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[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

Happy like fark.......free smells mah, machiam Amos cookies

Cheerios......SS08 ^_^

I oredi said...you happy will do...

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

That is so correct

Anyway we are many years travelling buddies liao so we always wait for everyone to go together unless his VB havent go off and he needs to release his toxins first the most he will kena suan by us for the rest of the day liao

Cheerios.....SS08 ^_^

so long you guys happy to wait...I am a guy that values punctuality...anyway not a problem to let the fren join us wherever we are when he woke up and ready...just have to direct the bike or cab...

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

How??? Dun ask me so difficult question during CNY leh, I damn stoopid one

Cheerios.....SS08 ^_^

haha...so CNY in Sinkieland and not traveling ha...

[Hurricane88]

Gong Xi FA Cai...

[Hurricane88]

2 kids, 3 women arrested for suspected theft at Saigon downtown

UPDATED : 01/27/2017 14:33 GMT + 7



A group of suspected thieves was nabbed by police in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday night for allegedly stealing properties from visitors at the city’s iconic Nguyen Hue Flower Street.

Following repeated complaints of thefts and phone- and bag-snatching cases at the event, opening from January 25 to 31, District 1 police had tasked officers with going undercover to hunt for the thieves.

On Thursday night, two days before Tet, plainclothes officers spotted three women, one boy and one girl with suspicious behaviors and stopped them for investigation.

After checking their bags, police found a number of iPhones, cash, bags, ID cards and foreign bank cards.

The women fail to prove the origin of those assets.

The suspected thieves are Tran Thi Thuy Phuong, 35, Tran Thi Minh Nguyet, 43, Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, 27 and a 9-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, all hailing from the south-central province of Khanh Hoa.

Police are calling on victims to come to claim their stolen assets back.

[Hurricane88]

Try one of Vietnam’s finest tea brands

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 01/28/2017 09:01 GMT + 7



Have you tried one of Vietnam’s finest tea brands, the taste of which lingers in the mind of local tea enthusiasts?

The Mong ethnic minority group, inhabiting Ta Xua Commune in Bac Yen District, located in the northern mountainous province of Son La, has long considered tea one of their greatest assets which has been passed on from generation to generation.

Shan Tuyet tea from Ta Xua, one of the premium brands in Vietnam, is mostly produced from century-old Shan Tuyet tea trees, which thrive in the northern mountainous provinces of Son La, Ha Giang, Lai Chau and Yen Bai.

Perched on precarious spots in mountainous areas which are 1,500 meters above sea level on average and exposed to a cold, misty climate, the trees yield large grayish-white tea buds, which boast a white downy, snow-like layer, and one of the finest-quality, distinctive tea varieties.

It is the white fluffy layer that gave the tea its other name, “Shan Tuyet” (snow).

The trees are typically cultivated organically without the use of chemicals or fertilizers and are usually processed manually by members of the Mong and Dao ethnic minorities.

Ta Xua tea means “medicine to cure illnesses” in the Mong dialect.
The trees began to be grown between 1967 and 1970 on an area of more than 100 hectares.

Among them, there were 400 to 500 centuries-old trees with large, overhanging canopy and rugged silver trunks reaching the towering height of 10 to 15 meters.

Each tree can yield seven or eight kilograms of raw tea.

After drying the buds, artisans put them in big jars and cover the jars with large banana leaves.

The jars are left for three or four years so the tea leaves would lose their pungent smell and acrid taste, and attain certain sponginess.

The Shan Tuyet tea produced in Ta Xua boasts a mild fragrance and produces a dark brown liquid.

The liquid initially has a bitter, acrid taste which gradually turns sweet and pleasant to the throat and tongue.

The maiden tea water is as fresh and alluring as a virgin, and the enjoyable taste lingers with even the fourth or fifth tea water.

The Shan Tuyet tea from Ta Xua tastes best when dipped in water fetched from the springs in the area.

Below are a series of photos by Nguyen Trong Chinh featuring one of the finest tea brands of Vietnam.

These photos were one of the entries to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper's year-long competition themed “Vietnam – Country – People" concluding in October last year.

click here to continue reading
http://tuoitrenews.vn/lifestyle/3901...est-tea-brands

[Hurricane88]

Lunar New Year’s Eve in Vietnam: Shake it off!

STIVI COOKE
UPDATED : 01/27/2017 19:02 GMT + 7



Did the dog leave you for a better master? Has your girlfriend left you for another boy? Failed every test at school? Don’t worry! It’s New Year!

The coming year brings with it many things the lunar 2016 missed. More opportunities, better twists and turns, unexpected surprises and another special feature; more climate change!

If you take the time to read the sales brochure for the lunar 2017, you’ll discover it costs exactly the same as last year and comes with brand-new opportunities to improve your life, luck and health.

For example, the lunar 2017 comes with fully automated new friends, travel and some quiet time to reflect on how you’re doing in life. The windscreen is slightly tinted too, so you don’t have to squint at any unpleasant memories from the lunar 2016, even if you come across a major life storm, the windscreen wipers are specially designed to allow you to shrug off the heaviest of problems.

The lunar 2017’s motor is also faster, more powerful and more economical than ever before. In the New Year you should find yourself racing ahead in life, unaware of the acceleration, but also safe in the knowledge that you have great braking power if you spot danger up ahead.

Yep – the lunar 2017 is a bargain.

Whatever went on in the lunar 2016, it’s time to shake it off and put on your dancing shoes!

The lunar 2017 is your chance to show how well you dance through life and show off the smooth moves you’ve learnt.

For all my Vietnamese friends, Lunar New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration, just before the long rest after a frantic year of work, family responsibilities and as always; the pressure to make money. For most expats it’s fun as well, even though we’ve already welcomed in our new year. It’s Vietnam’s time to party and even though there’s no fireworks display, there’s sure to be some in your personal life.

The Year of the Rooster is not the time to be shy or hide your talents, so start making noises and get the attention of the people you want to. Display the strengths you’ve hidden away all year and impress someone you care about. Who knows, your life might take a new direction... woo-hoo!

For most of my Vietnamese friends and students, praying for good luck, fortune, health and great educational results is a typical activity after Lunar New Year’s Eve, but you could also pray for world peace and a high school education for every child.

The other important thing to do is shake off ‘the blues’ – the feelings of sadness or depression that happen when something isn’t successful. It’s a life skill that we really should be teaching in school. One thing that Vietnam really teaches you comes from the people’s ability to laugh or smile about things that go wrong.

Yet it’s more than that – the Vietnamese learn from a young age that obstacles are normal and that you must find ways to get over, under, around or simply just wait until problems resolve themselves. This is ingrained in the national consciousness, very much a part of the resilience that has won Vietnam a number of wars as well as a cheerful knack of living in the moment - because the future is so often uncertain.

Unlucky in love last year? Well, there are a million more possible lovers out there! Didn’t get the job you wanted? Try moving to a similar job – always get closer to your goals, you never know, opportunities often appear disguised as something else.

Above all, don’t dwell too much on the scale of the challenges in front of you or the size of any unsolved problems carried over into the coming lunar 2017. Do what most young Vietnamese do, listen to music, play computer games or go to a café!

I predict the lunar 2017 will be an amazing year for love for a lot of lonely people (with many marriages in the Year of the Rooster) and a spectacular time for artistic projects, discovering new talents and shaking off old ways of doing things.

If it seems like the world has gone mad – it’s normal. A quick study of history will tell you that there have been far worse times in the past and since we humans don’t learn from our mistakes well enough, there’ll be worse times to come too. The best way forward is to make your own life less crazy.

This Lunar New Year’s Eve, don’t worry about the fireworks, find a clever way to bring in the New Year. How about a flash mob in your street? What about a viral video of everyone in your family dancing around in pyjamas at midnight? Why not get the kids to make confetti and throw it all over the neighbors!

Whatever you do or decide on Lunar New Year’s Eve or next year – have fun!
And to all our readers, may the lunar 2017 be a very prosperous and memorable year for you and your families.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi (Happy New Year) and see you in the Year of the Rooster!

[Thom07]

Happy CNY !!!

[Hurricane88]

Growing Oolong tea for export in Vietnam

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 01/29/2017 09:05 GMT + 7

Bao Loc District, Lam Dong Province, is a hub of tea processing facilities, catering to both domestic and foreign markets.

Mother Nature’s gifts to Bao Loc are the perfect weather conditions for growing Oolong tea of such high quality that it can be compared to that grown in China, known as the birthplace of this special tea.

Oolong tea is preferred for its special effects on human health. After being partially fermented, Oolong tea maintains polyphenol content that boosts SOD, an enzyme that prevents free radicals, thus reducing cancer risks for consumers.

Other natural ingredients in Oolong tea leaves can slow aging and prevent freckles and wrinkles.

Over the years, Oolong tea growers in Bao Loc have won over strict markets, including the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan, sending the total area of qualified Oolong tea crops skyrocketing to some 4,000 hectares, creating more jobs for locals and improving their living standards.

Below are a series of photos by Nguyen Van Thuong featuring how Oolong tea is grown in the district.

These photos were one of the entries to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper's year-long competition themed “Vietnam – Country – People" concluding in October last year.

continue reading here
http://tuoitrenews.vn/lifestyle/3913...tea-for-export

[Hurricane88]

Over 2,000 hospitalized due to fights during Tet holiday in Vietnam

UPDATED : 01/31/2017 10:45 GMT + 7



Over 2,200 people across Vietnam were hospitalized following physical confrontations during the first three days alone of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.

The ministry’s preliminary report revealed that more than 2,200 people were admitted to hospitals in Vietnam after fights and conflicts occurring from January 27 to 29, or the last day of the previous lunar year to the second day of the new year.

The number of victims who died in escalating conflicts and scuffles during that period alone was recorded at 14, compared to 13 during last year’s eight-day Tet holiday.

More than 240 people were also rushed to the emergency rooms of higher-level hospitals for treatment of critical injuries.

The health ministry’s statistics also showed an upward trend in hospital admission due to fighting during Tet over recent years.

Staff at hospitals have also had their hands full tending to over 5,000 road accident victims during the holiday, which began on January 28 and lasts for a week or so.

One person from the northern province of Hung Yen perished after gulping down herbicides, the report added.

The number of people admitted to hospitals for food and alcohol poisoning was recorded at nearly 1,200, with one third being alcohol poisoning cases.

One hundred and thirty also fell victim to firecrackers and explosives.

On an upbeat note, more than 8,000 infants were delivered, while 53,000 patients were cured of their illnesses and discharged from hospital during the Tet holiday, according to the report.

[Hurricane88]

Looks like bro SS08 on extended holidays...

[Hurricane88]

Routes leading to Saigon congested as people return from Tet celebration

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 02/01/2017 10:58 GMT + 7



Many routes leading to Ho Chi Minh City have been overwhelmed by the large number of people flocking back to the southern metropolis as the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday is coming to an end.

Congestion occurred on Tuesday, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year festival, for many residents began to leave their hometown in the Mekong Delta for Ho Chi Minh City to resume work after the holiday.

Serious gridlock happened on National Highway 60 and the Rach Mieu Bridge in the Mekong Delta due to the immense volume of traffic from Ben Tre Province heading toward the southern hub.

Vehicles in both lanes for cars and motorbikes were traveling at a snail’s pace.

A collision between an automobile and a motorcycle on the bridge at around 5:00 pm the same day exacerbated the situation, with traffic police promptly removing both vehicles to clear the road.

continue reading here
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/39347/...et-celebration

[Hurricane88]

Cambodian tourists in love with Vietnam’s Lunar New Year

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 01/31/2017 11:28 GMT + 7

Visitors from Cambodia have been rushing to Vietnam to become a part of the country’s traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

The number of Cambodian tourists entering Vietnam via border gates at southern Vietnamese provinces, namely Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, and others, have been increasing significantly.

Although they do not celebrate the Lunar New Year in their home country, the Cambodian visitors have been amazed and attracted by the festive atmosphere in the neighboring nation.

According to Major Luu Dac Nhanh, chief of the border guard office at the Ha Tien Border Gate in Kien Giang Province, about one thousand people from Cambodia visit Vietnam every day during Tet.

The tourists mainly come from Kam Pot and Ta Keo Provinces, which border Vietnam’s Kien Giang, while a few others come from further localities such as Shihanuok Ville and Phnom Penh, Maj. Nhanh continued.

The immigration procedures were simple, allowing travelers to have a pleasant stay in Vietnam to enjoy the local celebration of the Lunar New Year, the officer stated, adding that most tourists arrive on their personal cars.

The Vietnamese Tet is very interesting, Rot Ky, a visitor from Kam Pot Province remarked, stating he often took his family members to the country to welcome the Lunar New Year.

They have visited several famous destinations, from local beaches to sacred pagodas, in Ha Tien City, located in Kien Giang, the Cambodian man elaborated.

Aside from partaking in the festive activities, tourists from Cambodia also enjoy shopping in Vietnam during this period, with their favorite items being processed food, plastic products, tailored clothes, and electronic devices.

[Hurricane88]

Vietnam intensifies crackdown on public peeing, littering

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 02/02/2017 10:49 GMT + 7

Those who litter or urinate in public will be fined up to VND7 million (US$313), starting February 1, according to a recent decree by the Vietnamese government.

The act of public littering is subject to a fine of VND3-5 million (US$134-223), the fiat says.

Those who litter on the streets, sidewalks or into drainage systems will pay an even higher fine of VND5-7 million ($223-313).

People who put away cigarette butts in undesignated areas at condominiums, shopping malls or other public places will be fined between VND500,000 ($22.5)and VND1 million ($45).

Public urination and defecation will also be subject to penalties of VND1-3 million ($45-134), according to the new decree. The old penalty for such an illegal act is from VND200,000 ($8.7) to VND300,000 ($13).

The new fines are between five and 25 times higher than those previously enforced in Vietnam, as the highest penalty for such actions were only set at VND500,000 ($22.5), a sum many had deemed ineffective in raising public awareness of environmental protection.

Local experts have aired support for the heftier penalties for public urination and littering, saying that the harsher punishments are necessary for combating such illegal behaviors.

[Hurricane88]

Heavy downpour wallops Ho Chi Minh City amid dry season

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 02/03/2017 10:16 GMT + 7



A sudden heavy rain hit a large portion of southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, on Thursday, surprising local residents with such unusual weather in the heart of the dry season.

The unseasonal downpour, beginning around 4:00 pm on Thursday in the southern metropolis and lingered until well after dark, was accompanied by occasional clashes of thunder.

By 10:30 pm, the storm had moved over several areas of the city, with the highest recorded rainfall topping 110 millimeters in District 8, followed by Binh Tan District and District 7.

Over 20 locations across the southern hub were inundated by the abnormal rain, with An Duong Vuong Street, Ho Ngoc Lam Street, and An Lac Roundabout in Binh Tan District, Nguyen Huu Canh Street in Binh Thanh District, and Huynh Tan Phat Street in District 7 being among those hit hardest by the rain.

Provinces throughout the Mekong Delta, such as Long An, Tien Giang, Kien Giang, Vinh Long, and Soc Trang were also affected by the unseasonal rain, which began moving into those areas as early as 2:00 pm on Thursday, threatening local agriculture and aquaculture operations.

continue reading here
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/39369/...mid-dry-season