Tet holiday for the Blue Beret soldiers in Central Africa
WVR - In Bangui (Central Africa), Spring arrives at the base of the Blue Beret soldiers – the United Nations peacekeeping force – with scorching sunshine and the characteristic red dust of the equatorial region.
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Standing in the Ucatex yard – MINUSCA Mission, Central African Republic, gazing at the proud red flag with a yellow star fluttering against the clear blue African sky, I suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia. Over ten thousand kilometers of flight, oceans, and continents now shrink into a longing named Tet.
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| Tet away from home for the MINUSCA task force members in Central Africa. (Photo: Van Chien) |
At this time, I and my friends would usually be leisurely strolling through the flower markets of Nhat Tan or Hang Luoc, enjoying Spring and shopping for Tet.
Closing my eyes, I imagine the time-traveling door of Doraemon taking me home with the fragrant incense my mother often lights on the afternoon of the 30th Tet, the rich scent of old coriander leaves cleansing the last night of the year, and the bustling atmosphere at the familiar corner of Phan Dinh Phung where I often have coffee with colleagues from the People's Army Newspaper.
I remember the New Year's Eve, squeezing through the crowded streets by Ngoc Khanh Lake near home, looking up at the bright fireworks with warm handshakes of reunion.
For the first time in my life, those images exist only in memories or tiny frames on a phone screen. But here, in this distant place, amidst the United Nations peacekeeping mission, I understand that Tet is not just a time marker but a journey of the heart, where despite the distance, the taste of homeland remains rich in every breath.
Assigned as a Communications Officer, departing with just a month left until Tet, I vividly remember the lively atmosphere as the entire MINUSCA task force discussed what to bring for the first Tet away from home.
These were the meticulous instructions from Lieutenant Colonel Bui Thi Minh Nguyet, a predecessor I had never met but felt like a sister. She advised on everything from packing spices to keeping items from the previous term. This luggage was a "miniature Vietnam" with red couplets, photos of Uncle Ho, traditional sweets, and wood ear mushrooms...
On the day of departure, the luggage also included souvenirs from family and friends. From the lucky money envelope my sister slipped into my hand at the airport, instructing me to open it on New Year's Eve, to letters from friends specifying which to open on Tet, which on my birthday, a wooden Teu statue, a photo with colleagues at the People's Army Newspaper…
Notably, among the luggage was a national flag with a yellow star embroidered by colleagues from the Labor Newspaper. It was one of the flags from the Proud National Flag Program of the Labor Newspaper.
We used the flag for the first time on a very special occasion – the flag-raising ceremony for the 14th Party Congress. It was an honor when the flag-raising image from Central Africa appeared in VTV1's special news broadcast on the Congress's opening morning. It was a great encouragement for party members on international duty far from home.
This Spring, Major Le Van Chien, an Intelligence Staff Officer, is preparing to return after an outstanding term. Yet, in his memory, last year's "one-of-a-kind" Tet remains as vivid as if it were yesterday.
Chien recalls the moment he held the plane ticket, knowing he would take off just one day before Tet. While the flower markets back home began to bustle, he stood under the scorching sun of Bangui's capital, looking up at the UN patrol helicopters against the bright blue sky.
"That was the moment I realized I would celebrate Tet differently – far from family but closer than ever to the mission entrusted by the Fatherland," Chien recalls.
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| Task force members celebrate a simple Tet away from home in the MINUSCA mission yard. (Photo: Dang Thu Ha) |
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The mixed feelings of pride and nostalgia were soothed as he stepped into the "Vietnamese home". There, the eldest sister Bui Thi Minh Nguyet was meticulously preparing the year-end meal. The rich aroma of Vietnamese spices wafting through the small kitchen dispelled the exhaustion of the long flight, making Chien feel as if he were back home.
On New Year's Eve in the unstable Central African land, where gunfire sometimes still echoes from afar, we deeply appreciate the value of "Peace", something that during the serene springs at home, we might forget to be grateful for," Chien shares.
Chien's sentiments then are the same as those of Lieutenant Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram, a newly arrived Training Staff Officer in Bangui. Carefully unpacking each item from the DHL package, Tram couldn't hide her excitement as the couplets and Tet decorations remained intact after the long journey.
For Tram, Tet away from home is a symphony of emotions, with the joy of a child eagerly awaiting New Year's Eve, but also a tinge of longing, a bit of "envy" for those immersed in the vibrant, warm Tet atmosphere back home.
Tram shares that in distant Africa, amidst harsh living conditions and climate, very different from Vietnam, celebrating Tet according to traditional customs becomes even more meaningful.
At the MINUSCA Mission, everything is scarce, with no available materials to decorate for Tet or cook familiar traditional dishes.
To create a complete Tet atmosphere, the task force members had to proactively pack and prepare every small item from Vietnam to bring along.
All of these carry deep affection and longing for the homeland. Sticking peach and apricot blossoms on the walls, these seemingly simple images evoke memories of family, homeland, and the reunions of Tet.
"Seeing the national flag flying in the heart of Africa, I was deeply moved. It felt as if I had never left home, because the Fatherland is always in my heart, present in every small corner where I work, enveloping and motivating me to fulfill my assigned duties," Tram confides.
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| The MINUSCA task force holds a flag-raising ceremony in honor of the homeland's great festival. (Photo: Dang Thu Ha) |
Amidst the busy duties, we personally created our own Tet space. Without fresh flowers, we meticulously cut and pasted, using colored paper to craft each apricot and peach blossom petal. Hands accustomed to holding pens and typing now skillfully brought vibrant red and yellow hues to life.
We decorated our homes, arranged the five-fruit tray with local fruits, but our hearts were set on the year-end meal at home with bamboo shoot soup and elaborate spring rolls.
Knowing we were preparing for Tet, Major Gimba, an international colleague from Nigeria, couldn't hide his excitement. His compliment about Vietnamese food being "close to nature" made us even prouder.
This Tet, we are not only celebrating for ourselves but also showcasing to friends worldwide a Vietnam rich in identity, humanity, and peace-loving.
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