Photo exhibition spotlights historical events

HA NOI — Black-and-white photos depicting Viet Nam's historic events from 1945-75 are being displayed for the first time at an exhibition.

"Each photo preserves timeless memories of historical events even though the moments have passed by and the witnesses have passed away," says historian Duong Trung Quoc.

The exhibition will run until Sunday at 93 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Ha Noi.

National Library receives 800 German books

HA NOI — The Frankfurt International Book Fair Company and the Goethe Institute yesterday donated 800 German books to the Viet Nam National Library to introduce German culture and people to Vietnamese readers.

These books have been displayed at the International Book Fair that opened this month in Ha Noi.

"The books will help readers understand more about Germany," says the library's director Phan Thi Kim Dung.

"They will be useful when we open a multi-language reading room in October."

On the occasion, the Viet Nam National Library and the Goethe Institute signed an agreement of co-operation.

National receptionist contest awards first prize

HCM CIty — Quan Tieu My of the Rex Hotel beat 90 other contestants from all over the country to win first prize at the National Receptionist Contest 2010.

She was followed by contestants from the Pilgrimage Village Hotel in Hue, Continental-Sai Gon and Grand-Sai Gon.

My also won the first prize for best dressed receptionist.

The National Receptionist 2010 contest held last week at the Au Co Art Centre in Ha Noi by the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), as one of the activities marking 1,000 years of Ha Noi and VNAT's own 50th anniversary.

2,000 set to join campaign to keep Hoi An green

QUANG NAM — Two thousand local people, youths and foreigners in Hoi An are expected to join a walking campaign to protect the environment.

The event is being organised by Go Green Club (GGC) on Sunday.

The campaign aims to promote awareness among community members and youngsters to protect the environment in the town and in the Da Nang-Hoi An area, said GGC head Nguyen Thanh An.

"The walking campaign will be a useful bridge for people to join in and exchange experiences, which will improve their awareness and living habits," said An.

The participates will walk along a 2km road from the Song Hoai Square through the historic Hoi An streets to the An Hoi Bridge.

The campaign is part of the Go Green programme which was launched by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Education and Training. — VNS

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Culture Vulture

Japanese researcher Imai Akio, who teaches at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, has just returned to Viet Nam to resume work on the American war. He first came to Viet Nam in 1979 and has since returned many times.

He spoke with the Culture Vulture about his research.

Could you tell us about your war research in Viet Nam?

The major subject of my studies and teaching at university is the modern history of Viet Nam since the beginning of the 20th century until now. For the last few years, I have focused on recording the experiences of those who took part in the anti-American war, which is one of three main topics I have been working on. The other two are the history of Vietnamese nationalist ideology and religious movements in Viet Nam.

During this visit to Viet Nam, I hope to complete research for a book entitled War Memories in Viet Nam, which includes references to Gio Dai (Wild Wind) by writer Bao Ninh that was translated by Professor Kawaguchi Kenichi.

Where have you been to in Viet Nam?

I have been to various parts of Viet Nam, including Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Dien Bien Phu, Hoa Binh, Quang Binh, Vinh Long and Tra Vinh. I have met and talked to about 100 war veterans that have included ethnic minorities such as Thai and Muong.

I have listened to their life stories during and after the war.

How has your view of the American War changed after hearing these accounts?

It's hard to say. I want to record the personal accounts of war veterans, those that were involved in the fighting. I don't want to look at the war through the eyes of war leaders.

Their memories are important and valuable to history and social researchers. If we don't record them, they will be lost for ever. That would be a great loss to history. I suppose your own historians should do the same thing before it is too late.

Did you encounter any difficulties meeting and talking to these war veterans? How long did you spend with each of them?

I spoke to each of them for about an hour. They were quite willing to talk to me.

Who impressed you the most?

I met many interesting people, who had very moving stories to relate. For example, there was a female volunteer in Thanh Hoa who spent the whole of her youth in the military. She now lives alone and farms a small plot of land, which she owns.

There isn't time in the day to recount all my meetings. But there were many very interesting experiences.

Why did you choose to conduct your research in Viet Nam, not Japan or another country?

The war in Viet Nam was a major event in the 20th century, not only for Asians but also Westerners. However, there has been little research conducted on the experiences of ordinary people. There have however been lots written about the war in Viet Nam from the point of international history and social history.

Why did you choose Kon Tum for your last destination in Viet Nam before returning home?

I wanted to interview ethnic minority war veterans there. Kon Tum is not my last destination for this topic. I will return to Viet Nam and meet more veterans from other places.

How do you cover the cost of your visits?

My expenses are being subsidised by the Japanese government.

Aside from the war, what other interests do you have in Viet Nam?

I have seen many films and read lots of books on Viet Nam such as films by director Dang Nhat Minh, Viet Linh and written work by Bao Ninh, Le Luu and Duong Huong. On this visit, I met a Vietnamese writer who is helping me translate a book from Vietnamese into Japanese. — VNS

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Olympic English contest launched

HCM City — Registration opened yesterday for the Olympic English Contest 2010 in HCM City for high school pupils who wish to practice English and gain essential skills for entering the workforce in the near future.

The three-round contest, being held jointly by Apollo English and the Department of Education and Training of HCM City, is open to 10th and 11th grade pupils from all HCM City high schools.

The first round will be held on October 10 at a high school in HCM City. Contestants will take a 100-question multiple choice test with questions spanning across various topics, such as culture, history and society.

Second round contestants will be challenged with a 50-question multiple choice test and a 50-question listening test.

The final round will include two parts: a quick Q&A session and an oral presentation session.

Khalid Muhmood, chairman of Apollo English said: "This is the first time Apollo English is holding this contest in co-ordination with HCM City's Department of Education and Training, and we are honoured to create a meaningful playground for pupils in this city. Organising this contest is one of our efforts to show our commitment to the development of Vietnamese students and to create a frequent academic playground that helps build confidence and winning results."

Contest registration is open until October 4. Pupils can register at their schools or online at http://apollo.edu.vn/olympic. — VNS

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Global video project tours Vietnam

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Project 35, an international exhibition of video works selected by 35 curators around the world, is launched by Independent Curators International (ICI) Thursday and expected to attract audiences in Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City.

Each of the curators were invited to choose one work from an artist they think is important for audiences from around the world to experience. The resulting video selections are divided into four parts that will play over the period of one year.

The selections will also be presented simultaneously in an increasing number of venues world wide. The project, which was initiated by ICI in New York , has made its way to Vietnam thanks to San Art, the country's most active independent art space.

Project 35 celebrates ICI's 35-year life span as an organisation that connects emerging and established curators, artists and institutions, and fosters the building of international networks.

The exhibition opens with videos focusing on wide-ranging and controversial subject matter, including the uprisings and protests in post-colonial South Africa , the urban roads of modern-day HCMC, and the crime-filled streets of Bogota, Colombia .

Screenings are free and the first four screenings will take place simultaneously in Hanoi's Goethe Institute, HCMC 's Cafe Cao Minh and Hue's New Arts Space beginning at 6.30pm on Sept. 22.

The first session offers nine works, including the works of Vietnamse artists Tuan Andrew Nguyen and Ha Thuc Phu Nam , both of whom currently live and work in HCM City . The two artists were selected by HCM City-based curator and San Art director Zoe Butt.

Other artists were selected by the director of Objectif Exhibitions, Mai Abu El Dahab; the chief curator of the Mori Art Musuem in Tokyo, Mami Kataoka; an adjunct curator at the University of California Berkeley Art Museum and the Pacific Film Archive, Constance Lewallen; the artistic director of Philagrafika 2010, Jose Roca and senior lecturer and head of the Fine Arts Studio Practice in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, Kathryn Smith.

The selected works will demonstrate the diversity of content and style that the single-channel video can captures, including You Tube-style narrative to documentary format to clay-mation to digital animation. The videos show a variety of approaches from creating performance installations to reformatting a Walt Disney classic.

The project has already been screened in Albania , Mexico , Sweden and the US among others, and will continue to expand as more venues and chapters in the video series emerge. The project is expected to screen in 19 countries over the course of 2010 and 2011.
 

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Rung celebrates 50 years of painting

A visitor looks at a nude painting by artist Rung at Tu Do Gallery in HCMC- Photo: My Tran

A painting exhibition by artist Rung will open at Tu Do Galley, 53 Ho Tung Mau Street in HCMC’s District 1 on Thursday, to mark his half century of painting.

The exhibition will feature 16 oil paintings on canvas, a pottery work, a print of painting that was produced in 1965 but since lost and 17 photos of paintings by the artist from 1986 to 1991.

This exhibition displays works from Rung’s exhibition last year “Thanksgiving for Woman”. Works include nudes, flowers and fields of dreaming with rainbows and clouds.

Viewers will see many images of female nudes flying through scenes of stars, gardens and vaporous spaces.

“Women’s beauty is always my big inspiration. Their beauty makes me fly and urges me to paint to express my admiration, my love, my respect and my passion for women,” said Rung.

War is also another inspiration for Rung, not only in paintings, but also in most of his stories published in the U.S.

Rung said he plans to open a class in HCMC to teach people how to use colors to relax, to enjoy their hobby, and express their emotions . “People have a lot of ways to relax and express their feelings such as singing, playing piano, cooking but they do not know that using colors is also an ideal way to bare the emotion.” The painter, who held his first exhibition in 1960, added that 50 years is a long time to live but is very short for the arts, so he will continue to paint and to write until the last breath.

Born in 1942, Rung was born Nguyen Tuan Khanh. Since his first show, he has had 21 solo exhibitions and joined 30 group exhibitions in Vietnam and abroad. Rung has held about eight solo exhibitions in Vietnam. He has lived in California since 1994.

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SHTP donates English study aids to school

The Saigon High-Tech Park (SHTP) on Monday donated English study aids to Long Thanh My Elementary Schools in District 9.

It included about 500 books, CDs, games and posters for English study.

Long Thanh My School will use the donation to hold English story telling contests, karaoke singing in English, creative club and English film screenings.

The donation was a SHTP social activity under this year’s “For a developed and happy community” program, to assist education of local students and to mark the park’s eighth anniversary on October 24.

Hotel Equatorial brings joy to kids and oldies

On the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival, the Hotel Equatorial HCMC on Monday visited homeless old people and children at Thanh Loc Center in HCMC’s District 12.

The hotel team together with the hotel’s ambassadors, supermodel Ha Anh and actor Chi Bao, brought food, moon cakes and lanterns to organize a warm Mid-Autumn Festival for the elderly and children there. Established since 2006, the center is home to 279 disabled old people and 63 disabled children from 3 to 18 years old.

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MoET, British Council launch website for teachers

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) in cooperation with the UK’s international educational organization British Council has launched a website with resources for local high school teachers.

The website www.teachingenglish.edu.vn links to a large selection of reference resources and English textbooks approved by MoET for grades 10, 11 and 12.

“The site is a very useful source of materials for both teachers and learners of English in Vietnam… implementing the strategy ‘Foreign languages teaching and learning in the national education system – period 2008-2020,’” Nguyen Vinh Hien, vice minister of MoET, said at the launch in HCMC last week.

The website provides teachers with useful teaching resources, techniques and methodologies, which have been consulted by Vietnamese and British specialists.

By logging on teachers can select an interactive activity to supplement their lessons. Guidelines for using the activities are in both English and Vietnamese, and there are also low-tech options for classrooms without a computer.

Teachers can find tips on dealing with a range of everyday problems such as correcting errors and managing large classes. There is also a section on professional development and opportunities to become part of a global network of teachers via the online forum. The website contents will be extended to elementary school teachers in the 2011 academic year.

The website is part of the British Council’s four-year project, Access English.

Access English aims to support changes in English language teaching for policy makers, educators and teachers. It has researched primary English language teaching in Vietnam, supported MoET and the national textbook writing team to develop new materials and curriculums, and has supported Danang University and Hanoi Junior Teacher Training College to design training courses for primary school English language teachers. The project has also worked with the National Institute for Educational Sciences to develop a new primary school English curriculum that is being piloted at 92 elementary schools across the country this academic year

The British Council is also working with MoET and several higher education institutes in Hanoi, Danang and HCMC to run a course called Primary Innovations, to train workshop facilitators.

The UK’s international educational organization is also coaching a group of trainers from Vietnam’s English Teacher and Training Network to train secondary school English teachers in eleven provinces throughout the country. At Friday’s launch, MoET and the British Council announced a competition to design a lesson plan or video a lesson using the resources on the website. The winners will fly to the U.K to study English or Singapore to attend the Regional Language Center conference.

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