Lưu thủy, Kim tiền, Xuân phong, Long hổ

Chào các bạn,

Mình nghe bài nhạc này – Lưu thủy, Kim tiền, Xuân phong, Long hổ – thấy hay quá, vui tươi, rạng rỡ quá nên giới thiệu với các bạn.

Đây là giai điệu nổi tiếng của Nhã nhạc Cung đình Huế, nội dung ca ngợi cảnh vật thiên nhiên hùng tráng, tươi đẹp, đất nước thái bình thịnh trị. Continue reading Lưu thủy, Kim tiền, Xuân phong, Long hổ

Unrighteousness at the top, chaos at the bottom

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“Unrighteousness at the top, chaos at the bottom” is the English version of the Vietnamese “Thượng bất chánh, hạ tắc loạn” – when the leaders are unrighteous, the people are in anarchy.

People always look up to their leaders to imitate, be they government officials, business executives, teachers, priests, monks, nuns…

The problem “at the top” now is that too many government officials are involed in major corruption cases. Of course, the current government has been doing a more than superb job in fighting corruption. But the constant news stream of anti-corruption victories is also the evidence of so many bad apples at the top.

And when the people see unrighteousness at the top, they imitate and become unrighteous, immoral, and illegal.

How do we fix this mega-problem of the country?

Of course, the obvious solution is to fix “the top.” But we need to expand the meaning of “the top.”

Everyone of us is already at the top – parent, teacher, supervisor, company director, boss… Each one of us is at the top of some entity and has many followers or “lính” under us. Thus, we need to be righteous, for the people under us to have order, peace and goodness.

The top of any entity – family, school, class, company, company department, government office, Internet network, association, group, church, pagoda, temple – needs to be righteous for their followers to be good.

We cannot simply point our finger at the top of the government while we don’t do our job at the top of our own entity. The government is a very small minority, the people is everyone in the country – that is a colossal number of people, which truly determine the state of the nation.

The minority simply cannot do the job of the collosal majority.

Think about it. And do our job.

With compassion,

Hoành

© copyright 2024
Trần Đình Hoành
Permitted for non-commercial use
www.dotchuoinon.com

Làm bạn với con?

Chào các bạn,

Xã hội ta mấy ngàn năm nay chưa từng bao giờ có khái niệm “làm bạn với con” cho đến vài chục năm gần đây. Thế nên, xã hội trở nên không có trật tự, không có trên và không có dưới; không có người nói và không có người nghe. Dù cha mẹ nói gì, đa số con cái cũng không nghe, cứ như đàn gẩy tai trâu. Dù thầy cô nói gì, đa số học trò cũng bỏ ngoài tai. Dù sếp quyết định điều gì, đa số nhân viên cũng chống đối ngấm ngầm. Continue reading Làm bạn với con?

Bánh canh cá lóc in District 12

Dear brothers and sisters,

Once in District 12, I saw a restaurant in Chợ Đường selling bánh canh cá lóc (snakehead fish noodle), eating along with bitter herb (rau đắng). Because I had never eaten this dish, I went in to try it. They cooked very well, I liked it very much.

It was around 2pm, not rush hour, but the restaurant was still crowded. Among them was a guy about 35 years old, he ate the biggest bowl. In addition, he added into his bowl 5 raw eggs. An average person could not finish a big-sized bowl here, but this guy got the big bowl plus five eggs. Imagine that! He scared me.

A funny story along the way, sharing with you.

Have a nice day.

Phạm Thu Hương

China is sending its highest-level delegation to North Korea since 2019 to kick off a ‘friendship year’

Simone McCarthy

By Simone McCarthy, CNN

Updated 12:18 AM EDT, Thu April 11, 2024 CNN

FILE - Zhao Leji attends a session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. Zhao, a top Chinese leader will lead a delegation to North Korea this week, both countries announced Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Chinese official Zhao Leji attends a session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last month. Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter which explores what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world.Hong KongCNN — 

China’s highest-level visit to North Korea in nearly five years is set to get underway Thursday, as Pyongyang seeks to strengthen relations with both Beijing and Moscow amid growing coordination between its neighbors and the United States.

Continue reading China is sending its highest-level delegation to North Korea since 2019 to kick off a ‘friendship year’