Derek happily watches the April 30, 1995 celebration in Ho Chi Minh City

Now, Mr. Derek has become a "local" of Vietnam, and continues to buy red flags with yellow stars to prepare to participate in a big festival with the people of his second homeland.

With just a few days left until the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, Mr. Derek William Page (Canadian nationality) and his wife, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Minh Van (District 5, Ho Chi Minh City) have bought red flag shirts with yellow stars printed with the words "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom". Mrs. Minh Van happily said that in the last days of April, the couple will go out and have fun.

I heard that on April 30th it will be very crowded, I'm afraid my husband and I won't be able to get in. But if we can't watch it, it's still fun to go out. Everyone is out on the street, cheering and having fun. My husband and I will definitely go.

Love Vietnam for its friendly smiles

Mr. Derek does not speak Vietnamese yet, but he has become a "local" every time his foreign friends come to Ho Chi Minh City. He advises his friends to skip the tour to tourist attractions and personally takes them to eat and play around the alleys in Ho Chi Minh City. He is sure that anyone who comes into contact with Vietnamese people, talks to them, and lives with them will be "fascinated" like him.

My friend John Ligon (American nationality) had just arrived in Ho Chi Minh City when Derek pulled him into a sidewalk noodle shop on a small street in District 5. That afternoon, the whole group of friends went to the Ha Ton Quyen iron market (District 5).

John asked about the 80-year-old iron saws with wide eyes. He spoke halting Vietnamese to greet the iron sellers in the market. The sellers had red skin, sweaty and shiny from grease, and smiled kindly.

Both Derek and John were engrossed in taking photos. They captured sweaty faces, hunched over carrying dozens of kilos of bolts, their eyes smiling and friendly.

John heard Derek tell many stories about Vietnam. John studied Vietnamese in Hanoi for a while and then wanted to settle down in Da Nang. John laughed because his friend "manipulated his mind", but it was the most correct manipulation in the life of those who love Vietnam.

Derek William Page is from Canada, he has chosen Vietnam as his second home for 30 years now. That year, on the occasion of April 30, 1995, the 20th anniversary of Vietnam's peace and reunification, Derek was a fresh graduate eagerly taking photos with the soldiers in the majestic parade.

Now Derek has married a Vietnamese woman. He has been living in his wife's country for a long time, his eyes are no longer curious and bewildered, but smile kindly like the iron sellers in the market in Ho Chi Minh City. Derek said that whenever he has free time, he takes his camera and wanders around the alleys in Ho Chi Minh City, everywhere the people are smiling, the eyes and smiles are always bright and friendly.

When he graduated from university in Canada, a company offered him a job in China or Vietnam. After some hesitation, Derek chose Vietnam. He had heard that the Vietnamese people were resilient, a small nation that had overcome fierce wars to gain peace and independence. He vaguely thought that place would be very difficult.

So young Derek packed his backpack and crossed the ocean to Ho Chi Minh City. He worked at a telecommunications company. At that time, the mobile industry was something very new in this country.

Derek recounted that in the first days of arriving in Vietnam, he witnessed soldiers lining up in straight lines, chests out, faces solemn, and walking with strength and determination. Thousands of them as one. He had seen many military parades, but had rarely seen anything as grand as this. Everyone was very happy, proud, and loved their homeland.

So Derek fell in love, and then he fell in love with the Vietnamese girl Tran Thi Minh Van. They got married, chirping like birds all day long.

Derek spoke little Vietnamese because Minh Van took care of everything. They opened a studio, the husband took pictures, the wife did makeup. In their free time, they went out to the streets, wandered around taking pictures, and chatted with the friendly working people.

Mr. Derek often introduces Vietnam to international friends as a friendly place to visit - Photo: AN VI

Vietnamese love

Derek always had a gentle smile. He carried his camera to record their gentle eyes. He kept taking pictures, and he was "infected" by those eyes without realizing it. He said their work was very hard, but no one frowned or complained. They were always happy and confident about tomorrow.

Derek introduced Vietnam to his friends as a very interesting place to visit. His "father's" family in Canada came to Vietnam, and his friends followed him to this beautiful and lovely country. Many were "entice" to stay in Vietnam.

"If you only read the news about Vietnam 40 years ago, it's all wrong. You have to come now to feel how much Vietnam has changed. I have some friends who came to Vietnam and loved it! They stayed and settled down!", Mr. Derek boasted.

What particularly fascinates Derek is not only the optimism and spirit of the Vietnamese people but also the kindness of helping each other in times of trouble. On the day the city was paralyzed by the COVID-19 epidemic, the couple Derek - Minh Van joined the volunteer teams to cook rice and help people.

Derek said that seeing his wife struggling, he helped her move things from the upper floors of the apartment building to the street. Then, as the streets became less crowded, he and his wife cooked and delivered things to people in quarantine.

Mrs. Minh Van also did not believe that the couple not only overcame the difficult days due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also helped many other people. She confided that at that time, the couple's studio business gradually lost customers. Then, suddenly, the whole city was left with only the sound of ambulance sirens.

Ms. Minh Van signed up to volunteer with the Go Volunteer group. The volunteer group is mainly young people. They cook and distribute meals and food to the poor. Derek helps his wife move things, then he contacts friends in Canada to donate money to his wife's group.

The streets were increasingly deserted, and he personally joined a volunteer group to cook and distribute food to the people. He confided that everyone around him was trying to help others. The strong helped the weak, and the well-off helped the needy.

Every day, the volunteer group of him and his wife cooks hundreds of meals for the poor. And his volunteer group receives food from the city government and people from other places to share. Through that hardship, he loves his second homeland even more.

Mr. Derek happily and humorously pushes a cart to deliver charity gifts - Photo: VAN TRAN

"Vietnamese people are very positive about the future, meaning that if you ask them about them this year, they always say next year will be better, the future will be better. Vietnamese people think positively. That's what I love about Vietnam. I have been to many countries in the world but rarely have I seen a place as positive as Vietnam," Mr. Derek smiled and confided about his second homeland.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ong-tay-me-le-30-4-20250419225951259.htm