'Winter Wonders of the South' - Somber Lyrical Melodies

The book is a collection of leisurely conversations, many of which were published in Thanh Nien Sunday, bringing a unique flavor, when the feelings, nostalgia, and concerns are expressed by writer Tran Thanh Binh in a smooth, easy-to-understand voice.

In his articles, there are the streets of Saigon in all four seasons following the flow of time, and there are also always the shadows of old days in Gio Linh, Quang Tri , his homeland in the Central region, creating "A troubled and nostalgic soul" - like the title of the article by journalist Ha Dinh Nguyen printed in the book.

Saigon - four seasons are for love

It is easy to see that in the 62 articles selected in the book, the majority are articles about Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City. But Tran Thanh Binh's "seasonal travelogue" is not only about the beauty of the weather, the sky, the city of high-rise buildings that never sleep. For him, Saigon is a Sunday "sitting listening to the drops of rain tapping on the tin roof" in a quiet dead-end alley, remembering "the rainy days by the Thach Han River..." ( Rainy Street ); Saigon is when the bitter cold reminds us of the immortal song "Christmas Remnants " by musician Ngan Giang, no matter how romantic it is, it still lingers in the words "pray for world peace" ( Christmas Rain ). Saigon is mentioned when the last page of the calendar of the year has just fallen ( Future Beat ); when the new year calendar is hung on the wall ( Birds in the City )... It seems that he does not let every moment of time pass by blandly and indifferently.

Saigon also always appears with poetry, music, love songs, when "the street suddenly becomes a winding river", "the road has tamarind leaves flying", "I have heard the wind and know autumn has come"... The lyrics of Trinh Cong Son, Hoang Hiep - poems by Diep Minh Tuyen, Van Cao... quoted in the song, naturally emerge in harmony, like the indispensable sympathy of an artistic soul.

A strange but not strange thing about Tran Thanh Binh is that when he writes about Saigon, it is often not just to express his love for Saigon alone. "The sky of Saigon is so charmingly blue. How wonderful is the winter of the South" (the song " Sending sunshine to you " by musician Pham Tuyen is mentioned in the article as the general title of the book), the beauty and the slight cold of Saigon at the end of the year is a reason to reminisce about the time of "burning firewood from sim roots", "mixed rice wrapped in banana leaves to go to school", remembering the semi-mountainous region of Central Vietnam; and thinking about the present, when teachers and students in remote areas are still struggling and facing hardships because of the "cold"...

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City is for love, not only loving yourself, but also loving other lands and people.

Life stories, heavy on the mind

Not much philosophy, just from very small stories, observing and telling, listening and understanding, seeing and thinking, each article is short, simple, gentle but easy to absorb and sympathize with. Not only does it have a refined, elegant writing style from a writer full of emotions and thoughts; the book also has a journalistic quality - from a journalist observing life with a kind, gentle heart.

Reading Hung's Story , we see a kind commoner, a hard-working, industrious war invalid who doesn't bother anyone, "I will definitely return the extra thousand." In Like the early mornings , just on morning walks, we suddenly hear the thoughts and feelings of the people around us, such as the failed harvest, the son bringing his parents from the countryside to live; the dream of winning the lottery of two old men, one with a missing arm, one with a missing leg... stories that we can encounter every day, but when the author picks up each piece and puts it together, they are scenes of life, fate. There are things that stop, listen, the heart seems to open wider.

In Folk Dance Memories , from the beautiful, lively, artistic folk dance of the Kiev Conservatory dancers, "every pair of feet seemed to be wrapped in autumn, sounding like layers of maple leaves waving in the wind, then winding down the banks of the Dniepr River into a poetic, graceful carpet", the author thinks about "the harsh, painful time when the war broke out", to realize that "who doesn't want peace !".

The writer also expressed his concern and worries about environmental and ecological issues through stories and thin slices in: The weasel marks the mark, The lonely crowing bird, When the earth is heavy... Social events are imprinted in articles such as: When the city is quiet with the sound of passing trains (written after the collapse of Ghenh bridge, Bien Hoa, March 20, 2016); The land that can speak ... The interweaving of past and present; countryside and city; old and modern is shown right from the titles: A time of wooden clogs and mo sandals, The flat world is not quiet, Tet via Messenger...

Perhaps, nostalgia is a therapy to "solve" the hustle and bustle of urban life. Nostalgia for mother ( Vu lan remembers again, Vu lan season... ); for the distant homeland in the Central region ( Mysterious sim, Green tea bowl... ); nostalgia for the youth of a student of Hue Pedagogical Literature, a teacher who used to teach in the remote highlands ( Hoa dang mot doa tham my... ). The writer admits that "we are hyphens-in-the-past", so we are always faithful like the verse he wrote: "I bow my head before the flowing river/ Thach Han's return day reflects the floating clouds"...

For Tran Thanh Binh, looking out at nature and the four seasons is also to look at life - which is more full of worries than leisure. He is convinced that: "That resilient and long-lasting sediment, I think, is the human heart." The Miracle of Southern Winter , therefore, brings readers lyrical, warm and humane feelings.

Choosing the title "Wonderful Winter of the South" as the general title for the book, writer Tran Thanh Binh shared: "... Firstly, I usually like the time when the end of the year is chilly and there are a few bustling holidays, also the time to prepare for the two Tet holidays, so that people can reunite everywhere on the globe. Secondly, it is when the heavens and earth are about to change seasons, ending a year, winter ends and then spring comes again. Fresh and fragrant with flowers!".