Emotions of Champa flower season

At the end of 1998, I was one of the first staff to participate in the Preparatory Committee for the establishment of the Lao-Vietnam Joint Venture Bank. During the 3-month period, the busy work to prepare for the establishment of a joint venture bank in the neighboring country attracted everyone to handle a huge amount of work to complete on schedule, without any time to stop and think or worry about anything. From drafting the joint venture contract, the charter of the joint venture bank to working with ministries, departments and branches of both countries to complete the legal administrative procedures, from preparing facilities, headquarters, personnel to meeting and signing between the two parties, etc. At that time, I was just a new staff but was fortunate to participate in those important tasks and learned many useful things.

As the opening day drew closer, we began to feel the momentous occasion in our own way. I was both anxious and hopeful that I would be able to work in Laos, although I was vaguely aware of it and could not imagine anything. At that time, the means of communication were very limited, so mentioning Laos seemed very far away.

Then, one day, Mr. Trinh Ngoc Ho - General Director of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam at that time - called me to his office and asked about my studies and work at the International Payment Department. Finally, he asked me if I was ready to accept a new assignment. I understood that I was about to receive an extremely honorable and proud assignment in my working life, which was to work at the Lao-Viet Joint Venture Bank. Without thinking for long, I boldly answered, "I am ready." But in fact, I was not mentally prepared for my relatives and my girlfriend.

I told the whole family about it. After a while of thinking, my mother came to the conclusion, “Then you have to get married.” My mother was probably worried about her future daughter-in-law and worried about when she would have grandchildren to hold (mothers’ thoughts seem to be the same). At that time, I had just turned twenty-six, full of youth and enthusiasm, but my thoughts were still very simple and I could not imagine the life and responsibilities of a family of my own.

I told my girlfriend about my thoughts, my job, my mother's wishes, unexpectedly my mother and my future daughter-in-law were so compatible, she "agreed to get married right away". In a very short period of time, with the encouragement and help of both families, friends, colleagues and the attention of the leaders, we were able to build a home in the rush of the joint venture bank opening schedule, exactly 2 and a half months before my departure.

Besides Mr. Chinh, me and another person in the Preparatory Committee, I also learned that other "comrades" would join us to work at the Joint Venture Bank, such as: Mr. Hiep, Mr. Vinh, Mr. Co, Mr. Kien, then Hoang (my university friend - so happy), Nguyen, and even Mr. Khiem and Mr. Dung in the South also participated. Perhaps the most surprising was Mr. Hai, who just found out after returning from a business trip to Singapore.

The entire Vietnam Development and Investment Bank that day was buzzing about the trip, about the country we were going to, about the difficulties and challenges we were going to face, about the environment, about the culture... and so on and so forth. The leaders met to encourage and show their affection for the working group, especially Ms. Van Anh (former Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of BIDV). But the mental challenge was truly formidable, among us there was someone who could not overcome it and gave up on the day of departure. We really felt sorry for her.

As for me, it seemed like God had to test me further. Two weeks before the flight, my husband and I both fell ill. I fell ill first, with a high fever and then a sore eye. I still tried to go to work to keep my spirits up and that of my teammates.

Then, the departure day came, we had to fly over a week before the opening. I quickly drank the porridge, said goodbye to my wife and ran out the door without daring to look back at my young wife who was running a fever of forty degrees lying on her back facing the wall crying silently, afraid that she would not be able to control herself and put down the suitcase. Gathering in front of the agency gate, seeing the women coming out to see their husbands off sobbing, I felt sad again. Luckily, that day the brothers in the group talked and laughed freely, especially the brothers.

Having my family, plus a large farewell party, and the presence of the bank's Board of Directors flying over, made me feel much more confident.

After that, all the strange and curious feelings disappeared as soon as we set foot in Laos. Instead, there was a feeling of familiarity, the same roads, trees, vehicles almost like at home, especially the friendliness and closeness of colleagues, especially those who could speak Vietnamese. We had prepared well and the opening day went very well. The most memorable and heart-stopping, but also the funniest event in those early days was when Mr. Hiep, Deputy General Director, was bitten on the leg by a huge, black scorpion when he just stepped out of the break room to prepare for dinner. Everyone shuddered at the thought of the deadly venom of the desert scorpion and did not dare to think further. The whole group hurriedly pushed Mr. Hiep into the car, called acquaintances, and went to find a doctor. Finally, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and had a good laugh when the doctor said that the scorpion that bit Hiep did not have deadly venom, it was just a little itchy (unlike scorpions in the desert), and they just had to take a quick antidote. How scary! They forgot about hunger!

Lao-Vietnam Joint Venture Bank Headquarters in Vientiane (Laos)

Time passed, and the work ahead of us was very much in store. I quickly got used to the new working environment, new people, daily routines, and even the national dishes. Occasionally, the feeling of emptiness and homesickness came back, creeping into my every thought. One time, in the middle of the night, I climbed up to the roof of the terrace and sat alone, looking towards my homeland, where my friends, family, and beloved wife were. The mutual care, concern, and sharing of the eleven brothers in the group helped me ease my homesickness and my longing for my wife. We watched TV, learned Lao, worked and played sports, interacted and got along with Lao friends, learned more about the unique culture, customs, and the beauty of the landscapes and mountains of the country where I was working. I looked forward to returning, but first I had to complete my mission.

So proud! That day, we lived. That day, we gave…

Hanoi, May 2009

Phan Duc Hung