Interviewer (I): First of all, on behalf of Ams Wide Web’s production team, I would like to sincerely thank you for accepting the invitation to our interview today. It is just a few moments away from the International Women’s Day, do you feel excited?

Ms Ngan: Of course! It’s girls, you know.  We have been awaiting “Our day” for long, bursting with excitement: the excitement from all the heart-melting sentences from my family, friends, or students; the excitement of being taken much more care of compared to normal days; also the excitement of being able to send the most loving wishes to all my female students on this occasion. Despite living in the middle of a pandemic, we still have thousands of ways to convey our feelings, right? 

Ms Ngan, dainty besides a bouquet of blooming daisies

I: Being a mother, a wife, and a teacher at the same time, what is more important, career or family, in your opinion?

Ms Ngan: I would probably not be able to choose between the two. It’s a fact that us humans cannot bear living without our family, especially for a woman, with her delicate soul and a vehement desire to be loved. On the other hand, career is also very important as it allows me to affirm my position, to be independent and to cultivate many relationships. Hence, for me, both career and family are to be equally appreciated, but we also have to maintain a balance between the two at different times and in different contexts.

I: 8/3 is an occasion for women’s beauty to be honoured and appreciated. From your viewpoint, what makes a “beautiful” woman?

Ms Ngan: For me, one’s traits and personalities are the most significant since they are the metric for a person to be evaluated, not to mention that such characteristics are eternal, exempted from the effects of time. A beautiful woman should have a beautiful soul, an affable and selfless heart. However, they need to love themselves in the first place, to pay heed to their appearances to be always shining with aplomb.

Ms Ngan - a juvenile and dynamic teacher

I: According to our traditions, “housekeeping-delicacy-discretion-morality” are the four traits to be seen in a woman. Do you think such standards are still relevant nowadays?

Ms Ngan: From my point of view, these personal traits remain crucial these days. In any era, a woman, whether traditional or modern, still needs to abide by the framework “housekeeping-delicacy-discretion-morality” in order to further refine herself, to be loved and appreciated more, and also to “feed the flame” of her family. Moreover, I believe that this framework is likely to be expanded even more these days, given the fact that women, apart from being a figure of family, also play consequential social roles in a modern society. Needless to say, women are also so talented, resilient and tenacious that they are indeed the ones who contribute a lot to societal developments.

Ms Ngan never fails to impress her students with her soothing and cordial smile

I: Do you have any advice for our schoolgirls about becoming a “beautiful” woman?

Ms Ngan: Students from our school are greatly intelligent with the ability to adorn themselves in a proper way. I think that they are beautiful whether it is their appearances or their minds, really. Keep up the good work you are doing. Whilst broadening your knowledge, don’t forget to love, to spread affection, to live a responsible life, to carry on with playing sports for an enviable body, and to never think lightly of your physical appearances. I wish you all a happy and lucky life, be yourself, and remember that your teachers and parents are always by your side.

I: Thank you Ms Ngan for your sharings. I wish you a fulfilled and blissful International Women’s Day!

Celebrating the approaching International Women’s Day 8/3, Ams Wide Web’s production team wishes all female staff and teachers beauty and success. Hope that all our female schoolmates will always be lovely, dainty, and moving towards their dreams in the future!

Journalist: Khong Minh Anh - Literature 2023

Photos: Ms Ngan’s Facebook profile

Translator: Le Trung Kien - English 2023