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Being stranded here due to Covid-19: Not really bad By My Huyen During the current Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam, many expatriates strained here have had to survive with the meager income they earn here. The story about a French visitor getting stuck in Vietnam during the Covid-19 pandemic who had to sell local snacks to earn a living went viral before Tet, the Lunar New Year. This story moved many social media users who showed their sympathy for the French traveler. However, to some other foreigners who became stranded here because of the pandemic, the situation was not so miserable. Several foreigners in Vietnam are not happy with the question posed to them that why they have got stuck here during the pandemic. “Why not stay in a safe place? Where should we go now?” these expatriates would reply. In fact, in some countries Covid-19 may kill thousands of people a day. What’s more, finding a job back home may be a nightmare at this moment, several of them say. Some of the expatriates who have remained in Vietnam since the outbreak of Covid-19 think differently, though. One argues that only foreigners, especially those from Western countries, who are in financial distress, did not get on board an airplane to go back home although they had no stable job in Vietnam. To this specific contingent of expatriates in Vietnam, the fear of a homecoming was so big that they chose to stay here although they could board an outbound flight to get home by the time the pandemic began to spread in the country. According to the above expatriate, foreigners who work from home, or are YouTubers, disc-jockeys or performers at bars in Vietnam’s big cities, and many others are practicing thrift to make both ends meet with their current meager income. Some are in fact dodgers of unemployment in their home countries. One of the most common occupations followed by the above expatriates in Vietnam is teaching English. This job earns them fairly enough, about US$1,200 …

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This is the highest February CPI growth recorded in the last eight years. However, the index in the first two months decreased 0.14% year-on-year. Compared to the previous month, an upturn was seen in the prices of ten out of 11 main groups of goods and services, with housing and construction materials taking the lead (4%). It was followed by food and catering services (1.61%); transport (1.55%); drinking and tobacco (0.9%); garment and textile, headwear and footwear (0.25%). The price of education services remained stable compared to the previous month. The GSO’s Price Statistics Department explained that the CPI in February saw a strong rise due to the higher demand for food and foodstuffs for the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival. The prices of medicine and medical supplies in January-February increased by 0.88% compared to the same period last year, the price of gas in the month climbed 3.05% year-on-year. There were a number of reasons for the decrease in CPI in the last two months. The petrol and oil prices decreased by 15.78% year-on-year while the electricity price in January fell by 16.88% over the same period last year, making the average electricity price in the first two months of 2021 down by 9.95%. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for travel and tourism decreased compared to the same period last year. On average, in the last two months, the air ticket price dropped by 35.65%, train fares down 12.39%; and tour prices decreased by 4.99%. At the same time, domestic gold price in February was up 0.25% over the previous month, while that of US dollar was around 23,145 VND per USD, down 0.17% month-on-month and 0.76% year-on-year. GSO said the core inflation in February, which is CPI excluding grain food, fresh foodstuff, energy and the State-managed medical and educational services, increased by 0.48% from the previous month, and 0.79% compared to one year ago. The two-month core inflation grew by 0.64% year-on-year. …

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“Private” islets on Tri An Lake By Nguyen Vu Moc Thieng Some bungalows on Robincao's islets A Vietnamese singer left the hustle and bustle of urban life to do ecotourism and live in harmony with nature on six islets in Dong Nai Province Farmer and singer Cao Minh several decades ago left his city to reclaim nearly 20 hectares of land in Dong Nai Province’s Vinh Cuu District. Cao Minh soon became a “genuine” farmer, doing all the farm chores by himself, from building houses to driving a bulldozer. However, such a rural lifestyle gradually lost its appeal. Cao Minh wanted to find something new. He later moved to Tri An Lake where he now owns six islets. Calling himself “Robincao,” a new name created by merging Robinson—the main character in a the famous adventure novel “Robinson Crusoe” by England written Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)—with his family name, Cao. Cao Minh’s six islets are four kilometers from the shore. The largest islet covering five hectares is home to stilt houses and many trees while the smallest one is only half a hectare. Each islet is around a half to two kilometers apart. Robincao’s islets are shelters of hundreds of bird flocks as well as plants. In the raining season, visitors can see many young birds in their nests. Trees on the islets are around three to five meters high, providing enough shade for all. Cashew nuts are available on the islets all year round. In October, dien dien flowers (Sesbania sesban) are in full bloom there. Electrical appliances on the islets are run by solar power. Robincao usually rides his speedboat to the shore to buy food or call for food delivery. He enjoys simple meals and does what he likes. Sometimes, he returns to the city to sing or act in a movie. Occasionally, Robincao welcomes several visitors who have to follow his four rules: no drinking, no karaoke, no noise and no TV. The islets have recently become ideal places for special sports like paragliding, standup paddle boarding, …

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