Illustration I thought that the flower shop only appeared in the novels of Khai Hung – Nhat Linh a few decades ago. Or in the movie “Carrying flowers”, even though it is made of black and white material, it still looks colorful. However, the flower shop is still heavy, fluttering, quickly following in the footsteps of the street florist every season. Carrying flowers in the middle of Hanoi makes people suddenly wonder, for the past few decades, the shopkeeper has carried flowers and traveled through time and space until now. Also strange, the era of the throne of four-wheelers makes the street always congested with traffic and dust. Carrying sticky rice, carrying street vendors in the city and even in the countryside, “turned to life” into bicycles, besides the flower carriages that are both convenient for the people and bring their own beauty to Hanoi, there are still beautiful women. faithful to their grandparents’ thousands of years of traditional agricultural transportation. To be honest, I’m grateful to you guys. Every morning when forced to squeeze in the flow of people, the line of cars zigzag like a giant snake, twisting or bulging anywhere, if on the small street Bui Xuong Trach, along Nguyen Luong Bang, Kham Thien often goes to the old town, but I don’t see a couple of flowers, my heart feels lacking, a little empty. Because of something, every time I have to wait for gas, traffic jams, and even go to the landfill, I find myself falling in love with this city a little less. Illustration So, every day I look forward to “my” florists. Usually, the women come out from the small alleys, deep in the fields and gardens of Dinh Cong village, Lu village (Kim Giang) along the To Lich river. Although that river has become the horror of the city, the flowers grown here are still as fragrant as when the ancestors of the Hoang, Nguyen, and Hong families came to reside and established hamlets and villages, in the time of Than Sieu. Nguyen Van Sieu) with the honor of the golden board, when the three brothers Tran Dien, Tran Dien, and Tran Hoa taught goldsmithing and were worshiped by the people as their ancestors. Sometimes flowers are brought from the wholesale markets of Long Bien or Quang Ba. Or sometimes the flowers are still wet with wind and dew in the suburbs because early this morning she is in high spirits, she goes down to Me Linh flower village to cut them. But they all put them on the burden. In any season, it doesn’t have to be on a full moon day to be expensive. Flowers have become an indispensable daily need of Hanoians. Round one round from the beginning of the house to the end of the street is over. Buyers are familiar with the face and know the quality of flowers, so they pick them up. “Priceless flowers, priceless fish”, what to bargain for, add or subtract a few dong to do, when that time, we can talk about life and people’s stories. I love these florists because, the flowers on the burden are usually fresh, clearly visible to the eyes, not wrapped in newspaper, plastic paper only sees the root and top, sometimes bringing back branches and falling flowers every day. direction as sidewalk flowers, “bicycle” flowers. Never bought flowers, but every day we meet and become acquainted, smile and greet each other, this season compliments that the chrysanthemum is beautiful, the pink is so plump, the dahlia is so fresh to the eyes… When I take pictures, you don’t bowed, shook his head again. What is more relaxing for the soul than a sunny and record-hot afternoon like this, sitting in a small cafe in the old town, looking out at the crowds of people and cars out there and catching the image of a “carry” flower” slowly passed before my eyes. You will see that all the hardships, sorrows, and very small angers are nothing compared to the two bent poles and the sweaty back of the shirt. These flower girls do not need to be novelized like Lien in the love story “Carrying flowers” that makes many people dream and mourn. They are also aware that they are beautifying the street or not, that I cannot guess. Only know, after those flower shops, how many needs of her family’s daily life are imitated by every footstep walking around the streets. And on March 8 every year, when the whole world honors women, stylish and luxurious flower bouquets are crowned, does the florist have to shoulder another dull day? And even so, I know, the next morning, the florist will still tilt her hat, smiling brightly on the busy road.

In the series of “slowly living” days, restricting movement, the cult beauties are still constantly refining their everyday style. A garden or basement parking can become an ideal place for beauties to show off their figure. The costumes with high applicability of the series of beautiful women will also bring interesting inspiration to the devotees. Prominent in the formulas of Vietnamese stars last week can be mentioned such as blue colors, flying inspired dresses or combos with wide-leg jeans … Thanh Hang “exploded” her impressive figure in an eye-catching blue maxi dress. The supermodel favors a ton-sur-ton bag, emphasizing the youthful style with a cap and high-heeled boots. High-waisted dress with front buttons, slightly vintage, is the choice to help Huyen My show off her slim figure on a leisurely and relaxed day. Hanh Sino exploits the advantage of a slim waist and slim figure with a dress with a slim waist and a graceful strap design. She completed the retro-inspired outfit with a boater hat, combined with cute bow-tie high heels. The ombre-dyed elastic dress is coordinated by Ha Thu with a short cardigan according to the matchy-matchy formula. The addition is simple but helps the beauties highlight the “golden spots” of the body. The camisole dress not only helps Truc Anh show off her bare shoulders, but also highlights the charm and femininity of the screen muse. Before returning to Vietnam, Khanh Van was still able to “drop in shape” on the street with a strong street style outfit. Tight crop top and jeans, plus sneakers, are the ideal combo for beauties to take their dog for a walk on American streets. Huyen Lizzie shows off her toned bust with a pair of crop tops and wide-leg pants. She also emphasizes her “cool” look with mirrored glasses, dynamic makeup with sneakers and an armpit bag. Crop top is also Quynh Luong’s first choice in the summer. The beauty born in 1995 wore a unique cropped top with jeans, mixed with padded sports shoes full of personality. Wide tube jeans are always a “treasure” showing off Minh Trieu’s undefeated long legs. Dressed in a high-waisted design, with a light bear mix, the supermodel chose a “plug in the box” shirt according to the “one-for-one” formula. The beauty did not forget to coordinate with inner strap sandals, an “expensive” piece to complete the trendy outfit. Tra Ngoc Hang also mixes jeans with T-shirts, choosing basic items to mix with high-heeled sandals. She brightened up the outfit with a 1955 Horsebit bag and a Gucci belt, adding stylish large sunglasses. The wide-necked dress was impressively modified by Yen Nhi thanks to the combination with a cap and a combination of loafer shoes and high socks. The set of minimalist clothes helps the singer “cheat” her age in a spectacular way, highlighting her liberal, schoolgirl-like appearance. Diem Trang refreshes the office style with a white vest and shorts. The runner mixes the outfit with matching high-collar boots, creating a harmony with the ton-sur-ton mane with the overall. A series of accessories from earrings, necklaces to pastel-colored Chanel bags all make the set “expensive”, making the beauty more luxurious and elegant. Perform: Ngoc Pham

The streets of Saigon this season are filled with oil petals. Oil flowers (brown peas) were planted by the French in Saigon during the colonial period on the poetic streets of Alexandre de Rhodes, Le Duan, Pham Ngoc Thach, Paster… Biking in the afternoon, oil flowers falling on the shoulders and the skirts of schoolgirls fluttering in the wind are images that evoke many memories of many generations of Saigon people. The area in front of the City Post Office is poetic with castor wings covered. Although the COVID-19 epidemic has made the area around Con Rua Lake and in front of the City Post Office no longer as bustling as before, it still paints a poetic picture of a peaceful and sobbing oil flower season. Just a light breeze, each petal of oil gently fell on the hair of the office worker, on the street vendors, and then landed on the sprawling brick floor. Young people enjoy taking pictures with oil flowers. The oil flower season reminds me of many memories of my school days, Diem Quynh (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) shared: “Every afternoon, after school, with my best friend, each child has a bag of rice paper. One day, the oil flower fell into a plastic bag, closed her eyes, picked it up, and picked it up to think of laksa leaves, the two burst into laughter. A gentle breeze blew, oil flowers falling on her hair. Perhaps that image is the best memory of my 12th grade year and will never be forgotten.” Some young people take advantage of borrowing background Poetic oil flowers to make lookbook photos. Some teenagers also call oil flowers with cute names like pinwheel flowers, wind flowers, and crop flowers. Oily flowers have thin yellow-brown wings and are divided into many types of black stars, brown cherries, and otters. In Saigon, many hundred-year-old oil trees create shade for the people of the city Many oil trees on the streets of Saigon are as old as our grandparents. The trunk of the tree stands tall and upright, catching each light breeze and then spreading the foliage like the hair of a young girl who suddenly dropped her hairpin, which are beautiful oil flowers.

For the people of Hanoi, summer is not only the season of the brilliant red phoenix, the faithful purple mausoleum or the golden canary flower in a corner of the sky, but also the most brilliant lotus flower season. In the last days of May, on many alleys and street corners of the capital, we can easily see street vendors with all kinds of white lotuses and pink lotuses gently blooming. On the streets of Hanoi such as Lac Long Quan, Thuy Khue, Hoang Hoa Tham, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Phan Dinh Phung … began to see the appearance of pink lotus bouquets both strange and familiar. The early summer lotus has not yet fully bloomed, but it is still shy in the breath of nature, and still has pure pearl-like dew drops on it. Loads of flower vendors roaming the streets are both gentle, rustic and bring the unique nature of Hanoi. In the area of ​​Quang Ba flower market (Tay Ho) lotus also began to be sold a lot. The image of the lotus flower has long been associated with folk songs and proverbs, associated with the life and people of Vietnam in general and the Ha Thanh people in particular. For every child of the capital, the pure beauty of the lotus flower is one of the indispensable wonderful things when summer comes. The lotus season usually lasts until the beginning of September, but the most beautiful and fragrant flower period is from the end of May to the second half of June. Bach Diep lotus (Quan Am lotus) has a darker pink color with many layers of small petals and a mild fragrance. In addition to pink lotus, white lotus is also very popular. White lotus is native to India, lotus pond owners said, if well cared for, the plant can grow to nearly 2 meters, the roots crawl horizontally under the water about 3 meters. Referring to Hanoi lotus, people often refer to West Lake lotus. But West Lake lotus flowers often bloom late, so at this time, the street vendors are usually imported from Tu Liem, Thanh Tri, Thuong Tin… The flower buds are nestled on the green foliage. Lotus has many uses: Lotus petals are used to decorate dishes, while the rhizome (lotus lotus root) can be used to process many delicious dishes such as soups, soups, stir-fries… Stamens are dried. dried and used to make tea. Lotus seeds can be made milk, dried as raw materials, made medicine… For tea marinating, lotus at the beginning of the season is the most quintessential gift that heaven and earth have bestowed on the people of this region. The flowers have just bloomed, hundreds of petals are cupped, entwined when the fragrance is still bold and sweetest. At the beginning of the season, because the lotus has not yet bloomed, the price is quite high, ranging from 50,000 to 80,000 VND/bundle of 10 flowers. Even many bouquets cost up to over 100,000 VND if you want to add a lotus flower. Cars full of lotus flowers roaming the streets attracting a large number of people to see and choose to buy. The scent of lotus, who has missed it, lingers forever.

Recently, on a social networking group for people who like to grow clean vegetables at home, a member posted 2 pictures of “unique” roots and asked: “Has anyone eaten rubber? What out? ” Looking at the image of a tuber with brown skin, peeled white, and powdered like tapioca (tapioca) has made many netizens skeptical: “chayote have tubers?”; “Never heard of a condom”; … However, it is true that someone has made a very delicious stewed chayote soup with bone. They even shared that the rubber that was cooked up to eat had a very unique chewy taste. Latex is formed from the bulging root portion of a plant, usually planted over a year and has a new good nutrition for the tubers. Each bulb weighs 200 ounces to both pounds and is edible like any other vegetable. Perhaps it’s because people are so accustomed to how to collect fruit and rubber on a high platform without even knowing that there are edible rubber under the ground. Latex is not a surprising rare case in the online community. Before that, some other foods also made many people “eyes wide open” because they first knew the origin. County é A familiar food but perhaps few people know where “origin” gathered from, that is seed é. The é seed is a seed of the thyme family (Occimum gratissimum). This plant also has many other names such as white basil, white basil, hairy basil, hairy basil, … This is a subspecies of the familiar basil plant to us. Green basil, also known as white basil, is different from purple basil, because the stem is white and has feathers. While the basil plant is purple in color, the stem is smooth, hairless. White leaves are also an indispensable ingredient in the famous chicken hotpot in Tuy Hoa (Phu Yen), Da Lat (Lam Dong) … Potatoes Potato vines, also known as wild potatoes, are air potatoes. These potatoes do not grow into tubers underground, but bear fruit on trees. In Vietnam, there are also many families growing this plant. Potatoes with scientific name is Dioscorea bulbifera, the same family with yams and originated from Florida, USA. The tuber appearance is quite similar to the potato we often use. However, the vines have a hard outer shell, underneath the brown skin is the green skin. Peel off this blue skin and you can use it. This climbing potato has a bitter taste, but when cooked carefully removes that bitterness. They are most commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry. Watermelon climbing scaffold The image of watermelon lying crawling on the ground like “little pigs” is too familiar. So you might not have expected these round watermelons, dangling from a trellis this high. In Vietnam, the model of growing trellis watermelon was first experimentally planted in Phu Tan district (An Giang), directly cultivated by farmer Nguyen Thanh Phong. This is one of the promising models, suggesting a new transformation direction to bring high economic value to farmers. Because watermelon belongs to the gourd family, it has very good clinging ability. The trellis cucumbers are of moderate size, suitable for the consumer needs of the people. Potato melon Cucumbers potato scientific name is Cucumis sativus little potato, originated from India. Despite being like a melon, but due to the shape of the fruit is like … a potato, it has been Vietnameseized as a potato cucumber. Potato cucumbers are just as easy to grow and care as a traditional cucumber. The unique fruit shape is also loved by many people to grow as an ornamental plant and as a delicious food. This exotic cucumber has a cool taste and aroma like lemon, and is a popular food used in salads, smoothies, as food decorations. Asparagus tree Asparagus is considered the nutritional emperor of vegetables, is a favorite dish of many people because it is very healthy. Asparagus trees are shrubs, soft conifers, and shoots that grow from the ground up to be used as foods of high nutritional value. However, perhaps not many people know that the willow branches, bamboo shoots, used by flower shops to attach with roses, lotus flowers, and in the old days used to arrange flowers in weddings were the leaves of asparagus this.

In the summer of 2019, after six years I went back to Copenhagen, Denmark, to visit Mr. and Mrs. Ulla-Stina and Jorgen Nilsson, my big friends. From the airport, just getting off the Frederiksberg metro station, was bewildered when I saw Mr. Jorgen, tall and skinny, with his back cuffed slightly, coming. His face was gentle, his eyes were smoky green, his hair was rippled with white clouds. He opened his arms to welcome me, lovingly said: “Hello Little Na, welcome home!” (Hi Na, welcome home!). I rushed forward, hugged him, my chest choked with love. My grandparents called me Na, the name that my parents and those closest to me would call me. With Mr. Jorgen and Mrs. Ulla, I have always been the little Na. I met my grandparents more than ten years ago at Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, Hanoi. Grandparents are tourists, visiting the Temple of Literature right on Vietnamese Poetry Day, buying my book “Thorns in Dreams” at the bookshop. At that time, “The Thorns of Dreams” was the only book of bilingual Vietnamese-English poetry on sale. When knowing that the author of the book is also present at the Temple of Literature, Mr. and Mrs. Nilsson expressed their wish to meet. Fate has allowed us to become old friends ever since, through poetry. Mr. Jorgen is quite old, his ears cannot hear well, he has to use hearing aids. He was much slower, but still grabbed me my suitcase all the way from the metro station, going home two bus stops, up four floors. Your apartment has three bedrooms, airy, many windows, at 17B Pile Allé Street, in an old house without an elevator, the front facing the street, the back facing into a spacious courtyard, with garden Flowers and fruit trees were scattered along the gravel paths. Mrs. Ulla had her hair cut neatly, her eyes were pure brown, her smile was bright, her figure was still quite agile, but these three years had begun to forget. Last time I came to play, I still spoke English comfortably with her about all kinds of things in the world. But this time, there were very simple words, like “breakfast”, but she kept thinking about it, so she said “the meal of the morning”. Everything during the day, she recorded in the little notebook in the black leather wallet, she took it out from time to time. That year, she turned eighty, on July 13. He turned eight and six, on August 29. But the Sunday I was there, August 25, grandparents’ daughters, Mette and Lotte will hold a special birthday party, shared for parents, with about twenty guests. That is why I traveled a thousand miles to be in Copenhagen. The “mine” room in the house has a west-facing window overlooking Frederiksberg Park and the Danish Royal Summer Castle. Ten thousand young trees planted in a large pot next to the bookshelf a few years ago, was still small, now it has spread its branches and leaves all over the wall, all over the bed, giving me the feeling of being lost in the middle of a hanging garden. On the chair, Mrs. Ulla left me towels and nightgowns, and on the table there was a book “Tales From Moominvalley” by Tove Jansson – a famous Finnish female writer, a family album, a map of Copenhagen and a card. old. I realized that it was the card I sent to celebrate Jorgen’s birthday in 2014. In the album, I saw a lot of my photos – the photos I emailed every year, printed by my grandparents, stuck next to the pictures of the city. Take family members carefully, as many parents do. My eyes were suddenly stinging, but my heart was comforted, relaxed and peaceful. After all the tiring, I know, I always have a place in this warm house. With my grandparents, I often go to the kitchen to make some Vietnamese dishes such as fried spring rolls, bun cha, dried beef salad, rolls, chicken pho … Mrs. Ulla said, Vietnamese cuisine is attractive by freshness and boldness. Natural flavor momentum, which is extremely delicate. Grandparents are very impressed with the sweet and sour, sweet and sour sauce used in the dishes I’ve cooked. I decided this time to make Nam Bo beef noodle soup, which also needed a sweet and sour sauce. Called “Nam Bo Beef Noodles”, but I heard it was not a Southern dish, but was created by a woman from Hanoi several decades ago. This woman opened a noodle shop on Nam Bo Street (now Le Duan Street) in Hanoi. Then she sold more vermicelli with grilled beef, raw vegetables, sweet and sour fish sauce, pickled papaya. Over time, the dish changed, adding bean sprouts, roasted peanuts, scallions and stir-fried beef, as the version I know. Although the origin of this dish is still debated, it is one of the most popular Vietnamese dishes outside the border because of its refreshing taste and the harmonious blend of ingredients that make it. In the morning, Mrs. Ulla and I were walking leisurely along Vesterbrogade, a busy shopping street, which led up near the Central Station. Behind the station is an Asian store, a Vietnamese saleswoman, with a soft southern accent. There are nearly everything in the basics of cooking, but not as varied as the one at Tang Frères in Paris, and the price is much more expensive. For Mrs. Ulla, the Southern Beef Noodle Soup is too sophisticated and laborious. She asked me if this is for special occasions. When she knew it was a daily dish, she was very surprised and admired the patient meticulousness of Vietnamese women. Beef mixed into medium pieces, thinly sliced, marinated in oyster sauce, fish sauce, pepper, sugar, garlic and chopped lemongrass; When preparing to eat, stir-fry the meat. When the meat is cooked until it is curly, it will be straight ahead, lest it overheat. This dish uses the most delicious beef tenderloin, soft but firm, sweet and rich. Beef is soft everywhere, but pale. With beef, need to be thicker, when stir-fried will not be crumbled. Chopped dried onions, fragrant non-yellow; Roasted peanuts, scrubbed off the skin, crumbled, broken, do not pound well, so that when sprinkled in vermicelli, you can still enjoy the crispy crunch. Carrots, papaya, kohlrabi or cucumber, cut into flowers into beautiful leaves, shock with a little salt and soak in vinegar, sugar, chili to gobble. The process of mixing the sauce is very important, no matter how fresh and delicious the beef, the sauce lacks a bit of sourness, a little sweetness, or a lack of a bit of boldness, the dish will miss the beat, will “show” like the wrong singer. music. I often mix and taste, but do not have a specific quantitative ratio, because it depends on what kind of fish sauce and vinegar to use. To make the sauce bowl look attractive, beautiful, chili garlic must be dropped in the end, so that they will float like tiny white and red flowers floating on the smooth “lake surface”. And even though the vinegar is acidic enough, you should still squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice to make the sauce smell of nostalgic. Nam Bo beef noodle dish has a cool taste thanks to the combination with bean sprouts, lettuce and herbs of all kinds. All chirping, kicking up like a joyful bass note, merging into a full spectrum. We had a simple, cozy dinner, full of smiles, and a lot of tears. I do not put everything in the bowl, mix it up as usual, but set each item separately on a small plate. Each person took a little leisurely into their own bowl, sprinkled with sauce, and then enjoyed. Because the dish contained beef, Mr. Jorgen opened a bottle of Bordeaux wine from the line of Cabernet Sauvignon lightly. Slowly feel so many flavors tangled together, in the old wine yeast, how interesting it is! I feel at home. Mr. and Mrs. Nilsson are close and dear like my parents. I soaked, then translated the meaning for grandparents to listen to the song: “Who has ever been sweet and sour / Salty spicy ginger, please don’t forget each other”. Grandparents touched my hand touched. Mrs. Ulla said: “Na, you are like my wife’s third daughter. Thank you for this delicious dinner. Thank you for coming back, for being with us! ”. I drank quite a lot the night before, but I stayed up forever. I got up very early, opened the window, heard birds chirping from the canopy of trees in the park. The air is cold and pure. Looking down, Pile Allé is still quiet, quiet or someone bicycling, or a bus soars. The city is stirring, stretching and waking up … I buried my cheeks in a thin wool scarf wrapped around my shoulders, leaned over the windowsill, watching the sky blush. The sun began to slant from the east, across the intersection between Vesterbrogade and Pile Allé, gently covering the city with a dreamy golden glow. A new day really begins. I heard rattling in the kitchen, it was Mr. Jorgen making coffee. Then the sound of tiptoes softly walked toward my room. Mrs. Ulla knocked on the door, softly called: “Na, let’s get up for breakfast!” – “Yes, I’m out right now!”. Down the road, people passing by were more crowded. Sunny flooded all the way. The scent of coffee and toast caressed the air. This city has become so familiar to me! Here Mr. and Mrs. Nilsson gave me a roof, a warm kitchen, where I could return anytime …