Sania Mirza Post Pregnancy Workout (Photo Credits: Instagram / Sania Mirza)

Indian professional Tennis player Sania Mirza posted glimpses from her post-pregnancy workout where she lost 26kg in four months. Sania wrote in her caption that she will post such videos on regular intervals to motivate women to get back in shape after pregnancy. Sania Mirza is indeed contributing to women empowerment as by her post she is inspiring women to get back to 'normalcy' after childbirth. In the video below you can see ace tennis star sweating out in the gym after giving birth to a very cute son whose name is Izhaan. Let us throw some lights on the diet and workout routine of Sania Mirza after pregnancy. Virat Kohli Workout and Diet: Indian Cricket Team Skipper is a Fitness Freak And These Videos Are Proof!

Sania Mirza married famous Pakistan Cricket team all-rounder Shoaib Malik on Apr 12, 2010. The couple was blessed with a baby boy on Oct 2018. Soon after her delivery, Sania got back to her workout routine. Post-pregnancy, she avoided heavy weight training and also due to her injuries and surgeries. Maria Sharapova's Birthday Special: 5 Times When Russian Tennis Star Gave Us Major Fitness Goals! Watch Instagram Videos.

Sania Mirza major exercise regime included plyometrics, endurance training, cardio and pilates. She spends time in the gym for around two hours daily in the evening where her workout starts around 7 pm. She dedicates her morning for the tennis practice session. She is also focussed on developing a strong core and also worked on her core. Since Sania Mirza is not playing matches these days, she avoids carb loading as carbohydrate act as a fuel for any sportsperson to provide energy. She prefers to eat gluten-free food. Her meals mainly include protein-rich diet which avoids soreness after a workout and also repairs muscles in the body. Meanwhile, let us have a look at the workout video of Sania Mirza post-pregnancy.

Sania Mirza Captions 'Mummahustles' in Her Post-Pregnancy Workout Video

Sania Mirza's Workout During Her Weight Loss Period

Sania Mirza Doing Pilates

Sania Mirza's Tyre Flip

Sania Mirza gained 22kg during her pregnancy and now after losing 26kg she indeed is giving tough competition to any hot Bollywood diva. Sania Mirza has not been seen in action on Tennis court for quite some time. There were speculations of her participating in US Open 2019, but she did not play. Looking at her improvement in fitness her fans can soon see her playing matches.

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Sania Mirza Workout and Diet: How the Indian Tennis Star Lost 26kg in Four Months After Her Pregnancy - LatestLY

Why is onboarding important? Imagine having a salesperson that is not all the great but has to remain on the sales team because of the close relationship they have to a few customers. Onboarding can come into play here as a tool that could have prevented the hiring of this salesperson or as a way of getting the replacement ready.

What if you hire someone from another dealership or industry and they bring bad habits to the table? Onboarding can be used to establish loyalty to the dealership and brands represented by the dealership.

Youre not going to take and salesperson that youre going to hire, give them the keys to a truck, give them a customer list and say, go for it, says Kyle Schneider, used equipment manager, Stotz Equipment (2013 Dealership of the Year). This is your opportunity to sit down with them, teach them what you want them to do and how to do it, and why your company does things the way they do.

Communicating and providing training to new staff is important if you want to have a successful team and dealership, but you also dont want to overwhelm them. This is where setting up an onboarding process can help. Slowing things down and defining your dealerships guidelines for the onboarding process are crucial to successfully onboarding new salespeople.

During the 2019 Dealership Minds Summit, Mark Kreps, vice president of sales, RDO Equipment and Kyle Schneider, used equipment manager, Stotz Equipment, discussed how their respective dealerships approach the onboarding process.

Onboarding is not a magician. You need to make sure that it starts with the hiring process. You have to decide on the candidate, and you have to make a plan Mark Kreps, RDO Equipment

Over the last few years at RDO Equipment, the onboarding process has been slowed down allowing the team to take their time and make sure the right people are hired. While the hiring process is not part of the onboarding process, it is part of getting the right person onboard, says Kreps.

Onboarding is not a magician. You need to make sure that it starts with the hiring process. You have to decide on the candidate, and you have to make a plan.

At RDO Equipment, candidates start with a phone interview conducted by the HR specialist. The specialist takes notes and send those notes to the appropriate team members who decide which candidates will move to the next phase. Once the initial group is narrowed down, personality profiles are worked up for all candidates. This group then will meet with the hiring manager and potentially other people at the dealership, doing anywhere from 2-3 interviews.

Once the field is narrowed down more, the final step in the interview process is a panel interview. This consists of 4 or more people from the dealership interviewing the candidate at the same time. We do this because you dont know what kinds of person you are dealing with until you put them under some pressure and ask the right questions, says Kreps.

In order to speed up the interview process and get an idea of which sales staff candidates are worth moving forward with, RDO Equipment has two questions they like to ask:

1. Tell me about your major purchases youve made in the last 3 years. Tell me what the most favorable purchase you made was and what the least favorable purchase you made was.

2. Tell us what you know about RDO Equipment Co.

For RDO, this process has two benefits: one, it makes the candidate feel like theyve accomplished more if they make it through the entire process and get the job. Two, it gives RDO confidence and the feeling that the right person was hired.

The main goal for RDO is to eliminate panic hiring. A lot of us say that were going to wait for the right candidate, but it seems like sometimes we take the guy thats probably the best of the worst, says Kreps. Being able to slow the onboarding process down and hire a strong staff of people has made the overall hiring and onboarding process simpler and has allowed RDO Equipment to bring on people they are confident in.

We look at onboarding as we have systems in place to do all the nuts and bolts of training But youre hiring people that are going to represent you and youre hiring people in an industry where there is such a deep attachment to that person you hired. You better make it right because if not, its going to cost you a lot of money.

At Stotz Equipment, the main goal of onboarding is to establish ground rules and create good habits. It also poses an opportunity to get rid of any bad habits before they can have any negative impact on the dealership, says Schneider. To accomplish this, Stotz starts with the basics, which includes going over company values and company vision and showing the difference that one individual can make in the lives of their customers.

Its important that, as you do your onboard training, youre teaching your new salespeople the exact things you want for the dealership, says Schneider.

Youre not going to take and salesperson that youre going to hire, give them the keys to a truck, give them a customer list and say, go for it. This is your opportunity to sit down with them, teach them what you want them to do and how to do it, and why your company does things the way they do Kyle Schneider, Stotz Equipment

Once the basics about the dealership have been covered, the onboarding process shifts into covering processes at Stotz. This includes processes for inventory, sales, rentals, training, commissions, expenses and marketing. For inventory, they go over the ordering process, finding a product and marking inventory. For sales, processes include:

A lot of this seems redundant, but especially if you bring in somebody from another dealership or another industry whos been in sales every one of us has a different process and we need to teach them so they can succeed within the organization, says Schneider.

At Stotz Equipment, one thing all salespeople go through is a gross margin exercise. This is because salespeople do not always know the difference between gross margin and markup. Kyle Schneider, used equipment manager, has experienced this first hand, having once had 4 salespeople in for training and getting 3 different answers in this exercise.

Its shocking to me in terms of all the training that Ive done, how many salespeople come in and this is one of the most challenging things for them to do, says Schneider. Not only that, but its also shocking how many people dont know how to trade a gross margin and they just do a markup.

With this exercise, the salespeople go over how Stotz likes to do the math, so they all end up with the same gross margin numbers in the end. Doing this exercise ensures that salespeople are on the right track and that the business Stotz wants is being created.

Salespeople need to have knowledge of the dealership, the products and the customers in order to be successful. Providing this knowledge is important to Stotz Equipment and the best way to do so is through open and continuous communication. Because of this, communication is one of the biggest things emphasized during sales training, says Schneider.

To showcase the importance of communication and how much it effects dealership performance, Stotz Equipment created the Stotz Circle of Success. This circle is applied to all departments of the dealership and is used as both a training tool and as a way of showing an employees growth. At the center of the circle is communication because everything should start there and then branch out. Along with communication, Stotz emphasizes the significance of people, which includes dealership employees and customers.

Other aspects of the Circle of Success are process, customer satisfaction, profit and growth/market share. Having profit leads to growth in the salesperson and market share. This, according to Schneider, is what brings customers back to the dealership. If you have the process and the people and youre communicating, you should have customer satisfaction. This, in turn, should lead to profit, which we all want.

The Stotz Circle of Success is empathized through the training process. According to Schneider, salespeople need to communicate and go through this circle in order to continue to grow as a company and as individuals.

Click to enlarge

For Stotz Equipment, training new salespeople is an important and continuous process. Early on, much of the day is committed to training which starts as soon as possible so new staff knows what is expected of them. The first week for new people is hard, says Schneider, but it gets easier and managers have meetings with new employees after 60 and 90 days of employment. These meetings allow them to check in and to go over some basic training again as a refresher.

At the end of the day, its important to Stotz that all opportunities to talk with or coach a salesperson are used, says Schneider. Were making sure were pushing them to become themselves so that they can do better for not only Stotz but for their own personal wellbeing as well.

Related Content:11 Best Practices for Onboarding New EmployeesRDO Equipment Northern Agriculture, Fargo, N.D.[Podcast] Our Dealer Story: Stotz Equipment Part 1[Podcast] Our Dealer Story: Stotz Equipment Part 2Dealership of the Year: Stotz Equipment

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Executing the Onboarding Process Successfully - Farm Equipment Publication

Marketresearchnest.Com Global Career Training Market Report 2019, Competitive Landscape, Trends and Opportunities New Report to Its Research Database.

The report mainly studies the size, recent trends and development status of the Career Training market, as well as investment opportunities, government policy, market dynamics (drivers, restraints, and opportunities), supply chain and competitive landscape. Technological innovation and advancement will further optimize the performance of the product, making it more widely used in downstream applications. Moreover, Porters Five Forces Analysis (potential entrants, suppliers, substitutes, buyers, industry competitors) provides crucial information for knowing the Career Training market.

Request a Sample Copy @

https://www.marketresearchnest.com/report/requestsample/737957

Major players in the global Career Training market include:

Office of Workforce Opportunity

CareerSource Broward

Career Step

The Balance

Opportunity

360training.com, Inc.

Job Service North Dakota

Reading Area Community College

Workforce Connections

Geographically, the report includes the research on production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate, and forecast (2014-2026) of the following regions:

United States

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland)

China

Japan

India

Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam)

Central and South America (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia)

Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria)

Other Regions

Browse Full Table of Contents And Data Tables At

https://www.marketresearchnest.com/Global-Career-Training-Market-Report-2019-Competitive-Landscape-Trends-and-Opportunities.html

On the basis of types, the Career Training market is primarily split into:

Type 1

Type 2

Type 3

On the basis of applications, the market covers:

Healthcare Programs

Administrative Programs

Technology Programs

Continuing Education Programs

Other

Purchase Report Copy @

https://www.marketresearchnest.com/report/purchase/737957

Chapter 1 provides an overview of Career Training market, containing global revenue, global production, sales, and CAGR. The forecast and analysis of Career Training market by type, application, and region are also presented in this chapter.

Chapter 2 is about the market landscape and major players. It provides competitive situation and market concentration status along with the basic information of these players.

Chapter 3 provides a full-scale analysis of major players in Career Training industry. The basic information, as well as the profiles, applications and specifications of products market performance along with Business Overview are offered.

Chapter 4 gives a worldwide view of Career Training market. It includes production, market share revenue, price, and the growth rate by type.

Chapter 5 focuses on the application of Career Training, by analysing the consumption and its growth rate of each application.

Chapter 6 is about production, consumption, export, and import of Career Training in each region.

Chapter 7 pays attention to the production, revenue, price and gross margin of Career Training in markets of different regions. The analysis on production, revenue, price and gross margin of the global market is covered in this part.

Chapter 8 concentrates on manufacturing analysis, including key raw material analysis, cost structure analysis and process analysis, making up a comprehensive analysis of manufacturing cost.

Chapter 9 introduces the industrial chain of Career Training. Industrial chain analysis, raw material sources and downstream buyers are analysed in this chapter.

Chapter 10 provides clear insights into market dynamics.

Chapter 11 prospects the whole Career Training market, including the global production and revenue forecast, regional forecast. It also foresees the Career Training market by type and application.

Chapter 12 concludes the research findings and refines all the highlights of the study.

Chapter 13 introduces the research methodology and sources of research data for your understanding.

Years considered for this report:

Historical Years: 2014-2018

Base Year: 2019

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Period: 2019-2026

About Us:

Marketresearchnest.Com Is The Most Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Products And Services On The Web. We Offer Reports From Almost All Top Publishers And Update Our Collection On Daily Basis To Provide You With Instant Online Access To The Worlds Most Complete And Recent Database Of Expert Insights On Global Industries, Organizations, Products, And Trends.

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Global Career Training Market Reports 2019 by Industry Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply and Forecast To 2026 - Market Research...

P R E S S R E L E A S E

Stockholm, September 26, 2019

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - The Board of Directors of BTS GROUP AB (publ) has today, based on the authorization from the Annual General Meeting on May 15, 2019, decided to carry out a directed new issue of 10,428 Class B shares.

The newly issued shares will be used as part payment for the two previous acquisitions of Polaris Assessment Systems (Polaris) and Swiss Virtual Business School VBS AG (VBS). Of those shares, 6,295 shares are allocated to the seller of Polaris and 4,133 shares are allocated to the sellers of VBS. For more information on these two acquisitions, please see the press releases from February 28, 2019 and July 15, 2019, respectively.

The new share issue relates to final settlements of the initial purchase price of SEK 956,840 (Polaris) and SEK 727,408 (VBS) according to the acquisition agreements, which were also mentioned when the acquisitions were announced. The reason for the deviation from the shareholders' preferential rights is to secure part-financing of the two acquisitions in a time- and cost-effective manner.

The share prices, in accordance with the acquisition agreements, have been determined through a calculated volume-weighted average price per trading day for the company's B-share on Nasdaq Stockholm during a period of 30 trading days before each acquisition, corresponding to SEK 152 per share for Polaris and SEK 176 per share for VBS.

The total number of shares issued before the issue was 19,307,864. After the issue, there are a total of 19,318,292 shares. At the same time, BTS's share capital increases from SEK 6,435,955 to SEK 6,439,431.

For more information, please contact:

Michael WallinHead of investor relationsBTS Group ABmichael.wallin@bts.com+46-8-587070 02+46-708-78 80 19

This information is such information as BTS Group AB (publ) is obliged to disclose pursuant to the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was provided, through the above contact person, for publication on 26 September 2019 at 16:00 CET.

About BTS Group AB

BTS is a global professional services firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with approximately 780 professionals at 35 offices located on six continents.

We focus on the people side of strategy, working with leaders at all levels to help them make better decisions, convert those decisions to actions and deliver results. At our core, we believe people learnbest by doing. For 30 years, weve been designing fun, powerful experiences that have a profound and lasting impact on people and their careers. We inspire new ways of thinking, build critical capabilities and unleash business success. Its strategy made personal.

We serve a wide range of client needs, including: Assessment centers for talent selection and development, Strategy alignment and execution, Business acumen, Leadership and sales training programs, and On-the-job business simulations and application tools.

We partner with nearly 450 organizations, including over 30 of the worlds 100 largest global corporations. Our major clients include, for example, AT&T, Chevron, Coca-Cola, Ericsson, Google, GSK, HP, HSBC, Salesforce.com, and Unilever.

BTS is a public company listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange and trades under the symbol BTS B.

For more information, please visit http://www.bts.com.

Every care has been taken in the translation of this press release. In the event of discrepancies, however, the Swedish original will supersede the English translation.

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BTS carries out a directed new share issue of SEK 1.7 million as part payment for previous acquisitions - GlobeNewswire

Pedestrians walk past an Under Armour Inc. store in Shanghai, China, on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015. ... [+] Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

Under Armour (NYSE: UA) is one of the fastest-growing companies in the apparel industry. Under Armour has achieved steady revenue growth in the last couple of years, with its revenues of $5.2 billion in 2018 marking a y-o-y growth of 4.1% driven by an increase in wholesale revenue, strong performance in apparel and footwear segments, partially offset by lower sales of accessories. Trefis captures trends in Under Armours Revenues over recent years in an interactive dashboard along with our forecast for the current year. We expect the company to achieve steady revenue growth and add more than $160 million to its top line in FY19 primarily due to growth in wholesale as well as direct-to-consumer business coupled with growth in its international business (particularly in Asia) mitigating the impact of soft demand in North America on its top line.

You can view the Trefis interactive dashboard to better understand the revenue trends and division-wise revenue performance, and alter the assumptions to arrive at your own estimate for the companys revenues. In addition, here is more Trefis Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Good Industry Data

A Quick Look at UAs Revenue Sources

UA reported $5.19 billion in total revenues in FY 2018. This included 4 revenue streams:

How Has Under Armours Revenue Trended Historically?

Trefis

A Detailed Look At Under Armours segment performance and revenue change over the years:

Apparel Segment Is Under Armours Largest Operating Segment

Footwear Segments Growth Has Normalized Since 2016

Accessories Segment Growth Likely To Rebound After A Difficult 2018

Licensing and Connected Fitness Is Under Armours Fastest Growing Segment

Based on our forecasts, Under Armours revenue per share for full-year 2019 is likely to be around $23.8. Using this figure with our estimated forward P/S ratio of 0.9x, this works out to a price estimate of $22 for Under Armours stock which is roughly 20% ahead of the current market price

Whats behind Trefis? See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs

ForCFOs and Finance Teams|Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams

More Trefis Data

Like our charts? Exploreexample interactive dashboardsand create your own

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Can Under Armour Continue To Grow Its Revenues This Year? - Forbes

A Start In Recruitment does just that. We work with professionals from a sales or customer service background and help them enter into a rewarding industry, make some serious cash and build a better life for themselves, all with a no BS, clear and transparent process. Great salary, great comms and great career progression.

No Fluff here.

We partner with agencies across Sydney who operate in a variety of industries from IT to construction, doctors to higher-level executives.What this means is that you will be able to find a company within an industry you are passionate about, making your role both financially beneficial and fulfilling.

We are after people previous sales, BDM or customer service expertise to become an all-round Recruitment Consultant. But everyone has to start somewhere so if you feel you have grit, resilience and an eagerness to have a go why not apply?We are looking for:

What you will be doing:

We currently have a few roles available in a variety of companies so if youve been thinking about recruitment or if you would just like to discuss recruitment apply for this role or email us at [emailprotected] and someone will contact you within 48 hours, pinky promise!

John BourkeA Start In Recruitment

9160 0185

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Recruitment Consultant - Full training provided, sales and customer service experience would be great! - Pedestrian TV

The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends

The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends

Swaddled in a bathrobe with a piping hot herbal tea in hand and views across the crystalline Caribbean Sea, its difficult to feel stressed at the YHI Spa in Cancun.

The Paradisus hotels in-house spa is built on a sprawling scale, with a whole floor dedicated to itsAsian-style wellness centre. Guests can enjoy hydrotherapy facilities, steam room, sauna, a state-of the art gym and a smorgasbord of bespoke treatments.

Blending ancient Mayan principles with Asian-style massage techniques, the YHI Spa is the perfect place to melt away any last vestiges of tension and detoxify after too many all-inclusive Pina Coladas.

(Paradisus Hotel Cancun)

The YHI Spa is designed to create an immersive wellness experiencewith Thai-style wooden huts for guests to recover in between treatments and restorative exercise classes like Tai Chi, yoga and Pilates.

The spa specialises in kick-starting recovery and alleviating stress from hectic city life by drawing on ancient Mayan principles combined with cutting edge technology and eco-friendly products. The spas signature IX Chel collection is inspired by the Mayan God of love and includes a healing wrap, hydrotherapy and facials using traditional ingredients like aromatic salts and chocolate oil.

it alsooffers a full beauty salon where guests can treat themselves to a pedicure, manicure, haircutor a makeover by a professional make-up artist.

Guests are led through a private door into a bright atrium with sofas and a bountiful array of flavoured water and herbal teas. A water fountain tinkles in the background while therapists usher guests into a changing room to dispose of their possessions and change into downy dressing gowns.

I had been complaining about tension in my shoulders and neck so the therapist suggested I get a 50-minute deep tissue massage. I was led intoatreatment room decorated in soothing purples and mahogany wood furnishings. The therapist spent the next 50minutes rubbing, slathering and kneading my weary limbs with aromatic oils as I teetered on the edge of sleep.

The full-body massage aims to release blocked energy, reduce pain and stiffness and encourage lymphatic drainage in the body. Its safe to say it did what it said on the tin; at the end of the massage my body felt positively supple and I was barely sentient.

(Paradisus Hotel Cancun)

There are plenty of other treatments to choose from including facials for anti-ageing and acne-prone skin, salt scrubs, body wraps and Ayurvedic style massages. At the end of every treatment guests are encouraged to hydrate with detoxifying tea and make use of the spa and sauna facilities to expel any lingering toxins.

The YHI Spa is the perfect setting to recalibrate and relax, the tension in my neck and shoulders had completely gone at the end of my treatment and I walked out with a spring in my step. Get the most out of your visit by committing half a day to use all the facilities from the fitness classes to the hydrotherapy rooms.

Deep Tissue Massage $165 for 50 minutes,yhispa.com/en/book/paradisus-cancun

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Spa of the week: YHI Spa at the Paradisus Hotel, Cancun - Evening Standard

To travel is to live, so said Hans Christian Andersen. I love to travel, to see new places and cultures, and to meet new people. I think it is an immensely rich and rewarding experience, and one that I do not take for granted. For those who dont have the time or money to travel, there is always books. There is enough out there on great travel books for adults (whether travel lit, or simply books set in another place), but there seemed to be little in the way of guides for childrens armchair travelling.

This is a list of childrens books where the setting is important to or evident in the story. The place might be at the forefront and influence everything about the story explicitly. Or it might be a little more subtle. Either way, the setting shines through the illustrations or text or both. I have also picked books that have a plot and characters, so these are not factual, Lets learn about Country! type books. I have nothing against those kinds of books, but for this list I wanted the childrens version of being transported to another place through the story. This is, first and foremost, a list of good books to read at storytime, and not a list of potential geography class textbooks (and I say this as a geographer).

(Note: all descriptions from Goodreads or Amazon; those marked with an asterisk are ones I especially loved and hit the mark of armchair travel).

Renowned picture book creator Jeanette Winter tells the story of a young girl in Afghanistan who attends a secret school for girls.

Wishing a better life for her family, Ary, a poor Cambodian girl, longs to buy a bird from the bird lady and set it free. According to tradition, the bird will carry her wishes into the wide open sky, where, they will be fulfilled.

Mei-Meis morning begins on Grandpas bicycle. Along the busy streets they ride, through the round moon gate to the park. They play games, practice tai-chi, and drink tea with their friends. No wonder Mei-Mei loves the morning.

Children play, birds call, and grownups go about their business during the hot days of summer in northern India. But in the bustle of street and marketplace, everyone is watching, waiting for those magical clouds to bring their gift of rain to the land. Through the observations of one young girl, the scents and sounds, the dazzling colors, and the breathless anticipation of a parched cityscape are vividly evoked during the final days before the welcome arrival of the monsoon.

When Oka-san, a brown-and-gold duck, selects the Mitsui Office Park as the perfect spot for her nest, people flock from downtown Tokyo to watch the ducklings hatch. A modern-day Make Way for Ducklings, set in Japan.

These are the gifts brought across the ocean to Korea: Leather gloves. An apron with pockets like flowers. A book with pictures and simple words. What is given in return? Simple gifts like theseand so much more.

From one of Chinas most beloved, bestselling childrens authors comes this touching story of friendship and empathy, which celebrates the traditional way of life for the Indigenous Ewenki peoples of Mongolia.

Chandra and her sister Deena see a demonstration of a magic light, a solar-powered lantern, at a market near their home in Nepal and are determined to buy one, knowing it will help their little brothers cough to stop using kerosene lamps.

When relief workers bring used clothing to the refugee camp, everyone scrambles to grab whatever they can. Ten-year-old Lina is thrilled when she finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly, until she sees that another girl has the matching shoe. But soon Lina and Feroza meet and decide that it is better to share the sandals than for each to wear only one. As the girls go about their routines washing clothes in the river, waiting in long lines for water, and watching for their names to appear on the list to go to America the sandals remind them that friendship is what is most important.

A heart-warming story of a young Filipino girl who builds self-confidence after spending a day with her classmates, Pan de Sal Saves the Day: A Filipino Childrens Story is an award-winning inspiring tale for young children everywhere.

Mela sets out to explore the river outside her village but quickly ends up in trouble when her little boat is swept downstream and into the dense jungle. She encounters a crocodile, a leopard, and some monkeys, offering each a prize return for helping her find her way home but the animals snatch up their rewards without helping Mela back to her village. Just when shes about to give up, an elephant shows Mela that kindness is its own reward. This new fable is told with authentic Thai customs and includes an authors note with more Thai traditions and language.

Avi and Hamudi are two boys who live in Jerusalems Old CityAvi in the Jewish Quarter and Hamudi in the Muslim Quarter. To each boy, the others neighborhood is an alien land. And although neither boy knows it, both are caring for the same beautiful white stray cat.

After showing kindness to a strange old woman, Shiraz receives the gift of beauty but her lazy and unkind stepsister, Nargues, suffers a less pleasant fate in this adaptation of the Grimms fairy tale, Mother Hulda, reset in Tehran, Iran.

Through the eyes of a child, I See the Sun in Russia is the story of a day in the life of Anton, a young boy growing up in St. Petersburg, Russia.

London is calling! Come along on a mother-daughter day trip as they wend their way past the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, through Trafalgar Square, and on to Covent Garden. Listen closely and you might just learn a secret about the Whispering Gallery in Saint Pauls Cathedral. Then its on to the Tower of London and the river Thames, where a fold-out surprise awaits. Readers will be enchanted by Salvatore Rubbinos cheerful, sophisticated illustrations and abundant trivia about the one and only city of London.

When Simons older sister, Adle, picks him up from school, he has his hat and gloves and scarf and sweater, his coat and knapsack and books and crayons, and a drawing of a cat he made that morning. Adle makes Simon promise to try not to lose anything. But as they make their way home, distractions cause Simon to leave something behind at every stop. What will they tell their mother?Detailed pen-and-ink drawings filled with soft watercolors make a game of this unforgettable tour through the streets and scenes of early-twentieth-century Paris. Illustrated endpapers extend the fun by replicating a 1907 Baedeker map of Paris.

Like the other Sasek classics, This is Munich is a facsimile edition of his original book, which was first published in 1969. The brilliant illustrations have been meticulously preserved and facts updated for the twenty-first century. The charming illustrations coupled with Saseks playful narrative make for a perfect souvenir that will delight both children and parents. Sasek introduces childrenand many adults aliketo the ancient Bavarian capital. Stops include the New Town Hall, the Frauenkirche cathedral, and Munichs most famous beer hall.

This is Greece captures the flavor and tradition of the birthplace of Western civilization. Theres Athens, with its spectacular views of the Acropolis, the Parthenon, temples, theaters, and marketplaces; architecture-renowned Corinth; Mycenae, inhabited since 3000 B.C.; Olympia, home of the gods; Delphi, famous for its legendary oracle; and the beautiful isles. Theres also modern-day Greece, where life is lived on street corners, in squares, and at tables amid reminders of the past.

Hanna was a hippopotamus in the Budapest zoo. Hanna and the other hippos thrived in the warm springs which flowed from the ground. One winter, however, it was so cold that the river froze. There was a war going on, and the people and animals were starving. But the people of Budapest made a plan to save their beloved hippos.

This book follows the story of a young sheep, Humi. Humi lives in Iceland, The Land of Fire and Ice. Iceland is a remarkably beautiful country with hot springs, mountains, waterfalls galore, and magnificent sunsets, but during the winter time its dark for the majority of the day. This is most unfortunate for Humi because he is afriad of the dark. He stays inside, wishing he could go out with his friends, but the dark is too scary. Through a series of adventures however, he learns that not everything that comes out at night is scary some things are beautiful, too.

Once upon a time there was a little girl called Fiona who lived in Dublin. But Dublin is full of colorful characters and creatures from the fairytale realm. Often not seen or heard, they reside in some of Dublins most famous locations and landmarks! Fionas on a journey to Grannys house .but whos that following her through the streets? Travel across the city with Fiona and her fantastic friends in this modern Dublin fairytale. With beautiful and quirky illustrations by the author.

Torill Koves grandmother often told stories to Torill when she was a young girl. One in particular revolved around ironing shirts for the King of Norway.In My Grandmother Ironed the Kings Shirts, Kove follows a thread of family history, embroidering it with playful twists along the way, imaginatively rendering her grandmothers life and work in Oslo during World War II.

Miracle Dogs of Portugal is the almost-true story of historical figure Henry the Navigator and the dog that saved his life Milagro the Portuguese Water Dog. Set against a backdrop of actual historical events, the story is sure to remind kids of all ages to love their friends, summon their courage and follow their dreams.

The Little Matador comes from a long line of proud bullfighters, but he would rather draw a bull than fight one! Despite his fathers best efforts to get him to follow tradition, the Little Matador spends most of days daydreaming and sketching animals in the meadow.One day when the Little Matador is caught making a scene in the town square-drawing a scene, that is-his father decides hes had enough! The Little Matador gets dragged to the arena to face his first bull. He may have decided hes not going to fight, but the bull has other plans. That is, of course, until the Little Matador pulls out his sketch pad. Our talented hero may have won over the bull, but can he overcome his fathers disapproval?

This booktells the old story of Sankta Lucia through the eyes of three children in modern-day Sweden.The book follows the adventures of Sofie, Louise, and Carl as they prepare for Lucia Day, December 13th. On that day, many Swedish people celebrate the legacy of Lucia and the coming of the light with coffee, saffron buns, ginger snaps, and wonderful singing.

There is so much in store on this incredible journey enormous statues and temples, the legendary Sphinx, tombs and mummies, and of course the Great Pyramids.

Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred.The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change.

Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one persons actions really can make a difference in our world.

On market day, Mama Panyas son Adika invites everyone he sees to a pancake dinner. How will Mama Panya ever feed them all? This clever and heartwarming story about Kenyan village life teaches the importance of sharing, even when you have little to give.

An innovative, two-in-one picture book follows a parallel day in the life of two families: one in a Western city and one in a North African village.Somewhere in Sydney, Australia, a boy and his family wake up, eat breakfast, and head out for a busy day of shopping. Meanwhile, in a small village in Morocco, a boy and his family go through their own morning routines and set out to a bustling market. In this ingenious, wordless picture book, readers are invited to compare, page by page, the activities and surroundings of children in two different cultures. Their lives may at first seem quite unalike, but a closer look reveals that there are many things, some unexpected, that connect them as well. Designed to be read side by side one from the left and the other from the right these intriguing stories are told entirely through richly detailed collage illustrations.

Join Baby and his doting mama at a bustling southwest Nigerian marketplace for a bright, bouncy read-aloud offering a gentle introduction to numbers.

A lyrical, strikingly illustrated story celebrates the unifying power of soccer.In a dusty township in South Africa, Ajani and his friends have earned a brand-new, federation-size soccer ball.

They kick. They dribble. They run. They score. These clever boys are football champions! But when a crew of bullies tries to steal their ball, will Ajani and his friends be able to beat them at their own game?

A Tanzanian family welcomes their Auntie Sharon and Grandmother Bibi from America for a very special occasion: a surprise safari in honor of the matriarchs 85th birthday.

In the sky at nighttime, the northern lights dance, a mothers song sways on the breeze, and a raven roosts atop a tall building, bathed in the light of the moon.

This lyrical poem sends readers sailing through the Arctic night sky to see and hear the unique beauty of a Northern night.

An account of a little girls idyllic summer at her grandparents ranch on the pampas of Argentina.

One day, a man exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forests residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how all living things depend on one another . . . and it works. Cherrys lovingly rendered colored pencil and watercolor drawings of all the wondrous and rare animals evoke the lush rain forests, as well as stunning world maps bordered by tree porcupines, emerald tree boas, and dozens more fascinating creatures.

Susan and her sister, Rebecca, love watching their mother write letters to people in other camps. Their mother has one precious pencil, and she keeps it safe in her box for special things. One afternoon, Anaana leaves the iglu to help a neighbour, and Susan, Rebecca, and their brother Peter are left with their father. They play all their regular games but are soon out of things to do-until Ataata brings out the pencil! As Susan draws and draws, the pencil grows shorter and shorter. What will Anaana think when she comes home? Based on author Susan Avingaqs childhood memories of growing up in an iglu, this charming story introduces young readers to the idea of using things wisely.

Ana loves stories. She often makes them up to help her little brother fall asleep. But in her small village there are only a few books and she has read them all. One morning, Ana wakes up to the clip-clop of hooves, and there before her, is the most wonderful sight: a traveling library resting on the backs of two burrosall the books a little girl could dream of, with enough stories to encourage her to create one of her own.

Together, a boy and his parents drive to the city of Havana, Cuba, in their old family car. Along the way, they experience the sights and sounds of the streetsneighbors talking, musicians performing, and beautiful, colorful cars putt-putting and bumpety-bumping along. In the end, though, its their old car, Cara Cara, that the boy loves best. [Note: It was this book that sparked the idea for this post.]

From the clip, clop of the milkmans mule in early morning to the clic, clac of her fathers abacus at night, a young girl tells about a day in her familys store and home in Guatemala City.

Every winter, a young girl flies to Haiti to visit her Auntie Luce, a painter.The moment she steps off the plane, she feels a wall of heat, and familiar sights soon follow the boys selling water ice by the pink cathedral, the tap tap buses in the busy streets, the fog and steep winding road to her aunts home in the mountains.

When Ida finds out that Papa must leave Jamaica to work in America, shes heartbroken. But there is some consolation in knowing that Papa needs her to care of the tangerine tree while hes away, and his parting gift of a book comes with a promise: hell be home again by the time shes able to read it.

The first time Abuela holds Nina, her heart overflows with tenderness. And as Nina grows up, she and Abuela spend plenty of time together. Abuela cant help thinking how much shed like to give Nina a very special treat, so she saves a little bit of her money every week a few pesos here, a few pesos there. When the world turns upside down, Abuelas dream of a surprise for Nina seems impossible. Luckily, time spent together and the love Abuela and Nina have for each other could turn out to be the very best gift of all.

Ada Ros grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an optionuntil a music teacher named Favio Chvez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Adaand her townforever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.

This rhyming text travels from Lake Titicaca all the way to the city of Cusco for the marvelous Inti Raymi Festival. Young readers will meet children from many areas of southern Peru who are traveling to the festival, each using a different mode of transportation.

An exuberant picture book tribute to our national parks and the importance and fun of connecting with nature.Our Great Big Backyard follows Jane, whose plans of spending the summer playing video games with her friends are dashed when her parents announce that her family is going on a road trip to national parks around the country. Yet somewhere between the Everglades and Big Bend National Park, things begin to change.

Sophie Scott is only nine years old, but shes going to Antarctica on an icebreaker with her dad, the ships captain. During he voyage to Mawson Station and back, Sophie keeps a diary. She sees icebergs, penguins, seals and whales. She makes new friends, wonders at the southern lights and even becomes stranded in a blizzard.

The year I turned eight, Mum and Dad took us on a trip around Australia. Luke, Billy and I missed school for the whole winter term.

Join Grace and her family on their adventurous and sometimes funny expedition. A warm, heartfelt story based on an actual journey undertaken by the much-loved, award-winning author and illustrator, Alison Lester.

This bookinvites young readers to spend a day with Tui; a small Fijian boy, as he explores the reef and ocean near his home.The adventurous and water-loving Tui starts his day by exploring the beach with friends and finding kasikasi crabs. As Tui and his friends wade into the shallow waters they encounter beautiful blue starfish and schools of small fish near the reef. They swim to deeper waters and they find larger marine animals like the gentle turtle and a camouflaged octopus hidden in the rocks. Tuis sea animal friends eventually lead him to the shining underwater treasure!

Its laundry day on a South Pacific island, and Kessy is proud that Mama has chosen him to go to Mindas Store to buy the biggest soap. But hell have to hurry if he wants to get back in time for the storytelling that accompanies the washing, so off he goes as fast as a typhoon wind! Along the way there are plenty of surprises, but Kessy returns with just enough soap to finish the wash and in time to tell stories galore from his big adventure.

Here is the incredible story of Elizabeth, a real-life elephant seal who made her home in the Avon River in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. When Elizabeth decides to stretch out across a two-lane road, the citizens worry she might get hurt or cause traffic accidents, so a group of volunteers tows her out to sea. But Elizabeth swims all the way back to Christchurch. The volunteers catch her again and againeach time towing her farther, even hundreds of miles awaybut, still, Elizabeth finds her way back home.

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50 Must-Read Picture Books to Transport You to Another Place - Book Riot

Whilst Thailand is often nicknamed the land of a thousand 7-elevens, with a convenience store on just about every corner, there are none of these in Vietnam, yet.

With the Thai Baht on a high at the moment, along with the TM30 crackdowns and changes in visa rules, some expats say theyve had enough and are heading to Vietnam, or some other south east Asian country where they improve their situation.

For an expat pensioner, on a fixed income, from a country where the Thai baht has risen against your currency, Thailand has indeed become a more expensive option. The British pound, for example, has gone from around 55 baht to the pound four years ago, to now around 37 baht, a big loss of value. Meanwhile the cost of living in Thailand, on some items, has risen.

But Vietnam has its own challenges and, whilst being an amazing place to explore and be a tourist, may not be to everyones taste as a place to retire or enjoy your extended stay. If you think its better than Thailand to live as an expat youre in for a few rude shocks.

The Thaiger has lived in Thailand and travelled to Saigon, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An and Phu Quoc in Vietnam. We love Vietnam but estimate it has another decade or so until its ready to cater for longer-term expats, unless you work there of course.

Heres a few things to consider.

If youre looking for some additional hard facts on a move to Vietnam, try this site HERE.

The people

Both Thais and Vietnamese are proud cultures Thailand because weve never been colonised (which youll hear ad nauseam any time the topic comes up), and Vietnam because theyve fended off the Chinese and French, and beaten the Americans in the Vietnam War.

Both are very elegant cultures, rich and exotic and rooted in similar cultural festivals and Buddhist traditions.

But, whereas the Thais have weaponised their trademark smile into a cultural tourist attraction, the Vietnamese remain a bit more, well, unsmiling. This is not because theyre rude or not embracing of westerners and western tourism, its just they are a bit more reserved in expressing an outward smile, unless its deserved. On the other hand, the Thai smile can mean 20 different things, not always in your favour.

Whilst many westerners fall in love with Thailand, its difficult to see that same sort of love being associated with Vietnam. Whatever magic spell Thailand seems to weave on western tourists doesnt seem to happen as much in Vietnam. Thats not to say you wont have wonderful and astonishing experiences in Vietnam, but its palpably different.

Costs

For a tourist the costs can vary a lot in both countries between the out-of-town locations and the tourist magnets. For tourists, youre just going to pay more in both countries, compared to the locals. Hotels and transport will cost you much the same in both countries for things like hotels and bike rentals.

For a long-stay expat finding long-term accommodation in Thailand is easy theres an oversupply of condos, villas and old houses. In Vietnam its a lot more complex to find something and probably more expensive, like-for-like. Thats mainly to the immaturity of the property market which, again, is catching up fast.

Finding a cheap beer will be easier these days in Vietnam but the culture of bars and nightlife is completely different in Vietnam, when compared to the infamous bar culture in Thailand. The bar girls serve you drinks and wash dishes in Vietnam whilst we know the bar girls in Thailand often provide additional services. If youre heading to Vietnam for a vibrant and crazy nightlife youre going to be a bit disappointed.

Food, once you get out of the tourist hubs and cities in Vietnam, is very cheap and delicious but youll never have the same choice or range of flavours you enjoy with Thai food.

Language

English is much more commonly used in Thailand, especially in any of the popular tourist spots, and is a compulsory subject in Thai schools. But out of the tourist zones any English spoken is basic at best.

Outside the two cities or tourist spots in Vietnam, youll be battling with English or any other foreign language. English is not a part of the Vietnamese school curriculum.

Driving

The Vietnamese drive on the opposite side of the road, the right side, compared to Thailand. This may not be a huge issue but is certainly something youll need to adapt to quickly to avoid potential disasters on the roads.

Speaking of the roads

Roads

Vietnam is catching up to Thailand fast in the way of infrastructure but, beyond the major cities, youll find Vietnams roads a lot less drivable than roads in Thailand. As a rough guess, Vietnams road network is 30 years or so behind Thailand for now, but catching up quickly.

Beyond the physical roads, the behaviour of Vietnamese drivers is entirely different from Thailand, and the west. The key word here would be merge. Just go with the herd and dont drive defensively. When you come to an intersection the ability for Vietnamese drivers to weave through the traffic is one of the great wonders of the modern world. The busier the intersection, the more amazing it is to watch.

Whilst appearing completely chaotic to an outsider the system all works very well.

The actual road toll in Vietnam isnt much better than Thailand, which is pretty bad! The annual road toll in Vietnam, per capita, is around 25% less than Thailand.

And then theres the tooting of horns. Whilst tooting someone in Thailand with your car or motorcycle horn will get some serious looks (and sometimes the cause of serious road rage), in Vietnam its common. Actually, more than common, just part of the soundtrack of Vietnams roads. Usually just a mere courtesy to traffic youre passing, Vietnamese drivers will routinely toot a motorbike or car as theyre about to pass them. So get ready for a whole new realm of noise pollution.

Influences

Both countries have long and rich traditions, Thailands recent history a lot more stable than Vietnam which became a colonial punching bag in the middle of the last century, in the form of the Indo-Chinese War with the French then the Americans. In the case of the latter, a drawn-out 20 year invasion by the US left Vietnam a crushed and divided country and caused the collapse of governments in neighbouring Cambodia and Laos. For Cambodia the consequences were disastrous. Both countries now are ruled by communist governments.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and the former king, King Bhumibol, was greatly loved and respected. His son, King Maha Vachiralongkorn, now maintains the customs and traditions of the Thai monarchy. His coronation was an elaborate ceremony in May 2019 celebrated by all Thais.

The main religion in Thailand is Theravada Buddhism. Monks retain high status and are a big part of daily life, from festivals to daily blessings. Young Thai men become novice monks for a period usually 1-3 weeks to earn merit for their families.

Thailand is a hodge podge of old culture and traditions fused with modern western influences often at the same time. Thais celebrate everything and are reasonably tolerant to all cultures. Thai people always try and make their work and daily life fun (or sanook) and have a huge passion for food. Thais never eat alone.

On the other hand Vietnam has a more defined cultural contrast than Thailand and can be a bit more opaque to western travellers. Unlike Thailand that has not had any major colonial influences, Vietnam has been hammered with three key impacts to its recent history China, France and the US.

Centuries of Chinese occupation has had a profound historical legacy on Vietnamese thinking and customs. This heavily influences their customs, traditions and beliefs. The legacy of French colonialism, which lasted six decades from the 1880s, has mostly influenced distinctive French architecture and food.

To that end, Vietnam has maintained a more authentic local culture whilst Thai culture has been more flexible to accommodate the large influx of tourists and investment. Vietnam will certainly have more cultural surprises which many travellers will find more interesting. But that also makes travelling, and living in Vietnam, more challenging.

There is also lingering suspicion of the west, particularly Americans and particularly in the north of Vietnam, but only with the over-50 generation whose memories are more shaped by the horrors of the 20 year conflict that finished in 1975, leaving the country divided and battered by war.

Getting around

Thailand wins hands down with convenience, options and comfort. Travelling around Vietnam, although progressing quickly, is still more of an adventure.

In Vietnam, air transport is excellent and opening up fast, but the countrys road and rail transport infrastructure is still a challenge. If youre travelling to Vietnam you may find it more convenient to take organised tours at this stage as the FITs (free and independent travellers) will certainly need more patience than they would in Thailand.

Thailand is already highly developed in tourism with airlines serving both international and domestic routes. You are spoiled by choice. Theres plenty of local transportation, not necessarily cheap anymore, with options in the cities from tuk tuks, taxis and motorcycles. Bangkok has a modern mass transport system that now links most of the citys main locations. Theres also thousands of tour companies and options for just about any sort of holiday. Its one of the worlds most popular tourist destinations for good reason.

In comparison, there are not that many international flights from western countries to Vietnam, but the situation is changing fairly quickly.

Thailand is served by far more airlines, from all over the world. Thailand also has much better domestic travel facilities and services than Vietnam.

Domestic flights in Vietnam are very convenient, and there are many flights between the main cities. But domestic buses and trains are basic in Vietnam, compared to Thailand which has more comfortable options.

Visas

You cant just land in Vietnam and get a visa on arrival. It doesnt exist except for ASEAN countries (for less than 30 days), and a handful of other countries for 15 days only (the situation changes often so ask Mr Google before you book your flight).

There are three ways of obtaining a visa for Vietnam via a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate, an E-Visa, or a Visa on Arrival (which requires a sponsor letter and pre-approval). The E-visa is a pilot electronic visa system launched in 2017 visitors can apply for a 1 month single-entry visa by paying US$25 via the official immigration platform.

Business visas are a little trickier. Applicants need to get an official entry clearance from their sponsor, usually their employer. This visa allows for multiple entries and lasts for up to one year. If you plan to apply for a business visa, you have to obtain approval from the Vietnamese Immigration Department through your sponsor. If you do not have a business partner, employer, or other sponsor who can provide you with an entry clearance, you can also apply for a business visa for a stay of up to 90 days.

Diplomatic and official visas can be applied for without having to pay any visa fee.

For long-termers you better consult your local embassy because the situation changes fairly often. Suffice to say, you cant just come and stay in Vietnam without a lot of paperwork and occasional frustration.

There is a Permanent Resident Card but its qualifications are fairly odious and would require the assistance of a proper immigration lawyer or agent.

Only in Phu Quoc, the southern tropical-island-Phuket-wannabe, off the coast of Cambodia, can you arrive without a visa. You can get stamped in for free for up to 30 days, but youll then need a visa if you want to take the ferry or fly to Ho Chi Minh City, for example.

Thailand is much more convenient with respect to visas. Passport holders from 57 countries, including the citizens of most European countries, Australia and the US, can enter Thailand for up to 30 days without having to apply for a visa beforehand.

For long-termers there are a number of categories, including business visas, retirement visas, smart visas and a few other categories. All require application and plenty of paperwork.

Recently the Thai government has cracked down on the enforcement of qualification for many visas which is causing problems for some long-termers that have fallen through the cracks in the past but are now finding visa extensions a bit more difficult.

In both cases, youll need to provide some proof of assets to stay long-term. Vietnam is starting to become much more stringent as it starts to become more popular and, like Thailand, you can find a lot of variation in application of the immigration laws, depending on where you are.

Food

Thai cuisine is better known than Vietnamese cuisine. Anywhere in the world youre going to find more Thai restaurants and the flavours and dishes of Thailand are easier to define and describe that their Vietnamese counterparts.

But Vietnamese cuisine has its own features and is becoming more popular. It can also be spicy and pungent, with plenty of fresh herbs, although generally less spicy than Thai food. But youll be able to dine cheaper in Vietnam than in Thailand, whether in the capitals or on the streets in the countryside.

Vietnamese food also has a French influence with a developed coffee culture and excellent bakeries.

And whilst Thailand is often nicknamed the land of a thousand 7-elevens, with a convenience store on just about every corner, there are none of these in Vietnam, yet.

Currency

In Vietnam you can use Dong or the USD. Its always best to carry some Dong for local purchases. Local shop owners or taxi drivers will probably accept your USD but will have their own commission added to the exchange. Currency exchange is easy in most parts of Vietnam, certainly in the cities.

In Thailand its the baht or nothing. Your USD will be of no use on the streets and youll need to get it changed into the local currency.

There are exchange booths everywhere in tourist hot spots and ATMs will dispense you local baht but be careful of the exchange rates and fees when doing international currency exchanges via an ATM.

Medical care

Thailand has a much better developed medical and health care system than Vietnam at this stage. Relative to western countries, the standards of the hospitals are very high and the medical costs still reasonable although private hospitals have become noticeably more expensive over the last decade.

Vietnam is still decades behind Thailand in this respect although catching up fast. Make sure you have comprehensive health insurance when travelling or living in either country.

Seasons

Thailand generally has a hot season, which usually lasts from March/April to June/July. That turns into the hot and wet season that continues until November as the southwest monsoon swings into action sweeping in moist air from the Indian Ocean. The cool season running from December to March, is drier and more comfortable in the north getting quite cold on some days, in the south drier but never dropping below 20 degrees.

Vietnam has a more diverse climate. The south is divided between wet and dry seasons, which is similar to Thailand. Da Lat and the Central Highlands have their dry season from December to March until the southwest monsoon season. The central lowlands, such as Nha Trang, are protected by the mountains and enjoy a long dry season from January to October.

North Vietnam has a distinct winter and summer, completely different to much of Southeast Asia. The winter, from November to March, is wet and cool. The summer, from May to October, is hot with the occasional typhoon swimming in from the South China Sea.

Scams and annoyances

Both have their fair share.

Vietnam Visa scams Certain websites offer online visas in exchange for a fee. Vietnamese embassies have issued a message to warn travellers that those websites are not official, and that they often fail to issue visas. Also, certain travellers thought they were covered by these websites, but once at the airport in Vietnam, the authorities refused them the entry, and they had to go back to their country of origin.

Cheating in the shops can be one of the most annoying problems for travellers to Vietnam. Shops may attract customers by advertising lower prices, but the price may increase at any time and you may end up pulling out more money than what was originally asked for. Continue to read Vietnam Tourist Traps and Scams.

In addition, cheating may even happen as you change money. Since the denominations of dong are very large, sometimes travellers may be confused by the trail of 00000s.

Cheating and scams also happen in Thailand, especially tourist locations. Some restaurants have two menus, one for locals and the other with higher prices for foreigners. The same applies at some tourist attractions although the two-tier pricing in this case is bracingly rubbed in your face. Beware of taxi and tuk tuk drivers that offer to take you to a cheap gem shop, a massage shop or a tailor, or know a friend with a cheap hotel. It will end up an expensive ride.

The prices in those shops will certainly shock you, for they will be two or three times higher than the normal prices.

The bar scene in Thailands tourist hot spots with its girlie bars will delight you with pumping music and tight hot-pants but, as the song One Night in Bangkok says The bars are temples but the pearls aint free. The sex scene in Thailand is, at the same time, strictly illegal, and also in-your-face. The drinks are expensive and the after-drink entertainment might cost a lot, lot more.

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12 month Medical Visa proposed among updates to Thai visa offerings - The Thaiger

Monday, September 23, 2019 8:58 a.m. EDT

By Abhishek Takle

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Vietnam Grand Prix organizers are confident their race will join Singapore in lighting up the Formula One calendar for years to come, rather than adding to the list of Asian shooting stars, after it debuts in 2020.

As the sport said farewell to Singapore for another year on Sunday, it looked forward already to a return to the region in April for the inaugural Vietnamese round in Hanoi.

"Vietnam is the right country at the right time in the right place," Vietnam Grand Prix Chief Executive Le Ngoc Chi told Reuters.

"(Its) just the perfect time to join Formula One with our robust economics, with our traditions, with our culture, with our people, with our food, so everything is just right."

Vietnam's fast-growing and youthful economy is attractive for sponsors as well as commercial rights holders Liberty Media, who have spoken about adding 'destination cities' to the calendar.

Singapore -- whose night race is now one of the most glittering events of the season - was the only round in South East Asia in 2019, with Malaysia joining a list of races to fall by the wayside after saying goodbye two years ago.

India (2011-13) and South Korea (2010-13) have come and gone, while plans for a floodlit race in the Thai capital Bangkok never got off the ground. Chi said Vietnam would be more resilient.

"We are not the shooting star," she declared.

"We dont just come on the scene to stay for one year... in order for a grand prix to be successful, you have to be sustainable.

"How do you stay in the business? Thats what we can learn from the unsuccessful ones."

Chi said the key lay in creating a satisfying experience for fans and in the longer term growing motorsports popularity among a local population more focused on soccer.

"Its just a sense of pride, its a sense of responsibility," she said. "We have to deliver this event successfully."

TOURISM BENEFIT

Formula One considered racing in Vietnam when Bernie Ecclestone was the sports commercial boss but the Briton ruled it out, despite significant sums on offer, because he felt the region had enough races already with Singapore and Malaysia.

Ecclestone was ousted in 2017 and a deal with Vietnam's largest conglomerate Vingroup JSC was signed last year.

"Its obvious that tourism will benefit," Chi said of the race. "But there are other things that we think it will bring, such as investment, promotion, technology, opportunities for businesses in Vietnam to connect with businesses in the world.

"Besides all that, we also want to showcase to the world that Vietnam and Hanoi can actually organize a world-class event.

"We want to showcase to the world that we are not just a country that got out of war anymore.We are developing, we are moving forward very quickly, we are the new dragon of Asia."

Formula One has long expanded from its European origins, with now-departed Malaysia added in 1999 as a second race in Asia after Japan.

China joined the list in 2004, Singapore in 2008 and there are now also two races in the Middle East.

(Editing by Alan Baldwin/Ken Ferris)

Original post:

Vietnam ready to join Singapore in F1 firmament - WTVB News