Ryu Hashimoto, Japanese, HCM City I saw big size paper motorcycles, cars, mobile phones and houses burnt as offerings when I came to Viet Nam. After my Vietnamese wife explained things, I realised comparisons could be made with the Bon festival in the middle of August. Next week Over the past few years, privately-owned apartments have been traded illegally in Viet Nam, especially in big cities like Ha Noi. This business is likely to be made legal following the decree that recognises these mini-apartments and has since caused prices for them to skyrocket. These apartments are in high demand as many people, especially those with middle-incomes, can afford them when most of the land and houses in Ha Noi are very expensive. The demand for mini-apartments has almost doubled that of normal apartments, which only wealthy people can afford. Clients who buy these apartments are usually newly married couples, migrants and students. Most of the apartments are located in crowed residential … [Read more...] about Are offerings to the dearly departed getting out of hand?
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Something for the Weekend: Beckham set to watch PSG match in London, Real and Juve warm up for the Champions League and in-form Wilshere hopes to sink
Every Friday, Michael Walker picks 10 things to look forward to over the weekend. This week: Paris Saint-Germain will be without new boy David Beckham, Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere hopes to carry his fine form into the clash against Sunderland and Real Madrid and Juventus 'warm up' on the continent for their Champions League ties against British opposition. 1 This is the perfect time for a promotion-chasing side to have a striker enjoying a rush of pure confidence. In Matej Vydra, Watford have just such a forward. Vydra, 20, is one of Watford's many loanees from Udinese - seven of eleven in total. He has 19 goals this season, all in the Championship, seven in his last four starts. Impressive: Watford's Matej Vydra wants to continue his fine form as Wilfried Zaha hopes to find his when Crystal Palace face their npower Championship rivals on Friday evening He is a Czech international and although there will be eyes on Wilfried Zaha when Crystal Palace appear at Vicarage … [Read more...] about Something for the Weekend: Beckham set to watch PSG match in London, Real and Juve warm up for the Champions League and in-form Wilshere hopes to sink
Arsenal 5 West Ham 1: Giroud at the double as Wenger’s side put Hammers to the sword
Arsene Wenger wanted a reaction from his Arsenal side and oh boy did he get it. One point from a possible nine, including two defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea, has left the manager pondering life without Champions League football next season. But sixth-placed Arsenal closed the gap on fourth-placed Tottenham to four points, thanks mostly to an incredible spell of four goals in 12 second-half minutes. All that after Jack Collison handed West Ham a shock lead to leave Wenger fearing the worst once again. Brace yourself: Olivier Giroud scored two goals in ten minutes as Arsenal ran riot at the Emirates MATCH FACTS Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen (Koscielny 57), Gibbs, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla, Walcott, Giroud (Oxlade-Chamberlain 73), Podolski (Andre Santos 70). Subs Not Used: Mannone, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Frimpong. Goals: Podolski 22, Giroud 47, Cazorla 53, Walcott 54, Giroud 57. West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Tomkins, Reid (Diarra 62), … [Read more...] about Arsenal 5 West Ham 1: Giroud at the double as Wenger’s side put Hammers to the sword
LG’s 2013 TV lineup to feature NFC, updated smart services
LG has taken the covers off its new lineup of Google-powered smart TVs, ahead of the ceremonial unveiling at CES next week. The new models promise improved smart software, razor-thin bezels and, most interestingly, NFC capabilities. The NFC tags found on the 2013 tellies will enable you to easily transfer videos and photos from your phone to the big screen, simply by tapping them together. In theory, it saves time and avoids frustration by not making you dive in and out of clumsy menus each time you want to pair your phone. It's potentially a very useful feature, but whether it works seamlessly in practice remains to be seen. The TVs also feature wireless video-boinging technology called Miracast. This allows you to stream content from supported phones and tablets, or just duplicate whatever is on your screen over the air, so you can view your cherished phone snaps on a big display without the fuss of cables. LG has apparently given its smart software a kick up the proverbial … [Read more...] about LG’s 2013 TV lineup to feature NFC, updated smart services
A return to the roots
Composer and producer Quoc Trung (R) at a news conference in Hanoi on August 27 to introduce the first concert of his world music project Nguon coi (The Roots), as Tunisian composer, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef (C), and Moroccan-German percussionist Rhani Krija look on. Rhani Krija and Dhafer Youssef have joined the project, which features Vietnamese folk songs mixed with melodies from the Arab world and Africa. Photos courtesy of Mai Thanh and nguon coi project organizers "World music" was virtually unheard of in Vietnam until composer and producer Nguyen Quoc Trung put on his "The Road to Infinity" world music festival ten years ago. Now he's doing the same thing, but this time he says it's bigger and better and it's called The Roots (Nguon coi). Local pop diva Thanh Lam, up-and-coming singer Kieu Anh, Vietnamese-French jazz artist Nguyen Le, Tunisian composer, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef, and Moroccan-German percussionist Rhani Krija have all joined the … [Read more...] about A return to the roots