests can see all the action from their tables. Private rooms off the main dining room are also available for even more intimate gatherings.

Lotus Court combines an authentic atmosphere with a menu that is vast, with everything from delicate dim sum to roasted meats and live seafood. Guests can experience a different taste treat every night.

Spacious enough to accommodate groups, the space is cleverly configured to promote a sense of coziness, a feeling amplified by knowledgeable and attentive service staff, setting a standard for service that is the talk of the town making it an instant favorite for our loyal local residents as well as a special dining option for hotel guests.

Dim Sum Brunch: Savor all you can eat dim sum brunch every Saturday and Sunday at only VND 270,000++ per person and enjoying a vast selection of dim sum prepared in our show kitchen in front of your eyes. We are happy to be known by the company we keep, and Lotus Court enjoys a huge, regular following of discerning customers from the Phu Nhuan and surrounding districts. For them, our weekend dim sum brunch has become an instant tradition and favorite.

Address: Moevenpick Hotel Saigon, 1st floor, 253 Nguyen Van Troi Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Phone: +84 8 3844 9222

Website: www.moevenpick-saigon.com

Operating Hours: Daily, Lunch 11.00 am – 2.30 pm and Dinner 5.30 pm – 10.30 pm

[jackbl]

Transgender people in Vietnam: P1- True to themselves
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The yearning to become a member of the opposite sex has driven many tormented youths to undergo agonizing transsexual surgeries. Though they’re happy with their new body and true self, most face continued discrimination or alienation from their families and society.

The ordeal begins as soon as they realize they were born with the wrong gender, but doesn’t end with the extremely painful transsexual operation.

As no orthodox medical institution in Vietnam offers the operation, many who can’t afford costly transgender operations in Thailand or Korea have turned to local bogus “doctors” and put their lives at risk by taking hormone-changing pills, having silicon injected into their face and breast, or even undergoing a mastectomy or vasectomy.

The man of the dreams

Ha Duy Linh, 22, from northern Phu Tho province, identifies as a trans man. Linh confided that she vaguely realized she was different from other girls in high school, when she had a secret crush on one of her female teachers and later a female classmate.

“Also, I always felt incomprehensible differences inside my body. Deep inside me, I invariably yearned to do something contrary to myself,” Linh shared.

Preoccupied with her innate differences, Linh turned to the internet. Her findings, paired with a program on the topic she heard on the Voice of Vietnam as well as a seminar she attended two years later, prompted Linh to realize that she has always yearned to be a man.

“It was a revelation for me. I suddenly understood I’m not homosexual; I need to become a real man,” Linh shared.

Since then, Linh began to dress like a male. He has his long hair cut short and wears baggy clothes to hide his curves. He even begged his mother to sell part of their land so that he could afford a transsexual operation in Thailand. His mother was frustrated, while his father strongly forbade him from changing his body.

Without his family’s consent, Linh works as a worker in an industrial zone in Hanoi and rarely visits home. He finds reminders of his original gender disturbing, particularly his menstrual cycles.

“I’m really upset and frustrated and even in crisis sometimes. My aunt and everyone else says I don’t look male or female. I really wish I could live a fulfilling life as a real man,” Linh sadly added.

Despite Linh’s manly dressing style, haircut, and masculine gait and gestures, his soft hands, voice and fair complexion defy his wishes. He recently began taking male hormone pills and saving money to have an ovariectomy in Ho Chi Minh City. These are the simplest and cheapest steps Linh can take for now to begin fulfilling his dream of becoming a real man.

The transgender twins

Since a tender age, a pair of male twins, born into a rich family in Phu Nhuan district in HCMC, have always enjoyed mingling with girls, wearing dresses, braiding their hair, and playing with dolls.

Their parents could never imagine that their sons’ childish hobbies would translate into their joint desire for a sex change once they matured.

When they turned 19, the younger brother made a huge decision. Despite his parents’ strong objections, he contacted his transsexual friends and underwent excruciating operations to become a girl.

“One day, I returned home as a girl, renamed Truc Linh. My parents were stunned with shock while our relatives and neighbors were unsympathetic and harsh,” the younger twin recalled.

Their family received the second blow when three years later the elder twin decided to follow his brother’s footsteps and underwent similar operations.

“We try to ignore everyone’s gossip and harsh jokes, as long as we’re happy with our new bodies and lives. Our parents have gradually accepted us as their daughters. But neighbors and bystanders still maliciously stare and point at us as if we were ogres,” Truc Lam, the elder twin confided.

Truc Linh now stays at her aunt’s home and helps her with loan collecting. Lam earns her living by performing at funerals, as many transgender Vietnamese do. She is also a social worker at the HCMC-based ICS Center, an organization dedicated to supporting and counseling local lesbians, gays and transsexuals.

Yearning for a normal, rewarding life, Lam applied for work at more conventional places, but was met with rejection and malicious jokes. She once worked as a waitress at a Korean restaurant, but was fired after only a few days as the customers discriminated against her and complained.