Street vendors with their calls echoing through every corner, craft shops steeped in the traditions of bygone eras... Thanh Sen ( Ha Tinh province ), though a vibrant young city, still holds stories that evoke cherished memories in me.
Street vendors have stood the test of time.
At the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung Street (Ha Tinh City) and Xuan Dieu Street, the stalls selling tapioca pearls, run by women from Hue , quietly nestle amidst the bustling houses and busy traffic. Nearly 30 years have passed since Aunt Huong (born in 1966) and Aunt Ty (born in 1976) first set up their mobile stalls in Ha Tinh, selling their wares from Hue.
The tea stalls run by the aunties and sisters from Hue have been a part of the lives of generations of people in Thanh Sen for decades.
"When I first came here, I only thought about making a living, but I never expected to be attached to this place for decades. Now, we know the streets and alleys of Ha Tinh City even better than Hue City," Aunt Huong shared.
I believe Aunt Huong is right because after all this time wandering the streets with her tea cart, and many years of being associated with the corner of Xuan Dieu and Phan Dinh Phung streets, the aunties have become almost true residents of Thanh Sen.
The street vendor selling sweet soup, with her simple ingredients, remains etched in the memories of many.
It's not a gourmet dish, but a cup of sweet soup with tapioca pearls, black beans, green beans, and coconut milk has become a familiar treat for generations of people in Thanh Sen. From motorbike taxi drivers and construction workers to scrap collectors, office workers, and especially students, everyone loves this sweet soup.
Under the old trees, the women nimbly prepare tea and pack orders for customers. Every now and then, the old-fashioned mobile phone rings. It's a call from regular customers who have placed orders in advance so they can pick them up immediately without waiting. The women quickly finalize the orders, skillfully and professionally, just like today's online sellers.
The aunts also became "professional" online sellers.
Aunt Ty said that over the years, the streets and life here have changed a lot, but her tapioca pudding stall remains the same. The same ingredients, the same flavor, and the same strangely familiar faces of her customers.
“Who wants fried cakes, wrapped cakes…?”, the afternoon vendor’s cry echoed through the streets of Thanh Sen. Although I was born and raised in this small city for nearly 40 years, I don’t know exactly when that cry started. I only know that throughout my childhood, I was familiar with the vendor’s cart and the clear, ringing voice of Aunt Binh.
Aunt Binh has been involved with street vending for almost her entire life.
At 4 PM, in a small house in an alley in residential area 2 - Bac Ha ward, Aunt Binh was busy preparing her carrying pole for the "afternoon market." Hot steamed rice cakes and sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves; golden fried cakes with shrimp and bean fillings, emitting a fragrant aroma.
But what has kept her regular customers coming back for decades is probably the dipping sauce. It's a homemade fish sauce, rich in traditional flavor, and intensely spicy... A piece of the soft yet chewy rice cake dipped generously into that "magical" sauce is simply incomparable.
Aunt Binh's bánh mì stall is so familiar to the people of Thanh Sen that if you don't see it, you might think you haven't returned to your beloved town.
My aunt's usual route is often Ly Tu Trong, Nguyen Cong Tru, Phan Dinh Phung, Xuan Dieu, Nguyen Huy Tu... But on many days when she doesn't have customers, she'll detour through Hao Thanh, Trung Tiet, Ho Dau, then loop around Cau Vong, Dang Dung to get to the provincial market (Ha Tinh City Market)...
My aunt's feet have walked through most of the main streets and small alleys of Thanh Sen.
Auntie's feet have traversed countless years the main streets and narrow alleys of Thanh Sen. Along with the steamed rice cakes carried on her shoulders, the yogurt in pouches, the Hue-style tapioca pudding, Auntie Binh's wrapped cakes... have become a part of our childhood, carrying the weight of our memories.
And for generations of people in Thanh Sen, those street vendors are so familiar that when they return from afar, if they don't see them, it's as if they haven't returned to their beloved town...
The "time corrector"
Many people still refer to watch repairers by the nostalgic name of "timekeepers." And for the people of Ha Tinh, the stretch of Nguyen Cong Tru street in front of the provincial market is known as the "watch repair street," even though there is no official planning for it.
These "shops" bear the marks of time on the "watch repair street".
Having been involved in this craft since the late 1980s, Mr. Truong Huu Ha (born in 1945) is one of the oldest craftsmen still practicing and preserving the trade today.
Mr. Ha learned this craft during his time serving in the military. Upon his discharge and return to his hometown, he officially pursued the profession, becoming an integral part of this street and remaining dedicated to it until now – even as he approaches 80 years of age.
Mr. Ha - the "time-fixing" craftsman.
Mr. Ha said: “Back then, watches were very valuable! From the middle class to the working class, many people considered them indispensable. Every family hung one up, both to tell time and as a decorative item. The watch repair business became thriving. Children's education also stemmed from this tool cabinet.”
This profession requires meticulousness, diligence, and keen observation skills to diagnose problems. Their tools are quite unique, including screwdrivers, pliers, brushes, tweezers, hammers, etc., but they are all as small as children's toys!
Having lived on this street corner for decades, Mr. Ha has witnessed countless changes in the neighborhood.
Having worked in the profession for decades, Mr. Ha has almost never given up on a single "case." Some watches take a whole day, even several days, to repair, testing his patience and skill, so that when customers hold the watch in their hands, the minute and hour hands are both accurate.
Over time, with the fast pace of modern life and the proliferation of electronic devices and technological gadgets, people have gradually changed their habit of checking the time on watches to checking it on their mobile phones. As a result, most of the customers who come for watch repair are now mostly old acquaintances.
“Many people bring very old, badly damaged watches to me for repair. Just by looking at them, I know it’s a difficult case, but I understand that for the owner, it must be a precious keepsake, so I accept them all. Customers are happy when they receive their repaired watches back, and I share in their joy,” Mr. Ha shared.
The joy of an elderly customer upon receiving his repaired watch.
For over 40 years, Mr. Ha has been "manipulating time," witnessing countless changes in this land. From the days when Thanh Sen was just a small town with quiet, narrow streets to its transformation into a vibrant, young city. "The urban rhythm gradually took shape, people changed from their clothing to their vehicles; many people came from other places to settle, the streets became much more bustling, only we remained sitting here," Mr. Ha mused.
Today, the "watch repair street" is no longer as bustling as it once was, but in the memories of many locals, Mr. Ha, Mr. Quynh, Mr. Xuan... are still considered skilled and dedicated watch repairmen.
Nostalgia for a flower-making profession.
Every time I pass the corner of Nguyen Cong Tru and Ly Tu Trong streets, seeing the old, worn-out paper flower stalls nestled beside shops glittering with LED lights, I feel a pang of nostalgia for the back-to-school seasons.
In the 1990s, this street corner was always vibrant and bustling because, despite being just a short stretch, almost every house was involved in the craft of making paper flowers, writing couplets, and creating banners.
The craft of making paper flowers now only exists in the memories of many people in Thanh Sen.
Back in those school years, each of us had a pair of colorful, glossy paper flowers pinned to our wrists—green, red, purple, yellow. Our small hands looked even prettier as the flowers bloomed in the early morning sun on the first day of school. Wearing white shirts, blue trousers, red scarves, and paper flowers, we enthusiastically participated in singing and dancing performances celebrating the start of the school year. It was beautiful, exciting, and joyful.
During the Phu Dong Sports Festival, students from schools throughout the city participate in a mass performance at the stadium. Those are the days when this "city of flowers" truly comes alive and bustles.
Life has changed, and not many people still remember the flower-making profession like Mrs. Hanh.
As a daughter-in-law from Quang Binh province who married into Thanh Sen commune, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh (born in 1962) learned the craft of making paper flowers from her parents-in-law. Like other families in the town, Ms. Hanh's family has been making paper flowers for generations. Ms. Hanh said: "Making paper flowers is not difficult, but it involves many steps and takes time."
"The flowers are mainly made from colorful cellophane paper, layered on top of each other and secured with a small wire, then trimmed and shaped to create an attractive appearance."
Thanh Sen has become a bustling young city, but the people of yesteryear and the sidewalks remain etched in the memories of many generations. Photo by Dinh Nhat .
However, with the rise of plastic, fabric, and fresh flowers, and the use of specialized props in children's performances, paper flowers are no longer as popular as before. Many families in the neighborhood have abandoned the craft, leaving only Mrs. Hanh and a few others still practicing it. Mrs. Hanh said: "Nowadays, we rarely make paper flowers anymore because we can import flowers from other provinces and cities, which is both faster and cheaper. I only make them occasionally because I miss the craft."
Amidst the hustle and bustle of today's young city, there are still those old-fashioned street corners, those people, those sidewalks etched with the memories of many generations... All of these make up the beloved Thanh Sen that I cherish.
Kieu Minh
Source
Comment (0)