Mr. Saadi Salama - Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam: A Vietnamese, "hometown" in Hanoi and a "old town guy"

Dear Ambassador Saadi Salama, I am very curious , what fate prompted a 19-year-old Palestinian to travel thousands of miles to study in a country struggling with the difficulties of a subsidized economy , 43 years ago ?

- The journalist's question immediately made me think of a very interesting Vietnamese concept: "co duyen". From a linguistic perspective, this concept is very difficult to translate into English. Co duyen is like "fate", but has much more cultural depth than this word. In the Vietnamese mind, a good encounter between each individual and a series of events in life is not only an arrangement of fate, belonging to profound, invisible factors, even a bit spiritual, but also a compatibility of the spirit and feelings of a person with life.

Looking back, I always thank fate for bringing me to Vietnam, as well as for making the two words Vietnam become the most important part of the life of a Palestinian boy. Because of fate, whether I have been away from Vietnam for 5 years or 17 years as it was, that land will always hold a sacred place in my heart.

Back to the question, since I was a 10-year-old student in Palestine, I have been very interested in the national liberation movement in the world, so I often pay attention to learning about Vietnam through television, books, and newspapers.

I remember very clearly the feeling of indignation when I learned about Operation Linebacker II, the US Air Force's massive attack on the entire North (Vietnam). When Vietnam won and completely unified the country in 1975, not only I, but the Palestinian people were happy to see the red flag with yellow star of Vietnam flying over the Independence Palace of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City.

We consider Vietnam's victories as our own, because that victory symbolizes independence, freedom and strongly inspires the Palestinian people. Although I never thought I would have the opportunity to visit Vietnam, Vietnam has been in my heart since those days.

After graduating from high school, I chose Vietnam and studied Vietnamese history and culture because of my desire to understand the thinking, personality, will and dignity of a nation that has waged great wars of national defense in history, always aiming for independence and peace .

Gradually, I became a person with a Vietnamese soul and Vietnam went deep into my heart, my mind, my reason, becoming my second homeland, no different from Palestine.

With sincerity, love and understanding of Hanoi and the Vietnamese people, he realized how his second homeland has changed in the past 43 years, since the young Palestinian man first met it ?

- The first time I came to Vietnam in 1980, I found the capital Hanoi very beautiful, gentle, peaceful, but I also felt that the Vietnamese people lived a hard life. The main means of transportation was bicycles, the tallest building was no more than 5 floors.

Nowadays, Hanoi is a dynamic city, with a high growth rate and much larger in both area and population than before. I was among the 1.5 million people living in Hanoi in the early 1980s and was fortunate to witness the changes of this city at every important turning point over the past forty years. Therefore, I always look at Hanoi with two emotions, joy about the innovation of a modern Hanoi and a bit of regret and nostalgia when the old features are gradually disappearing.

Hanoi of the 21st century is a colorful and diverse Hanoi. This is the capital and also the economic center of the North of Vietnam, which is continuously achieving success on the economic development path and affirming its national position. From a country that had to import foreign rice, mainly Indian rice with 5% broken rice, in the 1980s. Vietnam is now sometimes the first, sometimes the second in the world in rice export, depending on the season and contributes to ensuring global security when exporting the most seafood and agricultural products in the world, if looking at coffee, cashews, pepper... That is clearly a very brilliant success.

Seaports, airports, industrial parks, export processing zones... are springing up everywhere. Along with that, foreign investment capital is constantly pouring in here, associated with a series of big names from industries in Japan, Korea, the US, Singapore, Germany, France... According to a statistic I read, in the 32 years since 1988, Vietnam has attracted about thirty thousand large and small projects. In particular, a significant milestone came in 2017 when Vietnam surpassed other Southeast Asian countries to achieve a record of attracting FDI capital of up to 36 billion USD.

In just 37 years of renovation since 1986, Vietnam has achieved such results. If we look back and compare with the countries that I have worked and lived in such as Ghana, Yemen and some other countries in Africa, it is clear that Vietnam's success and achievements have gone much further.

If I had to choose only one sentence to describe that change, I would say that Vietnam is changing at an unimaginable speed! I can confirm to all my foreign friends and Vietnamese friends that Vietnam is one of the few countries that has made significant progress, and I have written a book called "My Vietnam Story" which was just printed in the first quarter of 2023.

"Storms are not as fierce as Vietnamese grammar ", how can he possess the "art" of pronunciation as standard as his mother tongue and the delicate, emotional Vietnamese language like today ?

- To me, Vietnamese is the soul, the intellect, the character of a nation that has endured much suffering but is always resilient and indomitable. My purpose when I came to Hanoi, to the Vietnamese department of Hanoi University (in 1980) was to learn Vietnamese very well, to know and understand the history and culture of a nation that once shook the world with its glorious victories on five continents. That motivation created my passion and diligence in studying.

Initially, my goal in coming to Vietnam was not to become an Ambassador. It was a coincidence and the Ambassadorship chose me. Before, I really wanted to become a journalist, to explore and learn about culture. It was the Vietnamese people, full of differences and charm, that attracted me. And I realized that the Vietnamese people are the architects of all victories. I was truly fascinated by the attitude, way of thinking, style, way of life and orderly life of the Vietnamese people. All of this urged me to learn and learn deeply, to go to the end to answer all questions, to satisfy my own curiosity.

Could you share more about what makes a Palestinian man, a veteran diplomat, admire and love the most about Vietnamese people?

- The Vietnamese people are patriotic, have great pride in their country's history and a strong spirit of solidarity. I remember very clearly, in early 2018, Vietnamese football created a special miracle at the Asian championship for the under-23 age group. Those nights, all the streets of Hanoi were filled with red. From old to young, from ordinary people to high-ranking leaders, Hanoians poured into the streets with banners, red shirts and the national flag in their hands. Naturally, that sea of ​​people waved flags, sang the national anthem and enthusiastically shouted the two words Vietnam. The area near Hoan Kiem Lake where I lived was bustling all night because of that enthusiasm...

I understand that passion. It's just a sport, but behind the victory of Vietnamese football is the desire to assert itself of an entire nation.

And during the more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have witnessed many touching images and moments of Vietnamese people during the epidemic. There, things that seem to be swept away by the worries of daily life are suddenly highlighted and become as important as human dignity and responsibility to the community. For me, Vietnam is a country worth visiting and living in.

Thank you very much, Ambassador! Right now, I am deeply moved to see my compatriots and my country become greater and more beautiful through your discerning eyes. I know that your wife is Vietnamese and she has given birth to 4 talented and successful children .

- That was also the most unexpected thing in my life. I got married at the age of 23 to a graceful, elegant Hanoi girl and a mature "love at first sight".

Vietnamese son-in-law - those few short words have turned a new page in my life. The S-shaped land, where I aspired to during my childhood, has now truly become my homeland, my second fatherland. Furthermore, as the Vietnamese saying goes, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", I will have to learn how to live so that the people here accept me as a local. A guest from far away can be forgiven if he is unintentionally rude, but the expectations for a Vietnamese son-in-law will of course be different.

Now I have a "net worth" of 1 wife and 4 successful children. I broke the family planning! But, for Palestinians, the more children the better. Because we understand that our road is long. I think, Palestine needs a large population to serve the needs of its country.

What a love story with a happy ending ! So after marriage, did your family maintain Palestinian or Vietnamese customs ?

- My wife, a woman from Hanoi in the past, is patient, hard-working, and takes care of the family. She has helped our children understand the traditional culture of Vietnam and Palestine. I often introduce to my friends this is the quintessence of the in-law relationship between Palestine and Vietnam. In other words, the two countries have brought us together.

My children are very proud of the two countries that gave birth to them and they can harmoniously and skillfully integrate the customs of Palestine and Vietnam to become global citizens.

What about the differences in Palestinian and Vietnamese family culture , sir ?

- The clear difference that I noticed is that in Vietnam, the wife usually goes to the market and cooks. The husband rarely goes to the market and doesn't seem to want to go to the market. However, Palestinian men still go to the market as usual. The wife just needs to list the things she wants to buy, the husband will go to the market and bring them all home.

I love going to the market. Near my house there is Hom market and there is not a week that I do not go there. I emphasize going to the market! I rarely go to the supermarket. I go to the market not only to shop but also to learn, interact and talk to the sellers. I will tell the journalist that I am a regular customer of many sellers at Hom market. They always save and choose for me the best quality food, at reasonable prices.

Oh ! So in the eyes of many Vietnamese women, you are a " national husband ". I 'm curious , do you think chef Saadi Salama often cooks Vietnamese or Palestinian dishes more , sir ?

- I only cook Palestinian food when I have guests over because I want to introduce Palestinian cuisine to them. When I don't have guests, I mainly cook and my family eats Vietnamese food. Palestinian food is also very delicious, I also like it very much, but it is not as healthy as Vietnamese food.

Personally, I love eating vermicelli and rice noodles, especially Vietnamese pho. Every week, I have to have at least one bowl of beef or chicken pho, otherwise I can't stand it.

Nowadays, in big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, people and tourists can eat anything they want, both Vietnamese and international cuisine. That makes people feel that life is wonderful and it is rare for foreigners living here to feel dissatisfied with the food.

As a Vietnamese, from Hanoi and an "old town guy ", what are you concerned about and wish to improve soon in your second homeland ?

- What makes me feel saddest is that many Vietnamese agencies still choose personnel based on emotional factors, which is why there are nepotism issues. Or in many fields, the way of handling work is dominated by the mindset of "first is family, second is acquaintance". When going to the hospital, going to school, paying taxes or having to work with the government, people always try to make the most of their relationships to get priority. When they don't know each other, a familiar solution is to use envelopes. That's why in Vietnamese there is the phrase: "envelope culture".

I have never seen the practice of giving envelopes (of course, with money inside) in Vietnam develop so much. It seems that, attached to every thank you in the current context, envelopes will be the first thing to appear. In the hospital, patients' relatives find a way to give envelopes to doctors before surgery. At the end of the school year, parents of students together send envelopes to teachers to thank them for educating their children. During holidays, envelopes are almost a natural part of the gifts that employees bring to their leaders. Even on birthdays, envelopes are used, instead of carefully selected gifts to give to each other...

I personally don't like this change very much. If possible, I would still choose to buy a gift instead of a simple envelope. But as the Vietnamese saying goes, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", in many cases, typically when attending weddings or funerals, I still use this solution.

I understand that these are problems that arise in a period of social change, with the pace of life becoming increasingly rushed and hurried. But in the future, things should probably change, so that the essence of the way of life is preserved and maintained instead of being eroded by convenient habits.

From an economic perspective , how do you want to see Vietnam develop and what do we need to do to attract foreign investors to "set up home", sir ?

- For many years, Vietnam has set itself the goal of becoming an industrialized country by 2030. However, as the world economy is gradually moving towards globalization, countries are closely linked together in value chains that are gradually being positioned rather than being separate as before, the goal of becoming an industrialized country according to the old standards may no longer be suitable.

I think that Vietnam should prioritize high-quality agricultural products, which are the strengths of a country with rich agricultural resources. The rest, depending on each locality, should be prioritized for investment in light industries or high-tech industries.

In the investment and business environment, there must be mechanisms to create favorable conditions for foreign investors to "nest". In particular, promoting and investing in tourism infrastructure is also very important. Because before deciding to invest in a foreign country, investors often travel and find out if there is real potential there.

I believe that tourism could be Vietnam’s largest economic sector in the future. In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of international tourists to the S-shaped country was about 18 million. I believe that if there are reasonable solutions, this number could increase to 50 million and soon surpass Thailand, the number one tourist country in Southeast Asia, within the next few decades.

In my opinion, Vietnam's tourism industry must know how to take advantage of its valuable potential to move forward and surpass other countries in the region. In the current context, the needs of tourists are now more diverse and higher than before, requiring special investment in entertainment services, cuisine and night-time economic development. Developing the Halal brand in Vietnam to serve commerce, organizing Halal restaurants for tourists from Muslim countries is also a good solution.

Everything needs time as well as more science and practicality in development strategy so that Vietnam can fully promote its internal strength, restore the tourism industry after being heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and become a destination of a lifetime.

Self-proclaimed "old town guy", are you happy with your current life ?

- Now, happiness for me is very simple, simply living and experiencing the little things every day in Hanoi. I like to visit popular restaurants, sitting on the sidewalk enjoying a bowl of noodles. I like to eat at restaurants that are only open for a certain time of the day. There is a pho restaurant like that on Ngu Xa street, the broth is very clear and the chicken is both fragrant and chewy.

When I have foreign friends who visit Hanoi for the first time, I often take them to the Cha Ca restaurant on Tran Hung Dao Street. They enjoy delicious food while looking at pictures of old Hanoi. I will show them how to eat shrimp paste with grilled fish on a hot stove, which is very typical of Hanoi, and tell them about the history of Hanoi based on the pictures on the wall.

My house is located in the center of the capital, so if I don't have important work in the evening, I often wear sportswear and walk three laps around Hoan Kiem Lake. It's not just a physical activity but a way for me to reflect on myself and on life. I think the area around Hoan Kiem Lake is the most beautiful place in Hanoi. Anyone who comes to Hanoi and hasn't walked around Hoan Kiem Lake is considered not to have been there. Hoan Kiem Lake is the soul of the capital Hanoi.

You are 62 years old, probably about to retire. When you say goodbye to your diplomatic career, will you continue to live in Vietnam or Palestine? Will you continue to be a bridge between Vietnam and Arab countries and the world ?

- A question that is not easy to answer, because to me, both Vietnam and Palestine are sacred, connected and meaningful.

Palestine is my homeland, where I was born and raised and where I spent my childhood. After more than 40 years of living away from home, the time will come when I will have to spend some time in Palestine.

Vietnam is the land I love and cannot leave. It is where I spent my youth and the best years of my life, where I found the meaning of life, where I started my career. And more than that, in my mind, I always see myself as a Vietnamese person with relationships, ways of thinking and habits in daily life.

I have become accustomed to living in Vietnam with many friends, more than anywhere else in the world. These are friends who have been close friends for decades and also friends in the future when every day, I can be welcomed on every street, every corner in the role of an Ambassador "who speaks Vietnamese as well as the Vietnamese".

Moreover, I still have many plans and ideas that the constraints of my current job do not allow me to implement. One of them is to establish a cultural exchange center between Vietnam and Arab countries, so that both sides can overcome language barriers and come closer together, as is the wish of each country.

I want the images and stories of Vietnam to be told more widely and to touch the hearts and minds of every Arab, as I have experienced in my life. When there is a sharing and empathy about culture and history, we will have much more positive cooperation than before, in science, education, tourism or economy...

And after the book "My Vietnam Story", in the near future, I really want to write more books about my memories, thoughts and feelings for Vietnam.

I would like to thank all the Vietnamese people who have helped me throughout my life in every field. And most of all, they helped me understand that even though they come from a different culture, anyone who loves the country and people of Vietnam will receive more in return!

 

Source: https://danviet.vn/ong-saadi-salama-dai-su-palestine-tai-viet-nam-mot-nguoi-viet-nam-que-o-ha-noi-va-la-giai-pho-co-2023051421545976.htm