Hanoi with Mid-Autumn

This week has been signaled by one of the most wonderful festival for Vietnamese children: Mid-Autumn Festival. It is one of the most important festivals in the year of Vietnam when family members gather for a feast and children dance and parade with colorful lanterns and cakes in the moonlight. The atmosphere of Hanoi has become warmer and excited even several weeks before the main day of festival. Everywhere local cake shops selling Moon-cakes of different brand names such as Kinhdo, Huu Nghi, Hanoi, Bibica… have made Hanoi streets full of brilliantly red color. Streets turn out to be more crowded, even not in the peak hours because there are more commercial activities supporting for the Mid-Autumn business transaction, and also people are busy with visiting friends, relatives, family members and even current and potential corporate partners with a set of delicious moon cakes to strengthen relationship.

Last weekend, I and my close friends also decided to make a quick travel around Luong Van Can and Hang Ma street, two busiest areas in Hanoi famous for children toys to have a look at recent trends and design for children toys during this special occasion. Although shops on Luong Van Van are flooded with Chinese toys of various types and designs, those nearby Hang Ma display more made-in- Vietnam toys. Its seems that now Vietnamese parents favor traditional hand-made toys for their children  compared with Chinese imported ones because of the safety, reasonable price and the historical value that local bring about. Traditional toys such as drums, masks of various shapes and lanterns in the shape of 5-star, rabbit, lotus still dtand out to be the most preferred items among Vietnamese parents and children. Walking along a shop in Hang Ma street, we heard the voice of a father explaining to the shop owner for his choice of a drum as Mid-Autumn present for his children: “ I choose this because I’d like my son to know about what my parents, my wife and I used to play when we were small. Also, Chinese imports are dangerous. Who knows which harmful substances can affect our children”.

I felt extremely happy to in accident hear that comment. This prove that traditional toys still have their own position in heart and mind of our local, approving that traditional beauty and customs are still considered as an important part in this modern life with so many rapid and unbelievable changes.

Traditionally, when the moon is at its fullest and roundest, there are often a procession with 5-star shape lanterns and lion and dragon dances which are held almost every provinces and local area. In my local living area, The Youth Union combined with local authorities organized a very big celebration with star-shaped procession and a competition on fruit and moon-cake decoration. All kids of all ages participated and it made a very joyful and bustling atmosphere with sparkling lights of candles around the whole street. Members of 13 local Youth Union gathered and prepared for the fruit decoration and carving competition. 

Outstanding product for fruit decoration competition among local Youth Union

Outstanding product for fruit decoration competition among local Youth Union

S-shaped of Vietnam made by fruits and flowers

The area was has become a big meeting point full of joyful laughter and talk. It reminds me of by wonderful childhood moments, and also the portrait and image of President Hochiminh everywhere around the place make me think of 2 sentences in a poem depicting the enormous love of our president towards Vietnamese children:

“The Autumn moon shine as bright as a mirror

  Uncle Ho thinks of children as the Uncle gazes as the moon”

A thought of Poverty

To prepare for class discussion related to the topic of poverty, each student’s required to ask several local people about their opinions and viewpoints regarding to this problem. I did try to approach to two people with different income level to see whether their ideas have any common as well as conflicting points to comment about that. In fact, it turned out that both shared the similar thought on poverty in terms of material life, expressing that poverty is a condition that almost everyone wants to escape from because of the lack in fundamental living conditions. Nevertheless, the woman who is department head with monthly salary counted in US thousand unit seemed to focus more on the access to social capital and social exclusion point when comparing between the poor and non-poor aspect. With the conception of a banker, she expressed: “Poor people in society never have chance to borrow a certain amount of money from the bank because of their high probability of default risk”. That’s a typical fact, with the exception of just few social policy that guarantee provided by Bank of Social Policy can become the reliable source to release limited funds to help the poor. Additionally, she also pointed out the non-monetary disadvantages that the poor have to suffer like powerlessness, lack of self-representation and freedom.

 In fact, poverty is a very complex social issue and it differs from people to people in terms of definition and characteristics. Some people, though full of everything needed to support for a luxurious life yet still claim that they haven’t enjoyed the happiness of life because of their poor spiritual life. And people have mo limit for satisfaction, once they got something yet looking to others around them and found out that they haven’t achieved what the others have, they become jealousy and do everything to be as equally fashionable and successful as the others.

To me, poverty is a multi-dimensional conception and if I have to make a short definition by myself, it would be said that poverty is both a monetary and non-monetary problem that lead to consequences everyone in society has to pay the price, no matter personally whether you have experienced a poor life or not.

I’ve read a recent news that Vietnam and Gana are the two nations in the world that have gained a lot of success in the campaign implementation of poverty reduction, with significantly high rate of people literacy. That’s a happy news, yet we still have many things to do if we want this achievements continue to be developed and received powerful progress in a long term schedule.

Reflection from Hochiminh's thoughts class

Hanoi 1000 year anniversary is coming in just a few weeks with the exciting and joyful atmosphere widespread almost everywhere. Deeply involved in the process of preparation for numerous festivals and celebrations, people also cannot forget to talk about the brilliant and proud history of Hanoi in association with the process of nation protection and construction. On the occasion of this special event, I am interested in writing something about Hochiminh’s thoughts system that have guided Vietnam through the war time as well as the innovation era.

          Hochiminh’ thoughts has become a compulsory course in almost any university and college nowadays in Vietnam, as a way to remind the Vietnamese progressive youth of the wonderful and excellent school of thoughts created by our admiring president Hochiminh and a way to increase the national pride and patriotism. I’m taking this course every Monday afternoon and my teacher is so knowledgeable about this topic as well as the History of Communist Party of Vietnam. Teaching methods and Lecturing skills of her are quite attractive that give me provoking inspiration to write something about what I’ve learnt from this class.

The term Hochiminh’s thoughts has been popular with almost any  Vietnamese citizen no matter what age, gender and social class. And that has been mentioned almost anywhere in historical books, newspapers, TV programs, broadcasting networks. Yet until taking a course about this topic have I gained a deep and profound understanding about the main features and contents of that excellent ideology.

In fact, Hochiminh’s thoughts cover a system of comprehensive viewpoints of fundamental issues related to Vietnamese revolutions. His thoughts belong to Marxist-Leninist ideology, then with combination of positive ans progressive elements of Vietnam tradition and revolution to creat his own. He believed that in order for the revolution to gain success, there need to exist the combination of all class strengths (especially the alliance of worker and peasant class), a wise leadership of the powerful party and the creative application socialism into really current conditions of Vietnam.

Seven among the most important and fundamental viewpoints of our president with regard to the roots of national revolution, liberation and construction strategy can be summarized as followed:

1.     Hochiminh thought on national Questions, relationship between nation and class, national liberation and revolution:

  Core idea is that class interest and liberation must be attached to those of national interest and liberation

2.     Hochiminh thought on socialism and transitional path toward socialism

It’s believed that social transformation is necessary for building a new society that improves both material and cultural life of people. He set forth and pointed out clear strategy: “Jobs for all”, “healthcare for the sick”, “welfare for the old &n weak”, “education for all”, “backward customs & habits to be gradually abolished”.

3.     Hochiminh thoughts on great national unity

He concluded that: “Unity, unity and great unity; success, success and great success”

In order for the revolution to gain more success, we must unite party, all classes in society, unite between believers and non-believers to build a harmonious and comfortable life and Motherland.

4.     Hochiminh thoughts on the combination ò national strength and era strength

For him: “All lands are under one roof, all proletarian are brothers”

5.     Hochiminh thoughts on Vietnam Communnist party:

Founder of Vietnam Communist Party, HCM built and trained the party to become truly revolutionary with the strong affirmation that our party is a decisive factor in leading people to carry out work of national liberation and the unity of the country.

6.     HCM thoughts on building a state of people, by people and for people.

In the State, every interest, power and force belong to the people and people are the main force to bring about a happy life for themselves.

7.     Last but not least, Virtue and Ethics is the basis of Revolution but must go hand in hand with talent and good capability. Without one among them, great achievements are difficult to be obtained.

These old lessons have become long lasting for the past decades as a big mirror for generations of Vietnamese people to look at and follow. And the young generation like us nowadays have been trying a lot to live, study and work following the lessons from these excellent school of thoughts developed and nourished by our wonderful national great father!