Interviewer: On behalf of the production department from Ams Wide Web, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your joining us in today’s interview. First and foremost, I really wonder, what does Tet mean to you?

Ms Phuong: Greetings, Khanh Chi, thank you for an interview prior to the upcoming Tet season. Perhaps our traditional Tet is always a reunion occasion that everyone looks forward to, particularly for those away from their families like me. It is the time when we joyfully welcome a new year with our kins, and when we all gather together to cherish the memorable memories and experiences that only come once a year. I have left Ha Long province for 12 years in pursuit of my study and work; thus, I’m always longing for Tet to be able to return home to relish the cozy dinners with my families, to chit chat about the past year, and to make our wishes for  blissful, blessed time ahead..

Ms Phuong, looking dazzling in her ‘ao dai’, a traditional costume during Tet

Interviewer: With every new year comes the same Tet, but with every similar Tet comes different memories, especially in the past few years in the presence of Covid. Could you briefly share with us your most memorable memories during this period of time?

Ms Phuong: I think that 2020 Tet will be the one that I will never forget in my life as it was the first “Covid Tet”, and also the year that my second child, Le Quynh Anh, arrived. She came to this world early in the third morning of the new year. Since I had registered to deliver my baby in Hanoi, which later turned out to be delayed by five days, my husband and I welcomed the new year on the edge of our chairs awaiting our daughter. Moreover, the day I checked out from the  hospital coincided with the outbreak of the pandemic, with shortages of face masks, and with people’s rising worries about the virus. Welcoming my little angel amidst such special days, I believed my Tet holiday that year was as unique.

On 27/1, my husband and I returned to Ha Long province to celebrate Quynh Anh’s second birthday. Hence, the past Tet was truly a meaningful reunion occasion when I was allowed to meet my little family again.

Interviewer: What are your wishes for the upcoming year 2022?

Ms Phuong: In 2022, I hope that I will be able to better balance my daily and work schedule, so as to harness my time more efficiently. Besides, I also long for the end of the pandemic so that my family can have more meaningful time together. In this way, we can broaden our horizons to make up for the time when we were glued to our houses without any opportunities to travel.

Ms Tran Anh Phuong with her emotional sharings about this year’s spring festival

Interviewer: On the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year, would you like to send your wishes to other teachers, as well as the students in our school?

Ms Phuong: As the Year of the Tiger is approaching, the widespread vaccination is really a blessing that signals a new year full of luck and charm. I wish all teachers, parents, and students a prosperous and comfortable year! See you all soon!

On the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year, Ams Wide Web would like to wish all our teachers and friends, as well as everyone, a safe and sound Tet holiday with your family members. Hope that your 2022 will be a jovial year full of laughter, and a fruitful one full of achievements in life!

Journalist: Nguyen Tran Khanh Chi - Amser 1923

Photos: Ms Tran Anh Phuong

Translator: Le Trung Kien - English 2023