The colors of spring are created by the skillful hands of the blue beret soldiers. Paper peach and ochna blossoms are meticulously crafted; red parallel sentences are solemnly hung. The field kitchen is filled with laughter as officers and soldiers gather to make banh chung (square sticky rice cake) using wild banana leaves instead of dong (phrynium) leaves used back home.
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Green banh chung made by blue beret soldiers using African wild banana leaves |
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Guiding international friends in making banh chung |
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International friends enjoy making Vietnamese Chung cakes. |
These moments of preparation become a spiritual pillar, helping soldiers alleviate homesickness and strengthen camaraderie. For Lieutenant Nguyen Trung Kien from the company’s Logistics - Support Detachment, celebrating his first Tet away from the Fatherland is a special experience. Tasked with decorating the barracks, he emotionally shared that he misses the taste of his mother’s pickled onions and the characteristic biting cold of the Northern homeland.
In the bustling atmosphere, the VNEC-4 organized a “Banh chung diplomacy” activity, inviting international friends to join the celebration. African wild banana leaves were neatly arranged alongside carefully prepared sticky rice, mung beans, and pork. International colleagues excitedly learned how to wrap the cakes. Although the Chung cakes wrapped in wild banana leaves are lighter in green, they retain their traditional flavor, serving as “cultural ambassadors” to introduce a friendly and sentimental Vietnam to the Mission.
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First Lieutenant Nguyen Trung Kien decorates a peach blossom branch for Tet. |
Beside the boiling pot of cakes, stories about the meaning of Tet reunions were shared, bridging cultural gaps and turning Tet into a bridge of friendship among peacekeeping forces in Abyei.
Celebrating Spring without neglecting duties, the sound of the VNEC-4’s rollers and excavators still resonates on construction sites in the days leading up to Tet. Over the past year, the unit has reinforced many arterial roads, especially the Banton bridge, ensuring safety for the Mission and local people.
Additionally, taking advantage of break times, the unit supported the renovation of Abyei Secondary School campus, leveling the schoolyard and walkways for students. Kon Maneit Matiok, Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Public Utilities of Abyei, expressed that the Vietnamese force has brought not only security, but also a future for the area. The renovation of the school was a priceless gift, a testament to the noble soul of the Vietnamese soldiers.
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Abyei students happily wave Vietnamese flags. |
Although the spring atmosphere is present in every corner of the barracks, the VNEC-4 strictly maintains combat readiness duties, ensuring absolute safety for the base. Celebrating the Tet holiday in the hot land of Abyei, Vietnamese blue-beret soldiers carry with them the bravery, discipline, and pride of those silently keeping the peace.
Translated by Minh Anh