Most fo winners of city essay contest from suburbs

Ninth grade student Nguyen Thi Thao Ngan and seventh grader Nguyen Hoang Xuan Chieu of secondary schools Hong Bang in District 5 and Tran Quoc Toan in District 9 respectively, have won the first prizes of the 10th annual “Prudential – Good Essay, Good Writing” contest.

Student Le Thuy Khanh of the Saigon Practice High School in District 5 won second prize in the 8th and 9th grade category.

Two third places went to Le Truc Anh and Tran Ngoc My Linh of high schools Nguyen Du in Go Vap District and Le Quy Don in District 3.

Three consolation prizes were given to Pham Hong Ngoc, Tran Le Minh Truc and Le Phuc Duy An of high schools Phuoc Binh in District 9, Le Van Tam in Binh Thanh District, and Dang Tran Con in Tan Phu District.

Nguyen Ngoc Kim Phung from high school Doc Lap won second price in the 6^th and 7^th category.  Phan Thi Thanh Tuyen and Tran Vu Thu of high schools Nguyen Du in Go Vap District and Colette in District 3 won third prizes.

Organizers awarded three consolation prizes to Nguyen Hoang Xuan Nhi, Vu Nguyen Dan Vy and Pham Thu Giang Huong of high schools Nguyen An Khuong in Hoc Mon District, Le Quy Don in District 3 and Nguyen Huu Tho in District 7.

The jury said in the announcement that most of winners of this year contest are from suburban districts.

The award ceremony for the essay contest – which encouraged students to write clear, expressive prose on one of two topics – will be held at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural House on November 15.

 

Source: SGGP Bookmark & Share

Most A/H1N1 deaths result from late treatment

More than 80 percent of A/H1N1 influenza deaths result from delayed treatment to high-risk individuals, said a health official at a meeting of the National Steering Board of Human Flu Prevention on October 28 in Hanoi.  

Health officials recommend washing hands with soap as an effective measure to protect against the A/H1N1 virus

Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, chief of the Department of Preventive Health and Environment, said that of Vietnam’s 35 A/H1N1 deaths, 29 were considered high-risk cases including nine pregnant women and 20 suffering from chronic diseases.

Most of these individuals failed to seek medical treatment until 3-10 days after contracting the flu, and by then it was too late to save them, said Dr. Nga.

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that the virus is mutating into a more deadly form, although the fatality rate from A/H1N1 infection has jumped.

As the winter season approaches, however, the risk of the virus spreading also continues to increase. 

Dr. Nguyen Van Kinh, head of the Hanoi-based National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, said the country is currently dealing with outbreaks of both dengue fever and swine flu at the same time.

In addition, around 80 percent of patients coming to medical facilities request Tamiflu to take home for the treatment and prevention of A/H1N1, but under health ministry regulations, the drug is provided only to inpatients.

Deputy Health Minister Trinh Quan Huan said health authorities are concerned about the development of Tamilflu resistance as there have already been cases in Vietnam where patients showed no improvement after taking the medicine.

Therefore, the health ministry needs to tightly control and monitor the use of the drug, said Minister Huan.

Source: SGGP Bookmark & Share

Getting the most out of Sa Pa travel

by Minh Thu

In the sticks: Locals introduce brocade products made by ethnic Mong and Dao people to foreign tourists. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Ha

Sculptured: Terraced rice fields make Sa Pa picturesque. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Ha

Located in the northwestern mountains of the country, Sa Pa is a modest town nestled within the Hoang Lien Son mountain range in Lao Cai Province. Sa Pa is an excellent destination to enjoy outdoor activities with stunning landscapes that attract both domestic and foreign tourists.

Travelling in Sa Pa, few tourists miss an opportunity to trek to mountain villages and majestic waterfalls.

Cat Cat Village sits atop unspoiled landscapes and is a desirable destination for trekkers seeking to spend full days walking in a world of natural charm and tranquillity.

Visiting the village, tourists will discover various traditional trades of the local people such as weaving, jewellery manipulation, metal work and stone carvings.

The road from Sa Pa winds through hilly terrain, past terraced paddy fields. A sign reads “Welcome to Cat Cat Cultural Village”, greeting visitors as they arrive at the entrance of the village.

A leisurely walk within the old village provides visitors with a better understanding of the traditional customs and practices of the ethnic Mong people that live here.

While wandering around the village, I continually asked the locals about their crafts and houses. I was curious about everything and the locals were friendly and ready to help. They also politely asked me to buy some hand-made souvenirs.

Visitors in Cat Cat have an opportunity to admire and watch locals sit with looms and create colourful pieces of brocade. When these pieces of brocade are finished, they are dyed and embroidered with beautiful designs of flowers and birds. Interestingly, Mong women use plants and leaves to dye the fabrics. After dyeing the fabric, they then roll a round, smooth piece of wood, covered with wax, over the material in order to polish. By doing this it helps to make the colours more durable on the fabric.

In addition to their weaving craft, many residents in Cat Cat are good at making gold and silver jewellery. Their products are quite sophisticated, especially the women’s jewellery.

Further into the village are waterfalls along with a stream that weaves its way around boulders, hills and mountains. The pristine stream is spanned by a suspension bridge, which offers a good view of the waterfalls and mountains.

The path after the bridge passes through bamboo forests filled with wild flowers and past tranquil brooks.

Another must-see village is Ta Phin, a remote village located 12km from the centre of Sa Pa, which still retains traditional customs and lifestyles of the Dao, Tay and Mong ethnic groups.

It’s recommended for tourists to catch a local xe om (motorbike taxi) at price of VND180,000 (US$10) in order to get there. Another option is to rent a motorbike for VND100,000 ($5.50) a day, which provides a convenient and interesting way to discover the landscape and villages.

Despite the winding road to the village, tourists can see picturesque rolling hills and terraced fields on the way. Much of the Sa Pa valley has been cultivated into verdant rice paddy fields equipped with irrigation systems.

Capitalise

Ta Phin Village seeks to capitalise from tourism and thus causes local children and adults to constantly follow visitors, in an effort to persuade them to buy wallets, hats, bags or fabric. However, these sellers tend to be friendly and hospitable.

The villagers often invite tourists to visit their homes, where they show them how they live and what they have, and tell about their families. Their living standard is still low, but their lives have been improved by the expanding tourism industry.

“We women are so active – not only do we grow vegetables and raise pigs and get wood for the fire, we also try to learn English so we can talk to tourists,” said a 25-year-old Dao woman. “Before there were tourists we were very poor, but now we can make handicrafts, make money and meet people.”

Ta Phin Village is able to win tourists’ hearts thanks to the beautiful sights that surround it. Lavie Waterfall is a common destination for trekkers. After trekking through forests, maize fields and mountains, tourists often enjoy soaking in Lavie Stream and sunbathing on flat boulders.

After a long day of walking on the curvy roads and hills around Sa Pa, it was pleasant to soak my bones and muscles in a traditional Dao herbal bath at Ta Phin.

The price was reasonable, VND60,000 ($3.30) for a one-hour bath. Soaking in medicinal waters may make you feel a little tipsy. When you start feeling dizzy, it’s time to get out of the wooden bathtub. After the soak, I finally felt relaxed. The herbal bath was good for my health, mind and bones.

I was very happy to have a chance to travel to Sa Pa. I will never forget how it felt to stand in front of imposing, beautiful mountains. —

Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Vietnam – most attractive new emerging market: UKTI

Vietnam is seen as the most attractive new emerging market, topping a list of 10 tomorrow’s high growth markets, said a United Kingdom Trade & Investment (UKTI)’s report.

According to the UKTI, the priority markets for future expansion are Vietnam, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Indonesia, Singapore, Poland, South Africa, Argentina and Saudi Arabia.

The report on Tomorrow’s Markets was revealed at the Emerging Markets Summit 2008 held in London on September 23-24, which drew more than 250 CEOs and leading economists from British businesses. They discussed and gave forecast on opportunities and risks in business and assess impacts of economic growth and political trends in the markets.

The report showed there are plenty of exciting investment destinations for tomorrow’s investors. On the other hand potential investors could considers a deeper drive into the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) markets, especially China and India. But beyond the BRICs, a new wave of relatively untapped markets are emerging offering huge potential for investors.

Beyond the BRICs, Vietnam was shaping up as the most attractive new emerging market due to low cost base and sizeable population, according to UK Minister for Trade and Investment Digby Jones.

The report also said that the economies in the 10-emerging market list made progress in market reforms, trade liberalisation and governance, important factors for investors to consider their investment.-

Cambodia: CPP set to take most NA posts

Phnom Penh (VNA) – The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), which won a landslide victory in the July 27 general election, will occupy the posts of the National Assembly (NA) president and deputy president, as well as the chairmanships of each of its nine commissions.

The NA reshuffle would reflect the CPP’s dominance at the polls, Cambodian government spokesman and Ministry of Information Khieu Kanharith was quoted by local media as saying.

He added that the new NA would avoid the political deadlock that paralysed the government following the 2003 election.

In the outgoing NA, the CPP heads five commissions, while FUNCINPEC chairs two posts and the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) another two.-