The heat of about 36 degrees Celsius has been going on for a few days, making people tired of living in temporary, cramped houses in Binh Thanh (HCMC).
The village is located in Alley 184, Nguyen Xi Street, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, with dozens of households. They live crowded in makeshift motels several square meters wide. The house is cramped, hot weather makes the elderly and children tired. At noon, everyone couldn’t seem to sleep. They gathered to a housing area with shaded trees above to shelter from the sun. 
The houses here are roofed with metal roofs, they look old and quite tidy, the walls are also very old. Many apartments are dilapidated, about to deteriorate or are directly exposed to sunlight. 
Mrs. Tran Thi Diem (80 years old), working as a cicada picker – a resident of the village, has been tired for the past few days. “It is very hot at noon, especially around 13:00. My house only has a small fan but it is already damaged. Now I have to use a fan to dispel the heat,” said Diem. 
A house about 6 square meters wide but has quite a few people They said that they could not sleep because of the heat at noon, and had to lie down to rest, surf the entertainment phone. In the afternoon and evening, they were pouring out onto the street, practicing picking cicadas. 
This is not the main residence of the “cicadas residents”. Most of them rented again for about 1.5 million VND / unit. The inn has not been repaired for many years, so it is dilapidated, empty first, open back. 
Mrs. Thuan complains that the house she rented is now no longer a place to avoid sunlight and rain effectively. She repeatedly asked the landlord to fix it, but it was not agreed. 
Ms. Anh Mai, a resident of this homestay for nearly 20 years, wishes to find a better place to live in her old age. However, she said that it was just a wish, a dream. She herself has absolutely no money to move. 
A man in the neighborhood reinforced a plastic canvas on the roof. Many people here expect hot weather to pass soon. 
A woman covered her towel as she went outside to look for her loved one. “I am old, must know how to protect my health, avoid the heat to avoid colds,” she said. 
The fan works at full capacity in high outdoor temperatures. The houses are temporary, with no economic conditions, most of the residents in the neighborhood do not use air conditioners. 
Mrs. Chao and her husband talked at noon. Usually, she said, this is the time when her family rested after many hours of wandering on the road to pick up bottles. 
Ms. Chao complained that the electricity bill will be raised about 1.5 times more than last month. This puts people on even more of a burden. 
Despite the sun at 13 noon, Ms. Quyet (72 years old, who lives in the village) still goes to the street to pick up and buy scrap materials. She said that she is old, has no children, no accumulated assets, so she still has to make a living. 
Like Mrs. Quyet, some people in the village struggled to work in the hot sun. 
The poor village is close to temporary houses, and is home to dozens of households who practice picking cicadas in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.
You must log in to post a comment.