Dear brothers and sisters,

Summer a few years ago I went to Cần Giờ.

I walked there for a bit, about 1 hour. There were no trees there and it was noon. At that time I was quite hungry and tired. I wanted to eat something but I didn’t feel like eating anything. Continue reading Mangoes in Cần Giờ →

Dear brothers and sisters,

I didn’t know her name. She was about 70 years old, thin, small and very agile. She sold household appliances such as water pipes of all sizes. Her shop was in Phú Nhuận district.

I knew her because I often walked across her shop. Every time I saw her sitting on the steps of her shop, I nod (meaning saying hello) and smiled. We knew each other like that. No one said anything to anyone. Sometimes I went into her shop to buy tiny items. Continue reading Saleswoman in Phú Nhuận →

Dear brothers and sisters,

Ms. Thư’s family sold vegetables. In addition, she also sold sugarcane juice, coconut juice and cơm bình dân. She was 35 years old and the main seller. Her dad, her mom, sometimes her older sisters and her grandchildren were the side sellers.

I knew her in the Covid time. During that time, shopping at the markets and supermarkets was very difficult. Luckily, there were some people who opened shops right in their houses. Ms. Thư’s family were one of those people. Her house was about 100 meters from my home. Continue reading Ms. Thư’s family – vegetables →

Dear brothers and sisters,

Next door to my home was a famous journalist and his wife. His wife was 60 years old with the gentle face.

The first time we talked to each other, it was in the evening, when I was watering the plants on my balcony and she was watering the plants on her balcony. These two balconies – one high and one low, and they were also a bit far apart. We stood leaning against the railings of each home to talk. We talked for an hour. Cool wind, and the moon above our heads was bright. Continue reading Neighbourhood →

Dear brothers and sisters,

An An is the cute daughter of my friend. One time in early 2022, 3-year-old An An and I played on the shared balcony of my home and my neighbor’s house, where there were many flower pots.

I had a rosary with a cross around my neck. When I bent down to play with An An, the cross swayed outside my dress, so An An saw. The little girl held the cross with her tiny fingers, looked intently and said nothing. Continue reading An An →

Dear brothers and sisters,

Around my home in District 1, there were many beautiful streets. I loved every street corner and every tree there, including a small street near my home. The road was short, 20m long. One end of the street had 3 areca trees. Every time I went on the street, I always felt romantic and remembered the song:

“…Areca flowers fall white in my yard
The fragrance of areca flower lingers around the betel garden…” Continue reading Ms. Nết – areca trees →