My school and karaoke days...

(Baonghean.vn) - I didn't intend to write, but I thought I was once an insider, I went to school at the academy, if I knew but didn't say anything, I would feel guilty...

>>>Remembering my brother, friend, and younger brother...

Because in the fire, 13 people died, 12 of whom were studying advanced theory at the academy. On social media, some people said they died from singing, others said they sang during office hours, and some even said they were key officials, but they were like that...

Karaoke establishments did not properly implement fire prevention and fighting, leading to a major disaster on November 1, 2016.

Well, maybe they have their reasons, because they approach the truth from a different perspective, not only lacking a lot of information, but also lacking goodwill. So, why didn't I, who studied at the academy, write something? Thinking that, I wrote a few random lines, knowing that it would be difficult to avoid shortcomings, but just wanted to provide an additional perspective.

I write these lines when I have completed a course at the political academy for more than 2 years. More than 2 years but the beautiful memories are still intact.

To be honest, up until the time before enrolling, I myself did not appreciate this course. There were many reasons for this, mostly due to subjective perception, and also due to "following the crowd" according to the way of thinking of some people, such as: Practice is useless, how can high-level theories help? Going to a high-level political class, all the people have position allowances, positions, among them are probably many "children of the rich", they have money, spend money like water, study to get into a position, I have a tight economy, no "umbrella", "why waste your fat dreaming";... In general, there are many reasons, and it must be said that there is also the stubbornness and recklessness when people are young (although this is not necessarily gone now, because I am still very young, I swear)...

However, when I entered school, I knew I had overthought it.

On September 3, 2013, I was admitted to the academy. Right from the first feeling when meeting the group of students from the same province to study, I was secretly happy because many people I knew were also studying this course. I felt somewhat encouraged, like: no need to worry, at least there are people like me.

At the academy, I shared a room with a friend from Quang Ninh and a friend from Yen Bai.

My friend from Quang Ninh is a civil servant who is studying and also runs a business outside. He is quiet, rarely hangs out, and has a very regular lifestyle. Whenever he has free time, he reads newspapers, news in both Vietnamese and English, and every afternoon he spends time playing badminton. He won third place in badminton in the men's doubles to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the academy, and he can read news directly from CNN and BBC. Yet before going to school, there was a time when I thought that the cadre school only focused on students who were cunning and dissolute. For this friend, that thought was definitely wrong.

He handles everything on his phone. Then he uses automatic camera technology to manage and operate remotely. One night I sleep 7 hours, he only sleeps 4-5 hours, the rest of the time he reads, calculates, and does work via text messages... For him, almost nothing is impossible. Once he decides to do something, he will do it by all means. If he can't find a way, he will think of another way, he never gives up.

People think that cadres have to “climb” up through relationships or money, but I think that if someone like you is used, the organization will benefit, and wherever you work, there will be benefits. We are the same with you! Once you decide to do something for us, you always carry it out with the most satisfactory results.

As for my friend in Yen Bai, it seems like he can work with anyone. Something that seems very simple but few people can do is that with anyone he comes into contact with, he always thinks of their good side, their outstanding side, their strengths. And he always inspires his collaborators to feel excited, interested, trusting, and ready to work together to solve any problem.

I know, there are many things you are very vague about, there are many areas you lack information. But if you are interested in any area, you will always find someone to advise you in the best way possible. You do not know much, but you always know thoroughly what you need to know. This is different for me, sometimes I know a lot of things, but I do not know what I need to know.

I think I read somewhere that successful people always know how to stand on the shoulders of giants. I often talk about that, but only when I met you did I know that you are the living embodiment of knowing how to "stand on the shoulders" of others and make them very, very satisfied. I think that is also the way to success. I believe that if you are assigned a task, even if you do not know it well, you will know how to find someone to help you achieve the results at very high requirements.

In terms of finances, I know that I am more frugal than my two roommates. But I usually spend whatever I want, sometimes I look down on and despise meticulous calculations. If I have money in my pocket, I can spend it all. That's why I'm always... broke. My two friends are different. They are financially sound, even quite well-off. But they always calculate in detail and clearly. Even though sometimes they have several 500,000 VND bills in their closet, they still add up the 5,000 VND items to divide. When we eat together, we also share the cost of raw jicama. But when we invite them to eat, they cover everything. Whatever needs to be spent, they spend a lot of money, and whatever doesn't need to be spent, no matter how little money it costs, they absolutely won't spend.

I think, with that way of working, making money, and spending, it is natural that my two friends would be well-off. They don't need to be anyone's children, they don't need to do business dishonestly, they can create a solid economic foundation for themselves with their own hands, no matter where they are or what they do.

As for the class, it can be affirmed that the majority of advanced students in theory have positions, and that some of them are well-off economically. But the vast majority still live the lives of civil servants, public employees, and workers in a very normal way. Having gone to school, accepting to leave their offices, their families, their jobs, and their hometowns, everyone has the same mentality. In class, there are no “sirs”, “madams”, this or that position, but purely equal treatment: “You are a student, I am a student”. There is only studying, only bringing intelligence, personality, and emotions to “communicate” with each other, so there is also joy, as if we were students again.

If I am not mistaken, in my class there were students from 16 provinces, in the course there were students from 31 provinces. In general, they were all young, with similar circumstances. What is certain is that they all studied and trained properly, even though they came from many different majors. The level of awareness was relatively high and even.

Almost everyone is different, but everyone has a hidden strength, a certain advantage. Among them, there are many people with fierce and strong personalities. There are also people who, although working in a high-pressure work environment, requiring deep expertise, modern and dynamic style, but inside they are passionate people, people who tend to "live slowly", know how to appreciate the meaning, the moment, they often find for themselves some kind of pleasure, find forgetfulness or also discover themselves, find their true self in a certain art form...

Interestingly, in every class there are people we jokingly call “strange people”, “freaks”, who are really talented and convincing enough to make everyone take their hats off. Sitting at the same table with me is a son of the land of quan ho Bac Ninh, who is ranked in that category. You have just been assigned to be the deputy director of a ministry, and are currently doing research in Law. Your memory is like a living dictionary of the Law industry.

On the outside, you look simple and plain, but your cultural background is very broad and deep. It's as if you know everything. On top of that, you sing well and are good at sports. You go to school, work, and participate in all the extracurricular activities of the class. You work non-stop but your mouth is always smiling, always exuding a gentle, leisurely look. However, when I went to your house to visit, I learned that you came from a poor family, your father died early, your mother is a farmer, no one in your family is a leader or manager, and no one is rich. You created for yourself a dynamic and attractive lifestyle, confidently asserting your position and shaping your lifestyle through your own abilities.

Another person, sitting next to my table, is a woman who is the director of a large company. We vaguely heard that her salary is hundreds of millions of dong a month. She is a director, but she always goes to school. She drives herself to work and school. She always takes her child to school in the morning, then buys a package of sticky rice. After the first class, she opens the package of sticky rice to eat in class, and invites everyone to eat together, innocent as a fairy. She is a director, but she knows what her classmates want to buy and is enthusiastic. She works directly with foreigners, manages hundreds of thousands of people, but everything is fine. For me, leaving home to go to the academy, all I have to do is study. For her, it seems like studying only takes up 1/100 of her daily work capacity.

Even though she was busy, she knew that we were from the provinces and often bought gifts from Hanoi, so she was always ready to calculate and advise everyone to buy cheap things down to the thousandth. Sometimes on holidays, she bought a whole truck of Hanoi gifts for everyone in the class, she remembered and knew each person's preferences. If anyone asked her to buy a gift, even if it was under 10,000 VND, she would take the money. On the contrary, if she asked someone to buy something, she would pay down to the thousandth. Extremely clear and fair.

She is a businesswoman and has been a Hanoian for generations, but wherever she goes on a picnic, her husband is always there by her side. It seems like she doesn't know or care about anyone other than her husband. So much so that we consider her husband a solid member in every class trip.

She is a businesswoman, but her behavior is close to that of a lecturer, close to that of a researcher, gentle, disciplined, serious, profound, both tolerant and serious, responsible. She works without days off or breaks. It feels like she can get the job done no matter where she sits. Going on a picnic with the class, she manages everything as well as if she were directly at home. When we interact with her, we think, ah, working like her, earning a hundred million/month is completely worth it. Different from the casual, bland, and listless way of working that I have witnessed and am witnessing in many places today.

In class, we usually go to the lecture hall in the morning, and the afternoon is supposed to be for self-study, which means freedom. In the timetable given to each student, the left column has the name of the subject of the session and the lecturer in the class, the right column is left blank and only says NC, which means Research. But we call it “Afternoon nap”.

One interesting thing is that the class is often separated, with only one or two students from each province. Therefore, we always have the need to work together to ask, learn, and listen to each other. From work, to life, to regional characteristics, we all share. At first, there were small parties, usually once a week. Or after finishing a subject. The exams and studying seemed to be loose before. When we started studying, it was already strict a year before. Therefore, studying and taking exams were also a heavy pressure. After each subject's exam, we often went to parties.

It is called a party, but it is just eating together, with a few drinks. Everyone contributes money, so the cost is not much different from eating separately. So if we call it a party, we think we are spending a lot of money, but in fact it is just to relieve the sadness of being away from home and hometown. It is just to increase the atmosphere of exchange, solidarity, and attachment.

During the holidays, our class usually went on a tour of several provinces once a month. Whoever went paid for the transportation and food along the way. When we arrived in a province, our friends from that province would invite us to dinner. Honestly, at first we were reluctant to go. Partly because we wanted to go home, partly because we were afraid of the expense, especially when the class returned to our hometown, where would we have enough to entertain them for a few days? But after studying together for a while, our feelings grew, and we wanted to go to see our friends' hometowns.

As time went on, the natural need to invite friends back to "show off" to them about my hometown, to let them know my hometown became more and more apparent. Therefore, as time went on, people competed to invite them back to visit their hometowns, and considered inviting them back to repay the debt of gratitude for the thoughtful and enthusiastic reception they received each time they visited their hometowns. Especially for friends from the Northwest, no amount of pen and ink could describe their sincerity. When the class returned to their hometowns, not only did the whole family come to welcome them for a few days, but also their old and new offices came to welcome them. It was extremely warm.

Everyone is always aware that they will only be there for a short time and then return to work in that area, so they often take advantage of group activities to increase meetings, understanding, and friendship, thereby learning from each other. At the academy, going out for drinks and singing is a very normal activity.

It can even be said that it is a “clean” activity. Because if you are unruly and indulgent, then you will probably do something else after drinking. When I was in school, after parties, I often went to sing in groups, and in fact, that was a completely healthy activity. Because the afternoon was usually free. After parties, singing was fun, helped sober up, and improved my artistic skills.

There are people who don't know how to sing but still go. They even just go along to find an armchair to lie down on... "take an afternoon nap". Sometimes they go to karaoke with friends in the afternoon. Sometimes they go to karaoke because of the team spirit. Sometimes they have to go to karaoke because they are in the same taxi. Sometimes, they go to karaoke to relieve boredom... But it's not a big deal, it's not regular, everyone only goes to karaoke once in a while, honestly, I can't bear not to go.

Illustration photo.

There are many more stories, I remember them all but can't tell them all.

That was my academy time, that was my karaoke. I am proud and grateful for the time I attended the academy course. Now I have brothers, sisters, friends in many rural areas of the country thanks to my academy time, thanks to the times I participated in collective activities, including karaoke.

Now, I see that the academy has announced a ban on group activities not organized by the school that take place outside of school hours, including drinking, karaoke, and picnics. I can't blame the academy.

That's right, 12 lives, 12 young cadres, 12 pillars of the family were gone when they were students in a class at the academy. Horrible and horrifying! How could the academy avoid being infamous? Even the students couldn't avoid being infamous, because not everyone had the perspective of an insider, like an insider. Or at least a bit of tolerance.

But well, how can we blame the world, Trinh Cong Son said, “human hands have never been generous”. Thinking so, I rambled on and posted here the things that have been lingering in my heart. Because I think, honestly, what is blameworthy is that karaoke establishments are built without ensuring fire prevention regulations, so people do not “check”, but they “check” the singers. And then they say this and that. It is really sad...

A little more about the teachers at the academy. Well, some people think that the teachers there only have theories. But I consider myself lucky to have studied with teachers who know how to teach at the academy and also know how to work as consultants for foreign businesses. Well, some people say that teachers write books that can only be sold to students. But I was lucky to have respected teachers buy books and send them to me because they thought I was thinking about what the book contained.

Well, some people say that many teachers at the academy are stylish, know how to eat, drink and sing. But my two roommates and I were lucky to be invited to the teachers' home to eat meals cooked by them and vegetables grown by them.

We also think that many times the teachers respected the students' invitation to join in, join in the fun, and try to minimize the distance between the students. Fortunately, no teachers from the academy participated in this singing session, otherwise, with the limitless speculation of narrow-minded thinking, they would have drawn up a lot of stories that seemed so real, no one could argue, unless they were the ones involved.

Chi Linh Son

(For the B12-13 collective and my time at the academy, for a younger brother who has passed away forever in cruel pain...)