"Te Hanh's poetry captivated the people of Quang Ngai precisely because of its incredibly pure and simple soul. It is the soul of a Quang Ngai resident. For historical, geographical, and other reasons, the soul of the Quang Ngai people is particularly pure and simple. That soul may be intense, extreme, and sometimes subtle, but its most prominent characteristic is its purity, innocence, and inclination towards inner feelings."
Te Hanh was a great poet because his soul resonated with the soul of the people of Quang Ngai. When reading his poems, one can clearly see the spirit and essence of the people of Quang Ngai.
On Peace Day, June 1975, after 21 years away from Quang Ngai—I was only 8 years old when I left my hometown for the regrouping—returning to my birthplace, my heart was suddenly filled with emotion. My hometown hadn't changed much after 21 years of war, but what stirred my emotions was the affection of my relatives there, still as pure, honest, and simple as the day I left for the North.
It is the character, the way of speaking, and the simple, honest nature of the people of Quang Ngai that create the soul of their homeland.
Then, when my family and I returned to Quang Ngai, around the time of the province's separation in 1989, I was initially quite apprehensive because I couldn't imagine how I would integrate with the people of Quang Ngai with whom I would live, work, and socialize. But what I worried about turned out to be incredibly satisfying. Most of the people from Quang Ngai I met daily were very kind. My free-spirited nature, with its slightly "gangster" vibe, made me very approachable. And I was also very approachable and easy to befriend, regardless of whether they were officials or ordinary citizens.
"Having lived in Quang Ngai for several decades, I have come to understand the people of Quang Ngai more and more," the author - poet Thanh Thao - expressed.
We work together easily, and we have a lot of fun together. Having lived in Quang Ngai for several decades, I've come to understand the people of Quang Ngai better through my friends, younger siblings, and nephews and nieces. Perhaps, in today's society, the honest, trusting, and likable way of life of the people of Quang Ngai, as I've observed through those I know and am close to, might not necessarily bring them good fortune. But "habits are often broken," they still live that way, treat life that way, and accept risks, if any, with a sense of ease, not like an enlightened person, but like someone accustomed to living with an open heart. I don't know if it's true, as people often say now: "Open your heart and you will meet the world ," because the character of the people of Quang Ngai, as I know, isn't overly complicated. They don't overthink things. Often, they are straightforward and direct, and even if they are clever, they are still approachable. Of course, "modern Quang Ngai people" are different from "traditional Quang Ngai people." But I think the distinctive characteristics that define the soul of the people of Quang Ngai are still quite deeply ingrained in the personalities of young people from Quang Ngai today.
Even someone like my wife, who is a "daughter-in-law of Quang Ngai" but originally from Hue, lived in Quang Ngai for 35 years during her lifetime, practically becoming a Quang Ngai native. Her personality remained gentle like someone from Hue, yet also simple and sincere like someone from Quang Ngai. She knew how to live and think of others, loved her friends, younger siblings, and nieces and nephews, but remained honest and kind-hearted.
Perhaps the character of the people of Quang Ngai has not spread as widely as that of people from the North or the South, or even closer, like those from Quang Nam, but there is still "something" that makes people recognize them immediately: they are people of Quang Ngai.
Are you an "outsider to Quang Ngai"? Do you prefer pure, dark brown cane molasses sugar, or refined, pure white sugar? If you like cane molasses sugar, you've joined the Quang Ngai community!
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