That means the greeting card market located on the streets next to Notre Dame Cathedral and the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office is gone. Previously, city dwellers would visit it at least a few times a year. It was part of the habit, the lifestyle, and the culture of the people of Ho Chi Minh City.
In the past, city dwellers had a habit of sending Christmas cards, New Year's cards, birthday cards, and cards congratulating friends and relatives on their achievements. Those nearby would hand them over, while those further away would use the post office. These cards were a way of expressing affection, connecting with each other, and showing care and concern.
It's like a reminder, an indirect way of saying that I'm still safe and sound and that I'm thinking of you. The good wishes I wrote in the card are my heartfelt feelings for you. How precious they are.
The recipient of these cards will carefully keep them in a drawer, or hang them on the Christmas tree or the apricot or peach blossom tree during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), place them next to the birthday cake, or display them prominently in a glass cabinet. They serve both as decoration and to convey that you are here, sharing in my joy and happiness. And perhaps, at some point, upon seeing the card, they will remember an old friend, remember our shared memories.
During my school years, browsing and buying greeting cards was a favorite pastime. Different people received different cards, and the messages inside were also different. Sending a card to someone I liked was especially difficult for me. I had to carefully consider every word and sentence. Giving and receiving the card was nerve-wracking, and so was receiving it…
Life has changed so much. When people miss each other, they just open their phones, send a few pictures and a greeting, and that's it! So convenient and easy. So easy it's like paying a debt. The sender does it for the sake of it, the recipient is indifferent. Nobody cares about the soulless beauty of the card and the clichéd greetings within. Everything has become purely formal. It's no coincidence that some people believe that this convenience has inadvertently stripped away the emotional connection, destroying a lovely and poetic aspect of culture.
These days, places that sell greeting cards are scarce. For someone like me who often reminisces about the past, every time I have the chance to return to the city, I quietly go looking for a few cards. Some to give to myself, and the rest to cherish… memories!
This past Lunar New Year, I happened to find a greeting card in a bookstore featuring a girl in an ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) with a branch of vibrant yellow apricot blossoms. It brought back memories of the folk song, "Whose daughter is this? Her mother dressed her in an ao dai to welcome the spring…" A fleeting, gentle, and sweet feeling on a beautiful sunny spring day, before I had to face the daily uncertainties and anxieties again…
Ngo Dinh Hai
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/cho-thiep-post789387.html
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