Hi guys, hope you had a wonderful weekend!
Weekend is always a wonderful time that almost everyone looks forward to. It's a precious time for you to reunite with family and friends. Everyone can eat and relax together, do whatever makes you feel comfortable and restore your energy after a week of hard work and study. Last weekend, I also had moments for myself, small joys from simple things.
Late Christmas gift from my ex
Yeah, right, my ex-girlfriend ordered this gift for me before she decided just to be friends with me. Anyway, I am still thankful for this special gift, from the bottom of my heart.
This is a pillow that was previously only used by royalty and members of the royal family as well as high-ranking officials. I don't know which English word to use for it exactly, but according to Vietnamese, it's called "gối trái dựa", the kind of pillow that was once used by King Bao Dai (the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty and also of the feudal period in Vietnam), very popular in the Hue Royal Court.
Mrs. Cong Ton Nu Tri Hue, or often known as Mother Tri Hue (Mệ Trí Huệ), is one of the few lucky ladies chosen to sew pillows for King Bao Dai. (Source: Journeys in Hue)
Mrs. Cong Ton Nu Tri Hue came from the Nguyen royal family. She had the opportunity to enter the palace to learn sewing and embroidery from the age of 17, and also from that opportunity, she was taught to sew "gối trái dựa". This pillow consists of 5 pieces that are hand-sewn and hand-stitched, can be folded open arbitrarily, used to pillow your head when lying down or to lean back when reading a book...
Honestly, I think this pillow is very beautiful. Each line of needles and stitches is carefully and meticulously cared for. If you don't research the information first, you probably won't believe this is a product made by a 100-year-old woman. Look at the surface of this brocade fabric, it is stretched very smoothly and the intersecting pieces of fabric are also very harmonious and reasonable, not rough or uncomfortable. I really fell in love with it, I think I'll wrap it up and hide it because if I get it dirty I'll cry for months :D
My friends, if you love products that are a bit nostalgic, royal like this and are handmade by someone from the royal family, think about ordering as soon as possible. Because Mother Tri Hue is now 100 years old and the future is unpredictable, the spiritual value and joy of supporting the hard work of the elderly will be greatly appreciated!
*For your preferences: *
https://www.facebook.com/Goitua.meTriHue (Official page)
https://www.facebook.com/huevanhungchuyendi/ (Supporting page)
What would you do with your old clothes?
I decided to re-arrange my closet by sending my clothes, which are outdated fashion, long time no use to an organization named Reborn Station. Old clothes will be sorted, processed, and sewn by Reborn. The finished products will be sold by Reborn and the profits will go to the project's garment workers, who are often disadvantaged in society. So basically, they accept all kinds of material and form (except underwear and children's clothes)
After about 2 hours, I was finally able to finish packing. Now it's only to get on the motorbike and take it to the station.
Because I have time and also want to go out to get some fresh air, I went to the station in District 8 by myself. If you don't have time and are far from the stations, you can book Grab for delivery. Before coming, please contact them via FB or call them directly.
FYI:
Official FB page: https://www.facebook.com/reborn.station/
You can bring unused clothes to the following addresses:
🌵 Station 1: B05-06, Apartment 4s Linh Dong, Street 30, Linh Dong, Thu Duc (9:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday) and (9:00 - 12:00 Saturday)
🌵 Station 2: 184/2/16 Luu Huu Phuoc, Ward 15, District 8, City. HCM (10:00 - 20:00 Saturday and Sunday)
🌵 Station 3: Coopmart Tam Binh - Street No. 11, Quarter 4, Thu Duc, City. Ho Chi Minh City (7:00 - 21:00 Monday to Sunday)
It is time for dinner!
I will take you to a small food stall at 418/11 Trần Phú, Ward 7, District 5, HCMC. The main purpose for eating here is because while I worked abroad, I saw a food review video about these beautiful ladies on Youtube and I promised myself that I will visit them once I come back. Their names are Mrs. Nguyet and Mrs. Hoa, they are two siblings, although they are old, they still have to make a living every day by selling dumplings - shumai and crab soup on the street from 4pm until late at night.
There was only Mrs.Nguyet at the time I came. It was just around 6:30pm, the street got emptier and just a few customers stopped by. I ordered a portion of crab soup and a plate of mixed shumai dumplings. She did everything a bit slowly but still ensured hygiene and food quality.
It costs only 40.000VND (~2 USD) for this meal
Seeing her lonely sitting and looking at the sparsely populated street made my heart sad. Suddenly, I miss my deceased grandmother, so I feel even more sorry for the old people who have to work harder to make a living. My friends, if you have the opportunity to go somewhere near this area, please stop by this address to support her.
After paying, I sent her some extra money to cover her expenses and said a few words of encouragement and wished her good health. If I have a chance, I will visit her again.
That’s all for my weekend, thanks a lot for your time.
Stay safe and See you next post guys!
[Nha Be, 11/01/2022]
(All photos taken by me)