The 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia was the first time the country hosted the Games. Going to the stadium to cheer on the Vietnamese athletes, hearing the authentic Ha Tinh accent ("mô tê răng rứa") at Morodok Stadium, the feeling was indescribable.
People from Ha Tinh province living in Phnom Penh came to the stadium to cheer on the Vietnamese women's national team in the final match against Myanmar.
Before my trip to Cambodia, I met Dang Ngoc De (from Can Loc, Ha Tinh province) through social media. He said he would pick me up when I arrived, and with the kindness of a fellow Ha Tinh native, he became my free guide throughout my stay in Cambodia. Therefore, he took care of everything for me, from food to accommodation.
Dang Ngoc De and the author pose for a commemorative photo at the Olympic Stadium.
De, a young man from Can Loc, has been establishing his career in Cambodia for 11 years, so his Cambodian language skills are excellent. De is currently the CEO of a consumer goods distribution company in Cambodia. Interestingly, through De, I discovered that in Phnom Penh, there is a community of Vietnamese people from Ha Tinh province, and many of them have come here to establish very successful businesses...
Nguyen Anh Sang's VMart supermarket and restaurant are located at 51, 115th Street, Phnom Penh.
The longest-serving residents of Ha Tinh province in Phnom Penh that I know of are the couple Nguyen Anh Sang and Pham Thi Hai Van. Sang was born in 1983 but has been establishing his life in Phnom Penh for 21 years. Both husband and wife are from Phuc Trach commune, Huong Khe district.
Sang recounted that when they first arrived in Phnom Penh, he and his wife worked as laborers in retail stores. It wasn't until 2013 that they had saved enough capital to open their own shop. Today, Sang and his wife own a large Vietnamese supermarket called VMart, covering 300 square meters , located at 51, 115th Street, Phnom Penh. Besides VMart, they also have a restaurant specializing in goat meat at the same address. The large Vietnamese community in Phnom Penh has made their business selling Vietnamese goods quite successful.
Tran Duc Chien and Le Tu Tai's restaurant was crowded with Vietnamese customers watching football matches during the 32nd SEA Games.
According to Sang, in the Cambodian capital, there are about 10 Vietnamese-owned supermarkets, and two of them are owned by people from Ha Tinh province. Another supermarket belongs to the couple Le Vinh and Doan Thi Thuy. Their "Vietnamese Supermarket" is located at 129, 199th Street, Phnom Penh. Both are from Lam Hop commune, Ky Anh district. Having moved to Cambodia to start their business eight years ago, and beginning from scratch, Sang and his wife are both very hardworking and resilient, true to the spirit of people from Nghe An province.
What's even more remarkable about these business owners from Ha Tinh is that they provide jobs for their hometown residents. Le Vinh's supermarket currently employs six people from Ky Anh; Sang and Van's supermarket and restaurant always have more than 30 employees, half of whom are Vietnamese.
The Vietnamese supermarket owned by the couple Vinh and Thúy is located at 129, 199th Street, Phnom Penh.
It is known that the couples Sang - Van and Vinh - Thuy have been in Cambodia for quite some time, having established businesses there, but their children are still living with their grandparents in their hometown of Ha Tinh. Therefore, they also return home frequently. Sang and Van returned home on April 28th to visit their family. They also took the opportunity to watch the SEA Games and cheer on the Vietnamese athletes, especially those from Ha Tinh.
Ms. Doan Thi Thuy, originally from Lam Hop commune, Ky Anh district, has been living and working in Cambodia for 8 years.
In Phnom Penh, Vietnamese people often frequent Restaurant 68 at 30, 390th Street. When we visited in search of authentic Vietnamese cuisine, we coincidentally learned that the restaurant's owners are two young men from Ha Tinh province. Tran Duc Chien, born in 1991, is from Duc Lien commune; Le Tu Tai, born in 1991, is from Duc Giang commune, Vu Quang district. Both have only been in Cambodia for five years, but their success has exceeded all expectations. Mr. Vu Thanh Hung, the restaurant manager, said that the restaurant serves both Vietnamese and Cambodian customers, as well as tourists from his homeland. Mr. Hung is from Nam Huong commune, Thach Ha district. He mentioned that the restaurant has over 30 employees, mostly Vietnamese and children of Vietnamese people living in Cambodia.
Seeing the scale of the restaurant and the constant stream of customers, I was truly impressed by the two young men from Ha Tinh. Talking to Chien and Tai, I learned that the chef and some of the restaurant's staff had to be recruited from their hometown, which is why they can prepare such delicious, authentic Vietnamese dishes. Chien also manages an interior design company in Phnom Penh.
Nguyen Trung Cuong and Le Tien Long took a commemorative photo with coach Dang Van Thanh from Ha Tinh, currently the national team coach at the National Training Center in Hanoi, after winning the gold and silver medals in the 3,000m event at the 32nd SEA Games.
In Cambodia, meeting fellow Vietnamese and hearing their authentic Ha Tinh accent ("mo te rang rua") was an indescribable feeling. On the day the athletics team competed in the 3,000m race, two athletes from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Trung Cuong and Le Tien Long, were participating. By the sixth lap, Cuong and Long had pulled ahead, and while I was busy taking photos, a voice behind me shouted: "Ha Tinh, keep going! Ha Tinh, keep going! Run faster, kids...!" Everyone in the stadium watched. By the eighth lap, Cuong and Long were racing towards the finish line, and the Ha Tinh voices from the stands rang out again: "Keep going, kids! Our hometown will be champions! Keep going, kids! Our hometown will be champions!" And Nguyen Trung Cuong brilliantly won the gold medal, while Le Tien Long came in second.
Mr. Le Hong Phong, 72 years old, from Lam Hop commune, Ky Anh district, came to the stadium to cheer on Nguyen Trung Cuong and Le Tien Long.
Going up to the stands to meet a fellow countryman, I learned that his name is Le Hong Phong, 72 years old, from Lam Hop commune, Ky Anh district. Interestingly, Mr. Phong is the grandfather of athlete Nguyen Trung Cuong and the father of Le Vinh - the owner of the Vietnamese supermarket I mentioned earlier.
The SEA Games are drawing to a close, and athletes from Ha Tinh have won 5 gold medals, contributing to the overall excellent performance of the Vietnamese delegation and maintaining their top position in the medal standings. We believe that with the enthusiastic support of overseas Vietnamese, especially those from Ha Tinh living abroad, the Vietnamese sports delegation will achieve good results at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
Nguyen Thanh Hai
Source
Comment (0)