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The Tet Holiday (Lunar New Year) is officially over in Vietnam
Wow! That incredible nine days of rest and relaxation went pretty fast as most vacations seem to do. However, it was the perfect amount of time to unwind and have some serious fun while discovering new experiences with new people in locations I had not previously visited. Especially gratifying was diving into the realm of my latest and greatest romance with Trinh (Gin), as well as beginning to develop those special relationships that extend and spiral beyond this most intimate of my Vietnam connections via her sweet family who humbly live in the Vung Tau province located approximately 96 kilometers from Saigon or a quick two hour motorbike ride away. I feel blessed to have spent much of that incredible leisure time with my new lady friend and her immediate family (mother and father - Buddhist Monks and two sisters who live in Saigon minus the two brothers who live in their home town of Nha Trang) who selflessly shared in their Tet family traditions and Buddhist ways of living with me while embracing me whole heartedly as part of the family.
Much of this simple and elegant experience with Trinh’s family was not unlike what most families find themselves doing during Tet. Eating, talking, playing and resting are the main activities enjoyed during this special time. Mostly eating and resting. Okay, mostly eating. I would say that eating is definitely the thing that Vietnamese people partake in the most besides drinking coffee and other fun beverages. I became very close friends with a few hammocks strategically placed around the property where I would find myself gently rocking in the morning, afternoon and evening breezes following a delicious vegetarian meal lovingly prepared by either Trinh (Gin), her older sister Dung (Yom) or their mother Tu (To), who spent much of the time riding Trinh to make sure that she took good care of me in every way possible. In return, I found myself doing some light chores like sweeping and tending the fire for the Banh Tet. I do appreciate that this culture celebrates making a man feel good. No longer is there a need for me to seek massages elsewhere. Thai massage 200 baht! That’s my little joke with Trinh.
Tet (Lunar New Year) is the single most important and universally celebrated holiday in Vietnam sending millions of Saigon residents up and down the Vietnam countryside to provinces far and wide to visit family and share in the celebration of starting again with all the specialness that is Tet. From traditional foods like Banh Tet and distributing Lucky Money as a gesture of good tidings and wishes of good health and prosperity in the coming year, to an explosion of yellow flowers abound and women sporting new traditional dresses, Tet is the time when every Vietnamese citizen takes time to enjoy this incredible life we’re given and share in that joy for two weeks. This unique celebration includes the closing of most businesses for at least a week as the Vietnamese are some of the hardest working people on the planet and have the good sense to give themselves a much needed break.
Although the pandemic definitely made an impact on people’s decision to travel from Saigon to neighboring home town provinces, Vung Tau Beach was humming with activity as hundreds of motorbikes cruised up and down the coastline while enjoying picture perfect weather for endless hours of unobstructed fun in the sun. At times, it was hard to tell if businesses were closed for Tet or devastated by this last years wave of economic destruction by Covid. Either way, coffee shops and restaurants that dotted the coastline enjoyed a thriving business as throngs of people eagerly ordered fun things to drink and ate day and night. When it comes to resiliency, the Vietnamese people top the charts and although the pandemic literally destroyed untold lives all around the country, Tet seemed to restore that vibrant, sweet nature that is reflected in every Vietnamese person I’ve met over that past two years. May this Tet holiday be the beginning of Vietnam’s quest for growth and stability in a time of total uncertainty.
Chuc mung nam moi!
Much love,
Mark
