#98-Thanh Binh

gửi bởi **Tocxu** » Thứ 7 Tháng 6 07, 2008 8:55 am

Write about your past experience(s) in Quang Binh and how it shaped who you are.

Last night, I had an extraordinary dream. I was on a coastal road and it took me to the place I belong to. It is my beloved Quang Binh homeland that has haunted me like a passion because I got beautiful days with many sweet memories engraving on my mind.

I were a little child again, not only stubborn but also mischievous. Throughout the primary education, I learnt at a much unknown, yet special school. It stood in the middle of a rather large area surrounded with sand hills which were covered with vivid green of poplars. Sometimes we shirked school lying under poplar’s shade, hearing wind blowing gently or playing mimic battle. Do you know Dao Duy Tu Rampart? One day, whilst my friends and I were playing on one of the sand hills, we excavated many strange vestiges by chance. Coming home, the little child asked father and he said that it was Dao Duy Tu Rampart, a famous and historical place. I, however, wondered why such a historical remnant was not carefully preserved. We occasionally found bones buried under sand. Naive children wrapped them up neatly, burnt joss-sticks and buried them again. Until now, I am not sure whether our work was good or not, but my belief is that such childhood experiences have made me grateful to the people who lived and died for the motherland’s sake. Thanks to this, I became fond of discovering the history of Viet Nam and the world as well, which gives me a sense of national pride.

One interesting thing was that my Hai Thanh Primary School very near Nhat Le Beach where my childhood was full of nice memories. Every summer afternoon, we chased each other on the beach or built sand castles dreaming of legend characters in fairy tales. On windy days, many kites were created, which naive wishes were written on then flown into the blue sky. In tune with the whole landscape, the sea glides on, sparkling like a silvery carpet. It was too hard to describe the feeling I had on childish face while listening to the sound of the sea. “… It was the look you have when you find something precious you thought you’d lost, the look you have when someone you’ve been waiting for shows up at last, the look you have when, after a long search, you find cool, sweet water in the desert” – “Water in the desert” written by Sue Leather.
If someone asks me where I belong to, I will answer I belong to the sea. As each moment of every day and every night, whenever sorrow or happiness comes, I do nothing but want to return my coastal hometown, recover a peace of mind and scream loudly with great pleasure. In a word, maybe because I have been bound to so many sacred links with the native-land nature for a long time, in some way in some place inside, in the deepest part of my soul, this will be my first destination which I always long for.

In sweet dream, I also saw myself, a junior pupil, wearing a red scarf and riding a bicycle to school fully of eagerness, which gave me a flash of memory of the time when my father bought “Red Scarf” Newspaper for me. Father is my great idol, who advised me to nonstop improve my knowledge and encouraged me to contribute to some newspapers. Never in my life have I forgotten the feeling of the day I got the first royalty from “Red Scarf” Newspaper. In spite of such low 20000 VND royalty, the feeling of happiness made me sing melodiously all day. Do you know this kind of thing was one of the reasons that brought me to a challenging life and helped me become a more active girl? Enthusiastically, I took part in outdoor activities where optimism and open-heartedness were gained. In addition, my confidence built up let me express my personal ideas among people. An idiom goes: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. Hence, after graduating from secondary school, I adventurously ran a hand-made souvenir business. Many things were learnt from the failure in the first 5-month business of my life. Up to now, supposing that you ask me whether I would do it again if I were a 15-year-old girl, I certainly say “yes” without any hesitation.

Life seems to be a long itinerary, which you have a right to choose your own way. As far as I’m concerned, I choose the way leading me to something I really want to do. Coincidentally, dream took me back to the period of 5 years ago. As a high school student, I was lucky to study at a school where I had many opportunities to develop my lifelong ambition. I screamed happily in silence on the first day we published “New Itinerary” Newspaper – the voice of Quang Binh High School For The Gifted students. At present, I am not major in journalism, but I sometimes write for some magazines. As a result of this, my language and interpersonal skills are improved, which are beneficial things for my future. During high school education, I was more mature owing to these kinds of social activities. What’s more, the love of my family, friends and people surrounding has made me sympathize with the disabled, which urged me to do something for them. As soon as the summer vacation of grade 11 came, I began fulfilling my intention of organizing a rock show to raise money for Quang Binh Victims of Agent Orange. Though at first, many people did not support and even advised me to give it up, I was more determined and was in search of friends whose minds thought alike. Exceeding my expectations, my friends and I organised a show called “Hey U, Rock’’ which raised money for charity. With the success from the first show, the second one was organised a year later at Quang Binh Competition Hall, and the money was raised for Quang Binh Study Promotion Fund. Indeed, these things have had a great significance to me since it was not only for my individual interest but also for the community. As a consequence, I got new friends, new experiences, new challenges, new lessons of teamwork, friendship, patience, event management and so on. More specially, my soul overflowed with wonderful joys up till now I can still feel as if it had just happened yesterday.

During 18 years living in Quang Binh, everything here seemed to press around me and left its mark, deep and eternal, a mark which accompanied me everywhere. Actually, when becoming a student in Ho Chi Minh City, I have not forgotten to remind as a native of Quang Binh. My heart and soul proudly belong to my homeland. Furthermore, the experiences in the past have constituted a great motive for me to make dreams come true. My wish of becoming a public relation officer in aviation never ends. Excitingly, Dong Hoi Airport is going to be near the opening-day and I have had an intention of making marketing plans and setting up the strategies in commercial policy of the civil aviation. I hope my job in future will make for Quang Binh’s development and prosperity. In other words, my place – my Quang Binh where I never forget to tell my friends with my great pride that Quang Binh is my beloved hometown.

To sum up, the strange dream brought back lively memories of 18 unforgettable years in my hometown and impelled me to greater efforts. As a rule, I love my Quang Binh in a simple and sincere meaning. Thinking of it, I myself wrote a poem named “On the way home market-train trip” on my way home 2 years ago to express my feelings:

On the way home market-train trip
A cheap train trip in a life rhythm of rush
Which all and sundry saved money on
Stopped at every train-stop
Giving place to such expensive SE, TN, E
Which oodles of people never reached
The train-whistle was full of tiredness
As a man went on hunger strike 3 days ago,
Chased after a new version Ford car begging for food.

No man nor woman liked such weary smell
Except her who was glad to sit long on such train trips.

She loved the smell of simplicity;
Loved the noise of market trains;
Loved the density of one-by-one
Elbowing others out on peak season;
Loved the hard of wood benches without mattress;
Loved the parched sometimes disgusting odour of ammoniac;
Loved “Banh Loc”* of an old cheap-jack woman;
Loved the coolness of the high winds blowing and beating in train windows;
Loved the punctuality of people rarely rich enough to buy first-class ticket
Loved so many more simple and plain things belong to cheap market trains

Cause’ for her – Love meant Hope…

* A famous dish in middle coast, especially in Quang Binh

I mean that I love the familiarity and the simplicity of Quang Binh, where I was born and grew up, where I was held safe in its arms, where I was nurtured to become a person with a simple longing is to do something better for my still poor homeland. Because for me, love means hope.