Diep Chi's "wishes"

(Baonghean) - "The Seventh Wish" has finally returned after being "suspended" for 60 days due to the incident involving the "fairy tale love story" of a young man from Thanh Hoa for a visually impaired girl from Nghe An. Because of that incident, Diep Chi – a famous female MC and editor at VTV – had to endure a difficult broadcast: apologizing to viewers for the oversight during her work. That was perhaps the most memorable experience in her journalistic career and her 9-year journey with VTV – a strength that is both her strength and her weakness…

"An apology is given without expecting anything in return..."

Unlike when she hosted shows like "Rung Chuong Vang" or "Do Re Mi," or chatted over a cup of "Morning Coffee," Diep Chi's voice had never been so soft, almost trembling, the trembling of someone who knows they've made a mistake, but it was unintentional: "...Just like many other 'Seventh Wish' programs, we approached this story with a completely pure heart, hoping to bring a better life to the characters in special circumstances. Regardless of our initial purpose and how many reasons we want to explain to you, right now we accept responsibility for the mistakes we made for not being decisive enough in our professional work, leading to a truly regrettable incident in the 'Seventh Wish' program broadcast on January 10, 2015, on VTV3..."

MC, TV presenter Diep Chi.

Compared to the controversial apology from the actress who played the female lead in "Vang Anh's Diary" years ago, Diep Chi's apology, on the other hand, impressed with its sincerity and appropriateness: "The apology is not meant to receive love or forgiveness...". Above all, Chi understands that the mistake she and her team made was not only directed at those involved but, more broadly, could lead to a loss of faith in kindness and in "modern-day fairy tales"—the treasure that "The Seventh Wish" has been striving to find and bring to the audience. "I hope that the audience will never lose faith in human kindness and the humanistic values ​​of life..." she said.

Then, upon returning to her personal page, she reminded herself once again: “If you make a mistake, correct it; if you stumble, get back up. You’ve been foolish enough, it’s time to be wise. You’ve sincerely bowed your head, now lift your head and move forward…”, “I made a mistake, I don’t blame anyone. I only feel remorse when my mistake affects so many people. Without this ‘incident,’ I would have rushed forward like a moth to a flame, worked tirelessly day and night, loved and trusted blindly… And then, if I didn’t stumble now, I would fall another time. Pain to ‘grow’ is worth it, isn’t it?”…

"I will still love and believe..."

“The storm season is over.” The 7th Wish has had its “embargo lifted” to the joy of the crew and the dedicated female presenter: “Exactly 60 days…, the sky-blue shirt, neatly folded, is about to be soaked with sweat again. I miss those trips so much, I want to hug strangers again, bring them joy and make myself happy. I am immensely grateful for the sharing and encouragement over the past 60 days, the hundreds of loving messages and even the reproaches that I have read and remembered. I am grateful for the patience and the touching urging, not a single day went by without someone asking, “When… will you come back?”, “When will you continue?”. It’s so nice to know that I and many others share the same longing… It’s time to return, Wish! See you on a beautiful day in April…”. And then the day finally arrived: “Today – a beautiful Saturday, The 7th Wish officially returns, after exactly one year on air. At 1 PM today on VTV3, everyone! (It’s been so long since I’ve been informed of this, so I’m practically jumping for joy as I type this!)” – Chi practically skipped along on Facebook.

Diep Chi in an episode of the "Seventh Wish" program. Photo: Internet

Meanwhile, she and her small family are traveling to a faraway place: Colmar, a charming little town near the French-German border, the capital of the French Wine Route and the only place in the world that sells a peculiar commodity: sunsets. “Perhaps nowhere else is the image of the sunset so glorious. Thousands of people wait, lining up to choose their spots from when the sun is still high in the sky, and then, without a word, they all applaud simultaneously as the last rays of light disappear into the Aegean Sea. A magnificent ‘performance’!...”. This is also a rare moment of relaxation that this extremely busy and highly sought-after TV presenter and MC has managed to squeeze out from her packed schedule to “gift” to her small family – where her greatest asset is her son Sumo and her husband (MC Trung Kien), who is always willing to pick her up and drop her off at the airport amidst her busy work schedule.

And if she can't travel far, Chi's "gift" will be beautifully presented meals, and to create such a menu, that "housewife" is probably "no ordinary person."

Swallow until you're tired and go.

Life as a journalist, especially a television journalist, and with the added "love for the profession" like this girl from Nghe An who possesses the "regional specialty" of a determined personality, it would be strange if it weren't hard work and busy! Chi recounted that once, after finishing her "Morning Coffee" shift at the start of the day, she met her colleagues in the studio courtyard, and they exclaimed: "Oh, you guys are not human anymore!"

Chi acknowledged: "Sleepless nights stretching from last month into this month. Programs following one another without a break, and yet still having the energy to burst out laughing—that's truly not something a human being can do!"

Although it's not easy to have much time for her family, Chi doesn't regret the dedication she's put into her work. Not only is the opportunity she has at Vietnam Television rare for a girl from a small town, but it's also where she spent the most beautiful years of her youth; where the name Diep Chi first became known on the "Rung Chuong Vang" (Golden Bell Ringing) program; where she and her passionate young colleagues "laughed heartily and sometimes hugged each other and cried until they had no more tears left. Glory and storms, joy and suffering - all for things not done for themselves alone..." Chi's most memorable experience in her profession "is not the glamorous makeup, the bright lights, or the applause, but the endless sleepless nights, the pale faces silently staring at each other, the urgings to "try to get some sleep," the scolding - "Eat now, do you want to die there?"; it's when everyone else is reuniting with their families, and we all stay awake, swallowing our hardships. We only know how to lean our heads on each other's shoulders when we're exhausted, sharing the same dream of warm blankets, soft mattresses, and our children...", because "this job is not glamorous, not easy, not as easy as people think...".

Miss Vietnam Nguyen Thu Thuy once told me: "Those whose lives seem chaotic due to pressure and hectic schedules... actually stay young longer than those who are idle and passive. Simply because their bodies and minds are always active, and that's what gives them the vitality to maintain their youthful appearance." This statement is absolutely true in Diep Chi's case!

Nguyen Le