Three foreign writers spread Vietnamese language

Joe Ruelle, Marko Nikolic and Jesse Peterson come from faraway lands, but choose to stay close to Vietnam by writing in Vietnamese. For them, Vietnamese is not only a communication tool, but also a creative means to tell, understand and live with Vietnamese culture. Not only telling life stories, they also turn language into a beat that accompanies their culture, people and hearts.

In the late 2000s, blogging became a craze in Vietnamese online life, where people shared, observed and told stories of everyday life. During that time, a Canadian boy, born in 1978 in Vancouver, became a rare phenomenon: Joe Ruelle - Vietnamese people often jokingly call him "Dau Tay". He speaks and writes Vietnamese fluently, humorously, sometimes even "weirder" than native speakers.

After graduating from Acadia University with a degree in theater arts, Joe came to Vietnam in 2004, doing research for UNICEF and taking a Vietnamese language course at the Faculty of Languages, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi). With his natural talent for languages, he started blogging in Vietnamese - from personal writings, quickly attracting the attention of the online community and the press.

Two books "I am Dau" and "Upstream" by Joe Ruelle.

In 2007, Joe published “I am Dau”, a collection of his best blog entries and immediately made it to the bestseller list. In 2012, he released “Ngược tương vún t”, a collection of nearly 70 articles written and published over many years, many of which were edited and perfected by Joe in terms of grammar, reflecting his increasingly sophisticated Vietnamese. Unlike usual collections, the articles are not arranged by time or topic, but by feeling: “A little angry, A little happy, A little regretful, Very curious, Want to express…”, creating a very “Strawberry” style.

Joe's articles are both humorous and sophisticated, expressing a deep insight into the people, landscapes, social relationships and families of Vietnam, especially life in Hanoi . He explains the title "Nguoc chiu vuon vut": "I chose this name for two reasons. The secondary reason is that when some Westerners say goodbye to their homeland to come to Vietnam, it is an unexpected direction so we have to react quickly, trying to keep up the speed without causing a cultural accident. The main reason is that the word 'vung vut' sounds nice."

During his peak years, Joe also appeared on television, hosted shows, participated in entertainment shows and acted in movies, becoming as famous as any singer or actor in Vietnam. Not only famous for his writing, he is also a true technology expert. In early 2020, the Vietnamese technology community realized that the former “Strawberry” now appeared as a Google expert in Asia, headquartered in Singapore. He explained:

“I have been working in the technology field for a long time. For example, the brand name Coc Coc was the name I came up with in 2007, when I was a consultant for that team. I joined Google in 2015, the working environment was great, and later I will return to Vietnam to open a startup; the experience at Google will be very useful for those who want to do business in the technology field.”

Joe Ruelle (center) currently works in the technology industry.

After Joe Ruelle, Jesse Peterson - a Canadian writer who has lived in Vietnam for more than a decade - became another phenomenon. In November 2023, at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, he launched his third book written entirely in Vietnamese: "Tragicomedy - Colors that make up life", a satirical collection of stories nurtured from 2019 to 2022, following two previous works.

Jesse is famous for his satirical social commentary and skits on Tuoi Tre Cuoi and VnExpress, as well as his role as a host of street food shows. Born in Canada, he chose Vietnam as his permanent home because of his love for the people, culture, and passion for experiences. “Today, Vietnam has become one of the warmest destinations in the world,” he said.

Jesse has a humorous approach to life, but behind the laughter are profound insights. He observes and records every small detail in daily life, from sidewalk cafes, Hanoi streets to the activities of young people and workers, to convey a realistic view. Jesse emphasizes: "As long as we can laugh at our own ridiculousness, and then at the unpleasant things in society, we still have the strength to overcome difficult times."

Mr. Jesse Peterson, author of the satirical story collection "Tragicomedy - Colors That Make Up Life".

In more than 500 pages of "Tragicomedy - Colors That Make Up Life", Jesse combines his own experiences, from teaching, writing, translating, performing stand-up comedy, hosting, making documentary films to commercials, to create stories that are both satirical and profound. He believes: "Life will not lack tragedy. Then comedy was born, relieving tragedy for everyone to relax. Tragedy is nothing more than priceless lessons, when we have stepped out of it. If skillfully performed and written, a comedy based on tragedy can become a 'hit', live forever, bringing long-lasting, endless laughter."

Jesse is also interested in serious social issues. In a September 2025 interview, he shared that he is translating The Road to the Future, which deals with the current fight against corruption, a topic he had rarely touched on before.

Jesse currently lives in Ho Chi Minh City and continues to write books and articles entirely in Vietnamese. He is one of the few foreign authors who truly “live with Vietnamese”, turning the language into a subtle tool of expression for diverse experiences, from witty, humorous to life lessons and life skills. According to Jesse, a positive, optimistic attitude, the ability to integrate and a spirit of learning are important factors for young people, especially overseas authors, to develop themselves in a new environment.

More than 300 pages of “Cathedral Street” is not only a story about Hanoi, but also a literary journey and life experience of Marko Nikolic - the first Serbian to write a novel in Vietnamese. Many critics highly appreciate Marko's understanding and rich vocabulary, as he includes many idioms and proverbs, while vividly reflecting local life and culture. Familiar landmarks such as Cathedral Street, coffee shops, and alleys appear realistically, helping Hanoi readers feel close, while also understanding the hustle and bustle and diverse psychology of the foreign community living here.

The novel "Cathedral Street" by Serbian writer Marko Nikolic.

Marko said that he had been to more than 70 countries and learned 10 languages, but only when he came to Vietnam did he find many reasons to stay and live in this country. He explained: “There are many problems everywhere, Vietnam is the same, but I chose to stay because of our compatibility. The S-shaped land is suitable enough in terms of language, culture, and life for me to want to stay. If I moved to another country, I would have to start all over again, which is very tiring.”

In his work, Marko used to teach French in Europe but now teaches English at centers in Vietnam, mainly for children and teenagers. He commented: teaching foreign languages ​​in Vietnam is developing strongly, learners invest a lot and many centers open, unlike in Europe, where English is popular and few people need to learn.

According to Marko, learning Vietnamese is both challenging and interesting: “Vietnamese grammar is quite simple, but the vocabulary is very large and diverse, and you have to know how to use it and pronounce it correctly. The nature of Vietnamese is very different from English, but I like to learn and research, so I don't have any difficulties.” Adapting to the culture is also easy thanks to my previous experience traveling to many countries. He shared: “Riding a motorbike in the middle of crowded streets, the noise... I feel normal. The harsh climate is the most difficult thing, but I adapt quite well to culture and society.”

Marko also expressed surprise at some Vietnamese customs: Westerners do not worship their ancestors, so he did not understand why there were so many foods and fruits on the altar, but he still accepted and respected them. He found the collective and community spirit in Vietnam to be very strong, different from the individualistic culture of Europe.

Writer Marko Nikolic (center) with the novel "Cathedral Street" was honored with the "Work" award at the Bui Xuan Phai Award Ceremony - For the Love of Hanoi.

Regarding the novel “Cathedral Street”, Marko emphasized that fame is not the goal: “I know I am the first foreigner to write a Vietnamese novel, but just being the first is not enough. If the book is just ‘rubbish’, readers will be disappointed. Luckily, many people rated the book very well and read it straight through because of its attractive content.”

After more than 10 years living in Vietnam, Marko feels he has matured. “When I came to Vietnam, I was naive and immature, but now I have accumulated experience, am not afraid of the media, interviews and experiencing many new things.”

Writer Marko Nikolic on a trip to conquer Fansipan peak

Although each has their own journey, the common point of Joe Ruelle, Marko Nikolic and Jesse Peterson is that they not only write in Vietnamese, but also contribute to bringing Vietnamese beyond its own borders. From their personal pages to international reader communities, their stories and slices of Vietnamese culture through their "very Western" perspectives spread naturally, attracting the attention and sharing of many Vietnamese people. They show that Vietnamese is attractive enough to become a creative language for people from other countries - and through their own writing choices, each is quietly acting as an ambassador for the beauty of Vietnamese today.

Article: Phan Anh

Design: Mai Anh

Phan Anh

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/ba-cay-but-nuoc-ngoai-lan-toa-tieng-viet-218262.html