The West is full of love

"If you fall, fall on the same side"

On the journeyoperationIn Western Nghe An, we, the Party newspaper reporters, always receive support and assistance from the Border Guard force stationed in the border area. Therefore, even if we have to wade through streams, cross mountain passes, or travel overnight to remote villages on winding, bumpy roads, we, the reporters, feel much more secure. Every time we visit the station, we are welcomed as honored guests and given all the conditions to work smoothly.

Reporter Khanh Ly patrols the border and landmarks with the Border Guard. Photo: HT

I still remember after the heavy rain and storm, a female colleague and I borrowed a motorbike from the Ky Son District Party Committee to cross the muddy road, mainly by foot with the help of the people to get to Muong Ai Border Guard Station. After working for several days in the area on the landslide situation, especially the border patrol route, anticipating that we would not be able to ride our motorbikes back to Ky Son town, Muong Ai Border Guard Station contacted a construction vehicle to send reporters out first, and a week after the road was cleared, the station sent officers to bring the motorbikes back to the Ky Son District Party Committee.

The second time, when we contacted to work in Muong Ai, Station Chief Phan Hung immediately told us: "When you two journalists arrive in town, stay there, someone will pick you up" and sent two officers on motorbikes to take us in...

Reporter Hoai Thu interviews people participating in border protection. Photo: KL

Another time, we had a trip to patrol the border markers with Nhon Mai Border Guard Station. Before departure, we were fully equipped with hats, socks, camouflage clothes, sandals to protect against mosquitoes, dry food and drinking water. At first, my colleagues and I were quite excited, but by noon, things became more difficult when it started to rain and the paths through the forest turned into muddy puddles in many places. The oversized army sandals, although tightened to fit our feet, became disobedient when they encountered the mud. When we stepped on them, when we lifted them up, the sandals stuck firmly in the mud. It was raining, but we were sweating like we were taking a shower.

A break for Nghe An Newspaper reporters (middle) on the border patrol route, the border marker with Nhon Mai Border Guard Station (Tuong Duong). Photo courtesy

Finally, with the help of the officers and soldiers of Nhon Mai Border Post, we reached our destination and returned safely. Before I could celebrate the end of the arduous journey, my colleague shouted and showed me the fresh blood flowing down her calf, “probably bitten by a leech.”

Just when the power went out, it was pitch black, the two sisters shivered and turned on the phone light to look, luckily the leech after "eating its fill" probably fell somewhere. After being treated and reassured by the Border Guard Medical Service, we calmed down. Later, when working in the border area, we were bitten by leeches and fruit flies a few more times, sometimes our legs were swollen for a month due to meat poisoning, but we got used to it...

Nghe An Newspaper reporter (in white shirt) visited the facility with officers of Tam Quang Border Guard Station (Tuong Duong). Photo. HT

It is impossible to recount all the memories of the trips to the forest and remote villages with the border guards, but the more we travel, the more we appreciate the soldiers at the border of the Fatherland. Now, every time we sit behind the "iron horse" of the border guards on steep roads, we know the saying "if you fall, fall on the same side!". That said, even though the road is difficult and arduous, they try to hold the wheel firmly so that the female journalists have to walk and climb as little as possible.

Unintentional accident

During our reporting trips to the rugged terrain of the West, we reporters are always aware of "ensuring safety", but sometimes we cannot avoid unexpected accidents.

Nghe An Newspaper reporter took a photo with Mong women in Nam Can, Ky Son. Photo: PV

For me, the most memorable was when I slipped and broke my leg during a work trip to a ginger plantation of the Mong people in Nam Can commune (Ky Son). I simply thought it was a dislocation or sprain, so the next morning my colleagues called a car to take me back to Vinh. When I went to the hospital for a check-up, I found out that I had a broken metatarsal bone, and had to wear a cast, so I had to move around with crutches for several months.

Nghe An Newspaper reporters working in the Western region of Nghe An. Photo: PV

During that time, in addition to receiving encouragement and sharing from family, friends, and colleagues, I occasionally received inquiries from cadres and people in the mountainous areas that I met: Has the journalist's leg healed yet? When it is completely healed, come visit our people again! Some people even sent medicinal leaves from the people to their homes so that "the journalist could heat them up and apply them to help the bone heal faster after the cast is removed."

Those warm feelings give us reporters more motivation to continue our trips to the West, to listen, feel, understand and share.

Surprise birthday cake!

In late April 2021, my colleagues and I went on a working trip to Thong Thu border commune, Que Phong district to implement the topic of border party members helping households in border areas and to report on the progress of the resettlement project for 33 households affected by landslides in Muong Phu and Muong Piet villages. The trip coincided with my colleague's birthday. Because we had worked many times in Thong Thu commune, we were quite familiar with the commune officials and civil servants in this border commune.

That evening, we were invited to a local resident's house. When we arrived, we were really surprised to see a small, pretty birthday cake with sparkling candles. Ms. Luong Thi Hong - Secretary of the Thong Thu Commune Party Committee smiled: "Today, knowing that it is the journalist's birthday, the officers of Thong Thu Border Guard Station and the commune wanted to create a small surprise. This cake was made by the local people themselves. Thong Thu Commune has made many changes today...".

It was just a small cake with simple wishes but my colleague was really touched, she shared that it was the most memorable birthday of her life. Because it contained a lot of gratitude for the reporter of the Party newspaper.

Reporters of Nghe An Newspaper working in Que Phong district. Photo: Archive

After more than 15 years in journalism, having gone through many journeys in all regions, however, the work trips in the Western Nghe An region always bring us many unforgettable emotions and memories.