Dear Reader!
Well, it has been more than one month since I gave the notice about the publishment of my first book ‘Mua xuan o xu so nhiet doi‘ (means ‘The spring in a tropical land’). This book is my pride which I spent a lot of time on thinking and writing, hopefully it can bring you some comfort when you need something sweet and tender. It can be your companion to you on each journey to everywhere you want to go.
Yes, I extremely desired to have one copy of my first book in my first trip to New Zealand. I wanted to take it everywhere I went, to show it how wonderful the world is. Because I am introverted, and ‘paper is more patient than men’ (Anne Frank), I believe when I receive it on my hand, I will love it with no condition. It is like my first child who was born to a new world which promises to bring you something you know, or you still do not know.
The reason I wrote my blog in English, is, when I woke up after a nap at VUW university, I felt an overwhelming desire to share something with you, my readers. I thought I needed to write something. Writing made me feel better.
Well, I want to tell you something about this trip. My employer sent me here for a short English course which I find quite interesting. I meet New Zealanders who are proud to be called ‘kiwis’. They are extremely friendly and kind. Even I have not returned to my lovely home country Vietnam yet, I know I am going to miss them a lot. Of course, I must go back to my home country for a while, and it is because my family is still there waiting for my return. My book is also waiting for me to make promotion for it. Well, so these are something I am going to miss you Aotearoa:
1. My trip to Abel Tasman after Labour Day (4 Oct):
On Monday 4 Oct, it was Labour Day in New Zealand, and it was an official holiday. Because the 2 days before Labour Day were Saturday and Sunday, the kiwis had more days off to go on a trip. This was also our mid-term break, so my friends and I decided to go on a trip to Abel Tasman national park. Wow, it was amazing. I liked the feeling when I was walking in the bush beside the beautiful blue coastline. We were staying in an ancient cottage house – Blackmore holiday cottage in Nelson. This stay was my favorite thing on this trip. The cottage was built in 1855, nearly 200 years ago, so it made me feel like I was travelling back the time to live in history. My friends loved this cottage so much that they took a lot of photos, videos, and told other people about how lovely the cottage was.
2. Katherine Mansfield
My surprise when I first time arrived here was, I did not know anything about New Zealand literature. I asked my teacher – Alastair, and he was happy to tell me about Katherine Mansfield – New Zealand’s writer who was internationally acclaimed in writing modernist short stories. Wow! They were short stories! One of the most interesting things about short stories is you can read them briefly, because when you read a long story, sometimes you may forget what you are reading. I do not deny the importance of novels or long stories, but sometimes, may you try short stories?
My favorite ones of Katherine Mansfield’s are ‘Millie’, and ‘The Doll’s House’. I wondered why people seemed to pay no attention to ‘Millie’ which made me sob while I was reading it in the library. Anyway, I am going to tell you a more detailed story about ‘Millie’. Would you like to hear?
3. People (the Kiwis)
Well, many special birds are living in New Zealand where the kiwis like to live close to nature. New Zealanders live on a small, isolated island far away from the rest of the world, but I will never forget their friendliness and kindness. I like to listen to their accents, their stories, their culture in reading and spending time alone and on outside activities. I am not sure that I will go back to New Zealand or not, but as a Japanese saying ‘ichigo ichie‘. It means you met one person at a time, but you would miss them for the rest of your life. That is a style of living, and it is also the choice of many people. People met, and knew each other, and when they were separated, they still missed each other for the good memories they made together.
Anything else? I will think about it and tell you soon!
Goodbye! See you later!