Saturday, February 12, 2011

VN pupil conquers South Pole

Poles apart: During his expedition to the South Pole, Quang will make a short documentary about the life of Antarctic inhabitants, including whales and penguins. — File Photos

Poles apart: During his expedition to the South Pole, Quang will make a short documentary about the life of Antarctic inhabitants, including whales and penguins. — File Photos

Intrepid: Quang poses with Dr Olav Orheim, a scientist working at the South Pole.

Intrepid: Quang poses with Dr Olav Orheim, a scientist working at the South Pole.

HA NOI — Ten-year-old Pham Vu Thieu Quang did not celebrate the Lunar New Year in the traditional way with sticky rice cake, but instead with icy mountains, whales, sea lions and penguins at the South Pole.

Quang became the youngest Asian person to conquer the South Pole when he and other members of his expedition reached the southernmost point of the Earth on February 2.

Accompanied by his father, businessman Pham Quang Vinh, the 4th-grade student left Ha Noi on January 29 bound for Ushuia in Argentina, where they boarded English cruise liner the MS Fram, heading to the South Pole.

During the 10-day expedition, Quang and his companions visited the Rothera Research Station, a British Antarctic Survey logistics centre on Adelaide Island. They also visited several well known regional spots, including Deception Island, Half Moon Island, Yankee Harbour, Port Lockroy Post Office and Wilhelmina Bay.

To prepare for the journey, Quang took up cycling and biked up to 20km every Sunday.

Although it is summer time at present at the South Pole, the temperature was between -14oC to -5oC, challenging conditions for little Quang who is more familiar with a tropical climate.

"I had to ask some friends that live abroad to purchase specific clothing and other equipment such as anti-UV sun-glasses, gaiters and waterproof boots," Quang's father said.

According to Vinh, the expedition was not simply a journey of discovery, but also an experience his son would never forget.

"By taking him with me to the South Pole, I wanted him to know that I, like all parents, will always support his dreams."

Documentary

Quang was extremely excited when he found out about the expedition and started to research the area he was going to explore on the internet.

Quang revealed that he planned to make a short documentary about the life of Antarctic inhabitants, including whales and penguins.

To complete the documentary, Quang will conduct interviews with explorers, crew members and expedition members.

"I will present the documentary to my classmates and other people, hoping they will be able to learn more about the area and raising their environmental awareness," Quang said. — VNS

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City honours participants in HCM City's Tet festival

HCM CITY — The Saigontourist Holding Company yesterday organised a closing ceremony for Nguyen Hue Flower Street which opened during the Tet (Lunar New Year) Festival.

The city People's Committee commended the active participation of 48 organisations and 78 individuals in the 2011 Tet Festival.

An estimated of 1 million people visited Nguyen Hue Flower Street during Tet.

The main sponsor for this section, Kinh Do Company, contributed VND500 million (US$25,000) to the Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients.

The organiser also collected VND68 million ($3,400) of coins from the Wishing Pond that were sent to the association.

Hue kicks off eight-day New Year festival

HCM CITY — Thua Thien-Hue Province authorities on Thursday kicked off an eight-day annual festival celebrating the New Year at Huyen Tran Temple in Hue City.

The temple worships both Princess Huyen Tran, who is considered the founder of Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Tri and Quang Nam provinces, and her father, King Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308).

The first event of the festival was a prayer and ritual ceremony conducted by Buddhist monks to pray for peace and prosperity in the new year. Leaders and residents of Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri lit incense sticks during the ceremony.

The festivities include lanterns, traditional prayers for good luck, folklore performances, handicraft exhibitions and a vegetarian food festival.

The festival ends on February 17.

Hoi An students to learn Japanese in pilot plan

QUANG NAM — The central province of Quang Nam on Thursday started a pilot programme to teach Japanese language at the primary and junior-high school levels.

The lessons are being taught in one third-grade class at Luong The Vinh primary school and two sixth-grade classes at Kim Dong junior high school in Hoi An.

The programme's organisers are Hoi An City People's Committee and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Human Resources Institute (HRI) Viet Nam.

Japanese teachers from HRI Viet Nam are in charge of helping the students get acquainted with Japanese language and culture through interactive activities.

Nakamura Kouji, a teacher at Kim Dong School, said: "I started to discover a big world outside Japan when I first made contact with foreigners."

"I hope that Vietnamese students like the subject and realise it is a way for them to know more about the country, people and culture of Japan," Nakamura added.

Since the 17th century, Hoi An has a longstanding history of commercial exchanges with Japan. Many relics of Japan can be found in Hoi An. — VNS

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Vietnamese children's author is hit with Thais

HCM CITY — Popular children's book writer Nguyen Nhat Anh has sold the rights to Thailand-based Nanmee Books Publishing House for translation of one of his best-selling books into Thai.

Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve Di Tuoi Tho (Give Me a Ticket Back to Childhood) is a narration by an urban boy named Mui of the events in his and three friends' lives.

The book received a sensational reception from critics and readers of all ages, selling a record – for children's books – 20,000 copies within a week of being published in 2008.

It was reprinted by the Tre (Youth) Publishing House.

Translator Montira Rato will work to get the Thai version published in August to mark 35 years of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Thailand.

Last year the Viet Nam Writers Association nominated the book for the Southeast Asian Writers Award instituted by the Thai royal family, and it duly won the prize.

The HCM City-based Anh began writing in 1984 and is known for his simple style and accurately depicting the purity and sensitivity of children's minds.

His other famous books include Toi La Be To (I'm Be To) and Dao Mong Mo (The Dreamlike Island), both about young girls and boys. Both have seen reprints.

His latest book, Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh (I See Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass), sold 32,000 copies in just two months of publication last year.

Co Gai Den Tu Hom Qua (The Girl Comes from Yesterday), which Tre published in 1995, remains one of the country's best-selling kids' books.

Moscow University recently included it in the curriculum for Vietnamese-language students.

It is also expected to be translated into Russian. — VNS

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Local books translated into two languages

Author Nguyen Nhat Anh talks about his recent book, Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh, with readers - Photo: Tuong Vi
Two books by author-for-teens, Nguyen Nhat Anh, will be translated into Thai and Russian, Tre Publishing House said.

In mid January, Nguyen Nhat Anh signed a contract with Thai publisher Nanmeebooks Co., Ltd. to allow them translate into Thai his teen novel, Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve Di Tuoi Tho (Give me a ticket back to childhood), which won the Vietnam Writers’ Association award in 2009 and a Southeast Asian Writers Award.

Another of Anh’s teen novels, Co Gai Den Tu Hom Qua (The girl from Thursday), will be translated into Russian for possible inclusion in the Vietnamese Studies curriculum at Moscow State University in Russia.

Doctor Maxim Syunnerberg, the author of Russian-Vietnamese Dictionary and associate professor of Vietnamese studies at the Asia and Africa Institute of the university nominated the book for translation to help Russian students learn Vietnamese.

Doctor Montira Rato will be in charge of the translation for Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve Di Tuoi Tho into Thai with the Thai version to be published in Thailand in August, to mark 35 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand. Four years ago, Rato translated a war diary by Dang Thuy Tram that was kept by American veterans for 35 years with the intention of eventually returning it to Tram’s family.

Anh’s most recent novel, Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh (I saw a yellow flower on the green grass), had a 5,000 copy reprint released on Thursday following the sell-out of 30,000 copies here and overseas since it was first released 50 days ago.

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When fishermen have a whale of a time

Having a coastline of 3,260 km means for Vietnam the sea is intimately connected with its economy, culture, and history and has had a major influence on them.

Not surprisingly, fishing communities have traditionally celebrated festivals throughout the year, mostly to revere nature and invoke its blessings.

With the New Year just past, the celebrations reach a crescendo as people pray for a lucky year, good weather, good catches, and just good luck.

As an old Vietnamese saying has it, the first month of a year is for making merry.

Traveling south from Quang Ninh through 22 provinces, one can witness festivals one after another.

In Phan Thiet, for hundreds of years a boat race dressed in splendid costumes has taken place on the Ca Ty River on the second day of the New Year.

Local coracles also join in and compete for the prize.

City dwellers flock to the river banks, which are a splash of red due to team flags, and cheer the teams.

As the race began, a spectator managed to shout to us amid the clamor of the excited crowds: “Yeah it is a yearly tradition we are all proud of. It symbolizes our strength and determination versus the power of nature.”

More solemn but no less important is the Nghinh Ong Festival (Welcome the Guardian), the most widely celebrated festival from Quang Binh Province down, each place with its own version of it.

The festival is closely connected with locals’ practice of worshipping whales which are believed to guard fishermen at sea.

Tales of fishermen protected from sharks or brought ashore after their boats were wrecked have been handed down through generations and retold time and again to pay tribute to the huge mammals.

No matter how far they are out at sea, fishermen always make it back home in time to attend what is the year’s biggest festival for them.

 sea 2

In Ho Chi Minh City, the Nghinh Ong Festival celebrated in Can Gio District features a procession towards the sea from a temple where the whale is worshipped.

Along its route, fishermen and their families make votive offerings and burn incense to pray for a year of good catches and blessings.

“We fishermen never use his real name, but refer to him as ‘Mr’ to show our respect and gratitude,” one local whispered amid the solemn atmosphere as the procession passed.

The procession then climbs aboard the main golden dragon boat which is escorted by groups of flamboyantly decorated fishing boats.

Offerings presented, the flotilla returns to shore where groups of lion and dragon dancers formally welcome the spirit of the sacred guardian back to the temple.

The festival then turns lively with traditional singing and dancing and theatrical and sports performances in which fishermen and other locals eagerly participate.

After a year of hard and dangerous work at sea, the fishermen deservedly let their hair down.

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Vietnam set for 1st international chorus contest

The first ever Vietnam International Chorus Festival and Competition to be held in Hoi An next month will provide Vietnamese choirs the opportunity to meet their international counterparts and take part in a festival of this size for the first time.

It will be hosted by renowned choir organizer, Interkultur of Germany.

For its six categories of competition, 34 choirs from eight countries have signed up so far. The compulsory categories include mixed, male, female, and children choirs.

Indonesia will send 12 choirs, followed by the Philippines with 10. Vietnam will be represented by five choirs from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Quang Nam province.

The event will also feature advisory circles, rehearsals with choir experts, and encounter concerts.

A highlight will be the big opening show on March 15 on a giant floating stage by the Hoai River square.

Besides the competition, the choirs will also perform for locals and tourists at eight venues across Hoi An.

The event, scheduled to be held from March 15 to 18, is among 12 international competitions for amateur choirs held by Interkultur.

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Thais fall for Vietnamese kids' book

HCM CITY — Popular children's book writer Nguyen Nhat Anh has sold the rights to Thailand-based Nanmee Books Publishing House for translation of one of his best-selling books into Thai.

Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve Di Tuoi Tho (Give Me A Ticket Back To Childhood) is a narration by an urban boy named Mui of the events in his and three friends' lives.

The book received a sensational reception from critics and readers of all ages, selling a record -- for children's books -- 20,000 copies within a week of being published in 2008.

It was reprinted by the Tre (Youth) Publishing House.

Translator Montira Rato will work to get the Thai version published in August to mark 35 years of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Thailand.

Last year the Viet Nam Writers Association nominated the book for the Southeast Asian Writers Award instituted by the Thai royal family, and it duly won the prize.

The HCM City-based Anh began writing in 1984 and is known for his simple style and accurately depicting the purity and sensitivity of children's minds.

His other famous books include Toi La Be To (I'm Be To) and Dao Mong Mo (The Dreamlike Island), both about young girls and boys. Both have seen reprints.

His latest book, Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh (I See Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass), sold 32,000 copies in just two months of publication last year.

Co Gai Den Tu Hom Qua (The Girl Comes from Yesterday), which Tre published in 1995, remains one of the country's best-selling kids' books.

Moscow University recently included it in the curriculum for Vietnamese-language students.

It is also expected to be translated into Russian. - VNS

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