6回目の採用記事（2009年12月11日）

I think this kind of ban is good to keep the environment in apartments clean, safe and quiet.

I felt very funny when I purchased an apartment (under my wife's name) and the real estate agent said that ground and 1st floor units were more expensive than the upper floors because they were convenient for business. In my country, apartments cost the same on each floor. Different prices depend on the area.

There are some offices in my building but shops are not allowed to open on residential floors. Sometimes people lingering outside to visit offices make noise and create troubles with residents. So I think the ban is good to solve this kind of problem. It will work well, I think.

In my country, residential and trade areas are definitely separated. People live in residential areas and they commute every day to trading areas. The ban would be effective but the Government should also improve public transportation and separate residential and trades areas, especially in HCM City and Ha Noi

5回目の採用記事（2009年12月4日）

I think it's part of the culture. Food stalls are fun and one of my favourite things in Viet Nam. But as you mentioned, sometimes pedestrians have to walk along the gutter which causes traffic jams.

However, food stalls are very convenient because they taste good and are cheaper than restaurants.

So I think the Ha Noi People's Committee's idea to establish some controls is a good one. But I think the fees should be set higher than the current rates and there should be stricter regulations.

As for motorbike parking on pavements, I can't accept it. This usually causes traffic jams and is dangerous for pedestrians.

My home town Tokyo has similar problem. There are fewer cars there than in Viet Nam, but there is still not enough road parking for cars. So authorities have tried to think of parking alternatives, such as underground parking and above-ground garages. The government also encourages people to use public transportation, which the Vietnamese Government should also do. Improvements to the transportation system and infrastructure should also be made as soon as possible.

4回目の採用記事（2009年11月27日）

In Japan, there are many historical and ancient cities such as Kyoto and Nara that are like Hue and Ha Noi in Viet Nam.

In those cities, people are strongly aware that they must keep their city clean and green because they are proud of where they live.

In addition, we have an activity named "Clean-up Week", which is held frequently. Slogans reminding residents to think green are posted on every street corner.

In Ha Noi, I think the Government needs to educate the public better about the need to protect their environment. Ha Noi is their capital city and it has a long history.

I think the Vietnamese people lack a sense of civic responsibility. For example, in my apartment, no one cleans the corridor without being paid. They don't hesitate to leave their rubbish there. However, when Vietnamese people go overseas, no one throws rubbish away in public areas because no one else does.

It's a chicken and egg situation – I don't know whether people throw away rubbish because the environment is already bad or whether people won't do it because the environment is clean.

3回目の採用記事（2009年11月20日）

I think it's good to start conducting an investigation into these taxi companies. Taxies in Viet Nam are better than in some other countries, but I think some foreigners, especially tourists from overseas, are scared of taxis in Viet Nam.

So far I haven't had any major troubles with them. But some drivers won't start the meter and they will go round about routes if we don't say something to them.

One day, I caught a very famous brand-named taxi in HCM City, and I asked the driver if I could use my taxi card.

He said no. I asked him again: Why not? This card is issued by your company. He replied that his taxi was a fake. I was really surprised because the label of taxi was the same as one of the most famous taxi companies in the city, and the telephone number printed on the taxi was the same.

The authorities should strengthen their registration systems. I sometimes meet very bad-mannered drivers. They shout and curse while I am in the cab. Some sensitivity training would go a long way as well, in my opinion.

2回目の採用記事（2009年9月25日）

I have visited many historical places in Viet Nam. Ha Noi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City.

I feel very sad. There are many historical places in Viet Nam, as there are in my country Japan, but the young generation doesn't respect their own history and culture.

It is similar in Japan. The younger generation are only interested in learning foreign languages and about foreign culture.

We have a law that makes it illegal to deface property.

The Government should encourage young people to learn about their history and culture from an early age and organise field trips to historical places. It should also make it illegal to deface public property.

1回目の採用記事（2009年9月11日）

I don't recall from my school days any kind of campaign in Japan to promote local goods. However, after graduating from university, I noticed that there was a greater drive to promote national pride.

I think you should show off how skilful Vietnamese people are with their hands. The Vietnamese are surely as skilful as the Japanese.

I usually buy made-in-Viet Nam goods, and I am satisfied with the quality and price. However, I am dissatisfied with the customer service. And there is no sense of customer satisfaction.

As a consumer, I would like producers to put product quality first, then customer service and customer satisfaction. I think the quality of Vietnamese products are getting better and better.

Surprisingly, I can find good quality Vietnamese products not only in Viet Nam but also Japan as well. Unfortunately, customer service is still poor.

I am not really happy with the attitude of some shop keepers in Viet Nam because we have a strong belief that the customer is a god. This is your weak point. If the Vietnamese can overcome this problem, Vietnamese products will be more famous around the world.

今週の採用記事

今週も新聞への投稿記事が採用されておりました（7週連続9回目）。

 

投稿内容は下記のとおりです。

 

 

Viet Nam is at an important stage in its development - a time to think about environmental problems that always appear when a country is growing industrially.　In Japan, people were once enthusiastic about developing industry and weren't concerned about environmental pollution. As a result, serious environmental pollution developed and many law suits were　brought against enterprises.　The Vietnamese Government should educate the people about how environmental pollution can lead to more tragedies comparable to the poisonings caused by Agent Orange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

とあるレストランにて・・・。

ベトナムのどこの都市とは言及しませんが、とあるレストランのメニューに次のような記載がありました。

 

Steamed red crap with Ginger-400,000VND

Steamed red crap with Beer-300,000VND

 

おそらく、「crap」の部分は「crab」の間違いだと思います。「生姜蒸しした赤いカニ」と「ビール蒸しした赤いカニ」のことだと思うのですが、「crap」ですとちょっとお食事中の人の前ではお話出来ないような内容の料理になってしまうかと（笑）。隣の席の欧米人らしきカップルが気づいて大笑いしていたので、「何を笑っているのですか？」と聞いたところ、「ここを見てごらん」と指差した先にあった表記です。

 

 

 

さすがにう○こは食べないでしょう（笑）！！！！

 

 

 

 

ベトナム国歌

わが国の国歌もすばらしいですが、ベトナム国歌もすばらしい曲と歌詞を持っています。

我が家ではサッカーの試合の前などに親子で斉唱。息子は日本とベトナム両国の国歌を覚えなければならないので大変そうです（笑）。

最近ではベトナムでも日本と同様若い人が国歌を嫌う風潮もあるようですが、公立学校の教師が入学式や卒業式で国歌や国旗に拒絶反応を示すような大馬鹿者の行為はまだ見られません。

下記に歌詞をご紹介。

1. Ðoàn quân Việt Nam đi chung lòng cứu quốc.
   Bước chân dồn vang trên đường gập ghềnh xa.
   Cờ in máu chiến thắng vang hồn nước.
   Súng ngoài xa chen khúc quân hành ca.
   Ðường vinh quang xây xác quân thù.
   Thắng gian lao cùng nhau lập chiến khu.
   Vì nhân dân chiến đấu không ngừng.
   Tiến mau ra sa truờng.
   Tiến lên! Cùng tiến lên!
   Nước non Việt Nam ta vững bền.
   
2. Ðoàn quân Việt Nam đi sao vàng phấp phới.
   Dắt giống nòi quê hương qua nơi lầm than.
   Cùng chung sức phấn đấu xây đời mới.
   Ðứng đều lên gông xích ta đập tan.
   Từ bao lâu ta nuốt căm hờn.
   Quyết hy sinh đời ta tươi thắm hơn.
   Vì nhân dân chiến đấu không ngừng.
   Tiến mau ra sa trường.
   Tiến lên! Cùng tiến lên!
   Nước non Việt Nam ta vững bền.

1. ベトナムの兵士たち、私たちは前へ進む、
   私たちの祖国を救うために1つの意思で、
   私たちの急いだ足音は長く困難な道の上で鳴る。
   勝利の血で赤い私たちの旗は私たちの国の精神を帯びる。
   銃の遠い轟きが私たちの敵の体を横切る。
   すべての難儀に打ち勝ちながら、
   私たちは一緒に私たちの抵抗基地を建てる。
   絶え間なく人々の目的のため闘争しよう、
   戦場へ急ごう!
   前へ! 皆一緒に前進しながら!
   私たちのベトナムは強く、永遠だ。
2. ベトナムの兵士たち、私たちは前へ進む!
   風の中の私たちの旗の金色の星
   私たちの人々、私たちの故郷の土地を苦しみの惨めさから導き出す。
   新しい生活の建設のための戦いで私たちの努力を合わせよう。
   立ち上がり、私たちの鎖を壊そう
   とても長く私たちは私たちの憎しみを飲み込んできたから。
   すべての犠牲の準備をしておこう、私たちの命は光を放つだろう。
   絶え間なく人々の目的のため、闘争しよう、
   戦場へ急ごう!
   前へ! 皆一緒に前進しながら!
   私たちのベトナムは強く、永遠だ。
   

↓動画はこちら

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLAatIKnR3Q&feature=related

外国語が出来ると言うこと。

外国語が出来ると言うことは、話したり聞いたりすることだけではなく、読み書きもしっかりと出来ると言うことが含まれると私は思っています。通訳以外にもうちの会社には「日本語が出来る」とされて、ちやほやされているベトナム人従業員が数名いますが、私からすると彼らは読み書きも出来ないし、仕事で使う言葉以外の日本語を理解することは出来ないし、「日本語が出来る」とは全く言えないと思っています。

ところで、私も会社経費でベトナム語を勉強していますが、話したり聞いたり、読んだりすることはある程度できるのですが、書くことが出来ません。従いまして、「あなたはベトナム語が出来ますか？」と聞かれたときに、私は「いいえ、出来ません」と答えるようにしています。

英語は話すことも聞くことも、読み書きもある程度は出来るので、「ある程度は出来ます」と答えるようにしています。

今年は、工場で作っている製品のベトナム国内での販売や近隣諸国への販売の話も出てきております。引き続き、英語の勉強はしようかと考えます。言葉が出来てもそれはツールに過ぎず、仕事が出来ると言うことには直結しませんが、勉強しておいて損はないと思います。