Putting aside personal concerns to take care of big Tet
Instead of choosing trips, many workers far from home have decided to stay in the city, taking advantage of the holidays to do seasonal work. For them, this is a golden opportunity to accumulate more for the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam (from Can Tho) - a worker working in Di An ward (Ho Chi Minh City), is an example. With the job of washing dishes for a restaurant, she earns 400,000 VND/day. According to the female worker, this is a valuable amount of money to cover additional expenses for gifts and gasoline when returning home to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ven (from Ca Mau) - a garment worker at Tra Noc Industrial Park (Can Tho City) - has registered to work as a seasonal parking security guard for a fashion store in the center of Can Tho City.
Mr. Ven confided: "The wages of garment workers are just enough to cover rent and send back a little to my hometown, so I don't dare to go out for lucky offerings. Working as a Tet security guard, although I have to stand outside in the hot sun and on duty for 12 hours, in return the shop owner pays a higher salary than usual, and also has extra allowances. Each day I can earn 350,000 - 400,000 VND".
Warm family meals, on-site tourism
From another perspective, many workers in the Mekong Delta choose to rest at home. This is a way for them to both save costs and have valuable time with their children after a long year of hard work.
Male worker Nguyen Minh Thuan (Tra Noc Industrial Park, Can Tho City), chose to gather with his family to cook at home. “Although simple, the meal that all family members cook and enjoy together makes me happy. Because every year, almost during holidays, the family can have enough to eat together like this”.
To change the atmosphere, Mr. Thuan also uses extra days off to take his family to visit tourist attractions right in the city. According to Mr. Thuan, traveling near home and during the day helps his family have new experiences, regenerate positive energy and the cost is very reasonable.
Sharing this choice, Ms. Le Thi Chua (worker in Tan Phu Thanh Industrial Park, Can Tho City) spent Tet holiday to live with her children. For Ms. Chua, working hard all year, the joy of Tet is simply being around her children, putting aside the worries of machinery and factory.
Resting at home both helps restore health, avoids crowded and expensive scenes at tourist destinations, and saves money for shopping for children next Tet," Ms. Chua confided.
Whether it's working extra or resting, the common point of workers in the Mekong Delta is proactiveness and fundamental calculation. In the context of a still difficult economy, choosing a suitable form of Tet holiday not only helps them ensure finances but is also a spiritual medicine to prepare for a new year of hard work.
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
