Chophépchơi  Let’s Play! Vietnamese Children’s Games……

1. MeoDuoiChait: the Vietnamese “cat and mouse” game requires at least six to seven children. It is compared to America’s “duck duck goose.” The children stand in a circle, holding their arms above their own heads so there are spots (mouse holes) that the other players can run through. One child is chosen to be the mouse and one is chosen to be the cat. The kid’s sing, and when the song is over, the mouse runs through the kids in an attempt to not be tagged by the cat.
2. Bit Mat Bat De:“catching a goat while blindfolded” has no songs, nothing to make the children memorize. One kid is the goat; the other kid is the catcher. All of the other children form a circle while the catcher stands in the middle with the goat. They are both blindfolded. The game starts when the catcher says “done” and the goat creeps away, letting out a “baugh” occasionally. The catcher must find the goat to win.
3. Dem NhungConvit: “count the ducks with the numbers on them” is a fun game for younger children. The ducks are in the water and they have numbers on them, but the numbers and ducks are not in order. Whoever finds the numbers in order the fastest wins.

Việt Nam rất!  Top 3 Must Eat!

1. Pho: For nearly 100 years, noodle soup with beef or chicken has stood its ground as one of the most popular Vietnamese cuisines. It is a common dish that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Simply adding broth to noodles and a meat of choice, it is compared to a tree in which its roots have grown into the culture of Vietnam.
2. GioLua: A particular Vietnamese dish, lean meat pie has meat and various vegetables wrapped up in old and new banana leaves that absorb all the aromas of the pies insides. Although it is not a crusted pie, it is still enjoyed by most if not all people of Vietnam.
3. Com: Boiled rice is a Vietnamese cuisine necessity. It is eaten for lunch and dinner. It is combined with other rice, to add more flavor to pork or other meats.

móntrángmiệng! Vietnamese Desserts

1. Che: a sweet pudding consisting of beans, bananas, coconut milk, tapioca, yams, yucca root, and sugar
2. Xoi: made from glutinous rice and other ingredients like fruits and milk, it is eaten as a dessert but in mountainous areas of Vietnam it is eaten as a main dish.
3. Rau Cau: JELLO! Vietnamese gelatin made with agar agar (byproduct of seaweed) is served with coconut juice.

Simple Vietnamese Recipes to Try

1. Vietnamese Cabbage

• Ingredients: 1 egg, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, ¾ lb cabbage (cut into strips), 1 clove crushed garlic, black pepper
• Directions:

1)      Beat the egg with the fish sauce

2)      Heat wok over high heat, add garlic and oil

3)      When garlic turns brown remove and discard

4)      Add cabbage, stir fry for 2 minutes

5)      Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook for 3 minutes

6)      Increase heat to high, create a space in cabbage

7)      Pour in egg mix. Stir fry, add pepper and serve

1. Vietnamese Meatballs

• Ingredients: 1 ½ lbs beef or pork, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• Directions:

1)      Combine all ingredients until blended

2)      Make 1 inch meatballs

3)      Put them on wooden skewers

4)      Broil until cooked all the way through

1. Sautéed Salmon with Lime-Honey Sauce

• Ingredients: 2 tablespoons water, 4 (6oz) salmon fillets, 2 limes, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
• Directions:

1)      Heat butter in 12in skillet

2)      Add salmon, cook on medium for 12min, turn occassionally

3)      Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl

4)      Place salmon on plates

5)      Pour sauce in skillet, heat

6)      Drizzle on salmon

trẻemngày  Children’s Day

Held annually on June 1^st, Children’s Day is every child’s day of fun and recognition in Vietnam. Children receive gifts from their parents, and go on special trips and outings. This day is almost like a second birthday, where from beginning to end children are celebrated and proven to be loved and cherished.

Did You Know?

1. In Vietnam alone, the population is 86,116,568
2. People have a life expectancy of 72 years
3. Vietnam has one of the  lowest unemployment rates
4. Vietnamese national flower is the lotus
5. The biggest sport is football (soccer)
6. Vietnam is the number one country in rice, eating and exporting more rice than any other country in the world

Vietnamese Traditions and Customs

Vietnamese family names are very important, and you will often see their family name followed by their middle name and their first names. The main language is Vietnamese, and the second language is English. The Vietnamese are modest people. Talking loudly, moving around a lot (especially around the opposite sex), and beckoning anyone with their hands vertically is considered disrespectful. They do not generally celebrate birthdays, and promises are as important to the Vietnamese as life itself.

3 Must See of Vietnam

1)      Beaches: With an extended coastline of 3000 kilometers, the most visited and labeled “must see” of Vietnam are their beaches. Ha Long Bay, a long stretch of islands and beautiful blue waters is not only a tourist escape, but a photogenic pleasure as well.

2)      Hot Springs: Guests and everyday Vietnamese come here to take a wrm dip for relaxing and recuperating. This place is excellent and rich in natural resources, being the perfect getaway.

3)      Hoi An: Charming and authentically breathtaking, the ancient city of Hoi An harbors much culture and tradition of Vietnam.

Celebrate! Vietnamese Holidays and Festivals

1)    Tet (Nguyen Dan):Tet is the biggest Vietnamese event of the year. Tet marks the beginning of the lunar New Year and spring at the same time. This holiday falls between late January and the beginning of February. Everyone’s home is squeaky clean, with many flowers all around their homes. Because Vietnamese feel as if bringing in the New Year with debts is bad luck, they are adamant about paying them off. This time is rather festive with many family events occurring all over Vietnam.

2)    Hai Ba Thung Day: On November 1^st annually, the lives of the Tung sisters are celebrated. The sisters led a revolt against the Chinese (rulers) and Vietnam was freed in A.D. 41. After the Chinese recaptured Vietnam the sisters drowned themselves out of sorrow. Their lives are celebrated and they are classified as Vietnam heroes.

3)    Thanh Minh:Compared to America’s Memorial Day, families visit the grave sites of the deceased with food, flowers, papers, and other items to shower their loved ones with.

Vietnamese Attire

Ao b aba:  silk pants, long sleeved button down silk shirts are the usual look. This outfit is usually worn while working, but can be seen by loungers as well and in various colors. This attire is traditionally worn by men.

Aoyem: diamond shaped cloth draping over a females chest, with strings to tie at the back.

Aotur than: Oldest Vietnamese clothing worn by women. It’s a dress, more so a gown with multiple layers. This is the oldest yet extremely traditional Vietnamese wear. Also called a long tunic reaching the floor, it opens like a jacket and comes in many colors with a sash tied around it.

Male outfits goo only to knees while females dresses go all the way to their feet and beyond. The traditional hats are called Non la. They are simple, and cone shaped, representing the hardworking Vietnamese people.

Sounds of Vietnam

Heavily influenced by Chinese musical tradition, Vietnamese music is extremely diverse. There are many genres, including but not limited to; folk music, ritual music, pop, rock, and heavy metal. Vietnamese music follows modern rends but keeps it’s syncretistic sound as well.

“Once upon a time…”Vietnamese Folk Tales

“The Peasant, The Buffalo, and the Tiger”: This folk tale tells of how certain things in the world came to be. For example, this folk tale explains how the tiger got it’s stripes, why the water buffalo has no teeth, and the first journey of peasants to find the answer to a question about life.

“Chu Cuoi”: This folk tale is about a woodcutter who found a baby tiger in the forest one day. He drops the cub and the cub dies, but the mother tiger brings a branch from a special tree that brings the cub back to life. The man wanted the tree, and decided to climb it. The tree took the man to the moon, and the legend is that during mid-autumn the man and the tree’s outline can be seen on the moon.

“Under the Starfruit Tree”: This is a folk tale that explains how all other folk tales came to be. These folk tales shape the Vietnamese culture, and reflects their values, beliefs, and customs.

Online Vietnamese lessons for kids: dinolingo.com