Hundreds of people from Lang Nu, Phuc Khanh commune enjoyed Pho Yeu Thuong – Photo: NGUYEN KHANH
Left, right, left, right… after about 7749 turns along the winding road, we arrived at Phuc Khanh Primary and Secondary School, Bao Yen District, Lao Cai.
Departing from Ho Chi Minh City at 2am when it was still dark, our Pho Yeu Thuong group arrived when it was just getting dark.
The baby is always looking forward to a bowl of pho
After a 2,000km journey with dizzying winding roads and landslides that forced the whole group to push the cart uphill, we finally arrived at the school where more than 300 children are studying.
That school has more than 100 students from Nu village - the village that suffered the most in the recent storm No. 3 Yagi.
Hello teacher, hello uncle. We were greeted by dozens of greetings from children from grades 1 to 9 who were busy cleaning the school yard and arranging tables and chairs to prepare for tomorrow's pho meal.
Every child eagerly wandered around the pho stalls to watch the uncles and aunts clean up and prepare the utensils. This trip was more special than usual because we had meticulously brought hundreds of kilograms of bones and meat from Saigon to cook pho.
Partly because of the time constraints, and partly because I wanted to be proactive in bringing the full flavor of pho to the children.
The bitter cold of the Northwest tore through our thin coats, but it could not cool our enthusiasm, and the pho cooking process began immediately.
The 20 largest pots in the commune were mobilized to cook the bones for tomorrow. While I was busy blanching the bones, a boy tiptoed over and asked me a question that made me hesitate for a few seconds: "Uncle, will you come back here next year to cook pho again?"
Her question was very innocent but also very understanding. She gave us a deadline until next year to come back and cook pho, not next week or next month because she understood that we came from very far away.
But it's still hard for me to be sure of anything with you, because for you, a promise is a very sacred thing. You will always look forward to a bowl of pho that you won't be able to eat again until next year, or maybe many years later.
Luckily, my homeroom teacher saved me. He said: "You guys try to be good and study well. When you grow up, you will be like me, travel everywhere, and eat lots of delicious pho."
The answer still makes me think hard. For them, studying is the only way to escape poverty. At midnight, I fell asleep with my arms aching from cutting meat and her random questions still lingering in my mind.
Pho S cooks pho in the highlands – Photo: NGUYEN KHANH
Uncle, next year Pho Love will come again!
At 3am, what woke me up was not the alarm clock from my phone that had no signal, but the cold, the bitter cold of the Northwest.
I crawled up while it was still dark to continue preparing the pot of Pho Beloved . A special “request” from the district committee was sent to us last night, which was the wish to bring 200 bowls of Pho to the army units and workers who were rushing day and night to build the new Nu Village so that people could quickly settle down and rebuild their lives.
We immediately agreed. At 7am, hot bowls of pho were delivered to the soldiers and workers who had been on duty for 3 months at the new Lang Nu construction site.
Handshakes and thanks were quickly exchanged so we could quickly return to the school, where thousands of people and children were waiting.
As soon as we arrived, we immediately started doing what we do best – “selling pho”. The 0-dong bowls of pho were brought to the table by the 8th and 9th graders to serve to the elderly in the village and the children who were eagerly waiting.
Pho Thin Bo Ho (Hanoi), Pho 34 Cao Thang (HCMC), Pho S (Ngoc Linh ginseng) together make bowls of pho in the middle of the new Lang Nu construction site - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH
All kinds of trays are used to serve pho, from styrofoam box lids to large pot lids that the children take turns using to carry steaming bowls of pho.
“Uncle, come back next year!” – a girl’s clear voice rang out, making me emotional. That sentence was like a reminder of my responsibility to the community.
Looking at the bright faces and innocent smiles enjoying a hot bowl of pho in the freezing cold, all fatigue seems to disappear.
More than 2,000 bowls of pho were given away, not only as a warm meal but also as the affection and sharing of the children of the South for the land and people here.
The sparkling eyes of the children, the tight handshakes of the elderly, the sincere words of thanks from the teachers, all created a warm and meaningful morning.
We know that today's bowl of pho cannot ease all the difficulties that the children and people here are facing, but we hope it will be a beautiful memory, a small motivation for the children to try harder on their path of learning.
When the sun rose high, it was time for us to say goodbye. The bus rolled away, leaving the small school and the warm people, in the hearts of each member of the Pho Thuong group, there was an indescribable feeling.
This journey of Pho Yeu Thuong has ended with profound memories, valuable lessons and above all, the flame of enthusiasm will continue to burn forever in everyone's heart, so that warm bowls of pho will reach more and more people in the lands that need sharing.
The image of clear eyes, bright smiles, and the words "Uncle, next year you and beloved Pho will come again!" will always be the motivation for us to continue this meaningful journey.
Many people in Lang Nu village ate pho for the first time.
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