Husband and wife for nearly 50 years have kept the joy of welcoming Tet, keeping the streets of Ho Chi Minh City clean and beautiful

Not only on New Year’s Eve, in decades, I have never been able to wish my parents New Year’s Eve on New Year’s Day. Tet is the same every year, following welcoming New Year’s Eve on the street, we return to a quiet house, without fruit and Tet atmosphere.

Sad then happy

Having to work through Tet, Mr. and Mrs. Thom hardly shopped and decorated the house. Both of them are used to the atmosphere of welcoming spring on the road, so they comfort themselves by immersing themselves in the joy of others.

Grandparents and grandparents are proud to be able to see and contemplate how to celebrate Tet of households and alleys where they go to collect garbage. There, grandparents encountered the emotional scene of poor families sharing candy packs, tet cakes, pot of braised meat…

Because there was too much garbage, Mr. Thom had to “upgrade” the truck’s trunk with old pieces of industrial wood.

He said: “In the past, Tet in Ho Chi Minh City was very fun, the atmosphere was very friendly. In the small alleys, slums, people share each piece of cake, braised meat, onion tubers …

On the evening of the 28th of Tet, people started to set up a large pot in front of the house to cook banh tet. The whole family gathered around the pot of cakes, chatting, laughing… On New Year’s Eve, the sound of firecrackers rang, children went to wish Tet, receive lucky money …”.

Despite having to work through Tet, Mr. Thom and his wife are not alone. In the quiet nights of collecting garbage on the sidewalk, grandparents received many shares from passersby, sponsors. Grandparents still have Tet cakes, Tet jam, Tet flowers… from everyone.

There are even families who see grandparents collecting garbage on New Year’s Day and also give food, gifts, cakes, call in the house to have fun… However, because the work is too much, the two just bow their heads to thank and send New Year wishes. continue with his work.

Mr. Thom and his wife have had nearly 50 Tet celebrations on the street since working as a garbage collector.

However, going to work on Tet holiday, grandparents also encountered sad things many times. In addition to not being able to celebrate Tet with relatives, grandparents also encountered the scene of people littering indiscriminately, making the collection very tired.

Mr. Thom shared: “Doing this job is very hard. You have to really love your job to do it. For nearly 50 years, we have always suffered such sadness.

On Tet holiday, too, when the fireworks resound and light up a corner of the sky, we can only pause our hands, look up at the sky, and wish for good things. On such occasions, we are sad, but then we are happy. Because, we know our profession is very beautiful. We put our joy aside to keep the streets clean and tidy for many others. That is the joy and consolation of my husband and I.”