Afternoon Reflection
I stood in front of the picturesque lake, watching the slanting afternoon sun, feeling the gentle spring breeze passing by. She asked me: “Do you see your teeth?”. I remained silent and did not answer. I did not know what words could describe my complex feelings at that moment.
I am here, right in Phu Ninh, on the last day of January. The sky has cleared up after the gloomy days, but there is still a lingering chill of winter.
The mid-season weather makes people's hearts more poignant. Just like my heart, interwoven with many emotions of mid-life, not too young, not quite old.
I left my hometown at the age of 18, carrying many aspirations. At the end of 2023, a sad economic year ended. Holding the decision to quit my job early when everyone was excitedly preparing for Tet, I took an early train home. I don't know what I felt at that moment.
Only when I visited Phu Ninh again, watching the sunset on the calm lake, did all the unnamed emotions that were suppressed in my heart surge up like waves.
My hometown is still here, the lake is still blue, the wind is still rustling. Thank you for the old scenery, thank you for Phu Ninh remaining wild, standing outside the waves of economicization and massive urbanization out there, to retain its full identity.
Still the same quiet and peaceful as ever. Thanks to that, I was lucky enough to see the poetic scene in my memory again. And the boy from back then seemed to be welcomed home with open arms, waiting for his return, after many days of wandering.
Smell of home
I wonder where the image of my homeland has been for the past 15 years? Is it in my heart or hidden behind the chaos? Or will I have to wait until I stumble on the journey of making a living far away, then my heart will ache to think about the place that raised me?
There I was, with nothing in my hands, but it felt like I had everything. Friends by my side, nature embracing me, love for my homeland spread everywhere, in every ripple on the water surface, in every school of small fish wagging their tails, in the pungent smell of wild grass, in every gently rustling forest.
I calmly dropped into the chair, tilted my head back to look at the sky. Every time I looked down, I saw a different sky. Some things changed in the blink of an eye, while others remained the same after all these years. I smiled slightly, contemplating the immutability in impermanence, the constant rotation in moments of stillness.
That night, we set up a tent by the lake, sleeping soundly in the middle of nature. When I turned over in my drunken stupor, I found myself lying under a sky of sparkling stars, as if the universe was whispering in my ear: “It’s okay, as long as there is home, there is everything…”.
The resentment of the city suddenly disappeared. I suddenly thought that if it weren't for the recent events, I would have forgotten how beautiful my hometown is.
Thank life for arranging such strange fates. Let me know that, when I gain - when I lose, it is just a normal thing.
Thanks to all the bumpy roads, I have time to realize the gifts that are already right next to me. Like the boy in the fairy tale who traveled all over the world looking for treasure, only to realize in the end that the real treasure is where he started.
In my sleep, I thought I heard a familiar song from my childhood: "...The lake is vast, the sky and clouds are shimmering. Returning to Phu Ninh is like returning to a lover...".
Yes, a lover who is taciturn, rarely wears makeup, is not very lively, and does not blame me when I left him more than ten years ago. A tolerant "lover" who opens the door to welcome me, patiently takes care of me after the bumps in life.
Phu Ninh, the day of return.
Phu Ninh Lake is known as the “green pearl” of Quang Nam, with a complex of 30 large and small islands, such as: Monkey Island, Turtle Island, Su Island… On the islands there is a rich ecosystem of flora and fauna, many of which are home to species listed in the Red Book.
Tourists coming here can visit the island complex by many different means. In particular, in recent years, along with staying in resort bungalows, camping tourism has been chosen by many young people and has become a tourism trend in Phu Ninh.
A warm evening gathering around a campfire, in a peaceful space, watching the sunrise on the calm water surface... is what attracts people to come. ( LQ )
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