Vietnam 越南
In Vietnam, Lunar New Year is called Tet Nguyen-Dan, or Tet. In many ways Tet resembles Lunar New Year in Taiwan, with lots of firecrackers, spring couplets and a long holiday. All businesses close down for at least three days.
Children wish their elders well and get Li Xi (red envelopes) in return. Apricot branches are put in the house to ward off demons. It is particularly auspicious if they bloom on the first day of Tet. A bamboo stripped of all but the top tuft of leaves is placed in the yard to scare away ghosts. Families make a traditional sticky rice cake called Banh Chung before the holiday and eat it together to celebrate the New Year. There is a special Tet dance called Mua Lan with a lion which symbolizes power and prosperity and is accompanied by firecrackers.
PHOTO: AFP
Chuc Mung Nam Moi!
越南的農曆新年叫做「Tet Nguyen-Dan」或「Tet」(泰特節),泰特節很多方面都很像台灣的新年,鞭炮春聯處處可見,還可以放長假,所有生意都至少停業三天。
小孩會祝福他們的長輩,並且拿到「Li Xi」(紅包)。屋內會放置杏仁樹枝以抵擋邪靈,若在泰特節第一天開花尤其吉利。後院會放只保留頂束葉片的竹子以驅離鬼魂。
春節前家家戶戶都會做一種叫「
Banh Chung」的傳統糯米糕,並且一起食用以慶祝新年。一種特別的泰特節舞獅「Mua Lan」,有象徵強盛繁榮的獅子,並且伴隨著鞭炮。(翻譯:鄭湘儀)
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but