环球英语 — 162：Hanoi Star
Voice 1
Hello. I’m Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I’m Rachel Hobson. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
It is 1991. A young girl walks up and down the busy streets of Hanoi City, Vietnam. Her name is Duong Than Binh. Binh is only twelve years old. She should be in school. But her family are too poor to pay for her education. So instead she makes money as a street seller. She buys household goods. These are the small things that people use in the home - things like the soap and shampoo that people use when they wash. Then, she sells these things in the street. She makes a small profit. Binh works hard for many hours each day. It is difficult. But, Binh has dreams. She believes that one day things will change. Life will get better.
Voice 2
Ten years later, Binh stands in the middle of Hanoi Star Hotel. The young woman smiles happily. And she has reason to. She is the proud owner of Hanoi Star Hotel! She has come a long way from selling goods on the streets! So how did she do it? How did she overcome her difficult start in life - and become a successful business owner? Here is her story.
Voice 1
Binh was born in Hung Yen territory in Vietnam. When she was twelve years old, she left her family and her home. She moved to Hanoi City to try and earn money. Here, she bought goods to sell on the street. She made a profit on the things she sold. But, it was not easy in Hanoi City. She said,
Voice 3
‘Hanoi was new and strange to me at first. There were times when I felt worried, depressed and sad. I did not know what to do. I cried for myself. I cried for my mother. And I cried for my family. But I always believed that I should work hard to defeat all the difficulties in life. I told myself to work harder and learn more. Then, in the future I would feel proud of having done something useful. [It would be] for my family and community - although [at the time] it did not seem possible.’
Voice 1
Binh did not give up. And she did not show her inner feelings to her customers. She was always positive, happy and friendly. And so people liked her very much. Binh also worked as a guide for foreign visitors, tourists. She met many kinds of people in her work - Americans, British, Vietnamese and Japanese. She learned from them. They could see that she was a hard working, good person. Then one day some tourists learned about Binh’s situation. They wanted to help. They offered to buy school books for her. So, she was able to study and learn another language. She said,
Voice 3
‘I think these people must have seen how strong minded I was. They wanted to see if I could break free from the hard times - with their support. And I progressed from buying and selling household goods. I began selling postcards, pictures, maps and books.’
Voice 2
Binh worked hard at developing her skills. She found creative ways to do this. One way was asking for work in a restaurant. The owner was Australian. So, this helped her improve her English skills even more. And, it also helped develop her understanding of tourists’ needs. She worked very hard. And in her mind, she believed that one day she would succeed.
Voice 1
When Mr Ohno Kenichi walked into her life, Binh was ready. Mr Ohno Kenichi is an economics professor. He respected Binh’s strong will and energy. So he proposed a business idea. She could part-own a hotel with him! Mr Kenichi invested seventy five percent of the money. And Binh invested twenty five percent. Some people said he took a big risk. But he believed Binh could do it. And, in 2001, Binh opened her own hotel - Hanoi Star! She said,
Voice 3
“At first, it was hard. I was only twenty years old. There were so many different processes to complete. The building I rented for my hotel was empty. So I had to buy everything - blankets, bedding, air-conditioners, televisions - everything. And it was hard to find tourists. And how would I train workers so that they cared about the business as much as I did? It was not easy!”
“But I [still] felt strong. I had years of business experience from the streets.”
Voice 2
Binh cared greatly for the business. And so she worked extremely hard. Her past skills and experience had prepared her well. Mr Kenichi was not disappointed! The hotel was a big success! In fact, in 2003 Binh opened a second ‘Hanoi Star Hotel.’
Voice 1
But success did not - and has not - stopped Binh working hard. She knows that she has to work to keep good quality services. Otherwise, the business will fail. She said,
Voice 3
‘The service industry is a good area for young people to start in business. Foreign visitors to Vietnam like the food, the people and the beauty of the country. But the service is not as good as they expect. Suppose my hotel gets nine out of ten things right. People will remember the tenth thing that goes wrong. Better services can help us make the most of what is already beautiful here. We have many poor young people. But our country can get out of poverty if we work hard and learn hard.
Voice 1
Today, Binh has three hotels. And she has people working for her! She has come a long way from the poor street seller in Hanoi City. The future is very bright for Duong Than Binh. But she always remembers her past:
Voice 3
‘I have never forgotten my past. Without my difficult past I do not think I would have been as successful in life.’
Voice 2
Some people say that Binh was just lucky. After all there are plenty of poor street sellers who work hard. Not many of them will become hotel owners! They say Binh just met the right people at the right time. This is true. But it was Binh who made it be the right time. She made sure she was prepared. It was her strong will that made people believe in her. Without this, Mr Kenichi probably would not have risked his money. Binh’s strong mind and hard work were nothing to do with luck. These qualities come from within a person.
Voice 1
Binh’s story is published in ‘Entrepreneur: The road to success.’ This book tells stories of thirty Vietnamese business people. They have beaten poverty through their hard work and creativity. They show that a difficult start in life does not have to end the same way.
