This blog post was just too amusing and informative not to share. *Warning - Adult Language*
The name game
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November 6, 2009 by Nguy Ha
Giving names to children has never been so fraught with difficulties, as Vietnamese parents are bombarded with advice on tones, meanings, lucky numbers, family traditions and the pressures of adapting to increased use of English.
Names in Vietnam are heavy with meaning. Parents think that a child’s name plays a key role in the destiny of their children. Often names and derivative meanings of names are passed down through generations, partially as a way of paying respect to their ancestors.
However, names can also be the source of family contentions. A mother may find herself in conflict with her mother-in-law over her choice of names, as the older woman attempts to force the younger to adopt a traditional name from her family. Such ‘name games’ are often centred around the naming of the first grand-son and can even be tied to future material wealth, such as inheritance of family property.
Names are not only tied with family traditions, but often with long-standing superstitions. In the past, parents did everything they could to ensure that spirits or ghosts would leave their children alone, and names emphasising the beauty or intelligence of a child were eschewed for more ‘ugly’ names. Girls would be given names such as Truong Thi Buom (butterfly, a slang word for the female genitalia), Tran Van Dan (fucking), Nguyen Thi Ty (breast) or Phung Van Ram (fart) were very common. Parent would use Van (male) and Thi (female) to identify their children’s gender.
As throughout the world, peasants with limited education resorted to very basic names for their children, often due to the large numbers of children they had. Consequently, children often ended up with names such as Nhat (one), Hai (two), and Ba (three). Other popular names were based on the year of the child’s birth, so the names of Chinese astrological years was a useful source giving rise to such names as Mui (goat), Hoi (pig), Mao (cat) and Dzan (tiger).
In some cases these ‘year names’ have led to trouble for their holders. One official was found to have lied in official statements about his age in order to avoid retirement. His name ‘Dan’ had revealed that he had been born in 1950 rather than 1953 as he stated (which would have meant his name would have been Ti after the year of snake).
Names in the past were often used to express the unity of a whole family. For example, if a grandfather’s name is Chuoi (black fish) or Ro (anabas), the children and grandchildren’s names would often be fish-related, such as Tre (cat fish), Tram (carp) and Bong (gudgeon). Or if a father’s name is Thanh, his son would likely be called Dat because Thanh Dat means success.
After 1975 the children’s names began to express the wishes of parents for their children, with Chien Thang (victory) or Hanh Phuc (happiness) becoming popular.
From the1990s, parents became increasingly inventive, echoing the David and Victoria Beckham perhaps, with names marking places that the evoked good memories. Names such as Ha Lan (Holland), Von Ga (Volga River), Duc (Germany), My (America) became more popular. Girls are now often named after flowers, such as Lan (orchid), Cuc (daisy), Hong (rose), while boy’s names concentrate on manly traits through names such as Dung (bravery), Cuong (strong), Manh (powerful).
Today people may be more educated but people still find that choosing a good name can cause headaches. Often the same names crop up due to their auspicious meanings. Some parents even visit a name specialist who will provide a list of names for between 50,000VND to 100,000VND ($3-$6).
A name specialist will also rule out unfavourable names that the parents may have chosen.
‘Nameologist Nhuan explains: “the name of a child should be based on the name of their parents and the year in which they are born”, but he also thinks that names with no tonal inflection are likely to provide the child with a smooth and untroubled life. So, no matter the year of their birth, Nhuan proscribes Hoa Linh, Van Khanh, Trang Ling, Phuong Anh as good names.
Mr Hung, another ‘nameologist’ usually suggests names such as Minh Chau (Bright Gem), Minh Anh (Clever) and Tue Minh (Wise) and he says that children with these names will be very clever.
No-one denies that a good name is important, and it’s reasonable that parents spend so long choosing a name for their children. But the lack of imagination is a shame, as the Vietnamese language is rich in meaning, and the repetition of the same names can be dull and confusing. Many specialists say that good name should evoke a good feeling and be easy to write and say.
Yen, who works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also adds that parents are now having to be even more careful in their choices. “Now Vietnam is opening up to the world and parents shouldn’t choose names which in English might be misunderstood. When I gave birth to my first daughter, I hoped that she would be beautiful so I gave her the name Loan. A foreign friend come to visit me, and they asked ‘When you gave birth to her, were you in debt?’ So I had to spend time explaining the meaning to them.” Luckily she had not chosen Dung.
http://www.expat-advisory.com/articles/asia/southeast-asia/vietnam/name-game
Friday, November 06, 2009
A Working Woman Once Again
It is Friday now and I have completed my first official week back to work and I have to say that I am thrilled to be working again. My new schedule is 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. My new office is about a 15 minute drive from our house, although after dropping Steven off at school, it is more of a 25 minute commute.
The office, as many businesses in the city, is housed in a residential house, with a reception area, dining room/admin office and a kitchen on the ground floor and a winding staircase up through three floors where bedrooms have been converted into offices, each with its own bathroom. I share an office with Ngoc, the program manager, a young social worker who is a pleasure to work with. Across from our office is Pho Duan, the head researcher, in an office of his own. And at the top is Caroline, the French Head-of-Mission who is funny, driven and inspiring and, who I believe, will be a great person to work with and learn from.
I spent most of my first week going through various organizational and project documents and putting everything together in more comprehensive drafts that will serve as VeT's "face" to donors and the public. The basic project structure is as follows: VeT is approached by local government representatives in regards to an urban area with poor infrastructure and a population of low-income or impoverished residents. VeT then visits the area and, if it fits within the scope of their work, they contract with another organization to perform a Socio-Economic Survey/Needs Assessment on the area taking into account the financial situations of the local families, their awareness of environmental issues, the local housing stock and the local infrastructure. Both the perspectives of residents and local government authorities are taken into account in terms of the scope and specifics of the problems to be addressed as well as proposed solutions. An initial agreement is then drafted between VeT and the local authority, determining each partner’s participation and establishing a basic project framework contingent on funding for the project. Then comes the fundraising.
Once, and if, sufficient funds are able to be raised, an official agreement between all project partners, including local beneficiaries, is drafted, detailing the importance of participation and commitment by all parties, including a financial commitment on the part of the local government. Once the agreement is signed and accepted by higher authorities the work can begin.
Many of VeT's projects include the improvement of or installation of local infrastructure including alley ways, drainage systems, fresh water networks, sewer systems as well as assistance with the improvement of local housing stock. Residents are often encouraged, if not required in the contract, to assist with such projects, most commonly their own homes, to grant them a sense of ownership in the project and, for some, give them temporary employment.
In tandem with the physical improvements, local families are offered financial assistance either for income generating activities or for home improvement in the form of micro-loans. The micro-loan program provides small loans to groups of individuals who are then responsible for keeping each other on top of the repayment of the loans. Once a small initial loan is repaid, families can borrow larger loans.
Throughout the projects, VeT provides capacity-building trainings to local residents and local government officials in the areas of Project Management and Micro-Lending as well as more hands on training in respect to new utility systems, if necessary. At the end of the project cycle - typically three years - the project area should be in better shape environmentally (less flooding, less pollution by wastewater, improved housing stock, more environmentally aware populace, etc.) and financially, with residents more able to save and earn enough to support their families. VeT has done a lot of great work in its 14 years in Viet Nam and I am looking forward to learning more and being a part of it.
Now we just have to figure out how to get dinner on the table at a reasonable hour with both of us working!
The office, as many businesses in the city, is housed in a residential house, with a reception area, dining room/admin office and a kitchen on the ground floor and a winding staircase up through three floors where bedrooms have been converted into offices, each with its own bathroom. I share an office with Ngoc, the program manager, a young social worker who is a pleasure to work with. Across from our office is Pho Duan, the head researcher, in an office of his own. And at the top is Caroline, the French Head-of-Mission who is funny, driven and inspiring and, who I believe, will be a great person to work with and learn from.
I spent most of my first week going through various organizational and project documents and putting everything together in more comprehensive drafts that will serve as VeT's "face" to donors and the public. The basic project structure is as follows: VeT is approached by local government representatives in regards to an urban area with poor infrastructure and a population of low-income or impoverished residents. VeT then visits the area and, if it fits within the scope of their work, they contract with another organization to perform a Socio-Economic Survey/Needs Assessment on the area taking into account the financial situations of the local families, their awareness of environmental issues, the local housing stock and the local infrastructure. Both the perspectives of residents and local government authorities are taken into account in terms of the scope and specifics of the problems to be addressed as well as proposed solutions. An initial agreement is then drafted between VeT and the local authority, determining each partner’s participation and establishing a basic project framework contingent on funding for the project. Then comes the fundraising.
Once, and if, sufficient funds are able to be raised, an official agreement between all project partners, including local beneficiaries, is drafted, detailing the importance of participation and commitment by all parties, including a financial commitment on the part of the local government. Once the agreement is signed and accepted by higher authorities the work can begin.
Many of VeT's projects include the improvement of or installation of local infrastructure including alley ways, drainage systems, fresh water networks, sewer systems as well as assistance with the improvement of local housing stock. Residents are often encouraged, if not required in the contract, to assist with such projects, most commonly their own homes, to grant them a sense of ownership in the project and, for some, give them temporary employment.
In tandem with the physical improvements, local families are offered financial assistance either for income generating activities or for home improvement in the form of micro-loans. The micro-loan program provides small loans to groups of individuals who are then responsible for keeping each other on top of the repayment of the loans. Once a small initial loan is repaid, families can borrow larger loans.
Throughout the projects, VeT provides capacity-building trainings to local residents and local government officials in the areas of Project Management and Micro-Lending as well as more hands on training in respect to new utility systems, if necessary. At the end of the project cycle - typically three years - the project area should be in better shape environmentally (less flooding, less pollution by wastewater, improved housing stock, more environmentally aware populace, etc.) and financially, with residents more able to save and earn enough to support their families. VeT has done a lot of great work in its 14 years in Viet Nam and I am looking forward to learning more and being a part of it.
Now we just have to figure out how to get dinner on the table at a reasonable hour with both of us working!
The Vietnamese Love Affair with Plastic
This morning, after four days of working, I decided that we were in dire need of some fresh fruit from the market, so after a nice chat with my mom on Skype, I headed out to the market, armed with my own cloth bag, determined to come home with a full stock of fruit sans a single plastic bags.
The Vietnamese love plastic bags. They use them for everything. Plastic bags for your plastic bags. Steven and I have attempted to refuse them at times trying to regain our environmental rejection of all things plastic, only to have them pressed upon us by an overzealous, plastic bag-loving Vietnamese. But winning a reusable shopping back from a promotional drive at our favorite grocery store last week that says "Protect the Environment" in both English and Vietnamese has rejuvenated our desire to be environmentally friendly and given us a small glimmer of hope for a plastic-bagless future in Viet Nam, even if in the far, far off future.
So this morning, I decided to take my conviction to the streets - my street to be specific.
As I was locking the door to our gate, I saw our one English-speaking neighbor, Mr. Manh, across the street with his grandson and stopped to chat for a few mintues. After making my way through the maze of alleys to our main alley, I ran into the xe om driver I have only used twice, but remains unfailingly friendly whenever I see him and received my usually friendly morning greeting. As I walked further down the street, I heard my name and turned to see The (pronounced "Tee"), our housing intermediary on his way to the market and we stopped and caught up on each other’s lives. When I left The, I made my way down to the fruit lady at the end of the alley and picked out nine small apples, put them in my bag, and handed them to the lady of the market, who proceeded to take them out and put them in a plastic bag until I stopped her and pantomimed that my bag was suitable and I wouldn't require another bag for my apples. She weighed them - exactly a kilo (fruit being my only frame of reference to what makes up a kilo) and asked for the 15,000 VND (or about 80 cents) price per kilo.
Proud of my first plastic-free purchase, I walked down another small alley, where I picked up four mangos for 15,000 VND and waived off yet another plastic bag. At the end of the alley, I said hello to the local cobbler who had recently fixed a few pairs of our shoes and received a wide grin in reply.
Coming back on onto our main alley, I spotted our regular banana man and wandered over, saying hello to him and the woman standing outside her front door to his right. I selected nice bunch and asked for half, paying 8,000 VND for about 10 bananas. As he went for a bag, I told him, “Khong Sau,” or no problem and went to place the bananas in my bag. Frantic that they would be squashed, he offered to cut them up, but I showed him that I could place them gently in the bag and they would be safe on my short walk home.
I walked away, proud of myself for this relatively small stand against plastic bags in Viet Nam.
The Vietnamese love plastic bags. They use them for everything. Plastic bags for your plastic bags. Steven and I have attempted to refuse them at times trying to regain our environmental rejection of all things plastic, only to have them pressed upon us by an overzealous, plastic bag-loving Vietnamese. But winning a reusable shopping back from a promotional drive at our favorite grocery store last week that says "Protect the Environment" in both English and Vietnamese has rejuvenated our desire to be environmentally friendly and given us a small glimmer of hope for a plastic-bagless future in Viet Nam, even if in the far, far off future.
So this morning, I decided to take my conviction to the streets - my street to be specific.
As I was locking the door to our gate, I saw our one English-speaking neighbor, Mr. Manh, across the street with his grandson and stopped to chat for a few mintues. After making my way through the maze of alleys to our main alley, I ran into the xe om driver I have only used twice, but remains unfailingly friendly whenever I see him and received my usually friendly morning greeting. As I walked further down the street, I heard my name and turned to see The (pronounced "Tee"), our housing intermediary on his way to the market and we stopped and caught up on each other’s lives. When I left The, I made my way down to the fruit lady at the end of the alley and picked out nine small apples, put them in my bag, and handed them to the lady of the market, who proceeded to take them out and put them in a plastic bag until I stopped her and pantomimed that my bag was suitable and I wouldn't require another bag for my apples. She weighed them - exactly a kilo (fruit being my only frame of reference to what makes up a kilo) and asked for the 15,000 VND (or about 80 cents) price per kilo.
Proud of my first plastic-free purchase, I walked down another small alley, where I picked up four mangos for 15,000 VND and waived off yet another plastic bag. At the end of the alley, I said hello to the local cobbler who had recently fixed a few pairs of our shoes and received a wide grin in reply.
Coming back on onto our main alley, I spotted our regular banana man and wandered over, saying hello to him and the woman standing outside her front door to his right. I selected nice bunch and asked for half, paying 8,000 VND for about 10 bananas. As he went for a bag, I told him, “Khong Sau,” or no problem and went to place the bananas in my bag. Frantic that they would be squashed, he offered to cut them up, but I showed him that I could place them gently in the bag and they would be safe on my short walk home.
I walked away, proud of myself for this relatively small stand against plastic bags in Viet Nam.
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