HA NOI — Vietnamese K'Chin, 21, who underwent life-changing surgery in Australia, has been named Queensland's international student of the year.
Born in a remote village near Da Lat in central-highland Lam Dong Province, K'Chin broke his leg as an infant and spent his first 13 years crawling or hopping because he could not walk.
Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children took him to Australia in 2002 and provided him with both medial treatment and an education.
"I couldn't walk so I just crawled until the age that I could hop on one leg, and I hopped for 13 years," he told an Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporter.
Now he can not only walk, he has been nominated his school captain for next year.
"I think that education and being educated is the most important part of our life," said the young man who never went to school in Viet Nam let alone spoke English.
"It's a great honour," he said of the award made by the Queensland Education Department.
"I came to Australia for surgery. It's so wonderful that I am awarded the title," he said.
Bui Xuan Phai painting sells for $19,900
HONG KONG — A painting of a street in Ha Noi's Old Quarter by late painter Bui Xuan Phai (1920-88) has just been sold in Hong Kong for HK$156,000 (around US$19,900).
Titled Pho Hang Bac (Hang Bac Street), the 1968 oil-on-canvas painting, 47 by 57cm in measurements, was initially forecast to be auctioned for HK$120,000.
Two other paintings by Vietnamese painter Vu Cao Dam and Hong Viet Dung were also sold at the same auction, which featured 183 works of art.
Jury announced for final round of Miss Earth
NHA TRANG — The Miss Earth contest organisers have just announced the names of the international jury for the Miss Earth 2010 contest final round held at Nha Trang's Vinpearl Land this Saturday.
The jury includes photographer Michael Jeffrey Rosentha; producer Marie J Y E Collart; actress Rachel Louise Grant de Longueuil; Ella Bella, a member of the Miss Earth organisation; Eddy Tan, Star World Group chairman; Karla Paula Henry, Miss Earth 2008; and Nenad Bratic, an architect from the Aedas Interiors company.
The Vietnamese representatives include Pham Sanh Chau, head of the Department for External Culture and UNESCO of Viet Nam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Hoang Dai Thanh, editor of Thoi Trang Tre (Young Fashion) magazine, and designer Nguyen Quynh Nhu. — VNS