“Today, February 24, 2023, marks one year of the painful war in Ukraine, which has completely upset many fates. A beautiful and peaceful country has been brutally destroyed, with heavy casualties, millions of people have to be displaced”, poet Do Thi Hoa Ly, an expatriate from Ukraine who is displaced in Germany, wrote exclusively for the newspaper.
1 year, we still can’t believe it, but we still have to accept the fact that we have been painfully separated, we have to live and sleep without knowing when. One year, despite the wholehearted support of the German government, we only hope for a peaceful day to return to Ukraine…
After a year of war, Vietnamese people in Ukraine, whether they have fled to their homeland or in other countries around the world, have painfully turned to Ukraine, where they have been associated with generations of Vietnamese people. Ukraine has been our second home for all this time.
Particularly, Vietnamese people in Ukraine who fled to Germany have gradually integrated into the life of the host country. Many people take German classes, some work in hotels, sausage factories, sushi companies, restaurants… People with small children also settle down, children can go to their homes. kids, high schools and universities…
My wife and I are also getting used to our new life. My husband has been working at a sushi company since June. At first, I was not used to standing all day, so the blood pooled in my legs was quite painful. In addition, “challenging time” has to work far away, traffic is not convenient, so it is quite hard. After 4 months, my husband was moved to a location closer to home, due to familiarity with the job, the working time was shorter and more comfortable.
I myself studied German for 2 months, then the class paused to wait for the new school year, so I went to help my friend’s wife and granddaughter take care of the house and children. After 6 months, she brought her mother to reunite, so I had some free time.
Authors Do Thi Hoa Ly (centre), Tanhia and Tamara (wearing glasses)
Talking about my work experience is quite interesting when at the age of 50, I became a “mother” and stayed up many nights to help take care of my sick child. At the beginning of the job were 2 boys aged 2 and 11 months, so it was very hard. The older boy is developing his curiosity, the toddler boy has to lead him to practice walking until he gets dizzy, the two boys are like “devils” but very happy. I am also fortunate to have them as family, so my spirit is at ease. After the “apprenticeship period” I can confirm that being a preschool teacher is not bad.
Food and drink mainly go to the supermarket, sometimes buy a batch of “Asian goods” for the whole month, so it’s not much different from Vietnam. Thanks to that, my cooking has improved significantly.
Many times I think, in the misfortune that I am still lucky to be safe and healthy, thinking positively and trying to live the best I can will feel more relieved. After all, we are just a very small being in this very impermanent life…
I’ve only been back for 10 days. Today, I made a coffee date with Tanhia and Tamara, two Ukrainian girls who joined us in the camp. Nearly a year, from May 2022 until now, the three sisters have had the opportunity to meet again. I am the oldest and am Vietnamese but there is almost no distance between us. Unexpected reunion after a period of struggling to integrate into a new life, we sat and talked for 3 hours straight. I listened to two Ukrainian women talk about their experiences.
Tanhia 45 years old from Poltava with her two sons in 4th and 3rd grade. Tania’s father had just visited his daughter and grandchildren on 9/2 but asked to go back to Ukraine where Zaporozhye region was very hot in the early days of life. war. He wanted to go back to take care of the bees to fly away to find honey after the winter break. The two children both go to school but are not eager to study but only want to return to Ukraine.
And 36-year-old Tamara from Kramatorsk with her son is in 3rd grade, her daughter is kindergarten age, but at this time German kindergartens do not accept new children, so her daughter is paid by the society to take care of her babysitter. nom. Tamara’s mother just passed away from cancer and couldn’t see her for the last time, so she was very sad. The situation at home is also tense because the military forces are concentrated within 24km of her home. “It will be very hot during this time,” Tamara said.
Poet Do Thi Hoa Ly and the last Vietnamese class in Kiev before the war.
Both Tania and Tamara take German classes four times a week. The cost of living, housing, and education are all covered by the German government. We told each other that up to this moment we still can’t believe the war has been going on for a year. I thought I was going to take refuge for about a month, Tamara counted for about 3 months and Tania didn’t want to believe the truth…
Well, no one wants to believe that fact.
Almost everywhere in the country is soaked with Ukrainian blood, the blood of foreigners who stand with Ukraine.
It is known that marking 1 year of the war, all major cities in Germany will protest against this war. In Dortmund it will be held at 18:30 on February 24. Attendees will bring candles, wear dark clothes to commemorate those who have fallen for the land of Ukraine, supporting peace.
More than anyone, we long for peace, longing to return to that loving land. Glorious and Eternal Ukraine!!!
I remember the afternoon of February 23, last year, when I finished teaching Vietnamese, when I got home, it was more than 8 pm, unexpectedly it was the last lesson of the Vietnamese language class at Ho Chi Minh School in Kyiv city. The morning of February 24 was shocked by the news of the war. I thought it would pass quickly, everything would return to normal, but I didn’t expect it all to be in the past. So many unfinished hearts. It is planned that the end of the school year will also complete the Vietnamese-Ukrainian bilingual curriculum, which has been written quite well and then disappeared. I wish there was no war so that the Vietnamese class could still operate and achieve the desired results. Remember so many innocent faces of students. Remember the loving feelings of colleagues. The new pages have not been written yet. The pages of the book are not yet open. Unused books…
Memories of the good days gone by…