Russian girl falls in love with Nghe An province.

(Baonghean)In the cold, snowy regions of Russia, Julia had known about Vietnam since she was a child. Through stories from her grandparents and parents, and information in books and newspapers, Julia imagined a heroic country that had defeated the world's strongest enemies; and back then, Julia never thought that one day she would fall in love with a Vietnamese man…

Having heard many people talk about the Russia Cafe at 78 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Vinh City, and stories about the beautiful Russian owner, we were curious and went to check it out. The charming cafe, only about 80 square meters, had walls adorned with paintings of Russian landscapes, and in the center, a blue fabric backdrop with the words "Forever Vietnamese-Russian Friendship." As soon as we sat down, a foreign woman in her 30s with lustrous blonde hair, an elegant oval face, and warm blue eyes greeted us warmly. She gently placed a glass of green tea on the table and said in broken Vietnamese, "Please, would you like something to drink?" Our initial impression was that the owner's demeanor and attitude created a very special feeling for the customers.



Julia and her husband own this coffee shop.

She happily chatted with us, but due to her limited Vietnamese vocabulary, she had to rely on her husband, Hoang Trung Hai, for assistance. She explained that her name is Suvareva Julia Alecsandrovna (shortened to Julia), born in 1980 in the town of Verkhovare, Vologda province, about 500km from Moscow. She met Hai in 2002 in Russia, when they both worked at a Vietnamese market in Verkhovare. Julia was a saleswoman, while Hai regularly imported clothing from Vietnam. After several encounters, they developed feelings for each other, and their dates in the pine forests during the snowy winter brought love unexpectedly. Hai confided, "I came to Russia hoping to save some money to return home, never imagining that one day I would marry a Western woman."

Initially, Julia's family was hesitant because the two lived in two countries separated by vast distances, with vastly different cultures and languages. Furthermore, Julia only had one brother, so her parents didn't want to be separated from their daughter. However, having long admired Vietnam and its people, Julia eventually convinced them, and in early 2003, the couple held a Russian wedding ceremony at Julia's small family home by the Vologda River. Many Vietnamese and Russian friends came to celebrate the couple's happiness. Later that year, their first son, Hoang Quoc Viet (whose Russian name is Nhikita), was born in the snowy land, adding to their family's joy.

But the longing for his homeland never faded in the heart of this young Vietnamese man. After 10 years of working in Russia, Hai confided in his wife his intention to move the whole family back to Vietnam. At first, Julia's parents disagreed for many reasons, including the geographical distance and cultural and customary differences... but then, because they cherished their "Vietnamese son-in-law," the whole family happily agreed. Hai recounted that, from not wanting their daughter to marry someone far away, after being "convinced" by their son-in-law, Julia's parents not only agreed but were also very thoughtful. Julia's mother even advised her daughter, as the Vietnamese saying goes, "the boat follows the rudder, the woman follows her husband," reminding her to fulfill her duties as a daughter-in-law and wife, always remember her parents, and not forget Russia. If, after a while, she finds it unsuitable in Vietnam, the couple can return to the town of Verkhovare to live with her parents...

In 2008, they sent their child back to Russia, and in 2010, they returned to Vietnam to reunite with their family. To help Julia gradually adapt to the new climate and environment, Mr. Hai rented a house in Hanoi, an area with many Russian residents, for a while and found Julia a job as a waitress at a restaurant near West Lake. After some time, she became accustomed to the climate and lifestyle in Vietnam, and he discussed with her the idea of ​​returning to their hometown in Nghe An. In September 2012, they rented a location at 78 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street to open a café called Russia, and displayed many pictures of Russia so that Julia would feel her homeland was always nearby. They also wanted to turn this place into a meeting point for those who had a connection with Russia and loved the land of the White Birch.

Hai said: When Julia first came to live with her husband's family, she didn't know Vietnamese and didn't understand anything about the customs and lifestyle of her husband's family, so she faced many difficulties. According to Julia, the hardest thing was the way of addressing people; she got everything mixed up. Many times, when she met relatives at family gatherings, she could only "smile awkwardly" because she forgot their names. Eating with chopsticks was also a challenge for Julia; it took her more than a month to get used to it. Hai became his wife's Vietnamese teacher, and all the difficulties were overcome. Julia gradually adapted to life and learned to converse with her mother-in-law. Julia was friendly with her neighbors, behaving tactfully and gently, so everyone liked her. Her mother-in-law grew to love her even more each day.

With her mother-in-law's kind guidance and instruction on cooking Vietnamese dishes, and being a quick learner, Julia soon mastered several recipes. Living far from home, Julia confided: She misses Russia, her parents, and her relatives and friends, which causes her many sleepless nights... To ease her longing, she frequently communicates and chats with her parents and friends back home via the internet. She and her husband are working to stabilize their lives so they can welcome her parents to visit this year.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Su, Julia's mother-in-law (in Block 7, Truong Thi Ward, Vinh City), shared: "Julia is very eager to learn and honest. I've guided Julia like my own daughter. Gradually, Julia has adapted to the family's lifestyle." Julia once confided: "I really like being in Vietnam, Mom!" When asked what the most difficult thing about being a daughter-in-law in Vietnam was, Julia shared: "Everywhere there are disagreements in how people treat each other. But if both sides make an effort to open their hearts to understand, empathize, and share with each other, then a truly happy life can be built."

And when asked about her experience as a daughter-in-law in Nghe An, she said, "We saw a sparkle of happiness in her blue eyes. Mr. Hai is very kind and loving, and he helps me a lot, so my homesickness has lessened considerably." And when asked what she finds interesting about her life in Nghe An, she happily replied, "Oh, so many things! Even though it's a cold place, I really enjoy the warm sunshine, the spicy fish sauce with lime and chili, and Vietnamese fish dishes. I love the rivers, mountains, temples, and pagodas of Vietnam, and swimming at Cua Lo beach. This is my third year celebrating the traditional Vietnamese New Year. I've learned how to wrap banh chung (traditional rice cakes) and I really enjoy eating them because they have a very distinctive flavor of Tet. I believe that when my parents and older brother come to visit, they will be very happy to see my happy life here."

The beautiful Russian girl's smile and eyes, brimming with happiness, warmed the atmosphere in the Russia café, even though a cold winter drizzle was falling outside.

Hoang Hao - Pham Ngan