Tết, the Lunar New Year, is upon us. There is a palpable sense of excitement wafting through the air -- even though this is a new holiday for me, I can't but help getting excited myself. The streets are filled with Tết vendors selling flowers, Tết trees, booze and foodstuffs. From what I can gather, Tết is like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years rolled into one holiday. It's just massive. Check out some great Tết photos and commentary on Jon's blog, "It's the Final Word." Yeah, I'm cheating a little but he's a better writer than I am. Enjoy.
By the way, "Tết" is pronounced like "d/t" + "eh" + "t" sounds. "T" in Vietnamese is pronounced halfway between the "t" and "d" sounds in English. The "ê" is the "eh" sound. The other funny mark above the "e" indicates the upward tone of the word, kind of like the upward tone we use in English to signify a question. I'm starting to get the hang of this Vietnamese stuff, but people still find my speech unintelligible sometimes. I get the blank look accompanied by "Tôi không hieủ. Lâm nói gì?" (I don't understand. Say what?).