W.Minh Tuan
I went to Noi Bai airport to board the plane back to Japan.
(Now, I open this website https://daivietnam.com, with my articles being very constructive, but also very frank, like when I was working at Dai Doan Ket newspaper more than 20 years ago-but I don’t know if because of this website, the next time I return to Vietnam, there will be any problems. But I’m sure it will be fine.
And if there is a problem, it won’t be a problem.)
The young staff of Vietnam Airlines-Vietnam Airline-checked in for me. She looked very cute, fair-skinned, wearing a blue ao dai, with a fresh face, red lips, rosy cheeks, not looking like she used a lot of makeup, but had a natural beauty.
While the girl was busy chec me in, I suddenly asked her:
-Have you ever been to Japan?
The girl looked up at me and smiled:
-No, not yet. I heard that cherry blossoms are very beautiful, right?
The girl talked to me, it was really joyfull. Because I still thought there would probably be just a nod, a shake of the head, or a few answers, or a few short, curt questions that are still familiar at airports or authorities in Vietnam.
-Yes, cherry blossoms are very beautiful. Cherry blossom season is coming soon, if you go to Japan to see it, it would be great-I replied.
-Yes, yes, I really want to go, but I haven’t had the chance yet-The girl talked to me again, warmly, smilingly, so simple, so naive, but somehow it felt so magical, so beautiful, never seen before in this world in our country Vietnam.
-But you know, the best thing in Japan is not cherry blossoms, not economic development, not Toyota cars, not Sony TVs. What is it, do you know?
The little girl looked up at me in surprise, her face brighter than cherry blossoms, innocently and naturally asking me:
-Yes, what is it?
At that time, behind me, there was a long line of people waiting to check in, both Vietnamese, Japanese, and other foreigners. So I quickly said:
-It is kindness, bowing, bowing politely everywhere, every place, every time.
The little girl looked at me happily, joyfully, and a few other airline staffs standing nearby also looked at me happily, joyfully, and the passengers standing in line near me, who knew Vietnamese, probably heard our conversation, also felt interested, curious, surprised.
The girl gave me back my red Japanese passport, along with the boarding pass, and said:
-You must have been in Japan for a long time, right?
-Yes, quite a long time, probably longer than your age.
Saying that, I took the passport, smiled and thanked the girl, and she smiled back at me, then I went to the passport control gate, to enter the waiting room to board the plane, my heart fluttered, touched, forever remembering that girl’s beautiful smile.
I want to return to Vietnam one day, and meet that Vietnam Airlines employee again, to talk to her again, just a few sentences like that, but so beautiful, enough for me to never forget.
At the passport control counter, there were no bright smiles, just the serious, stern, dry faces of the border security staff, like refrigerators. The refrigerator that checked my passport, was quite young, not yet 30 years old, after checking my passport, there was no one behind me, probably free, immediately took out the iPhone, pressed the split button, it was really comfortable, carefree, happy.
When I was already sitting on the plane, waiting for the plane to take off, I recalled the days I spent in Vietnam, there were many happy memories.
On Hue Street, Hanoi, I went into a pa-te sandwich shop, the line was quite long. I did not buy banh mi pa-te to bring home, but sat in the shop waiting to buy, and ate at the shop.
When I took out the wad of money from my pocket, confusedly choosing a bill to pay for the sandwich, the saleswoman looked kind, smiled, and said to me:
– Take that pink bill, not the blue one.
Indeed, I did not know the faces of the Vietnamese currency, because it had been a long time since I had been to Vietnam, and was not used to using Vietnamese money.
I gave the money to the sell woman, she received it, then smiled and said to me:
-You must have just returned to the country?
-Yes, yes, I just returned last night. Why are you so smart, how did you know I just returned to the country? -I happily asked her.
-Yes, seeing you confused, I know you are not used to using Vietnamese money. Sometimes there are customers who come here like you.
I felt warm inside, like talking to my family. The bread of the shop is very delicious, the bread crust is hot, crispy, the liver pate flavor is rich, there are a few slices of cucumber, lettuce, and a little bit of spiciness, salt and pepper, very delicious.
I left the shop, greeted the kind-hearted saleswoman:
-Hello, bye.
-Yes, hello, bye- she smiled and greeted me again.
I left the shop, feeling that “a smile is cheaper than electricity, and gives more light than electricity“, just like a funny story from England that I read.
The funny story about England that I read is as follows:
“The famous French writer named André Maurois visited England, at the invitation of the English writer, named A. Crodin, who is also very famous.
The French writer Maurois after visited the homeland of the British writer Crodin, the Ecossais, and told Mr. Crodin the following:
-Your fellow Ecossais are so hospitable, always smiling brightly to welcome guests, it’s wonderful.
The British writer Crodin has a great sense of humor, just like the British people – we know that England has many famous comedic filmmakers, such as the comedian Charle Chaplin, and today Mr. Bean – so he answered the French writer as follows:
– Oh, yes, because we British people understand that a smile is cheaper than electricity, and gives more light than electricity”.
That’s right, I remember the gentle, kind smile of that pate sandwich seller, I feel like the whole of Hanoi is lit up, warm, joyful, happy.
And also a sandwich shop, but a different one, near Thong Nhat Park, Hanoi, the saleswoman is very young, only about 20 years old. I passed by there, saw a few people lining up, I also lined up, I wanted to try it. When it was my turn, suddenly a motorbike came, the young man driving the motorbike put down the kickstand, and stood right in front of me.
The salesgirl said to him calmly:
-You come later, wait behind. Yes, please sir- the girl smiled and said to me.
I was a bit confused by that situation, then I said to the young man, and to the young salesgirl:
-Oh, if you are in a hurry, please buy first, I can wait.
But the other guy was also a person with integrity, knowing shame, so he stood silently behind me, waiting for me to buy first.
I bought a meatball sandwich with roasted pork and cucumber from the girl, then sat down on the counter chair, ate the sandwich, it was quite delicious, although not as delicious as the sandwich from the other woman selling the sandwich.
The other guy bought the sandwich, got in the bike, and left immediately.
The girl waited for the other guy to leave, then said to me:
-Yes, you must have just come back from abroad?
-Oh, yes, how did you know? -I asked again.
-Yes, I saw your demeanor, it was different.
We talked happily. The girl said she used to work in Saigon, but then quit, and now she’s in Hanoi, working for this roast meat bread company, just as an employee.
We became close friends, I almost go there every day to buy roast meat sandwiches for breakfast, with my own bag.
She said:
-You foreigners are all ways bring your bags, protect environment. We Vietnamese are still can not do like that yet.
The day I returned to Japan, I stopped by, said hello goodbye to the girl, we seemed very attached.
The girl smiled brightly at me, then said:
– Wish you a happy trip to Japan. Please send my regards to your wife- I told her I married a Japanese woman.
Vietnam will develop further, will be richer, but I think the most valuable thing of Vietnam, the most attractive thing of Vietnamese people is the smiling.
I will always remember the bright smile of the young girl working at Vietnam Airline, I will always remember the kind smile of the lady selling pa-te bread in Hue street, and I will forever miss the youthful smile of the little girl selling meatball sandwiches near Thong Nhat park, those smiles are cheaper than electricity, and give more light than electricity.
And what else?
That’s right, the flowing flap of ao dai is missing.
If only the two women selling bread wore ao dai, simply, ao dai made of linen, silk, brown, white, black, gray, pink, blue, any color, like the female employee of Vietnam Airlines, then Hanoi of a thousand years of culture, would have returned, existing, real, not just a dream anymore.///