Famous Vietnamese Poem

Famous Vietnamese Poem

Xuân Quỳnh (6 October 1942 – 29 August 1988) is Vietnam's most famous modern female poet with many beautiful love poems such as Thuyen va Bien, Song, Tho tinh cuoi mua thu. Xuan Quynh’s poems were emotional with different sentiment levels, which resembled her characteristic.

Her poems expressed happiness, passion, and sadness and were always close to readers because they were written from the fervidness of a woman who was a poet, a wife, and a mother. Unfortunately, she and her husband Lưu Quang Vũ and their 12-year-old son Lưu Quỳnh Thơ died in a car accident in Hải Dương city on 29 August 1988.

Vietnamese education has chosen Xuan Quynh as one of the most influential poets of many generations. Her poetry products are widely used in Vietnamese literature, especially in high school programs.

"Sóng" - Xuan Quynh

"Dữ dội và dịu êm
ồn ào và lặng lẽ
Sóng không hiểu nổi mình
Sóng tìm ra tận bể

Ôi con sóng ngày xưa
Và ngày sau vẫn thế
Nỗi khát vọng tình yêu
Bồi hồi trong ngực trẻ

Trước muôn trùng sóng bể

Em nghĩ về anh, em

Em nghĩ về biển lớn

Từ nơi nào sóng lên?

Sóng bắt đầu từ gió

Gió bắt đầu từ đâu?

Em cũng không biết nữa

Khi nào ta yêu nhau

Con sóng dưới lòng sâu
Con sóng trên mặt nước
Ôi con sóng nhớ bờ
Ngày đêm không ngủ được
Lòng em nhớ đến anh
Cả trong mơ còn thức

Dẫu xuôi về phương Bắc
Dẫu ngược về phương Nam
Nơi nào em cũng nghĩ
Hướng về anh - một phương

Ở ngoài kia đại dương
Trăm nghìn con sóng đó
Con nào chẳng tới bờ
Dù muôn vời cách trở

Cuộc đời đi dài thế

Năm tháng vãn đi qua

Như biển kia dẫu rộng
Mây vẫn bay về xa

Làm sao được tan ra
Thành trăm con sóng nhỏ
Giữa biển lớn tình yêu
Ðể ngàn năm còn vỗ."

 English version 

"Wave" - Xuan Quynh

"Fierce and gentle,

Loud and silent,

The river doesn't understand itself.
The wave doesn't find itself until it reaches the sea.

Oh, the wave passes,
And the waves to come will be the same.
Hunger for love
Is strong in the heart.

Standing before the waves,
I think of you and me.
I think of the great sea
And I wonder where the waves come from.

The waves must come from the wind.
And I wonder where the wind comes from,
And I wonder
When will we love each other again?

The waves deep in the sea
And the waves on the sea's surface
Long for the shore of the sea.
Day and night the waves cannot sleep
As I cannot sleep, even in dreams,
Because of my longing for you.

When I go to the North,
Or to the South,
When I go anywhere, I think of you,
My only direction.

Out in the great sea
Thousands of waves are pushing,
Which one never reaches the shore
Even miles and miles from home?

Life is so long;
Years and months go by.
Like the sea, life is endless.
Clouds fly to the distant horizon.

How can I become
Like the hundreds of thousands of small waves
In the great sea of love

And lap forever against your shore?"

Vietnamese Traditional Games

Vietnamese Folk Game 

Boat racing

Boat racing has developed in Vietnam from ancient time. It is not only a sport-game but also a custom in honor of Water-God, originating from the order of praying for river among agriculture-based people; rivers in Vietnam are vital with the people here because it is seen as a living source.

There are only two boats in the race in Dao Xa, Phu Tho province, a male boat including the structure of a bird at its head and a female one decorating with a statue of a fish. These two symbolize the yin-yang harmony (bird: in the sky – yang, fish: in the water – yin).

The actions of the ores waken up the Water-God. Boat racing only takes place at night and finishes at the crack of dawn. For fishers, boat racing carries their wishes for bumper fish catches. In other areas, boat racing is held to honor general who was good at navy operation.

Boat racing forms an integral part in the program of many celebrations from the South to the North; especially the areas border with rivers, lakes, and island. It has come from a belief activity to an engaging sports event, which attracts a vast amount of participants. Boat racing has become an event to compete and demonstrate the collective strength of the Vietnamese people.

Vietnamese Traditional Costume - Ao Dai

Vietnamese Traditional Costume - Ao Dai

Clothing is an essential and indispensable part of any culture and costume is one of the most important topics discussed when referring to any country. With the richness and diversity of the number of traditional costumes in the world, people may notice a unique clothing design in the traditional Vietnamese costumes, "Ao dai."

Vietnam has a variety of clothing styles with sixty ethnic groups, comparable with bright colors, inconsistent and brilliant patterns.

Traditional Vietnamese Dress for Men

The traditional Vietnamese dress for men is a long silk tunic with a standard looking snug collar and buttoned-down on the left side. The tunic falls to the knees and generally comes with comfortable pants underneath.

In the past, the tone of the Ao Dai symbolized a man's position in society. Gold is the color that represented royalty in ancient Vietnam. The Kings' Ao Dai was decorated with dragons to represent their power and strength. High-ranking officials usually use purple Ao Dai's, and the civilians dress different tones of blue.

In modern society, Vietnamese people are not commonly wearing Ao Dai on an everyday basis. However, Ao Dai is a symbol of purity and grace; Vietnamese people usually use these unique costumes in traditional occasions such as weddings and Tet (Lunar New Year).

Traditional Vietnamese Dress for Women

The Ao Dai symbol is mostly close to the Vietnamese woman, expressing the gentleness, naivety, and humility of Asian women. Similar to men, the female version of Ao Dai has one noticeable difference - the silk tunic flows to the ankles.

Women's Ao Dai has two primary varieties - a four-part variety, which consists of flaps in the front that women button up, and a five-part variety, which include an extra flap on the right to adjust the Ao Dai.

The Southern Part of Vietnam wears the Ao Dai in a slightly different manner than the Northern Part.
In the North, ladies usually wear the four-part type of Ao Dai with a long skirt and Non-Quai Thao, a hat made of leaves. Meanwhile, the Southen ladies wear Ao Dai with loose-fitting trousers. These trousers are colorful, but mainly in black and white. The dresses split into front and back panels from the waist.

 

Another popular thing comes with traditional Vietnamese costume is Non-La, a unique hat made from palm's leaves that no other country has. The slanted hats protect the wearer from both the sun and the rain.

THE COMMON FOOD IN VIETNAM

BANH MI SAIGON – BANH MI KEP

Stuffed Bread

1/The history of banh mi Saigon

Banh mi is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread.  The word is derived from Banh and Mi ( means " Wheat"). Bread, or more precisely, the baguette, was introduced by the French during its colonial period in Vietnam. Nowadays, the term "banh mi" also refers to the Vietnamese sandwich, which is a combination of deli-style pork, pate, and veggies stuffed into a soft and crunchy baguette.

Before, under the French colonialism, people often put butter and pate inside the baguette. Then when Vietnamese sent the French back to their country in 1954, they added some more ingredients such as sliced pork, herbs, and pickled vegetables and created the "banh mi" or Vietnamese sandwich as we know it now. Depending on the "fillings" ( what we fill inside the banh mi), we will have a different name for "Banh mi" such as " banh mi that" ( banh mi filled with sliced pork) or "banh mi pate ( banh mi filled with pate"). So the formula for the name of banh mi could go like this: banh mi + the main filling. It's very simple and easy.

Needless to say ( không cần phải nói), Banh mi is the most common food in Vietnam. People have it for their breakfast, lunch or even dinner. It's very cheap but super delicious. With 10.000 VND now you can have a perfect banh mi to ease your hunger.

2/ The ingredient of banh mi Saigon

The ingredients inside of Banh Mi Sai Gon depending on the region usually consists of 3 groups:  

Animal meat: Vietnam-style sausage, chicken, cheese, fried eggs, rolls, ham, packaging, butter, onion, etc.

Vegetables: sliced cucumber, pickle, etc.

 Sauces: soy sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper, sauce, soup, chili, etc.

3/ Some kinds of Banh Mi Sai Gon

The classic version, bánh mì thịt nguội, sometimes known as bánh mì đặc biệt or "special combo," is made with various Vietnamese cold cuts, such as sliced pork or pork bellies, chả lụa (pork sausage), and head cheese, along with the liver pâté and vegetables.

Some restaurants also offer bánh mì chay, a vegetarian option, made with tofu or seitan. In Vietnam, vegetarian sandwiches are rarely found on the streets. They are usually made at Buddhist temples during special religious events.

Another option is" bánh mì trứng," with scrambled eggs served in a baguette. The version eaten more widely for breakfast in Vietnam is eggs fried sunny-side-up ("bánh mì ốp la") with onions, sprinkled with soy sauce or Maggi sauce, served on a fresh (and sometimes buttered) baguette.

4/ The review of Banh Mi Sai Gon

Banh mi Sai Gon was brought to America in popularity.  A very interesting study of the specialist food science department at the University of Leeds (UK), the "meat texture and crispness when the bit is more interesting than the flavors of the meat in banh mi.

A neighboring people, he Wei Chan also love their bread Vietnam, he has studied for many years to get the secrets of the banh mi and opened a store in Singapore. He said, his shop every day to sell more than one hundred banh mi Vietnam. Surprisingly that he enjoys this dish is not from Vietnam, he enjoys this banh mi in Canada while he studied aboard.

March 2011, the Banh MI, to indicate burger meat from Vietnam, were present in the Oxford dictionary. The report recognized that sandwiches Vietnam is one of the street food the world's finest.

Customs and Taboos In Viet Nam

Customs and Taboos In Viet Nam

1. How do people greet each other when meeting for the first time?

Vietnamese people generally greet each other by shaking hands and bowing slightly to each other. When greeting someone, say “Xin Chao” (seen chow) + given name + title. The Vietnamese are delighted if a Westerner can properly say “Xin Chao.” In rural areas, some people bow in traditional style by clasping their hands above their waist and bowing.

1. Are greeting customs different for men and women ? How?

When greeting one another, men gently shake hands and bow slightly. Women bow slightly and nod.

 In urban areas, modernized young men and women shake hands. Hugging is reserved for relatives and some certain cases only.

3.         What are some do’s and don’ts for table manner?

•  The oldest person should be sitten and be served first. 
•  Wait to be shown where to sit.

• You have to invite who older than you before eating. ( Mời cả nhà ăn cơm, mời chú ăn cơm,…)

It means showing your politeness before eating in someone's house, and it is necessary.

• Pass dishes or bowls with both hands. People often hold bowls close to their faces when eating.

• Chopsticks should be placed on the table when chewing foods or breaking to drink or speak. Don’t talk while chewing food.
• Don't place idle chopsticks in a bowl. Chopsticks sticking up from a bowl symbolizes death.  That’s a symbol customary respect the deceased.

•  Hold the spoon in your left hand while eating soup. Don't hold the bowl and slurp what was left in your bowl. But remember to finish all the foods in your bowl.

• Cover your mouth when using a toothpick*. And remember to say "thank you" to host after the meal.

4. What are some taboo conversation topics?

 Avoid discussions about politics, death or sexual matters and don’t make jokes about Ho Chi Minh.

Do not ask personal private questions like: ‘How old are you?’,  ‘Are you married?’,  ‘Do you have children? Why not?  ‘How much money do you earn per month ?’   Especially with women, don’t ask about their weight.