Vietnam arrived in the Balkans

Vietnam arrived in the Balkans

Vietnam arrived in the Balkans

Whenever I asked foreigners if they knew something about Vietnam – my beloved home country, the answers they gave me usually concerned the wars, especially the Vietnam War. That moment, I was always overwhelmed by both pride and commiseration over the hardship the Vietnamese had endured through years. Our journey striving for today independence and peace has never been easy.  It was full of tears, blood and profound losses of material, physical and spiritual aspect, which will definitely remain as a crucial part of the nation’s history.

However, there is much more to tell about my thousand-year-old homeland which values the pink lotus as the national flower, symbolizing the purity, serenity, commitment and optimism for the future. It is also the small S-shaped country in South East Asia that holds the leading positions of rice and coffee exporter worldwide, and at the same time is undergoing dynamic changes day by day.

In the presentation about Vietnam, together we explored the country through historical and developmental path. Then, we took a close look at the culture to understand the role of “aodai”-the traditional costume, to learn how the Vietnamese coffee filter worked, how a daily meal would be, and tasted the well-known fresh and healthy Vietnamese spring rolls. Also, we did not forget to see ourselves as backpackers, wandering along the North-South nature trail to discover its scenic beauty of diverse terrains, expecting one  day, we could truly set our foot there. As a guide of this “imaginary tour” to Vietnam, I was so happy and motivated to see the tourists’ eagerness and interests in Vietnam. 

Taking on the internship in the United Societies of Balkans has given me an opportunity to bring the Vietnamese spirit to Thessaloniki city – the lively heart of Balkans. I do not aspire to show a detailed portrait of the country. Instead, I hope to sow the seed of preliminary understanding and curiosity for further discovery of my dear oriental homeland.

 

Thao Nguyen.

 

Hate Fighters, funded by EYF of CoE.

Vietnam arrived in the Balkans
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