Tour snapshot

    Travel is all about the street foodthese days, and why not? It's fresh, fast, cheap and a great way to crack intothe local scene. Join this Hanoi tour to source the best street eats frommarkets, food carts, street cafes and otherhard-to-find-but-totally-worth-the-effort secret spots.

    Highlights

    Sample delicious Vietnamese cuisine justlike the locals do — on the street

    Stroll through hidden alleyways andbustling markets of Hanoi's charming old quarter

    Learn more about Hanoi's unique foodculture

    Try local specialties with influencesfrom French and Chinese cuisine

    Take in a spectacular night view of HoanKiem lake from a secret cafe

    Scheduledetails

Duration: 2.5 hours

Meeting point: Sacombank ATM Machine –No. 1 Dong Xuan street (front entrance of Dong Xuan Market, Corner of Dong XuanSt with Cau Dong St)

Starting time: 5. 00 PM

Ending point: Café Pho Co – 11 Hang GaiSt, Hoan Kiem

    If Confucius（孔子）were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.

    While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal.  Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.

    But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.

In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy（哲学）. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy.  Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese.  So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States.

    Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers. 

    So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.

    Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.

    As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.

    Sydney Trains is one of the most economical, reliable and convenient ways to travel throughout Sydney and its surrounds.

    Our network, the NSW Trains Intercity, covers suburban Sydney and extends to the Hunter, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and South Coast regions.

    The network is made up of several colour-coded lines. Trains from different lines can share the same platform, so check display screen and listen to announcements.

    Ticket prices are generally based on the distance traveled. You can visit Transportnsw.Info for details.

    Getting to the City

    In Sydney, if you're near a train station, you're on your way to the city. Every rail line leads directly or indirectly to the City Circle. It's the loop around the central business district of Sydney. Most City stations are underground so look out for the sign on street level.

    Automatic ticket gates

    Large stations have automatic gates for entry to, and exit from, the station. If you have an Opal card or a ticket which has a magnetic stripe (磁条) you must use the automatic gates. You may use the wide gate for wheelchair, pram or luggage access. Station staff will assist you.

    Night Ride buses

    Most trains do not operate between midnight and 4:00 a.m. For your convenience a special Night Ride bus service is available between these hours on most Sydney suburban lines.

    Track work

    In order for the tracks to the maintained, we sometimes have to replace train with buses, particularly at weekends. Please check the track work section for the latest service changes on your line.

    It's rare that you see the words “shyness” and “leader” in the same sentence. After all, the common viewpoint is that those outgoing and sociable guys make great public speakers and excellent networkers and that those shy people are not. A survey conducted by USA Today referred to 65 percent of executives who believed shyness to be a barrier to leadership. Interestingly, the same article stresses that roughly 40 percent of leaders actually are quite shy—they're just better at adapting themselves to situational demands. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Charles Schwab are just a few “innies”.

    Unlike their outgoing counterparts who are more sensitive to rewards and risk-taking, shy people take a cautious approach to chance. Rather than the flashy chit-chat that defines social gathering, shy people listen attentively to what others say and absorb it before they speak. They're not thinking about what to say while the other person is still talking, but rather listening so they can learn what to say. Along the same lines, shy people share a common love of learning. They are intrinsically (内在地) motivated and therefore seek content regardless of achieving an outside standard.

    Being shy can also bring other benefits. Remember being in school and hearing the same kids contribute, until shy little Johnny, who almost never said a word, cut in? Then what happened? Everyone turned around to look with great respect at little Johnny actually talking. This is how shy people made good use of their power of presence: they “own” the moment by speaking calmly and purposefully, which translate to a positive image.

    Shyness is often related to modesty. Not to say that limelight-seekers aren't modest, but shy people tend to have an accurate sense of their abilities and achievements. As a result, they are able to acknowledge mistakes, imperfections, knowledge gaps and limitations.  Since shy people have a lower sensitivity to outside rewards than outgoing ones, they're more comfortable working with little information and sticking to their inner desires. Shy people are also more likely to insist on finding solutions that aren't primarily apparent. Don't believe me? Maybe you'll believe Albert Einstein, who once said, “It's not that I'm so smart, it's that I stay with problems longer.” Obviously, finding certainty where uncertainty is typically popular is a huge plus for any successful person.

    The myth that shy people are less effective leaders than their outgoing fellows is just a misunderstanding. Make wise use of your personality strengths to lead your business no matter what side of the range you fall on.

    Big Messaging Apps Abroad

    While WeChat is China's biggest mobile messaging app, there are many similar apps in other countries that offer similar features.

    WhatsApp (US)

    Users: more than 300 million

    Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry

    Features: Text chat, push-to-talk, file sharing, location sharing

    With more than 300 million active users, WhatsApp is one of We Chat's biggest competitors.

    Developed by two ex-Yahoo employees in 2009, WhatsApp originally focused on text chat, but on Aug. 6 it also started push - to - talk service. It's noted for its accessibility, ease of use and the absence of advertisements. The service is free for the first year, after which $ 0.99 (6. 06 yuan) is charged for a one –year subscription.

    Kakao Talk (South Korea)

    Users: more than 100 million

    Platform: Android, iOS, windows Phone, BlackBerry and Bada (an operate system developed by Samsung)

    Features: Text chat, group chat, push–to–talk, group calls, file sharing

    With more than 100 million users in more than 230 countries, Kakao Talk is a multi - platform (多平台) texting application that allows users to send and receive messages for tree. With Kakao Talk, users can message each other one-on-one or in group chats with unlimited numbers of friends. You can also choose from more than 250 animated emoticons and share them with friends.

    Line (Japan)

    Users: more than 200 million

    Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and PC

    Features: Text chat, group chat, push–to–talk, file sharing, location sharing, gaming, stickers

    Line tops the list of the most downloaded free apps in 52 countries. Apart from text and voice messaging, Line provides its users with more than 250 original stickers and emoticons to buy from its own shop. In the first quarter of 2013 alone, it made $ 17 million just from stickers. The popular app also allows friends to battle each other in the Line games.

    "What kind of rubbish are you?" This question might normally cause anger, but in Shanghai it was brought about weary complaints over the past few months. On July 1st, the city introduced strict rubbish-sorting regulations that are expected to be used as a model for our country. Citizens must divide their waste into four separate categories and put it into specific public bins. They must do so at scheduled times, when monitors are present to ensure that rules are obeyed and to examine the nature of one's rubbish.

    Violators could be hit with fines of up to 200 yuan ($29). For repeat violators, the city can add black marks to their credit records, making it harder for them to obtain hank loans or even buy train tickets.

    Shanghai authorities are responding to obvious environmental problem. It produces 9 million tons of garbage a year. But like other cities in china, it lacks a recycling system. Instead, it has relied on rubbish pickers to pick out whatever can be reused. This has limits. As people get wealthier, fewer of them want to do such dirty work. The waste, meanwhile, just keeps piling up. China produces 80 billion pairs of one-off chopsticks a year.

    Many citizens appear to support the idea of recycling in general but are frustrated by the details. Rubbish must be divided according to whether it is food, recyclable, dry or hazardous(有害的), the distinctions among which can be confusing, though there are apps to help work it out. Some have complained about the rules surrounding food waste. They must put it straight in the required public bin, forcing them to tear open plastic bags and toss(投掷）it by hand, Most annoying are the short periods for throwing trash, typically a couple of hours, morning and evening. Along with the monitors at the bins, this means that people go at around the same time and can keep an eye on what is being thrown out; no one wants to look bad.