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Any foreigner who can unscramble the rich tapestry of the Vietnamese language deserves the keys to the city, a Nobel Prize, a Golden Buzzer from Simon, and, while we’re at it, let’s toss in an honorary ambassadorship. The plethora of homonyms, at least to the Western ear, is an exciting feature, as there is nothing more catastrophic than calling someone a horse’s ass when you simply want to wish them a nice day. It’s not as if the language had a few ups and downs here and there as does every tongue, but conveying even the simplest sentiments can be precarious. How about the infamous ‘em yêu anh, anh yêu em, em thương anh’ and ‘anh thương em” jigsaw puzzle? It’s damn good that most people know ‘I love you’ in English, for sorting the ‘em’s’ from the ‘anh’s’ and the north from the south is quite a hurdle. Let’s look at personal pronouns in Vietnamese because addressing people is the first and most basic step in any relationship, thus a logical starting point. That innocent … [Read more...] about Vietnamese language torture

Hundreds of unique recycled products created by vocational school students were presented at an environmental protection event in Da Nang City, central Vietnam on Saturday. Taking place at the Da Nang Vocational Training College, the event was organized for the first time by the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training under the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs. Its goal was to promote a green lifestyle and students’ roles in environmental protection, contribute to the establishment of green schools, and limit plastic waste at vocational education institutions. Students introduce handicrafts made from recyclable materials at an environmental protection event in Da Nang City, central Vietnam, July 2, 2022. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre The event was joined by nearly 2,000 students of vocational schools in Da Nang and nearby provinces. The participants presented a variety of recycled products, namely handbags sewn from used tarpaulin, … [Read more...] about Vocational school students present recycled items at environmental protection event in Da Nang