The sweltering heat suddenly cooled down with a pitcher of iced water under the green trellis.

This special water dispenser is the ideal place for drivers to stop and refill their water tanks, saving them some money.

According to the parish priest (who wished to remain anonymous), this ice cooler has been there for over a year. The priest was always concerned that placing it in a Styrofoam container would cause the ice to melt. Therefore, he decided to create a miniature display for Tet (Lunar New Year) to decorate the space, partly to make the cooler more visually appealing, and mostly to help it stay cold longer.

After the Lunar New Year, the simple ice water pitcher was decorated to look more appealing by being placed under a small, rustic thatched roof made of pumpkin vines. The priest also prepared two pitchers. One contained filtered water, filtered by a machine inside the church, so that anyone with a sore throat who couldn't drink cold water could drink from there. The other contained iced tea made from carefully selected, high-quality tea brewed by parishioners. Thanks to the flower arrangement above, the ice in the pitcher melted less than before.

The church provides both cold and lukewarm water for people to choose from.

Next to them were two bins containing clean and used cups. He explained that the church used to use disposable plastic cups, but this time they were being replaced with reusable ones to protect the environment.

The church usually prepares 30-40 glasses. There have been a few times when they counted and found fewer glasses, but he still told everyone to be cheerful. "Never mind, maybe they're short on glasses. I always tell the parishioners to put extra glasses when preparing drinks, so there are always enough for everyone," the priest said.

Prepare plenty of glasses so you don't run out - Photo: HIEN ANH

Every morning, the person in charge brings out a fresh bucket of water, carefully brews tea, and prepares cups and saucers for ride-hailing drivers, lottery ticket vendors, motorbike taxi drivers, students, and others who can stop by to take some whenever they are thirsty. Every evening, they take the water bottles and cups back into the church to thoroughly rinse them, ready for the next day's arrival of a new group of customers.

Inside, the water filter is working at full capacity, ready to supply water whenever needed. The church recently invested in this water filter to provide cleaner, higher-quality water for everyone to use.

Mr. Bui Duc Vu (34 years old, living in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) said that every day when he drives his ride-hailing motorbike past here, he stops by to get water. He praised the tea brewed here as delicious. Having a water dispenser saves him money on buying water along the way.

Nguyen Hoang Ha Nam (25 years old, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City) filled his water bottle and praised the idea as very cute. "This bottle has been here for a while, but it's just been redecorated. Thanks to that, it looks much cooler and more eye-catching. You see, many people have come here to drink water already. The generosity of the people of Saigon is truly wonderful," he said.

A refreshing iced water dispenser in the heart of the city.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , the parish priest said that making this water jug ​​would be difficult for one person, but with many people working together, it wouldn't be tiring. He hopes that love will spread.

"Seeing so many people enjoying their drinks and having an extra place to shelter from the sun warms not only my heart but also the hearts of many others, making us want to do even more for the community," he shared.

After the pumpkin vines bore fruit, he also came up with the idea of ​​planting a beautiful bougainvillea trellis with the parishioners, so that the aforementioned water-giving vase would be resplendent with color amidst the sweltering heat of Ho Chi Minh City in the coming time.

Photo: HIEN ANH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/troi-nhu-do-lua-bong-mat-diu-voi-binh-nuoc-da-duoi-gian-hoa-xanh-20240315185116612.htm