Take away or take away

Viet Nam News by Kiều Bích Hương “New customers are coming, dad!” Demi called excitedly. Noel frowned, put a pile of bills into the drawer, rearranged his shirt collar, straightened its hems, and walked out. The sunshine outdoors dazzled him, preventing him from seeing the customers clearly. Yet he caught Demi’s excitement. Later, after the customers left, he must scold her, Noel thought. Of course customers meant business, which was good. But they mustn’t wear their gladness on their faces like that when another person had passed away. Three middle-aged chaps with burly bodies and distraught faces were standing wearily before Noel. Demi eagerly fetched some drinking water. Noel stretched out his hand toward the stoutest man to invite him to sit down. The tallest one nodded to greet Noel then went out to answer his phone. The remaining one, the youngest, thrust his hands into his pockets, and anxiously walked around Noel’s office … [Read more...] about A note for someone who has passed away

Viet Nam News by Khánh Linh The clip is only three minutes long, but it has Vietnamese parents up in arms: it depicts young Vietnamese children who started studying English at a very early age, even before they fluently spoke their mother tongue, struggling to express themselves in either language. The clip immediately sparked a debate on the unforeseen impacts of early foreign language education among parents. The largest concern is that foreign language study for children under three can raise the risk of language disorders. Some children end up struggling with Vietnamese or need to work with a language therapist. Parents’ comments revealed their worries. They had considered it essential to teach their kids to sing English songs and learn simple words on Youtube or via learning software—but now they are trying to decide if there’s a downside. Some said they would keep their children from studying English until they were in the first grade.  … [Read more...] about Fears of language disorders dampen parents’ enthusiasm for English

Viet Nam News HCM CITY – HCM City’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs plans to submit a report to the city’s People’s Committee on the best ways to protect children and help them live in a safe, healthy and inclusive environment. Đặng Hoa Nam, director of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Department of Child Care and Protection, said the focus would be on protecting two million children under 16 years old, 550,000 children under six years old, 400 children with disabilities, 100 orphans, and thousands of disadvantaged children, as well as children who receive allowances in HCM City under official social assistance policies. Nam spoke at a dialogue on child care and protection on Wednesday held by the city’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Save the Children in Việt Nam. Participants discussed the roles and responsibilities of local government, … [Read more...] about HCM City takes steps to protect children’s rights

by Robert Bicknell How can a 30-hdcp player can lower their score…? Well, the first thing that springs to mind is for them to play with half-blind friends, at night, and keep an eraser handy. Scratch golf… If they don’t like their score, scratch it out and write something else. On the more serious side, I would have to ask why they’re a 30-hdcp in the first place because, while many people start out as a very high handicapper, they certainly shouldn’t be staying at that level for any period of time. Chances are they bought a set of clubs and started learning from their friends, a book, or the internet. This will almost guarantee they learned incorrectly and developed a lot of bad habits. Repeat after me… “If you’re a 30-hdcp for more than a month and are not improving, you already have trouble.” The single best way to learn how to play golf and eliminate unnecessary future headaches is to find a qualified instructor from the … [Read more...] about Hacking away at a handicap

Viet Nam News by Nguyễn Khánh Chi A recent lunch date with my old friends from university turned into a stirring round-table discussion when one friend proposed that we all make a plan to travel together. As we envisioned a change of pace, time together and the chance to explore, everyone seemed excited—but one woman looked a bit concerned. “Does that mean we leave our kids and husband at home?” she asked in a low voice. “Yes!” “Yep!” “Why not?” the others jumped in. Vietnamese traditional family values dating back to the feudal period stipulate that housework is women’s responsibility. This view is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it leads to celebrations of Vietnamese women’s dedication and hard work for their families. On the other, it punishes Vietnamese women who dare to assert some purpose or passion in life outside of their home. The persistence of this view makes it hard for many women to … [Read more...] about Women take a break from family for travel: Why not?

Nguyễn Thanh Hoá. — Photo tuoitre.vn By Khánh Vân Given their frequency, we should not be surprised, but we continue to be shocked each time an instance of corruption in high places comes to light. The latest such instance is the arrest of a former senior public security police officer on suspicion of involvement in one of the country’s biggest online gambling and money laundering cases. Nguyễn Thanh Hoá, former head of the Public Security Ministry’s Hi-tech Crime Police Department, was placed under arrest on Sunday for allegedly organising gambling, a crime under the Penal Code. Hóa’s hi-tech department was in charge of tackling illegal activity on the web, including online fraud and illegal betting. But now the Major General is in the dock for the very crime he was required to fight. Hóa, 60,was a very high ranked officer who’d gained repute for busting many cases of illicit online gambling, both … [Read more...] about Is our corruption glass half full or half empty?