Tieng Viet lovers club

[jackbl]

In a land where piracy rules, honest merchants struggle for survival
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VietNamNet Bridge – Whether it’s for movies, books, music, art or software, the concept of intellectual property (IP) is seldom treated seriously in Vietnam. And in a market where copyright infringement has become alarmingly popular, legitimate content providers have a hard time scratching out an existence.

According to Dr. Le Thi Nam Giang of HCM City Law University, there are five licensed e-book distributors in Vietnam. By contrast, hundreds of websites provide pirated books for download free of charge. Their offerings are made under the pretense of exchanging knowledge in the community, with the common mantra of “information wants to be free”. Their motives, however, are less than altruistic: the websites make profits through advertisements.

Similarly, according to Giang, a licensed film provider once attempted to make a go of it in Vietnam. But it could not compete with the 180 websites providing films free of charge, and ultimately shut its doors.

Laws only exist on paper

Two years ago, honest merchants were heartened when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released a document jointly with the Ministry of Information and Communication. It stipulated that websites violating copyright law would be forced to stop their operation.

Since then, tens of thousands of violating websites have been brought into the world. Not one has yet been punished, let alone shuttered.

“You just need to type “truyen” (stories) on Google to see thousands of books available for free download,” says Ha Than, CEO of Lac Viet, a prominent information technology firm.

Dong Phuoc Vinh, Director of the Youth E-book Company, which has operated for the last several years, said that e-book distributors in Vietnam cannot exist on the retail market. At present, his company is living on contracts it has with a telephone company to provide copyrighted books.

Vinh said legitimate e-book firms are caught in a vicious cycle. When copyrights cannot be protected, authors refuse to sign contracts with publishers, making it difficult for publishers to find high-quality products to launch to the market.

“E-book publishers have trouble not only in offering products, but also are subject to strict control by state agencies and have to compete with numerous copyright infringers,” Vinh commented. “This is really a desperate situation for authentic e-book distributors,” he added.

Technical solutions futile

E-book distributors have been trying every possible means to protect copyright, including technical solutions, even though it is inconvenient for readers.

However, the technical solutions are just like locks for honest people, while at the same time, it remains relatively easy for those with ill intent to break into the books to steal the content.

According to Dr. Hoang Le Minh, head of the Vietnam Software Technology and Digital Content Institute, controlling internet users through IP is no longer feasible.

“As the digital environment is getting more and more complex, Vietnam will need both technical and legal solutions to protect the copyright,” Minh said.“I think that it is necessary to set up a system at the national level to be in charge of supervising matters relating to copyright,” he added.

Vinh from the Youth E-book Company also said that the solution of locking e-books technically is not enough to make him feel secure. He hopes legal solutions will be found to settle the current problems.

TBKTSG

[jackbl]

Vietnamese spend big money on luxury goods, live on borrowed funds
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VietNamNet Bridge – A report says two-thirds of Vietnam’s GDP comes from individual consumption, including purchases made by Vietnamese smitten with luxury goods.


Thoi bao Kinh te Saigon has quoted a survey by Roy Morgan as saying that Vietnamese are major customers for luxury brands, though income per capita in the country is less than $2,000 a year.

Vietnam, which has a high percentage of young consumers, is now a hot market for Apple. The smartphone manufacturer said that its sales soared by threefold within the first three months of the year, and a two-fold increase could be seen every quarter. The high growth rate still continues.

Today’s Vietnamese consumers have two different consumption behaviors. Many try to practice thrift because of the obsession about their difficult days in the past. Others tend to spend money like water, using luxury goods as a way to offset their difficult days in the past.

Fifty-six percent of Vietnamese are aged under 30, and they are especially keen for branded goods. They like to show off to their friends and colleagues what brands they prefer and how much the goods cost.

An online survey conducted by Nielsen of 29,000 people in 58 countries worldwide has given the same result. Fifty-six Vietnamese polled said they were willing to spend big money on luxury items.

The survey found that Vietnam ranked third in the world in terms of fondness for branded goods, just below China (74 percent) and India (59 percent).

Income has been increasing rapidly in recent years, but is still much lower than the other Asian countries. However, consumers are surprisingly becoming one of the most extravagant spenders in the region.

Bui Trinh, a renowned economist, pointed out that the way Vietnamese spend money on luxury goods is not positive for the national economy. He said that he disagreed with the opinion that high spending would help develop the national economy.

Trinh, in an interview given to Dat Viet, said that people have a misunderstanding about the GDP figures.

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), in 2012, income per capita was VND2 million a month. The figure was VND2.2 million in 2013.

“These are very modest income levels which cannot ensure good lives for people, especially those in rural areas,” Trinh noted.

The statistics released by GSO also showed that the average spending per head was $1,229 in 2012 and $1,372 in 2013, while income per capita was $1,152 and $1,280, respectively.

“The figures show that the majority of people not only cannot save money, but they also have to borrow money to cover basic daily needs,” Trinh said.

“This is really a significant danger, which shows that the high GDP growth rate does not have any significance to people,” he added.

Pham Chi Lan, also a renowned economist, commented that once the middle class spends money on branded luxury goods, this would not be good for domestic production.

Dat Viet

[jackbl]

Traditional markets or high-end shopping centers for Vietnam?
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Editor's Note: Stivi Cooke is an Australian expat who has lived in Hoi An Ancient Town, located in central Vietnam, for six years.

I often joke that the two national pastimes of Vietnam are sleeping and shopping.

Shopping at your local market is not just a way of life here – it’s part of the ‘Van Hoa’ (culture) that tourists come to experience. However, the world of the small local traders is increasingly coming under threat, not just in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, but Da Nang in the central region as well.

Tuoi Tre News recently reported on the plan by Da Nang City to turn the Han and Con markets into modern, deluxe shopping centers. That’s got local traders worried about their future, and speaking as an expat living in central coastal Vietnam, I’m not in favor of the idea.

All cities thrive on a mixture of the old and new. Most cities have modern supermarkets and shopping centers, but also support the idea of smaller, local markets, which are friendlier and more ‘fun’, as well as a landmark to meet at, go shopping at, or to meet your friends and have a coffee in an informal setting. Heck, I love going to the markets just for the chaos!

It’s almost a human need to have crowded, noisy places full of energy and people milling around. Not to mention the convenience of pulling up on your motorbike, running in, grabbing something for the family and whizzing off in a mad puff of exhaust fumes!

When you visit Ho Chi Minh City, it’s almost obligatory to check out Ben Thanh Market, or the Hanoi night market, known as Dong Xuan Night Market, in the capital city. Regardless of how we label these places, they are communal gathering grounds, settings with traditional links that can’t be compared with the notion that improving the setting of a market is the way of the future.

Diversity and variety (not necessarily always the same thing) are the lifeblood of a thriving city. Aren’t there enough modern shopping centers already in Da Nang? Consider the loss of the tourist dollars if the markets are relocated to less profitable and attractive areas.

The Han Market, for example, looks out to the river and has great views of Da Nang’s spectacular bridges. It’s worth also thinking about their value as tourist attractions and places with character, instead of the soulless sameness of a ‘modern venue’. Why would tourists want to tromp through a multi-story center no different to what they have at home?

I can’t really agree with the idea that Da Nang must have a ‘deluxe trade center’ (to quote the Tuoi Tre News article) to be an international tourist city, or that tourists really want to go somewhere more expensive and less fun than the markets.

The original meaning of the English word ‘market’ was not only ‘to buy and sell in a common area’, but also a ‘fair’. A ‘fair’ was a festive, enjoyable meeting place to showcase farm produce that also had entertainment.

Markets are fun. You go there to ‘people-watch’, haggle over a T-shirt, feel the vegetables, and enjoy the colors and sounds and smells. Shopping centers speak the mantra of ‘buy, buy, buy’. A market shouts the joy of participation in a crowd event. Sure, it’s sometimes not so pleasant, getting pushed around, people shouting all around you, and the fun of getting dragged to a small shoe shop when you really wanted to browse the funny hats – but that’s an experience – something to laugh about with your friends later that day. I don’t think I’ve got many great stories about shopping malls…

Da Nang’s markets are part of the history and the daily life of thousands of people. They are also the economic lifeblood of a wider range of traders unable to afford the rents and costs in a large center.

I travel up to Da Nang at least four times a week from Hoi An, and I’ve noticed that the largest group of road users on the coastal highway are the tough, stocky mums roaring up to Da Nang with two huge bamboo baskets slung on either side of their bike, piled to the top with all manner of goods to trade in the central city. There’s no doubt they are heading for the traditional markets to parley with the stall owners.

We call this a ‘knock-on’ effect, when more people are affected by a change than just the main groups involved. What effect would there be on the rural population near Da Nang who rely economically on the markets for a living if the traders can’t open a shop in a center? Not to mention the loss of all the street trade in food and drink.

Surely there is another way. Is there another location to build a modern trade center with an office block on the river? Yes, further down the river. The new center would also have a transport impact if it’s in the heart of the city, and putting it further away from the city center is unlikely to affect its economic success, since there would be tourist buses rolling up there anyway.

And which would be better to reply with when someone asks, “What do you have that’s interesting in your city?” “Oh, we have a shopping center” or, “Well, we have the markets!”?

[pting]

Originally Posted by jackbl

VietNamNet Bridge – A report says two-thirds of Vietnam’s GDP comes from individual consumption, including purchases made by Vietnamese smitten with luxury goods.

“The figures show that the majority of people not only cannot save money, but they also have to borrow money to cover basic daily needs,” Trinh said.

Nice article sharing, this remind me of the early Singapore. Back then many of my friends are crazy to buy branded clothes to show off, despite earning little, save on daily food and spend months of saving on branded item, something i never understand

Wonder is today Vietnam much like Singapore 15 to 20 years ago.

[jackbl]

Originally Posted by pting

Wonder is today Vietnam much like Singapore 15 to 20 years ago.

Did you see the aunties worn the blouse and pant the same color and patter, that reminds me of my grandmother wearing that 30years ago.....

[devilcheong]

Originally Posted by mutantchicken

wow...you MUST REALLY be a fertility expert...ask by ex gf to go bb, refused but still nearly pregnant...so maybe i have got many girls pregant when i THINK abt going bb...hahha what a joke..she doenst ask any EXCEPT YOUR COMPANY...but ask sending pockey money for her family back in HCM...man you dropped on your head at birth...say black then later white...ask for nothing one minte then next sentence is she ask for pocket money for parents...one minute nearly pregant, next is gf ask go bareback...you explaination makes u even more stupid than before the explaination

Hi, bro mutantchicken.. 1st did i offend you in anyway? I'm here juz to make friends and gain knowledge and secondly I think you have mixed up some details which I have written n pls do cross check..
2ndly, my ex gf n current are totally diff person..
3rd if with the ex gf I didn't capped on.. there is a possibility of getting the gal preggy n which I rejected but lately have known dat she already married not long ago wif a teacher.. "the bf" in Vietnam n have bb already now.
4th is sending some pocket moneys abt 400dollar is considered chopped head for my current gf parents? Just top up some money in additional to hers. Buying necessities for her is considered Okay n normal as I don't think requires a very huge amount of money involved.. and bro.. I respect you for yours experience dat u share with us but pls do respect my questions too as I'm not impolite to anyone in replying any questions.. I'm hope all brothers would share some good tips and I'm still have alot of stuffs to learn from you guys..

[jackbl]

To get the royal treatment, speak a little English
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VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese have recently voiced complaints about discriminatory treatment by service providers, claiming that foreign travelers tend to receive preferential attention.

Vietnamese service providers prefer foreign customers

Some months ago, local newspapers reported that some Vietnamese-owned shops at tourist sites announced that they would only serve foreign visitors.

The owner of a shop explained in a newspaper that Vietnamese customers tend to have annoying habits: they are mean, picky, try to haggle over prices all the time and then leave the shop without buying anything. The woman also stated that only foreigners could afford the items available at her shop.

After receiving heavy criticism from the public, however, the shop owner had to apologize, and pulled the signboard “foreign customers only” down.

However, discriminatory treatment has, time and again, been displayed by many restaurants and hotels.

Phuong, 34, of Hanoi,complained that his honeymoon at a hotel in the coastal city of Nha Trang was not a pleasant experience, at least initially.

“We ordered room service because we felt tired one morning,” he recalled. “But we were not served until one hour later. The waitress displayed a nasty attitude and grumbled ‘they are just normal guests, but they act as if they are VIPs’”.

Phuong was later surprised to see the same waitress acting very caring and polite towards some foreign travelers. The waitress did not answer Phuong when he said he was leaving the room key to go out for half a day, because she was busy talking with the foreigners.

However, Phuong finally found a way to enjoy better service. “We were treated like VIP guests at the dinner of the day, when my wife and I both spoke in English,” he said.

A freelance tour guide in Hanoi reported that a traveler from Can Tho some days ago complained that she could not enter shops in the ancient quarter in Hanoi.

“When I came there one day, the security guard I met said to me that the shop was closed for lunch, though it was 10.30 am,” the traveler said. “When I returned there after three hours, I was told that the working hours would only begin in 30 minutes. It seems that travelers from the south are not welcome in Hanoi”.

“I told her that she was not alone. For shops which specialize in luxury products, not only travelers from the south, but Vietnamese travelers in general are not really welcomed there,” the tour guide said.

Pretending to be foreign travelers

Office workers now whisper in each others’ ears that it would be better to speak English to be able to enjoy good services.

“Servers will think you are a foreigner and you have a lot of money. Therefore, they will be very polite to you,” KN, 37, a worker of an auditing firm, wrote on her Facebook.

“When the waitress asked us (me and my friend, a foreigner) if we need more drinks, I replied “co” (yes), and my friend said “yes”. But only my friend got the drink he ordered, and I did not,” KN related.

KN then realized what she needed to do. She said to another waitress in English that she needed a glass of orange juice and she got what she wanted immediately.

Ngoc Ha

[jackbl]

Prositution debate hots up in Vietnam

FOR Vietnamese sex workers like Oanh Do Thi, being caught touting for business used to carry a long stint in forced "rehabilitation", but as fines replace detention, many detect a shifting attitude towards the world's oldest profession.

Last year, Vietnam replaced compulsory rehabilitation for sex workers with fines of between US$25 (S$32) and US$100, releasing hundreds of people from detention centres across the country.

Ms Oanh (not her real name), 32, who was held for 18 months in a detention centre, said the legal move points to a wider liberalising attitude towards sex work in the communist nation.

"Society today is much more tolerant of people like me," said Ms Oanh, who has given up prostitution herself but remains in sex work, running a massage parlour in the capital.

Prostitution is illegal in Vietnam, but hundreds of thousands of sex workers ply their trade in a deeply conservative society which is still dominated by Confucian social mores.

Prostitution is considered a social evil, along with drug addiction and homosexuality.

But in recent months, a fierce debate over whether to legalise and regulate the sex industry has sprung up online and in the official press, airing views that have been considered taboo.

Even the National Assembly is due to address the issue at its next session next month.

Researchers estimate that there are around 200,000 sex workers in Vietnam, of whom up to 40 per cent are believed to be HIV positive.

In Ho Chi Minh City, police statistics show there are at least 30,000 establishments linked to the sex trade, with some involving criminal gangs too.

"As we are not able to eradicate prostitution, we will have to manage it," said Khiet Trinh Thi, a Hanoi-based parliamentarian. "We shouldn't encourage the sex trade, but we have to look at this issue in the face. We need to save women from mafia networks."

The debate over how to tackle prostitution, however, remains sharply polarised.

The authorities in Ho Chi Minh City last year proposed experimental "red zones" where prostitution would be allowed or at least tolerated.

But in Hanoi, the authorities have suggested publicly disclosing the names of patrons caught by the police to deter others from buying sex.

Despite high-profile "clean-up" campaigns, prostitutes operate openly along major roads in the city.

While objections to prostitution abound, sociologists urge a pragmatic response to an age-old industry.

"We are totally incapable of controlling prostitution," said Hong Khuat Thu, director of the Institute for Social Development Studies. "We must not penalise it... I support legalisation because it would help to combat trafficking in women."

While Vietnamese children continue to learn in school that the "social evil" of prostitution destroys moral and cultural values , the taboo around sex will remain an obstacle to legalisation.

For now, the government line is that "prostitution cannot be considered a job", according to Hien Le Duc, deputy director in the labour ministry, who is in charge of the fight against vice.

"Legalisation is really a great challenge for us," she said, adding that "this issue is still too sensitive" in Vietnam.

AFP

[Jamesharden]

Dear Bros,
I will be in HMC and possibly Hanoi next month.
I have tried reading about 40-50 pages but found no info on any clubbing or FL or KTV. Mostly on translation, but am sure all the bros here would know and would appreciate if you all could share on the following:

1) I might be travelling alone, so any good clubs(HMC and Hanoi) that can party or clubs with FL? Appreciate if you could let me know what the damage for short time and long time/ON.

2) if I have friends going(all first timers to Vietnam), we might go to KTVs, any mid level(cheaper but not sleezy or dangerous) ones to recommend?(HMC and Hanoi) Please advise on the damage for drinks and ST and LT as well. Thanks.

Many thanks in advance and also for any tips if needed for a newbie to Vietnam.

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by Jamesharden

Dear Bros,
I will be in HMC and possibly Hanoi next month.
I have tried reading about 40-50 pages but found no info on any clubbing or FL or KTV. Mostly on translation, but am sure all the bros here would know and would appreciate if you all could share on the following:

Many thanks in advance and also for any tips if needed for a newbie to Vietnam.

you are on the wrong thread...

you can click on my signature...HCM Self Help DIY...

Hanoi thread clcik here...

http://samsforum.com/showthread.php?t=14273

[jackbl]

Vietnam debates sex work: 'social evil' or legitimate job?
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HANOI – For Vietnamese sex workers like Do Thi Oanh, being caught touting for business used to carry a long stint in forced "rehabilitation", but as fines replace detention, many detect a shifting attitude towards the world's oldest profession.

In 2008, Oanh was sent to a rehabilitation camp on the outskirts of Hanoi, joining hundreds of prostitutes and drug addicts detained for taking part in a "social evil".

The 32-year-old was held for 18 months in the centre where detainees worked for free raising poultry, gardening or making handicrafts.

Last year Vietnam suddenly replaced compulsory rehab for sex workers with fines of between $25 and $100, releasing hundreds of people from centres across the country.

Oanh, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said the legal move points to a wider liberalising attitude towards sex work in the country.

"I think that society today is much more tolerant with people like me," said Oanh, who has herself given up prostitution but remains in sex work, running a massage parlour in the capital.

Prostitution is illegal in Vietnam, but hundreds of thousands of sex workers ply their trade in a society which is still dominated by Confucian social mores.

Prostitution is considered a social evil, along with drug addiction.

Drug addicts continue to be sent to compulsory rehab.

But in recent months a fierce debate over whether to legalise and regulate the sex industry has sprung up online and in the official press, airing views that were long considered taboo.

Even the National Assembly is due to address the issue at its next session in October.

Brothel boom

Despite decades of official suppression, Vietnam's sex industry has flourished in parallel with the economy since market reforms of the late 1980s opened up the economic system to international trade and investment.

Researchers estimate there are around 200,000 sex workers in Vietnam, full-time or occasional, of whom up to 40 percent are believed to be HIV-positive.

"We should legalise prostitution because it is part of human rights. Everybody has the right to enjoy sex," said sociologist Le Quang Binh.

Legalisation could help "protect sex workers and their clients and bring in revenue for the government through taxes," he added.

In the southern business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, police statistics show there are at least 30,000 establishments linked to the sex trade – from massage parlours and karaoke lounges to actual brothels.

Many popular Vietnamese beach towns even have open brothels operating under the protection of criminal gangs, sometimes with the complicity of corrupt local officials.

"As we are not able to eradicate prostitution, we will have to manage it," said Trinh Thi Khiet, a Hanoi-based parliamentarian.

"We shouldn't encourage the sex trade but we have to look at this issue in the face. We need to save women from mafia networks."

The debate over how to tackle prostitution, however, remains sharply polarized.

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City last year proposed to implement experimental "red zones" – not yet in place – where prostitution would be allowed or at least tolerated.

But in Hanoi authorities have suggested publicly disclosing the names of punters caught by police to deter others from buying sex.

Despite high-profile "clean-up" campaigns, prostitutes operate openly on major roads in the city, much to the distress of some residents.

Nguyen Thi Hoa, who owns a clothes shop, says she has stopped listening to regular news reports showing "half-naked young girls" arrested in police raids on hotels.

"I see the police arrest prostitutes one day... the next day they're back on the streets... The fight against prostitution has made hardly any progress," she said.

'Too sensitive'

While objections to prostitution abound, sociologists urge a pragmatic response to an age-old industry.

"We are totally incapable of controlling prostitution," said Khuat Thu Hong, director of the Institute for Social Development Studies.

"We have to accept the truth," she said, adding the "oldest profession in the world" would only disappear "when humans no longer exist".

"We must not penalise it... I support legalisation because it would help to combat trafficking in women," she added.

And while Vietnamese children continue to learn in school that the "social evil" of prostitution destroys moral and cultural values, the taboo around sex will remain an obstacle to legalisation.

For now, the government line is that "prostitution cannot be considered a job", according to Le Duc Hien, deputy director in charge of the fight against vices within the labour ministry.

"Legalisation is really a great challenge for us," she said, adding that "this issue is still too sensitive" in Vietnam.

[jackbl]

Vietnamese embarrassed to buy condoms, see them as cultural taboo
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VietNamNet Bridge - Even though Vietnam ranks first in the world for searches on sex or sexuality on Google, most of its citizens are reluctant to buy condoms.

For example, Tuan, a fourth-year male student at a university in Hanoi, was afraid to step into a pharmacy to buy condoms. Wearing a helmet and facemask, he spoke very softly to the salesperson at the pharmacy, just enough for her to understand what he wanted.

He very quickly received the condom box in a black plastic bag from the seller and hurriedly left the drugstore.

Tuan is not the only one afraid to buy condoms. The majority of Vietnamese still consider condoms a “sensitive” issue. They avoid talking about it and many people still see condoms linked to adultery and prostitution.

In a report released in March 2013, Nguyen Duc Vinh, Deputy Director of the Maternal and Child Health Department of the Ministry of Health, said that a third of Vietnamese people below 18 years old believed that using a condom is "inappropriate" behavior and 16% said condoms are for prostitutes and adulterers only.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health in January this year, more than 70 percent of Vietnamese teenagers did not use a condom during their first sexual relationship. And the main reason is because they are afraid to buy condoms.

Teenagers and young people as well as married people see buying condoms at the drugstore a difficult and challenging task.

"Mentioning condoms, they would immediately think about sex. And many Vietnamese often feel shy to mention it publicly," said Mr. Nam, a 32-year-old salesman.

Even condom sellers are afraid to talk about the product. A new study published recently by RMIT Vietnam Institute showed that most of the owners of drugstores in Ho Chi Minh City interviewed by the institute said that condoms were a taboo product.

This study also confirmed that six out of 10 surveyed pharmacies put condoms in locked drawers or did not display them in prominent locations. Most sellers felt ashamed displaying the sensitive products.

"Most retailers are opposed to sell condoms openly in the shop, for fear that this will drive their customers away," said Hai Dang, the author of the above study.

While Vietnam is ranked among the top five countries worldwide with the highest rate of abortion, and the highest rate in Southeast Asia, the majority of Vietnamese people are afraid to buy condoms.

According to Dr. Khuat Thu Hong, from the Institute for Social Research and Development of Vietnam (ISDS), Vietnamese people are afraid to talk about the issue of sex. They are also very shy talking about "related things" such as condoms or birth control pills, especially young people.

Most Vietnamese think that sex is only for married people. Unmarried people often feel they do not have “enough power” to speak about the issue. Even for married people, sex is still a “sensitive” and "difficult" topic to talk about.

According to a study by ISDS, up to 53 percent of Vietnamese respondents said that sex is simply to maintain the family line. Less than 10 percent saw sex as pleasure and personal happiness.

"When they see sex as only to maintain the breed, they are very afraid to buy condoms. Because purchasing condoms is the way people think about sex, meaning that they think about sex as personal pleasure. That makes people very afraid," Dr. Hong analyzed.

The origin of this sentiment, according to Dr. Hong, originates from the culture. Since ancient times, people saw sex as a private matter between two people, something done in the bedroom. And even in the bedroom, sex is still a taboo subject.

"Even among couples, they are also afraid to discuss about sex. They can take action but are afraid to talk about it," Dr. Hong said.

Mr. Nguyen Su, a researcher at the Institute of Religious Issues of Vietnam, noted that for Asian people in general, sex is taboo, which is different from Western culture.

When sex becomes a taboo subject, when the number of counseling centers for sexual health is far fewer than the number of abortion centers and when teachers are afraid to teach sex education, students and young people are forced to seek other sources of information.

A survey by ISDS in 2009 showed that most students said that they got information about sex from their friends and the Internet. This causes many negative consequences because information on the Internet is like a double-edged sword.

"Vietnamese people are struggling between traditional values, which require them to curb sexual life, and a new age, in which they want to be liberated, to live for themselves," Dr. Hong said. This conflict is creating a lot of paradoxes in Vietnam today.

"Sexuality is an instinctive need and it must be fulfilled. Therefore, the need to learn about it is indispensable. This is why the Vietnamese see sexuality as a taboo, but they rank first in the world for searching on the internet about sexuality," said Mr. Su.

Mai Phuong

[jackbl]

Vietnam experience: Door, sweet door
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Editor’s Note: Stivi Cooke is an Aussie living in Hoi An Ancient Town in central Vietnam.

There are two things you shouldn’t do in Vietnam. Never accept food that you can’t identify, and never tell your landlord that your main living room door is termite-infested and needs replacing.

Had I known it, I would have said nothing and waited another two years until the door frame became an embarrassment that the neighbors would giggle about. The whole adventure speaks volumes about how much more modernizing Vietnam has to do in how things get … sort of done…

I’d noticed it by accident, since the curtains hid the imploding paint job receding into the thick supporting beam. It’s a monster of a door, about three meters wide and four meters high, opening outwards towards my front gate. You could peel off splinters of wood quicker than running the red lights on an old Honda. That was nine months ago.

From time to time some men in blue jackets would turn up to look at the door and mutter strange comments to each other. I love the color schemes; blue jacket with plain pants – local jack of all trades. Blue with matching trousers? They’re usually the government labor force. And my favorite, girls in paisley trousers with white rubber boots – house construction.

“Ooo… it could be a big job.”

“I don’t know about those upper windows…”

I’ve yet to get used to the idea that workmen never seem to have tools. (Tradesmen? You mean like, with real training?) … Of course, no one thought to bring the tape measure.

Tools are expensive, and Vietnamese do tend to think some forms of equipment, such as water pumps carted around the neighborhood in a wheelbarrow from one farm plot to another, are community property. “Can I borrow a screwdriver?” Yeah, sure… I’m the local hardware store, doesn’t everyone know?

The first bunch of dudes stuffed it up brilliantly. Apparently no one thought to measure the inside of the doorway. So when the first version of the frame turned out to be the wrong size, my poor landlord was left sitting there with dark clouds across his face. It was quite a thing to see.

Three months later, I get the phone call. As all expats know, we are the last to know about anything that the Vietnamese are planning.

“Stivi, we do your door.”

“Wow, when?”

“Don’t know – maybe Thursday, maybe Friday, maybe next week!”

Informing people of what is going on seems to be a long-lost soft skill. One of the first cultural concepts I had to learn here was ‘rubber time’ – things simply happen when the critical threshold of people and material has been reached.

I cancelled classes and thought it would be all over in a weekend. No such luck – this was a ‘2020’ project. Friday morning and people are walking through the house as I wake up. No one pays me any attention. With a single ladder, two men and a small hammer rip out the old frame.

Day 2 to day 5: four days of sanding, grinding and banging the brick work for the next frame. My young puppy dogs are grounded. I let them out to annoy the workmen, who are beginning to annoy me. I wish the dogs were older so they could bite hard instead of licking everyone to death.

Work falls into a routine. Arrive – have breakfast, look around, do something, stop for water, look around, more water, work. Stop for lunch at 11:00 am. Sleep on my outside porch. Wander in to ask for some spicy sauce for their rice. Start again at 1:00 pm. More dust, shouting at their phones, giggling at my stuff in the house, stop to ask me to buy more water for them. Continue until about 4:00 pm.

The old doors are nailed across with a plank of wood – great security. I can only thank my lucky stars this is a very safe neighborhood, we rarely get trouble around here as most of the families are inter-related.

Day 7 – frame is in. Day 8 – doors arrive – unsanded and ready to be cut to size. Again, no tape measure, just keep cutting until something fits. I watch in awe. Hinges are not yet fitted and another night with door frames looking like heaven to house thieves.

Again, the workmen laugh at my puppies, chatter a lot about why they are doing it this way to the poor landlord, and seem to take a long time to find tools lying among the wood and plaster mess. That’s another thing – workmen never clean up the mess, why?

The doors took three days to prepare, undercoat, paint and install. People were going over other people’s work, finding faults, making mistakes. It’s another puzzle – why can’t the doors be prepared while the frame is going in? Are they stalling for time and more salary? Multi-tasking is also a mysterious skill it seems.

Finally the doors are in. I spent a day cleaning and taking medicine for my shattered patience. If this is the way they build, I’ll never build a house here – my sanity couldn’t take it.

My neighbors though it was a hoot and loved wandering around my yard just to pass the time with the laborers and drink all my water.

At no stage did I see a spirit level, a written design or plan, and only occasionally a tape measure. Vietnam seems like a “Do it yourself” construction, with little thought of what happens next or the consequences. The door is in… but the walls are not sealed… those termites are laughing their heads. I wonder what will happen in 2020.

Still… I have my door… my sweet door. Sigh.

[jackbl]

Be careful while walking on the street......

Dramatic police chase in HCMC after thieves snatch foreigners’ bag
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Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested two young men who snatched a handbag from two foreigners in downtown District 1 on Friday.

Le Hoang, 27, and Truong Thai Ngoc, 23, were detained yesterday on charges of “property theft by snatching,” pursuant to Article 136 of the Penal Code, the district police said.

Hoang has a previous conviction on charges of murder, while Ngoc has already been convicted of theft.

The victims were both foreigners – a man and a woman – whose names have not been announced.

Around mid-day yesterday, while patrolling on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Pham Ngu Lao Ward, a motorcycle police team followed two suspicious men on a motorbike.

When they reached the intersection of Nguyen Thai Hoc and Pham Ngu Lao Street, the two men approached the foreigners who were walking together, and Ngoc snatched a bag from the woman.

Hoang then sped away while the police team pursued them.

During the chase, Ngoc threw his helmet at the police officers, while Hoang continued at full speed.

One of the officers fired a shot into the air to warn them. Hoang then slowed down so Ngoc could get off the bike and run towards 23/9 Park with the bag in his hands.

The officers continued to pursue both thieves and, with the help of passers-by, arrested Ngoc in the park.

Meanwhile, other officers caught up with Hoang and kicked him off the bike. Hoang tried to run away, but he was caught as well.

[jackbl]

Vietnam police nab cabby for snatching phone from Finnish tourist
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A young taxi driver in Hanoi was put Thursday night in police custody for snatching a mobile phone from a Finnish woman after failing to overcharge her and her husband earlier the same day.

The capital city’s police arrested 23-year-old Nguyen Xuan Viet, hailing from northern Phu Tho Province, a taxi driver at Hanoi-based Bac A Taxi Company, at 8:45 pm after he took away an iPhone 5 from Mrs. Mari Susanna, 48, a Finnish national in Tay Ho District.

The foreign woman and her husband, who stayed at a hotel in the district, earlier took a taxi cab with number plate 30A-203.37, driven by Viet, from Hai Ba Trung Street in Hoan Kiem District to Nghi Tam Street in Tay Ho.

Upon arrival at the destination, Viet asked his foreign guests to pay him a charge of VND200,000 (US$9.4) while the taximeter on the cab showed a much lower amount: VND80,000 ($3.8).

The Finnish nationals refused to pay the requested charge, and eventually got off the cab and walked along the street.

Viet then drove his cab alongside the foreigners and suddenly snatched an iPhone 5s from the hand of Mrs. Mari Susanna.

Viet sped up and fled while the foreign woman and her husband were shouting loudly for help.

A patrol police team of Tay Ho District, with the support of some local residents, pursued the dishonest cabbie and arrested him soon later.

Police recovered the phone to return it to Mrs. Mari.