Missing 'Days in Paris'

Human Love in a Foreign Land

Thanks to his excellent medical training, doctor - writer Nguyen Hoai Nam had the opportunity to study in France. Luck smiled on him so many friends teased him as if he "won the lottery 3 times and practiced 4 times to get it". Charles de Gaulle Airport welcomed the author to France for the first time in a cold, windy winter with a gloomy sky: "The drizzling rain accompanied by the cold wind of late winter looked so gloomy". He thought it would be very sad, but during the days of living in exile, the love of people in a foreign land always helped him receive warmth to soothe the cold.

Thương nhớ ‘Những ngày ở Paris’- Ảnh 2. — The book Days in Paris (published by the Writers' Association Publishing House) by writer Nguyen Hoai Nam

The author said: "When I arrived in Paris, I was accepted as a student by Professor Jean Michel Cormier - a great figure in European vascular surgery who loved Vietnam very much." He was also fortunate to meet Professor Pierre Desoutter and Mrs. Parteney, whose sincerity made the writer feel very affectionate. The story of "warm Mrs. Parteney" was also written very touchingly by the writer: "Mrs. Parteney called the nurse to bring my things and showed me my room in the student housing area. The place was quite nice, located right on top of the hill, surrounded by rows of bare trees, bending in the cold wind of the last days of winter. My nurse friend told me that this morning the temperature was about 4 degrees Celsius. Cold but no snow. The hospital apartment for me was beyond imagination with a bedroom with heater, a kitchen with catering service, and a living room. The rent was 2,000 francs/month, but the hospital and director Parteney did not take a single penny. Later, when my wife came to live with me, I went to work and asked to pay half the rent, but she did not agree. I do not know when I will be able to repay this favor."

And in ancient Paris, not only the warm affection of the locals, in a faraway foreign land, Dr. Nam also met many overseas Vietnamese who loved their homeland and always shared the good and the bad with him, such as: Michel Tran Van Quyen, uncle Kh., Dr. Michel Tran... Especially the delicious Saturday lunches full of the identity of overseas Vietnamese made him unforgettable.

" THE SHAKING SLICES IN THE MESSAGE OF MEMORIES"

Commenting on the book Days in Paris , critic Le Thieu Nhon shared: "There have been many doctors who have been able to study in France. However, not many people have found themselves "in Paris" like Nguyen Hoai Nam. Because, Doctor Nam inherently has an artistic heart to interact strongly with the living space he was fortunate to be a part of. The book is divided into many short sections, like random slices in a jumble of memories. The author faces Paris, to feel a pang of nostalgia for a land. Then faces himself to feel nostalgic for many close friends. Leisurely reading Days in Paris and reading it slowly, it is not difficult to realize the truth, that material wealth is sometimes not as valuable as spiritual wealth, if people know how to think and trust each other."

Wandering Days in Paris with writer Nguyen Hoai Nam, in addition to many unique and interesting stories through his multi-faceted perspective, readers who love to explore the world can also experience a trip through the heart of poetic France, through gentle literary works.

"In Paris, the best thing is to walk on the sidewalks paved with natural stone, in the early winter or early autumn afternoons, with the chilly air competing with the gentle breeze. The road leading to the top of the hill from the Gage Metro station is very beautiful with the smooth stone sidewalks that have withstood the test of time, the classic French houses, quietly nestled behind rows of maple trees that turn bright red every time the seasons change" (Walking through the streets) .

Author Nguyen Hoai Nam also devoted many pages to writing about "irresistibly delicious" French cuisine , about the city of Cannes - the capital of the seventh art... and then when we parted, only memories of longing remained.

"Goodbye to the splendid Paris. My nose was stinging, a few tears rolled down my cheeks. My wife also cried. We cried for the sweet memories of the years away from home, cried for the kindness of our friends. The plane took off, I looked out the window, it was raining outside, below was the whole city of Paris shining brightly in a corner of the sky...", writer Nguyen Hoai Nam was moved to tears.