VINASAT-1

Last weekend Vietnam’s first telecommunications satellite was launched. While not all that interested in space or telecommunications per se, I thought the international nature of the project was fascinating. To be operated by Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation, the satellite was built by Lockheed Martin in Newton PA, and launched by Arianespace, the European space agency, from its Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, South America. It will, of course, end up over Vietnam again, to be doing useful and important stuff, I suppose. Anyway, the launch poster is on a background of Vietnam’s version of tourist heaven, Halong Bay.

Hanoi Signage

A few signs I see around Hanoi which, whatever the message is, always exercise my Vietnamese.

"Traffic safety is happiness for everyone" - especially for these two particular children standing directly in front of a green light in the middle of an intersection...

The countdown sign for Hanoi's 1000 year anniversary celebration, which is, obviously, in 904 days.



This is a devilishly underhanded advertising slogan - especially with the transparent text which must be subliminal or something - "Shop some more" !

"Raising the population quality to build a capitol of increasing wealth, beauty and modern culture: Stop at two children to raise them well"

In very rough translation, this says "Emulate the founding achievements: Celebrating the anniversary of the Vietnam Communist Party". It caught my eye because the first word, I am told, can be translated 'emulation' or 'competition' and so I was trying to figure out what competition had to do with the CPV anniversary. Perhaps this, the idea that to emulate and to compete are the same thing, explains why Vietnamese businesses naturally seem to congregate in kind - so you get a single street lined with 120 shops selling exactly the same thing, displayed in the same way and at essentially the same price. It is the emulation side of competition.

Indira Ghandi Park - who knew!

"Conserve electricity, protect the environment"

Sponsored, incidentally, by a bank, which also has similar signs that are more fun to translate about turning off electric appliances and making the city green, clean and beautiful.