On February 9, 2021, i.e. December 28 of the Vietnamese lunar calendar, at Dormitory C2, Quy Nhon University (QNU) held a meeting and gave Tet gifts to Laos students and some Vietnamese ones whose hometowns are faced with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and who cannot return home to celebrate Tet. Attending the meeting were Dr. Dinh Anh Tuan - Vice Rector, leaders of the Youth Union, Student Union and units of QNU.
This year, due to the worsening situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, 98 international students from Laos and 06 Vietnamese students who come from the localities faced with the pandemic have to stay in the dormitory to welcome Tet. This was the first time these Laos students stayed in Vietnam to welcome the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. On the days prior to Tet, the Laos students were very enthusiastic, cleaning their rooms, decorating the cultural room to welcome the New Year. The preparation work for these on-campus students to welcome the Lunar New Year at the dormitory was carefully done by the Student Board in cooperation with the lecturers.
Traditional dances of Laos students
At the meeting, Dr. Dinh Anh Tuan - Vice Rector of QNU sent his greetings to all the international students from Laos and some Vietnamese students who could not return home for Tat because their localities are faced with the Covid-19 pandemic. And told these students to participate in activities of welcoming Spring Festival safely and healthily, fully complying with the measures to prevent the Covid-19. Also at the meeting, QNU and the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of Binh Dinh province, presented the students with many Tet gifts with traditional Vietnamese New Year characteristics such as chung cakes, tet cakes, confectionery, New Year jam as well as lucky money, good wishes and good luck for the new year.
Thoughtful gifts
On behalf of the Laos students, Soulisak Sengbandith - Head of the Student Board expressed his joy and emotion by the thoughtful preparation, attention and encouragement given to them by QNU’ leaders and lecturers. He said that “the Vietnamese Lunar New Year is a memorable and interesting memory. We will have an opportunity to enjoy and experience the beauty of traditional Vietnamese Tet culture and be more attached to many friendly and kind Vietnamese friends ”.
The small gifts and the care of QNU were a source of strong motivation and shared understanding shown towards the students to help ease their feeling of homesickness during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year when they had to live far away from their families.
Nguyen Khac Khanh
CT