Cá Kho tộ - (For 10 people)

Cá kho tộ is one of the most delicious food in Vietnamese cuisine. It is braised in a thick, mahogany-colored sauce containing caramelized sugar and fish sauce. It tastes mildly salty-sweet. It is the best use if being served with steamed white rice. As follows, I’ll show the easy way to cook this wonderful food. However, It is not too hard if you follow my directions: 

 

Ingredient

1 kg fish (one of these kind of fish: Serranidae, snake-head fish, Barramundi, Climbing gourami, …)

10 bottom of scallion: 10

1 teaspoon of salt

3 chili peppers

150 grams sugar

200 ml water

1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate

1 teaspoon of pepper

150 ml fish sauce

3 spoons of cooking oil

 

START TO DO

Step 1: Slice fish about 3-4cm

Step 2: Marinate fish with spice:

·        Flatter the bottoms of the scallion, then chop them.  

·        Adding them with salt and whole chili peppers into the fish.

Step 3: Making the sauce:

·        Mix and stir sugar cooking oil, water in the pot (clayey pot),

·        Start to cook and go on to stir until it like to be thick, add fish sauce, stir again.

·        Turn off the stove, add and mix the marinated fish into the pot.

·        When the fish absorbed the sauce, turn on the stove.

·        When the fish is cooked, add the monosodium glutamate then turn off the stove.

·        In the end, add pepper

Good appetite

COME TO LIFE AGAIN

Have you ever died? A crazy question, right? But I did. It happened when I was a little girl. D, mom, my sisters, my brother and me lived in a small family restaurant which is near the beach. My mom was chef, D. managed it. He never went out to anywhere except for our class’s meeting. He just stayed at home, taught us about life, how to study in school, how to treat to friends. He always said smooth things to us instead of scolding us like the way mom usually does. Sometimes, D. and mom had some arguments. We didn’t know why but he comforted us by showing that he could suffer mom’s anger and solve the problems. He was smart, nimble. I used to love and be proud of him vey much, he used to be my hero, my motive to live with so many big dream.

When I was sixteen, D. started to invest in real estate. My family soon became well-known. He bought cars and taught me how to drive. He gave me the life of a princess, I was different from any girl in my city. I was popular. Everyone said that my family is not only rich but also happy.

Some days, he went out a lot. Some nights, he didn’t come home. We didn’t talk anymore. I sometimes saw my mom crying alone in her room. My sisters and I knew that something was wrong but she hadn’t told us until she couldn’t suffer anymore. That time, the time I found out the truth about my real life, the real life I just lived, it was not real, it was a deceitfulness that D. make for us, that D. show off to society. The officers and scoundrels were control by his money and authority.

I don’t want to remind myself everything about what he did because it will make me furious and want to smash something. Although we let he go, we let he do whatever he want but he couldn’t stopping annoy our life. After we knew the truth about him, after we didn’t join with him going on to act this play for the society, he was very angry with us. He did everything which could maltreat our emotions. Our life became more difficult. The burden family, the pressure from the influence of D’s power usually make mom and us tired. Every night, I couldn’t sleep because of the afraid of what would he do with us, tomorrow? Mom usually was in stress and scolded us so the family atmosphere become stressed, too. So I really hate that, I just want to die because of the hurt of feelings D did to us. D was to be my life, the motive for me to continue the life, but he disappointed me. I had cried a lot but I just passed over this disappointment why don’t he let us live a normal life. I asked a question what he need from us. That time accurately is the hell and D is the devil of our life.

***

My mom try to talk to me, she was trying to help me pass over this time but I said nothing to her so she was very angry with me. I entered my room, locked the door, took my piggy bank. I thought it’s enough for me to survive on two months. I left home through my window. I took a bus to Ho Chi Minh city – a big and busy city which is near my hometown. This was night, I walked walked and didn’t know where I was going to, I didn’t know anything around me, I heard people talking, the cars’ horns,… My head just was spinning around. I just thought about D., there were so many questions: why he was this kind of person? what he was thinking? what he need from us? if he want to damage someone why not only me, why does he hurt my mom. So many questions without any answers. It really made me feel crazy. I wanted to do something but I didn’t have enough courage. Suddenly, a bright light shined into my eyes.

***

I didn’t know where the light came from but it really changed my mind. It gave me more courage than ever. I took a taxi to come back my hometown, I came to his home. When I saw him, I immediately drew out the knight from my jacket and stabbed D. I was laughing while I was crying with the happiness. I was doing something to rescue my mom and my sisters from the devil before I die. Then I stabbed myself.

***

It’s too dark, I hears the voice of someone. Where am I? Is it the hell? I try to open my eyes. I see my mom, my brother and two sisters. Their faces look so happy. I feel pain in the whole body so I can’t talk. I’m thinking about D. Where is he? Did I kill him? Was it a dream? However, I can’t think about him. It’s hurts too much. I still have mom and siblings. I still feel their love and I love them. I’m more lucky than a lot of people so I have to make my life has more meaning than it did. I won’t let anyone who are not worthy to influence my life anymore because I don’t want to leave this life again.

AN INTERVIEW

Cindy Thai Tai is the first person in Vietnam who speaks up protecting the authority of “transgender people”. She is a make-up artist for professional artist, giving a hand in the successful of many models, misses on many beauty contests. After the surgery, this is exactly what she yearned for, she could stand in stage and sing for her fans with her real appearance of a women. Then, she became a professional singer and had a number of albums. Confidence about her beauty, her voice, the happiness with her heart-to-heart man and a little adopted son, the homogeneous voice talked to us: “I’m a lucky woman.”

To day, we’ll have an interview with this special women.

JOURNALIST: Good morning, Ms Cindy. I'm S.O, the journalist of newspaper S.T. Who will be interviewing you. Would you like to come with me?
CINDY THAI TAI: Yes, for sure!JOURNALIST: When did you find out that you are a women in the man body?

CINDY THAI TAI: I want to change the boy body when I was very young, but I didn’t know where I can do it, how does it do, and especially by that time, I have to hide everyone. Until Viet Nam had an open economy, it wasn’t hard to go abroad anymore, I decided to find myself. At that time, a lot of friends who live overseas advised me to go to Thailand.

JOURNALIST: How did you prepare your psychology before starting the surgery?

CINDY THAI TAI: Quite frankly, having an operation, everyone feel afraid of the death than the fear of pain. But the motive for being myself forced my hand. I didn’t want to cover myself over by masks and clothes of others when I go out, I didn’t want to confine the people inside me in "prison" anymore. So I did that. Now I’m very happy, I always look at myself every morning when I wake up.

JOURNALIST: Can you tell us about your journey “to find yourself”?

CINDY THAI TAI: I spent two years for only the hormonal therapy. Then I changed the face 3-4 times. During the surgery, I was anesthetic. When I woke up, I felt tired and uncomfortable. I had to use the analgesic for few times. After 7 days (after removing the tape) I lost 14 pounds in weight. After 6 months, I recovered and 1 year later it was satisfied. Of course, women can not be as healthy as men but we’re stronger in spirit. Now, there is no any side effects. As I know, I can just spent $2,000 and $3,000, but “You get what you pay for." I am able to pay for the best service, I chose the best place to get best results. The total cost is more than $ 30,000.

JOURNALIST: You want to write a novel, right? So, What is it exactly about?

CINDY THAI TAI: I want to write a memoir. I want to speak of the poor fate which is suffering the prejudice and malice from the society. The process of making a publication means to be human so it requires time and a real factor. It is not only representing for a sex or best-seller book.

JOURNALIST:  When writing autobiography, many people are often inclined to embroider the fact to get sympathy from the reader. How about you?

CINDY THAI TAI: This is a book, not a picture. I don’t intend to draw or paint on this cultural publication which requires the honesty. Telling the truth about me should be seen to be a natural demand rather than an action that requires the courage.

JOURNALIST: What’s the most terrible public opinion about yourself that you have heard?

CINDY THAI TAI: With the changing of environment, creatures have to evolve to survive or they will die. And so do I. I have a special fate and suffered so many pressures. Luckily, I had equipped myself for firm bravery. Had I been a feeble women, there wouldn’t have been any Cindy Thai Tai. By this time, The worst opinion I've heard which just is something I had experienced. So, it is no longer the worst thing anymore.

JOURNALIST: What do you think about the comment that “Cindy Thai Tai can stay in singing career for the long time because of the audiences’ curiosity about a transgendered lead singer”?

CINDY THAI TAI: So many audiences came to listen to my concert with a great curiosity. But staying and continuing to hear my singing for two years can exist for so long time.

JOURNALIST: There are many recommendations that people who have the cosmetic surgery will loss of life. Are you scared to death?

CINDY THAI TAI: I also asked the doctor about this. And he replied that he had never seen his patients being like that if they live healthy, eat properly, do the exercise moderately. But if my duration of life was reduced 10 years or also 20 years, I willingly accepted. Be cause I‘d rather die for doing that than live over 200 years without being myself.

JOURNALIST:  What do you think about the idea that the man really does not dare to fall in love with transgender people, and of course gays or lesbians do?

CINDY THAI TAI: I've never loved the people who are the same sex as me because I am not lesbian. I am a true woman, except this body. It's maybe God's joke. So, if I want to return to be myself, I must use my virtue. There was a man who really loved me. At first we get in with each other uneasily. He saw a woman inside me. After sex change operation, we still lived together for two years then we went our separate ways. We can’t have any marriage certificates, I can not bring him a baby. He can overcome social opinion, but I don’t want separate him from family. By now, it's the best beautiful love and that is the man I loved very much. Everyone always have their love. I often love and be loved, so I always feel happy.

JOURNALIST: So, Is there anyone get acquainted with you because of your money and generosity?

CINDY THAI TAI: There have been someone, and they were also soon "hit the road." Although I’m not very rich but I don’t accept to be a goods or someone else's ATM. I believe that love must be a voluntary and fairness.

JOURNALIST: You have said that you are more than a woman, what does this mean?

CINDY THAI TAI: I didn’t say that, it was commented by my darling - a real man. I just know that I’m very sensitive.

JOURNALIST: Who is the man that has brought the happiest moments or the most vulnerable in love for you?

CINDY THAI TAI: Because of respecting for the man in my life, I absolutely have no intention to compare anyone with each other. For me, every love has always been a perfect love song.

JOURNALIST: Beside the job, how do you take care your family?

CINDY THAI TAI: I'm not married, whether he’s just a reasonable man as intimates. One of the required skills of an artiste is be able to keep the balance between career and family. It was very fortunate for me that I had the sympathetic supporting of relatives and a little son who usually slap in his mother’s face, sometimes it quite... strong.

JOURNALIST: When your child reaches the school age, he will have to face that a lot of friends will tease him about having a transgendered mother. Do you prepare your child psychologically for this thing?

CINDY THAI TAI: I love my son with all of my heart. Everything I do, I do it for him, I believe that he’ll feel like this and proud of his mother. Love and pride that is the prep for life that I have given him to protect himself against all public opinion. Recreational provoking or injury a child is to be considered like the crime of childish. 
JOURNALIST: Thank you so much, Ms. Cindy!

Sex reassignment therapy.

Sex reassignment therapy has been a trend of development in the world, especially in Thailand. The purpose of sex change operation is serving the requirement of transgender. These requirements are satisfying their lust for power. Decide having a surgery is the most important and venturesome conflict. Because they have face to face with many difficulties before, during and after transgender surgery. The major surgery is a bold decision, a turning point in their life. Transgender who want to do that have to think about it carefully, and prepare their psychology because once the surgery started, everything can’t be changed.

What is the Sex reassignment therapy?

Before starting the first surgery, transgender people will be given the psychometric test by the doctors. In order to see that if they can stand the public opinion or not, the doctors will ask them to act and wear like the sex they want to be.

The first surgery is changing the shape inside of the body. In this surgery, the doctors remove the sex organs such as the testicles, penis, scrotum... or ovaries, breasts…, implant prosthetic vagina, breast... Since this time, they will become a new person with their complete changed appearance and lost some body-parts which are sex characteristic gene. Thus, there is no organ to produce semen quality and reproductive hormones so they have to be supplied the hormone every month. So, the “patient” has to have enough money to pay for that.

After this surgery, “patient” will have some other minor surgeries to complete the appearance which is typical of sex they like, such as implanting the whiskers, lifting the nose, padding the chin, fixing the eyelashes, eyebrows… In the first year, they wouldn’t look like a male or female. The "patients" have to spend at least three or four years for having a new complete body that they satisfy.

Why do they have to use the hormone? There are two purposes: first, it uses for maintaining the necessary amount of hormones of the body which were cut away. Hormonal supplementation is helping the body adapted to a new life and against the dilution of phenomenon bone, premature aging.... Second, hormonal medicine is also use for maintaining good – looking appearance for good looks. Estrogen and progesterone help them to have soft skin, long silk hair and shiny... and Testosterone helps a hand for visibly of the muscle, growing beard and mustache... If they don’t use it, their body will become very ugly and they won’t look like anyone.

What are difficulties of the people who want to have the Sex reassignment therapy?

Facing with the challenge that surgery is just only changing their appearance. If they want to be as graceful as women or as muscle as man, they must take the Endocrine regularly and continuously throughout their lives. Furthermore, they have to accept the side effects of these drugs and also its main effects such as the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease... The surgery can not bring them a natural genital physiological activity. So that, they have to accept that they will never have any child. In summary, satisfying personal interest that is changing to another sex, transgender have to face with many hardships and challenges, to be affected by the side effects of hormonal drugs and also the money for the expensive surgeries.

Sex reassignment therapy is a difficult thing to do. But why did they choose to do that?

In my country, there is no law banning homosexuality, they also tell us not to discriminate the transgender and treat the transgender equally. But in Marriage and Family Law, they ban the marriage between transgender. This shows that the government is hypocritical. This negative attitude of the government creates suffering for transgender people. They are laughed at and criticised by public.

They are people. They have the right to choose to become their own man. I think it's brave because they can admit themselves, against public opinion. They can face to face with the destiny, and are willing to die for being themselves. Their lives changed a lot after the day they make their desire come true. After setting up the miracle of their fate, these women come back to live in normal society and they hope that they will be treated normally. But, will they?

Gay

THE DOLLS’ FAREWELL

 When I was looking for some short story in the internet, I recognized a familiar name of one which I had studied in grade seven. I read it and was impressed again. I cried when I thought if I was the main character in this story. That’s why I will tell you this story which I called DOLLS’ FAREWELL. It names Cuộc chia tay của những con búp bê and was composed by a Vietnamese famous writer – Khanh Hoai.

Thanh and Thuy are good brother and sister. Their affection are so naive, their soul are so pure and sensitive. Because of their parents' divorce so they had to live far away from each other. The day before Thuy left, they shared their toys, Thanh gave all his toys for the younger sister. Thuy was afraid that her brother will have the nightmare so she gave him guardance doll and she kept the princess doll. Then, they came to Thuy’s school to say good-bye to her teacher and friends before leaving. Thuy’s teacher gave her a book and some lovely pencil but she didn’t dare to take them because her mother had planed for her to work instead of continueing her studying. During the farewell, Thuy had a second thought, she gave her brother her princess doll and told him: “Don’t let our dolly be far away like us, ok?”

Children are easy to be hurt, they have no fault. The fault was their parents'. They did injured their children and this sorrow never can be healed. I know that I am still lucky because I have mother, sisters and brother to love and be loved. I believed that family love has helped me in my life. I will love and protect them forever.

THE DAY I FOUND OUT THAT MY MOM’S ALWAYS RIGHT

Last Tuesday was a terrible but also interesting day in my life. That afternoon, I came residence early because I had short period. I called my mom because I missed her, but I was scolded by her because I hadn’t gone to the optometrist. She said that she was afraid my eyesight would influence to my life and studying. She also enjoined me not to go anywhere alone. I felt annoyed and decided going shopping. I took a city bus to “Artist Material” on King Street. I had been in this country for two weeks. I only knew the way from school to residence. So going to an other place by city bus without anyone is the big challenge, but I think it was very interesting. Still, I want to try so that I could become better acquainted with Hamilton.

After shopping make me feel better, a new problem appeared. I didn’t know how I could came back to the residence on this one – way street. I tried taking one bus. When it stopped at one bus-stop, I felt that I could take other bus on the other side of the street to the residence so I got out of the bus and crossed to this side. I was waiting for few minutes and didn’t see any bus, I felt dispirited and thought that I was wrong. Suddenly, I saw a bus approaching on the other side so I hurried crossing the road to catch up this bus. I didn’t see the traffic light because the sunlight was shining in my eyes, I thought I could go, but when I was in the road, I heard the cars’ horns, people shouting and many cars driving towards me. I was very scared and went on running. When I had got to the sidewalk, they were still shouting and I found that there was no bus, I mistaken a truck for a bus. I sat in the chair without knowing if I should take this bus or not because I didn’t know where it would arrive. Luckily, I saw a boy who wore my school’s uniform. I asked him to help me get to school. Finally I returned to residence safely. 
After that I learn a lesson: “first rule: mom always be right. Second rule: if mom’s wrong, reconsider first rule.”  I will never fell annoyed when my mom’s talking to me.