(VEN) - After having celebrated 11 traditional Tet holidays in Vietnam, Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam, Saadi Salama, spoke of the Tet holidays, despite changes, still retains distinctive traditional features and according to his own words “Connection, unity, humanity and altruistic” concepts.

The Palestinian ambassador Saadi Salama was one of few ambassadors that left a deep impression on the writer of this article not just because he speaks Vietnamese like his native language but through his knowledge and great love for Vietnam.

Saadi Salama first came to Vietnam in early 1980 when he was only 18 years old as an overseas student. Before the trip, through books and newspapers, he learned and came to admire the courageous spirit of the Vietnamese people. He said, for the Palestinians, Vietnam is a symbol of a resilient nation in the struggle for national independence and freedom, the desire that every Palestinian dreams of each day. When he actually came to study in Vietnam, once again he was entirely conquered by the Vietnamese creativity, diligence and laboriousness.

He said he fell in love with the land and people. Due to those very deep impressions, the Vietnamese people had a strange attraction and urged him “to learn about the culture, customs of a small but great country”. Later on, although he came into office in diplomatic positions in several countries around the world, Vietnam remained in his mind, thoughts and feelings. Fate brought him back to Vietnam as he was designated as Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam in 2009 until the present day.

He described himself as being Vietnamized, and that rarely felt like a foreigner when living in this familiar S-shaped country. When asked about his life during Tet holidays, he said “I live in Vietnam, eat Vietnamese food, talk with Vietnamese people so I have to follow the proverb: when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Therefore, when Tet comes, I also have to go shopping like what the Vietnamese do. That was why his friends when coming to see him at Tet holidays said although they came to the ambassador’s house but still fully enjoyed Tet atmosphere with peach branches, kumquat trees decorated in the house, rice cakes on the altar; pumpkin seeds and jams to serve visitors.

In response to activities at the Tet, he also spent time with family and paid New Year’s visits to his friends and loved ones. “I usually pay New Year’s visits to my friends on the 2nd of the lunar month as the first day people always spend their time with his families”. When visiting each house, if I meet old people and children, then I will also give them little red envelopes, say New Year wishes and sit down for a talk”, said Saadi Salama.

When recalling his sentiments about the first Tet experience in Vietnam in 1981, he said he spent much time observing and finding out the customs of the local people. The first difference he found compared with the new year holidays in his homeland in Palestine was the people’s animation in preparing for the occasion. On all the streets, peach and apricot flowers were in blossom to welcome the New Year and every one stayed at home boiling square rice cakes, roasting peanuts, pumpkin seeds and making lotus seeds. Another thing that impressed Saadi Salama was the moment when every Vietnamese homes and people have New Year’s Eve parties. He said “Vietnamese Tet seems to show the unity of the whole Vietnamese nation”./.

By Hoa Le

Vietnam Economic News