Tấm ảnh cũ Hôm nay, tôi tình cờ bắt gặp một tấm ảnh cũ đã phủ màu thời gian – chụp cùng lớp giáo sinh tiếng Anh của Trường CĐSP Quảng Ngãi, cách đây gần bốn mươi năm. Hồi ấy, tôi là giáo viên chủ nhiệm lớp – gầy nhom nhưng tràn đầy nhiệt huyết. Tấm ảnh như một cánh cửa mở ra … Read More
A VISIT TO GRANNY NAM’S STEAMED JACKFRUIT STALL – A TASTE OF HOMETOWN MEMORIES Four years ago, during a cycling trip to Tam Kỳ in search of the region’s famed mít hông (steamed jackfruit), I stumbled upon Granny Nam’s little stall. I ended up sitting down for a chat with her and her daughters about this humble Quảng-style street snack. The story was so delightful that I later posted a write-up on Facebook and … Read More
Does a Bill of Lading Have to Show Trade Terms like CIF? QUESTION Dear Sir I have one small doubt about Description of Goods in BL. The L/C shows Description of Goods as below. +MEDICAL EQUIPMENTS MODEL: CX200NFJ +AS PER P/I NO. 565221 DATED 15-12-2024 H.S CODE 9004100 +CIF ALEXANDRIA SEAPORT, EGYPT +INCOTERMS 2020 The Liner has come back to us stating that they cannot mention “CIF ALEXANDRIA SEAPORT, EGYPT INCOTERMS 2020” … Read More
HOW TO BUILD A CONSISTENT MORNING CYCLING HABIT By Mr. Old Man Most people work 8 hours a day or more and have very limited free time for cycling—unless they make use of the early mornings before work. To build a consistent morning cycling habit and hit a target of 40–50 km, you’ll likely need to wake up at 4:00 AM and be ready to roll by 4:30. … Read More
Back – to – Back LCs and CAD: Clearing the fog for Traders QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, I hope you are doing well. I seek your insights on two points: Regarding back-to-back Letters of Credit, I’ve understood that banks typically require collateral beyond the master LC itself, as it might not be a sufficient guarantee. However, reputable banks like UOB, DBS, and BCP Bank (Mauritius) state on their websites that the master LC can indeed … Read More
Escaping Tet in Tay Giang — A Slow Ride Through the Mountains, the Cold, and the Unexpected Warmth of Strangers — Rolling into an Empty Town After eight grueling hours in the saddle—climbing slope after slope at a brutal 10–15% grade, crossing mountain after mountain—our ragtag group of cyclists finally rolled into Tay Giang town. We were dreaming of a hot meal, maybe even a … Read More
THE NEVER-ENDING 100 KM This morning, I set out on a cycling trip to Đông Giang with a pretty neat plan: ride all the way to Tư commune, turn back to stop by Trung Man market, grab my usual glass of mixed sweet soup at a familiar stall, then head home. The total would clock in nicely at 100 km, just enough to complete … Read More
Pedaling to Hói Dừa Parish – and a Little Dip in the Wild One fine morning, I saddled up with my cycling comrade Khánh Huỳnh and climbed over Hải Vân Pass. From there, we swooped down into Lăng Cô and made a detour to visit Hói Dừa Parish. Funny enough, I’d biked past this area a bunch of times—looping around Lập An Lagoon, weaving through places called Hói Cạn, Hói Mít, and Hói … Read More
Italy, Drafts, and Stamp Duty: Why Confirming Banks Prefer ‘Available by Payment’ in LCs QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, I have a scenario that I’d appreciate your thoughts on: The issuing bank is located in Singapore. The advising/confirming bank is in Trieste, Italy. In the original LC, Field 31D (Date and Place of Expiry) is: 18 June 2025 – Singapore. Field 41A (Available With… By) is: Available with the confirming bank by NEGOTIATION. The … Read More
Compliance of Multi-Endorsed BL with LC Terms QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, I have a question that needs your help. An LC issued by AGRIBANK requires the bill of lading to be “made out to order of AGRIBANK.” However, the presented bill of lading is made out to the order of BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA, and is endorsed in succession as follows: • BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA … Read More