03 Towns and Cities

Vocabulary:
southeast (adj) huong nam (southern) (northern/eastern/western)
to settled in HCM city (choose permanent home)
every once in a while. (mỗi lần trong một thời gian)
... not like Beijing (not like + Noun)
in recent years (trong những năm gần đây)
rapidly (adv) một cách nhanh chóng.
to recognize it (nhận biết S.T)
There is nothing recognizable of my hometown except the historic area.
at an alarming rate (n) tốt độ báo động
resident (n) cư dân, dân cư
dramatically (adv) dot ngot
Downtown does not look the same
to go through the roof (v) chạm đỉnh, lên đến đỉnh.
The real estate prices went through the roof.
to be under constructions (v) đang xây dựng.
All the road are under constructions.
that are over $500.000 (ở trên mức S.T)
to be the same (v)
to seems familiar (tương tự, giống)
feel completely disconnected from the place.
It isn't home anymore.
a rather bittersweet (vua sung suong lan dau don) feeling if you ask me.
anymore (negative không còn nữa)
a lot of excitement (n)
a lot of hustle and bustle (n) hối hả và nhộn nhịp
That is what I am into.
... the same as most young people
a good sense of community (n)
to blow in (v) thổi vao
The winds from the Gobi desert blow in.
The sky turn a hazy orange.
to fight rush hour traffic on the subway.
to get accustomed to S.T (v) quen với cái gì.
I have gotten accustomed to life in the big city.
It's hard to get bored when you live in a city that never sleeps.
There are less traffic and it's not so crowded to looks so peacefull to me.
peacefull (adj)
I am tired of all the traffic...all crime...all the rushing around like ants.
well-worth (adj)

to grew up (v) in city
ancient (adj) già, cao tuổi.
ancient (n) ông bà, tổ tiên.
cosmopolitan (adj) theo chu nghia the gioi hien dai.
cultural atmosphere (n)
tourist attraction (n)
situated (adj) ở vào tình thế, ở trong hoàn cảnh.
suburb (n) ngoại ô, ngoại thành.
scenery (n) phong cảnh.
population (n) dân số, dân cư.
inhabitant (n) người cư trú.
spectacular (adj) ngoạn mục, kỳ diệu.
historical site (n)
public library (n)
specialty (n) đặc sản, đặc trương.
pace of life (n) bước chân, nhịp đi
lifestyle (n)
living standard (n)
cost of living (n)
sense of community
downtown (n) khu thuong mai
job opportunity (n)
air quality (n) chất lượng, phẩm chất.
architecture (n)
infrastructure (n)
city service
sightseeing (n)
night-life (n)
bustling (adj) voi vang, ban ron.
lively (adj) tran day suc song.
vibrant (adj) soi noi, manh me
dynamic (adj)
well worth a visit
seaside resort (n)
art gallery (n)
concert hall (n)
exhibition center (n)
opera house (n)

1. Whereabouts did you grow up? _ I grew up in Tianjin, a city that is southeast of Beijing. It is closer to the sea than Beijing, and is also a municipal (adj-thuộc đô thị) city like Beijing.

2. Do you still live there? _ No, I haven't lived there for many years, I went to school here in Beijing and have simply settled here (đã định cư) and made it my hometown. I still go back to Tianjin every once in a while. (mỗi lần trong một thời gian).

3. What's the most famous place in your hometown? _ Well, there isn't much places in Tianjin that is famous, not like Beijing, where there are so much famous places, but the TV towner is where most people want to go when they come to Tianjin.

4. How has your hometown changed in recent years? _ I hardly (khó khăn) even recognize it, it has changed so much. Just line most of China, Tianjin is changing rapidly (nhanh chóng) at an alarming rate.
(it's quite amazing, from 1990 to 2006, my state has growm from 666,000 resident to 783,000 people. There is nothing recognizable of my hometown except the historic area.
My hometown has changed dramatically (adv-dot ngot) over the past 20 or so years. Downtown does not look the same and real estate prices went through the roof. All the roads are under constructions and places that were considered the Ghetto when I moved to Miami in 1999 now have homes that are over $500.000.
While much of the place is the same and seems familiar, it does not feel like home. I can drive right by the house that I lived in through Junior High and High School and feel completely disconnected from the place. It isn't home anymore ... a rather bittersweet (vua sung suong lan dau don) feeling if you ask me.)

5. Where do you live now? _ I live in Beijing now. I am happy to be here because the city is really on the move and there is a lot of excitement herer because of the next Olympics.

6. What part of the city do you like best? _ I like the CBD the most because there are a lot of clubs there and also a lot of hustle and bustle (hoi ha va nhon nhip) and that is what I am into. I like to be where the crowds are, the same as most young people.
(The one thing I do like: people here are nice; there is a good sense of community. Also, there is not the traffic problem that you'd find in larger cities.
I love where I live because I have so many friends here, I've lived here all my life, I like the weather, and there are so many fun things to do.)

7. Is there anything you don't like about this city? _ The Springtime when the winds from the Gobi desert blow in and the sky turns a hazy orange, is one thing I don't like about Beijing. Another one of my least favorite things is having to fight rush hour traffic on the subway.

8. Do you want to live in a big city or a small town? _ I just couldn't go back to living a small town. I have gotten accustomed (quen để lam gi) to life in the big city and it would be hard to get me back to those "country roads".
(I like living in a small town within driving distance of a city. That way I can enjoy the craziness of the city for a time and then return to the simplicity of the small town life.
Big city. It's hard to get bored when you live in a city that never sleeps, like NYC, LA, Miami, Rome, Paris. There's much to do.
I really love to live in the small city, because there is less traffic and it's not so crowded. The small city looks so peacefull to me, but I love to visit the big city also, to go shopping, have fun with friends and stay for a couple of day, but not to live there.
I grew up in a small town, and couldn not wait to get out ... now, as an dult, I'd love to go back ... I am tired of all the traffic ... all the crime ... all the rushing around like ants.)