Illustration by Trịnh Lập

by Nguyễn Mỹ Hà

It was my first time back in Hồ Chí Minh City, a few years after the pandemic. Our Grab taxi driver initiated a conversation, complaining that the previous rider ordered a pickup at the airport, but he had just landed so it'd take a while before he could get out of the airport.

We tried to ease his frustration by suggesting that the rider’s over-cautiousness allowed us to get a ride quickly, so neither side had to wait. Our approach, or perhaps our accent, seemed to calm him down, and he began to open up, sharing more than we expected.

"I'm from Nam Định," he asserted with a strong Saigonese accent. Nam Định is a populous province in northern Việt Nam, known for its historical significance and textile industry during the French colonial period. It was also the homeland of the Trần Dynasty (1226-1400), which repelled the Mongol invasions.

The driver continued, "Our grandparents moved here from Xuân Trường, Kiên Lao parish." I responded, "I've been to Kiên Lao," a rich and growing Catholic diocese where many large churches have been built in the past decade. One new church I visited could accommodate 1,500 people, replacing a 200-year-old wooden church that held only 250. Despite some nostalgia for the historic church, most parishioners appreciated the new, spacious facility for Sunday masses.

Then he said, "We were anti-communists, but not any more." This blunt statement was surprising, especially for a short drive from the airport to downtown HCM City.

He elaborated on his family’s journey from Nam Định to settle in a neighbourhood with many other Catholic families. They followed their religious leaders who cooked up the story that Jesus Christ had moved south, prompting them to relocate as well [the exodus of northern Catholics to the South in 1954]. Despite many hardships, his family eventually established themselves in the southern land.

"Some of my uncles call me to make some northern dishes for a drink," he said. "I know how to make nem bundles, our delicacy from Nam Định."

The nem he referred to is different from the crispy deep-fried spring rolls known as Nem Sài Gòn. In the north, nem is a preserved delicacy -- pork meat, lard and skin slightly fermented by ground roasted rice -- mentioned in traditional literature. A popular saying has it that when a man from the north travels on his way, holding a nem bundle and a rice liquor gourd, he will forget everything.

Hearing a man in his 40s with a heavy southern accent speak about preserving northern traditions touched me. He continued, "I visited Nam Định last month, but it was too hot and stuffy, and I had so many uncles to visit. Each visit involved a big feast until I couldn’t take it any more. After a few visits, I had to skip my planned trip to Hạ Long Bay to return home."

"We (meaning our northern uncles) can get offended if I visit his cousin, but not his home. Self-pride means a great deal to us northerners," he continued in the southern accent.

Now he touched my northern nerves here, where I too, know quite well how a few shots of rice liquor can quickly turn loving cousins into those keen on small annoying quarrels.

"Some of my uncles from Nam Định have moved here," he continued. "They worked hard and are now well-off, with new cars and big houses. They call me to drink and celebrate, showing their love for me as their nephew.

As we got closer to our destination, our conversation gradually faded.

"I studied Han Chinese in university, and now I work as tour-guide for Chinese businessmen who come here from mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. They often bring valuable Chinese liquor to me as gifts, and they get happy when I gift them our speciality coffee. I often gift them coffee and not tea because China has great teas and people tend to stay with their personal flavours," he said.

"The pandemic hit HCM City hardest," he said before we parted. "As a guide, I met many people who seem more generous now because COVID made life so fragile. You're here today and who knows where tomorrow. Be kind while you still can!"

These words from a local made me reflect. Despite the job losses, broken production chains, and families losing breadwinners, we were fortunate to meet a driver who simply exuded positivity while keeping his religious faith, and love for the country. VNS