When until October?

“When Will October Come?” is the title of a famous Vietnamese psychological and social film directed by artist Dang Nhat Minh, first released in 1984, and is one of 18 Asian films named “Best of All Time” by CNN.

On social media, a journalist and writer of the humorous short story “When will October come?” satirically joked about the “graduation” of the first full-time journalism bachelor of Vietnamese journalism.

“When will October come” according to the funny short story: In October 1973, the resistance war against the US to save the country entered its final stage, the whole country prepared for the General Offensive and Uprising, liberating the South and unifying the country, the first class of regular bachelors graduated. Many reporters - bachelors of journalism at that time followed the main army corps to participate in the Ho Chi Minh campaign, liberating Saigon, witnessing the unconditional surrender of the enemy. Half a century later, everyone became grandparents, many journalists and managers became famous, famous in their profession.

In October 2023, reporters - graduates who went to war 50 years ago, now "Old Journalists" from all over the country returned to their old school in Hanoi to celebrate the life of journalists. Journalist Tran Ba Lan, head of the journalism department at that time, 94 years old, walking as briskly as ever, brought a box of books "Heavy Love and Deep Affection" to give to the students:

- This 50-year graduation reunion is rare and precious, when their journalism careers have become famous and recognized by society. The "old" journalists from far away come to meet, joyful and happy as if they were going to a festival.

No one told anyone, and no rules were issued, but the old ladies chose to wear their most beautiful ao dai; the old men wore suits and journalist shirts, shouldering their equipment such as cameras and video cameras to take souvenir photos, celebrating the reunion. With white hair, leaning on canes, and even using wheelchairs, the old ladies still called each other by their school nicknames loudly, echoing throughout the schoolyard.

"Old" Mrs. Cuc Huong forgot to eat and sleep to mobilize the whole family, her children and grandchildren worked hard to make a souvenir photo book "Wish for Time to Return" to give to her old colleagues. The images of each person - appearing in their youth and old age - intertwined vividly. The color photo book of Cuc Huong survived the flood in October in the Central region, in time to go to Hanoi for the class reunion. "Old" Mrs. To, who was a leader of the Youth Volunteers on the East - West Truong Son fire coordinates, mobilized all forces to make a color photo clip to commemorate and show it at the meeting. MN's son sent it to his uncles and aunts to ask for more editing opinions, MH's daughter rented a projector for her mother, and MP's youngest daughter will be the technician to deliver the wide-screen clip, on time for the opening of the 50-year meeting.

Journalist Ngoc Dan, author of the precious historical photos of the great victory day of April 30, 1975, excitedly calls out to you:

- Ladies and gentlemen, come here and I will take a photo of you with gray hair and wrinkled skin.

Photographer Tran Hong, author of 300 photos of General Vo Nguyen Giap's daily life, rushed from the school gate, holding his camera high:

- Old gentlemen, be quiet, smile, move closer together so we can take a photo!

So we took pictures, filmed, talked, and joked around endlessly: "How many grandchildren do you have?", "That old man is a great-grandfather, and has 3 great-grandchildren already", "Back then, the school forbade love, but you still secretly fell madly in love with T., now let us kiss", "We rode bicycles from Ha Tay to Nghe An, 3 days and nights, it was so easy!".

In October 1969, the Party School recruited 300 students to study journalism and publishing. In October 1973, they graduated, then went to the battlefield, and spread to press and publishing agencies across the country. More than 50 journalists and editors heroically sacrificed themselves on the battlefields and passed away due to old age and serious illness. Nearly a dozen comrades returned from the battlefield bravely but now quietly passed away in the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. When meeting, the representative of the liaison committee loudly shouted solemnly, taking a moment of silence to remember their fellow students who sacrificed and went to the eternal place. The solemn music of the martyrs' souls rose. The atmosphere seemed to be heavy, and tears fell!

The old men and women went on stage to sing and recite poems about student life. Colleagues Tam Xuan - Vu Dat, Ngoc Dan, Bui Viet, Huu Que, Vu Huong, To Ha... held wine and tea parties to entertain friends at the "Half-century" reunion. Youth has the joy of youth. Old age has the generosity of old age. Love for colleagues takes flight with the years: Living beautifully, living happily, living kindly for life.

When is October, my friend…

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