Tet — Gifts for the Lunar New Year

It's my sixth year with my base rooted in Vietnam. The people I've been indebted to are countless. One person who helped me a great deal when I first came to Vietnam is Mr./Ms. TH. I'm grateful that our family-to-family friendship still continues to this day. Last month, when I went to pay my end-of-year greetings, the niece — the daughter of TH's older sister TR — had grown up so much, and when she showed such consideration for a foreigner who can't speak Vietnamese, I truly felt the passage of time. I had baked matcha cookies using plenty of the matcha that's become so hugely popular, and while the kids were delighted at the sound of it, the sweetness and buttery flavor were a bit weak, so their reaction was so-so. Still, when they told me "but it's delicious," I couldn't help but feel how much they've grown. As I was leaving, my niece H asked me, "HO, what color do you like?" When I answered "lotus green," a color I came to love after coming to Vietnam, it seemed the term hadn't caught on among Vietnamese people, so I answered, "it's green." And what's more, not a poppy green, but — befitting a madam — a deep green is what I like. I thought this was just idle chit-chat, but apparently it was a mission to draw the answer out for her mother. That's because this morning I got a message from TH saying, "I'm sending you some clothes, so please accept them~." And this is what arrived.

So TR is a very skillful lady who tailors and alters clothes. During the Lunar New Year, they're a family where the three sisters make ao dai from matching fabric. And this ao dai is one that TR made for me. Honestly, I was so surprised. It fits perfectly, too. And it comes with a necklace!

I'm so happy to be able to associate with such warm-hearted and very kind Vietnamese people. Just as I was thinking, "I really should start making these properly soon~" (since so many of my staff are getting married...). More than anything, I'm truly grateful. To start with, I'm going to wear it like crazy for this year's Lunar New Year lol Expat Life Ranking