Hello my dear friends,
I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating Vietnamese traditional new year - Tết holidays with your family!
This year is a special one for me with new experiences during the last days of the year as well as the new year.
I normally like to be at home way earlier than new year's eve, to settle in with my parents' routine if I spend NY at their place or I prepare way in advance if staying at home. This year, with a friend's invite, I visited Sai Gon for its flower street, flower show event. Since leaving Sai Gon, I never really attend this event any more. But my parents are away and I'm spending new year on my own so I decided to get together with friends to check it out. After all, I always love flowers and this is a chance to hang out with new friends during the time of celebration so I can't say No for it. I don't know I would have a chance to visit flower street in the near future.
So I took up on my friend's invite and packed my bag in 1 hour to come see them. Arriving in Sai Gon, we first went to the river bank in district 8 to see the flower vendors' displace and all types of flowers for sale. We went out to eat one of my favorite dishes: hủ tíu (egg noodles and wonton). My friend also took me to a little cafe with live music. This was the last show of the year and I enjoyed the songs and music so much I made a promise to myself to come back another weekend just for this cafe and the music. The setting and the band was simple, one guitarist, one violinist and one singer on stage with a cozy sitting area.
As we sat and waited for the show to start, we appreciated the relax time and peace of mind we were able to have since most people were in hectic mode preparing and shopping for new year days.
I called this a minimalist's way of celebrating the new year.
Back to my special experiences this year that I'd like to remember: last bus ride home on new year's eve. After attending the flower show, seeing more friends, spending the year end rituals at my friend's family, I rushed to the bus station to catch one of the last rides home. I like to plan out my itinerary but this was a rare spontaneous new year trip for me. It was fun, relaxed and smooth trip. I stayed in the moment for most of the time and didn't worry much about the usual busy schedule to make sure new year shopping and celebration were in order. I only had a slight rush at the end to make sure I don't miss the bus ride home and to finish my work deadline. But everything went smooth and I was home earlier than I thought (there was no traffic on the last day of the year so the driver probably added some speed!).
And with that tight schedule on new year's eve, I came home, cleaned up a little bit, watched the last sunset of the year (I don't know why knowing it's the last of something makes it more special in the mind, even though I'm also aware it's similar and as beautiful as any other day in the old year and the coming new year), I then went for a quick walk for very last minute shopping because most of the stores were already closed and street vendors were also trying to sell off the last of their stocks to go home for NY's eve. Luckily, I was able to grasp all I need for dinner and the next 2 days while most stores remain closed. That's a close call for me in so many years. I felt relief as well as relaxed to know that if I choose simplicity, I can manage a little bit of last minute rush. All I need was some fruits and vegetable and I got all I need and some more items. I was happy!
I was able to manage to cook a simple dinner to invite grandparents & ancestors to share with me, to say my Thanks to them. Despite not having much preparation, I think I have put together a decent dinner table with flowers, food and tea (lotus flower tea), fruits, sweet treats, candle and most importantly, I was able to sit and eat in quiet, with gratitude towards the food and all the blessings I have this time of the year. The house was warm, airy and filled with the smell of grapefruit peels, of cinnamon and lemon grass (all boiled on the stove).
As I watched the fireworks from the balcony for the first time in this new city I call home now, I feel joy, freedom, amazement (of how many houses that participated in the fireworks) and a bit of sadness for not having the presence of my loved ones around me. I feel Tết is in the air! As I'm too immersed in enjoying the fireworks, I didn't realize THE YEAR MAKR just passed (until 6 minutes later). I had to laugh at myself!
This new year I spend alone, maybe for the first time ever in life. Others seem to feel sorry that I have to. But it's a totally new experience. I can call up friends or stay at friends' family but I prefer to be here in my own space celebrating a special time in my life. My loved ones are together and I'm sure they're happy to be in reunion this time. I feel at peace knowing that. I sent and received NY wishes and I continued to manage the work deadline tonight, till my eyes were tired and my mind required rest. I turned on Ho'oponopono music and felt asleep quickly, excited for the next day, mùng một (the 1st of the Tiger year).
In short, these are words that capture most important feelings and things that stand out in the last few days and they are special to me:
- New friendship
- My NY message from the universe
- Simplicity
- Joy
- Happiness
- Looking inward, self reflection
- Cinnamon stick and grape fruit peels are wonders
- Light a candle
- Cook a simple meal
- Last minute shopping is interesting
- Bus ride: one of the last rides of the year
- 1st time spending NY's eve on my own, reading: "Cô đơn, một mình và giác ngộ" (not a typical book for NY read!)
- Lotus flower tea
- Green dress: rebirth and growth
- Celebrate the ancestors, family members in me, part of me
- Fireworks from the balcony
- Meditation and self love practice
- Blue flowers (thanh liễu): hope for the next better year
Here is my story in pictures:
Thanks for reading and sharing this special time of the year with me. I wish y'all a great start of the year of the Tiger, wish you good health, strength, positivity and peace!
Happy New Year - The year of the Tiger! Be SIMPLE and JOYFUL! 💙
**All content and pictures are mine unless otherwise stated