The year 2012 offers many opportunities for Vietnam to send workers abroad, according to the Overseas Labor Management Department under the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

According to the department, economies in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia are still growing and have high demand for foreign workers, including Vietnamese laborers.

After Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited Japan late last year, Japan agreed to receive Vietnamese nurses and hospital orderlies, giving Vietnamese workers opportunities to earn high income and respect.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Korea will receive 15,000 Vietnamese workers. Of them, 11,700 will work in the manufacturing sector; 1,000 in the construction sector; 1,000 in the agricultural sector and 1,300 in fisheries.

Malaysia highly appreciates hard-working Vietnamese workers and has strong demand for foreign workers in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, services and domestic work.

About 140 enterprises are permitted to send workers to Malaysia and have so far sent 200,000 workers.

Head of the Overseas Labor Management Department Nguyen Ngoc Quynh said that after a suspension period, Libya is expected to receive Vietnamese workers from June to serve their national reconstruction.

Based on these optimistic signals, Vietnam has set a target of sending 90,000 workers abroad this year.

Vietnam will strengthen vocational training for workers in the health care and service sectors in order to meet demand in traditional markets.

The country will also study and develop new markets for seasonal work, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Finland and Sweden.

According to the department, in 2011 more than 88,000 Vietnamese workers were sent to work in nearly 40 countries and territories, mostly in the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia.

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A large fire broke out at the Quang Ngai Market in the central province of Quang Ngai at 5 am today and covered the entire market. 3 hours later, fire fighters are continuing their efforts to put out the blaze.

The local fire brigade sent tens of fire engines and hundreds of firemen to the market, which is located between three major streets, Nguyen Nghiem, Ngo Quyen and Nguyen Ba Loan, to extinguish the fire.

The Binh Son Petro-chemical Refinery Company sent two fire trucks of its own to the scene for support.

The firefighters have tried to prevent the fire from spreading to the residential area surrounding the market.

By 8 am, the fire, which rose up to heights of tens of meters, had consumed the entire market, including a large number of stalls – including those selling fabric, garments, cosmetics, cake and candy, according to Tuoi Tre reporters who are on the scene and following the situation.

Police have sent 300 officers to the scene to assist in the extinguishing and keep order in the area.

The provincial Party Committee secretary Vo Van Thuong, chairman of the People’s Committee Cao Khoa, and director of Police Department Le Xuan Hoa are present on the scene to direct efforts to extinguish the fire.

Some traders told Tuoi Tre that the flames broke out at the footwear area and then spread rapidly to other parts of the market.

The plumes of smoke from the fire rise up tens of meters and cover the market and its surrounding area

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The Saigon Cyclo Challenge 2012 will be held in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7 on March 10

As the only cyclo race in the world in the past ten years, the 2012 event will have ten corporate teams joining the three-wheel cyclo race around The Crescent in Phu My Hung urban center.

A maximum of ten teams represent their companies who are named the 10 Gold sponsors of the event whose organizer — Saigon Children’s Charity — expects to receive a package cost of US$5,000, with more than 90 percent of this going straight to the child support programs of SCC.

Companies’ participants will have a chance to engage in some healthy, team-building competition.

Those interested in contributing to this charity event can access www.saigonchildren.com/events.aspx to discuss involvement in the 2012 Saigon Cyclo Challenge.

The race will take place from 8:30am – 11:30am.

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Car-fond members of the club Ladycarcar will host a charitable market-day on Saturday morning in Ho Chi Minh City where all philanthropists can get involved to raise fund for helping patients in the city’s hospitals.

Held at 116 Nguyen Du Street in District 1, the market-day is expected to be gifted souvenirs and any unused utensils and articles so that the organizers can sell them back to others to raise fund.

Besides, visitors to the market-day can also swap their unused devices for others and make cash donations to the fund, said Van Anh – one of the organizers.

Philanthropists can also call organizers to send their goods to the market. Organizers include Van Anh 0904 261 153 and Diem Thy 0909 888 630.

All the sum raised during the market day will be donated to poor patients at Children’s Hospital No.2 and the HCMC Oncology Hospital.

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Digital TV service provider AVG continues to demand compensations from TV station VTC for filming and broadcasting live the match between Vissai Ninh Binh and Dong Thap on January 1.

According to AVG, by broadcasting the match, VTC violated the 20-year agreement of exclusive TV rights AVG signed with the Vietnam Football Federation in late 2010.

However, according to the federation’s partner VPF, which is in charge of marketing and sales and organization of top football leagues in Vietnam, this deal has been voided because it violated Vietnam’s sport law.

“AVG demands VTC to make a public apology on local media […] and stop the violation,” AVG said in its latest dispatch.

Addressing the issue, VTC vice director Vu Quang Huy told Tuoi Tre that AVG might be confused.

“VTC had received a document from VPF, the organizer of the Super League to allow VTC to broadcast the match and others,” Huy said.

Talking about the issue, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism spokesman To Van Dong said yesterday the three sides should take it to court.

“If the sides can’t sit together to find out a solution, the ministry advises them to take it to a court,” Dong said.

VPF Board of Director’s vice director Nguyen Duc Kien also said he expected to take the issue to court. But AVG CEO Pham Nhat Vu told Tuoi Tre that he hadn’t thought of settling the issue in a court.

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A young man was spotted resting on his knees for five hours in front of a mattress shop in Nha Trang city’s To Vinh Dien street last Saturday, piquing the curiosity of people in the neighborhood.

“I have come and gone from the street today and I still see him here,” said a motorbike taxi driver.

Many passers-by stopped and watched him. Some gave advice, telling him to stand up and go home, but he did not listen.

According to newswire VnExpress, the man is a sophomore in business management at Nha Trang University.

Recently, his girlfriend broke up with him to concentrate on studies and her future career.

The 20-year old man had been trying to call her but couldn’t get through. He believed that the girl was still in love with him, so he decided to kneel down and wait in front of the shop where she worked.

“I believe she broke up with me for my sake. By kneeling down like this, I hoped my girlfriend would understand my heart and come back to me,” the desperate young man told the newswire.

Sadly, his girlfriend did not show up on that day, since she had quit working at the shop.

An assistant from the shop later came out to consult with him and was able to convince him go home after he had been kneeling down for five hours.

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Photo: Internet

Citing PSG sports’ director, Leonardo, the local broadcaster Europe 1 said the 36-year-old midfielder will not appear among PSG players’ list this winter. 

Reports said that Beckham will stay in Los Angeles where he was expected to extend his five-year contract with Los Angoles Galaxy.

Few weeks ago, the local daily Le Pairisien said Beckham gave his verbal accord to join soon PSG for 18 months with some details remain to be finalized.

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Thousands of joggers will join in the annual Lawrence S. Ting charity walk to raise funds for poor people to help them have an adequate Tet festival, which is just three weeks away.

According to the organizers, Phu My Hung joint-venture Company, so far this year’s charity event has raised VND2.3 billion in total and attracted nearly 13,000 participants, who will go on a 2 kilometer walk along Ban Nguyet Lake, situated in District 7.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to funds for the poor in Districts 7, 8, Nha Be, and Binh Chanh in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Lawrence S. Ting charity walk has raised more than VND9 billion to support the poor in Ho Chi Minh City, and has attracted 84,000 participants since its debut six years ago.

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Vietnam’s Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group (HAGL) which owns a football club of the same name has said it would help Laos develop its first professional football championship league.

HAGL’s chairman Doan Nguyen Duc said the proposal was still waiting for the approval of the Laotian Football Federation.

If the idea is approved, it won’t be the first time HAGL will have invested in Laotian football, Duc said. In 2009, Duc also sponsored Laos’ football team to train for nearly a year before SEA Games.

Duc said HAGL was yet to decide the exact amount of investment and the company would set up his own team, Hoang Anh Attapeu, in Attapeu, a province in Laos where HAGL is investing, as well as send over Vietnamese coaches.

Duc said he didn’t have much ambition about Laotian football, which only has a semi-professional football league, and was simply trying to market his company’s name to the public through football.

“For instance, 10 years ago, few knew about HAGL. But now, a lot more people have heard about us,” Duc said.

According to Duc, Laos and Vietnam are very closed so when Laotian football achieves, it is good for Vietnamese football and vice versa.

For example, at SEA Games 2009, the stadium in Vientiane was flooded with Vietnam’s national flags.

Football is a healthy competitive sport, Duc said. “If Laotian football improves, Vietnam will also have to set its target higher.”

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The Thu Thiem Ferry, which was a milestone in the development of the city, will never be erased from the nostalgia of many Saigonese.

The ferry officially halted its operations on November 20 — the date the Thu Thiem Tunnel running below the Saigon River bed was opened for traffic.

Though the ferry has ended its service, it will carry on in the mind of every Saigonese who used the boat to commute to and from the Thu Thiem peninsula.

The Thu Thiem Ferry at its beginning

How long has the Thu Thiem Ferry been in service in Ho Chi Minh City, whose former name is Saigon? It began its operation in its latest incarnation sometime after the Southern Revolution in 1945. However, this was only when large ferries were put in use to transport cars and bikes, in addition to people. Its two piers on the banks of the river had already been around for centuries.

Thu Thiem Ferry vice director Nguyen Cong Dan admitted, “I can’t tell you an exact time. I just know it was there when Vietnam was invaded by the French.” A senior resident in Thu Thiem, Nguyen Thi Thao said honestly, “It’s been a long time. It seems to go as far back as when people first moved to the peninsula.”

Thao added that she used to cross the Saigon River from the Cay Bang Pier in Thu Thiem to Cho Cu Market, which is now on Ham Nghi Street, before 1945, when she was 12 years old.

“Then, the ferry consisted of several row boats with oars that carried around 30 people, plus a few three-wheel bikes. It took a long time for those boats to cross the river,” she recalled.

Thao shared that guests attending her parents’ wedding party in 1917 had crossed the river by ferry.

Historical documents written in the 19th century referred to the Thu Thiem Ferry, which even then was located at its current position on the two river banks.

Dr. Ton Nu Quynh Tran, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Urban and Development Studies, told Tuoi Tre that the Thu Thiem Ferry was only officially acknowledged in 1911, when it was marked on the “Environs de Saigon” (or Outskirts of Saigon) map of the city. The map was drawn by the former Southern Administration in the scale of 1/50,000.

Thu Thiem Ferry on the riverbank of Saigon center in 1965 (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Cultural expert Hai Duong added to that,saying “The inclusion of the ferry on the city’s map means it was under official management by local authorities. In reality, the ferry had existed at that location long, long before 1911.”

Le Van Dong, 88, a former Thu Thiem resident, noted that the peninsula was managed by a man named Ca Muoi, known for his academic knowledge and traditional medicine expertise. Ca Muoi encouraged and helped people move to the area while he lived there.

Thanks to Ca Muoi, people from the Mekong Delta provinces of Long An, Can Tho, Hau Giang, and Dong Thap, and from northern regions, moved in and settled on the peninsula, Mr. Dong said. Now, many senior residents in Thu Thiem still remember Ca Muoi and hold him in high regard.

The emigrants joined with the locals in Thu Thiem to build temples, markets, schools and other sites near the Cay Bang Quay, several of which have survived to this day. Examples include the temples Phat Quan Am, Ong Dia, Ba Chua Xu, Quan Bo, and Duc Thanh Tran.

It is clear that the Cay Bang Quay of the Thu Thiem Ferry became a gateway into the peninsula, said the research center chief Quynh Tran.

“Without the Thu Thiem Ferry, the Thu Thiem peninsula would have remained an uninhabited swamp. It would not be the land of rich culture it is now, with a large amount of temples and pagodas,” she concluded.

The Thu Thiem quay in District 1 has been considered the center of the city for over a hundred years of city development. After crossing the Thu Thiem, travelers could get to any corner of the city in a short amount of time. It was one of the values of the ferry, according to Quynh Tran.

With its key role in mind, the Thu Thiem Ferry continued offering services at a cheap price to ensure that anyone could travel back and forth from the peninsula. During the last stretch of the ferry’s operation, a ticket cost only VND1,000, or a third of a bus ticket in the city, and half the price of keeping a motorbike.

In the last days of the historic Thu Thiem Ferry, Ms. Tu — a fish seller for the last 30 years — anxiously asked the ferry staff if she could use the Thu Thiem tunnel for her business.

Like many of the poor people in the city, Ms. Tu gets around by bicycle, a mode of transport that is banned in the state-of-the-art Thu Thiem Tunnel; the largest in Southeast Asia.

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