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Happy Halloween !!! Zeynep posted a link to a Halloween trick calls Magic Gopher last 2 days and it works amazingly. You should try it!
(If you are going to try, please do that before reading the rest of this entry)
I told myself "AMAZING" when I first played it and then I tried to find out how it works. I played again and again and now I got its rule.
Step 1: Think of a number with two digits. I generally call the number you are thinking of is AB. So you will have: AB = 10A + B
Step 2: Add the two numbers together. You will have A + B
Step 3: Subtract the new number from your original number. You will have (10A + B) - (A + B) = 9A
Step 4: Now you remember the number 9A and look at the symbol next to your number.
Now, you will see a piece of paper has numbers and symbols on it. Look carefully on it, you could see the symbols that go together with the numbers: 0, 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81 are the same. Why? because your number is 9A, always divided by 9, no matter what number (AB) that you picked at the beginning of the game. So, that means your final number have to be one in the list of numbers that divided by 9. That's why they all have the same symbol and that would be the symbol you will receive at the end.
And lots of other symbols go together with other numbers. The Gopher just picks randomly. What ever they are, the Gopher doesn't care because those symbols would have never been used.
Anyways, HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!
Have the scariest and bloodiest Halloween !!!
  PS: I'm here having a flooding and super wet Halloween... bleehhh Thanks culture Most of Western people say "sorry", "thanks", "excuse me" most of the time. Vietnamese people are different.
Actually, in some cases, say "sorry" or "thanks" in Vietnam sounds too formal so people don't like that much. But what I want to mention here is a different story...
I was feeding my fishes this morning in the living-room and I heard a woman spoke out loud outside my house, on the roadside. I looked out over and I realized she was talking to me through the glass door (cause she was standing outside and saw me inside through the glass door of my house). I walked to the door, opened it and asked her: "Can I help you? Are you asking me something?". I saw clearer behind her big grey raincoat, she is a nun...
She asked: "Where to buy a digital dictionary?" I guess that is what she said when I had not opened the door yet and she just repeated.
I said: "Uhm, I don't think you could get a digital dictionary around this area. You should go to bookstore and they should have digital dictionary there."
The nun: "what bookstore?"
I answered: "I think you should cross Trang Tien bridge and come to Phu Xuan bookstore. That is the biggest one in Hue so you could have many choice for your digital dictionary there."
Then, she made a U-turn with her bike and went away...
I still kept my eyes on her, looking she was biking step by step. I still stood in front of my house and seems like I was still waiting for something...
 Do you think she should say "thanks" to me?
...
The door had still been opened... until she was hidden from my view. Identify 'Viet kieu' Meeting with people, including Viet kieu (Overseas Vietnamese) who have been here, in Vietnam, I have experienced that there are some kind of Viet kieu that we could find out easily if we really have "an eye" on what they express.
I temporary classify Viet kieu by their appearance and action; and I have these 6 following groups of Viet kieu:
1/ Barefoot Viet kieu
These kind of people are very common, even more common than some of the local Vietnamese. Usually, barefoot Viet kieu had left Vietnam for some reasons that they might not want to do but they have. That could be finding family members or relatives after 1975, or having no more relatives after the war, or being drifted, or something like that. This kind of Viet kieu always wish to come back their home country, Vietnam. They work hard abroad (even very hard), try to save their little money to go back Vietnam to visit and help relatives if they still have. They have never been fussy including time while they are back in Vietnam. Most of this kind of Viet kieu could eat cheap and traditional food (which could make your stomach sick if you are not familiar with) and they wish to eat them. They even feel fine sleeping on floor... I like meeting with these Viet kieu.
2/ Stuck-up Viet kieu
These Viet kieu could actually have money or don't but when they get back Vietnam, they always prove to be rich (some even pretending). They brag about what they have or what they know abroad. Most of stuck-up Viet kieu think that local Vietnamese are cloddish, Vietnam in their mind is still like poor Vietnam in the war time. They might not read or get any update about their motherland. This kind of Viet kieu had left Vietnam because they might be guaranteed by relatives, or crossed the border before or after 1975 to escape from the miserableness, or some other similar reasons. These people work hard too, normally.
3/ 'Fop' Viet kieu
I don't have sympathy with this kind of Viet kieu, sorry. I don't like. Most of 'fop' Viet kieu are younger generation, were born abroad. They are familiar with expensive life in Western countries so when they go back Vietnam to visit they usually complain (at anything they see). Certainly, things in Vietnam can't be better than in developed countries, in general. 'Fop' Viet kieu compare everything so... complaining a lot is easy to understand. 'Fop' ones have something is a little bit similar with stuck-up Viet kieu.
4/ Business Viet kieu
Yes, clearly, huh? they are business men. they do business in the foreign countries where they live and they want to have opportunity to work in their home country. They come back Vietnam to visit as well as to learn how Vietnam market is. Business Viet kieu might be born abroad or left Vietnam some time in the past. What they think about is doing business and that is good for Vietnam. These people could also be stuck-up ones or big-heart ones that I am going to mention next.
5/ Big-heart Viet kieu
This is a group of Viet kieu who have been successful in their life. Most of them do business and become rich. These people owe heavy "debts" to Vietnam and in their mind, they always think of how to help their home country. They have advantage to help and they do. They spend money that they hardly earn on helping their relatives, or their hometown or even country (higher level) to build new houses, or give funds to have job for example. Many big-heart Viet kieu help people through programs like support to the poor or the sick, also through some scholarship/fellowship programs,... etc. I really admire and appreciate these people.
6/ Sabotage Viet kieu
These Viet kieu are really really bad. Of course I don't like them, no one like them except themselves. For some reasons, they come back Vietnam to do something or perhaps work abroad for the purpose of sabotage nowaday Vietnam. It could be political sabotage or making econimic damage (at national level). At less serious level, this kind of people plan to swindle local Vietnamese people or organizations or company. Some using the Viet kieu mark to find a wife. Certainly, there still are many good Viet kieu marry local Vietnamese people; I absolutely agree; but what I mention here is that marriage without love and happiness (called: buying a wife).
So, I might miss 1 or 2 or even more other groups of Viet kieu in this list. If anyone have any idea, please leave a comment. A Viet kieu could be listed in 2 or 3 different groups mentioned above at the same time like a business Viet kieu might have a big-heart. But, I have never seen a 'fop' Viet kieu acts like... the 'barefoot' way; yeah, never.  Flooding Dad is in Japan...
 Mom is in Danang...
Classes have been cancelled...
 I am staying home with... myself.
 Hue has been raining...
  Flood waters still keep reaching...
 Restaurants have been closed...
  ...
Ahhh, still have some instant noodle left in the kitchen
  Missing warm sunlight...
  (Pictures were taken today, October 16, 2007 in Hue) Blog - A Re-connecting Solution 3 hours after posting the previous entry to inform the... whole world that I am blogging back, I got a phone message: "Hey Tuan! Do you sill use this number... I hope so. I just read your blog today. I'm working in Hue now. When you have free time we should meet up!". Tyler, yes Tyler, I was surprised. I actually did not remember I gave him my blog address so I was wondering how he knew I had posted new thing on my blog so quickly...
Tyler is a VIA (Volunteer in Asia) had been teaching English at An Giang University until last few months. Last time I met him is in Long Xuyen, when I went down there for a invigilation work of Hue University. Uhm... no, I was lying, last time is in Hue, having coffee on the river band. And then, we had just texted to each other once or twice. I thought he might move back home in the US but... he is currently living at a place much much nearer, 3 minutes driving or 2 seconds flying from my house here, in Hue, I think. There is a picture of him at the bottom of this post (picture is from Tyler's blog, and that is the nicest one that I could find; thanks!
 ). We met up this morning and had a good talk together over a cup of coffee. We sat in a nice roadside cafe, enjoyed a pretty dry place in a Hue hard raining morning and got to know about the recent time of life of each other. Tyler is doing an exciting and meaningful job that is teaching English for kids at an orphanage here. It seems like looks more stately than the previous times I met him in Hue as well as in Long Xuyen, he said he should prove being a good image in the orphans' eyes... (so no drinking late outside at night, no sleeping in, at least except weekend... sorry
 ) But anyways, hearing from friends who had gone with the wind for a while or long time is very nice. I should say thanks to blog and... cellphone (in case cellphone is claiming its merit) to help me to communicate with friends. Now, I know a friend is living here and I could have someone talking to and enjoying morning coffee with me when we have time...
Okay, I'm going to take a nap now, to... 4.00 or 4.30 PM - a free Saturday afternoon
 ; I don't have to be an image of anyone !!!Divorce is ... I don't know. But I'm back !!! Dear friends who hear that I am calling out loud and friends who don't,
I had devorced this space for 4 months and that means 4 months I had lived without blogging. I am not going to compare stopping blogging with divorcing a wife but actually, deciding to play again with blogging looks like remarriage that old wife. I promise to myself... "I should do better this time", but... uhm... well, I SHOULD
 Life has been going well to me. Some of you may still remember, I hope, about my Netherlands scholarship application and I got the reserve place but... not enough, I was excluded finally after almost 3 months of waiting cause no one cancelled his/her place
 . So, I keep working on my MA degree here for this last year. I am currently "soaring" with lot of ideas for the MA graduation thesis and sometimes "lots" may obstruct making choice. I don't teach this semester (until next semester, with 2 classes would be fun) but have to study 8 courses which means 8 essays are waiting for this poor student. In the recent months, an event, family event had happened that is my grandma passed away. I had received lot of condolences from friends and close friends and on this Space, a condolence from Saksinee and I would love to say thanks for that and sorry for not replying for some reason. But especially, I wish to say a warm thanks to everyone! Until now, my family had finished the 3 most important rites for my grandma; the funeral, the 50th day ceremony and 100th day ceremony. I hope to show you another entry talking about the meaning of these ceremonies in Vietnam (actually, in Hue; up to the North and down to the South, people have a bit different culture and meaning of the dead ceremonies).
Before writing this, I was curious to know how my blog friends have been and I have taken a blog tour to get update. Uhm, I haven't looked all, just most on friends who was communicating to me frequently and... luckily to see Michiko is still blogging thoughtfully; Sakisinee had some entries about her Atom and Vietnam, she is trying to keep blogging but hasn't had any new work since September 29; SkRuMshZ is still writing about daily life and "Song of the day". However, Lisa with cute writing hasn't had any update since September 03; good blog friend Ginger has stopped blogging since May 02; and Borgqueen101 has disappeared since February 21
. And more... Anyways, I wish to get update from all blog friends and try to "remarriage" blogging. Out of MSN Space, I still keep reading Virtual Doug sometimes to know what happen to my old man friend and mom Cindy. They are coming back Hue soon (read this). Preya with Dreaming of Hanoi now moved to a new web address http://www.preyanka.com/ and still blogging about life around her. Fun thirstythong is still playing blog but slowly; Lace is still posting pictures on her cute kids; Antidote to Burnout is blogging most on design and construction; and more more more... So, just few things for you to know I "remarriage"... I am not going to promise anything but to me, live Space looks... cool now; yes, it really is... |
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