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The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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CONTENT
Discovery Mid-autumn festival
Page 3
Discovery Page 4 Otsukimi – moon viewing in Japan Talkshow Bich Hai Interview
Page 5
Transpret Chronicles Page6-7 The uncompleted tower and translators OU Spotlights
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Open Voice Page 8 - 9 Debate: Should Facebook be banned? Pocket address list Hot single
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Bookaholic corner
Page 10 - 11
Opportunity planet
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THE FFL JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD CONSULTANT Lecturer Nguyen Thuy Nga Board of lecturers of Faculty of Foreign Languages EDITORIAL MANAGER Tôn Nữ Tường Vy WRITER Đặng Phương Thảo (L1) Lê Thống (L2) Đỗ Nguyễn Minh Hiếu Quách Minh Minh Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn Ngô Mai Thùy Quyên Lê Công Thịnh Chu Thị Như Trang Phạm Ngọc Tuyết Nguyễn Quốc Vũ MEDIA – MARKETING Trần Phú Cường (L) Nguyễn Minh Hải Trần Thị Thanh Hương Vương Thị Yến Ngọc Huỳnh Bảo Trân FINANCING Trần Thị Thu Trang Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Linh
Dear beloved beta - readers, Welcome to the FFL Journal of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ho Chi Minh City Open University. This is the Demo volume to receive your good comments so that we can improve our products to meet your needs and interests in both content and appearance from this coming October. Please read and give us precious feedback to theffljournal@gmail.com. Thank you very much. Here we go to a quiet corner of our Journal – Coffee Blog. We hope that you would find yourselves in every word. We wish you a happy day with a smile. :) A BRIEF GUIDE TO LIFE (Written by LEO BABAUTA)
‘A few strong instincts and a few plain rules suffice us.’ - Ralph Waldo Emerson Life can be ridiculously complicated, if you let it. I suggest we simplify. Thich Nhat Hanh’s quote, which I love most, is the shortest guide to life you’ll ever need: “Smile, breath, and go slowly.” If you live your life by those five words, you’ll do pretty well. For those who need a little more guidance, I’ve distilled the lessons I’ve learned (so far) into a few guidelines, or reminders, really. And as always, these rules are meant to be broken. Life wouldn’t be any fun if they weren’t. The brief guide: less TV, more reading less shopping, more outdoors less rush, more slowness less consuming, more creating less junk, more real food less busywork, more impact less driving, more walking less noise, more solitude less focus on the future, more on the present less work, more play less worry, more smiles breathe. ª EDITORIAL BOARD OF THE FFL JOURNAL Model of cover: Bích Hải All replies, collaborations - please send to: theffljournal@gmail.com/ www.facebook.com/theffljournal Contact: 01212115855
The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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DISCOVERY
“At mid – autumn festival, Walk around with lanterns lit Take them all across the town, Singing to the autumn moon…”
T
et Trung Thu, as it is known by the Vietnamese, or Mid-Autumn Festival as we refer to it in English, is a wonderful, ancient festival that involves children. Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu) dates back as far as 15-20,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, and is traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month.This year (2011), Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 12th. It is one of the two most popular festivals in Vietnam, and has been important to families in Vietnam for many years. It is said that originally, Mid-Autumn Festival came about as a way for parents to make up for lost time with their children after the harvest season. The harvest was finished by S e p t e m b e r, (August in the Lunar calendar) and the parents were anxious to spend time with their children and do something special with them, as well as celebrate the harvest, after spending much time working hard. It was held under the full moon, which represents fullness and prosperity of life.
Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam In Mid-Autumn Festival, children parade on the streets, while singing and carrying colorful lanterns of different sizes. Some of the popular shapes include fishes, stars, butterflies and a lantern that spins when a candle is inserted, representing the earth circling the sun. Traditionally, people usually offer boxes of moon cakes, which are very rich in taste to their relatives or beloved ones on this occasion.The cakes are filled with lotus seeds, g r o u n d beans and orange peels and have a bright yoke in the center to represent the moon. Today, Mid-Autumn Festival promotes education, poetry, dance and arts and crafts. Mid-Autumn Festival is a wonderful opportunity for parents to share their children's joy, and a great opportunity for family gathering too! ª ERIN HENDERSON from adoptvietnam.org
The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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DISCOVERY
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O
tsukimi means enjoying the view of the moon. It also refers to the night of August 15th (Jugoya) according to the old Japanese calendar.The Jugoya moon is called the harvest moon and has long been known as a good time for admiring the moon. On this night, an altar is set up in a place where the moon is visible and offerings of dumplings, pampas grass, and potatoes are made.The custom of viewing the harvest moon came to the nobility of Japan from China and spread to samurai and townspeople. Farmers knew the farming seasons through the waxing and waning of the moon.They were able to work in the fields until late at night thanks to the moonlight.The custom of Otsukimi took root out of gratitude to the moon.As a result, crops harvested during this period came to be associated with Imomeigetsu (the potato harvest festival) as well.
Otsukimi on the night of the 13th day of the lunar month When we think of Otsukimi, Jugoya usually comes to mind. However, the moon on the 13th day of the 9th month of the old lunar calendar (Jusanya) is thought to be quite beautiful. The custom of viewing the moon on this day remains in many areas to this day.The practice of only viewing either Jugoya or Jusanya is called “katatsukimi” and is to be avoided.Viewing both moons has long been considered favorable.
Why is the date for Otsukimi different each year? Otsukimi is held according to the old Japanese calendar. Since the dates of the old Japanese calendar are decided according to the waxing and waning of the moon, the new moon becomes the first day of the month. The current western calendar uses a different system, so the date of the harvest moon differs each year. In addition, the harvest moon is not always a full moon. The legend of the Rabbit on the Moon In Japan, people say that a rabbit lives on the moon and pounds rice cakes, but this was originally a myth from India. In every part of the world, there are myths and legends associated with the moon. In Japan, it is said that the dark parts of the surface of the moon resemble a rabbit pounding rice cakes. However, people of other nationalities or ethnic groups have a different way of looking at this pattern. For example, in Europe, it is the profile of a woman's face. In China, it is a crab or an alligator. This year, 2011, Jugoya is on September 12th, and Jusanya is on October 9th. Enjoy gazing at the beautiful autumn moon while eating dumplings and singing. "The Rabbit Song" Rabbit, rabbit, what are looking at? Hop, look at the Jugoya harvest moon, hop! ª (Collected from jikei.asia) The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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TALKSHOW
ị 5 ê Th PRO ame: L n 90 Full Hải 2/19 h 0 c / í 4 B .B: 1 A2 D.O : AV08 ing, g s s i Cla ies: s n b b Ho lling e trav
“If you have a dream, do your best to make it come true. Don’t hesitate to do it when you have youth and health, or you will regret”, shared Bich Hai. She is a junior at our university and a sophomore at Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music. She accepted to exchange her own enjoyment of life for her passion. This week we had a chance to talk to her to explore how she can pursue her dream.”
1.When did your passion begin? I have taken part in many singing contests, but my passion has strongly risen since the failure of the contest at Grade 9. I felt upset and uncomfortable, so I decided to study music without my parents’ support. I studied that subject in secret for 3 years at high school. 2. So why did you choose HCMC Open University (OU) instead of Conservatory of Ho Chi Minh City (CM)? Well, it was by accident. Firstly, I took the exam to enter CM, but I failed because of unawareness of the regulation. OU was just my second option; however, I still nurtured my passion.That’s why I continued to cover up my music study from my parents.With my teacher’s encouragement, I passed the test on music with the high result to be a student of CM. 3. After succeeding in entering CM, you’ve been a student of 2 universities, so difficulties are unavoidable. Could you tell some and how you dealt with them? The first difficulty was time. I had to balance time between OU and CM.After classes at OU, I had just 15 minutes to travel to CM.The time was so limited that I could not have enough time to eat, so I got serious problem with my health.
Losing contact with friends was the second problem. I just focused on my study so much that I did not have time to chat with friends, to hang out and to take part in social activities. I really felt lonely. Sometimes I cried. :) Once sadness invaded my mind, I rode bicycle around the city and sang to drive it off in vain. I decided to go to a karaoke bar alone, which made people there very surprised. I sang until I got tired. 4.With such problems, why don’t you stop your study at OU so as to pursue your passion? There are 3 reasons. First, my family does not allow me to do that. Second, my teachers at CM advised that I should finish my study at OU before pursuing my own strong passion. The last one is that I myself need to have a stable future. I, therefore, chose to reserve my result at CM so that I could concentrate on my study at OU.After that, I will surely go on my passion. I have performed every night at some bars to remind myself not to forget my desire. 5. Your attempt is absolutely great and admirable! Do you have any words to tell other students? I just want to tell other students that if you have a dream, do your best to make it come true. Don’t hesitate to do it when you have youth and health, or you will regret. Thank you for this interesting conversation. ª TRẦN THỊ THU TRANG
The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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TRANSPRET CHRONICLES
THE UNCOMPLETED TOWER AND TRANSLATORS
O
nce upon a time,all of people spoke only one language.One day,everyone talked over building a tower being high to the sky.That tower was named Babel.It was getting more towering and towering,and nearly reached the blue sky. God saw the problem and worried about it very much.He thought and thought a lot;and eventually,he got a solution. By means of magic, God made people talk with different languages. Human beings, for this reason, could not understand each other any more.Tower of Babel was uncompleted forever. The above mythology proclaims us the great obstacle of language barrier.Mankind,however,did not give up communicating on account of God’s language divisiveness.A group of people grew and became the bridge of languages between the countries, and nations.Those were translators,or interpreters.Since then,one profession was born as a result:translating job. Besides being master of languages,the interpreters or translators have to be expert in culture and have the ability to flexibly deal with a lot of unexpected circumstances. Let’s begin to take the itinerary into the world of the translating profession in order to discover what interpreters’or translators’necessary skills are.Among a large number of skills,they need to have: 1. A wide and deep fund of knowledge of culture and society, especially of a country having the language they want to study.They should generally read a great deal of translations of many kinds of texts because translation work needs the initiative knowledge.To develop this skill, they have to have a thorough grasp of differences in culture, how to use idioms, and communication of the target language. 2.An ability of adapting themselves to new surroundings very well, quickly updating information and promoting confidence in communication in order to catch the comprehensive knowledge of the native and target language. 3. The honesty, objectiveness and high accuracy in working.These are necessary factors in ensuring the accuracy of the target language.
4. The skill at writing smoothly and correctly with source and target language. They need, therefore, to master a lot of writing styles.The techniques and principles of editorial work also provide translators with much more valuable prepared materials. 5. The skill at listening fluently both native and target language. They should, in addition, be keen on gathering phrases, idioms and technical vocabulary as well as knowing their usages. 6. A thorough knowledge of different speaking and expressing styles of all classes in society of two languages. 7.A capacity of selecting and organizing information. All the available information is not always used to translate in most cases. The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
OU SPOTLIGHTS - FUN PIC 8. The good skill at working in groups. Through it, they will practice their language more permanently and will become confident in communicating. 9. A form of translation which is suitable to their ability and hobby in order that they can have a non-stop improvement of it. Translating is also an occupation. If having passion, accordingly, they will produce the best products and will have responsibility to their work. Translation or interpretation is the key used to open the mutual knowledge of people who do not share the same languages. Thus translators and interpreters need to use the above skills in good ways as well as having a sentimental and open-minded heart to be an invisible bridge across all borders. ª QUÁCH MINH MINH (compiled from phiendichvien.com)
F U N P I C
07 OU SPOTLIGHTS where you can receive announcements,interesting activities in our school.Check this out regularly so that you won’t miss any of them.^ ^ 1/Youth Union : Postponing the time of issuing Political course Certificate To students who passed the Political course (6 Lessons of Political argumentative topics and 10 subjects of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology), please come to theYouth Union Head Office (Room 106, 97VoVan Tan, Dist. 3) from 15/9/2011 to 15/11/2011 to receive your certificate. Due to some problems in printing, we’re sorry for this inconvenience. ª CHU THỊ NHƯ TRANG 2/ Faculty of Business Administration: Design idea for OpenTour Contest A hot news for students who enjoy traveling but get tired of allin-one tours and would like to design a tour on their own. OnAugust 21, the Faculty of Business Administration launches a contest named “Design idea for OpenTour”.The contest will begin to collect submission for the Preliminary round on September 30th 2011 and the five outstanding individuals and groups will be announced to the Final round on October 10th 2011. All students who like traveling, especially open tour, can participate.The winner will have a fabulous and fascinating trip. All contestants will receive a certificate for taking part in. Note: For further information, please visit: http://www.ou.edu.vn/qtkd/Pages/thiet-ke-tour.aspx ª NGUYỄN QUỐC VŨ 3/Youth Union of FFL: Full Moon Night Festival 2011 The Youth Union of Faculty of Foreign Languages organizes a “Full Moon Night Festival” for poor children on the Mid-Autumn Festival.The event is going to take place in Long Long Thuong commune, Can Giuoc district, Long An province on Saturday (10-9-2011) and Sunday (11-9-2011).Twenty volunteers for the event will have a chance to enjoy a meaningfull Festival with these children.Those who would like to join the Festival, please contact directly to theYouth Union Office at Dao Duy Anh Campus from 23-8-2011 to 27-8-2911 or send e-mail to vonguyentruclinh@gmail.com (Truc Linh 01204.461.561). Note: For those who would like to support the Festival, please contact your monitor, your secretary or donate directly to the Union andAssociation office at Dao DuyAnh Campus. You can support in cash, candy or lantern.Any donation of yours will be recorded. ª (NGUYỄN QUỐC VŨ)
The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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OPEN VOICE
Debate: SHOULD FACEBOOK BE BANNED?
F
acebook is a social networking website intended to connect friends, family, and business associates. It is the largest of the networking sites and has expanded to anyone who expect to connect with their friends, relatives, or with other people from different countries around the world. InVietnam, Facebook is more and more popular.However, it makes extreme arguments that “Should Facebook be banned?” due to some controversial issues in the society not only inVietnam but also all over the world. That’s the reason why a debate on this topic was held, in which some students majoring in English took part.The writer would like to invite readers to read some of their opinions: YES, I THINK FACEBOOK SHOULD BE BANNED.
NO, IT SHOULD NOT BE BANNED!
Đặng Phương Thảo (AV09A1) Users waste their time in chatting, updating status, commenting, arguing in some unnecessary issues, especially in "like-collecting" contests (You will be a winner if your photo or your essays get the most Like)
Trần Thị Thu Trang (AV08B1) Wasting time just reflects one’s weak skill in time management and selfmanagement.Theyareoutsiders;onecandecidewhetherheorsheshould getinvolvedinthemornot. However,whycan’tweconsiderhelpfulfunctionsofFacebook? -Itallowsuserstoconnectwithlong-lostfriendsandcurrentones. -Userscankeepinbettertouchwiththeirfamily,especiallykidsandgrandchildren. -Userscanquicklyfindinformationofcontests,conferences,bootcamps, sales-off. -Facebookallowsgroupsoflike-mindedpeopletoformmoreeasily.
Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Linh (AV09A1) Facebook could harm moral values (such as lack of face-to-face communication/ interactions; emotion development is badly be affected, causing jealousy and information deprivation disorder).
Trần Phú Cường (AV09A2) Facebook uses users' real bio-data to empower the company's online transaction power (money making purposes), some Facebook functions infringe user's privacy. Đặng Phương Thảo (AV09A1) Facebook provides a free platform for inmates to threaten victims (see how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prevents this threat by deleting FB's prisoners' accounts at article “California now reports Prisoner Facebook accounts for deletion”). In addition, it may support for riots to harm the society.
Huỳnh Bảo Trân (AV10A4) However, at individual level, FB helps to boost self-esteem, allowing individual to discover his/her positive self. Trần Thị Thu Trang (AV08B1) We must admit that Facebook provides a free platform encouraging people to share knowledge/ information with friends as well as receiving supports/ encouragement from friends. Tôn Nữ Tường Vy (AV08A2) At the same time,Facebook is a free platform to provide the most trustworthy and instant messages/ news for people from all walks of life as wellastocallforrighteousactions/reliefefforts(Japan,Haiti,NewZealand eathquakes,the call for peaceful protest inVietnam,and cleanup activities after the London riots etc.).The most obvious evidence is the successful revolutionofEgyptandLybiawithagreatsupportfromtherevolutionary waveonFacebook. Facebook itself does not create riots, it merely transmits them between like-mindedpeople. The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
POCKET ADDRESS LIST - HOT SINGLE After 2-hour debate, participants came to an agreement that Facebook is agnostic – neither good nor bad, banning Facebook or any other social networking website does not solve any problem in the society. It merely emphasizes our existing social and psychological conditions whether those conditions are destructive or creative. The problems come from the people, not their tools.ª
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POCKET ADDRESS LIST - Keep these addresses in your notebooks. It’s really handy. 1. www.tiki.vn This is an online entertainment address where you can find not only all kinds of books, but also souvenirs, spare parts, DVDs, and even…Ipad2. If you are a “bookaholic”, you may find this address very handy. All of the stuffs here are original, so do not worry about theirs qualities. Some of the prices here are cheaper than those in conventional bookstores, but if your order is less than 100.000 VND, you will have to pay the delivery fee. ª NGUYỄN QUỐC VŨ
ĐỖ NGUYỄN MINH HIẾU 2. Donut World Smash Hit Single of 2011 (So Far) In 2011, there are many famous and creative artists released their ablums as well as singles such as Britney Spears with “Femme Fatale”, Lady GaGa with “Born This Way”, Beyonce with “4”, ect. However, the best selling single of 2011 (so far) is “Rolling in the Deep” – a dark bluesy gospel song by Adele. “Rolling in the Deep” has received very positive reception for Adele’s vocal, its lyrics and instrumentation. Many critics from famous magazines like “Rolling Stone” or Billboard gave the song 5/5 stars. The success of “Rolling in the Deep” is very suprising because now, people like to listen to up-beat, electronic and auto-tuned songs with the performances of many beautiful, attractive and good singers like Rihanna,
Address: 210 Hai Ba Trung street, District 1, HCMC. Have you ever heard of “donuts”? If not, come to the address above to enjoy a delicous kind of cake. Donuts here are full of colors and have lovely decoration. I have eaten donuts in many stores in HCMC, but “donuts” in this store are the best. If you want to hang out with your friends, this lovely address is perfect. The price is from 12.000 to 14.000 VND per donut. Enjoy and have fun. ª TRẦN THỊ THU TRANG
Katy Perry, Britney Spears and so on. Therefore, its success proves that the world still appreciates “The music made for ears, not eyes”. You can search this song on http://Youtube.com or http://mp3.zing.vn. Hope you will enjoy this smash hit. ª LÊ THỐNG
The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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BOOKAHOLIC CORNER
Welcome to Bookaholic Corner! Regardless of the strong development of mass media, The FFL Journal finds that traditional book still plays an important role in our lives. Not only is it helpful for us to relax after hardworking hours, but also convenient for us to bring with. Therefore, this “Bookaholic Corner” brings you some gifts about book. Each term we introduce you 3 books that are very common in the book market. Bookaholic Corner hopes that you can choose any book suitable for you and enjoy it! For this issue, we would like to introduce 3 books named "Surprise Moon", "Chuyện con mèo dạy hải âu bay" and "Người thông minh giải quyết vấn đề như thế nào?"
Chuyện con mèo dạy hải âu bay Author: Luis Sepúlveda – Translators: Phương Huyên Publisher: Hoi Nha Van Price: 26.000 VND
Zorba is a noble, big, black cat, promises to watch over a seagull egg, not to eat the chick when it hatches, and to teach the baby gull to fly. Having fulfilled two of the promises, Zorba and his mates must not only teach her to fly, but also give her the strength to leave those she loves to realize her true nature. This intelligent, eloquently translated work examines loyalty, trust, and acceptance of differences. Complete with humor and whimsy, this is a book with heart and soul. It will make readers' spirits soar. (Shawn Brommer)
Người Thông Minh Giải Quyết Vấn Đề Như Thế Nào? Author: Ken Watanabe Translators: Hồng Dũng, Việt Anh Publisher: Tre Price: 26.000 VND
“Problem Solving 101 teaches us to recognize the common elements in the decisions we face every day, and how to think carefully about them. It offers tricks and tips for every age. If I may offer one more suggestion: when you don't know which of two options to chose, toss a coin, and when it is up there in the air think about how you want it to fall, and you have your answer.” (Dan Ariely, author of The New York Times bestseller Predictably Irrational) The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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BOOKAHOLIC CORNER
SURPRISE MOON
Author: Caroline Hatton Publisher: Bebop Books/ Lee & Low Price: $6.50
Caroline Hatton's colorful children's book does a wonderful job of explaining the components of the full moon ceremony. Appealing illustrations demonstrate vividly the children's enjoyment of the Autumn Moon festivities.The simple language flows along in a soothing and entertaining rhythm that is fun to read out loud. This delightful children's book imparts a very positive statement about Vietnamese culture in a warm and inclusive format. (Allison Martin)
ATTRACTIVE GIFTS FOR YOU!!! Do you want to have one of these books? Fill in the blanks, cut the following vouchers and send to the FFL Journal office at Room 004, 442 Dao Duy Anh Street,Ward 9, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City. For more details, don’t hesitate to contact Ms. Phạm Ngọc Tuyết (Tel. No. 0122 729 9259 Email: ngoctuyet10av@yahoo.com) 06 lucky students will be informed via telephone to receive books by September 17th 2011. Note: - Each voucher is for only ONE book. THE FFL JOURNAL VOLUME 0 - Each student can send MORE than 1 voucher. My name is: ……………………………………….. Class: ……………………………………………… Telephone No.: ……………………………………. Email address: …………………………………….. I like the book: ……………………………………..
THE FFL JOURNAL VOLUME 0 My name is: ……………………………………….. Class: ……………………………………………… Telephone No.: ……………………………………. Email address: …………………………………….. I like the book: ……………………………………..
THE FFL JOURNAL VOLUME 0 My name is: ……………………………………….. Class: ……………………………………………… Telephone No.: ……………………………………. Email address: …………………………………….. I like the book: ……………………………………..
The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University
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OPPORTUNITY PLANET OPPORTUNITY PLANET A planet is full of opportunities for you. Try and take chance!
1. 100% tuition scholarships at the university from the government of the Republic of Finland The Republic of Finland is one of the most comfortable habitat in the world. Those who love to study there are going to have a chance to get 100% tuition scholarships from the government of the Republic of Finland for both types of languages for training: English and Finnish. Moreover, the students studying there benefit a lot from the international prestige degrees, low living expenses and accommodation. After graduation, students are also allowed to work in Findland for a year. Register now and you will have a chance to get scholarships for the two semesters in year 2011 and 2012. Note: You must have a minimum IELTS band score 6.0 or TOEFL IBT 80. Summit the application form at the International Network Education Consultants (INEC): 138 Tran Nhan Ton, Ward 2, District 10, HCM City. Phone: (08)39381080 – 39381081. Hot line: 0908433097. Websites: www.inec.vn or www.hocbongduhoctoancau.com From kenh14.vn NGÔ MAI THÙY QUYÊN 2. Vietnam – Japan Haiku Contest A hot news for those who love Japan literature and Haiku verse. You can participate in Vietnam – Japan Haiku Contest in both types of languages: Vietnamese and Japanese. Each contestant can submit 3 entries (maximum) for each type of languages. Those entries must not be published before, or posted on the Internet, even on the personal blog. Contestants send their works to Consulate General of Japan in HCM city, Cultural Division, 13-17 Nguyen Hue, District 1, HCM City or email to the address: thithohaiku@gmail.com before October 14th 2011. Complete rules are outlined at: http://www.hcmcgj.vn.embjapan.go.jp/vn/thongbao_thithohaiku.html LÊ CÔNG THỊNH 3. American Center Logo Contest Announcement! The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi invites Vietnam’s creative community to submit designs for their American Center Logo Competition. Show off your skills to create a new logo for the American Center, their free public library and information center within the Embassy. The winner’s design will be used for American Center marketing purposes. The deadline for submissions is 5 pm on Friday, September 16th, 2011. Designs should be submitted online at: https://creator.zoho.com/pashanoi/form/186.All entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and the winner of the contest will receive an Apple iPad 2, as well as a certificate from the Embassy. Complete rules are outlined at: http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/logocontest.html. NGUYỄN QUỐC VŨ The FFL Journal – Ho Chi Minh City Open University