Merry Christmas In Hochiminh City - December 2007

It was a peaceful and happy day of the Christmas’s season in Hochiminh city. Climate wasn’t cold to enjoy as we expected, there wasn’t fireworks and special musical programs, but the ornament lights for streets were beautiful and for it’s been popular festival nowadays in developing countries and so has Vietnam, therefore here in Hochiminh city, crowd of people preferred walking downtown to district 1 surrounding Notre Dam church where it’s a favorite place for catholic community. Oodles of other people also gather to join pleasures or other places such as Tax trading center, opera house, supermarket, religious villages in District 8 as well as almost of churches here in hochiminh city were in the festive atmosphere. People still like riding their motorbikes to go around the city for pleasures, of course traffic jam happened here but not very serious, appeared to have improvements from motorcyclist and street security officers…vehicles moves slowly one by one, group by group, people by people…

Some families, friends, colleagues and foreigners didn’t have to walk out downtown, they held party and feast from home for overnight, some went to café, bars or did what they wanted to relax…

Santa claus (Noel’s old man in Vietnamese meaning) is really happiness to children, they can enjoy laughing with humors, fun and to enjoy gift-giving. Dam Sen and Suoi Tien are two biggest entertainment parks of the city where they also hosted many kinds of interesting things and cultural programs for children, families and tourists.

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Comment and Photos by Kan Nguyen
Dec 24 and 25, 2007
Hochiminh city, Vietnam.

Hello Helmets and Helmets Help...

The fifteenth of December 2007 today is the first day of official compulsory helmet for all motorbike's users to wear in Vietnam. Having ridden downtown here in Hochinminh city - twice in the morning and afternoon, I also found most of people wore their helmets, everyone looked alright and safe. What a nice suprise was that I couldn't find any traffic jam any more at the streets where I often was stuck in.

Traffic congestion things now have seemed to be more brightening and of course there're many other solutions co-working with the situation (see also previous post). Anyway, this public law enforcement for wearing helmets are well-effective and really good for people at large, for the city and social community. Congratulation!

I think less traffic jam, less smelling vehicle's smoke, less motorbike's users, reducing in emission gas and driving safely all might have been useful strategic goals. So keep going on, keep it rolling...

However, when people can do something good for society and country, so the country's power can also help do something for the people. Continue to help the poor families to have helmets. Help helmet makers together check quality and proper prices. People need more spaces and service for helmet-keeping at public places in the city. People need the real good public buses to commune from place to place. People will need nice sidewalks to go on foot in the city and people would need the cheap bicycles or non-fuel bikes to buy...

For the common achievements and goals of overall society, of friendly city, we should try to forget any small inconvenience of using helmets in our daily routines, in our daily life and activities of every day.

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Comment and Photos by Kan Nguyen
Dec 14 and 15, 2007

New Tension Over Paracel & Spratly Archipelago (Hoang Sa & Truong Sa) Dec 4

It was sad news in Vietnam.

In term of creating a satellite town "Tam Sa" for China 's HaiNam on the disputable islands & archipelago that locating in the Eastern Sea of Vietnam and the Philipines sea, has not been a proper and 'fairplay' decision from China's Administration.
We know the countries in controversial issues have been each other neighbor friends during several years. Therefore, when one of them go wrong toward the other that many found it is, whole boat should sit together and friendly negotiate an agreement to find out our better common acceptable solutions or a another transparent maritime treaty, provided that all parties shall respect the value of their decent histories and cultures, of their territory sovereignties. Both sides shouldn't be inflexibility that if who has the memo evidences in hands from once upon a time, would make its decision to own on it. Not the past for the future! Not the past for the country's face and fate! But the past of our compassionate Vietnam in its decent history by what were oodles of painfulness, old 1000 years that she suffered and struggled for their survivals, shall be the truth,...the truth that all good people of Vietnam and I do believe in, are mosts of them there in the region... are of Vietnam.

Big brothers and good current friends of Vietnam often told to other countries that after her sad stories, let's appreciate the way Vietnam opened door to welcome visitors, the pace she based on the past to heal for the future, let's make friend with Vietnam, why don't we love Vietnam and help her to become a richer country in the common peace.

China was one of big brothers, he should have done something generous and fairplay like the U.K.of Britain had done for the Hongkong's return, though the situation and history between are quiet different. Do whatever similar too , as long as people from the two countries feel it nice, feel it still friendly, mutual peace and prosperity with the Chinese communities here in Vietnam, vast majority of them have been still living happily, free market, doing good business, consumption chinese goods, eating chinese food, seeing chinese movies, chinese festivals, mutual marriage, family building and naturalized citizenships... And vast majority of Vietnamese people also are hospitable, generous too, they've never had 'standing off' or hostility attitude from sad and sorrow past in former wars between China and Vietnam.

Perhaps some of Congresspersons in China's National Assembly might have not seen and can't thoroughly understand the cultural and humanity values of Vietnam. China should need Vietnam more than ever, but it doesn't mean, he can do everything he wants on the lovely neighbor friend's soil...

Hopefuly one day early next year in 2008, Vietnam shall have an honor chair (Non-permanent member or not non are ok) in the United Nation Security Council, in order to contribute something meaningful good for the region security- keeping cause.

Then Vietnam can also raise the problem to the UNSC and international community where many good countries can support to Vietnam.

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Written by Kan Nguyen

Last revised - Dec 8, 2007

Image captured from Google Earth

The Dana Leong Jazz Band & Pro-Saxophonist TranManhTuan

Photos by Kan Nguyen
Taken at the Opera House Hochiminh City
December 1, 2007
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We can recognize there were full of creativenesses in their music world of jazz - harmony of sounds in the hip hop , slow rock, symphony, pop rock... wow I like it too. Not a borring night!. They did very good performance and funny warmly interaction with audiences. They should do it again next year at another place where can be the youth cultural center. As always, it's the "yummy foods" of spirits and life's quality. Reciprocal arrivals of the music bands during several years have been contributing for the relationship and development of the two countries.

Let's thank sponsors: the rhythm road, jazz at Lincohn center, new world hotel Saigon, V.U.S (Hoi viet my), the 17th Saloon, Sandy beach Danang city. Special thanks to the public affairs Service of the U.S.C.G in Hochiminh city.

They have known each other since 100 years ago..Now and forever

Photos below by Kan Nguyen
Nov 28, 2007

It's the truth that being recorded in their histories, end of this Novemver 2007, the USCG Hcmc celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the first American consular & commercial officer who set foot in former Saigon of Vietnam. Congratulation on success of their historic event. What an profound honor! with getting together of the diplomatic distinguished guests of the two countries, historians, culture researchers, commercial communities and reporters of media... Especially warmly welcome U.S. Assistant Secretary Maura Harty for Consular Affairs (global U.S Posts) to Vietnam. I admire their friendships as well as they have been doing the same to other countries in ASEANs, European and in international community.

Truly,
Kan Nguyen
Nov 2007