(Baonghean.vn) - Raising rabbits, gardening, and in her spare time, pondering and writing about Thai culture. That is the daily life of poet Sam Nga Di, who won an award from the Vietnam Writers' Association in 1972 with the poem "My belly is red with fire" about the feelings of the mountain people towards the revolution.
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| The stilt house of Sam Nga di in Long Khong village, Muong Noc commune, Que Phong, Nghe An follows the original architecture of the Thai people. The stilt house has a garden adjacent to the surrounding rows of areca and green fig trees. This helps the owner to preserve the soul of his people, which is Thai culture. |
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| Poet Sam Nga Di is now a true village elder. According to the interpretation of the mountain people, this old man has gone through seventy farming seasons (70 years old). Every day he wakes up at 5am and starts his day with the work of a farmer. Even though his pension can help him and his wife live quite comfortably. |
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| The highlight of his house is a model of a water wheel. This is an irrigation tool that has been used by the Thai people for a long time. |
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| Rabbits are gentle pets, loved by their owners. |
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| Sam Nga Di (1946) is a typical poet of the literature of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in the 20th century. He is famous for his verses: "Girls' breasts are like mountains/ Boys' ages are like gongs/ Go to the stream to carry water/ Remember to choose water in the middle of the stream..." |
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| For about 7 years now, Sam Nga Di has stopped writing. He only studies Thai culture in his spare time. His bookshelf is quite modest in quantity, but according to Sam Nga Di, they are all documents he has accumulated over more than 50 years of working in the cultural field. |
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| The old radio is almost the only audio-visual means for poet Sam Nga Di. He said the reason he gave up writing was because he could not keep up with modern technology in printing and publishing today. “Not being able to use a computer is a real disadvantage,” the poet confided. |
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| In the quiet space of the village, the old poet still has his own elegant corners. The orchids help him have small joys in his old age. |
Huu Vi - Ho Phuong
