Come to love and be attached to Da Lat

Author with Mr. Maurizio Salabert

Maurizio Salabert, or often affectionately called Uncle Mau or Maumau by everyone, is a close friend of mine who I was fortunate to have during my time living and working in Da Lat City. Uncle Mau and his younger brother were born and raised in Australia, in a family with immigrant parents of Argentine origin. Most of Uncle Mau's life was associated with the city of Sydney (Australia), which created an "Angry Mau" - the nickname Mau gave himself when recalling that time. Not in the bustling central area, Mau's family settled in the suburbs of the city, where there were many complex populations. With an innate optimism, Uncle Mau not only soon realized the complexities of life but also soon concluded his own perspective on life: "I will always be like that! I will always be a young person, always wanting to contribute". However, a young person can hardly avoid all the pitfalls of life. Being independent from an early age, Uncle Mau's life was extremely difficult. When the pressures of life mixed with mental pain, Uncle Mau fell into alcohol and stimulants at the age of 20. As a result, Uncle Mau lost his beloved chef job and no longer had close relationships. The climax of the crisis was when Uncle Mau lost everything and became homeless...

With extraordinary efforts, Uncle Mau struggled to save himself and joined the army. About that decision, Uncle Mau said: “When I was a child, I often went to the park to play chess with the elderly. Most of them were veterans. The conversations with them partly convinced me of my decision to join the army later. With the thoughts of a young person, I really wanted to be able to contribute to the country, to the people I love...”. Recalling that turning point, Uncle Mau shared: “I always told myself: Mau, you can do meaningful things. Your mission is to create good things for this life!” Uncle Mau's life seemed to be happy again, but this time, new events came. During his service in the army, he and his teammates used their bodies many times for medical research. The experimental vaccines accidentally became poisons that silently destroyed his body. When his tolerance reached its limit, Uncle Mau began to fall ill with severe necrosis. “Australia could not save me...” Uncle Mau choked. The treatment in Australia did not go smoothly. Therefore, he began to seek help from other countries. According to Uncle Mau, a doctor in Ho Chi Minh City succeeded in saving his life, however, not all of them could be saved...

Now, Maurizio Salabert is a disabled man, missing his left leg. A young former soldier because his “body is no longer whole”. He lost his job, lost a part of his body, the wife who built a small home with him has also left, leaving behind the son they promised to raise together. Almost lost everything again, but this is no longer the “hot-tempered Mau” of the past, but a strong Maurizio who has overcome many storms. Uncle Mau stood up to fight with the military leaders and the Australian Government to protect his own legitimate interests for four long years. He told me, those four years seemed to last forever. During that time, Uncle Mau spent time traveling to many places in the world to find what he called “peace of mind”. That journey took Uncle Mau to new lands, new cultures. From Bali to Tibet, from Malaysia to India. “I really wanted to know from the bottom of my heart, who am I? What is the purpose of this life? That is why I started this spiritual journey”. It was also on that journey that Mau met the love of his life: Da Lat…

“A friend told me to try Da Lat,” Uncle Mau recalled. “Da Lat? Why Da Lat? What does Da Lat have?...” Putting all his thoughts aside, Uncle Mau set off again. Coming to Da Lat, walking on the streets of Da Lat, eating Da Lat food, meeting Da Lat people. Uncle Mau’s first trip to Da Lat lasted two weeks. A brief experience that was neither too short nor too long, but seemed to have left in Mau’s heart a “seed” waiting to bloom. “I returned to Australia, but it seemed like my soul no longer belonged here. My mind was only focused on Da Lat. I missed the scenery, the atmosphere of Da Lat, the lovely people I met. I wanted to return to Da Lat.” Not letting his heart cool down, Uncle Mau returned to Da Lat. Once, twice, then three times... Just like that, a deep bond was formed between him and Da Lat, until "tears welled up in his heart", Mr. Mau realized that he had fallen in love with Da Lat without realizing it. To make sure of the big decision of his life, Mr. Mau and his son and younger brother came to Da Lat once again. "Here is my family. That is me, my younger brother, my son and all the Vietnamese people around me. They care for us in a way we have never experienced. In Australia, people are not that close. The human values ​​that I seek are in Vietnam, in Da Lat. Human affection is expressed in the purest way: sharing. Luckily, my son and younger brother integrated very quickly and were willing to join me in finding a new life in this country, in this city..." Mr. Mau confided in me in a truly emotional state. Right after Uncle Mau’s struggle achieved results, the Australian army and government paid for his contributions and losses, the three men set foot in Da Lat. This time, it was no longer a trip , no longer a long time to remember. “The new life of me and my relatives really began”, said Uncle Mau...

As the sun set, Uncle Mau proudly shared with me that he had invested in several businesses in Da Lat and had reaped the rewards. He and his family had also completed the procedures for registering their residence in Vietnam and were trying to learn Vietnamese. The man smiled contentedly: “Da Lat, this is home...”.

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202501/den-de-yeu-va-gan-bo-voi-da-lat-2fd7e42/