Tieng Viet lovers club

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Comedy - vietnamese and chinese subtitles

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Comedy - vietnamese and chinese subtitles

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Comedy - vietnamese and chinese subtitles

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Comedy - vietnamese and chinese subtitles

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Comedy - vietnamese sub

2015- chapter 1

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Comedy - vietnamese sub

2015- chapter 2

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Comedy - vietnamese sub

chapter 3

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Staying in Vietnam for Tet? Here are our recommendations for expats

As the Vietnamese Lunar New Year approaches, local tour operators have begun offering a number of activities in the hope of providing foreign tourists, as well as expats, with local experiences during the country’s biggest national holiday.
The Lunar New Year, which Vietnamese people call ‘Tet,’ falls on February 8 this year.
Deluxe Tours Group in collaboration with Vietnam Is Awesome will have one-day tours to the southern province of Vinh Long from February 8 to 15 (the first through eighth days of the lunar calendar’s first month).
On the tour titled “Cai Be – Vinh Long 1 Day,” tourists will boat on the Cai Be River, visit local house boats, and enjoy tea and traditional Vietnamese jams while chatting with local people about the Tet holiday.
Participants will also have the opportunity to visit the local bakeries that produce ‘com’ (pop rice – a favored junk food in southern Vietnam) and ‘banh trang’ (rice paper). During the visit, they will not only see how the dishes are made, but also sample the final product.
An experienced guide will then take visitors across the Mekong River to witness local fishing and hear stories of daily life in the region.
Visitors will join a local family to experience traditional Tet holiday customs like offering lucky money to children and walking along the village to watch the Lunar New Year celebration.
At the end of the trip, participants will visit Tien Chau Pagoda in Vinh Long to experience ‘hai loc’ (collecting young buds to wish for luck in the new year).

Saigontourist, another tour operator, will also continue to offer its traditional Tet tours. As usual, the company gives many options to tourists who want to experience the holiday the way the Vietnamese do.
According to the organizer, the half-day “Tet with Saigonese” tour will bring tourists a chance to indulge themselves in the festive atmosphere of Ho Chi Minh City during Tet while visiting the flower fair it Tao Dan Cultural Park.
They will join with local people to pray for good luck and happiness at Xa Loi Pagoda (or Giac Lam Pagoda, Lang Ong Temple) and Thien Hau Temple, then take a cyclo ride around an area laden with Chinese and witness different traditions such as unicorn dance, traditional games, and more.
Participants will then come to local homes to continue Tet festivities by being greeted with the happy wish “Chuc Mung Nam Moi”(Happy New Year), offered traditional dishes, and invited to join games with the family members.
The tour will run from February 8 to 11 (the first to fourth days of the Lunar New Year).
Meanwhile, the full-day tour “Tet in the Mekong Delta” will give visitors a full-day excursion to My Tho, a peaceful town on the bank of the Mekong River, 75km south of Ho Chi Minh City, to explore Thoi Son Islet, Vinh Trang Pagoda and experience the daily life of the locals.
The tour features a stroll through the season’s flower fair, a cruise on the Mekong River, a visit to the watermelon market, a stop at a local home living on floriculture, a traditional lunch with the locals, and a cooking practice session of ‘banh tet’ (a kind of country cake made of sticky rice and green peas).
Tourists are required not to wear shorts or sleeveless shirts in pagodas or local homes during the tours.
For those who enjoy trying local eats, the “Traditional Meal” tour of Saigon Hotpot should be considered.
Tour goers will have the chance to learn how to cook and enjoy Vietnamese traditional meals hosted in locals’ houses, as well as get to know Vietnamese food and family culture after being taken to a local market.
A “Traditional Meal” tour is offered for a group of more than 10, and can be rearranged according to tourists’ plans.
During the Tet holiday, the tour can offer more Vietnamese Tet holiday’s traditional foods at tour goers’ request.

To many Vietnamese people, Tet is a time to enjoy delicious foods, so why should expats not enjoy the traditional food for themselves?
The Time Bistro Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 is planning to offer a free buffet to about 20 expats and foreigners who want to experience special Vietnamese food for Tet.
According to the event’s organizers, the menu will include dishes like spicy mayo prawns, pomelo salad, fresh clam soup with dill, ginger poached chicken with rice and sweet melon soup.
Special Tet dishes will include ‘banh tet,’ ‘dua muoi’ (pickled vegetables), ‘cu kieu’ (pickled leek) and ‘tom kho’ (dried shrimp).
The event is scheduled to take place at the restaurant at 44 Nguyen Hue Street at 11:00 am on February 5.
Advanced registration to get the restaurant’s confirmation on attendance is required.

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Comedy - vietnamese sub
Chapter 4

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Comedy - vietnamese sub

Chapter 5

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20 years: The changing face of Vietnam’s Tet holiday

While Tet, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, retains its significance among local people, a global market research consultancy has discovered changes in the way the holiday is celebrated when compared to twenty years ago.
The Lunar New Year falls on February 8, but Vietnamese started preparing for the country’s biggest holiday months in advance.
Ninety-three percent of respondents in TNS’s Consumer Pulse study released on January 29 said that “Tet is a time to pay respects to ancestors,” indicating that the event “still carries a lot of traditional and family significance for Vietnamese.”
The quarterly survey, the first of its kind to be conducted this year by TNS, discovered that Tet traditions are also still widely practiced, with 93 percent reporting that they clean up the house before the Lunar New Year.
The same percentage also try to ensure the first day of the new year is perfect, since they believe it will determine one’s luck for the whole year, according to the report.
Visiting pagodas is also considered an important event, and so is visiting one’s hometown.
The report noted, however, that Tet holiday has changed over the years, especially compared to two decades ago, when TNS was founded.
Among the differences is food preparation, according to the study.
While in the past people prepared most of the traditional foods themselves, today, most Tet treats, including banh chung and banh tet, are more likely to be purchased due to people’s increasingly busy lifestyle and a desire to enjoy more of the holiday, the survey finds.
Banh chung and banh tet are traditional Vietnamese rice cakes made for Tet, and are considered indispensable delicacies of the holiday.
Another reported difference is that while in 1996 nearly all businesses closed while people enjoyed family reunions at home, many shops today remain open while family and friends gather.
There is also evidence to suggest that the feelings and traditional significance of the holiday are changing, according to TNS.
“In our study 33 percent said they feel tired of cooking and preparing so much food, or drinking too much during the holiday,” the report says.
“Additionally, 32 percent of respondents felt that ‘Tet is no longer an important occasion’.”
Providing further evidence, survey respondents were asked about whether they should be home, or go out to enjoy Tet.
Thirty-four percent of those polled said they agreed that they need to be at home during Tet, while 39 percent said they should go out to enjoy the Tet spirit.
Traveling for pleasure is indeed a strong desire amongst Vietnamese, according to the survey.
Amongst destinations, central Vietnam and the resort city of Nha Trang in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa are the most desired, followed by Da Lat in the Central Highlands, the central city of Da Nang, and Sa Pa, a famed tourist town in the mountainous northern province of Lao Cai.
In the meantime, one in four Vietnamese wants to travel overseas, where Thailand, Singapore, and Japan are among the most desired destinations.
However, even the top “out-of-home activities” remain family focused such as family gatherings, visiting relatives, or meeting friends, according to the report.
“While things may be changing, today Tet still remains a highly family focused and traditional holiday,” it concludes.
The Consumer Pulse study, focusing on consumer spending patterns, consumer confidence, and lifestyle and attitudes, is done quarterly within Vietnam.
It surveys respondents in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to discover their feelings and outlooks toward the Vietnamese economy.
With Tet falling within the first quarter, the latest Consumer Pulse survey also featured several questions to better understand how Vietnamese are planning to spend for the holiday.
Fifty-seven of the consumers polled say they will spend VND5.5 million (US$246) to VND15 million ($670) for themselves and the household, mostly on food, clothing, and home improvements, in preparation for Tet.
The study also revealed that Vietnam’s consumer confidence is at its highest level since 2008, topping 90 percent in 2016, a rebound from the 2012-2014 slump and a great improvement from 2015.
TNS is part of Kantar, the data investment management division of WPP and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups.

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Comedy - vietnamese sub

Episode 28-33

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Comedy - vietnamese sub

Episode 34-40

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What does Vietnamese Tet mean to expats?

Expats living in Vietnam share stories and memories from past Vietnamese Lunar New Years with Tuoi Tre News.
Vietnamese people call the Lunar New Year ‘Tet, which falls on February 8 this year.
Festive preparations and the celebratory atmosphere customarily linger for one week before and after that date.
One expat called it a time for family reunion while others said Tet is the only time to see Ho Chi Minh City so quiet, calm, and peaceful.
Meanwhile, several expats said they typically choose Tet as a time to leave the country as such a long vacation is hard to come by during the working year. Others say they opt to leave the country as most shops and restaurants are closed during the holiday.
How about you?

Tet is a holiday for families
I was fortunate enough to have experienced the Lunar New Year for the past seven years, but it wasn't until I had my own family here in Vietnam that I fully enjoyed Tet.
I think Tet is a great holiday for families to get together and have fun. Families are often busy working or studying in different places at different times so they don't normally have the opportunity to be together. During Tet, they have the opportunity to travel, have fun and excitement, eat dinner together and do the things that bring more happiness and joy to everyone’s lives.
Before being married I would usually spend time at home or at the movies alone. I always remember Saigon being very quiet since most people had returned to their hometown. Now, being married to an extraordinary Vietnamese wife and having a beautiful multi-cultural child, I can fully experience and enjoy the Tet holiday. I usually visit my wife's family and relatives in her hometown, give lucky money, and catch up with the latest news going on in their lives.
One of my best memories from Tet in Vietnam was when my daughter was able to meet her great grandmother. Having her and three other generations of females (her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother), as well as her numerous aunts and uncles all together, puts the importance of family ties into perspective.
I absolutely love the family atmosphere during Tet. During the year everyone is usually busy working and studying, so they might forget or lose focus on what they are working or studying for – usually to better themselves and at the same time to better their family situation. Tet gives everyone the opportunity to remember the importance of family and to remember to help others – especially those not as fortunate as you.
This Tet holiday, we will naturally go to my wife's hometown of Vung Tau for several days, hopefully go to the beach, meet and greet her relatives, and enjoy doing things together. My wife and daughter may return to Saigon a few days early and do something quiet, but fun and exciting together.
My workplace puts up decorations and celebrates the occasion since Tet is such an important holiday! Prior to the holiday, there is a huge party to celebrate the significance of the vacation. Everyone is usually excited to see the performances and be together with their "working" family members.
Homer Samaroo from the U.S.


ABBA's Happy New Year is everywhere
Last year I had just moved to Saigon and was looking for work but found it difficult right before Tet, so I decided to treat myself to some time on the coast in Mui Ne.
I really enjoyed the place at that time of the year. I've been back there two more times since, but during Tet was the most fun. There were plenty of other Vietnamese people and expats there. It had a real buzz.
While the celebrations in Mui Ne were quite small, they were fantastic. I think the big celebrations were in Phan Thiet City, but we enjoyed a bonfire on the beach at a popular night club/bar and we could see the fireworks in the distance. The bar had a traditional show with a lion dance which was a nice surprise.

I noticed many places had lucky money envelopes hanging from the trees and I recall not being able to escape ABBA's Happy New Year song. It seemed to follow me everywhere I went!
I also tried coconut sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, I think it was square shaped as a pyramid. At the time, the weather in Mui Ne was great also.
About a week before Tet, in Ho Chi Minh City, a stranger (a Vietnamese film director, actually) invited me and my mate to his place for a feast, but of course we went to Mui Ne so we couldn't attend, though we definitely appreciated the lovely gesture.
This year, I'm going to Laos. I use the time during Tet to travel because I work very hard during the year and I see Ho Chi Minh City every day. All my friends do the same. We don't get many days off during the year so when we do, we travel.
Craig Nock from Australia


Empty and calm Saigon
I was in Vietnam during last year’s Tet holiday with my parents. We spent time walking on Ham Nghi Street to see the flowers before travelling to Hanoi.
I remember it was a special atmosphere. People looked relaxed in an empty and calm Saigon with less traffic. I really liked apricot blossom trees. In Hanoi during that time, every house was full of grandparents, parents, and children. People gathered for lunch and dinner and they all looked very happy.
I heard that some foreigners don’t like to stay in Vietnam for Tet because it’s too peaceful for them. It’s also the only time of the year that all the Vietnamese people are travelling so it’s very crowded in Hoi An, Hanoi, Nha Trang, and Vung Tau. That might be why some foreigners prefer going abroad during Tet.
I would recommend foreigners to stay in Vietnam for Tet at least once to enjoy the holiday and choose a different time to visit another country.
Raphael from France


Annual leave
I have never experienced the Tet holiday in Vietnam. I mean, I always go abroad for the celebration. I guess it's because I get days off from the office and I take it as a chance to travel abroad or go back to my own country.

For my first Tet holiday, I visited Cambodia. The second one, as well as this year, I went back to Indonesia. As usual, Tet is the best time to get my annual leave.
Siti Harajoh from Indonesia


Reunions and renewals
When I first thought about Tet, I didn't think it had a lot to do with me. But on reflection I realize that I have unconsciously started to take part in what I understand it to be all about - reunions and renewals.
Twelve months ago I went to the flower festival in Tao Dan Park. When I first saw the hoardings go up, I was worried that they were going to build on the park but thankfully I was wrong. There are so many exhibitions of flowers, fruits, bonsai, and even butterflies. It seems that Vietnamese people love taking photographs and there must be millions taken on those few days! I will certainly be visiting again this year.
After the flower festival, I will go back to Singapore to join my family. There are 2 days of public holidays there and we are planning to do some activities together. These will include a large buffet dinner with cousins, in-laws, and many more somewhere on New Year's Eve as a celebration of getting back together. We are also regularly invited to the house of our Chinese friends on the 2nd day of the New Year. We have to remember to take 2 oranges and some ang pau (red packets) filled with money for the unmarried children and little ones. It is so much easier than Christmas because there is no need to choose who gets what gift!

The other days, while my office is closed, I will catch up with all the things I need to do around the house - the renewal side of the festival - and one evening there will be a reunion dinner with some friends who I started playing squash (a racquet game) with over 20 years ago. Everyone who has played over the years gets back together for one evening and we reminisce about the days when were younger. Some of them are still playing in their early seventies! I feel very honored as I am the only European amongst the group - it's always a Chinese restaurant and I have no idea what I am eating because one of our members is a connoisseur and insists on speaking with the chef and deciding what to have with him rather than use a menu. What I do know is that it is always delicious and I leave full and bursting having eaten and drunk too much!
My colleagues are very much of the opinion that it is very quiet in Vietnam during Tet. One of the first things they told me when I arrived in Vietnam was, "Don't get stuck here for Tet, everything is closed!" I am sorry to say I have not questioned it and generally book my flights a few months in advance to make sure I can get a reservation. Maybe I should try spending the festival here one year.
Also, a week off is certainly a good opportunity to travel and it is less convenient for people to come here if their home country does not have such a long holiday. Then again, for those people that remain here, there is a lot less traffic to contend with.
Richard Day from England

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Trung Quan - Trot Yeu