I dreamed a dream - Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle has wanted to be a singer since she was a teenager. So, she became the successful contestant in "Britain's Got Talent" with the song "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables." She brought us the Hope of Life. I love Susan Boyle...

I dreamed a dream
I dreamed a dream in times gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine un tasted
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame
He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came
And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed

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My Tho - Ben Tre Mekong Delta travel

Mekong Delta was formed by sediment deposited by the Mekong River and the process still continues today. The land of the Mekong Delta is renowned for its richness and most of it is under cultivation. Its product includes rice, coconut, sugarcane, fruits and fish. A major activity in the Mekong Delta is boating. It is interesting to tour through the canals by boat to get a close look at the beautiful natural setting of the Mekong Delta

My Tho is the closest Mekong Delta City to Saigon where you will see part of the picturesque natural setting of Vietnamese country. This trip includes seeing a floating fish market, crossing Mekong River by motorized boat, a row boat ride along small creeks to the Mekong river estuary, cruising along the Phoenix Island, quiet villages of Ben Tre Province, seeing the manufacturing of handicrafts made from coconut trees, honey bee keeping farm, tropical orchards, tasting honey, tropical fruit, coconut candy, enjoying Vietnamese tradition music, visiting MEKONG REST STOP on the way back to Saigon.

The mosquito

In Vietnam, mosquitoes are troublesome and even unbearable at certain times of the year.
Every one detests them, but very few know their history and the reasons why these cursed insects buzz unceasingly in our ears and attempt to such our blood. This legend will explain their origin.
Ngoc Tam, a modest farmer, had married Nhan Diep. The two young people were poor but in excellent health, and they seemed destined to enjoy the happiness of a simple rural life. The husband worked in the paddy and cultivated a small field of mulberry trees, and the wife engaged in raising silkworms.
But Nhan Diep was a coquette at heart. She was lazy, and dreamed of luxury and pleasures. She was also clever enough to hide her desires and ambitions from her husband, whose love for her was genuine. The husband supposed his wife to be content with her lot and happy in her daily chores.
Ngoc Tam toiled diligently, hoping to ease their poverty and improve their station in life.
Oneday, Nhan Diep was suddenly carried away by death. Ngoc Tam was plunged into such deep sorrow that he would not leave his wife's body and opposed her burial.
One day, after having sold his possessions, he embarked in a sampan with the coffin and sailed away.
One morning he found himself at the foot of a fragrant, green hill which perfumed the countryside.
He went ashore and discovered a thousand rare flowers and orchards of trees laden with the most varied kinds of fruit.
There he met an old man who supported himself with a bamboo cane. His hair white as cotton and his face wrinkled and sunburned, but under his blond eyelashes his eyes sparkled like those of a young boy. By this last trait, Ngoc Tam recognized the genie of medicine, who traveled throughout the world on his mountain, Thien Thai, to teach his science to the men of the earth, and to alleviate their ills.
Ngoc Tam threw himself at the genie's feet.
Then the genie spoke to him:
"Having learned of your virtues, Ngoc Tam, I have stopped my mountain on your route. If you wish, I will admit you to the company of my disciples"
Ngoc Tam thanked him profusely but said that he of any life other than the one he would lead with her, and he begged the genie to bring her back to life.
The genie looked at him with kindness mixed with pity and said:
"Why do you cling to this world of bitterness and gall? The rare joys of this life are only a snare. How foolish you were to entrust your destiny to a weak and inconstant being! I want to grant your wishes, but I fear that you will regret it later."








Then, on the genie's order, Ngoc Tam opened the coffin; he cut the tip of his finger and let three drops of blood fall on Nhan Diep's body. The latter opened her eyes slowly, as if awakening from a deep sleep. Then her faculties quickly returned.
"Do not forget your obligations," the genie said to her. "Remember your husband's devotion. May you both be happy."
On the voyage home Ngoc Tam rowed day and night, eager to reach his native land again. One evening he went ashore in a certain port to buy provisions. During his absence a large ship came alongside the wharf, and the owner, a rich merchant, was struck by Nhan Diep's beauty. He entered into conversation with her and invited her to have refreshments aboard his vessel. As soon as she was aboard, he gave the order to cast off and sailed away.
Ngoc Tam searched an entire month for his wife before locating her abroad the merchant's vessel. She answered his questions without the least hesitation, but had grown accustomed to her new life. It satisfied her completely and she refused to return home with him.
Then for the first time, Ngoc Tam saw her in her true light. Suddenly he felt all love for her vanished, and he no longer desired her return.
"You are free," he said to-her. "Only return to me the three drops of blood that I gave to bring you back to life. I do not want to leave the least trace of myself in you."
Happy to be set free so cheaply, Nhan Diep took a knife and cut the tip of her finger. But, as soon as the blood began to flow, she turned pale and sank to the ground. An instant later she was dead.
Even so, the light-hearted frivolous woman could not resign herself to leave this world forever. She returned in the form of a small insect and fol- lowed Ngoc Tam relentlessly, in order to steal the three drops of blood from him, which would restore her to human life. Day and night she worried her former husband, buzzing around him incessantly, protesting her innocence, and begging his pardon. Later, she received the name of "mosquito." Unfor- tunately for us, her race has multiplied many times.

New-Year Writing - Vietnamese culture

According to culture and habit of the Vietnamese, it is believed that the very first day of a lunar year is so important to every new start. If things are in good smooth and people are happy on the first day of a lunar year, the whole year then is always in luck. On that day, people often take time to do a lot of things to wish for yearly luck, among which new-year writing is always paid attention to and reminded to be done to wish for a new year of prosperity.

Custom of new-year writing is often done among scholars. It used to be scholars, Confucian teachers, university graduates, etc to have this habit and it is now students, writers, poets. People normally take a good hour after New Year's Eve to begin new-year writing. This habit is only nominal and symbolic for a new learning in a new year. Some people may write down the dates of new-year writing, but some do compose some works at this moment, some others may write down their wish for a new year of great advantages, good learning, and a good career. Scholars or Confucian teachers used to compose parallel sentences to be hung for Tet.
New-year writing is not a must during Tet festival, however, it has been mentioned for quite a long time particularly on first days of a lunar new year. It is unnecessary to have new-year writing as soon as New Year's Eve, people feel free to take a day or an hour which is considered to be good for this habit on the first day of lunar new year onwards.

New-year writing for great luck - people usually begin first handwritings of a lunar new year with the hope of getting good things and also expressing respectfulness of handwritings and learning as well. This is really a beautiful custom, a significant trait of Tet festival which should be kept and brought into play for later generations.

Hải Lưu
collected