Thursday, January 24, 2013

Odds and Ends from Ho Chi Minh City - January 2013

street crossing in Saigon is always dicey

9-23 park, New Year 2013

















More stuff I've picked up on over the past few weeks that I thought might be of interest to you.
Here goes: 

A bit of history - 1944, the British Air Force flew a mission over Berlin with 769 planes dropping 2,300 tons of bombs.

Propagandist jailed - HCM City people’s court sentenced Ms Lo Thanh Thao 36, to 42 months in jail for dispersing anti-national propaganda. She scattering leaflets on 20 March in Binh Than district and 4 days later scattered more in front of several buildings in district 1.  Ngayen Thi Nhi a living overseas Vietnamese in the USA is said to have given her a cell phone. Laptop and $490.00 in payment to carry out the mission.

Visiting HCM City -  Three Chinese navy ships made a 5 day port of call to Saigon, a supply ship and two destroyers.   While in port they had meetings with the Peoples Committee and the high command of Vietnam's Military zone 7 along with athletic and social activities with Vietnamese military personal. 

Military buildup in Indonesia - In 2010 Indonesia started a military expansion program that would allocate 16.7 billion dollars for military equipment. Including  Sukhumi fighter jets, KT 1 Wong-bee trainer/Lt attach planes from S. Korea, Toucan anti-insurgency planes from Brazil, Leopard battle tanks from Germany and two billion dollars worth of on spec fighter jets from South Korea.

Suicide rate a national tragedy in South Korea -    33.5 people per 100,000 committed suicide  or 50 per day in 2010 in Korea.  To stem the tide CCTV camera have be installed to monitor know hot spots for suicide.  One of these areas is the Mapo bridge in Seoul where 96 of the 196 suicide deaths occurred in that city.  The pressures of success in academics and career achievement are the major forces pushing people to try suicide. 

Han Noi projects increase in textile exports -   Na Noi has targeted an increase in textile exports in the range of 18 - 19 billion dollars  equaling a 12 % increase.

Glut of real estate in ha Noi - According to a recent report by CB Richard Ellis at the end of 2012 Ha Noi had 20,400 apartments on the market, which in today's real estate climate would take up to four years to sell.   In 2012 real estate prices dropped 15% but in order to get the market moving they would have to drop 30-50%.  The major problem is the lack of affordability, personal savings of Ha Noi residents would only put  2% in the new apartment market.  Then with regard to available office space it would take up to 10 years to absorb the existing vacant properties. 

Auto sales slump in Vietnam -  Auto sales slumped to 26,000 units or decrees of  37%.  A proposed decrease of government fees to 10 % on new vehicles and 2 % on used if approved will stimulate the market.  This down turn in auto sales will affect Vietnam's state budget tax rolls by an estimated 2 billion annually.

Gun sales in the USA -  In 2011 gun sales totaled 66.3 billion.  With that much money involved it's no wonder the NRA is calling the shots (pun intended) in Washington.

Good eat -  Ban Ong is a Vietnamese treat made from rice, sugar and coconut.  This is available street side in Saigon's dist. 1, at the Phu Dong Tien Vuong roundabout on Nguyen Tri Street. 

 


cyclo guys staff meeting








new and older Saigon




  













That's all I got for now, but always thinking of you...  Doug

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