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A Rossiya Airlines Boeing 777 cargo plane made an emergency landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Friday due to a problem with an engine control sensor, the airline said.

The plane was a 15-year-old 777-300ER, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, which means it has General Electric engines.

Those are different from the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines under scrutiny after an engine fire aboard a United Airlines 777 on Saturday which prompted the suspension of operations involving planes using those engines.

General Electric did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Russian airlines operate Boeing 777-300ER planes equipped with General Electric GE90-115B engines, federal aviation agency Rosaviatsiya said on Wednesday said, adding it was not considering suspending operation of those aircraft.

Rossiya Airlines Flight 4520, travelling from Hong Kong to Madrid, touched down in Moscow at 0444 local time (0144 GMT), data from Flightradar24 showed. Rossiya Airlines, a unit of Russian state carrier Aeroflot, said the crew requested the landing at the airline’s base airport in Moscow.

“The landing took place normally,” Rossiya said in a statement, adding that the flight would continue to Madrid after 0900 GMT on Friday.

The majority of Vietnamese-owned upscale hotels are managed by the international chains who offer them great marketing potential and operational solutions. So how does this unique luxury boutique hotel on Phu Quoc Island run by a Vietnamese family manage to raise the bar of hospitality not only on a national level, but also on a global scale?

‘Designed by us, Vietnamese’

From the very inception, Salinda Resort was conceptualized to showcase the power of Vietnamese potential that is often overlooked by the attractiveness of foreign expertise in hotel management.

To make a solid foundation for this cause, the owners selected both the architecture and interior design teams from Vietnam who were able to create a resort that combines contemporary comforts with local touches yet respects the natural surroundings of Phu Quoc.

Tropical landscapes cover over 75 percent of Salinda Resort on Phu Quoc Island.

Le Thanh Hai from HAIA Architects & Associates was fascinated with the combination of Scandinavian functionality and Japanese rustic minimalism, also referred to as ‘Japandi’ design.

This fusion creates the perfect blend of function and form, focusing on clean lines and light colors to create a feeling of art and simplicity.

As the design philosophy focuses on the importance of nature, the architect incorporated natural materials throughout the resort, such as the most sustainable wood in the world – Accoya; tropical landscapes covering over 75 percent of the land; and thermoregulating stone walls covered with ivies that ‘cool down’ the air.

Yet to give a homey feeling to this serene concept, Aline Ho from Asiatique Design added a local touch to the interior design honoring Phu Quoc landscapes and culture with carefully chosen ceramic ornaments, local fisherman crafts, shell textures, and exotic patterns.

But one of the most outstanding design features of the resort is the elaborate decorative murals offering a space of narrative to the viewer.

From Vertical Zen Garden stretching through three stories to tropical broken ceramic wall art in Premium Deluxe Rooms to sterling-silver wallpapers by de Gournay in Pakka Indian Restaurant, one can truly listen to all the Stories on the Walls at Salinda Resort.

Tropical broken ceramic wall art in Preium Deluxe Rooms

Building the culture

A successful hotel is always born from the culture of its top management, and the culture of top management is always born from the owner. Salinda Resort is no exception.

Dedicated to the names of two sisters ‘Sandra & Linda,’ Salinda Resort embraced the sentiments of the sisterhood – trust, encouragement, and kindness to each other.

“And not just the kindness that is generous in material items, but a heart that wants to give the best and be the best in character for every relationship,” shares Sandra Nguyen Si, the eldest daughter and the CEO of the company.

While the owners may not directly interact with their guests, their attitude filters down through their executive management, right to their line staff.

So, when it came to building the greatest team, Salinda was looking for managers with character, not just a set of skills; role models who would take care of their employees on a deeper level; and leaders who truly loved to create soulful experiences for their guests.

What is also quite noticeable is the diversity of the team with people coming from all over the country and also from India, Thailand, the Philippines, and Italy, who worked in leading hotel brands like Six Senses, Raffles, and Como. This diverse trait stimulates tolerance, experience exchange, and even healthy competitiveness among Salinda Family members – people who are united in the passion of bringing happiness to others.

Salinda Family members – people who are united in the passion of bringing happiness to guests.

After years of working and living abroad, Nguyen Dang Thanh, Director of Rooms, shares, “I decided to settle on this peaceful island at a place where I can touch people’s hearts. Salinda has become my family where every day I can transfer my love of hospitality to my team and share my international experience. This is the place where smiles are the main currency which the solidarity, harmony, and empathy of our team are based on.”

With these core values in mind, the team brought Salinda to the top and won both guest reviews and industry awards such as Haute Grandeur for Asia’s Best Boutique Honeymoon Hotel, Condé Nast Traveler Asia’s Top 30 Resorts, TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Vietnam’s #2 Luxury Hotels, and many more.

Connecting with guests emotionally

A desire to be of service to guests

“It goes without saying that someone who wants to be a hotel owner has to have the mindset of a business person, but to be a successful one requires something extra: a desire to be of service. And this trait defined the environment in which everyone at Salinda Resort works,” says Madame Huyen, co-founder of Salinda Resort.

The emotional connection – and creating that ‘home-from-home’ feeling – is linked to the product, the service, and the people.

When done right, when genuine, authentic, and meaningful – however big or small that emotional connection might be – this is what luxury hospitality is today.

What sets a great luxury hotel apart from a standard five-star one is the attention to detail from the first moment of guest interaction until the very last one.

And being boutique allows Salinda to be extremely flexible and creative with how the hotel reinvents the wheel of hospitality: from handwritten welcome letters from the management with sweet treats prepared by three specialty chefs down to the activity team personally laying towels for each guest in sun lounges with special flags they can put up, so the pool bar team can provide dining service yet still give the guest privacy to enjoy the beach.

Being visible throughout guests’ stay allows Salinda not only to control every rendezvous to ensure it lives up to its promise, but also to build an incredibly trustworthy relationship with its guests. For Salinda, it doesn’t even stop when its guests have already boarded the plane – its resort manager Jeevan Thomas sends them a personal email to ensure they are back home safely.

“Because the last thing we see or hear when we depart from a place tends to be the most powerful memories that come back to us when we think about it again. And that may be one of the determining factors (if not the major one) whether our guests will want to pay Phu Quoc a second visit in the future,” concludes Sandra.

The first impression always counts, but the emotional aftertaste is forever.

“ Ao dai ngu than ” (literally ‘five-piece ao dai’), a traditional Vietnamese garment many thought died out with the end of the Nguyen Imperial Dynasty, seems to be making a comeback amongst Vietnamese youth, according to cultural expert Dr. Thai Kim Lan.

But what makes ao dai ngu than different from modern ao dai?

“The [feudal-style] ao dai has five long flaps which represent the parents, parents-in-law and the wearer. Its five buttons symbolize the five constant virtues of a decent person – kindness, decorum, uprightness, wisdom and faithfulness,” Dr. Lan, explained, adding that the style of dress was first created 200 years under the direction of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat.

A respected garment

Ao dai ngu than , the precursor to modern ao dai, has been growing in popularity among young Vietnamese over the past few years, with communities dedicated to the period dress, such as Vietnam Centre, Dinh lang Viet, and Dai Viet Co Phong, thriving on Facebook.

Local tailors, including Y Van Hien, Hoa Nien, and Great Vietnam are also playing their parts in bringing a more traditional style of ao dai to the masses.

During holidays and traditional festivals – times when many Vietnamese don ao dai for photoshoots – it seems many young Vietnamese are opting for ao dai ngu than and proudly sharing their pictures in the ancient style of dress on social media. Filmmakers have also been getting in on the hype by incorporating the vintage design into their productions.

Supplied photo shows singer Jun Pham posing in traditional five-part ao dai

“I’m glad that our youth are gradually picking up interest in domestic culture. Vietnamese culture is as diverse and nuanced as any other culture,” Vietnamese singer Jun Pham expressed in a statement to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

During the 2021 Lunar New Year holiday, ao dai ngu than was far and away the most popular outfit amongst Vietnamese social media users, including Jun Pham, who proudly posted pictures of his celebrations with family, all of whom were wearing ao dai ngu than and nhat binh (a traditional Vietnamese royal costume).

“As an artist, I try to work on projects that incorporate Vietnamese culture.”

An expert on Vietnamese culture, Dr. Thai Kim Lan is equally excited about the current ao dai ngu than revival.

According to Lan, ao dai ngu than is bona fide Vietnamese attire that has been optimized for the body type and daily activities of the Vietnamese people.

Lan also noted that ao dai ngu than is not exclusive to woman and its cuts also compliment the male figure.

The traditional five-piece ao dais are donned in a fashion photoshoot (left) and a Vietnamese webdrama (right)

Traditional vs. innovative

Online communities dedicated to historical clothing are serving as gateways for many young Vietnamese to learn more about the history of ao dai .

These forums tend to attract passionate ao dai lovers, young hobbyists, and even culture experts, some of whom are diehard traditionalists who denounce any modifications to the form and shapes of the original five-piece design.

The country’s youths are proving themselves to be the powerhouses of the ao dai ngu than revival movement, with youth-led brands gaining a foothold in the community.

Vietnamese youths wear traditional five-part ao dais in a group photo

New and popular ao dai ngu than makers include Hoa Nien (Beautiful days), a project founded by fashion students at Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City, while the products inspired by the Nguyen Dynasty’s imperial attire at TONS and the classic form and dyeing technique used by Great Vietnam and Dong Phong were also created by young cultural enthusiasts.

A garment that survived many discrete eras of Vietnamese history, the five-piece ao dai has also undergone many adjustments, including the controversial design known as “contemporary ao dai ” which has sparked recent controversies over how far its strayed from tradition.

Fashion designer Tran Nguyen Trung Hieu is seen next to a traditional five-piece ao dai in this supplied photo

According to Thai Kim Lan, the five-piece ao dai is even more “modern” than contemporary variations, as it upholds a different set of standards in terms of size, design, and color coordination which complement the grace and style of the Vietnamese wearer.

Lan sees the renunciation of lackluster designs under the name of “contemporary ao dai ” a positive signal, reflection of an elevated taste in fashion amongst Vietnamese youth.

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Read what is in the news today:

Society

— Vietnam confirmed six new COVID-19 cases on Friday, including four local infections documented in Hai Duong and two imported cases in Tay Ninh and Dong Thap, raising the national patient tally to 2,426.

— A total of 74 volunteers received injections of Vietnam’s home-grown Nano Covax in the second phase of human trial in Hanoi and the southern province of Long An on Friday.

— A truck transporting bauxite collided with a 16-seat passenger bus, causing a serial traffic accident of six vehicles in total on Bao Loc Mountain Pass in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong at around 6:40 pm Friday.

— Police in northern Bac Giang Province on Friday said that they had discovered 28 people testing positive for drugs at a karaoke bar in Lang Giang District.

— After a series of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper’s articles, Ho Chi Minh City chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong on Friday ordered related departments and agencies to strictly deal with the prolonged problem of noise pollution caused by home karaoke.

— Hai Phong City chairman Nguyen Van Tung on Friday decided to remove eight control points at the entrances to the northern city from 5:00 pm on the same day to allow normal transport of goods into the city.

— The committee for COVID-19 prevention and control of Dong Trieu Town in northern Quang Ninh Province on Friday lifted lockdowns from seven villages in two communes of An Sinh and Viet Dan, and the entire communes of Binh Duong, Nguyen Hue and Thuy An, as well as removed a control point at the Dam Thuy Bridge in Thuy An Commune.

Business

— Vietnam moved up three places from 50th to 47th in the Global Soft Power Index 2021, which ranks the world’s top 60 soft power nations, according to the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index Report.

— Van Don International Airport is ready to reopen safely by March 3 after the epidemic is under control, announced the Quang Ninh authorities.

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A farmer in Vinh Long Province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region has spent his lifetime savings to build an eye-catching yacht-shaped house out of pure nostalgia for his days as a sailor.

Cao Van Nam, a-71-year-old man from Hoa Tinh Commune, Mang Thit District, built the house for VND5 billion (US$217,975).

As a young man, Nam worked as a sailor for many years before immigrating to the United States with his family in 1990.

Later, his love of the high seas was rekindled after travelling aboard a luxury cruise.

Nam’s wife passed away in 2014, and the devoted husband felt it was his duty to repatriate her body to their hometown in Mang Thit.

During the visit, the man decided to resettle in Vietnam and attempt to make a living by farming chicken and eel.

Longing for his days travelling the ocean, Nam decided to build a yacht-shaped house.

“At the end of 2018, I ordered a design team to map out a plan of the house,” said Nam.

After multiple revisions to the plan, the three-story house was built on a 390 square meter plot, above 13 meter by 30 meter pond.

A total of 51 reinforced concrete pillars support the sizeable house above the pond, as if the house truly is a boat at sea.

The house has seven bedrooms, one living room, one dining room, and one reading room.

The railing, door frame and an observatory atop the house are built from stainless steel.

The house was completed earlier this year after two years of construction.

Below are photos of the yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province:

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam in front of his yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Cao Van Nam’s yacht-shaped house in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, February 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre

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