English with Mr Manny - Hai Phong, Viet Nam

15-yr-old swimmer breaks 14-yr SEA Games record to claim Vietnam’s 44th gold.

​15-yr-old swimmer breaks 14-yr SEA Games record to claim Vietnam’s 44th gold - Tuoi Tre News Kim Son smashed a record that is only one year younger than him

This is a great blogpost by Philip Veinott on citypassguide.com: Aug. 22, 2017. Read - I share the same sentiments. Do you?

PEOPLE: VIETNAM’S GREATEST ASSET

Having lived and worked in Vietnam for over nine years, I have travelled to many provinces and cities. I’ll spare you the tiresome list.

The one thing that has rang true for all of these places has been the people. I have met so many warm-hearted people who have helped me in dire situations. Probably the best example? My motorbike accident over a year ago.

As I was driving, a street cleaner appeared out of nowhere and caused me to swerve into the road. I was knocked unconscious and broke my arm. Two angels saved my life. They took me into their home, cleaned me up, brought me to the hospital and even paid my entire hospital bill.

They were some of the most caring people I have met in my life, and they were complete strangers.

Here’s another example of great hospitality: I first travelled from New Jersey to Ho Chi Minh City with a Vietnamese-American colleague in 2008. It was my first time overseas and he told me to follow him to his hometown in Ben Luc, Long An Province, around 90 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City. I drove from Tan Son Nhat Airport all the way to a place that I never imagined existed.

When I arrived at their home, I was seriously scared. People were just staring at me and laughing and I wasn’t sure why. Looking back and understanding more about Vietnamese and their culture, I can see now that they were just having fun and being welcoming. Vietnamese people love to be personable and for me, when they are laughing at me, it’s a sign of respect; if they are silent, you have a problem.

My friend’s family treated me like I was their very own “American Vietnamese” family member.

I remember every day waking up to fresh coffee and banh mi. Usually in the afternoon we would all have a giant family lunch and just talk – they talked. I just looked at them as they laughed at my bald head and hairy arms. I insisted on paying for their kindness, especially since I was staying for free.

I remember telling them to accept my US$150 to cover any expenses, and they refused. I realised how important “lucky money” was for children during Tet holiday, so I gave three of the children in the family US$50 each. The kids were beyond shocked. They went around screaming and yelling. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

In Hanoi, there was a story about a foreigner who got into an accident and his employer raised some money for him while he was out of work. He told me that the TAs (teaching assistants) at the English centre also put their funds together to help. He mentioned that even though they make one-eighth of his salary, they all came together when he needed it. Stories like this really makes me love living in Vietnam.

The cleaning ladies where I teach work tirelessly, sometimes up to 12 hours a day. I see them hustling to make an honest living. Their strong work ethic is something to respect. Whenever I walk by they always smile and say hello. They know I speak conversational Vietnamese, which freaks them out (in a good way), so they are always trying to make me laugh with subtle Vietnamese jokes. I was also reading a post about a Grabbike user who left her pizza and phone credit on the back of the driver’s motorbike. The Grab driver contacted her the next day to let her know that she forgot her things; he sent her phone credit to her later that day.

There are countless people who really care in this country and are truly making a difference every day.

There’s a local who goes around District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City to pick up all the nails and other pieces of sharp metal on the streets discarded from construction sites, protecting drivers from getting flat tires. Simple things like this show that locals do care. If you look closely you will see the love for others and the love for this country that people here have.

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English with Mr Manny - Hai Phong, Viet Nam Did you know that learning English will bring you so much joy?

It’s not just about learning gram

When you’re down on motivation, it’s a great idea to get some advice from an expert. We don’t always have experts on hand, though. If that’s the case and you need some advice to help you get motivated to learn English, turn to some of the greatest thinkers of the past with these 19 quotes to help you get motivated to learn English.

1. The best way to predict the future is to create it. – Abraham Lincoln

- If you want to be a fluent speaker of English in the future, you need to make it happen.

2. You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S.Lewis

- Many people say it’s easier to learn a language when you are young but there are advantages to learning a language when you are older.

3. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. – Gandhi

- Enjoy living in the moment but remember that learning English will prepare you for the future.

4. Learning is not a spectator sport. – D. Blocher

- If you want to master English, get involved and practise as much as possible.

5. There is no substitute for hard work. – Thomas Edison

- Learning any language is hard work so prepare well, put in the hours and you will achieve your goals.

6. Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu

- Starting early with your learning will mean that you have time to deal with things in small steps. Even a large goal is more approachable if you break it down into smaller ones and just get started.

7. Today a reader, tomorrow a leader. – Margaret Fuller

- Reading is not just important for acquiring knowledge, it will help you build your vocabulary and range in English, too.

8. Learning is like rowing upstream, not to advance is to drop back. – Chinese Proverb

- In a world where everyone else is learning, if you don’t take your learning seriously you will fall behind.

9. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. – Mark Twain

- Like the Lao Tzu quote earlier, this one is a great way to help you stop procrastinating. Anything you can do right away will help you get ahead with your goal of leaning a language.

10. If you can dream it, you can do it. – Walt Disney

- Walt Disney was well known as a man who made dreams come true, and you can, too. It just takes plenty of hard work.

11. It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius

- Learning a skill such as a new language can take a long time. If you feel like your progress is slow, bear in mind these wise words from Confucius. The important thing is to keep going and you will get there in the end.

12. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. – Benjamin Franklin

- Earlier in the year, we shared some tips on how to plan your studies for the coming year. Planning is important when you are learning a language so don’t be afraid to put some time into it.

13. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. – Samuel Beckett

- Making mistakes is a natural part of the language learning process. The key is to learn from these mistakes. Don’t be afraid to try out new things in English but always remember to reflect on them and decide what was successful and what you need to keep working on.

14. Language is “the infinite use of finite means.” – Wilhelm von Humboldt

- Remember, it is possible to communicate big ideas with relatively limited language. Don’t feel like you need perfect English before you can go out and have interesting conversations with other people.

15. Is it not enjoyable to learn and practise what you learn? – Confucius

- Using your English skills is fun. Make time just to enjoy speaking English.

16. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. – Joseph Addison

- More wise words on reading here. Reading will also help you improve your English writing by introducing you to new, interesting sentence structures.

17. To have another language is to possess a second soul. – Charlemagne

- Learning a new language gives you the chance to be a different person if you want to. Make the most of that chance.

18. Language is wine upon the lips. – Virginia Woolf

- When you are learning a language, remember to slow down and enjoy the process. The language itself is often as enjoyable as the end goal.

19. Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin

- Very sensible advice. Now it’s time for you to get involved.

Which of the quotes was your favourite? Like or Comment Below and Don't forget to Share!

"Welcome to my new page! Please share! Great things will follow!" - Mr Manny