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| street crossing in Saigon is always dicey |
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| 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.
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| cyclo guys staff meeting |
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| new and older Saigon |
