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
Watch fear the walking dead
Two Koreas march together as Asian Games burst into life
At the opening night, North and South Korea marched together in a stirring display of unity. South Korean women's basketball player Lim Yung-hui and North Korean footballer Ju Kyong-chol jointly held the Korean Unification flag aloft as they led the athletes out to an ovation from the packed crowd. It is the second such symbolic gesture this year by the two Koreas, who also walked together at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opening ceremony -- an event that heralded an unprecedented warming of ties. The North and South, still technically at war, are joining forces in women's basketball, canoeing and rowing during the 40-sport, two-week regional Olympics in the Indonesian capital and Palembang, a port city on Sumatra island. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong-nam, watching from the VIP seats, rose together holding hands and beaming as the Korean athletes marched. The ceremony opened with a skit purportedly showing President Joko … [Read more...] about Two Koreas march together as Asian Games burst into life
Get your geek on: 130,000 head for San Diego Comic-Con
LOS ANGELES — Desk jockeys in eye-wateringly tight spandex will blur the line between fantasy and reality this week as they invade San Diego for the world’s largest celebration of pop culture fandom. The 49th Comic-Con International will revel in movies, TV and - yes - comic books, as fans in pitch-perfect monster, alien and manga costumes swelter in the southern Californian heat over five surreal days. Where fandom abounds, controversy is never far behind. And the big bone of contention this year is Disney’s decision not to bring its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to Comic-Con, despite a record-breaking year with Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Ant-Man and the Wasp. "It’s going to be an interesting year this year," said SyFy Wire editor-in-chief Adam Swiderski in a video preview of the Wednesday to Sunday get-together at the city’s harborfront convention centre. "A lot of the big players like ’Marvel,’ ’Star … [Read more...] about Get your geek on: 130,000 head for San Diego Comic-Con
France holds breath as football brings nation together
French fans dared to dream of a World Cup victory on Sunday as they prepared to watch the game on a sunny summer weekend after a tournament that has lifted spirits and led to a rare sense of national unity. Football fever has slowly built over the last four weeks as the country took its young national team to heart, with ecstatic scenes after their semi-final victory, a sign of the country's hunger for success. On what is a traditional holiday weekend to mark France's national day, many families will watch from camp sites or hotels, while giant screens have been erected in cities nationwide under exceptionally tight security. The biggest gathering of all is expected in Paris where 90,000 will converge on a fanzone next to the Eiffel Tower -- walking distance from the Champs Elysees boulevard where all great national triumphs are celebrated. With success on the pitch, a country riven by tensions and still recovering from a series of terror attacks that have claimed nearly 250 lives … [Read more...] about France holds breath as football brings nation together
Cold Beer
Viet Nam News By Phan Triều Hải Ever since her 32nd birthday last year, Vy had been afraid of gaining belly fat. So instead of eating cheese and drinking lots of beer before sleeping, the couple only drank two small glasses of beer at dinner. The weather in Sài Gòn encouraged beer consumption. Cao thought Sài Gòn was the best place to drink. This city had all sorts of problems: crowdedness, noise, heat, suffocation, traffic, lack of hygiene, pollution and beer was the solution that could dissolve all these issues in the fastest way. A gulp of beer enabled people to endure and relax, and made them irritable but energetic enough to do unexpected things. Beer lovers would never feel tired of Sài Gòn. Nor was there a better place for beer to show off its ability to excite, relieve stress, connect friends or accompany a solitary person. Nevertheless, Cao rarely went out to drink. He wasn’t social. Cao always wanted to be alone. His world … [Read more...] about Cold Beer
Wind tombs
Angry waves surged, threatening to sweep the rocks away. The rocks wavered as if like they might sink, but it was just an illusion. “Here’s your tobacco, master!” Song said. Song had rolled up a cigarette in no time. With the ocean winds battering his face, old Doi pointed down the peak, signaling to Song. Song jumped down, hid behind a slit, and flicked a lighter. The tobacco flared up in front of the old man’s nose. But no sooner was the milky smoke discharged than the tobacco was pulled out and thrown away toward the sandy beach. Four eyes squinted and looked over the sea. Sunset was tinting the horizon pink. Waves were still jumping onto the rocks. “There’s a ship returning, master,” said Song. “Where?” “I can see her painted eyes blinking.” The old man rubbed his eyes and looked in the direction of the boy’s finger. There was indeed a ship returning. The waves were violent, the prow of the ship bobbing up and … [Read more...] about Wind tombs
The valley of dew
Only Van went out alone, and drank one whole bottle of wine without getting drunk, as if he were drinking water. His head felt clear, and the blood in his chest flared up like fire. The men winked at each other, clinking their cups. “Hey Van, why isn’t your wife here to get well water for you to wash your face with?” the men jeered. Van threw his cup into a pillar of the communal house and stood up. The cup broke into pieces, putting an end to the New Year’s Eve party. Other people flitted around with their lovers, but Van flitted around with a shadow. Van went home and found the house in darkness, only lit up by the scent of incense recently burned to welcome spring. He sneered. They’re all sleeping like a log, he thought. Ever since Biu left, there hadn’t been any spring. Spring couldn’t come home to an ugly wife. Spring couldn’t lie in the hands of a breeding hen. The breeding hen only knew how to breed, not how to laugh. Whether she … [Read more...] about The valley of dew
The last journey
I see the small leaves of the potted plans you’ve put on the windowsill wave. And a streak of light dance on the wall. It must be the wind. The wind is blowing in from the trees outside on the streets. The Saigon streets that are lovingly shaded by gigantic trees, just like our streets, in Hanoi, of old. I hear the sound of buckets and basins echo through open space from a room downstairs, and a woman’s laughter from a room upstairs. What are our neighbour men doing in the yard at the foot of the common stairs? Aren’t they lifting the hoses to wash their motorbikes? Aren’t they raking the coal stoves to help their women boil water to make coffee to sell at the alley entrance? Isn’t life here any different from life in Hanoi before we left? Our house is too quiet. The kids have gone to school far away. You’re also on a work trip. These days the housekeeper doesn’t have to come. There’s just me left. And the mice scratching on the grating … [Read more...] about The last journey