MAIL / HANDWRITING

Can we tell someone’s personality from his or her handwriting?

Absolutely. I believe a person’s penmanship could be a telltale sign of his or her personality.
Sloppy/bad/messy handwriting can be a sign of high-intelligence, meaning your pen cannot
keep up with your brain/thoughts, or of eccentricity (sự kỳ quặc) in some
cases.  Creative handwriting often belongs to people who are highly creative and exceptional in
one way or another. Neat handwriting or the ability to write in cursive (viết uốn éo) is usually
associated with all the good virtues (phẩm chất) in life - generosity, altruism (sự vị tha), so on
and so forth.

Is your handwriting easy to read for other people?

Well, I would say that it depends. For example, when I have much time, I often try to write
carefully so others can find it easy to read. However, when I’m in a rush, my handwriting
accordingly can become intelligible, I mean, many people have complaint about it. Back in high
school, my teacher told me repeatedly to put more effort into what I wrote so that she didn’t
have to spend much time deciphering (sự giải mã, đoán chữ) my handwriting.

Do you write by hand?

I still do actually. Even though typing is thtoday, there are situations where I have to write by
hand and there’s just no way around it (không còn cách nào khác). For example, laptops aren’t
universally allowed in school yet, so you still have to take notes by hand. I don’t mind that so
much, because taking handwritten notes .(=word for word). Another example could be tests
which, for the most part, are still paper-based in Vn. I think schools should start having
computer-based tests though. Paper and pencil are a pain( sth that is very annoying)

Do you think handwriting will be gone in the future?

I don’t think so, to be honest. While handwriting has definitely been marginalized (treat sth as
unimportant )by typing, there are still occasions where handwriting is called for. For example, if
you want to write sth romantic like a love letter, you obviously aren’t gonna type it, right? The
same thing goes for/This also applies in the case wedding invitations or thank you notes,
handwriting makes all the difference. The act of writing is labor-intensive # labor-saving, but
because of that it shows that you care.

Does handwriting have any special meaning in your culture?

Absolutely. Vnese tradition dictates that a person’s penmanship is a telltale sign of his or her
personality. Neat handwriting or the ability to write in cursive is usually associated with all the
good virtues in life - generosity, altruism, so on and so forth. On the other hand, if your
handwriting is ugly or simply illegible, people tend to think that you’re somehow a bad person.
Personally, I think this is such an antiquated (outdated) notion.
How do people write these days?
Well, it may be stating the obvious (nói những điều hiển nhiên ng khác biết), but typing is the
predominant means of writing today. I mean, we write pretty much exclusively on keyboards
now: from documents to emails to text messages, you name it(there are many things to
choose from). That said (having said that= in spite of that= However), there’s still a significant
number of people who feel more comfortable writing with a pen. I’m also seeing new
technologies that marry the convenience of typing and the feeling of writing by hand. For
example, some phones now can convert handwriting into text. Amazing how far we’ve come,
right?

Do you prefer to write letters or emails?

It depends actually. Emails are what I deal with on a daily basis, and therefore are much more
familiar to me. This is due in large part to the convenience that they have to offer, especially in
the context of business/in business setting. However, for some other circumstances that are
not work-related, written letters can be far more appealing. A prime example of this is
Valentine Day, on which a nicely handwritten letter is undoubtedly better than an ordinary
email. Content of the letter aside.

Why do people write handwritten letters to kids?

There are various reasons why adults favor writing letters to children over emailing them, one
of which is the fact that most kids are not used to emails. That is to say kids generally are not in
the habit of checking their emails daily. So, when parents wish to leave them a message, it
would be a much better option to put together a handwritten letter, so that the chance of the
children actually getting the message would significantly go up. Besides, I’m not sure if it’s just
me, but emails can bring up the image of formality, which would be appropriate in a working
environment rather than as a tool to communicate to children.

Is it still useful for companies to communicate with letters?

No. I hardly see a company communicate with letters. Letters as a form of communication make
it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for enterprises to keep up with the frantic pace of
work, as they can take days to reach the recipient. By comparison, emails are much superior in
terms of speed, taking only seconds to be sent. What’s more, email writing can make use of
computing tools to support spotting typing mistakes/ typos, whereas proofreading for
handwriting letters would render them more prone to spelling mistakes resulting from human
errors.
How do you feel when you receive a handwritten letter?
I would be thrilled for sure. In modern society, it is considerably rare to receive a handwritten
letter. Such letters implicitly illustrate the attentiveness of the writer, as instead of typing an
effortless email, the sender has gone through the trouble of painstakingly writing up a letter.
Furthermore, letters always give receivers the sense of sincerity since they deliver goodwill of
the writers. I think that people should write letters to their loved ones more often, as I bet they
will extremely happy when receiving such precious gifts.

TRANSPORTATION 1. what is the most popular means of transportation in your city? do you prefer
public or private vehicles? why do so many people in Vietnam ride motorbikes? 3130 how do you think
transportation in Vietnam should be improved?

What form of transport do you prefer to use? Why?

I prefer to travel by car because it means that I have my own space. Also, the buses and trains
in my city are usually overcrowded; my car is much more comfortable.
Do you ever have problems with transport?
Yes, as I said, I get stuck in traffic on my way to and from work. I used to get annoyed by traffic
jams(=traffic congestion), but now I'm used to them.
What types of transport are there in your town?
In Manchester I think you can find every form of transport apart from an underground system.
You can drive around the city by car or get on a bus; there are even free buses that take people
between the train stations. Manchester also has a tram system, and of course there are taxis
too.
What is the most popular mode of transportation in your country?
So, as is evident from the moment you set foot in Hanoi, here the motorbike reigns
supreme(=predominate). I mean, motorbikes are ubiquitous (=omnipresent, prevelant) – you
can expect to see them at every turn. And it makes a lot of sense= for good reason; it’s very
economical= affordable compared to owning and maintaining a car; and it’s also very
compact(><cumbersome, bulky). The latter(>< former) makes it ideal to get around on the
streets of Vietnam, which are typically very narrow, and requires you to do a fair bit of
maneuvering (điều khiển)
Is it expensive to travel in Vietnam?
As a matter of fact, no. I think it is actually quite affordable to get around in Vietnam. Buses run
frequently, and they’re dirt cheap (rẻ bèo>< steep, criminally expensive, prohibitive,
exorbitant). You can also take the cab or use ride-hailing applications. (app gọi xe) The
latter(vs. former) has become super popular in the country because companies hand out a lot
of promo codes( giá khuyến mại), and sometimes you can book a ride that costs next to
nothing.
How could the transportation system be improved in your country?
Well, I think the first step to improvement would be to widen the roads and build
overpasses( cầu vượt) and underpasses( đường hầm) to help traffic flow more freely which
would reduce the congestion in the city center. Also, it would help if the bus service was
improved to make it run more frequently which would help with the overcrowding in rush
hour. I think those are the two main changes that need to happen.

PHOTO/PICTURE

Why do people take photos?

-The chief reason, off the top of my head, is because most people want to capture the fond
memories they shared with their families and friends, so that they can revisit these happy and
memorable time down the line. Another common reason I can think of for people nowadays to
post pictures on social media sites is to flaunt their lifestyle. Sadly, it seems like these people
are too preoccupied with/ are obsessed with likes and shares.
-(Direct answer) I think the main reason why people take photos of themselves and their
friends and family is to collect memories. (Explain) What I mean is that photos are like
souvenirs that remind us of special moments in the past; people like looking back over their
lives and seeing what they were doing or how young they looked at a particular
time. (Example) My niece is a good example; she takes 'selfies' whenever she goes somewhere
interesting, and she loves to look through them with her friends.
Well, it may be stating the obvious but people take photos for million reasons. The urge to
fulfill mediorce need is simply inseparable from our life since we were born and fortunately
taking photo brings us this full contentment. With just one click and then capturing every single
fond of memories is just a piece of cake. Besides, people can revisit these meaningful time
down the line. Since taking picture is an entertaining way to refresh people mind, they are
increasingly in the habit of it and It seems to help bringing people together.
Do you like people taking photos of you?
- Sure, having my photo taken is my cup of tea. Some people deeply ashamed of their photo
being taken but I find it an entertaining way to relieve stress and anxiety after studying all day
long. These photos can be reflection of my emotion and they just give me a sign whether I
should cut myself some slack.
-As a child I was always a bit shy when it came to having my photo taken, so I would have said
that I didn't like it. These days, if someone wants to take a photo of me, I don't mind at all.
-No, I prefer not to be in photos. I always feel awkward when someone asks me to smile for the
camera, and I don't think I'm very photogenic/the camera loves me.
 Do you write by hand?
Sure. Actually I’m a sucker for handwritten notes although today people are technophile
generally speaking. I spent most of my time jotting down everything as it helps with
memorization a lot instead of typing the whole thing my lecturer says verbatim. Besides,
although people marginalize this note-taking method, I speak highly of it as a way of marrying
the patience and the feeling of writing by hand

What types of things you usually write by hand.

In my case, I prefer having my diary written by hand as this basically a superb way of both
refreshing my mind and faciliating my taking-note skill. I have been in the habit of doing this
since I was young. Actually some people may view this as time-comsuming. That said, it is how I
nurture my emotion which computers, laptops, ipad or even smartphones can’t bring back.
Do you think it is important to have good handwriting.
Frankly to say although I prefer writing by hand but I must say that having good
handwriting is not necessary that much as tying is the norm today. So it’s alright when you
don’t have neat handwriting, you can use variety of techniques to help you with this so-called
‘pain’, you name it.
What is the most popular means of transportation in ur city?
Frankly to say Vietnamese traffic is completely crazy= chaotic with traffic jams in rush
hours. So I must say motorbike would be the most omnipresent means of transport in my
country. There are lost of rationales for this but mostly because it is economical and it’s easy to
get out of the congestion by motorbike ‘cause the streets in Vietnam is typically narrow.
Do you prefer public or private vehicles
Actually I prefer public transport. Mostly because it is convienent in case you have to walk
around to find parking space. Besides, whenever I feel like underweather, I can just hail a cab or
take a bus to get everywhere. Public transport is also environmentallly- friendly vehicle if it is
mass used. Private vehicles can bring you the feeling of privacy but it can do more harm than
good sometimes
Why do so many people in Vietnam ride motorbikes?
 Well in my view, I think people ride motorbike due to it convienience. it makes a lot of
sense that the motorbike reigns supreme as it helps the traffic flow more freely. Besides, the
streets in Vietnam is quite narrow and traffic jams is prevalent, not least we don’t have
undergound system to solve thís problem so motorbike may be a must-have vehicle if you want
to survive when in Vietnam. Beside, a car may be exorbitant for people to afford one so
motorbike may be a vehicle of choice.