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I’m going to talk about bánh chưng, which is a traditional Vietnamese dish.
It’s a type of sticky rice cake that is square in shape.

I was excited and curious while I was learning to make it.
When I held the cakes I had made myself, I felt really proud.

Bánh chưng is really important during the Tet holiday in my country.
It’s an offering to our ancestors.
It’s also a special dish during the holiday.

My family used to make bánh chưng before the Lunar New Year.
I first learned how to make them many years ago, when I was a kid.

It took a few days to make the cakes.
We lived in a mountain village back then, so we prepared the ingredients ourselves.

My mom collected lá dong leaves from a forest.
Lá dong is a type of leaf used to wrap the cakes.
I helped her wash and dry the leaves.
My mom also split bamboo strips to tie the cakes.

Basically, the ingredients for bánh chưng include sticky rice, mung beans, pork, and spices.
I usually helped my mom wash the rice and mung beans.

My dad was mainly responsible for wrapping the cakes.
That day, I wanted to learn how to wrap the cakes for the first time, and my dad agreed to teach me.
He showed me how to cut the leaves and put them into a mold.
After that, I put in the ingredients layer by layer.
Then I wrapped the cake and tied it with bamboo strips.

I found it really difficult at first.
My first cake looked misshapen and wasn’t very square.
But my dad encouraged me to keep trying.
Then I tried again, and my second one looked better.

We had to boil bánh chưng for many hours.
Back then, my family usually boiled the cakes at night because my parents were busy during the day.
I was excited to see the cakes, so I tried to stay up with my mom and keep an eye on them.
But then I fell asleep.

The next morning, when I woke up, the cakes were ready.
My cakes didn’t look great, but they tasted pretty good.

Now my family no longer makes bánh chưng like we used to.
We usually buy them instead.

That experience became a lovely memory for me.

Hannah

I’m going to talk about last year’s Tet holiday, which was one of the most memorable celebrations to me.

I’m really into Tet holiday because it was a rare occasion for me to reunite with my family. This meant a lot to me when I worked far from home.

Last year’s Tet holiday was even more special because it was the first Tet I had with my family after returning to my hometown.

Tet holiday or Lunar New Year is a traditional festival in my country, when people have some time off for family gatherings.

I remember when Tet was coming up, my family and I cleaned and decorated our house with a peach tree, lanterns, and fairy lights.

I also helped my mom do the shopping and prepare for special meals during the holiday.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, my family had a reunion dinner.
My parents invited some relatives and neighbors to join us.
Everyone enjoyed the meal together in a warm atmosphere.

Then I stayed up until midnight to watch the fireworks.
From my balcony, I could see fireworks displays from different parts of the city.

On the first day of the new year, I dressed up and visited my relatives.
Tet holiday may be the only chance to see them all year because everyone is busy with work.
Some of them work far from home, so it’s hard to get together regularly.
That’s why I always appreciate these family gatherings.

I also gave lucky money to children and the elderly.
That’s a traditional custom to wish them good luck in the new year.

Overall, it was a simple Tet, but I really enjoyed spending time with my family.

Hannah

I’d like to talk about Tet holiday, which is one of the most important festivals in my country.

It’s crucial because it’s a traditional festival which has been going on for thousands of years.

It’s also a special holiday when people have some time off for family gatherings.

Tet holiday, or the Lunar New Year, takes place in the first month of the Lunar calendar. It’s around February in the Western calendar.

At the end of the lunar year, my family and I usually clean and decorate our house for Tet with a peach tree, lanterns, and fairy lights.

I also help my mom do the shopping and prepare for special meals during the holiday.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, my family and relatives usually have a reunion dinner.

Then I stay up to watch the fireworks displays.

On the first day of the new year, I usually dress up and visit my relatives.

Tet holiday may be the only chance to see them all year because we’re all busy and some of them work far from home.

I also give lucky money to children and the elderly. That’s a traditional custom to wish them good luck in the new year.

The best thing about Tet holiday is that it’s a rare occasion for family gatherings. This means a lot to people who work far from home.

I don’t really enjoy the parties because women often have to do all the cooking and cleaning, while men just drink and have fun.

I also feel uncomfortable when my relatives ask personal questions, such as my income or relationship status.

No matter what, Tet holiday is still a special event to me.

Hannah

I’d like to talk about the conversation I had with a passenger on a train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi a few years ago.

I found it interesting because it was the first time I had a deep conversation with a foreigner.

It helped me feel more confident about myself, both in communicating and using English.

He got on the train and came into our cabin at around midnight.

The next morning, when I was standing in the corridor and watching the sunrise, he stepped out and broke the ice.
He introduced himself as a traveler from China.

I was surprised because we had a lot in common, especially our love of travelling.
When I told him about my first solo trip, he seemed really surprised.
I flew to Da Lat, then I took a bus to Ho Chi Minh City.
Finally, I returned to Hanoi by train because I wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way.
That was actually how I met him on the train.

As it turned out, he also had a passion for travelling.
He had travelled to many countries before, including Vietnam.
He said that he really loved the country and wanted to come back again in the future.

We added each other on social media before he got off in Da Nang to continue his trip, and I stayed on the train to Hanoi.

We still keep in touch and stay friends.
He even promised to meet me if he came back to Vietnam.
I’d also like to meet him if I had the chance to go to China.

So this encounter became a memorable experience for me.

Hannah

I’d like to talk about a cafe
I went to when I had a solo trip 🧳
in Da Lat a few years ago.

I liked it because when I was there,
I felt like I was in a movie scene, 🎬
not in an ordinary cafe.

Before the trip,
I saw it on social media, 🤳
and it immediately caught my eye. 😀

It seemed to have a Ghibli theme.
Since I’m a big fan of Ghibli,
I added it to my trip list. 📝

But getting there wasn’t easy.
I had to ride over
a dangerous mountain pass ⛰
and then follow a long trail
through a pine forest.

The cafe was in a small valley
deep in the forest.

I ordered an iced tea at the entrance.
They gave me a basket to carry my stuff,
so I could go around and sit anywhere.

I climbed up a hill,
and I found a spot halfway up the hill.

I sat down to enjoy my drink
and saw the view below.

Honestly, it was amazing,
even more beautiful than in the videos.

It really felt like
something out of a Ghibli movie.
I loved how they brought
those movie scenes into real life.

After a while, I wandered around the cafe. 🚶‍♀️
I walked through a green meadow. 🌾
I noticed a large mirror there,
so I took some nice shots with the basket. 📸

It almost felt like
I was stepping into a Ghibli movie
and touching the scenes in real life.

At that moment, everything just felt calm 🍃
and I ended up having a great afternoon there.

It turned out to be
a really memorable experience.

Hannah