Southern cultural imprints and memories of rowing canoes, making wine, raising pigs, and delicious dishes during flood days are recreated in "Aftertaste of the Past".
On the morning of March 23, author Tran Minh Thuong (pen name Thach Ba Xuyen) had an exchange at the book street of Cao Lanh city, Dong Thap, revolving around the topic The taste of cake is lingering, full of love for the homeland. In the program, he introduced his latest work – Aftertaste of the past, includes 22 essays recreating the culture, lifestyle, customs, unforgettable memories of the riverside and the intimate interactions of Western people.
As a teacher of literature and cultural research in the South in general, and in the South of the Hau River in particular, Tran Minh Thuong brings stories that are deeply embedded in his memories onto the pages of books. He hopes the publication will be "a ticket back to childhood", reminding the next generation to preserve the cultural space that is gradually disappearing.
Each essay is given a specific name, recounts old stories and explains each activity and characteristic of the people of the Hau Giang river. Start with The sky is falling shining, the author describes the picture of the countryside at dawn as both bustling, urgent, peaceful, and leisurely. Readers follow the plowmen driving buffaloes to the fields, middle-aged people sip tea, play Chinese chess, or children invite each other to collect ripe fruits along the banks of the canal. The pleasure of enjoying coffee or hanging out at a toad shop is vividly recreated.
The cover of the book "Aftertaste of the Past" is 420 pages thick. The publication is published by Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House. Image: Thien Lam
With prose Night fell over the countryside, the author emphasizes that when the chickens go up to roost and the sun gradually sets, people rush to complete unfinished business for the day. After meals, children are reminded by adults to clean up. Women wash dishes, clean chimneys, add oil to lamps, and then prepare mosquito nets, blankets, and beds. Men and boys take care of things in the garden and yard.
Because there is no means of entertainment, every night, the villagers like to listen to their elders tell old stories, from classic Chinese novels, anonymous Vietnamese poems, ghosts that are half fictional and half real to word of mouth. about how to behave in life. Gradually, people invited each other to listen to the record player, go to the family to watch opera, and watch Cai Luong shows on the black-and-white television of families with means.
The ancient region appears authentic and familiar through the writings The first rains of the season, Countryside kitchen, Front yard and back garden, The monsoon season blows, Rowing a canoe to go to the market, When Tet comes, talk about welcoming a baby into the world, Go to the rice offering ceremony or Making wine and raising pigs. Readers can see scenes of flickering oil lamps, simple thatched roofs, mothers coaxing their children to sleep, boys and girls joining together to pound rice, carry water, split bamboo to weave baskets, sharpen sentences, old ladies sift rice, and sew. On the day the flood flooded the fields, the villagers had many more delicious dishes such as crabs, snails, fish, frogs, fish sauce of all kinds, and pickles.
Unlucky or displeasing stories are also narrated, such as people being robbed, miserable people having to beg or sick people who only drink tree buds and leaves of grass. If you are healthy again, consider it as a great blessing. If you don't survive, consider it as a short-lived, unfortunate portion. If the family is in harmony, the love will be strong and sincere, but if there is discord, the face will be heavy and frowned.
According to author Minh Thuong, life and folk culture in the South are inherently diverse thanks to the gathering of Kinh, Chinese and Khmer people. He had difficulty learning the origin, history, story behind each type of cake, utensils, and regional language. Therefore, to explain each term and name, the author must refer to many documents, including: Dai Nam quack yin self, Vietnamese dictionary, Southern language identity, Vietnamese literature (Episode one), Vietnamese - Khmer dictionary. A series of illustrations and folk songs partly portray the characteristics of the river region.
Author Tran Minh Thuong (right) attended the book launch "Aftertaste of the Ancients" at Cao Lanh City book street, Dong Thap, on the morning of March 23. Accompanying him is his wife - Mrs. Bui Tuy Phuong, a retired literature teacher. Mrs. Tuy Phuong was the first person to read her husband's manuscripts, assisting him in editing and editing. Image: Thien Lam
Author Tran Minh Thuong, 53 years old, currently teaches at Nga Nam High School, Soc Trang. He is a member of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association (2009), and an Outstanding Teacher (2020).
Before Aftertaste of the old region, he published many works, including Eating stories of ordinary people in Soc Trang, seen from the perspective of folk culture (2015) Soc Trang folk games (2016) Taste of the West (2018) Celebrate Tet and play Tet in the West (2020) Customs south of the Hau River (2020) Stories inside and outside the village of Hau Giang (2022) The lingering flavor of country cakes (2023)
Thien Lam
