Dear brothers and sisters,

I usually tip people who provide me services. Drivers, waiters, electric and water repair people… However, I cannot tip the restaurant owner because s/he may see that as an insult to him/her.

I usually tip 10-20%. It’s not only when I have money, but also when I have very little money, I still tip.

Tipping is a very easy and simple way to say “thank you”, and the person you tip is always happy.

Share with you.

Have a nice day.

Phạm Thu Hương

Dear brothers and sisters,

Once in District 12, I saw a restaurant in Chợ Đường selling bánh canh cá lóc (snakehead fish noodle), eating along with bitter herb (rau đắng). Because I had never eaten this dish, I went in to try it. They cooked very well, I liked it very much.

It was around 2pm, not rush hour, but the restaurant was still crowded. Among them was a guy about 35 years old, he ate the biggest bowl. In addition, he added into his bowl 5 raw eggs. An average person could not finish a big-sized bowl here, but this guy got the big bowl plus five eggs. Imagine that! He scared me.

A funny story along the way, sharing with you.

Have a nice day.

Phạm Thu Hương

Dear brothers and sisters,

On Thanksgiving 2020, I invited my friends and neighbors to enjoy a party. Among the guests was a woman selling coconut juice at the street where I lived.

She was about 40 years old, no marriage, no children, and usually wore her long hair down to her shoulders. Her store was a sidewalk cart, without a name. Old tables and chairs, people no longer used them, she picked them up to use. Continue reading Ms. Bé selling coconut juice →

Dear brothers and sisters,

3 Years ago, one time I saw a nice rock at an ntersection by my house in District 1, so I wanted to bring it home.

The rock was quite heavy. It was 15cm high, 20cm long and 12cm wide. So I asked my friend to help carry it. My friend carried it for a few meters then stopped because it was heavy.

A young man drinking coffee nearby ran over to help me get it. He carried it 5 meters then stopped.

A Grab driver saw this. He loaded the rock on his motorbike, took it to my house, and then carried it up the stairs of the apartment building. I handed the Grab driver some money to say “thank you”, but he refused.

So touching.

Share with you.

Have a nice day.

Phạm Thu Hương

Dear brothers and sisters,

I live in a high-rise apartment complex. Today I got into the elevator on the 1st floor and saw 3 little girls and 1 young woman from the basement. All of them I have never met before.

The elevator is 2 meters long, but they stood very close to the door and the floor number board, so it was a bit cramped. After pressing my floor number, I noticed the youngest girl, about 3. She was wearing a short, flowing dress like a princess, so I said, “Wow, you look so beautiful in a princess dress.” The girl looked at me with her wide eyes and said nothing. Her hands grabbed the iron bar surrounding the elevator, then she swung up and down. I glanced at the woman on my right. She was bowing her head and did something with her phone. Continue reading A few seconds in the elevator →

Dear brothers and sisters,

In Covid pandemic days, I often walked to Turtle Lake. Morning, noon, afternoon and evening, every moment of the day, the place had its own beauty. The place was often quiet during the day, but at night it was more bustling because of the hide-and-seek game. Continue reading Hide-and-seek at Turtle Lake →

Dear brothers and sisters,

There was a 2-year-old little girl, mixed Western and Vietnamese. Her dad was a Western man, tall and big.

That day it was lightly rainy and windy. The dad and daughter were not wearing raincoats. They were walking up the outdoor steps into a building. Continue reading Dad and daughter →

Dear brothers and sisters,

In Danang, I always drank Saigon iced milk coffee every morning. I drank to stay awake and for pleasure. My best friend from middle school and her husband (also my middle school friend) opened a coffee shop and named it Saigon Iced Milk Coffee in Danang. Perhaps almost Danang people like to drink Saigon coffee.  Continue reading Saigon iced milk coffee →

Dear brothers and sisters,

The first time I took a bus in Saigon was 13 years ago.

At that time, I went from Danang to Saigon to study something for a short time. Saigon was hotter than Danang. I stood waiting for a bus and thought that it would be even hotter inside the bus. Because I took bus between Hue and Danang many times when I was a student, I thought Saigon bus was the same, it would be hot. But no, Saigon bus was different, it had air conditioning. Wow, from a hot sidewalk to a cool bus, I really enjoyed it. Bus was cheap, cool and nice. If I were in Saigon then, I would have taken bus often.

Now I’m in Saigon, besides walking, I take bus. I’m happy with riding buses. Riding bus makes me feel like I’m a student.

Share with you.

Have a nice day.

Phạm Thu Hương

Dear brothers and sisters,

I had the opportunity to walk in Saigon in the Covid pandemic days (not when Saigon was on lockdown).

I walked from District 1 to District 3, District 5, District 10, Phu Nhuan District, Tan Binh District and Binh Thanh District. Some days I walked from 7am to 7pm. The streets were deserted with few vehicles and few people. The sidewalks were wide with no motorbikes parked across them. The air was cool and free of dust and noise. The space was so quiet that I could drink coffee in a sidewalk shop on a once-busy street and still heard birds singing.

A very different Saigon – beautiful and poetic.

Share with you.

Have a nice day.

Phạm Thu Hương

Dear brothers and sisters,

One afternoon, I went to a children’s yard. I saw two children sitting next to puddles of water. These puddles were water from people’s watering plants. Each child sat next to a different puddle of water.

The older sister, about 4, was using a leaf as a boat to row on her puddle water, and the younger brother, about 2, was looking down at his puddle. I thought the boy was looking at his face in the water. Then slowly, the boy bent down, his face closer to the water. I still thought the boy bent deeper to see himself better. Then suddenly, the boy used his tongue to lap the puddle water. I was startled, “Oh my god, where are his parents?” Continue reading The boy who drank puddle water →

Dear brothers and sisters,

Every full moon, moonlight floods into my room. I like watching the moon.

Every time I look at the moon, I often remember this story – The moon cannot be stolen. The story is in 101 Zen Stories – Zen Master Nyogen Senzaki compiled, anh Hoành translated and annotated. Continue reading The moon →

Dear brothers and sisters,

In Saigon, I walk a lot. Maybe that’s why I receive many gifts from God. Paper money, coins, glasses, bracelets, ballpoint pens, martial arts sticks, plants… There are many cool things but I can’t bring them home because there won’t be room to store them. Among the gifts from heaven, I laugh the most about the gift brought by birds. Continue reading Gifts from God →