Ciao! Italian language week begins in capital

HA NOI — The 10th annual Italian Language week will kick-off in Ha Noi tomorrow.

This year's theme is Our Italian & the Italian of Others, and the programme of events aims to promote the use of Italian around the world.

In Viet Nam, Italian has been taught not only at foreign languages colleges but also at the Thang Long, Construction and Business and Trade colleges.

The highlight of the week will be an international seminar on the study of the Italian language featuring guests such as the ambassadors of Argentina, Pakistan, Switzerland and Venezuela, and the director of the Goethe Institute among others.

The seminar will be held at 6pm at L'Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street. Participants will discuss the advantages of learning Italian in a discussion in Italian that will include English and Vietnamese translation.

The seminar will be chaired by writer Mario Fortunato, former director of the Italian Institute of Culture in London and contributor to The Guardian and Le Monde.

An Italian wine tasting buffet sponsored by Viet-It Wines import company and the Restaurant Da Paolo will be held at the seminar.

Fortunato introduced the Italian book If This Is a Man in Ha Noi yesterday at a ceremony to launch the book's Vietnamese translation.

The autobiographical book was written by Italian writer and chemist Primo Levi, who based the book on his own experiences in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.

The book is considered as a classic in Italy and is taught at schools across the country. "Usually books taught at schools are boring and full of theory," said Fortunato. "But this book is humane, and it helps readers become more human."

The book has a simple and clear vocabulary which is suitable for people who have not been studying Italian for very long.

For the last 40 years of his life, Levi grappled with the philosophical implications of having survived interment at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The book was first published in 1947 but won acclaim ten years later as a masterpiece of Italian literature.

Levi also published poetry, science fiction, essays and short stories. In 1987, at the age of 67, he killed himself.

In other events to promote Italian culture, author Fortunato will meet Vietnamese students of the Italian Language Department at the University of Social Sciences in HCM City at 5pm on October 18. — VNS

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Overseas Vietnamese support flood victims

 A delegation of about 200 overseas Vietnamese living in 34 countries and territories has collected more than VND400 million to support flood victims in central Vietnam.

The support comes as the delegates visit their homeland for the ten-day celebrations of 1,000 years of Thang Long – Hanoi. Meanwhile, the heavy flooding caused by torrential rains in Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An and Quang Tri provinces have killed at least 64 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

At the meeting with the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Friday, the delegation collected VND110 million for the support. The sum increased to VND400  millionwhen some overseas Vietnamese individuals decided to contribute.

Tran Duc Mau, chairman of the committee,. said in a statement that the committee would continue to appeal for donations to support flood victims. He said the committee would visit the flooded areas to give direct assistance if requested by overseas Vietnamese contributors. The agency had visited and provided aid to people in Kon Tum and Quang Ngai provinces in 2009, and Bac Kan, Cao Bang and Son La earlier this year.

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Overseas Vietnamese support flood victims

 A delegation of about 200 overseas Vietnamese living in 34 countries and territories has collected more than VND400 million to support flood victims in central Vietnam.

The support comes as the delegates visit their homeland for the ten-day celebrations of 1,000 years of Thang Long – Hanoi. Meanwhile, the heavy flooding caused by torrential rains in Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An and Quang Tri provinces have killed at least 64 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

At the meeting with the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Friday, the delegation collected VND110 million for the support. The sum increased to VND400  millionwhen some overseas Vietnamese individuals decided to contribute.

Tran Duc Mau, chairman of the committee,. said in a statement that the committee would continue to appeal for donations to support flood victims. He said the committee would visit the flooded areas to give direct assistance if requested by overseas Vietnamese contributors. The agency had visited and provided aid to people in Kon Tum and Quang Ngai provinces in 2009, and Bac Kan, Cao Bang and Son La earlier this year.

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Spit roasted crocodile fresh from Hoa Viet’s farm

The Hoa Viet Company chef cooks a small crocodile on the grill- Photo: My Tran

Since fire was invented, man has loved a chew on some grilled meat. Whether in the countryside or the city, over a wood fire or a gas BBQ - grilled beef, grilled pork, grilled seafood or chicken or meat from any kind of animal - be it ostrich, snake or duck - whatever it is that you have killed to grill - it is a good thing. However, people do not often think about grilled crocodile. The giant lizard that is made into luxury belts, purses or wallets doesn’t often appear on the menu. Instead people are more likely to associate crocodiles with horror movies, where humans are the reptiles’ dinner not the other way around. Crocodiles are excellent on the spit roast though, and Hoa Viet Crocodile Company Ltd., located in HCMC’s District 12 has proved that.

As a pioneer of this dish, Hoa Viet Company surprised many gourmets with their crocodile spitroast at the Phuthotourist food program at the Dam Sen Cultural Park from October 8 to 10. One diner named Son said, “This is the first time I saw crocodile on the grill. At first, I feel a bit nervous but the dish is made really outstanding with a little lemon grass.”

“To make the dish, the chef has to remove the fatty layers, and then mix it with spices and lemon grass. They have to grill the crocodile for about 50 minutes and you have to eat it while it still hot, because if it cools to about 80 Celsius degrees, it’s too tough,” said Ton Nu Hong Tam, from the company.

Thao, another diner, said, “These days, I are afraid of eating pork or beef, sometimes chicken due to epidemics. Now if crocodile meat would appear in the supermarket, I would have another choice, not only to enjoy a new dish but also to feel guaranteed about food safety. Crocodile doesn’t have much cholesterol either so I needn’t worry about getting fat.”

The company also makes crocodile spring rolls, crocodile sausages and crocodile paste. Hoa Viet Company supplies crocodile meat and other products to restaurants in town and Dam Sen Cultural Park and will supply supermarkets soon. Anyone who wants to enjoy a whole crocodile on the spit can ask the company and they will send their chef to your house with a crocodile.

 “I believe the dish will be a hit at parties, because not only it is delicious but it is strange. On Tuesday, people often want to eat new dishes with new flavors and style,” added Le Ngoc Bich, director of the company.

Hoa Viet Company is dedicated to produce hand-made crocodile leather products including wallets, men shoes, belts, laptop bags and key rings. With two crocodile farms in Cu Chi and Hoc Mon districts, the company produces a swathe of products every year for souvenirs shops and tourist areas.

For more information, contact the company at the company’s representative office at 278 Le Van Khuong Street, HCMC’s District 12, tel:  (08) 3717 8922.

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Spit roasted crocodile fresh from Hoa Viet’s farm

The Hoa Viet Company chef cooks a small crocodile on the grill- Photo: My Tran

Since fire was invented, man has loved a chew on some grilled meat. Whether in the countryside or the city, over a wood fire or a gas BBQ - grilled beef, grilled pork, grilled seafood or chicken or meat from any kind of animal - be it ostrich, snake or duck - whatever it is that you have killed to grill - it is a good thing. However, people do not often think about grilled crocodile. The giant lizard that is made into luxury belts, purses or wallets doesn’t often appear on the menu. Instead people are more likely to associate crocodiles with horror movies, where humans are the reptiles’ dinner not the other way around. Crocodiles are excellent on the spit roast though, and Hoa Viet Crocodile Company Ltd., located in HCMC’s District 12 has proved that.

As a pioneer of this dish, Hoa Viet Company surprised many gourmets with their crocodile spitroast at the Phuthotourist food program at the Dam Sen Cultural Park from October 8 to 10. One diner named Son said, “This is the first time I saw crocodile on the grill. At first, I feel a bit nervous but the dish is made really outstanding with a little lemon grass.”

“To make the dish, the chef has to remove the fatty layers, and then mix it with spices and lemon grass. They have to grill the crocodile for about 50 minutes and you have to eat it while it still hot, because if it cools to about 80 Celsius degrees, it’s too tough,” said Ton Nu Hong Tam, from the company.

Thao, another diner, said, “These days, I are afraid of eating pork or beef, sometimes chicken due to epidemics. Now if crocodile meat would appear in the supermarket, I would have another choice, not only to enjoy a new dish but also to feel guaranteed about food safety. Crocodile doesn’t have much cholesterol either so I needn’t worry about getting fat.”

The company also makes crocodile spring rolls, crocodile sausages and crocodile paste. Hoa Viet Company supplies crocodile meat and other products to restaurants in town and Dam Sen Cultural Park and will supply supermarkets soon. Anyone who wants to enjoy a whole crocodile on the spit can ask the company and they will send their chef to your house with a crocodile.

 “I believe the dish will be a hit at parties, because not only it is delicious but it is strange. On Tuesday, people often want to eat new dishes with new flavors and style,” added Le Ngoc Bich, director of the company.

Hoa Viet Company is dedicated to produce hand-made crocodile leather products including wallets, men shoes, belts, laptop bags and key rings. With two crocodile farms in Cu Chi and Hoc Mon districts, the company produces a swathe of products every year for souvenirs shops and tourist areas.

For more information, contact the company at the company’s representative office at 278 Le Van Khuong Street, HCMC’s District 12, tel:  (08) 3717 8922.

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Thai Tuan opens new shop in city

Visitors buy products at Thai Tuan’s new shop on Monday - Photo: Quoc Hung

Thai Tuan Group Corporation on Monday inaugurated its seventh store in HCMC in District 1, bringing to ten the number of shops nationwide.

The new shop at 96C Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 sells many kinds of silk fabrics to make ao dai (Vietnamese long dress), accessories and other clothes.

Fabrics and Rosshi ready-made and made-to-order clothes and accessories like handbags and cosmetics are available at the store.

It also retails Rosshi business, formal and casual wear and young fashion, mostly for women.

The company said the new shop will serve retail customers but also would customize designs, provide counseling services on fashion and clear up queries on fabric, clothes and cosmetics.

Thai Tuan deputy general director Thai Tuan Kieu said that the new shop would introduce hi-end products.

Shoppers will be offered gifts and have the opportunity to win prizes during the promotion, which lasts until October 17. Under a promotion until Sunday, each customer who spends VND180,000 or more in the store gets a scratch card to win washing machines, refrigerators, macro-ways, dryers and 800 other gifts.

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Phan Thiet’s youngest kitesurfer lives out his passion

Spectacular aerial flips over the blue sea lent 26 years old Nguyen Thanh Trung –aka Can or Can Chocolate-- popularity among local youth and foreign visitors to Mui Ne in the central city of Phan Thiet and the status of youngest local kiteboarding coach.

Kiteboarding, introduced in Vietnam in recent years thanks to its unexploited beautiful beaches, is a surface water sport using the wind to propel the rider across the water while standing on a board with or without foot-straps and holding a large controllable kite.

Trung started his career in 2004 as assistant to foreign kiteboarding trainers in Phan Thiet. He quickly mastered the advanced techniques and after barely two years of training, thanks to his hard work and dedication, he began the performances which eventually made him a local celebrity among the sports’ enthusiasts.

In 2007 the International Kiteboarding Organization officially recognized him as an international coach.

“I love it when foreign visitors watch me perform, jump and propel my small-sized body into the air to the rhythm of the waves with just a flying kite and a surfing board”, Can told Tuoi Tre.

Trung mastered several riding styles from wave-riding, freestyle, free-riding, jumping and cruising.

Of the US$50 tourists pay for an hour of kiteboarding, he gets $16 the remainder going to the resorts’ club. It is much more than his previous assistant wage of just VND 1 – 1.5 million ($53 - $79) a month.

Since 2008, he left Windchimes water sport club in Mui Ne and moved to the kiteboarding club of the five-star resort Princess d’Annam in Ham Tien District of the central Binh Thuan Province, just 30km from Mui Ne.

Kiteboarding techniques

A beginner to the sport is first introduced to the most basic techniques such as kite launching and handling of the string bar, lines and safety devices, and then begins practicing advanced skills such as flying and landing on the water surface.

Balancing on the board is also an important basic step to master.

Most riders can’t wait to jump the waves though it is a very risky advanced step requiring much preparation, Can said.

Before jumping, the surfer builds up tension in the lines by strongly edging the board. Then the kite is quickly flown to an overhead position, sometimes just as the surfer goes over a wave, he explained.

As the kite begins to lift, the board edge is “released” and the rider becomes airborne. The kite is then piloted from overhead to the direction of travel. A large variety of maneuvers and tricks can be performed while jumping.

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