Monday, May 28, 2012

Poems with nice images to use as spiritual gifts



May I wish you and your family
All the best wishes
Good luck, health, happiness, success and peace
Your life is full of love and riches

 

Flowing laterns in the river
Wishing the beloved world
And my country
Peace, happiness, hope and prosperity


Keep a smile in your heart
And the brilliant generous look
So the sea is bluer and the sky larger
And more love for life

A smile in every breath
For your inner peace and happiness
Let’s go and give your smiles
To make life meaningful!

 


Lotus smiles
With joy
Sending the aroma
From the inside
For dearest life
White petals show purity
In stead of the mud
Lotus is like a heart
Up side down
With missing pieces
Given away
Lotus is like a fire
Of compassion and sascrifice
Showing the light
To my mind
 
A
Blue bird
On the branch
Sings a sweet song
To welcome the rising sun
I want to write beautiful poems
For my own dearest one
I find no words
But the feeling
I love
U




The game of war


 Allen told me his story:
He and his friend Tom
Played head or tails
To decide who to do the duty
To detect landmines in the field
Once, Tom covered the coin with his hands and said:
“ It is my turn today
Don’t need to care the result!
... Then Tom went away
Never came back
It was so sad
To play the game of war!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Dear Julian and Paddie,

Don't you know there was a change
The welcoming board with your names was given to me at the end
And you appeared with so big and fresh smile
To start a wonderful day
I did what I had to say
You have beautiful smiles, Paddie
That reflex the bright mind and soft heart
The day was just short
But a lot of memories
And love for peace
Thank you, Julian, for your love, your pictures and your pen
Bringing more and more precious friends
To my country Vietnam
Thank you for your poem for Lan
I like it so much
Thank you for your kindness
To help improve
My use of English I love
I will send you
Pieces of my thoughts
Wishing all the best
To Julian and Paddie
And your dearest family...

Dear Julian and Paddie,

I put my writing on my blog and rearranging it, when you have time, can you read and help me improve by giving some comment or correcting mistakes. Thanks.
Paddie, I hope you like our Vietnam's Ban Me Thuot Coffee.

Lan
http://lantourguide.blogspot.com/


--- On Tue, 4/10/12, Mediahelp - From Julian and Paddie.

Dear Lan,

Here, below, is one of my poems. It is about first love. It is about how when one has one's first love, it is uncomplicated, not sexual, but still with passion. But it must end and it will end, even though, when young lovers separate they may write to each other, the love will slowly drift away.
Some of the words and the way we write poetry may be hard for you because words have many meanings, but I hope you like it.
It was lovely to meet you and I have, at the end of this letter, written a very short poem just for you about our meeting. If I have the time to do it, I will try to help with your English writing, so do send some to us.
Lots of love,
Julian and Paddie. (Please see the two poems below: )

FIRST LOVE.

One summer, days of meaningless hours interrupting moments of precious moment,
No future sought, nothing given; no promise sought, no needs expressed,
Dark those eyes, cold those fragile hands, tall those slender forms hidden beneath the coarser cloth a fledgling wears,
No silks detract, no powder, grease nor scents,
In it's simplicity no barrier breaks the norms , no wrapping hides the cares or masks the looks or spoils the touch,

Letters bridge the distance of separation but dwindle for no reason
Words so tense and longing, yet quickly extinguished by time,
Knowing that the end is a certainty, not in a desire to end,
But in the inevitability that is an end when youth knows not of futures.
No goodbyes, no plaintive duty expressed, no last line, no last word.
Like accidental death it ends; No, like aged death it drifts away.
Where are you now? Must time have sullied that innocent beauty.?

FOR LAN ( Our new friend)

Like mist in the morning, you come to our lives, then fade away when the sun is high,
Gentle mist that washes away harsh thoughts, with song and poetry;
Gentle mist that brings calm and learning from millennia of meditation and lessons hidden from our culture;
Gentle mist that bridges two worlds, welcomes us and showers us with understanding.
Your world has suffered, but like the gentle petals of an early Spring now emerges into summer; flowering hope, a promise that all can renew itself.
And you, the gentle Mist, bathe those petals of hope with soft water nourishment,
We shall return and share our lives again.

Julian


Saturday, April 7, 2012

SMILE


Smile, and breathe in

Smile, and breathe out

Smile, in

Smile, out

Dance around

Smile with love

For the sky above

For the earth

And for the world

Smiles inside

Beautiful and bright

Happy, happy, happy life

Friday, April 6, 2012

MY NAMES

I have two names: Lan and Lân. This is why:
 My father wanted to name me Lan, which means Orchid, but an officer, by mistake, put a hat on my name in my birth certificate and it turned out to be Lân, that means Unicorn.
 Instead of blaming the officer for the mistake, my father was very happy to accept and thank the officer for the new name. Unicorn is a symbol good luck, happiness and nobility. Unlike the Western Unicorn, the Vietnamese one has two small inner horns and never use them for fighting. Therefore, unicorn is also a symbol of peace and humanity.
 My father expects me to keep all good charisteristics of a Vietnamese unicorm:)
 Daddy, I will, as you teach me, forever!

NUN DIEU HOA

Nun Dieu Hoa’s mother is my mother's sister. To me, Nun Dieu Hoa is a good example sascrifice, forgiveness and generosity.

When Dieu Hoa was a little child, she had an accident that changed her life.

 Once Dieu Hoa joined other poor children pick leftover coffee lying here and there on the ground after the harvest. She was caught and put in an old tank. When the famer owner walked away, other children came back and stood around the old tank, talking to her and tried to comfort her. While Dieu Hoa was peeping through a hole of the old tank, a little boy who was curious and playful put a stick into the hole, right in the eye of Dieu Hoa. Dieu Hoa became blind in one eye and poor sighted with the other.

Instead of blaming the boy or the farmer owner, Dieu Hoa and her family thought that it was Dieu Hoa’s bad luck. She and her family tried to do best to change their life.  They were very generous and always ready to help other, though they themselves were very poor.

 When Dieu Hoa became a teenager, she decided to devote her life to Buddhism and charitable cause. With support from her family, she left home and went to different pagodas, first as a novice then a nun, more than 20 years  learning and following Buddha’s way, practice Buddha’s philosophy and do a lot of charitable activities to help the needy.

I am very happy to support Nun Dieu Hoa’s charitable activities and always give her some donation when I meet her. Lately I am very lucky with my job as a tour guide, I asked Nun Dieu Hoa to open a bank account so I can contribute to her charitable activities more often.

I am happy that Nun Dieu Hoa finally listened to me. Today when the tour nearly finished, I received a phone text mesage from Nun Dieu Hoa. I quickly read:

- Lân đầy uy vũ sức bền lâu, phúc lộc an khang tiếp mạnh giàu. Số tài khoản của em: Nguyen Thi Thu Hien 0081001157097. Vietcombank. Em cảm ơn chị.

Meanings: Lan (me, my name means Unicorn) has long-lasting inner strength, enjoying good luck, peace, properity and riches. My bank account:Nguyen Thi Thu Hien 0081001157097. Vietcombank. Thank you.

 I called Nun Dieu Hoa:

- It is too late now. Tomorrow I am sending you 100 USD. This is donation from a tourist client today, and 50 USD of mine for charitable activities. I am lucky today, very good tip! I would like to contribute for your charity to help the needy.

Nun Dieu Hoa replied:

- A Di Da Phat! I am going to Phong Dien Commune, Phong Dien District, Hue  soon and saving to bring gifts to needy people there. A Di Da Phat, good blessings to you and your client. Thank you.

I pray good luck and health for Dieu Hoa so she can greatly achieve her goal for Buddhism and charity, she can bring the wonderful peace and harmony to others as her name means.

By Nguyen Thi Lan, tour guide



*** The donor is in one big SOUTO PARTY of OCEANIA CRUISES  I guided from Chan May Harbor to Danang and Hoian today ( 6th April 2012). We were in a hurry to be in time for the ship departure and I forgot to ask the donor’s name. I am so sorry for this. Early tomorrow I will forward to Nun Dieu Hoa and I am sure she will make good use of your generous donation for charity cause.












Monday, March 19, 2012

Poetry performance: Smiles - Nụ cười hàm tiếu


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOUILZRFups

Smiles - Nụ cười hàm tiếu

Keep smiles in your heart
And the brilliant generous look
So the sea is bluer and the sky larger
And more love for life

A smile for every breath
For your inner peace and happiness
Let's go and give smiles
To make life more meaningful

Hãy giữ trong tâm nụ cười hàm tiếu
Và ánh nhìn lấp lánh bao dung
Cho biển thêm xanh trời thêm rộng
Và cuộc đời thêm những yêu thương

Mỗi nụ cười trong từng hơi thở
Cho tâm hạnh phúc, bình yên
Hãy đi và trao nhau nụ cười
Cho cuộc đời thêm ý vị, bạn ơi!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Hò Quảng

Hội An là đất chung tình 
Sông Hoài, Cửa Đợi cho mình thương nhau 
Rủ nhau cùng đến Chùa Cầu 
Cầu duyên, cầu phước nhiệm mầu lắm thay 
“Rượu Hồng Đào chưa nhắm  đã say” 
Hội An cảnh đẹp ngất ngây lòng người 
Lonh lanh đôi mắt biết cười 
Nhà xưa, phố cổ rạng ngời nét duyên 
_______
Anh em ơi … 
Mau mau bơi thuyền ra Cửa Đại 
Đánh mẻ lưới thiệt to 
Đem về mớ bán, mớ cho 
Mớ nướng, mớ luộc, mớ kho, mớ xào 
Mênh mông biển rộng trời cao 
Làm trai cho đáng anh hào dọc ngang 
Hội về đây mà hưởng bình An 
Ông Trời rộng rãi rắc vàng đầy sông 
Anh em ơi … Ta quyết một lòng 
Ngọt bùi gian khó ta cùng sẻ chia

________

Nữ: Thuyền ai bơi dọc Sông Hoài 
Bơi ra Cửa Đợi chờ ai rứa hè? 
Bơi vô đây cho có bạn có bè 
Cùng nhau thả lưới đi về có nhau

Nam: Thuyền ai thả lưới giăng câu 
Cho tui gửi một miếng trầu làm quen 
Ông Tơ Bà Nguyệt se duyên 
Sông Hoài, Cửa Đợi chung thuyền cùng nhau 

__________ 

Nam: Sông nhớ ai mà Sông Hoài? 
Cửa đợi ai mà gọi là Cửa Đợi? 
Thuyền trông ai mà mắt nhìn vời vợi? 
Hoàng hôn chan nắng nhạt chiều phai 
Em ơi đừng đợi đến mai 
Hãy cùng anh lên thuyền cho mắt thuyền long lanh hạnh phúc 
Cho Sông Hoài rạo rực yêu thương 
Cho Cửa Đợi hòa nhịp với Đại Dương 
Cho Hội An thêm huy hoàng lấp lánh 
Mắt cửa dịu dàng thoáng nét cổ xưa

Nữ: Anh ơi đã sẵn sàng chưa? 
Đem cau trầu rượu đến xin đưa em về 
Em đây trót nặng lời thề 
Mẹ cha ưng ý em mới về cùng anh …

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

CHỊ DÂU


Chị dâu

Hôm nay ngày kỵ mạ

Cà nhà  sum vầy

Từ Canada xa xăm

Anh đầu, hai cháu và chị dâu lên mạng

Để cả nhà hội ngộ bên  nhau

Dù cách xa đến nữa quả địa cầu

Thương quá chị dâu, hai cháu và anh đầu

Mẹ cũng bay sang bên đó

Thăm con cháu, uống nước, ăn trầu...

Hôm nay ngày kỵ mạ

Em lại nghĩ và thương quá chị dâu

Gọi là chị, nhưng thua em đến hai chục tuổi đầu

Mà đảm đang, tra trắng!

Mạ vẫn bảo chị dâu vô cùng siêng sắng

Ngày chị, anh và cháu lớn về thăm

Đêm đã khuya mà chẳng chịu đi nằm

Còn lau nhà sạch bóng

Mẹ thương chị những ngày lạnh cóng

Canada băng giá thiệt thương

Chị vẫn lên đường đi làm tất tả

Hai con dại, chồng thật thà, vất vả

Thời lao đao công việc chẳng vào đâu

Em cầu mong cơn khủng hoảng qua mau

Anh có việc làm ổn định

Để cùng chị toan tính

Mua một căn nhà

Mẹ có dành dụm một chút quà

 ngày đêm nguyện cầu cho con, dâu an cư lạc nghiệp

Chị dâu ơi, thương chị dâu tha thiết

Con gái làng Thanh Thủy ngoan hiền

Thương chồng con, nghị lực vô biên

Mẹ chồng, con dâu, sao giống nhau đến thế!





30 Tháng Giêng- Mồng Một Tháng 2 Năm 2012














BÀI KHÔNG TÊN VỀ MẸ

Mẹ đã đi xa, xa lắm
Nhưng để lại ánh mắt yêu thương
Và nụ cười hàm tiếu
Con vẫn còn may mắn  lắm thay
Khi trên bàn tay
Vẫn còn mang viên đá xanh của mẹ
Ánh mắt, nụ cười, viên đá xanh lặng lẽ
Và bao kỷ niệm yêu thương
Vẫn theo con rong ruỗi trên đường
Mẹ là một phần quê hương
Không thể thiếu khi nói về đất nước
Về con người bình dị Việt Nam
Dù con vẫn mong cuộc sống đi lên
Để mọi người bớt khổ
Để những bà mẹ bớt phần lam lũ
Để  những chiếc đòn gánh, đôi thúng tre, chiếc nón lá cũ
Được xếp lại trang nghiêm trong những bảo tàng
Để thôi những tiếng rao tội nghiệp trên đường
Những đêm khuya mưa dầm gió rát
Mà chỉ còn tiếng hát
Của các bà mẹ bên con bên cháu yêu thương
Trong tổ ấm
Mẹ ơi, ngày kỵ mẹ, con vẫn đi tua
Con chạy về nhà một lát
Rồi lại đi, lại thuyết minh, ca hát
Và đương nhiên có mẹ trong tâm
Mẹ vẫn âm thầm lan tỏa
Hương bay xa nhiều đất nước xa xăm
Cả mẹ và con chưa một lần đến thăm
Đi tua xong con lại chạy về nhà
Hình như con đã hơi già
Gối đã mõi nhưng phải còn cố gắng
Mẹ ơi, xin hãy truyền cho con sức sống
Để con được như mẹ
Biết thương cha, thương cả chị em…
Biết chăm chút đàn con
Biết sẻ chia đùm bọc
Con còn phải hành và  học
Tình hi sinh của mẹ với bao người
Thật may thay con vẫn có nụ cười
Hoa hàm tiếu nở trên môi của mẹ
Hoa hàm tiếu nở trên môi lặng lẽ
Và ánh nhìn da diết yêu thương
Những kỹ niêm xưa rất đổi đời thường
Viên đã xanh, chiếc áo dài rất cũ
Chỉ chừng ấy, đối với con đã đủ
Để đời có ý nghĩa từng ngày…


30 Tháng Giêng- Mồng Một Tháng 2 Năm 2012


Thursday, February 9, 2012

HAIKU FOR MOM AND DAD


Mẹ ơi, Vu Lan về

Con tủi thân cài hoa hồng trắng

Da diết nhớ mẹ hiền

 *

Mom, on Vu Lan Day

I sadly wear a white rose

I miss you, dear Mom


***


Nước mắt chảy xuống. Sông về biển.

Mẹ yêu con tha thiết

Trọn trái tim, suốt đời.

 *

Tears run down. Rivers come to seas

My mother loves me

All her heart, her life.


***


Cha là bầu trời cao

Che chở con suốt cả một đời

Cha ơi, con thương Người

 *

Father, you’re the Sky

Protecting me all your life

Father, I love you












Wednesday, January 25, 2012

XIN CHỮ

I  ask for the word NHÂN
To remind myself
To be live worthy as a human being
I ask for the word TÂM

To learn to open my heart
For others
I ask for the word ĐỨC
To be strong enough
To stand firm in life

I ask for the word  TÀI
To give a hand
For my Country
 

Tôi xin một chữ NHÂN
Để nhắc mình nhớ mãi
Sống xứng đáng làm người
Tôi xin một chữ TÂM

Để lòng thêm bao dung
Biết sống vì người khác
Tôi xin một chữ ĐỨC

Để đời còn đủ sức
Đứng vững giữa trần ai
Tôi xin một chữ TÀI

Để góp một bàn tay
Xây dựng cho Quê Hương

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

ALPHABET SONG FOR MINH KHÔI


A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N
O P Q R S T
U V W X Y Z

Queen  Xmas Zeal, a very  beautiful yellow cat
Is seeking, kicking, eating  ugly mice,
Playing with her nice friends
Learning, dancing, jumping, running  on the ground

Sunday, January 22, 2012

CHÚC MỪNG NĂM MỚI 2012

CHÚC MỪNG NĂM MỚI 2012


Xuân về xin chúc bà con
Sức khỏe, hạnh phúc, tâm hồn thảnh thơi
An khang thịnh vượng trong đời
Vạn sự như ý, sáng ngời tương lai


Xuân về xin chúc bạn hiền
An khang thịnh vượng bạc tiền đầy kho
Lại thêm sức khỏe trời cho
Gia đình hạnh phúc, ấm no vui vầy

Nguyễn Thị Lân


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Vietnam to host Asian-Pacific poetry fest

Vietnam to host Asian-Pacific poetry fest

Vietnam will host the 1st Asian-Pacific Poetry Festival in the northern province of Quang Ninh next month.
Titled “Poetry for a Peaceful, Co-operative and Developed Asia-Pacific”, the 3-day event will be attended by 80 poets from 27 countries and territories.
The guests include world-renowned names such as Korean poets Ko Un who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2011 and Ahn Kuyn Hwan who translated Ho Chi Minh’s noted poem collection “Nhat Ky Trong Tu” (Diary in Jail) into Korean, American poet Lady Borton who received the Peace Award by the War Resisters League under the London-based War Resisters' International organization in 1988, Ban'ya Natsuishi, chairman of the Japanese Haiku Poem Association and New Zealander author Sue Wootton together with 40 local poets.
The festival will start on February 2 in Ha Long city.

WARMLY WELCOME POETS TO VIETNAM

Warmly welcome poets
To Vietnam
The land of poetry
Of beauty
Of people, cultures and history
Of mountains, rivers and sea
Countrysides and city
I wish to welcome you with a poetry performance
Of Vietnamese poems
We sing our language like songs
Welcome, poets
To the romantic land of Vietnam

Monday, January 9, 2012

COFFEE BAN ME THUOT


Please come to Ban Me Thuot

Watching the cup of dripping coffee

Adding some milk, some sugar

Wow, so wonderful

You will love it!

Anywhere you live

Seeing the Ban Me Thuot coffee

You can imagine Vietnam

Can I have a cup of Ban Me Thuot coffee

Drops penetrating my blood

The more times you drink the more you feel missing

Oh, Ban Me Thuot coffee

So attractive! So delicious

I miss you so much!

I would like to have a cup of Ban Me Thuot coffee

To start a hard working day

Ban Me Thuot coffee

Once, then you love it!

Mother, send your daughter one pack

Of Ban Me Thuot coffee

So she will be loved more

Send your son one

pack of Ban Me Thuot coffee

To add more energy for his work

Please come to Ban Me Thuot

To enjoy the filter coffee

Listen to the sounds of Cong Chieng

And hear mountains and forests sing...




Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Lullaby - Rucon (2)

I love you, I love you so
I love you, I love you, you know
My baby, my cute baby
My baby, my lovely

My baby, my baby, sleep, sleep well
My baby, my baby, eat, eat well
Grow up well to go to school
Grow  up well to go to work

My baby, my baby, my baby...

Mẹ yêu con, mẹ yêu con nhiều
Mẹ yêu con, mẹ yêu con, này con biết không
Con yêu ơi, con xinh của mẹ
Mẹ yêu con, con dấu yêu ơi

Bé cưng ơi, bé cưng ơi, ngũ ngoan
Bé cưng ơi, bé cưng ơi, ăn ngoan nào
Lớn lên mau để còn đi học
Lớn lên mau để còn đi làm

Bé cưng ơi, bé cưng ơi, bé cưng ơi...

TOUR COMMENT FROM MRS.MARIA MADERO DE CARDONA & FAMILY


Tour Comment From Mrs. Maria Madero De Cardona & Family

Tick  "Excellent" in all boxes for tour guide, driver, Restaurant, Hotel, Sightseeing

Plus precious compliments:

-          General Comments: Excellent attitude, positive, cheerful, knowledgeable, caring, happy, patient, honest, flexible

-          She speaks very good, clear English+ understands very well

-          She’s very good in time management

-          She gives you a fantastic taste of the culture ( her poems and music are beautiful & really show you the art)

-          She carters to cultural differences ( for example: she took us to the western bathrooms)

-          She doesn’t mind repeating things in order to really understand the subject.

-          She makes you feel like her #1 priority.

-          Her personal cultural and spiritual stories make the tour enriching and the long trips quicker. She is a great story teller.

-          She looks out for the customer’s interest.

-          Good restaurant recommendations.

-          Overall she was great, the best tour guide we have in Asia. If there is one thing can improve could be helping tourists with prices. I know this is complicated because the store owners interests but knowing the range of prices can be helpful. For example, telling you is something if being charged too much (in markets)

-          Over all her performance was outstanding



Thank you



Maria Cardona



Thanks Maria for your precious compliments. I know my limitation in the knowledge about prices. Thanks for the book which tell much about prices. However, too many things in the markets are not in the book price lists and prices are changing quite a lot because of the inflation. We need to bargain in markets and in some shops offering fixed prices we can still ask for discounts.

I will try to improve this. I need to make a price survey as I am not a very regular buyer, especially of fancy things:)








Sunday, January 1, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 
Happy Happy New Year
Let’s sing and  pray
And create a peace
As eternal as the sky and the sea
For you and me, for everybody

Happy Happy New Year
May I wish you all
All the best wishes
Good luck, health, happiness,success and peace
Your life is full of love and riches