Tieng Viet lovers club

[ngropy]

Many thanks to bro ilovedoggie and jackbl!

really help me alot!!

[jackbl]

Deceitful eateries blacklisted in southern Vietnam
================================================

Seven restaurants at a beach town in southern Vietnam were publicly blacklisted Wednesday for ripping off their customers, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province Department of Industry and Trade listed seven restaurants in Vung Tau beach town: Phuong Vi, Du Thuyen and Hai Nam; Hiep Ky No.1 on Hoang Hoa Tham Street; Hoa Ba Do and Tay Ho Thuy Ta on Vo Thi Sau Street; and Nhu Y on Phan Chu Trinh Street.

All of them had been punished earlier following customers’ tip-offs.

Investigations showed that the restaurants registered high prices at the authorities so that they could legally charge the customers much higher than what they said in the menu, local officials said.

A customer said that they ordered normal prawns at one of the restaurants but were served lobsters, forced to eat and pay for them.

Another customer said they were charged for the seafood hotpot at a much higher price than the menu, and the restaurant said that the listed price was only for the sauce.

When they tried to complain, they were threatened by the restaurants’ waiters.

Local officials said in the coming time panels with hotline numbers will be set up near the blacklisted restaurants so the customers can report any wrongdoing as soon as it is spottted.

Concerned agencies will also introduce restaurants with good service, check the registered prices of all restaurants in the area to make necessary adjustments, the department said.

It will also ask taxi firms to have their drivers stop taking tourists to restaurants with unreasonably high prices.

Some drivers received commissions of 20-30 percent from the restaurants, officials found.

Later this month, the provincial government is expected to open a course on career ethics for restaurant operators.

“After all these measures, if any restaurant commits the violation again, it will be suspended and have its business license revoked,” said Truong Thi Huong, deputy chairwoman of the Vung Tau People's Committee.

“Restaurants repeating the violations could face criminal charges,” Huong said, adding that the city is determined to shut down any business that affects its tourism sector.

Thanh Nien News

[ilovedoggie]

Originally Posted by jackbl

Deceitful eateries blacklisted in southern Vietnam
================================================

Seven restaurants at a beach town in southern Vietnam were publicly blacklisted Wednesday for ripping off their customers, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province Department of Industry and Trade listed seven restaurants in Vung Tau beach town: Phuong Vi, Du Thuyen and Hai Nam; Hiep Ky No.1 on Hoang Hoa Tham Street; Hoa Ba Do and Tay Ho Thuy Ta on Vo Thi Sau Street; and Nhu Y on Phan Chu Trinh Street.

good sharing! i wonder if i was one the victims. had a fish steamboat at a god-knows restaurant, not facing the seaview and nothing fancy, somewhere in the town. and got charge US$30 per pax!!!

[jackbl]

Originally Posted by ilovedoggie

good sharing! i wonder if i was one the victims. had a fish steamboat at a god-knows restaurant, not facing the seaview and nothing fancy, somewhere in the town. and got charge US$30 per pax!!!

US$30=600,000vnd.

I remember eating thai steamboat is 150-180,000vnd in Cho Ben Thanh Night market. Portion is enough for 1 couple. Do your own calculation and see whether you are a victim

[ilovedoggie]

Originally Posted by jackbl

US$30=600,000vnd.

I remember eating thai steamboat is 150-180,000vnd in Cho Ben Thanh Night market. Portion is enough for 1 couple. Do your own calculation and see whether you are a victim

yes i was charged 600k vnd! sorry it's not per pax. it's 600k for 2. it's somewhere in VT. 600k for 2 in hcm i'm ok. but in vt?!

still considered as got conned?

[jackbl]

VND continues to slide against USD
===============================================
The State Bank of Viet Nam once again devalued the Vietnamese dong against the US dollar yesterday, adjusting the interbank exchange rate by another VND10 per dollar to VND20,678.

This marked the fifth incremental change in the exchange rate announced by the central bank since last Wednesday and, with the domestic currency having now depreciated by VND50 since last month, represents the dong's weakest point since May.

The State Bank also set the ceiling exchange rate for commercial banks yesterday at VND20,885 per dollar. Commercial banks are allowed to trade within 1 per cent of the interbank rate, so this figure represents the upper end of the range.

Commercial banks have raised their exchange rates accordingly, with Vietcombank, the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV), Eximbank and Asia Commercial Bank posting buy/sell rates yesterday ranging from VND20,870 to VND20,885 per dollar.

In contrast, the forex rate on the black market declined by VND50 to VND100, with buy/sell rates as of 1pm yesterday of VND21,350-VND21,450.

Tran Thanh Long, an employee of Phu Quy Group shop on Tran Nhan Tong Street said that the drop in US dollar prices on the black market had been caused by low demand.

In August, State Bank of Viet Nam Governor Nguyen Van Binh said that the value of the Vietnamese dong would not depreciate by more than 1 per cent against the US dollar through the end of the year. With the devaluation yesterday, the value of the dong has fallen 0.25 per cent so far.

However, Ministry of Finance's official Vu Dinh Anh told Saigon Economic Times that the recent devaluation had followed a long period of extremely stable exchange rates. An adjustment was now considered critical to maintain this stability in the forex market, Anh said.

He forecast that demand for US dollars would soar in the next few months, but he said that the central bank's increased foreign reserves, a surplus in the nation's balance of payments, and US dollar supplies in commercial banks would help satisfy any rising demand for the dollar.

Meanwhile, investors appeared to be continuing to look to gold as a safe harbour, and domestic gold prices rose for a third straight day yesterday, picking up VND400,000 (US$19.20) per tael. (One tael is equal to 1.2 ounces.)

As of 3pm yesterday, Sai Gon Jewelry Co posted buy/sell prices of VND43.85 million/VND44.17 million per tael. At the same time, the spot price on the London Bullion Market was $1,677.1 per ounce.

VNS

[jackbl]

Saw many dep trai in discos/bars in hcmc.....

The unglamorous side of male modeling P1
==============================================
Glittering lights, fabulous costumes, and beautiful female companions are what people associate with the world of male models, but few know about the unglamorous side of their life.

“To me, it was a tough road to the catwalk,” Hoang phi, winner of the Vietnam Star Model 2010 Award, says.

Before winning the title and rising to fame in the fashion industry, the young model from the southern province of Soc Trang lived in rented rooms and spent little.

In 2008 he had moved to Ho Chi Minh City to pursue his dream after quitting his job in Soc Trang Television’s technical department.

He went to a model training class for six hours a week with 40 others where he learnt the basics of modeling, performing on the catwalk, posing in front of the camera, and acting.

Six months later he began to model in small shows.

The income was modest and uncertain, and he had to live in cheap rooms and spend carefully.

Phi says he had only VND3-4 million (US$150 – 200) a month, only enough for “a standard diet for a model.”

A model needed fancy clothes, and that was also a problem.

“Obviously we models must wear fashionable outfits. Money for clothes was a big deal to me. I could only buy new clothes once every two or three months for not more than VND2 million.”

Le Khoi Nguyen, the 2010 Mister Vietnam and the country’s representative at the 2011 Mister International in the Philippines, too had a difficult start.

Nguyen came to HCMC in 2009 then joined a VND2-million modeling class.
The boy from Dong Thap lived in a 20-square-meter rented room in District 8 on the VND1.5 million his parent sent him each month.

Another dream chaser, Thanh Nghiep, began modeling in 2008 when he lived in a cheap room meant for students in District 9 on the VND600,000 his parents sent him.

After minor shows which did not pay well, he could sometimes afford only a bowl of instant noodles for dinner.

The 23-year-old said he had had been close to throwing in the towel.

“I wanted to quit because I could not stand the pressure from my working and school schedules. Neighbors gossiped that I must be sleeping with directors and managers to get shows.”

Keep the faith

It was the desire to shine on the catwalk that kept them going.

Models have to work hard – for instance, they have to rehearse for take three or four hours before a show -- but for many the sheer excitement of being on stage makes the slog worth their while.

“I spent two hours a day practicing at home. What we were taught in class was just … commercial acting. We needed to figure out our strength ourselves,” Phi says.

“Money is quite important but the more important thing is that being on the catwalk is a passion that is in my blood.”

Nghiep, who did many jobs including waiting tables and working for an online cosmetic and fashion shop for VND500,000 to VND1million a month, also spent many hours practicing in his small room.

After two years of hard work he had enough money to buy him motorbike and did not have to take xe om to shows unlike before.

“I set aside a part of the money from each show to buy clothes. I have only two suits to wear to formal events.”

[jackbl]

The unglamorous side of male modeling P2
==================================================
It was 8pm on a weekend when H.C, a young male model, took us to the dressing room of a newly-opened club on Dong Khoi street, HCMC’s District 1.

Eight models and make-up artists were squeezing into a few-meter square restroom, where they changed clothes, put on make-up and waited for their turn to appear on stage.

A few others came later, adding to a long queue in the corridor waiting for their turn with the make-up artists -- a few well-known faces of Quang Hoa, Xuan Thu or Gia Ngoc were spotted among the small crowd.

T.Tr, a model from Da Lat and a third year honors student majoring in construction management, shouting at the top of his voice to be heard, said they were walking for the club’s opening event, which pays well but does not take place often.

“Sometimes bars hire us to pretend to be their guests in 1 or 2 months; you can earn VND 300,000 – 800,000 for standing 1 – 2 hours a night.

“Even that opportunity did not come often so we take turns to share the work as we can’t make a living just waiting to walk in fashion shows; only 3 out of 10 shows need male models anyway,” T.Tr, who made it to the top 20 of Vietnam Supermodel contest 2010, said bitterly.

The opening show started at 10 but most of the models were ready with their clothes and make-up on 2 hours before that.

“2 hours is nothing, really”, the junior student said. “I sometimes have to wait for half a day for a body painting show at a bar without even getting a chance to show up on stage.

“We came at 11.30am to prepare for a show that started at 8pm, and it later turned out the music was only long enough for 10 of us to walk. So the remaining 20 were told to go home after being given a small compensation for their waiting,” he said.

To young models that are passionate about the profession like T.Tr, being able to walk on stage is the most important thing, “even money comes second”, he said.

As the demand for male models is nowhere near as high as their female counterparts and men fashion shows are still rare, it is not uncommon to spot these young men in countless entertainment events and opening shows like this.

To earn a living to keep up their dreams, one would say, but the reality is harsher for the strong sex that chooses to enter the flamboyant, yet cruel world.

Although competition is not as fierce as in the female model world, male models do not enjoy any easier life. Shows are uncertain and part of their unstable income is always creamed off by modeling agencies or brokers.

As the modeling industry still has a long way to go before reaching professionalism, there is no rule over how much modeling agencies and show organizers can skim off a model’s pay.

As these fashion powers set the price at will, the local model market goes pretty much chaotic. The result is that male models, especially those at the bottom of the food chain, are the most vulnerable.

“Top models get VND 1.5 – 3 million per show, class-B get VND 700,000 – 1 million while class-C receive only VND 200,000 – 400,000.
“Even the top models don’t have more than 4 – 5 shows a month, yet 30 – 50% of their pay each show is kept by modeling agencies.

“Also, it all depends on your relations with show organizers. If you have good relations with them, you can keep what you make. If not, who knows what can happen. I know a guy who had 70% taken off his pay.”

Most male models did not dare to speak up about this unfair treatment, for all are afraid they may not be called to walk again on any show.

“Nobody is setting a fixed and transparent price for our work. As customers only deal with agencies or brokers behind our back, we never get to know how much we are actually paid,” said Vu Duy Hung, who topped the male beauty pageant Mister Vietnam 2010.

Surprisingly, to some companies who want male models for a photo shoot or an advertisement poster, model’s ranking, their body measurements and appearance comes after their price.

Many would opt for a class-B model instead of a top-ranking one if they can save more with their choice; hence it goes without saying in the industry that top models do not necessarily earn the most.

H.C said he was once offered a US$ 2,000 contract to pose for a Ho Chi Minh-based clothes maker but lost it to a colleague who was much shorter than him.

“He said he only needed US$ 700 so the company just went with him.”

Keeping a good relation with show organizers and other powers-that-be in the fashion industry has become an important way for male models to secure a good income, as “you have to make yourself known to these people, otherwise you will never be called for shows.”

T.Tr told Tuoi Tre he used to have to hang out at bars and clubs till 2 to 3 in the morning when he first entered the industry just to hope to get a foot in the door.

[jackbl]

The unglamorous side of male modeling P3
================================================
In the fashion industry, the catwalk isn’t at all easy for new comers to strut.

S.M, with the height of 1.82 m, is a promising face.

After 4 years striving for a vedette position on the catwalk, M told Tuoi Tre he could never forget the painful experience when he first stepped on stage.

In 2009, M, 18, first appeared as a model at a spa for gay men when he was a freshman at a college in Ho Chi Minh City.

“That show had 10 male models,” M recalled.

“Each performed 3 scanty pant designs. Though I wore a mask, I felt extremely confused and anxious.”

M said the models that day were required to dance for 4-5 minutes while audiences howled, whistled and screamed.

Some even physically harassed him and the wage was terribly low, only VND 200,000 (US$10), M said.

One year later, M won a spinoff prize at a local modeling contest and was invited to another show at a homosexual bar.

“I got VND2million for only an hour performing,” he said.

“For a new model like me, that wage was irresistible.”

But M didn’t know his decision would cause serious consequences.

A friend of M’s teacher at PL Model Company came to that show and told his teacher what he was doing there. As the result, his teacher got angry and canceled all shows he got for M for a year.

“I was shocked,” M said.

T, another aspiring model, didn’t have it easy either.

In 2007, T accepted an invitation for a half-naked photo shoot for a company’s advertising which has tormented him ever since.

The young model accepted the offer without payment since he thought it would promote his image in the industry.

During the shooting, T was asked to take off all his clothes with the explanation that the company needed to take a lot of pictures to pick up the best ones.

“After the shooting, I felt I had lost something precious,” T said.

As he feared, the company later used the photos for a gay’s website instead of advertising.

“My company finally heard about the mess,” T said. “I did not know how to explain.”

T said in this competitive environment, it’s hard to find someone to understand him.

[jackbl]

The unglamorous side of male modeling P4
================================================
V.T, a stylist told Tuoi Tre that a famous fashion designer and businessman in Ho Chi Minh City set US$ 1,000 as the price for a café date with a male model and US$ 5,000 for a lunch or dinner.

“He has many male models that he treats like his toys or ornaments,” V.T said.

“He’ll call them whenever he wants.” V.T said many models agree to escort rich and powerful men or women in the industry in exchange for more shows, and a luxurious lifestyle with designer clothes, upscale restaurants and frequent overseas vacations.

“Many new faces coming from the countryside to start a catwalk career are ‘picked’ this way,” said Do Ba Dat, who won Mr. Intellectual at Mister Vietnam 2010.

Not all male models are gay, but many are willing to compromise their own sexuality for a better life and career which would otherwise be mired in uncertainties and unstable incomes.

When Nam Thanh, Mr. Body of Mister Vietnam 2010, was shooting for an underwear collection in a famous resort in Nha Trang, he had no idea there was someone sitting in the corner of the room for the whole day waiting for him.

It turned out that the guy was a 30-year-old successful businessman in Da Nang who fell for Thanh and was later willing to fly to Saigon to see him for just two hours.

The guy had been pursuing him relentlessly, which moved Thanh, but he had to turn the man down, Thanh told Tuoi Tre.

Many others, however, can’t say no as easily to expensive gifts offered to win them over.

Male model Trung Cuong said once an admirer even gave him a VND 2.5 billion car (US$ 120,000) with his name on its registration paper, but he did not accept it.

T.T, another model said many male models voluntarily choose to date these rich men, simply because they can get rich easily.

[AdGuy]

Originally Posted by jackbl

My guess:

khong di duoc. Mai toi va chi gai di chua= Cannot go. Tomorrow I and sister go temple

This is a guess? Your guess very accurate.

Can help me 'guess' the toto number on Monday?

[comecomecome]

Have been following this threat in silently and have learned a lot from the sharing and contributions here. Recently encountered an sms which is beyond my very basic command of the language and seek some help here. My limited understand in brackets. Hope seniors can assist in the correction and learning process. Cam on in advance.

"xiu anh dua em tien ngoi ban di bao nhieu cung duoc khong di em la, em khong muon boi vi anh la ngiu tot."

[completely no idea on this one]

"Anh la ngui tot nhung ma en di voi anh. Em khong co tien la di em la[ going out with you no because of money]. Em xin loi. [I am sorry]. Em muon gap lai anh. [I want see you again] .Anh chay xe can than {no idea}."

[sgchionger]

Hi Bros

Urgent translation needed. Its regarding to my gal, think she finally ask for some money. Used google translator but translation came out unreadable.

Hai tuan nai em lam khong co tien gia dinh keu em dem tien ve vi ba noi moi bi mat ngay 15

ba noi toi bi mat, me cua ba toi bi mat

me cua ba noi

ngay mai anh co the cho toi ba ngan tai gia ding dang can tien lam dam cho ba noi

toi khong the noi nhung loi nay ra duoc toi thay sau ho lam

tai mot thang nai toi lam khong co tien anh dung buon toi nha co gi ngay mai mot gio toi goi cho anh

toi len ngu toi thay minh noi nhung loi nay ra sau ho

Basically i think she asking for some urgent cash for family. what purpose i not sure. I need to justify if the reasons are acceptable, she never took a cent from me the past 3 months i know her except buy her some cheap things less than $100.

[jackbl]

My guess:
Hai tuan nai em lam khong co tien gia dinh keu em dem tien ve vi ba noi moi bi mat ngay 15 = These 2 week I work no $$$. Family ask me bring $$$ back because grandmother just passed away on 15th

ngay mai anh co the cho toi ba ngan tai gia ding dang can tien lam dam cho ba noi = Tomorrow can you give me $3000 cos family now need $$$ for grandmother funeral

toi khong the noi nhung loi nay ra duoc toi thay sau ho lam = I can't say out these words I am very ashamed/shy

tai mot thang nai toi lam khong co tien anh dung buon toi nha co gi ngay mai mot gio toi goi cho anh = Because this 1 month I work no $$$. You dun be sad with me. Anything tomorrow 1pm I call you

[jackbl]

Originally Posted by sgchionger

Used google translator but translation came out unreadable.

To use google translation, you must type in exact vn words. Even exact words/sentence most of the times wont get u further. IMO, I rather use vdict.com