Ln2014 06

LOTUS NEWS Summer Edition

Inside this Issue…

Tips and tricks for speaking Vietnamese

Starting a small business in Hanoi

Summer Blooms

June 2014

Contents

Letter from the President ....................................................................................................................................................................3

Letter from the Editor..........................................................................................................................................................................4

News from the Community Aid Committee (CAC) .............................................................................................................................5

Drawing Exchange between Primary School Students in the Netherlands and Vietnam ................................................................5

HIWC Reaches out to a New Province .............................................................................................................................................6

HIWC Special Event..............................................................................................................................................................................7

Arts .......................................................................................................................................................................................................8

Interview with Local Lacquer Artist Phi Phi .....................................................................................................................................8

The Lacquer Making Process .........................................................................................................................................................10

Culture ...............................................................................................................................................................................................11

Learning Vietnamese: tips and tricks for daily life .........................................................................................................................11

Embroidery Village – Thuong Tin District.......................................................................................................................................12

Ngu Xa ‘Island’ ...............................................................................................................................................................................13

Health in Vietnam ..............................................................................................................................................................................14

Infectious Diseases in Vietnam Right Now ....................................................................................................................................14

Staying Healthy in the Summer Heat .............................................................................................................................................15

Feature Article ...................................................................................................................................................................................16

Mother’s Day Classic ......................................................................................................................................................................16

Summer Feature ................................................................................................................................................................................17

Colourful blooms signal the end of the Vietnamese school year ..................................................................................................17

Let’s Talk About... Small Business in Hanoi ......................................................................................................................................18

The Recipe for Success ...................................................................................................................................................................18

June Coffee Morning .........................................................................................................................................................................19

What’s on? .........................................................................................................................................................................................20

Summer in the HIWC .....................................................................................................................................................................20

For Kids This Summer Holidays ......................................................................................................................................................21

Summer in Hanoi ...........................................................................................................................................................................22

Hard To Find... ...................................................................................................................................................................................23

Children’s Birthday Supplies ..........................................................................................................................................................23

HIWC Circles Activities Details ..........................................................................................................................................................24

Social Pages........................................................................................................................................................................................25

Circle Activities...............................................................................................................................................................................25

May Coffee Morning ......................................................................................................................................................................27

Fashion and Cocktails.....................................................................................................................................................................28

High Tea at the Marriot .................................................................................................................................................................29

Promotions from our Valued Supporters .........................................................................................................................................30

Cover Image provided by Michele Stoeckel

Letter from the President

Dear HIWC Members,

It’s that time of the year again… Summer is just around the corner. Hanoi

has two unique ways of reminding us of it: unlike in colder countries, you

may have noticed that yellow leaves in this city do not fall in autumn. It is

precisely now that the gorgeous Dao trees shed leaves, covering many of

this city’s streets in a beautiful golden yellow. Add to this beautiful scenery

a new melody that now characterises the soundtrack of Vietnams Capital…

‘the song of the cicada’ and you know, just like the giant tropical rainforest

trees, that this is the moment when many members of our community are

preparing for the next chapter in their lives, either heading back home or to

some new and exciting place. To those who are leaving us, we wish you all

the best and thank you again for having been part of HIWC during your days in this country.

For those of us who stay, this is the moment when we start setting the goals and objectives for the year

ahead, so that we can transition smoothly after summer. We already have a fantastic group of ladies that

have committed to being part of our Board for next year as well as to be part of the HIWC Charity Bazaar

2014 organization team. An event, that as of August will immediately demand 100% of our time and effort.

But we still need more people on board. If you feel that you have skills and time to devote to it, please

come to the meeting on June 29th at 9:30am at Al Frescos to find how you can be involved.

Personally I am really looking forward to my second year as HIWC President. And I have to thank all of you,

our members, for that. It has been a real privilege to be part of this group of interesting, open, strong and

generous women. You have my commitment to keep on giving my biggest effort to make Hanoi

International Women’s Club every day a little better. If by next year at around this same time more people

feel like this one member did after attending our Annual General Meeting last May 8 th…

“Once again I am overwhelmed by the magnificence of all that defines HIWC. Such a wonderful group of

dynamic, capable, hardworking and amazing women. The AGM today, the presentations, the numbers of

members present, the ambience and professionalism and fun. Congratulations to all of you for another

recording breaking successful year. HIWC just keeps getting better and better”

…I will know even more so that taking on this role has been, on so many levels, one of the most rewarding

experiences of my life. I am feeling inspired! Hope you are too!

Thank you,

Paulina Pineda

HIWC President

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

Our namesake is finally starting to bloom. Yes, the Lotus flower is tentatively

awakening, slowly opening it’s pink hued petals and pretty soon West Lake and

other local water catchments will be awash of musky pink. I can’t wait!

Summer is officially here but before I break out the polka dot togs, lilo and thongs

(a little Aussie vernacular anyone!)… a few words of warning. The warmth doesn’t

only bring fun, frivolity, holidays and beautiful blossoms here in Hanoi, it also

comes jam packed with infectious diseases, dehydration and heat exhaustion.

The Summer climate here is particularly harsh and dehydration can strike our

children swiftly, especially if they are already suffering an illness. I know I am not

the only parent to rush their child to the doctor here in Hanoi for an illness, only

to have them put on an intravenous drip to rehydrate before they can recover. Heed the advice from our medical

contributors in this issue on how to stay healthy this Summer.

This Lotus News issue is the Summer Edition and for that reason is slightly larger than usual and has a real Summer

vibe. There is lots of information about what is happening in the HIWC and Hanoi in general. Interesting people make

for interesting interviews and this edition contains two. The first is with super- talented lacquer artist Phi Phi, who

reflects on her use of Vietnamese son ta lacquer as a medium to explore history and culture and the second is with

local business owner Ali Waugh on her wry and humorous view on small business in Vietnam.

In some Western Countries it was Mother’s Day on the 2nd Sunday of May. One of our members, inspired by her

mother, organised her family and friends to participate in the Mother’s Day Classic, a fun / run walk to raise

awareness and funds for breast cancer. Sally documented her walk in that hope that she can start a similar annual

tradition here in Hanoi. Please lend her your support.

This is my first ‘independent’ Lotus news edition and I hope you enjoy it. I have made some very minor changes to

Lotus News and after Summer break, you will notice some more changes. I am very excited to hear your feedback

and will shape future editions based on what you, the readers, enjoy. The changes will be subtle at first as I learn

what it means to be editor of this magazine.

Also, being Summer means that unfortunately many people are leaving. This is a sad and obvious downfall of the

transient nature of the expatriate lifestyle. I have made some beautiful friendships and whilst my heart is heavy for

those leaving I’m also aware that the community here in Hanoi is an exceptional and rare one. The friendship forged

through sharing this amazing (and at times completely frustrating) culture feel intimate and familiar even though all

of us are far from our homes and our loved ones… now, if only I could teach the locals to speak ‘Australian’, I would

be in heaven!

See you in a few months

Michele Spencer

Lotus News Editor

News from the Community Aid Committee (CAC)

Drawing Exchange between

Primary School Students in

the Netherlands and

Vietnam This spring, two unrelated projects funded by the CAC

came together in an unexpected way. The first project,

Child Surgeries Vietnam (CSVN) provided children with life-

changing surgeries such as cleft palate repair, burn scar

repair, various orthopaedic surgeries and more. CSVN is a

Dutch Non-Government Organisation (NGO) led by Jo

Koster. When Jo visited Hanoi recently, he brought with

him drawings made by children at the De Weerklank

school in the Netherlands. Jo knew that some projects of

the CAC involved working with schools. He suggested

distributing the drawings he brought to children at a local

school and in turn, to have those children create a drawing

to be sent back to the Netherlands.

CAC members gave the drawings to students at the Ban

Khoang Primary School in SaPa. This school received aid

from the HIWC after catastrophic flooding in the area. The

project provided emergency provisions of food and

blankets to the children in the kindergarten and primary

school. The drawings shown here are from the Vietnamese

children. The theme of the drawings was “Where I Live”

and the results were extraordinary.

A letter from Le Thi Hoan, Principal of Ban Khoang School

sums up the exchange of goodwill “Our school children

were very excited when they could see the country of their

friends through pictures. They really wanted to exchange

pictures with Dutch children, and immediately, pupils from

school Ban Khoang started to draw these pictures……On

behalf of our school, I want to say thank you to you and

your organisation because you gave us and our children

special feeling and concern…..They drew with all our love

with beautiful sights of our Vietnam, with their homes,

families school and friends.”

News from the Community Aid Committee (CAC)

HIWC Reaches out to a New Province Following the successes with our child surgery

projects in Son La and Ha Giang in 2013, we have

funded a project in Quang Ninh Province. This

project, which joins the HIWC with trusted

partners Child Surgery Vietnam (CSVN) and

Centre II represents a new area of outreach for

the HIWC.

Many children are disabled or disfigured by birth

defects or accidents. Over the past several years,

CSVN and local partner Centre II have performed

about 30 surgical projects operating on over

3,000 children. Typical surgeries include burn scar repair, cleft lip/palate, urology and gastrointes tinal and

orthopaedics. During each of the projects, expert surgeons from Hanoi travel to provincial hospitals to

perform the surgeries and train the local medical staff. CSVN’s goal is to train enough local surgeons to

carry out the operations in their own provincial hospitals.

In this project, 379 children were screened in eight districts

of Quang Ninh province: Ba Che, Tien Yen, Binh Lieu, Dam

Ha, Hai Ha, Mong Cai, Co To and Van Don. The HIWC agreed

to fund 40 surgeries of the 131 indicated for operation.

Surgeons from Hanoi travelled eight hours to the hospitals at

Mong Cai and Tien Yen. They performed the surgeries over

a period of five days.

The results for many children were instantaneous. Children

who had lived with a cleft lip for years were suddenly

changed and after a short recovery time felt back to normal with a completely new look. Some of the more

complicated cases involving burn scar repair or orthopaedics can take more than one surgery to restore

function. Those children will receive follow-up care.

This project changes lives and not only for the patients receiving the surgery. The valuable training of the

local medical staff ensures a move toward self-sufficiency.

HIWC Special Event

Arts

Interview with Local

Lacquer Artist Phi Phi An Interview with Lacquer Artist Phi Phi Oanh

Nguyen. (Article submitted by member Rasa Flay, images

by Ivy Marshak)

In March during an HIWC arts/culture group tour

guided by Ms Thu Kim Vu, HIWC Ladies had a chance

to meet lacquer artist Phi Phi Oanh Nguyen. The long

climb upstairs to reach Phi Phi’s studio was definitely

worth it, because her work and experimentation with

lacquer really caught everybody’s attention. This

interview is an attempt to introduce this young and

very talented artist to our members.

Rasa: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and

what brought you to Vietnam?

Phi Phi: I was born to Vietnamese parents and raised

in Houston, Texas. I studied at Parsons School of

Design in New York, and I came to Vietnam for the

first time in 2004, after receiving a Fulbright Grant to

conduct research on a traditional Vietnamese arts

medium.

Rasa: Is this how you started working with lacquer?

I started my research with learning about the lacquer

medium because I thought of lacquer being very

“Asian”. That was all I knew about lacquer at that

time. I had seen some Japanese lacquer ware at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York before

coming to Vietnam, but I couldn’t imagine how

different lacquer painting in Vietnam was. After

coming here, I discovered what an important cultural

medium it is, as well as its rich and complex history.

During the Fulbright Grant, I also tried experimenting

with silk painting, but soon I realized that lacquer

painting suited my personality. My one-year research

project became a two-year project that grew into

bigger project, and ten years later - I am still attached

to it! Vietnamese son ta lacquer has become the

centre of my artistic practice.

Before starting with Vietnamese lacquer, I worked

with oil painting. As opposed to many other lacquer

traditions from other countries, the Vietnamese use of

lacquer as a painting medium emphasizes gestural

expression and representation so my transition from

oil to lacquer painting was rather natural.

Rasa: What was your initial experience of that

transition? Lacquer paintings I have seen here can be

so strikingly different in their stylistic expression. What

are the main characteristics of working with lacquer?

Phi Phi: Even though the end result is a finely polished

painting, creating a work in lacquer is more like

sculpting because of the violent physicality of sanding

away and polishing back. Once the lacquer is painted

layer by layer, one actually creates or shapes the

image by taking away matter through sanding the

surface of the painting. This is like excavating in order

to reveal the image created in your imagination.

Arts

Phi Phi: Natural lacquer painting precludes the use of

certain natural materials to achieve the desirable

result. Two main colours of lacquer are black and

molasses brown (or in Vietnamese “cockroach wing

lacquer”. In order to achieve a lighter colour, a layer of

gold and silver leaf or silver powder can be applied

underneath the lacquer. The white colour comes from

the use of eggshell or mother-of-pearl inlay. The

molasses-coloured lacquer can also be mixed with

natural oxide pigments to create different reds and

synthetic pigments to create cooler colours. The key

element in the alchemy of creating a lacquer painting

is humidity. As strange as it may sound, lacquer

requires a humid environment to dry and harden.

Hanoi’s climate is perfect for that! Perhaps the

availability of this local material and the climatic

conditions prompted the first generation of lacquer

painter of the Indochina School of Fine Arts in the

early 20th century to experiment with lacquer to

create a painting, instead of using it only for

preservation of wooden utilitarian and religious

objects or structures. Lacquer painting as a separate

artistic tradition is still very young. It is an art medium

relatively free of historical baggage and theory,

especially when compared to the tradition of oil

painting. That is why it is so exciting to be a part of its

development as painting—this ancient, but at the

same time young, art medium.

Rasa: What is it that attracts you to lacquer?

Phi Phi: Many things, for example, I like the

physicality of working with lacquer that contradicts

the finely polished finish. It is a very hands-on

technique. I like how son ta lacquer is extremely

sensitive to climatic conditions and how that ties the

resin to this place and that annual variations in rain

might yield different qualities of lacquer in each

“harvest”. The local humidity sets or dries the lacquer

differently changing its colours and tones and shine.

Unlike other mediums it has a luminous quality that

comes from applying the gold and silver leaf.

Within my work, I try to use lacquer in a way that lets

the qualities of the medium speak for itself and allow

the process and materiality of the medium to inform

the final form. This work, Specula, is a pictorial

installation where I created the form of a cave or

tunnel with a barrel arch whose interior walls were

entirely covered in lacquer. I created 56m2 of a free

flow lacquer painting loosely representing a cave

where the viewers could walk through and experience

the changing perceptions of the painting surface as

they move through the space. Son ta lacquer

metamorphoses when it comes to capturing hard

organic surfaces. This is a quality that I try to exploit

in this work.

Rasa: What aspects do you see as being different in

your works compared to other lacquer artists?

Because my background is in art and research and

painting, my approach to working with this lacquer is

quite different. To me it is not only just a painting

medium and means of representation, but as a tool

through which I can explore other complex areas such

as history and culture. In terms of painting technique,

since I did not study lacquer at the Fine Arts University

here, I do not have any preconceived ideas about

what a lacquer painting “should” be so I don’t model

my work on some previous tradition. In fact, I am

trying to find a grammar of lacquer painting separate

and independent from the legacy of western oil

painting. For example, instead of doing the lacquer

version of some pre-existing painting or photograph I

am trying make work that reveals what lacquer can

bring to the history of image making…with its own

peculiar qualities and peculiar history.

Rasa: What project are you working on right now?

Phi Phi: I am experimenting with lacquer and applying

it to different surfaces, creating the lacquer image

with the aid of light, specifically of projection. The idea

came to me while I was living for 4 years in Madrid,

Spain. Despite numerous obstacles such as the dry

climate of Madrid and the supply of materials, I

continued working with lacquer. Sometimes creativity

comes not only from inspiration but rather the desire

to overcome challenges. I started to think about this

notion of dematerialization of lacquer, and I came up

with an idea of creating a lacquer skin that, like paper,

is pliable, movable, and easily transportable. This idea

of a skin records a certain mode of reality, of

presence, and impression. I used a traditional

approach to working with lacquer: layering, sanding

and polishing, but since these were applied to a glass

plate, I was able to remove the lacquer from the

Arts

surface to obtain a lacquer painting but without the

support of a background, i.e. a lacquer skin. Out of

this idea, another one emerged – the use of lacquer

skins as slides and projecting the image of the lacquer

skin and its shadow. Currently I am showing this work

Palimpsest at the Fost Gallery at Gillman Barracks in

Singapore. The installation runs until June 27.

Rasa: Lastly, I would like to ask you to say a few words

about the one of the most life changing experiences –

becoming a mother to a beautiful baby girl named

Noa. As I can recall from my experience, the most

challenging aspect of combining motherhood with an

artistic practice was finding more than 10 continuous

minutes to be spent on the latter.

Phi Phi: For me, the issue of time is also the most

difficult, not to mention the temporary (I hope!) loss

of concentration. I am trying to learn how to focus for

shorter amounts of time and multitasking. I always

used to work in the studio knowing I have all day and

night to do what I need to finish. Now, I really have to

think and plan on how to be more efficient within only

2 to 3 hours, but for me, what I do is not only a

vocation, it is also a lifestyle and choice. I have some

amazing friends who I admire and are role models for

me. As parents, they run around busy with their

children, but they also have exuberant creative lives.

As I spend time with Noa, I try to make the most of it.

We play intensely together, and my time is dedicated

Exclusively to her, no multitasking. I am trying to do

my best but time will tell if I did okay as a mom!

(Top and Bottom) Images of ‘Specula’

This month I took up lacquer classes. It’s only now that I really have an appreciation for just how patient and

committed this art requires the practitioner to be. Previously, when I walked past the amazing pieces of craft on many

streets in Hoan Kiem I was amazed at the beauty that some people had created. It is nothing compared to the artwork

of Phi Phi. What an amazing talent – please check out her work on her website at http://phiphioanh.com/. See below

for instructions on the process for collecting and storing lacquer, provided by Phi Phi – Ed.

The Lacquer Making Process Lacquer is made from a sap of the Rhus Succedanea, a tree native to Vietnam and known here as a Son Ta tree. The

sap is collected only from trees that are 10 or more years old, and only between midnight and dawn, in order to

prevent the sap from being exposed to sunlight. Collected sap is stored in tightly covered, large bamboo barrels for

several months in a cool, dark, well-aired place until different elements of the product separate into three major

layers. The product made from the top layer is a reddish brown lacquer, the least sticky, and can be mixed with

pigments to be used in painting. Second layer is stickier and darker, of yellowish brown colour. Iron containers are

used for storage, as well as iron sticks to mix the resin in order to obtain a black, glossy substance known as black

lacquer. The under most stratum is very sticky and soft, of muddy yellow colour. It is used in the process of making

wooden boards for lacquer paintings.

Culture

Learning Vietnamese: tips and tricks for daily life (First published Vietnamese news May 15th 2014) by Victoria Fritz

"Buoi chieu khong mua," my doorman told me as I stepped out of my apartment. It means, this afternoon it will not rain. My doorman is a better weather forecaster than Yahoo. My smartphone forecast rain all afternoon. But when I poked my head out the door, it was dry. So I dressed up to bike to the grocery store. As a guarantee, I asked the doorman. And he said, no rain. So I confidently strode out on my rickety old city bike. My doorman is never wrong. Useful phrases

Early on, I learned a few basic phrases, like "nuoc" (water), "Bao nhieu tien?" (how much?), "Cam on" (thank you). In the winter, it became imperative to be able to say, "rat lanh" (very cold) to the weathered taxi driver who likes to race through Ha Noi with his windows wide open. Because I am Asian, locals always make the mistake of speaking to me in Vietnamese, especially in stores and restaurants. "Sorry, I don't speak Vietnamese," I say with a friendly smile. "Nguoi Philippine (or whatever your nationality is)," comes in handy at these times. "Oh you look Vietnamese!" is always the emphatic reply. Later on I realised this was an advantage. I stopped correcting shop owners and go straight to "Bao nhieu tien?", to get a better price. Add "Dat qua" (so expensive) to your survival vocabulary and your all set. Whenever I step out the door, the doorman always gives me a puzzled look, wondering if he will release my bike from its collective chain and the company of my neighbours' bikes, or call a taxi. Once I say, "Di xe dap," he carries my bike down the few steps to the curb. When I say "Di bo," he repeats what I said, as if to a child learning how to talk, and smiles as he watches me go on foot. One morning, my housekeeper, Oanh, started her day by telling me with a look of alarm, "hom qua" and some other Vietnamese words, while pointing to the stove. With my tiny vocabulary, I knew that "hoa qua" means "fruit". "Fruit?", I asked her, wondering what type of fruit she wanted me to cook. "No!" She was getting impatient. So I went to Google translate, and found out that "hom qua" means "yesterday". Oh my gosh! She was telling me that yesterday, she found our stove's right burner left on when she came in. The gas leaking for an hour! A near disaster. I never told my husband. This is strictly between me and Oanh, whose command of English assures just that. All's well. Since eating is inevitable, it is important to learn the phrase "rat ngon" (very delicious). My friend Janice had her housekeeper, Phuong, make fresh spring rolls for me. Such a delicate flavour! None of the unwelcome intensity in the sauce. "You must tell her," Janice said. I turned to Phuong and said, "Rat ngon,

cam on chi," and she beamed. Then it was my turn to boast. I took out a shift dress, which I myself made at a sewing class, and told her, "Em lam". I made (this). "Oooh" she was properly impressed. It turned out to be a double feat for me: sewing a dress for the first time in my life, and being able to say it in Tieng Viet [Vietnamese language]. In my comings and goings, I acquired the phrase "lam on cho". "Lam on" means please, and "cho" means wait. I made it a point to add this to my list when I needed to make several quick stops with the same taxi. Say it isn't so

The hardest part about learning Vietnamese is the pronunciation, which puts the language up there with calculus and climbing Mt Everest in level of difficulty. There are seven ways to pronounce the word "cau", one of which is likely to get you into trouble. For the longest time, I thought my housekeeper's name was Kwang. At least that is how it sounded when she told me. After one year, I asked the property manager for the correct spelling, and it turned out to be Oanh.

"Cho" pronounced a certain way means market. With a slight variation, it means wait. "Chua" with a wide mouth and steady tone refers to yoghurt, but with puckered lips and a downward tone, it means pagoda. On the road, keep in mind that "tr" is pronounced "ch". So the street Tran Phu is pronounced "Chan Fu". Worth it

With all its drawbacks and challenges, learning basic Vietnamese is a key step in settling in. I've joined a Vietnamese conversation group where the longest staying expat, Si, helps us with basics like how to ask questions, days of the week, etc. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to be joined by a true-blue Vietnamese, who corrects our pronunciation and word choice. Among my friends, Janice chats regularly with her neighbours, shopkeepers and street hawkers, who treat her like the light-haired local. Barbara can talk to her housekeeper about many things beyond the household chores. And I feel much safer and more comfortable at home being able to engage in small talk and get updates from my housekeeper and doorman. "Khong mua?" (rain?), I asked the doorman this afternoon, pronouncing the last word with a wide mouth. "Huh?" he looked at me, puzzled. I closed my mouth a little, "Mua?" Still not understanding, he started shaking his head. Finally I said it with a normal mouth, "Mua?" His face lit up. "Ah! Khong mua," he said twice while shaking his head again, more vigorously this time. I may not get there the first time, or the second time, but I get there all the same. And that is all that matters. — VNS

Culture

Embroidery Village – Thuong Tin District The small traditional embroidery villages, dating back to the 17th Century, are located in the Thuong Tin district about 30km from Hanoi. Embroidery in Vietnam is thought to have been derived from the Chinese tradition dating back to around 3500 B.C. Evidence of the earliest embroidery depicts clothing worked with silk thread, precious stones and pearls. Anecdotally, there is speculation that Imperial Concubine Y Lan taught palace maids embroidery techniques during the Ly Dynasty (11th Century) however, the craft became really popular in Vietnam about 600 years later when Le Cong Hanh, who was sent to China as a Vietnamese Ambassador, returned and taught the local people the secrets of the Chinese weavers. As with most historical tales, there are

stories of oppression and adversity before discovery and this one is no different. The legend goes that Hanh was forced to live in a tower by the Chinese King and during his confinement he unravelled embroidered umbrellas to learn the mysteries of the ancient craft.

Unfortunately, the Thuong Tin district, once a bustling hub for artisans and lovers of the craft alike feels now, in many parts, a little empty and neglected. There are concerns locally that the art of embroidery will be lost as future generations do not take up this profession but choose more contemporary career paths. The art is steeped in tradition and to lose this would be a great loss to Vietnamese culture. As disappointing as this is ‘progression’ feels inevitable and is already evidenced by

the abundant lower quality, bulk produced copies found everywhere on the streets of Hanoi.

The village is definitely worth a look to see the hand dyeing process in action and to pick up some reasonably priced yarn (100 000VND for 1kg) and embroidery. - Ed

(Top – Organic colour dyes, middle and bottom – the hand dyeing process, right – the work of a local artisan).

Culture

Ngu Xa ‘Island’ By Tiffany Banner

"At the end of May, 11 ladies braved the summer heat

to discover the surrounding temples and "island" of

Ngu Xa during an HIWC Art/Cultural Walking Tour led

by Jura Cullen. We met at the Quan Thanh Temple,

located at the end of Thanh Nien road, that runs

between Tay Ho lake and Truch Bach lake. Quan

Thanh temple has an impressive gateway, that

originally had steps running directly in Tay Ho Lake.

Look out for the interesting images and maps of the

old city once inside the temple. The noteworthy sights

within the temple are the wooden carving at the

entrance and a huge bronze statue of Tran Vu that

stands almost 13ft high and weighs nearly 4 tons. The

bronze craftsmen responsible for such a feat, lived on

the nearby island of Ngu Xa, which was the next stop

on our journey.

Ngu Xa is easy to miss, a small congested canal running

along one side still demarcates it as a separate piece of

land. The streets facing Truch Bach lake are lined with

flowering trees and a favorite place to sit and have

coffee whilst listening to singing birds. Ngu Xa is said

to mean "5 villages", referring to the origins of the

people who

founded the village. They travelled to Hanoi to practice their skills

as bronze craftsmen supplying the imperial city of Thang Long. The

island is now well-known for a certain type of street food, known

as Pho cuon.

On the island, we visited the Thien Quang Pagoda that holds

another impressive statue; a seated Buddha sitting on a throne of

96 lotus petals. This piece was cast in situ as the total weight of

the statue and throne is well over 11.5 tonnes. Our tour covered

more local colour, residential streets, a lively wet market and other

interesting architectural buildings, ending up at the north gate of

the citadel. Hanoi is best discovered in small "bites" and on foot -

come and find out more... - TB

Health in Vietnam

Infectious Diseases in Vietnam Right Now Over the last few months we have seen many headlines in the news regarding disease outbreaks in Vietnam; Measles and Chicken Pox are 2 such examples. The most recent illness to make headlines is Hand, Foot and Mouth, with the Ministry of Health stating that more than 17,410 cases have been reported around the country since the start of the year- including two deaths. Although 83% of cases have been reported in the southern provinces, it is important to educate ourselves and those around us about the illness so we can protect our families and community from the potential risk. The Disease Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infection caused by several different viruses and is present throughout the world. It typically occurs among infants and children, though adults can contract it. Most patients experience a mild illness that clears up without treatment. The disease can cause more serious symptoms that may be life threatening, such as encephalitis and meningitis, however these cases are uncommon. Symptoms Patients usually begin having symptoms 3-7 days after being infected. Illness often begins with a fever, reduced appetite, fatigue, sore throat and a general sick feeling (malaise). Within one to two days, the classic symptoms of HFMD usually appear: painful ulcers in the mouth and a rash on the hands, feet, and buttocks. This rash is not itchy and looks like small blisters. The most common complication of the disease is dehydration, since mouth sores can make it painful to eat or drink. When HFMD is caused by the E71 virus, more serious symptoms may occur. Infrequently, patients develop meningitis, a poliomyelitis-like paralysis or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), which can be fatal. How it Spreads HFMD spreads from person-to-person, usually via the oral-oral or oral-faecal route. The virus is contained in bodily secretions such as faeces (oral-faecal transmission), mucus, saliva or blister pus of infected people. A healthy person contracts it when

they put contaminated food, beverages or objects into their mouth, or when they inhale the virus. Patients are most contagious for the first 7-10 days of their illness, but remain contagious even after symptoms abate. The virus may stay in the faeces for several weeks after the illness has disappeared. Diagnosis HFMD is usually diagnosed by taking a detailed health history and observing clinical symptoms. Laboratory testing is not usually required, and it often takes 2 to 4 weeks to obtain results. Nevertheless, medical professionals sometimes perform tests to determine which virus caused the illness. These are done via throat swab or stool specimen. Treatment People usually recover without treatment within 7 to 10 days. To relieve uncomfortable symptoms, patients often use over the counter pain relievers/fever reducers. Aspirin should not be administered to children unless recommended by a medical professional. Other treatment includes rest and consuming adequate fluids to prevent dehydration. Patients who develop nervous system symptoms, such as fitting, twitching or shaking, may require hospitalization for treatment. Prevention There is no vaccine available for HFMD. Strict hygiene measures must be followed to prevent the infection from spreading. Wash hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after changing a nappy or using the toilet. Do not share food, drink or eating utensils. Cover mouth and nose when sneezing, and be sure to wash hands afterwards. Avoid close contact (such as hugging, kissing) with infected persons. Avoid contact with a patient's oral and respiratory secretions for up to 2 weeks after symptoms have disappeared. HFMD-causing viruses are resistant to many disinfectants, so contaminated surfaces and items must be sanitized by washing with a diluted chlorine-containing product (such as bleach) or an iodized disinfectant.

.

Dr Damien Cummins, (UK)

General and Emergency Medicine,

International SOS Hanoi Clinic

Monday – Friday 9am-6pm

Weekends on Rotation

Tel + 84 4 3934 0666

Health in Vietnam

Staying Healthy in the Summer Heat

As the thermometer climbs and we rapidly morph out of winter into summer we all need to remind ourselves how to stay healthy in the summer heat. The danger for some is heat exhaustion which is a condition whose symptoms may include weakness, headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting and rapid heartbeat. All of this is a result of your body overheating. Causes of heat exhaustion include exposure to high temperatures, high humidity and strenuous physical activity (golfing!). Without prompt treatment it may become a life-threatening condition. In hot weather, your body cools itself mainly by sweating. Evaporation of sweat lowers body temperature. However, when you exercise strenuously especially in hot, humid weather, your body is less able to cool itself efficiently. If you suspect a heat-related illness, stop exercising and get out of the heat.

Treatment:

In most cases, you can treat heat exhaustion yourself by doing the following:

Rest in a cool place. Get to an air-conditioned building or at the least, find a shady spot. Rest on your back with your legs elevated higher than your heart level.

Drink cool fluids. Stick to water or sports drinks (Gatorade). These (sports) drinks can replace the sodium, chloride and potassium you lose through sweating and don’t drink any beverages that have alcohol or caffeine which can promote fluid loss. Your body's ability to sweat and cool down depends on adequate rehydration. Drink plenty of water while you're working out — even if you don't feel thirsty

Apply cool water to your skin. If possible, take a cool shower, sponge down or soak in a cool bath.

Loosen clothing. Remove any tight unnecessary clothing.

Contact us at FMP if your signs or symptoms worsen or if they don't improve within 30 minutes.

Prevention

Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-coloured clothing. Dark or tight clothing holds in heat and doesn't let your body cool properly because it inhibits sweat evaporation. . Lightweight, loose-fitting clothing promotes sweat evaporation and cooling by letting more air pass over your body.

Avoid the midday sun. Wear a lightweight, wide-brimmed hat. Use an umbrella to protect yourself from the sun. Apply sunscreen to exposed skin. Exercise in the morning or evening — when it's likely to be cooler outdoors — rather than the middle of the day

Drink plenty of fluids. Staying hydrated will help your body sweat and maintain a normal body temperature. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty!

Slow and Easy. If you're used to exercising indoors or in cooler weather, take it easy at first. As your body adapts to the heat, gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts. If you have a chronic medical condition or take medication, ask your doctor if you need to take additional precautions.

Dr WB McNaull, Medical Director Family Medical Practice

Feature Article

Mother’s Day Classic By Sally Melville

On Sunday the 11th of May, Sally Melville organised the inaugural Mother’s Day Classic in Hanoi, a fun walk / run for a

group of her friends and family here in Hanoi. From small beginnings, she hopes to make this an annual tradition for

the HIWC. The Mother's Day Classic is held annually in Australia and is organised by a group of women working in the

superannuation and finance industry. It was established to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research,

motivated by the knowledge that research does improve the survival rate those diagnosed with breast cancer. Since

1998 the Mother's Day Classic has raised $19.8 million dollars. For more information please check out

http://www.mothersdayclassic.com.au –Ed.

The Mother’s Day Classic challenge has become a

tradition for many families on Mother’s day in Australia.

It is a fun run/walk that is organised and held in many

towns and cities all over Australia raising funds for

breast cancer research. It is a fantastic opportunity for

people to show their support for mums, sisters, aunts,

grandmothers and friends with breast cancer, survivors

of breast cancer and as a tribute to those that we have

lost to the disease.

For our family the MDC challenge is an important event

as my mum is a breast cancer survivor, we first walked in

the challenge in 2010 the year she was receiving

treatment. This year it took on even more meaning as

my Mum, with her friend Pam organized the first ever

Challenge for their town. Although we could not be

there to support her on the day my husband and I with

our two children decided to register as Team Hanoi and

have our own walk here. When mentioning it to a few

friends they agreed it was a great idea and either

registered or donated to the Stawell event my mum had

organised and so too on Sunday May 11th Hanoi hosted

its first ever Mother’s Day Classic Challenge.

As pink is the colour associated with Breast Cancer the

HIWC kindly donated us all pink hats, with 7 adults, 7

children and 1 puppy it was a small but colourful and eager group that met in the park in Tay Ho. The walk was along

the lake finishing at Tet Décor where we were greeted with a lovely bunch of pink roses on our table and of course a

yummy breakfast. All who participated enjoyed the morning and agreed it would be fantastic if the Mother’s Day

Classic challenge could be an annual event for Hanoi to raise money for the ‘K hospital’ Hanoi’s cancer hospital.

If you would be interested getting involved or have any ideas on setting the Challenge up for next year please contact

me at Sally at [email protected]. I look forward to seeing many of you join us next year. -SM

Summer Feature

Colourful blooms signal the end of the Vietnamese

school year By Jura Cullen

Hanoi is a city with seasons and although not as distinct as in continental climates one can still clearly feel the shift. The pleasant spring days have ended and in their place the intense sunny heat of summer (up to 40 degrees) has arrived. Over the last two weeks Hanoi has been filled with the beautiful blossoms of bright red Delonix regia (Flame Tree) or Hoa Phuong Vy in Vietnamese (meaning the Phoenix’s tail) and cloudy purple Lagerstoemia speciosa (Giant Crape Myrtle) or Hoa Bang Lang in Vietnamese.

The other name for these ornamental trees is ‘flower of the pupil or student’ because they bloom at the end of May which coincides with final exams and the end of the Vietnamese school year. - JC

Above- Lagerstoemia speciosa blooming at Trung Vuong Lower Secondary School, formerly known as Dong Khanh and founded in 1917 as one of Hanoi’s first schools for girls.

Above and right - Flame trees (or Hoa Phuong

Vy) and Lagerstoemia speciosa in bloom around

Hoan Kiem Lake

Follow the link to see more the blog by Jura Hound in Hanoi

Let’s Talk About... Small Business in Hanoi

The Recipe for Success

Lotus News chatted with small business owner, Ali Waugh, the owner of Georges Boutique in the Tay Ho District

about what it takes to run a successful small business in Vietnam.

What’s the single most important ingredient to running a business in Hanoi?

I love this question and without hesitation I’m going to say having the right business partner is the key to a healthy

and happy business. Before starting up George’s, I had heard so many horror stories about partnerships that had

gone sour over embezzlement, unnecessary interference, breach of copyright and even out-right theft of the whole

business, so I knew that choosing the right partner was fundamental.

The obvious choice for me was my Vietnamese housekeeper, who had been working for me for over three years at

the time. Personality wise, we’re complete opposites, and I’m convinced this is a benefit. Nga has a serenity about

her which I certainly don’t have and she’s never impulsive, so she brings calm and forethought to the table when

we’re making decisions.

Our roles are clearly defined and have been since the start. Nga handles every aspect of staff management, including

the hiring process, job descriptions and who gets a pay rise. I don’t necessarily agree with the ethics of Vietnamese

Human Resources – getting jobs based more on who you know rather than what you know – but I have bitten my

tongue on this issue because its Nga’s domain.

We don’t always see eye to eye and one of the most ridiculous arguments we’ve had centred on costing clothes

according to size. Nga thinks that XL pants, for example, should have a higher price tag than an XS pair, because they

use a lot more fabric. Her logic is that we pay more for a large bowl of pho than a small one, so clothing should be

the same. My response is that we can’t charge someone more simply because their body is taller or wider than

another person’s. Luckily, I won this argument!

Trust is ultimately the basis of any business relationship and without it there’s no point in trying to work together. I

feel so fortunate that Nga and I have never encountered any trust issues; having worked together for nearly eight

years I can honestly say that I have never once doubted her word and I can only hope that Nga thinks the same of

me.

Are there advantages to having a Vietnamese Business partner?

As a foreigner, you can establish a stand-alone business in Vietnam, but you’ve got to comply with some tough

conditions and the set up costs are in the thousands, and in addition you’ll need to engage an English-speaking

Vietnamese lawyer to help you to negotiate the regulations. A Vietnamese business partner is a far easier option and

cost effective in the short-term. Choosing the right business partner, however, can be as difficult as finding the right

husband!

The cost of registering a shop is usually under $10, but it does depend on where your business will be located and

what products or services you’re going to sell. A local business partner will help with the government paperwork and

the tax system – they are worth their weight in gold just for doing this alone.

Did you rent or buy the property where your business is situated and why?

It never occurred to me to buy a shop – renting seemed the most obvious and easiest way. I’ve been very lucky with

my landlord, Tien, who hasn’t raised the rent in five years. When the air conditioner breaks down or something

malfunctions that can have a negative impact on customers, Tien understands that we want the problem dealt with

swiftly. If everything depends on the location of your business, then securing a long lease will be a necessity. Equally,

if you’re going to invest thousands of dollars in interior decoration, you’ll want to know you can rent your property

for at least 5 years, if not 10. It goes without saying that you should check the fine print of your lease agreement

before signing. □

June Coffee Morning

`

HIWC June Coffee Morning

Members are invited to the June coffee morning -

at Huong Jewellery (338 Pho Hue Street, Hanoi.)

on 5th June (Please note this is the first Thursday not the 2nd)

from 10am-12pm (Registration starts at 9.30am)

Please click Here to pre- register, by 2nd June at the latest.

As usual Ms Huong has been very generous with a 30% discount on silver and pearl jewellery and a 20% discount on gold and silverware.

There will also be a PRIZE DRAW open to all members attending on the day.

This year we will also be able to see art works from Le Thieu Ngan a native of Hanoi. Born into a family of artists (her father Le Vuong and her brother Le Cuong are well known photographers, a great uncle was Le Pho, the world renown artist who graduated from Ecole des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine), Le Thieu Ngan has enjoyed arts since her early years. She began her painting in gouache and oil canvas in the atelier of Van Duong Thanh in the mid 2000’s in Hanoi. During the years she spent in Japan accompanying her husband, she studied Sumi-e, or Japanese ink-wash painting. She had her first solo exhibition in Tokyo in 2010 and Group exhibitions in Tokyo in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Her paintings are on permanent display at the Busan

Fine-Arts Museum in Korea, Okinawa Fine-Arts Museum, and in several private collections.

So, this is shaping up to be quite an interesting morning. Make sure you don't miss it!!!!

What’s on?

Summer in the HIWC HIWC EVENTS JUNE

1st June Excursion - Water puppet master and performance

3rd June Excursion - Chuong Village

3rd June HIWC Film Club My Way, G/F Syrena Tower, 51

Xuan Dieu. Our June screening will be of the Baz Luhrmann

film, “Moulin Rouge.” This time My Way is offering us their

space in exchange of our ordering food and beverage. Please

register with your Film Club coordinators Suchi and Victoria at

[email protected]

4th June Wine Tasting Evening. Women only event to be held at

Backyard Beer Hoi in Tay Ho. See flyer in this issue

5th June HIWC Coffee Morning at Huong Jewellery, 338 Pho

Hue Street, Hanoi.

10th June Newcomers Coffee Morning

11th June HIWC Board Meeting

16th June Non-native English reading group meets again

between 2.00 and 4.00p.m. Venue to be confirmed. We will

discuss The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

HIWC EVENTS JULY

17th July HIWC Coffee Morning (please note the change of

date from 10th to 17th) at Work Room Four, Packexim Building

on An Duong Vuong. There will be activities for the kids at this

event.

24th July Newcomers Coffee Morning

HIWC EVENTS AUGUST

14th August HIWC Coffee Morning to be held at Top Chef, 162A Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Tay Ho District,

Hanoi

What’s on?

For Kids This Summer Holidays Workroom 4 Summer Art Classes - Located in studios 5 minutes from Xuan Dieu and Ciputra, Work Room Four will be running two Summer Art School courses for students aged 8 – 16 years old. Courses run from 9:00am to 3:30pm Monday to Friday. Starting on the 14th July. One-week program 14

th July – 18

th July

Painting (acrylic, water colour, oils) Drawing (pen, pencil, charcoal, chalks) Printing (block printing, sublimation printing, Transfer) Illustration (mixed media) Graphic design (typography, colour theory, poster design) Two-week program 21

st July – 1

st Aug

The above plus: Fashion design (pattern, textile and garment design) Product shot photography Mounting and displaying work Curating an exhibition Creating an exhibition catalogue The classes will be followed by an exhibition and presentations of the work on the 2

nd of August from 4 – 6pm.

Other Activities for the Kids Ice Skating – Royal City, Thanh Xuan Water Park – Royal City, Thanh Xuan Bowling – Royal City, Thanh Xuan X-Factory Laser Tag – 77 Hong Mai, Hai Ba Trung Hero World – Dodgem Cars and games – Garden City Shopping Centre – Me Tri Street, My Dinh Swimming Pools Keangnam Swimming Pool – Landmark 72 Tower, Pham Hung Sofitel Plaza Fitness Centre – Thanh Nien, Tay Ho Olympia Swimming Pool – 5 Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem P2 Tower - Ciputra Ice Cream Fanny’s Ice cream – Ly Thuon Kiet Italia Gelato – To Ngoc Van - NEW!

What’s on?

Summer in Hanoi Friday nights - Weekly film screening at L'Espace at 8pm. Contact them for details http://www.vphanoi-lespace.com.

1st- 30th June Exhibition "Le Petit Prince" at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi - "Le Petit Prince" to reign at Metropole

Hanoi

2nd and 3rd June Performance of Opera "Carmen" at Hanoi Opera House at 8pm - Opera "Carmen" performed by

more than 150 artists, musicians and singers of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet

4th June Hanoi Slam Presents “Courage” at PUKU at7.30pm - Take part in Hanoi Slam's story telling program and raise

fund to support vulnerable children

5th and 10th June Theatre Performance "Mademoiselle Bonsoir" at L’Espace at 8pm - Theatre Performance

"Mademoiselle Bonjour" by the amateur troupe Phapbulateurs

6th and 7th June Tchaikosky's Night – at Hanoi Opera House at 8pm - Tchaikosky's concert with conductor Alexander

Polynichko, piano soloist Tamura Hibiki and Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra

6th June Theatre Performance of "Impermanence"No 66, lane 12, Dang Thai Mai Str, Hanoi at 7pm - A harmony of

acting, dancing and beautiful visuals put together in one special performance

7th June - Kids Club at the Hanoi Cooking Centre http://www.hanoicookingcentre.com/

7th June Classical Concert with Quartet Parisii at L'Espace at 8pm - Concert with works of Boccherini, Haydn, Webern,

Debussy, Campo, Glass, and Schubert's “Girl and Death"

14th June Hip hop Performance with Pockemon Crew in Hanoi and HCMC at Youth Theatre at 8pm - With the

performance of French Crew "Pockemon", hip hop dance world champion

21st June Contemporary Magic Performance "Notte" at L'Espace Youth Theatre at 8pm - Contemporary Magic

Performance "Notte" blurs the signal and hides body in the dark for a better reveal of calligraphy

21st – 22nd June Lighting Workshop with Cinematographer Jamie Maxtone-Graham held at Goethe at 9am - Two-day

intensive lighting workshop for filmmakers and cinematographers

25th-26th June Subscription Concert Vol 71 at Hanoi Opera House at 8pm - Subscription concert vol 71 with conductor

Andrea Pestalozza and artists of Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra

26th June Pop-rock Concert with Mélissa Laveaux in Hanoi and HCMC at L'Espace at 8pm - French singer Mélissa

Laveaux brings her enthralling music performance to Hanoi

27th June Music Night "Transitions": The Observatory + Moe + Xai - Hanoi Rock City at 7.30pm - Singaporean

astronauts THE OBSERVATORY & Norwegian heavyweights MOE – live in Hanoi

28th June Theater Performance of "Border" Hled at L'Espace at 8pm -Theatre performance of "Border" by Les

Rémouleurs Company at L'Espace

28th June – 2nd July and 30th June – 11th July Character-based Improvisation Workshop and Acting Courses of The

Black Box at The Black Box - with Robert Marchand and Acting Courses with Tony Le – Nguyen

What’s on?

Hard To Find...

31st May – 15th June Exhibition of Wearable Art Pieces at Lucy's Dream Lucy’s Dream - Exhibition of wearable art

pieces depicting the Dong-Ho (Đông Hồ) painting culture of Vietnam, World Fairy Tales, and Surreal Photographic

Sceneries

29th May – 29th June Exhibition "Affordable Art" at Dong Phong Gallery - more than 30 works of various media by

well-known as well as young artists in Vietnam

4th -12th June 6th European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival in Hanoi and HCMC National Studio for

Documentary and Scientific Film - Hanoi - New films from 9 European countries and from Vietnam create a vibrant

dialogue, featuring the variety of film-making styles and of topics relevant for each

20th May – 30th June Exhibition "Life: Up and Down" at L’Espace - Painting/photo/poetry exhibition by Eric Huynh,

Marie-Cécile Marques and Ton That Thanh Van

Children’s Birthday Supplies Cakes

Cakes, Cakes and more cakes. Top Chef Café and Bakery makes great birthday cakes. You can find them at Golden

Westlake Residences, 162A Hoang Hoa Tham or 151 Thuy Khus, Tay Ho. Email is www.topchef.vn

Supplies

Celebrate your children's special day with the best birthday supplies in Hanoi! Hurry Up, contact us for prices and

get your pack soon! Each Pack contains: 16 Invitations with envelopes, 16 Plates, 16 Cups, 16 Napkins, 16 Favor

Bags, 1 Table cover. Email [email protected] for details.

HIWC Circles Activities Details

Circle Activity Time and Place

Contact

Information

Art / Culture Group

Various Rasa at [email protected] Several meetings each month to view local exhibitions, meet artists, go on

heritage walks etc.

Bridge Fun Thursdays 1pm Hanoi

Club Reiko [email protected] Beginners and all levels welcome

Cooking Classes Various Solidad or Saloni cooking@hanoi-

iwc.com A variety of cooking classes are run

throughout the month

Cycling Group Joma on To Ngoc Van

at 9am Willie [email protected] Bring hat, water and enthusiasm

English Conversation

Tuesday 10am – 11.30am

Nada [email protected] or Martina [email protected]

Lively talk and laughter

Evening Book Club Second Wednesday of

the month from 7.30pm – 9.30pm

Karinne [email protected]

Members choose a book a month to read and discuss

Film Club Various Victoria or Suchi at

[email protected]

Cost is 100 000VND for members and 150 000VND for non-members

Golf Various Reiko [email protected]

Intermediate Tennis

Every Monday and Friday 9am – 11am.

Play at the end of Tay Ho Street in Tay Ho

Yuko Kenataka at [email protected]

Intermediate to high level players.

Lunchtime Literary Discussion group

Third Monday of every month

Lillian [email protected]

This group proposes to maximise objective discussion of the basic

elements of the novel.

Mahjong

Wednesday at Jaspa’s, Hanoi Tower and

Fridays at Alfrescos both at 10am

Lillian [email protected]

We stop for lunch and then continue to play in the afternoon

Newcomers One Thursday a month

10am – 12pm

Contact Lia Garcia and Penny Mcdonald at newcomers@hanoi-

iwc.com

Especially for newcomers to Hanoi, but also for our members. Learn about the

HIWC

Non-native English reading group

Third Tuesday of the month

Karen [email protected]

This is a multinational group of ladies who enjoy some guided discussion in a

friendly group

Quilters Group Every Wednesday

9.30am – 12pm Dunia Lujan, [email protected]

Great for lovers of fabric, quilting, sewing etc.

Scrabble

Every 2nd

and 4th

Monday of the month at Alfrescos in Tay Ho

10am – 12pm

Dorothy [email protected] or

Rasika [email protected]

Come along for a couple of hours of scrabble

Writers group Every other Thursday

10am - noon Lillian Canada [email protected]

Venue changes contact Lillian

NEW CIRCLE GROUPS...

If you wish to pursue a hobby or learn a new skill but are not sure if there are others who are in the same

position, get in touch. Circle groups have been set up by members who want to share their passions and

meet others with similar interests. Email [email protected].

Social Pages

Circle Activities

The Quilting Group

THE TEACHER OF OUR TIME BETWEEN SEAMS

One of the wonderful experiences encountered here in Hanoi, while living away from our home countries, has been thanks to a cheerful, warm and generous lady who opened her home and her heart to us. She was the impetus for forming our cute sewing group that gathered every Wednesday morning to share hours of creativity, learning and chatting. She was the soul of every encounter that has, with her infinite patience and persistence, encouraged many of us to pick up a needle for the first time as we dared dream of making that much admired cushion, children’s bed quilt or table cloth for our family meals here in Hanoi. Thanks to her generosity and love for things well made we have discovered that with dedication, patience and effort, a world full of fabrics and colours lies at our finger tips. Memories are made by putting many bits and pieces together and we are thankful that the quilting group has proved to be one of the most positive and memorable. The sewing group will feel forever linked and indebted to her… and even though she will be no longer be our host or our teacher, she will always be our captain ... THANKS Natty. Your students

Social Pages

The Tennis Club

TENNIS TOURNAMENT

On April 26th, the ladies tennis players from the HIWC tennis circle held our Spring Tennis Tournament for 2014. The weather was perfect and each player arrived feeling energetic and ready to have fun and enjoy

the tournament Congratulations to Mya Fah, the winner of the tournament.

Winners are grinners - Mya Fah: Winner of the tournament

Mahjong FAREWELL JOYCELYN

The "HIWC Mahjong ladies" farewelled one of their

longest playing members at their new venue

Alfresco's in Tay Ho. Having lived in Hanoi with her

husband Chris for the past 15 years, Jocelyn has

attended many farewells but it is now time for us to

wish her all the vey best for the next phase of her life.

A few tears and a couple of margaritas guaranteed a

good time for all. Bon voyage Jocelyn and to quote

someone famous - "thanks for the memories".

Apologies to the Mahjong ladies for not printing this last month - Ed

Social Pages

May Coffee Morning The May coffee morning coincided with the HIWC Annual General Meeting. Overall the meeting was a success with a

large number of our community showing up to participate. Traditionally, our AGM introduces and votes in the Board

for the year. For the coming 2014 / 2015 Year the HIWC Board consists of:

President – Paulina Pineda

Vice President / Communications – Penny

McDonald

Secretary – Vacant Position

Treasurer - Karinne van Dijkhuizen

CAC President – Kay Wood

CAC Treasurer – Ha Anglet Phan

Editor – Michele Spencer

Coffee Mornings and Circle Groups Coordinator –

Tania Cattanach

Bazaar Coordinator – Renee Freeman

Membership – Tess Dunne

Webmaster – Shannon Bridge

Events Co-ordinator - Vacant

Many thanks to the Hanoi Opera Hilton Hotel for

sponsoring the coffee morning and providing the

venue.

Social Pages

Fashion and Cocktails The HIWC Shopping and Cocktails event, held on the 14th May at The Kitchen in To Ngoc Van was invariably a success,

and how could it not be with the genius combination of ‘shopping’ and ‘cocktails’. Despite the gruelling heat, many

shoppers turned out to peruse the wares on display. A total of 13 vendors supplied products to the pop up, mini

night-time market. On display were many lovely quality items of jewellery, clothing, bags, home wares, toys and

wines. Thank you to all vendors who participated. We hope that this popular event continues to grow. - Ed

‘Better World’ Stand HIWC treasurer, Karinne spending her surplus.

Genny Le Calvez with her Silver Jewellery Cynthia of Future Traditions with her stand

Some of the wares on display for Mondoro Living

Social Pages

Georges Stand displaying some of the bags available at

the shop

High Tea at the Marriot Many HIWC members enjoyed an impromptu High Tea at the Marriot, Friday 16th May. Many thanks to the J.R.

Marriot for their continued support.

Promotions from our Valued Supporters

Board Positions Vacant

Do you have some special skills? Good at organising or using computers? The board is looking to fill 3 very important

positions:

Secretary

Events Co-ordinator

Webmaster

Please contact Paulina [email protected] if you would like volunteer for one of these positions.