Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Gingerbread Residential home Kits - What design to Obtain?
There are a lot of ways to create a gingerbread house hold. It may be really confusing to consider all the actual gingerbread house hold kits available to buy and determine which you are best available for you. There are actually literally a lot of them! However, they number one in three types, which will help you make the one you select.
Un-baked Gingerbread Dwelling Kits
These kits contain the mix, the icing mix and candy... everything you should bake your personal gingerbread house hold. The templates will be included. These are actually ideal when you're worried concerning gingerbread items breaking from the mail. However, they conduct require considerable time since you're baking the actual pieces yourself and they will most likely finally end up warped and when you damage and melt off them, that’s it again, the kit is completed.
Pre-Baked Gingerbread Dwelling Kits
If you desire quick, while nonetheless enjoying the actual assembly in gingerbread house, then these are generally the kits available for you. They take place will each of the pieces essential for your house and you just need to gather them after the instructions. These usually incorporate their personal candy and icing mixture. You also can get ones own candy that will personalize the home, if you want. The kits happen to be a very little sparse, so if you appreciate a greatly decorated location, you’ll want to guarantee you acquire extras.
Pre-Baked, Pre-assembled Gingerbread Dwelling Kits
These houses are already built and all set to decorate. Now, these are almost always available in the area only. You won’t be capable to move these individuals long miles or vessel them, since they are really quite breakable. Of each of the kits, the pre-assembled houses can be the tricky and just about the most likely to break apart on one. However, they conduct save a immense amount of time!
A great way to discover the whole family unit together intended for holiday festivals. Come that will gingerbread house kit have a look at and goods.
via www.WeOnTech.com
Monday, September 26, 2011
LinkedIn online classes
LinkedIn is your online Resume or C. V which showcases your current abilities and recommendations.
But how do you truly use your linkedin Profile in a way that you can reap the rewards as a result, are there any good LinkedIn training courses available?
For a few tips and tricks in this linkedin training course will explained so that you can really focus on constructing relationships that matter. Also in this LinkedIn training course there are many other tricks you could implement immediatly, so you need to cover attention and read cautiously.
LinkedIn is all about connections and one of the way you get connected is by choosing the people who share anyone interest. One way is to locate groups about your interest or topic. Use the search function at the top right of the LinkedIn website (ensure you set the search parameters on “groups”) and type what you would like.
If you see discussions which may have many contributions / reply’s than this is the best way to get your name out there. You have to ensure you provide a good along with solid argument or solution to acquire the traffic. Everyone who has participated because discussion will get an email (unless their adjustments say otherwise) which means you better make it count number.
You can check your current inbox, invitations, news, updates and via the “Reconnect” feature it even suggests connections to you. This is great for looking who you might know without wasting time to determine if they are about LinkedIn or not.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Market slightly drops back
The market opened higher and quickly moved up to the daily high of 475.45 before dropping back in several stages. It fell into the red from the end of the second session before staging a short-lived recovery and finally closing at above the daily low.
On the southern bourse, there were 81.4 million shares worth nearly VND1.3 trillion traded at the end of the day, rising 19% and 8% against the previous day respectively. Bids fell a mild 6.7% to around 120 million shares while offers soared 37.5% from the day earlier to 117.4 million shares.
Losers slightly outnumbered gainers by 138 to 107, of which 50 stocks shot up to the ceiling prices and 40 stocks dropped to the floor prices. Blue-chips were mostly lower across the board albeit with some exceptions such as MSN, BVH and VCF.
Sacom Development and Investment Corp. (SAM) was the most traded stock for liquidity, inching up 1.3% against the previous day to VND7,400 per share with 4.3 million shares traded. PetroVietnam Transportation Corp. (PVT), the second biggest traded stock, gained 1.9% to VND5,300 on the volume of 2.8 million shares.
Foreigners once again increased net selling. They acquired 6.4 million shares worth VND202.7 billion and offloaded 11.1 million shares worth VND325.4 billion, making up 15.7% and 25.2% of the market’s buying and selling value respectively.
The Hanoi market fell back on Wednesday although turnover improved to over VND1 trillion. The HNX-Index fell 1.92 points, or 2.42%, against the previous session and ended the day at 77.33.
Advancers and decliners were almost equal at 164 to 145, including 49 stocks going to the ceiling prices and 12 stocks dropping to the floor. Foreigners were slight net sellers again, accounting for 1.1% of the buying value and 2% of the selling value.
Viet Dragon Securities Co. in its daily comment said profit taking surged strongly on the two bourses while buyers turned cautious again on Wednesday. Furthermore, the broker noted another negative sign as foreigners maintained heavy net selling for three sessions in a row.
There were around 1.6 billion shares worth VND20 trillion changing hands on the two markets since the lowest level in August, putting a huge volume of shares under heavy selling pressure given no new supporting information. However, the VN-Index would enjoy positive news from low CPI (consumer price index) in September. It might continue correcting and then hover around 440 points, the broker predicted.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Composer's family seeks copyright protection
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Contemplation: Music by late composer Trinh Cong Son, above, has been highly popular with students and young people. His younger sister has asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for help to stop unauthorised use of his music. — File Photo |
Trinh Vinh Trinh said she had been entrusted by the family to protect the intellectual property rights of the celebrated composer who died 10 years ago.
Son's music, most of which he wrote in the 1960s and 1970s, is highly popular with students and young people.
Three years ago, Trinh, on behalf of Son's family, asked music concerts, bars and music clubs that used Son's music to pay copyright fees.
However, most concerts have not paid fees to Son's family.
"The unauthorised use of Son's music has been going on for a long time, which has prompted us to raise our voice," she said.
"We want to collect copyright fees for Son's music to have money to set up Trinh Cong Son Fund to assist young talented artists at Son's will."
Many music concerts have been organised in Ha Noi and HCM City to mark Son's 10th death anniversary this year.
"Of these, only Ru Tinh (Lullaby to Love) concert bought the rights to perform Son's songs," Trinh said.
"Son's music copyright fees may reach VND1 billion (US$50,000) a year, the highest for any composers in Viet Nam," said Pho Duc Phuong, director of the Viet Nam Centre for Protection of Music Copyright.
"As a composer, I understand the difficult problems faced by Son's family as his music copyright has been violated publicly and more often," Phuong said.
According to Phuong, Son's family has not signed a contract with the centre, which has been entrusted by more than 1,000 songwriters and composers to collect royalty fees from those who use their materials.
"Son's family has called music concert organisers about the copyright violations, but few of them are ready to buy a copyright for the use of his music," Phuong said. — VNS
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Comic classics for Japanese
HA NOI — A book collection of comics titled Danh Tac Viet Nam (Vietnamese Famous Literary Works) will be translated into Japanese and published in Japan later this year. Japan is considered one of the strongholds of the comic art form.
The collection includes Chi Pheo by Nam Cao and Giong To (Thunderstorm) by Vu Trong Phung.
The publishing work is being carried out by the Phan Thi Company, a pioneer publisher of Vietnamese comics. It aims to bring classic novels closer to young readers through comics.
The company has published many comics in the past 10 years, such as Than Dong Dat Viet (Vietnamese Child Prodigies) and Truyen Hay Su Viet (Interesting Stories of Vietnamese History).
Students who have forgotten Vietnamese history can quickly recall it through these books, said Phan Thi My Hanh, the company's director.
Diplomats to help disadvantaged
HCM CITY — The Consular Club of HCM City will organise its annual charity art auction to raise funds for disadvantaged people on March 4.
At the Art Auction, under the hammer will go paintings, decorative artworks and photographs by both Vietnamese and foreign artists and amateurs.
A highlight will be an antique Uchikake kimono, a formal Japanese garment often worn by brides or on stage.
The auction will be held at the Sherwood Residence, 127 Pasteur, District 3.
Last year more than 100 works of art were sold, including paintings by well-known artists like Nguyen Thi Kim Chi, Do Hoang Tuong, Nguyen Than and Tran Van Thao, raising over US$15,000.
The money has already been spent on 29 projects meant to improve the lives of the poor.
More bronze drums to be made
HA NOI — Kinh Do Investment and Media Company and the AMC Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, under the patronage of the Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Association and the Viet Nam Historical Science Association, plan to cast 37 bronze drums.
The traditionally made drums will be presented to the Hung Kings Temple in the northern province of Phu Tho, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ha Noi and Vietnamese embassies abroad.
Craftsmen from the central province of Thanh Hoa have been commissioned for the work.
The Viet Nam Historical Science Association is funding the project.
Hue student wins Japan design prize
HA NOI — Phan Khanh Trang from Hue University of Arts won the Grand Prize in a traditional cloth design competition sponsored by the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Viet Nam.
The awards ceremony will be held today at the centre. Workshops and an exhibition of furoshiki – traditional Japanese cloth used to wrap everything from grocery items to presents – will run until March 10.
Literature, arts members meet
HA NOI — Representatives from 63 literature and art associations took part in the first annual meeting of the Union of the Viet Nam Literature and Arts Association in Ha Noi yesterday.
Members were discussing the association's activities in 2010 and plans for this year.
At the meeting, poet Huu Thinh, who is president of the association, said the focus last year was patriotism, humanity and social morals.
From 2010-15, he said the association's key task would be to promote public virtue and nurture new talent. — VNS
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Football on Phu Quoc for expats
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| Mango Bay Phu Quoc Resort invites registrations for its fourth football tournament for expats in May - Photo: Courtesy of Mango Bay Phu Quoc Resort |
The Mango Bay Vietnam’s ‘Champions League’ is an annual tournament taking place at Cua Can Stadium on beautiful Phu Quoc Island. This year, eight expat teams will compete for the title on a brand new pitch for a bigger cup.
The registration fee is US$150 per team of 10, including a goal keeper, six starting players and three substitutes. Complimentary water will be provided, and each player can enjoy a reduced rate of US$12 per person for a special BBQ night. The cost is US$15 for nonplayers.
“We expect this year’s football tournament to attract ‘the usual suspects’ from previous years and some newcomers from the expat community in Vietnam. It’s one of the best ways to socialize and get to know each other better,” said Ronan Le Bihan, Mango Bay’s general manager, in a statement,
The tournament runs all day, with group matches in the morning and finals in the afternoon.
Mango Bay has special promotion during the event of three nights for the price of two, with rooms and bungalows starting from US$40 to US$75.
For information, email Ronan at gm@mangobayphuquoc.com. Player names must be sent by April 20.
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Job fair for students on Saturday
Vietnam Centre Point Education & Media Group in conjunction with the HCMC University of Social
Sciences and Humanities will hold a job fair for students at the university on Saturday.
All students, who are looking for a part-time job to gain experience, are invited to the event to meet with enterprises that are seeking employees. A free course on communication skills will also be offered.
Students could win the lucky draw with a special prize of English learning scholarship.
Huynh Trong Hieu, director of Viet Huy Ltd, Co.; Le Xuan Khue, executive director of Hang Viet Company; Tran Huu Phuc Tien, director of Vietnam Centre Point Education & Media Group and Huynh Thi Kim Hoan, lecturer of the Business Edge teaching program will be giving talks.
The job fair will be at Hall C at the university at 10-12 Dinh Tien Hoang Street in HCMC’s District 1 at 8 a.m..
For further information, contact the Vietnam Centre Point at 8E Luong Huu Khanh Street, District 1, HCMC or tel: 3925 3183 or 0919 751 275, email: dtsv@vietnamhopdiem.edu.vn, website: http://www.vietnamcentrepoint.edu.vn.
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Bob Dylan plays in HCMC
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| Bob Dylan will play songs by the famous Vietnamese songwriter, Trinh Cong Son, at his HCMC concert - Photo: Official website of Bob Dylan |
He will sing at Loretta Grounds of the university in front of around 10,000 fans in a live show called “Bob Dylan commemorates Trinh Cong Son”. Trinh Cong Son, who wrote over 500 songs during his lifetime for Vietnam’s music, died in 2001. He was considered the Bob Dylan of Vietnam for his moving antiwar songs in the 1960s and 70s.
Bob Dylan has been a major figure in music for five decades with his songs such as Blowin’ in the Wind and The Times They Are A Changin’ which became the anthems for the US civil rights and antiwar movements. The 70-year-old artist Bob Dylan has won many Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and many others throughout his career.
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Vietnamese comic books translated into Japanese
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| Shin’E Toshihiko (L), director of the Vietnam National University in Hanoi-Kyoto University Collaboration Office, talks with artists from the Danh Tac Viet Nam comic series - Photo: Tuong Vi |
Phan Thi adapted the country’s great literary works into comic books last year. Danh Tac Viet Nam has three famous titles Chi Pheo by Nam Cao, Tat Den (Turn off the light) by Ngo Tat To and Giong To (Thunderstorm) by Vu Trong Phung.
“It’s a great opportunity for Vietnamese comic books to be promoted in Japan, which is home to a great number of comics,” Shin’E Toshihiko, director of the Vietnam National University in Hanoi-Kyoto University Collaboration Office, told the Daily.
The titles will be translated into Japanese together with another comic book published by Phan Thi named Orange about basket ball at Vietnamese schools. The translations will be done by Japanese lecturers who are teaching the language in Vietnam.
In August the Japanese version will be entered into Comiket, the Japanese Comic Market, which is the world’s largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, in August and December. It attracts over a half million people to join and many amateur comic artists attend.
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Local filmmakers compete in int’l short film contest
Fast Food Film, Pepe, Blue, Left at the Cow, Young Media, and The K6 Gang competed in the 48-hour film festival that ran from Friday to Sunday.
The local filmmakers competed with hundreds of filmmakers from more than 20 countries to win cash and a chance to be featured in the prestigious Short Film Corner at Cannes as well as the Las Vegas NAB show from April 9th – 14th this year.
At this year’s competition, held by 48-hour Film Project, the public will vote for their favorite films.
Of the Vietnamese films, Fast Food Film’s “A superhero’s choice” about a superhero trying to save the planet to win a girl’s heart with its straightforward story-telling was the most popular.
Others are more experimental. DOOO from Left at the Cow, for instance, features one character who sits and talks in front of the camera throughout the film. Young Media’s “That’s the way it is” about the dire consequences of environment and forest destruction and The 6 Gang’s “Looking for water” are two other interesting takes on environment protection.
Further information is available at http://www.48gogreen.com/
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Fast Food filmakers
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Cesar winner to perform in Hanoi
French Actress Dominique Blanc, who has won four Cesar awards, will perform the La Douleur play (The War: A Memoir) at the Hanoi Opera House at 8:00 pm February 24.
The drama, directed by Patrice Chereau and Thierry Thieu Niang, won Dominique the best theatrical actress the second time in her artistic career at the Moliere Awards last year after she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 65th Venice Film Festival in 2008.
“The War: A Memoir” is based on the diary Marguerite Duras kept during the war while she was waiting for her husband Robert to return from a concentration camp at Dachau.
She wrote the diary as a testimony of her own suffering during the war, which reflects a punishing absence, despair, the shame of being alive while waiting for a loved one to survive unspeakable horrors.
Dominique Blanc adds a unique resonance to the drama when her performance style is thought to be simple, yet intense.
Born 1956 in Lyon, Dominique Blanc trained at the French Drama School in Cours Florent. Dominique, who is one of the most critically acclaimed French actresses, has won four César Awards including one for Best actress in 2000 for “Stand-by” and three for Best actress in a supporting role, in 1990 for “Milou en mai”, in 1992 for “Indochine” and in 1998 for “Ceux qui m'aiment prendront le train.” Marguerite Duras - who was born in 1914 in Gia Dinh, near Sai Gon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam - is the author of many novels, plays, films, essays and short fiction, including her best-selling, apparently autobiographical work L'Amant (The Lover) in 1984, about a fifteen-year-old girl’s relationship with an older Chinese businessman. The late writer also wrote the script for the film “Hiroshima mon amour” and directed her own films, including “India Song”. She died of throat cancer in Paris at the age of 81. |
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Artist portrays childhood dream
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Beautiful dreamer: Artist Ton That Bang. – VNA/VNS Photo Sunny Rose. |
Bang's world of art is highly symbolic in its suggestions about the mysteries of the universe. His paintings are usually dominated by child-like figures, each wearing a pair of dice at the neck like a seal or mark.
A good example of this is the work Yellow Autumn in which the dice not only dangle from the main character's neck but also swing in the air.
This suggests that destiny is tantamount to a game in which each person is moved each time the dice are cast.
The female figure in the painting lacks a neck or arms, indicating imperfection in man's comprehension of the world.
The presence of the yellow leaf, a motif seen in most of his works, reminds us of the passage of time and the ephemerality of life.
"Childhood is made of the initial years of our lives," Bang says.
"In fact, it is everlasting in memory, sub-conscious and dreams.
"The early years are a long dream and drawing the childhood is to tell a dream in a dream. It has a large range of artwork related with the childhood."
But there are almost no more reflections of society. The early days are focused on wooden horses and little girls in various postures whose dresses are sewn of leaves and skirts woven of reeds.
Bang, 48, was born in Quang Tri Province, and studied Music and Arts at the Hue College of Arts in 1986-89.
He is not a prolific painter but has held several solo and group exhibitions in Viet Nam as well as places like Hong Kong, Singapore and the US.
According to friend Dang Tien, Bang learnt drawing by himself and so does not follow any rules or style.
His paintings too do not follow common rules and are, instead, like folk paintings though with original colours and compositions, flexible and modern, with personal traits and rich decorations.
The exhibition at Phuong Mai Gallery, 129B Le Thanh Ton Street, will run until February 28.
The exhibits can also be seen online at www.vietnam-art.com.vn. — VNS
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Electric cars for Ha Noi tourists
HA NOI — Dong Xuan Joint Stock Co plans to import electric cars for tourists visiting Ha Noi this year.
Tours will be conducted in five urban districts – Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Tay Ho, Dong Da and Hai Ba Trung.
The company initially plans to offer two guided tours for a trial period. The first will take in cultural sites such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) and Ngoc Son Temple. The second will take tourists along the Hong (Red) River and around West Lake.
More than 7,000 visitors travelled by electric car around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter in Ha Noi over the recent Lunar New Year Festival, according to Do Xuan Thuy, director of the Dong Xuan Company.
Nguyen Manh Hung, chairman of the Viet Nam Auto Transportation Association, said the tour operator should buy small cars that are more suitable to the narrow streets of the Old Quarter.
Top English Idol clips selected
HA NOI — The 15 top video clips made by contestants in the Apollo English Idol competition have been selected for the final round.
The competition's judging panel also announced the top five clips that won the most votes from audiences.
The clips feature Vietnamese students singing in English, and are available at the Apollo English Idol website apolloenglishidol.video.zing.vn.
The competition's first prize will see the wining video aired on YanTV for one year, plus a cash award worth VND10 million and a full English scholarship at Apollo English.
Photo exhibition builds culture
HA NOI — A photo exhibition titled All People Unite to Build a Cultural Life has opened at Exhibition House at 45 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi. A similar show is being held at Friendship Cultural Palace, 91 Tran Hung Dao Street.
The exhibitions display the cultural activities of the Vietnamese people in festivals, handicrafts, education and sports. They will run until Saturday.
Orchestra holds auditions for choir
HA NOI — The Ha Noi Music Association will recruit members for its orchestra this Sunday at 19 Hang Buom Street, Ha Noi.
Named Ha Noi Harmony, the orchestra has been set up to perform foreign and domestic musical works.
Candidates of any age who have good voices can register. The orchestra of 32 members is a voluntary group.
Ancient graves found
QUANG NGAI — Six graves belonging to the Sa Huynh Culture that flourished between 1000 BC and AD 200 have been discovered in Tay Tra District in the central province of Quang Ngai.
Objects buried in the graves included glass earrings decorated with animal heads, stone tools, iron knives and pottery.
The archaeological site will be excavated until the end of May, according to Nguyen Dang Vu, director of the provincial department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Artists paints family on paper
HA NOI — Artist Tran Hoang Son will display portraits on hand-made Vietnamese do paper at a solo exhibition named Family Tree.
The works are composed in three parts. The first is a family tree with portraits of people from many generations. The second comprises the "new family" of friends that one adopts in their own private world, and the third is life in the village, the source of all Vietnamese family life.
The exhibition will run until March 18 at Art Viet Nam Gallery, 7 Nguyen Khac Nhu Street, Ha Noi. — VNS
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French historian writes book on life of General Giap
In the preface, Ruscio expressed his pride at meeting Giap when he was a correspondent and special envoy of l'Humanite newspaper in Ha Noi in 1979 to cover the 25th anniversary of the victory at Dien Bien Phu.
Ruscio said he never forgot that first meeting and later, whenever he returned to Viet Nam, he always tried to see Giap again. However, in Ruscio's last visit in January last year, the 100-year-old general was unable to receive him due to health conditions.
With Giap's permission, Ruscio collected his writings, speeches and historic reports for a five-part book on Giap's life as a teacher of history, a patriotic youth, a guerrilla, a revolutionary theorist and a revolutionary practician to fight French colonialists and American imperialists.
Ruscio said he hoped that the book would present a portrait of the Vietnamese revolution's great and talented military strategist to readers in Europe and around the world. — VNS
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Int’l professors to join local Master’s degree program
HCMC – John von Neumann Institute of the Vietnam National University in HCMC (VNU-HCMC) has announced about 20 five professors from international universities and institutes will come to HCMC to give lectures in the country’s first Master’s program on quantitative and computational finance.
The program – a joint effort between VNU-HCMC’s University of Natural Sciences, International University and John von Neumann Institute – will start in July to provide international and local graduate students with a professional competency in finance with quantitative and computational tools.
It will take students two years to complete the degree with a tuition fee of US$18,000 per academic year. The program will be taught in English.
Applicants must hold at least a bachelor degree in one of the fields of applied mathematics (probability and statistics), computer sciences or financial banking and insurance with a relevant math score from a two-month refresh course. They must also provide proof of their English proficiency as TOEFL 550 or equivalent.
Quantitative and computational finance, also known as mathematical finance or financial engineering, is a field of applied mathematics concerned with financial markets. At the quantitative and computational finance seminar held by John von Neumann Institute and the Vietnam Bond Market Association on Saturday in HCMC, Vietnamese experts in finance said quantitative and computational finance was the world’s familiar trend but it was still quite new to Vietnam’s financial sector.
Thanks to applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, and economic theory tools, financial engineers can solve problems such as new product design, derivative securities valuation, portfolio structuring, risk management, and scenario simulation, they added.
Created last July, John von Neumann Institute is a center of excellence in applied mathematics, systems science, knowledge science, and information science with an aim to foster high quality of research and postgraduate education in the related fields at different universities of VNU-HCMC.
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Int’l professors to join local Master’s degree program
HCMC – John von Neumann Institute of the Vietnam National University in HCMC (VNU-HCMC) has announced about 20 five professors from international universities and institutes will come to HCMC to give lectures in the country’s first Master’s program on quantitative and computational finance.
The program – a joint effort between VNU-HCMC’s University of Natural Sciences, International University and John von Neumann Institute – will start in July to provide international and local graduate students with a professional competency in finance with quantitative and computational tools.
It will take students two years to complete the degree with a tuition fee of US$18,000 per academic year. The program will be taught in English.
Applicants must hold at least a bachelor degree in one of the fields of applied mathematics (probability and statistics), computer sciences or financial banking and insurance with a relevant math score from a two-month refresh course. They must also provide proof of their English proficiency as TOEFL 550 or equivalent.
Quantitative and computational finance, also known as mathematical finance or financial engineering, is a field of applied mathematics concerned with financial markets. At the quantitative and computational finance seminar held by John von Neumann Institute and the Vietnam Bond Market Association on Saturday in HCMC, Vietnamese experts in finance said quantitative and computational finance was the world’s familiar trend but it was still quite new to Vietnam’s financial sector.
Thanks to applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, and economic theory tools, financial engineers can solve problems such as new product design, derivative securities valuation, portfolio structuring, risk management, and scenario simulation, they added.
Created last July, John von Neumann Institute is a center of excellence in applied mathematics, systems science, knowledge science, and information science with an aim to foster high quality of research and postgraduate education in the related fields at different universities of VNU-HCMC.
Related Articles
Int’l professors to join local Master’s degree program
HCMC – John von Neumann Institute of the Vietnam National University in HCMC (VNU-HCMC) has announced about 20 five professors from international universities and institutes will come to HCMC to give lectures in the country’s first Master’s program on quantitative and computational finance.
The program – a joint effort between VNU-HCMC’s University of Natural Sciences, International University and John von Neumann Institute – will start in July to provide international and local graduate students with a professional competency in finance with quantitative and computational tools.
It will take students two years to complete the degree with a tuition fee of US$18,000 per academic year. The program will be taught in English.
Applicants must hold at least a bachelor degree in one of the fields of applied mathematics (probability and statistics), computer sciences or financial banking and insurance with a relevant math score from a two-month refresh course. They must also provide proof of their English proficiency as TOEFL 550 or equivalent.
Quantitative and computational finance, also known as mathematical finance or financial engineering, is a field of applied mathematics concerned with financial markets. At the quantitative and computational finance seminar held by John von Neumann Institute and the Vietnam Bond Market Association on Saturday in HCMC, Vietnamese experts in finance said quantitative and computational finance was the world’s familiar trend but it was still quite new to Vietnam’s financial sector.
Thanks to applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, and economic theory tools, financial engineers can solve problems such as new product design, derivative securities valuation, portfolio structuring, risk management, and scenario simulation, they added.
Created last July, John von Neumann Institute is a center of excellence in applied mathematics, systems science, knowledge science, and information science with an aim to foster high quality of research and postgraduate education in the related fields at different universities of VNU-HCMC.
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Cesar award winner to perform in Ha Noi
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Simple setting: French actress Dominique Blanc will perform in French in The War: A Memoir (La Douleur) with Vietnamese subtitle on Thursday at Ha Noi Opera House. She has received best actress award for her part in La Douleur during the 24th Molieres theatre award ceremony last year. – Photo courtesy of French Cultural Centre |
Directed by Patrice Chereau, the drama won Dominique a Moliere prize for best theatrical actress last year.
Born in 1956 in Lyon, Blanc trained at the French Drama School. She is one of France's most critically acclaimed actresses, with four Cesar Awards (the French Oscars) already under her belt.
Blanc met director Patrice Chereau while working on a production of Peer Gynt in 1981, and the pair have worked together on several successful productions since.
In 1989, Blanc won her first Cesar for her supporting role in May Fools. She also received Cesars for her supporting roles in Indochina in 1992 and Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train in 1998, while also winning best actress in 2000 for Stand-by. She also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress in L'Autre at the 65th Venice Film Festival in 2008.
In The War: A Memoir, based on the diary of writer Marguerite Duras, Blanc adds a unique resonance to Duras's script. Her performance style is simple, yet intense.
Blanc will perform in French for one night only at the Ha Noi Opera House on Thursday at 8pm.
Born in 1914 in Gia Dinh, near Sai Gon, Viet Nam, after her parents responded to a campaign by the French government encouraging people to work in the colony, Marguerite Duras was the author of many novels, plays, films, essays and short fiction, including her best-selling, apparently autobiographical work L'Amant (The Lover) in 1984.
The book won the Goncourt prize in 1984. The story of her adolescence also appears in three other stories: The Sea Wall, Eden Cinema and The North China Lover. A film version of The Lover, produced by Claude Berri, was released to great success in 1992.
During World War II, Duras spent a long time waiting for her husband's return from a concentration camp. She wrote a diary as a testimony of her own suffering.
The War: A Memoir is a diary that reflects a punishing absence, a threatfull waiting, despair, the shame of being alive while waiting for a loved one to survive unspeakable horrors.
Despite her success as a writer, Duras's adult life was also marked by personal challenges, including a recurring struggle with alcoholism. Duras died of throat cancer in Paris, aged 81. — VNS
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Hue Palace gets royal restoration treatment
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Beautiful facade: Buu Thanh Gate's beauty returns after restoration. — VNS Photo |
Restoration work is currently being carried out on Buu Thanh Gate and screens around King Tu Duc's tomb.
The Germany foreign ministry has commissioned experts from the German Conservation, Restoration and Education Project (GCREP) to renovate six murals dating from the Nguyen kings in the lobby of An Dinh Palace.
The artwork is magnificent, but heavily damaged. Before attempting to restore the murals, team leader Andreas Teufel sent samples back to Germany for chemical analysis.
The team are using traditional mortar made from molasses, lime and sand to restore the works. Teufel said the restored parts of the palace will be indistinguishable from the original work.
"Previous restorers tried to preserve the original works but they didn't know how to do it properly and didn't have access to modern technology," she said.
"That was why relics at the site have largely been left unrestored. The work they did was far from perfect and bore little resemblance to the original. People in the past used different painting techniques. The Vietnamese restorers used modern pigments and techniques," she said.
"I discovered that the original painting technique was similar to that used in Italy."
The German restorers have used traditional pigments, which are applied to the wet mortar. The colour will be fixed when the mortar dries. Bacteria will grow on the walls during the drying process, which helps to make the artwork more durable.
The restoration work is in keeping with UNESCO's 1964 Charter.
According to Phan Thanh Hai, vice director of the Centre for Restoration of Hue Relics, the techniques used to restore the palace will be applied to other sites.. — VNS
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Youth cycle for a greener Viet Nam
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Eco-warrior: Xen (middle of front row) bikes around Ha Noi on Sunday mornings to promote a greener lifestyle. — VNS File Photo |
The first time Xen understood the importance of environmental preservation was during an encounter with a club called Cycling for Environment.
Its purpose is to gather youngsters from all over the country to go on bike tours to raise environmental awareness, including global warming.
"My father was very supportive, but my mother was not so approving. She refused to believe that a petite girl like myself could ride a bicycle around the country," Xen said.
The first trip was a six-week journey from Ha Noi on June 29. It crossed 17 provinces and cities before finally arriving in HCM City on August 11.
Fifty young people took part down 2,000km of the legendary Truong Son Trail. Xen was the leader of the group.
"We all tapped into a mysterious spring of energy. We were cycling all day, every other day for six weeks," Xen said, "On average, we made 80km a day, 130 at our best. We woke up at 4.30 and were back on the bikes at five."
The group stopped at every villages on the way to talk with people, including many ethnic villagers, about issues, particularly the protection of rare wild animals.
"There were days when we talked to villagers till one or two in the morning. Even then, next morning we would get back on our seats for another long day of biking," Xen said.
"We slept in villagers' homes. We were shocked to see that people in parts of our country, such as Ta Rut Village, still have to go without a clean water supply, electricity or the basics of hygienic living."
The tour helped connect youth throughout Viet Nam to the cause, as well as planting the seed for more "green" cycling clubs in many areas, including HCM City, Da Nang and Hue.
The further Xen went, the more concerned she became for the environment in the country, a concern that last year earned her praise for her project to promote green issues among the young during Viet Nam Innovation Day, an annual event to promote new ideas.
Xen and other project leaders have held seminars on healthy living at various high schools and universities in Ha Noi.
Funded by the Ministry of Resources and Environment and donations from many charities, the project launched competitions in the capital city to popularise a greener lifestyle. — VNS
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Modern dance blends tradition, hip-hop
HCM CITY — A dance performance featuring traditional music and hip-hop dance will be staged in Ha Noi and HCM City this week.
Faces is a work of German and French choreographers, Raphael Hillebrand and France Sebastien Ramirez, in collaboration with two musicians from Ha Noi, Hoang Thi Thanh Hoa and Ha Dinh Huy.
Nine Vietnamese dancers from well-known hip-hop groups, including Big Toe, Milky Way and Scared Crew, will wear faces that signify modern problems of youth.
The performance was created in 2008 as a collaboration between the Goethe Institute Viet Nam and L'Espace – the French Cultural Centre Ha Noi – supported by the Elysee Fund.
Performances will take place on Friday at the Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theatre in Ha Noi, and on Sunday at the Ben Thanh Theatre in HCM City.
Free tickets are available at the Goethe Institute in both cities from today. Faces will also travel to Paris and Berlin.
Japanese kimonos set to go on show
HCM CITY—A collection of kimonos, the traditional Japanese costume, will be showcased at a fashion show to be held in HCM City tonight by the HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations and its partners.
Kimono for Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, directed by Katsuko Wakabayashi, will show off garments for children and women for each season.
Traditional Japanese and western wedding clothes will also be on display.
Models from Nagoya in Japan will wear the clothes and be assisted by Japanese make-up artists and hair stylists. HUFO will be joined by the Viet Nam-Japan Business Club, the Nagoya city Labour Union, and Japan-based arts organisations in organising the event.
It will be held at HUFO's premises at 31 Le Duaûn Street, District 1. — VNS
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Monday, February 21, 2011
Backstreet Boys flash-mob hits Hanoi
Over 50 young Hanoians yesterday evening gathered together in an organized flash mob inside the Hanoi megastar cinema complex to perform tunes from Backstreet Boys to welcome their concert tour next month in Vietnam.
The youths, mostly from Hanoi-based high schools and universities, are members of the “Backstreet Boys’ fan club” on Facebook.
They performed three Backstreet Boys hit songs “As long as you love me”, “Straight through my heart”, and “Everybody” amid tumultuous applause of the crowd at the cinema.
“I am totally absorbed in their performance. I really want to join the fan club when I know it’s an activity to welcome the Backstreet Boys,” 19-year-old Tra My said after attentively watching the amateur show.
“Through our performance, we would like to boost social activities, create a healthy playground for youths and especially show our love to our Idols [Backstreet Boys],) said the team captain Nguyen Vu Khanh.
Backstreet Boys is scheduled to perform in Ho Chi Minh City-based Military Zone 7's stadium in March 24 and to grace Hanoi's My Dinh national stadium two days later.
All tickets to the shows have been sold out, according to the organizers, adding that many customers from other countries in the region like Singapore, Thailand also booked the tickets.
Meanwhile, several expatriates and foreigners, who live and work in Vietnam, are also interested in the coming concert.
“I have lived and worked in Hanoi for 6 years but I have never seen a world-renowned band like Backstreet Boys performing here. I hope other world-famous artists will come to Vietnam for performance in the near future,” said Mike Gallagher, a British national.
Backstreet Boys, one of the biggest teen-pop groups in 1990s, consisting of four members A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson, was formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys in 1996. They reached to superstardom with their album Millennium in 1999 and its follow-up album, Black & Blue one year later. Richardson left the group in 2006 to pursue other interests, leaving the band as a four-piece, but the remaining members did not rule out a possible return of the singer. The Backstreet Boys have sold over 130 million records worldwide, making them one of the biggest selling artists of all time. According to Billboard, they are the first group since Sade to have their first seven albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200. |
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Masked hip-hop show comes to town
A hip-hop show titled “Faces” by chorographers Raphael Hillebrand and Sébastien Ramirez from Germany and France will take place in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on 25 and 27 February.
Top hip-hoppers such as Hoang Ky Anh, Nguyen Chinh Dung, Nguyen Minh Kien will perform together with foreign dancers.
All artists will wear masks during the performance to send a message: “Are we all wearing masks to cover up our face in today’s society?”
Introduced for the first time in 2008, in an event organized by Vietnam Goethe Institute and French center L’Espace, the hip hop performance has since gained more fans as it reflects a dynamic, open and modern Vietnam, a country with rich culture and good preservation of traditional values.
The show will take place in Hanoi’s Youth Theater on February 25 and Ho Chi Minh Ctiy’s Ben Thanh Theater on February 27.
Free tickets can be obtained at Goethe Institute, No 56-57 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hanoi or No 18, Street 1, Do Thanh, Ward 4, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
After performing in Vietnam, the crew will tour France and Germany.
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Hanoi pagoda houses priceless Buddhist relics
Legend has it that at the beginning of the Ly Dynasty’s rule 1,000 years ago, the King, hoping to develop Buddhism, went in search of a scared land to build a temple.
When passing through what is now Dong Vo in Hanoi, he saw two giant trees that struck him as an embodiment of sanctity and decided to build Vien Dinh Pagoda there.
Despite turning 1,000 years now -- legend also says they stood there long before the pagoda was built -- the enormous Siamese rough bush trees continue to produce beautiful yellow blossoms that release their heady scent every summer.
But the astonishing thing is that the trees, native to Southeast Asia, are usually medium-sized and grow to a maximum height of eight meters. This jaw-dropping pair is dozens of meters tall and has enormous trunks.
Another precious relic lays right in front of us as we walked past the large gate into the sacred temple: an ancient wooden bell tower. It is held up by massive columns made from immense ironwood trees and inside is a huge bronze bell that goes back to the time the temple was built.
We were struck by the massive bell’s antique beauty, engraved as it is with ancient writing and delicate decorative patterns.
Its chimes are believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the locality.
Locals tell of dark times when the area was plagued by devils which only the sacred bell’s peals helped hold at bay.
Sacred land
Vien Dinh Pagoda is an important pilgrimage destination with its large number of revered Buddhist relics.
Since 2002 Thich Chon Phuong, its head monk, has visited major Buddhist temples in countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar for religious and cultural exchanges.
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Vien Dinh Pagoda head monk Thich Chon Phuong
His trips have managed to take Vietnamese Buddhism and stories of the sacred origins of Vien Dinh Pagoda outside the country, and evince keen interest in them.
Vien Dinh got its first relic when he met with the chairman of the World Buddhism Union, Thich Huyen Dieu, in India in 2003.
It has now score of them donated by seven Buddhist centers around the world.
Preserved carefully in a large glass container, they give the room an ethereal air.
Phuong has also helped bring some priceless treasures to other pagodas nearby, “to invoke the great blessings and share the power of divine grace.”
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The ancient massive bell of Vien Dinh Pagoda
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Art of embroidery on show
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Single-thread: Handmade embroidery pieces are on display at the From a Stroke to a Thread exhibition by French artist Lionel Descostes. — VNS Photos Truong Vi
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The exhibition, entitled From a Stroke to a Thread, showcases 40 handmade embroidery pieces on taffeta, made using a single-thread technique and the result of eight years' work by Descostes in Viet Nam.
"For me, eight years was a long process of fatigue and pressure," said Descostes. "But I love Vietnamese embroidery and always wanted to do something to preserve this traditional craft."
Descostes studied visual art and technique in France and decided to live in Viet Nam to pursue his love for the nation's traditional embroidery. He also hired hearing-impaired girls from local vocational training centres and trained them for six-nine months to do embroidery.
"The paintings represent my collective work with these Vietnamese girls, whom I found to be very talented and skillful embroiderers," said Descost at the exhibition opening.
He expressed the view that traditional embroidery could find its place within contemporary art and said that the exhibition would open a new vision for visitors on an popular but little understood artform.
The exhibition runs until March 4 at 24 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi. — VNS
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Cai luong artist marks 30 years
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Old school: Cai luong artist Kim Tu Long (left) poses with actress Thoai My. Long will celebrate his 30-year career by a live performance in HCM City this week. — VNS File Photo |
Thien Duong Cua Toi (My Paradise) will feature extracts from cai luong plays that helped him achieve fame – including Day Song Bach Dang Giang (Waves in the Bach Dang River), and Nang Tien Mau Don (Peony Fairy).
Long, also the show's director, said it offered him a chance to achieve his dream of "paradise" – or, as he described it, an ideal theatre show where several performances were staged in the best possible conditions and actors work hard.
Long, real name Hoang Kim Long, will be joined by Thoai My, Phuong Hang, Trong Nghia, and Que Tran for the show.
Comedians Hoai Linh and Bao Quoc, and singers Cam Ly and Phi Nhung will be special guests.
Day Song Bach Dang Giang will not be a solo effort. Instead, Long will collaborate with young director Vu Minh, and the play will feature nearly 150 dancers.
Long, born in Sai Gon (now HCM City) in 1966, developed an interest in cai luong at 14. He learned to sing vong co (nostalgic tunes), a traditional southern art form, and perform cai luong from Vuong Quang and the late People's Artist Phung Ha.
In 1985, he was a member of Tran Huu Trang Troupe 3, one of the region's leading cai luong performers. His strong voice and dance skills quickly made an impression on audiences.
In 1992, he won the prestigious Tran Huu Trang Award given to promising cai luong artists.
He also won the Nguoi Lao Dong (The Labourer) newspaper's Mai Vang (Golden Ochna) Award for Favourite Cai Luong Actor in 2002, 2003, and 2009.
Thien Duong Cua Toi will be staged at the Hoa Binh Theatre in HCM City on Friday and Saturday. — VNS
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HCM City bicycle race gets facelift
HCM CITY — Ten years after it was first held, the Sai Gon Cyclo Challenge has been rejigged and will be organised in its new format at the Phu My Hung Urban Area in HCM City on March 12.
Cycle Challenge Version 2.0 aims to raise US$30,000 to help provide education to poor children.
The race at the Crescent will be open only to platinum and gold sponsors under the new format.
There will be eight of them – VinaCapital Group's VinaLiving, Adidas, HSBC, Hoang Long Hoan Vu, Jardines, Megastar, Halliburton, and VNG, the sole platinum sponsor.
It will be a relay race featuring four riders in each team, with the top three teams qualifying for the finals.
"It is like Formula 1 for cyclos," director of Sai Gon Children Charity (SCC), Paul Finnis, told a press conference on Thursday.
"We hope the HCM City community will join us for an exciting morning of racing and, in the process, help provide education for children," Finnis added.
An online campaign was launched on Thursday, with SCC partnering Zing Me, Viet Nam's largest social network, to launch a new version of Parking Challenge, one of the most popular games on Zing Me.
SCC will use the money raised through the race to support disadvantaged children in HCM City and the southern provinces of Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, and Binh Phuoc.
Since 2001 it has raised $500,000 for building schools and providing scholarships and vocational training, enabling more than 3,500 children to equip themselves with the skills necessary to work their way out of poverty. — VNS
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Piano's journal at Opera House offers glimpse into life
Young pianist Trang Trinh will perform her “The Piano's journal” show featuring Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart and other famous composers in Hanoi this Wednesday and Ho Chi Minh City this April.
The show in Hanoi’s opera house at 8pm at 1 Trang Tien Street is designed to display passions in a person’s life cycle from innocence of a child to pain in love and sadness and wisdom in separation, expressed in classical and romantic styles.
Song without word (Mendelsshon), Salut d’amour (Edgar) and the complete three-chapter Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven) will take audience a tour around various human emotions.
Born in 1986 in Vinh Phuc Province, Trang Trinh has just graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in the UK.
She has been invited to work for the London-based All Souls Orchestra, and she has had various performance tours in Italy, Austria, Hungary and Ireland.
In 2007, she won the Francis Simmer Prize for playing solo piano, and the Lilian Davis Prize for her performance of Beethoven‘s Sonatas.
One year later, she was awarded the Gretta GM Parkinson Prize for her outstanding academic records.
Tickets are available at the Opera House at VND300,000, VND500,000 and VND1 million.
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Sunday, February 20, 2011
Bob Dylan’s show to tribute legendary Trinh Cong Son
There will be an hour tribute to the legendary song-writer Trinh Cong Son in Bob Dylan’s show scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City-based Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) on April 10.
Trinh Cong Son has been dubbed the “Vietnamese Bob Dylan” for his anti-war songs.
He is widely considered one of the most salient figures of modern Vietnamese music with more than 600 compositions. April 1 this year will commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death.
Bob Dylan’s show organizers have contacted Son’s family to prepare for the tribute. However, the famous American singer-songwriter will likely not perform any of Trinh Cong Son’s songs or music, according to newswire Dat Viet.
“Currently we cannot say anything for certain as everything is still under preparation and we’re in the process of trying to obtain the permit,” said Nguyen Trung Truc, Son’s brother in law.
This is no confirmation from RMIT yet. However, Bob Dylan’s show promises to be a spectacular performance set up by his own crew.
The Minnesota-originated Bob Dylan dropped out of school and went to New York to pursue his dream of becoming a music professional. At age 20, he was signed to Columbia Records and his career started to take off.
Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres, exploring numerous distinct traditions in American music—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly, to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.
He was listed among 100 most influential people of the 20th century by the Time Magazine in 1999.
“Clean Cut Kid” and “Masters of War” are two songs he wrote about the Vietnam War.
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Water buffalo, not bull, fights in Vietnam
Different from bull fighting in Spain where the animals are trained for the specific job, fighting water-buffalos in Vietnam are not professional fighters as they perform their daily job of ploughing on rice field.
They are only turned out to be fighters for a couple of days during festivals held in the first month of a year on lunar calendar for entertainment.
Traditionally, buffalo fighting in Vietnam was originated from annual contest to select strongest animals for ploughing in villages, said culture researcher Tran Ngoc Them.
The tradition has been observed till now and so, fights are held at different venues in the nation in the season of festivals during the first lunar month.
Arena for such a fight is an open place on rice field after harvest, or in the middle of stadium. It is rimmed by a low hedge made by wooden sticks available in rural places.
Only two fighting buffalos and their owners are allowed to step into the arena. Viewers stand outside.
Following are images of a buffalo fight in Hai Luu Commune in the northern province of Vinh Phuc.
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After knocking out rival, the winning buffalo will be blinded with the flag available at the fight to cool down his rage before taking the tame animal home
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Photo show explores Mexico
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The exhibition is by author and photographer Ricardo Espinosa and features 30 large photos (1.2m by 1.7m) taken during the past 10 years.
The exhibition allowed viewers to feel the intensity and the power of the natural scenery, monuments, architecture, art, festivals and the popular traditions of Mexico, said Mexican Embassy charge d'Affairs Sergio Rivadeneyra Martell.
Espinosa was born in Mexico City in 1958, studied Graphic Design in the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City and worked in photography for more than 25 years.
He has been professor of photography in the Universidad Iberoamericana since 1985.
Espinosa does corporate, advertisement and commercial photography and is director of Spanish-language photography portals: www.antecamara.com.mx. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions in Mexico.
"The panoramic photography work I have been doing for the last 10 years is mainly focused on interior and exterior spaces in Mexico," Espinosa said.
"I do not see it only as a record of the landscape or description of these places, but also as the portrait of inner personal landscapes.
The archaeology, the deserts, the shorelines, the mountains are somehow self portraits, moods and spiritual searching," he said in a statement.
The photos have been exhibited in South Korea, Ulan Bator, Shanghai and Tokyo, Sydney and Singapore.
The colours of Mexico will be on show at the National Library of Viet Nam, 31 Trang Thi Street, Ha Noi, until next Friday.
Also on the occasion, a book collection of literature and academic works by Mexican artists and scholars will be presented to the National Library of Viet Nam through the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. — VNS




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