Thao

In this section people from across the globe 
will share a bit of them with you. 
They talk about one of their native idioms or sayings, 
and tell you how it relates to a part of their life. 
Respect, love, joy and humanity 
are at the centre of this chapter.

Anh đi anh nhớ quê nhà,

Nhớ canh rau muống, nhớ cà dầm tương.

Nhớ ai dãi nắng dầm sương,

Nhớ ai tát nước bên đường hôm nao

 

“This saying is about a man who travels away from home, but his heart always remains there. He misses the simple dishes the poor in Vietnam usually eat, such as morning glory soup. He misses the girl he loves, who worked hard under the sun.

 

It’s about the love Vietnamese people feel for their home when they are away from it. Because home is such a special place for us all, and there is no place like it. But sometimes it is only the feeling that we have. It’s a pretty memory. But when you go back, the people, the scenery, the town itself may not be the same. Just like the man from this saying, he misses the hometown from his memory.

 

I have also experienced this. I have beautiful memories of my hometown from when I was a child.  Now whenever I go back home, it’s bittersweet because I realise how much things have changed. I think this idiom conveys the feelings one has for their hometown that is no longer there, the memories that have gone too, and the people one once loved, who have since moved on.”