Amidst the bustling pace of life in a foreign land, Tet is not only the moment of transition from the old year to the new year, but also the time when homesickness and missing family become clearer and more lingering than ever.
Having worked in Korea for more than 8 years, Ms. Pham Thi Phuong (from Ninh Binh) is almost used to celebrating Tet away from home. During that time, she only returned to Vietnam once to reunite with her family during Tet, and the rest were springs passing by in a foreign land.
During Tet, travel costs are very expensive, and procedures are complicated, so my husband and I have to stay to celebrate Tet to save money," Ms. Phuong shared, her voice soft but she could not hide her sadness.
Currently, Ms. Phuong lives with her husband in Korea, but due to the nature of her work, the two live far apart. Only in the last days of the year do they move into the same room to have a sense of reunion. For her, that short time is as precious as a gift, helping to alleviate some of the loneliness of exile days.
Far from home, and having a late Tet holiday, the Tet preparation of the couple is also simple. No lavish feasts, no bustling relatives, just a few small decorations, a little familiar food to create a spring atmosphere.
On the 28th day of Tet, my husband and I take advantage of going to buy lanterns, strings, and food to wrap cakes and boil chicken for New Year's Eve worship. It's easy to shop here, the quantity is small, so it's done in one day," she recounted.
The moment that moved Ms. Phuong the most was still after the New Year's Eve worship ceremony. The couple called Vietnam, seeing their parents and children through a small screen. Although she had been away for many years and was no longer alone in a foreign land, every time she did so, she could not hold back her tears.
Looking at the whole family fully, my heart is both warm and heartbroken" - she said.
Working as a food processing worker, Ms. Phuong's income if she does not work overtime is more than 40 million VND per month, while full overtime can be up to more than 60 million VND.
Her Tet bonus this year is 6 million VND. After spending about 5 - 7 million VND on living expenses, most of the remaining income she sends back to Vietnam. The Tet bonus money is used by her and her husband to spend in the first days of the year, and the rest is accumulated and invested for the future.
After many years working in a foreign land, Ms. Phuong bought a land, had savings and planned to work for a few more years.
When she has enough capital to build a house, buy more land for her children and complete her own plans, she will return to Vietnam, ending her journey of making a living far from home.
Also carrying a similar longing, Mr. Tran Van Quan - a Vietnamese worker in Japan has celebrated Tet in a foreign land for three consecutive years. For him, Tet is the joy of meeting fellow countrymen, but it is also when homesickness becomes deeper.
“Near Tet, we organize our own meals to reduce loneliness. But when the party ends, everyone has their own feelings, mainly missing family” - he confided.
To preserve the Vietnamese Tet flavor, Mr. Quan and his friends went to Vietnamese stores to buy banh chung, gio xao, and pickled onions. After New Year's Eve, they invited each other to areas with a large Vietnamese population, meet, chat, and participate in community activities to feel warmer in the spring away from home.
Tet in a foreign land, for many Vietnamese workers, does not have enough material things like their homeland, but it contains very real emotions.
That is the longing, the hope, and the motivation for them to continue trying, hoping for a day to return and celebrate Tet fully with their loved ones.
