Memories of a time 'I want to forget but my heart keeps remembering' by journalist Vu Kim Hanh

On the afternoon of September 20 at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, journalist Vu Kim Hanh had a sharing session about the book Saigon Bao Thuong (published by Saigon Books and Hong Duc Publishing House) containing many memories during the Covid-19 period, which she wrote over a period of 4 years.

Journalist Vu Kim Hanh is the former Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre Newspaper and currently the President of the Association of High-Quality Vietnamese Goods Enterprises. Recently, she has been attracting audiences of all ages with her 5-minute TikTok channel about the market and podcasts revolving around many topics, from education, career guidance to economics , art... Talking about the book, she said that during the pandemic, she regularly kept a diary about each day to "ease the unbearable, bleeding pain". She said that at the peak of the epidemic, sometimes looking around the living room, she felt like a deserted house without a person, human voice and the breath of life. At that time, hearing the funeral horn or the call for bread made her "tears well up"...

Journalist Vu Kim Hanh and her newly released book

PHOTO: SAIGON BOOKS

One day, her social media account was "suspended" and all her notes were lost. Luckily, her two sons had quietly asked a math teacher in Da Lat to save them all, and from then on, the pages of "memories that make me shudder with fear, I want to forget them but my heart still remembers them" were returned. From here, she was encouraged to compile them into a book.

Besides the common memories, Saigon Bao Thuong mostly focuses on everyday details, such as a bag of rice hanging in front of the door, the "oxygen ATM" team, many young people silently cooking thousands of meals every day, the encouraging eyes behind the masks... Journalist Kim Hanh said nothing moves us more than the small details and lives.

Through each page, both sad and happy stories appeared, interwoven into a message honoring solidarity, mutual support and love in this life. And then, after going through those low notes, when seeing a child studying on the first day of lifting the lockdown, journalist Vu Kim Hanh saw in it a sign of life returning, both touching, sacred and very miraculous.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ky-uc-mot-thoi-muon-quen-ma-long-cu-nho-cua-nha-bao-vu-kim-hanh-185250920195527318.htm