An 88-year-old woman who runs a beverage stall speaks four languages.

Few would have guessed that Mrs. Ba, with her back hunched 'parallel to the ground,' selling drinks at the corner of Pham Ngu Lao and Tran Hung Dao streets (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), can speak Chinese, English, French, and Cambodian. Her image is being shared on social media.

He has many jobs and knows many languages.

Mrs. Tran Thi Dinh (born in 1928), a resident of District 4 (Ho Chi Minh City), has been selling drinks at the corner of Pham Ngu Lao and Tran Hung Dao streets, opposite 23.9 Park, for 38 years. "Ba Ba" is the affectionate nickname given to her by small-scale vendors in the area.

Saigon is full of surprises, such as the case of Mrs. Dinh, who can communicate in four foreign languages. Passing by Mrs. Dinh's small shop, you'll be surprised to hear her inviting customers in for drinks in Vietnamese, and even some broken English, French, Cambodian, and Chinese.

Mr. Dinh's beverage shop is located in the heart of District 1, a place frequented by many foreign tourists. Knowing multiple foreign languages ​​used to be a significant advantage that helped his shop attract many customers.

Many people assume that, because most of the customers are foreigners, they communicate a lot, and after 38 years of running the restaurant, Mr. Dinh has "learned" many languages ​​by observation.

Actually, that's not the case. Before opening the tea shop, Mr. Dinh had worked many different jobs. And each job required him to know a foreign language.

Ms. Dinh shared: "I used to work as a beauty therapist for American and French ladies, so I had to know English and French to serve them. My hometown is in Ben Soi (Chau Thanh district, Tay Ninh province). My family hired Cambodians to help out, so I naturally learned their language. In Saigon, my family also lived on Dien Bien Phu street and interacted and did business with many Chinese people, so I learned Chinese as well."

Mr. Dinh's thirst for knowledge has earned him much admiration. Besides Chinese, English, French, and Cambodian, he also studied Korean, though he joked, "That language is too difficult, I couldn't learn it."

With his foreign language skills, Mr. Dinh also acts as an "interpreter" for many motorbike taxi drivers, street vendors selling drinks, and fruit vendors selling guava and sugarcane near his shop.

Then he also acted as a "tour guide," giving directions to many foreign visitors unfamiliar with Saigon. Saying greetings like "What do you buy?", "Coffee, Coca-Cola, or Water?",... calculating the price like "fifteen (15,000 dong)", giving directions like "Ben Thanh Market over there"... was incredibly simple for Mr. Dinh.

She said she was blessed by God and hasn't suffered from any illnesses until now - Photo: Linh San

38 years of witnessing the ups and downs of Saigon.

Mr. Dinh has two sons and one daughter, all of whom are successful and have stable families. Despite his advanced age and numerous requests from his children and grandchildren to retire, Mr. Dinh remains determined to continue running his tea shop.

She said, "They're more tired than me selling drinks here. My son has to drive me here at 5 a.m., and then pick me up at 5 p.m. I'm old now, but as long as I can still work, I'll keep doing it. Selling here also gives me someone to chat with, which makes my old age more enjoyable than staying home and getting sick quickly."

Six years ago, before her husband passed away, Mrs. Dinh and her husband would still go out selling their goods together every day. She recounted, "My husband and I lived a loving life; we never argued in 60 years. He was very considerate of me. It was only when I got angry that I wouldn't talk to him, but he always addressed me respectfully. He's been gone for six years, and I still cry now."

Mr. Dinh said that God took pity on him and didn't make him sick, so even at 88 years old, he remains healthy, sharp-minded, and agile. Therefore, whether it's the rainy season in Saigon with flooded streets or the hot season with temperatures of 38-40 degrees Celsius, he still maintains his simple tea stall.

For 38 years, sitting and selling drinks, Mr. Dinh has witnessed the changes in Saigon, from the time when the September 23rd Park was the Saigon-Nha Trang train station, to the transformation of the roads, the formation of the Western Quarter, and the gradual rise of high-rise buildings.

"I doubt anyone else has sat selling drinks on the street for 38 years like me. Before, business was good, I earned 500,000-600,000 dong a day, but now sales are slow, only 100,000-200,000 dong. But I'm so kind to many people. They come here to drink, see how old I am, and keep giving me money."

The image of Mrs. Dinh, with her white hair, wrinkled skin, hunched back, and small stature, busily selling her goods, warmly greeting customers, and fluent in several foreign languages, adds a new, friendly, generous, and hospitable touch to the picture of Saigon. As shared by British tourist Graham Ward: "This old lady is my friend. Every day I come here, I see her smile!"

According to thanhnien.vn