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There's an extensive collection of artefacts tracing Viet Nam's history. They're arranged
chronologically from primitive life to modern times. It's also near Hoan Kiem Lake and
the Old Quater, so you can spend time looking round and exploring Vietnamese culture.
Nam: I'm fascinated by traditional handicraft. At weekends, I usually go to Bat Trang, a
pottery village not far from Ha Noi centre. My friend's relatives live there and they own a
workshop. Every time I go there, they teach me how to make things such as pots, vases,
or bowls. I'm learning to paint on ceramics now.
Hoa: Ha Noi Botanical Garden is the place I like. There are lots of trees from different
countries, a lake, and a small hill. I usually climb up the hill and read books at the top
because there's a large lawn. After that I go down and feed the pigeons. Sometimes I just
sit on the bench, watching people dancing or playing sports. It's a nice place for those
who love nature and quietness.
Audio script:
Suzanne lives in Bangkok with her husband and two children. Her office is seven km
away but it takes her two hours to get there by car every day.
“Some cities have problems with pollution, crime, or bad weather - here we have traffic
jams,” she says. Before going to the office, she has to take her children to school - so she
sets off at 5 a.m. The children sleep until they arrive at school. Then Suzanne begins her
journey to the office
In the evening the traffic is even worse. Traffic moves in the city centre at half a
kilometre an hour. In rainy weather it doesn't move at all.
But why is it so bad? In the past, more people moved around Bangkok by boat. Now so
many people have a car, and there aren't enough roads in the city. The Skytrain and metro
can help a bit, but they are limited in range and don't cover all parts of the city.