Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Earthworms are small and helpful creatures. In my balcony garden, I often see them in soil pots. They live underground and loosen the soil so that my plants can absorb water and nutrients better.
Sometimes, after a heavy rain, I find some earthworms coming out from the soil and wriggling on the ground. I guess they want to return home but don’t know how. Continue reading Talking with an earthworm
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
A few days ago, I came across two elderly H’mong women. They were collecting cardboard boxes outside my house. Their daily work was to pick up plastic bottles, paper, and metals from trash cans for a living.
Though I had seen these women many times on the streets in Sapa, I hadn’t had a chance to talk with them yet.
It was noon, but the two women were still working very hard. With suntanned skin and skillful hands, they folded the boxes very quickly. Continue reading A Christmas Gift
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Muong Khuong is a mountainous town in Lao Cai province. It’s about 80 km from Sapa. From November to January, gardeners from the town bring Muong Khuong tangerines – a well-known speciality – to sell in Sapa.
Muong Khuong tangerines are the same size as green oranges, but their shape is less rounded and their skin is rougher than oranges. This tangerine has a thick, aromatic rind that can peel easily. Each fruit contains 9-11 equal sections with juicy flesh. There are only one to two tiny seeds per section.
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Sapa has a cool climate all year round. For this reason, mosquitoes don’t breed and survive well here, except in the warm summer.
Normally, I don’t drape a mosquito net over my bed before sleeping, and it’s still fine. However, once in a while, when I open a window in my room during the day, a mosquito might fly in. At night, it comes out and hums around my ears while I am sleeping.
Continue reading Sleeping with a mosquitoChào cả nhà,
Thank God, mình và bà con trên này tạm ổn ạ. Đầu tuần này, do ảnh hưởng của bão nên Sapa có mưa rất lớn.
Sapa giờ chỉ cần mưa to, nhiều giờ là sạt lở khắp nơi. Nhiều du khách bị kẹt ở đây vì đường sạt, không thể đi đâu được.
Mình chưa thấy có thống kế chính xác thiệt hại về người, đa số trường hợp là người chạy thoát được. Thiệt hại về tài sản lần này khá nặng. Continue reading Sapa sạt lở vì bão Bualoi
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Have you ever seen a total lunar eclipse?
On the night of September 7-8, I was able to watch a total lunar eclipse for the first time. To me, this natural phenomenon was like a sky show, because the moon’s colour transformed magically in the night sky.
Continue reading A sky show: The moon turns redSapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Are you a waterfall lover?
In Sapa, there are many beautiful waterfalls, but my favorite one is the Love Waterfall in Hoang Lien Son National Park. Nestled deep in the woods and standing at about 100m high, this waterfall is known for its untouched beauty and peaceful scenery.
Continue reading A trip to Love WaterfallSapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I usually walk around Sapa Lake in the afternoon. On my way home, I like to pass by an administration office where there is a grapevine.
The vine grows in the office’s front yard. Its branches are long and flexible. They wrap around the office’s fence to stretch upward. Each branch has many small twigs with green leaves and tendrils. Thanks to the curly tendrils, the vine can climb a net trellis and form a wide canopy of leaves. Continue reading A grapevine
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It was about noon on a cold and rainy day. On an ailanthus tree, two young Japanese white-eyes (vành khuyên Nhật Bản) were playing together. They had white bellies, yellow throats, and moss green backs. Each bird had black pupils with white rings around their eyes. The white-eyes looked smaller than sparrows and were very active. With their little wings, they flitted from branch to branch. Continue reading The brotherhood of two young white-eyes
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
What comes to mind when you hear about a path of love?
In Sapa, there is a path called the Path of Love. It connects the two shores of Sapa Lake. The path is about 300m long and 4m wide. It’s a flat path paved with gray bricks. On both sides of the path, there are lines of climbing roses and evergreen trees.
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
How are you doing?
A few days ago, when I was in a supermarket near my house, I saw a baby boy. The baby caught my eye with his cute, round face. He had chubby cheeks, smiling eyes, and didn’t have any teeth yet. Continue reading A baby’s smile
Sapa corner
Good morning, Brothers and Sisters!
How are you doing?
Once, I woke up before sunrise. At that time, Sapa remained silent. Almost everyone was still sleeping. In that quietness, I could hear small clacks from a distant street. Continue reading The sounds of Sapa in the morning
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Can you guess what flower does not fade in colour?
That was the question my cousin asked me when I was little. To look for the answer, I tried to think about all types of flowers that I had known, but I still had no clue.
Finally, my cousin showed me a bouquet of beautiful dried flowers. She said they were helichrysum flowers. The flowers didn’t lose their colours, despite their leaves and stems withering. This fact truly blew my mind. I couldn’t believe there was such a flower. Since then, the helichrysum has become one of my favorite flowers.
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Have you ever heard about the Nêm drum?
The Nêm drum is a traditional musical instrument of the Red Dao people in Sapa.
Today, I would like to take you to visit a master artisan in Tả Phìn village. His name is Chảo Quẩy Vạng. He has been making Nêm drums for over 30 years. Continue reading The Nêm drum of the Red Dao people
Sapa corner
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Christmas is just around the corner. Perhaps many children in the world are waiting for Santa Claus to bring them a lot of gifts.
Like many kids, when I was six, I looked forward to Santa Claus. In my mind, this old man appeared as a kind and cheerful person. His beard was long, thick, and as white as snow. He was affable and looked quite plump in his red costume. Santa Claus especially loved all children and always had presents for them at Christmas. Continue reading My Santa Claus
Đọt Chuối Non 