The nostalgia the sea brings
In my twenties, I had the opportunity to visit many beautiful beaches and famous coastal cities in the world. When I was carefree, tapping my feet and watching the waves in a strange land, I realized how much nature had blessed my hometown's sea.
I have an inherent habit, no matter where I go, no matter how intoxicated I am by the strange scenery, I still secretly set aside a space in my mind to think about my hometown.
It must be said that there are few places that have all the natural privileges like the Central Coast of Vietnam: long, gentle sandy beaches, white sand, clear blue water, fresh seafood...
Unfortunately, despite being fortunate enough to have all those natural favors, my Tam Thanh beach is like a hidden muse. “She” rarely appears on travel news sites and is even less mentioned on investment forums.
I tried to search on Google for the keyword “resort investment in Tam Thanh, Tam Ky”. As expected, the results returned were not very relevant. Having traveled to many places, witnessed the bustling wave of the “neighboring” cities in the area heading towards the sea, I could not help but look forward to investment signals to break through the coastal tourism of my hometown, worthy of the natural potential that Tam Thanh has. That was my thought about 10 years ago.
In recent years, when I revisit the famous coastal tourist cities that I used to love when I was young, I suddenly feel… overwhelmed. Forests have fallen, and streets have sprung up, encroaching on the water’s edge.
There was a place where I walked along the coastal road in a city and it was so "closed off" that there was no public path leading down to the sea, only project walls.
When I found a small path between two resorts to enter a residential beach area, I still couldn't relax and listen to the sound of the waves because of the noise nearby.
The sound of car horns from the street above, the sound of drilling machines re-paving the sidewalk, plus the bass sound of speakers pounding straight into my chest from the nearby beach bars... I shook my head, thinking that I no longer loved the sea.
Tam Thanh the day we meet again
This summer, I returned to Tam Thanh. From the center of Tam Ky city, I had to open Google map to find the way. The road to the sea was now wide open. About a kilometer away, I could faintly smell the sea mixed with the wind. Going a little further, I could hear the sound of waves crashing, before directly seeing the sea shimmering under the midday sun.
The journey of the homeland welcomes the footsteps of those who have gone far away to return through each solemn step: scent - sound - image. The space suddenly evokes in me very clearly memories of the old days.
I turned into a simple family restaurant near the beach.
The restaurant owner honestly said: "Today, my restaurant has fresh and delicious squid, please enjoy some." Just as she said, the fresh curved squid dish only needs to be steamed, with a little bit of herbs and pepper to be full of flavor.
The way of cooking is similar to the way of life of the people here: simple, generous, original, and not mixed.
“Can you eat it? Just let me know if you need anything,” she asked while holding her child, then turned to talk to her husband. I thanked her, not only for the plate of fresh and sweet squid or the bowl of fragrant fish sauce mixed to perfection. But unintentionally, she gave me a ticket back to Tam Thanh 30 years ago, just like when I was a child.
I read books and learned that the natural appeal of the ocean does not lie in entertainment or modern conveniences. Many scientific studies have proven why the ocean has a “natural healing” power for humans.
The ocean is the origin of life on Earth, marine flora provides half of the oxygen we breathe. So loving the ocean is as natural as breathing.
Biophilia, a term used by Erich Fromm and expanded upon by Edward O. Wilson, emphasizes that connection and closeness to nature is an integral part of human happiness.
Unfortunately, the rapid urbanization in other coastal cities has brought plastic, steel, concrete, glass, etc., which are gradually overshadowing the pristine beauty of the ocean and fading away local cultural values.
Leaving the small shop, I put away my phone, rolled up my pants above my knees, walked barefoot to the water's edge to pick up seashells and let my heart melt away with each wave...
I suddenly remembered my impatience with the quietness of Tam Thanh in my twenties, and felt so young and naive. If Tam Thanh also enthusiastically joined the race of concreting and urbanization like other places, how could it preserve its precious pristine beauty?
I stood there absentmindedly looking at the Tam Thanh waves, feeling the sounds of the streets, sirens, construction sites, email notifications... that had always haunted my mind suddenly fade away and disappear in my heart.
There are only rows of casuarina trees rustling in the wind, small sand crunching underfoot, the sound of fishermen shouting as they pull their nets, and the gentle waves lapping...
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