when news is news or is it

News from newspapers is 

in short supply here in Vietnam, anyway in English, can't read Vietnamese so don't know about that.  The one English newspaper, aptly named Vietnam News, originates from Ha Noi and is published by the Vietnam News Agency.  
However, it does contain interesting copy. 

Not too long ago when John Kerry, made a state visit to Ha Noi. An article regarding the discussion he and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trang - amounted to pressing Kerry in obtaining "multiple faceted cooperation with Vietnam including search for missing Vietnamese soldiers and strengthening ties with trade and investments, science, health and climate change." 

Gave some highway statics on the road outside of Quan Nai 80 % of the accidents involved minibuses.  For the first 6 months of this year - 75 accidents, 77 dead and 42 injured.  My thinking is I'm staying away from minibuses, no only in Quan Nai but everywhere. Oh ya, a minibus is a small van with multiple seating, referred to in the USA as a soccer mom's vehicle. 

       
 Another article titled "Poor Workers can go home for Tet".  

Tet (Lunar New Year) is the biggest of biggie's here, a holiday of gigantic proportions.  A big part of it is vacation time, no vacation time in Vietnam only break is at Tet where the whole country pretty much shuts down for a week or so.  The other part of Tet is that it needs to be celebrated with family and for many family is in the countryside somewhere and it takes money to get there.

So this article is about how the state is compassionately addressing the plight of the workers.  A national fund has been established of

US$ 33,300.00 for bus tickets and gifts "for migrant workers to return home for the Tet holiday".  Just for reference there are somewhere between 24 - 48 million unskilled workers in the country which I would consider poor because of earnings between US$ 160 and 190.00 a month.  With all that in mind cyclo drivers are getting US$ 12.00, which isn't bad.

So busy here, everyone racing around getting ready for Tet.  Not me I'm recovering from some sort of crude thing, cough, stuffed up head and just so tired.  Though all is good, Thailand around the middle of next month and back to the states towards the end of February.. Tomorrow more on me, where I'm staying and all that.