TELL ME YOUR WISH

Everyone has their own wishes. If you ask the children about their wishes, it could be about new toys or it could be a wish for less studying to be able to spend more time for playing. If you ask a fresh graduate, the wish would be finding a good job. To some employees, getting higher salary or promotion might be their wishes. In general, the wish may differ from person to person. However, they still have a same common of the desire to have happiness or a better life.

Even though, we have our own wishes, just some of us set them as targets and take action to achieve it. While the others just make a wish and let them passing by. Today, we wont discuss about how to make our dreams come true. In this discussion, we are expecting to hear your sharing about your dreams.

Questions:
1/ Do you usually make a wish on your birthday?
-What is your latest wish?
2/ If you had 5 billions or more tomorrow, what would you do with that?
3/ If you could meet a celebrity tomorrow, who would you like to meet?
- What would you do?
4/ When you were child, did you wish to meet a fairy?
- What would you have done if you had met her?
5/ If you could have a chance to take an adventure into a fairy tale, what fairy tale would you choose? Why ?
- Do you think you will change the endings of the story?
- If yes, how it is going to be?
6/ If there is a place that you wish you could go there before you pass away, where is it?
- Why do you want to go there?
7/ What is the gift that you wish to have?
- Why don’t you buy it by yourself?
8/ If you can be a hero ( real or fiction one), who would you like to become?
9/ What is your craziest wish that you ever thought of ?
- Do you think it could happen? Why?
10/ 2007 is going to end soon while 2008 is just around your front yard. What is your wish for next year?



Further Reading
As we discussed, we can see there are many wishes everywhere. To make a wish come true, it is not easy at all. It even gets tougher for homeless/disable children. There is an organization named KOTO which was established to help those kids achieve their wishes/dreams by helping them get a job. Today, I would like to give you some information about it
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KOTO – WHERE DREAMS OF STREET’S KIDS COME TRUE

KOTO is about creating a safe environment where a small group of extremely vulnerable young people can learn and grow - because through education and skills comes empowerment and the path to a brighter future."
Mr Jimmy Pham, KOTO Founder and Director

The concept of KOTO began on the streets of Hanoi in 1996 when an Australian Vietnamese man, Mr Jimmy Pham, asked a group of street kids what they wanted out of life. They simply replied, "we need skills so we can find stable jobs" and so the concept of KOTO was born.

In just five years, KOTO has grown from a small sandwich shop in Hanoi to a 120-seat restaurant and an internationally accredited hospitality program that gives some very special young people the start in life that everyone deserves.
Today KOTO is recognised for its dynamic restaurant and its effective grassroots development project that is breaking the cycle of poverty amongst street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam.

Street Voices supports the KOTO Hanoi Restaurant and KOTO Training Program by holding fundraising events in Australia and raising the profile of Vietnamese street and disadvantaged youth.

The young people in the KOTO program study hospitality skills and English, and take part in an essential life skills program. They gain practical skills working at the KOTO restaurant.

KOTO graduates complete the program as confident and capable young adults who are able to take control of their own lives. They are highly valued by the hospitality industry in Vietnam and many now work in top hotels and restaurants in Hanoi.

KOTO continues to grow and develop as many more street kids and disadvantaged youth pass through its doors and go onto successful careers. KOTO hopes to become a model that can be adopted elsewhere in Vietnam, Asia and in other countries in need.

TEACHER'S DAY

Be your master by one or half of word that you learn

In Vietnam, we don't have mother's day or father's day but we do have Teacher's Day – November 20th. The holiday has its origins in a meeting between educators in communist bloc nations in Warsaw in 1957. It was first celebrated in 1982.Teacher's Day is when students pay respect and give thanks to those that have educated them and given them knowledge. Students visit all their favorite teacher's from previous years and thank them too. It's a really big deal and a nice tradition.

Education and self-betterment are very much valued in Vietnamese culture and resultantly, those who teach are treated with utmost respect throughout the community. Students can choose to show their teacher appreciation and respect in a variety of ways – some of which are employable on other Teacher’s Days throughout the rest of the world and some of which relate to the national culture, lifestyle and heritage.
To involve the culture of Vietnam in celebration has the potential for wonderful consequences. Although not particularly famous worldwide, Vietnam has a rich musical background, particularly in the national classical genre. Whilst this type of music from the North could be considered as formal and highly structured, Southern classical music is lively and would certainly be suitable for any celebration. A fitting suggestion for Vietnam Teacher’s Day would be for a class or small group of students to compose a stylistic classical piece of music, in honour of their favourite teacher. This activity would also function as a team building exercise, promoting a happier classroom atmosphere.
Similarly, the class could cook together. Vietnamese gastronomy comprises an interesting mix of flavours - from the extremely sweet to the extremely sour, the range of flavours allows for plenty of creativity and innovation in the kitchen. After pupils have designed and made a Vietnamese dish, or prepared something following a culturally typical recipe, the teacher can then enjoy it as a gift of appreciation.
As well as education and self-betterment, Vietnamese culture promotes respect meaning that something as simple as telling a teacher how much he/she is appreciated, on a gift card for example, really would be considered as a great gesture on Vietnam Teacher’s Day – 20th November 2007

With a special gift for learningAnd with a heart that deeply cares,You add a lot of loveTo everything you share,And even thoughYou mean a lot,You'll never know how much,For you helpedTo change the worldThrough every life you touched.You sparked the creativityIn the students whom you taught,And helped them strive for goalsThat could not be bought,You are such a special teacherThat no words can truly tellHowever much you're valuedFor the work you do so well
The Wonderful Teacher
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSS :
1. Who is your favorite teacher? Why?
2. Which characteristics of teachers do you like? Why?
3. Should teachers punish the students when they are in troubles?
4. should teachers respect their students in front of all students? Why?
5. Should teachers be an examples for their students? Why?
6. Did your school organize any activities on this day? which gave you the most impressive?

FURTHER READING :

TEACHER’S DAY IN SOME COUNTRIES

- India : September 5 is Teacher's Day in India. It is the birthday of former Indian president and teacher Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. When Dr. Radhakrishnan became the president of India in 1962, some of his students and friends approached him and requested him to allow them to celebrate 5 September, his birthday. In reply, Dr. Radhakrishnan said, "Instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers' Day."
This is not a holiday in India. It is considered a "celebration" day, where teachers and students report to school as usual but the usual activities and classes are replaced by activities of celebration, thanking and remembrance. At some schools on this day, the responsibility of teaching is taken up by the senior students as an appreciation for their teachers.
Traditionally, people in India have given tremendous respect and honor to teachers. An old Indian saying (usually taught to children), ranks teacher in the third place, even before God: "Maata, Pitha, Guru, Daivam", meaning Mother, Father and Teacher is God. There is another saying in the form of a couplet (doha), which goes, "Guru Govind doou khare kake lagon paai? Balihari guru aap ki Govind deeo batai," Meaning "I am in a fix whom to salute first: the teacher or the God. I shall choose the teacher as he is the one who is instrumental in me knowing the God." Further, a central piece in Hindu scripture reads "Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Guru devo Maheshwaraha - Gurussaakshaath param brahma tasmai shree gurave namaha," which translates as "The Guru (Teacher) is the Lord Brahma (the Creator), the Guru is the Lord Vishnu (the Preserver), the Guru is the Lord Shiva (the Destroyer). The Guru is the Supreme Brahman (Ultimate Reality) visible to our eyes. To that Guru we offer our salutations"
- Malaysia :May 16 is Teacher's Day (Malay: Hari Guru) in Malaysia.
- China : The Teachers' Day was first founded at National Central University in 1931, adopted by the central government of ROC in 1932, and in 1939 the day was set on September 28, which is Confucius's birthday. It was abrogated by PRC government in 1951 and reestablished in 1985, and the day was changed to September 10. An increasing number of people are now making an effort to revert Teachers' Day back to Confucius's birthday.
- Latin America : The Argentinian Teachers' Day is on September 11, commemorating the death of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, an Argentinian politician and respected educator. This establishment was agreed on during the Interamerican Conference on Education of 1943, held in Panama.
Many Latin American countries, however, have a separate national Teachers' Day better accorded with their own history. In Brazil, Teachers' Day (Dia do Professor) or Master Day (Dia do Mestre) is October 15. In Mexico, in September of 1917, the Federal Congress decreed May 15 to be Teachers' Day (Día del Maestro). May 15, 1918 was the first celebration of this holiday in Mexico. In Peru, Teacher's Day is celebrated on July 6.
Colombia celebrates teacher day in May.
- Russia : in Russia Teachers' Day is on October 5th. Before 1994, this day was assigned to be the first Sunday of October.
- Singapore : In Singapore, Teachers' Day is an official school holiday, celebrated on September 1. Celebrations are normally conducted the day before, when students get half a day off.
- South Korea : In South Korea the Teachers' Day is on May 15. On this day, the teachers are usually presented with carnations by their students, and both enjoy a shorter school day. Ex-students pay their respects to the former teachers by visiting them and bringing gifts. Many schools nationwide are now closed on this day to commemorate the efforts of teachers.
- Taiwan : In Taiwan, it is celebrated on September 28. The day honors teachers' virtues, pains, and also their contribution not only to their own students but also to the whole society. People often make use of the day to express their gratitude to their teachers, such as paying them a visit or sending them a card. This date was chosen to commemorate the birth of Confucius, believed to be the model master educator in ancient China.
In 1939, the Ministry of Education established the national holiday to be August 27, the attributed birthday of Confucius. In 1952, the Executive Yuan changed it to September, stating that it was calculated to be the precise date in the Gregorian calendar.
The festival celebration occurs in the temples of Confucius around the island, known as the "Grand Ceremony Dedicated to Confucius" . The ceremony begins at 6 AM with drum beats. 54 musicians dress in robes with blue belts, 36 (or 64) dancers dress in yellow with green belts. They are led by Confucius's chief descendant (currently Kung Te-cheng) and followed by ceremonial officers. Three animals -- the cow, the goat, and the pig -- are sacrificed. The hairs plucked from these sacrificed animals are called the Hairs of Wisdom.
In addition, local education institutes and civil offices award certain teachers for their excellence and positive influence.
- Thailand : January 16 was adopted as Teachers' Day in the Thailand by a resolution of the government on November 21, 1956. The first Teachers' Day was held in 1957.
- USA : In the United States, Teachers' Day is a non-official holiday on the Tuesday of the first full week of May.
The National Education Association (NEA) describes National Teacher Day as "a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives" [3]
The NEA gives a history of National Teacher Day:

The origins of Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodbridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.

NEA along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan. ) local lobbied Congress to create a national day celebrating teachers. Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day for that year only.

NEA and its affiliates continued to observe Teacher Day on the first Tuesday in March until 1985, when the National PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May. The NEA Representative Assembly then voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day. [4]

As of September 7, 1976, September 11 was also adopted as Teachers' Day in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

Wedding Season - Love Season

We are going through some last months of a year. It means that we will finish a year of hard working with many happiness as well as challenges in life and work. However, to some couples, it opens up a special time for them, marking a significant milestone in their life because they have tighten the knot of relationship for a wedding.

In Vietnam, wedding can take place any time of the year. But it just gets busy from Nov each year. That is why we call this time of the year- the wedding season.

I am likely sure that some of you have joined a wedding before. And today, I want you to share with us everything of wedding.
1/ What is the latest wedding that you have just attended? Whose party is it? Is it organized at home or at restaurant? Which one do you prefer?

2/ Do you think wedding party normally starts on time which is mentioned in invitation card?
If no, do you know what is the reason ? What time do you normally go?
3/ Is there anything that you don’t like to go to the party?
- place?
- Food?
- Wedding ceremony?
- Service?
- Etc..

4/ What do you think of singing part in the party? Do you think it is good to cheer up the atmosphere and it is also a way for guest to greet the wedding couple? Or it destroys the cozy wedding meal?

5/ Can you share with us the most impressive wedding that you have joined? What made you so impressed about it?

6/ If you have a wedding, where do you want to go for shooting pictures?
- Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc,…

7/ What kind of party do you want to organize ?
- A traditional party : 50 tables in a restaurant?
- A western-style party: just some close friends and relatives gather and greeting for the couple. Some light meal and drink will be served. Dancing would be one of the entertainment.

8/ If you have enough all resources, and you want to make your wedding so special, just like one in the millions. What would you do and share with us your crazy plan :-)
- a wedding under water for example

9/ Where would you want to go for honey moon?
- Thailand, Vinpearl, Phu Quoc, Paris, Italy…?
- Why?
- How long will it last?

10/ Have you heard any good advices from yourself or others for preparing a good wedding? Pls share with us.


Further Reading:

Vietnam getting marriage under the water

28/06/07 (GMT+7)
Getting marriage under the water, friday morning (June 22) at the Cau Da (Rock Bridge) Port of Nha Trang City, young couple Clint Bentley and Tamara Little from Brisbane, Australia excitedly went on board to sail to Mun Island for the first under water wedding in Vietnam
Having scuba dived a couple of times, the young couple fell in love with the beautiful landscapes of the underwater world here and decided to do an underwater wedding to make it an everlasting memory.
They contacted PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and were introduced to the Vietnam Diving Center (Vinadive) of Vietravel, one of the first PADI Diving Clubs in Vietnam, and the center agreed to organize the ceremony.
The couple spent one day before their “big” day practicing with the help of the center’s staff on Mun Island, the marine protected area having more than 350 kinds of corals and hundreds of marine creatures, about ten kilometers from Nha Trang City.
Under water wedding in Vietnam, on friday, after sailing for about an hour, the boat reached the island and anchored. Some of the center’s staff dove first to bring the gate, decorated with flowers and hung with a table on which was written “Under water wedding,” down to the sandy ground at a depth of five meters.
Tamara and Clint stayed in the boat and wore traditional Vietnamese wedding costumes (ao dai and khan dong) for the bride and the groom over their diving suits. They lingered for a while for their friends to take pictures before putting on life jackets and the diving equipment with weights of approximately 40 kilograms.
Then, before hearing the guidance of the instructor, both of them jumped into the sea and exchanged kisses, while still floating on the water’s surface, to encourage each other.
Tamara, in the red ao dai, went down first with the escort of an instructor, to the sandy bottom where the master of the ceremony, Clive A Carter, from Gravesend, England was waiting.
Clive, who is one member of the dive team from Vinadive, had been working in Nha Trang for 2 years now and has a great deal of experience diving the islands in Nha Trang Bay.
Clint with a bouquet of flowers in one hand followed and swam to Tamara. He presented her the bouquet and knelt down on the white sandy bottom.
They exchanged wedding rings and kisses as witnessed by some of their friends in the romantic setting of the transparent blue water with colorful flocks of fish swimming around them.
They were also given the certificate of the underwater wedding on board. The couple then spent more time exploring other views under the water before returning to the boat to open champagne and cut the wedding cake to celebrate the successful wedding.
“It is such an exotic and special experience for us,” Clint expressed their feeling. They also plan to hold a big party when coming back to Australia.
Being the first to get married under the water in Vietnam, the young couple is presented all the expense of the ceremony by Vinadive of under US$1,000. It could cost up to US$3,000 if doing it elsewhere, they said.

Culture Shock

Culture shock is exact the impact when you enter a culture very different from to which you are accustomed.
Culture shock may make you uncomfortable, lonely, strange, very surprise, amused, confused, offensive,…or embarrasing to deal with new things. We usually get this state through immigrant or stu dying in new places, especially in foreign countries.
Nomatter how well you prepare, there are many things in a culture that you can not find in a book. The misundestanding is popular in languages and body languages , names, behaviors, law and other.
Each nation/region has its own customs and habits and even it is easy to find out the differences among areas in the same nation. In fact, Western people have their particular –gracious and discreet –way to express their feelings and we find they are quite unlike those who live in Eastern countries. Even though we are living in the same beautiful and peaceful nation, Vietnam, but you may recognize the difficulty on trying to adapt new things when you move from the South to the North.
The solution to culture shock is, in my opinion, trying to learn the culture. We can learn by watching, listening, paying attention to everything around us then get our lessons and try to adapt new environment. This not only makes our knowledge widen but also help us practise the ability of sufferance.
A Thailan woman with her necklaces


SOME POINTS TO DISCUSS:
- What is your opinion about the definition of culture shock?
- Have you ever got the culture shock? How did you feel?
What did you do to pass this shock?
- Can you tell us some unforgetable misunderstandings you stuck on culture? When? Where?
- Can you share with us the customs and habits in your region/area? (weedings, greeting, giving gifts to another, traditional festivals,…)
- What do you thinks about this topic?


FUTHER READING:
* KISSING IN ARAB
Usually Arabs greet each other with cheek-to-cheek kissing either women or men, and that varies from an Arab country to another. The more you go East toward the Gulf countries, the less the kissing is between the two genders and it varies as you go West toward Egypt, Sham or the countries of al-Maghrib al-Aqsa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia). In Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries, kissing would be woman to woman or man to man only, unless women and men are related by blood, then it's ok. Look after this because some people don't like to receive the greeting of kissing from the other gender. The number of kissing and which cheek to kiss first varies from a country to another. Remember, it's ONLY cheek to cheek (no lips to cheek involved here) and yo u're supposed to make a noise of kissing in the air. So meaning, as you kiss cheek to cheek, you make the noise in the air. - In Saudi Arabia, you gotta kiss the other person 3 times as follows: 1 time on the right cheek, 2 times on the left cheek - In Sham (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine): 1 time on the right, 1 time on the left, and again 1 time on the right (P.S. in London, i found it different, 1 time on the right cheek and that's it.) Also in the Gulf countries, the greeting of nose kissing is common especially among men; that would be to let your nose touch the nose of the other person one time. In the region I come from (Western Saudi), this tradition of kissing is almost never carried out. It's only common in central Saudi and probably Northern and Eastern regions. So again it may vary when to do nose-kissing and when not. The easiest is just to say 'salaam alikum', this is the most common verbal greeting and it will win you the hearts of your hosts;^) Good luck with your kissing!

* SHINTO- ONE OF POPURLAR RELIGIONS IN JAPAN
Shinto, "the way of the gods", is the original religion of Japan. Starting about 500 BCE (or earlier) it was originally a mix of nature worship, fertility cults (groups that pray for more crops), fortune telling, hero worship, and shamanism (magic). Its name came from the Chinese words "shin tao" (The Way of the Gods) in the 8th Century CE.
Followers of Shinto worship the spirits (or "kami") that live in nature. Every mountain, river, tree or other part of nature is thought to be animated (brought to live) by a divinity (god or goddess or spirit). These gods or spirits are called "kami". They dwell in nature, but can protect people. Therefore, people pray to them and make offerings, such as wine, food, or incense. The Kami are seen as benign (good, kind); they help and protect people.
The kami are consulted before important events, such as weddings, the openning of a business, making a major decision, etc. Believers look into the Shinto calendar for a lucky day when all the gods will work in the favor of the event. Even today before a new office building is built, there are offerings to the god by a high official of the Shinto religion to bring good luck to the building and to the new business.
The Japanese people in the Middle Ages and in modern times love nature. Nature is sacred. To be in contact with nature is to be close to the gods. Natural objects are worshipped as sacred spirits.
Shrines: The followers of Shinto built shrines dedicated to a specific kami. Some shrines are small and like look a small altar covered with a roof. Others are surrounded by walls and have several buildings dedicated to the kami. When entering a shrine, one passed through a Tori gate, a special gateway for the Gods. This gate marks the movement between the finite world (the world that is limited, has boundaries and endings for people in death) and the infinite world (the world that is limitless, without end) of the gods. Inside the shrines, the believers would wash their hands and rinse their mouths with water from a special well to purify themselves. They would offer prayers, make a request to learn the future, make an offering, or observe a sacred dance performance dedicated to the gods. When they left the shrine they would carry out the peace that came from the contact with the gods.
Many homes also have small shrines. The family would pray and make offerings of incense or food at this shrine, and pray to their ancestors.
Physical cleanliness was important. Japanese took baths, washed their hands, and rinsed out their mouth often.
Another important part of Shinto is worship and respect of ancestors. In the worship of ancestors absolute loyalty was very important. Tradition and the family are still important. The family is seen as the main way by which traditions are preserved. The main celebrations in Shinto relate to birth and marriage, through which the family traditions are preserved.
Shinto creation stories tell of the history and lives of the "Kami." Among them was a divine couple, Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto, who gave birth to the Japanese islands. Their children became the deities of the various Japanese clans. Amaterasu (the Sun Goddess) was one of their daughters. She is the ancestress of the Imperial Family. Her descendants unified the country. Her brother, Susano came down from heaven and roamed throughout the earth. He is famous for killing a great evil serpent.
The emperor was considered to be a direct descendant of the heavenly Sun Goddess.


MOST POPULAR PROVERBS

First come, first served.
Money talks.
Betterlate than never.
Time is money.
Practice makes perfect.
Nopain, no gain.
Talk is cheap.
Boys will be boys.
Love is blind.
Opposites attract.
Home is where the heart is.
ctions speak louder than words.
All’s well that ends well.
Better safe than sorry.
History repeats itseft.
Tomorrow is another day.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
No news is good news.
We all make mistakes.