Alright. I was surprised when the country was the first to contain SARS last year too.

I was shocked as well.

why?

http://www.vnn.vn/
Is the above a good site for Vietnamese news?

We Vietnamese don't mess around when it comes to Health... and National Independence.

We have the highest rate of immunized kids in Asia, or is it SEAsia, I am not sure.

Maybe Southeast Asia, definitely not all of Asia because I'm sure Taiwan (R.O.C.), Japan, South Korea, Singapore would at least have a higher rate of immunized children than Vietnam. But I could be wrong since I was surprised when I heard that Vietnam was the first nation to contain SARS.

If anyone has any reliable information on this issue, please share with us

I'll try to find the source Kulong, give me a few days hehe. I know it was from a book, off to the library then.

Ah oh no, I meant the library when I have the chance. I'm still trying to finish this paper right now but AsiaFinest is distracting me hehehe. Spring break oh yeah!!! One more week and it's home at last.

No, I am not going to Mexico. It's way too expensive for me. I am pinching my penny.

Same here, if I did want to visit Mexico then maybe Acapulco or something, definitely no Tijuana. Oh well, but if you're stuck here in La Jolla, Mexico wouldn't sound that bad.

TJ is just where Mexicali is and it's not exactly a tourist spot. There's just cheap liquor there and you can buy them if you're over 18, students at UCSD go there just to get wasted since it's so damn boring here. I'm planning to go back Jan. 2005! I can't wait, I have to visit my old elementary school and kindegarten. From the look of it, VN is rapidly changing so fast, there's construction everywhere. Any recommendation on traveling alone? Shouldn't be that bad right?

Woa, phew! What are those places? The only place I know is Cancoon, and that's just way too expensive. And I'd rather save my money for Vietnam in summer 2005! Vietnam, here I come.

I love you Vietnam.

I don't know about traveling alone. I am 20 and my parents wouldn't even let me go to Vietnam by myself. Arrghh... But yah, Vietnam has changed so fast from what I've read and heard and seen. The last time I went to Vietnam was 2000. So this 2005 should be fun for me. I am going to Danang, how about you?

You consider UCSD is boring? You really should come ERAU. Population: 2,000. Male:Female ratio: 9:1. Average age of Prescott town: 67. How boring is that? The roads are full of old folks traveling at 50 mph on a 70 mph highway. Yup, it's sad.

Wow i've never been to Vietnam since I was 6. You are so lucky you get to go home next year DAIVIET. Vietnam is becoming a tourist hot spot, because the gov't. has become more open to tourism. It has given citizens of other Asian countries Visa exemptions already. Right now Vietnam is giving special attention to Japan, the place where tourists are increasing rapidly year-on-year. [sighs...] o well, there will be time... hehehe

oh, i stumbled across this site yesterday. It has a collection of pictures that i think you'll find interesting. http://www.sinhcafetour.com/images.html

oh, i stumbled across this site yesterday.  It has a collection of pictures that i think you'll find interesting. http://www.sinhcafetour.com/images.html

Yeah few years ago there was "Vietnam Fever" in Japan. Lots of japanese became really interested and wanted to go to Vietnam. Especially Japanese women who wanted to shop and buy Ao Dai!!! i wonder if its still going on.

I've been told that Sinh Cafe tours aren't that good. Besides, it's always much more fun (and costly) travelling with your friends and relatives. When we went to Vietnam, we hired a tourist van (25 seats) and took 19 other people with us from HCMC to Nha Trang. Man it was 3 days of fun but cost us over $1000 dollars. Well spent though. The 5 islands tour was nice. Saw heaps of monkeys doing tricks on the well named "monkey island". we also bought a big fish and cuttlefish and had it cooked and eaten on a floating restaurant in the middle of the Nha Trang Islands.

Btw, what's your gender Dai Viet? Just wondering coz if you're a guy your Su Tu Ha Dong mum shouldn't be controlling your money. LOL

Btw, what's your gender Dai Viet? Just wondering coz if you're a guy your Su Tu Ha Dong mum shouldn't be controlling your money. LOL

LOL ok my mistake.

My family situation is totally opposite to Dai Viet. I usually have alot to say on how household money should be spent. I'm sorta like the financial adviser in the family, which is appropriate considering that i'm a uni student in banking and finance.

LOL ok my mistake.

My family situation is totally opposite to Dai Viet. I usually have alot to say on how household money should be spent. I'm sorta like the financial adviser in the family, which is appropriate considering that i'm a uni student in banking and finance.

Yeah Vietnam is pretty popular with Japanese and Korean tourists. My family own a house in district 1, next to a restaurant associated with SaigonTourist. There were something like 4-5 bus load of those tourists coming and dining at that restaurant. There were also heaps of Japanese and Koreans shopping in Ben Thanh.

Deputy foreign minister heads to Vietnam 
Mon Mar 15, 4:49 AM ET 

HANOI (AFP) - Deputy foreign minister, Mike O'Brien, was due to arrive in Vietnam on an official visit for wide-ranging talks, including October's controversial Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Hanoi.

O'Brien, whose official title is Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, will fly into the southern business capital of Ho Chi Minh City and on Tuesday head to Hanoi, the British Embassy in Hanoi said.

Before leaving the communist nation on Thursday, O'Brien is expected to meet with a number of senior Vietnamese government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien.

His visit coincides with a week-long trip to Vietnam by the head of the British Army, General Sir Michael Jackson.

"I am looking forward to my first visit to Vietnam. I see it as a good opportunity to further the flourishing UK/Vietnam bilateral relations," O'Brien said in a statement.

"I hope to discuss the investment climate for UK business, Vietnam's WTO aspirations, the forthcoming ASEM 5 Summit in Hanoi, and the EU's Human Rights dialogue with Vietnam."

ASEM is likely to be the most sensitive issue up for discussion.

The two-day summit is due to take place from October 8, but it has been put in jeopardy as a result of a dispute between European Union (news - web sites) member countries and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN wants its newer members -- Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar -- to be included in the biennial summit in return for the participation of the 10 European Union candidate countries, who officially join the bloc in May.

The EU, and in particular Britain, is opposed to Myanmar's entry unless the country's military regime takes meaningful steps to improve the human rights situation there.

Britain is the one of the largest EU investors in Vietnam. Two way trade in 2003 totalled 1.2 billion dollars, according to the embassy.

well, i'm going to vietnam this coming november. i can't wait!

well, i'm going to vietnam this coming november. i can't wait!

Corpse of monk in lotus position who died in 1723 found in Vietnam 
Tue Mar 16, 3:50 PM ET  Add Science - AFP to My Yahoo!

HANOI (AFP) - The corpse of a Buddhist monk sitting in a lotus position has been uncovered in a pagoda in northern Vietnam over 280 years after he died, a museum official said.

The body of the monk, Nhu Tri, who died in 1723 in a tower at the Tieu Pagoda in Bac Ninh province, was covered in a layer of special preservative paint.

His internal organs remained intact but one eye socket was damaged and his arms were broken off at the elbow, according to Nguyen Duy Nhat, deputy director of the Bac Ninh Museum.

The corpse was first discovered around 30 years ago during the Vietnam War but local authorities were not in a position to preserve it.

"In early 2002 a delegation of high ranking monks from the Truc Lam and Yen Tu Monasteries visited the pagoda and read the inscription on the tower. They asked for it be opened up and preserved," Nhat said.

On March 5 this year, the Ministry of Culture and Information's heritage department granted a licence to the Buddhist Church to restore the corpse, and a week later it was moved to Bac Ninh's Due Khanh Pagoda for the work to begin.