learning by travelling: Leaving town for the countryside (Bỏ phố về quê)

This is me, wandering around in a vegetable garden in Đồng Nai Province in Vietnam

To some young people in modern times, living in the city is not as alluring as living in the country anymore. Some avoid the hustle and bustle of the city by leaving for the countryside for a low pace of life.

They consume what they produce. They pick fruit and vegetables from the garden; They collect eggs and raise fish.

They sow seeds, water them, and watch them flower, nourish and produce fruit or leaves. Later on, they collect them and enjoy them. To me, doing so is contentment. That is a part of life that city dwellers are missing.

They live in harmony with nature. They enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables. They respect nature by using the remains of their produce as compost for the next crops.

It sounds like a perfect way of living to me. One day when I build up enough savings, I also leave town for the countryside to live a pastoral life.

Country dwellers live in harmony with nature.

They pick fruits and vegetable from their own garden, collects eggs from hens they feed, and raise fish in a pond at the back door.

They sow seeds, water them, and watch them bloom, mature and produce fruit or leaves or flowers. They respect the cycle of nature by using the remains of their produce as compost for the next crops. Harvesting, consuming and sharing their own produce is a priceless experiment. To me, doing so is contentment. That is a part of life that city dwellers miss out on.

It is a perfect way of living for me. One day when I build up enough savings, I also would love to leave town for the countryside to live a quiet pastoral life.

I was sitting on a bale of rice straw in my friend's village, contemplating how my life would turn out. My smile was deceiving ...

Li Ziqi (Lý Tử Thất), a Chinese girl, is a wonderful example of this living style. She has attracted more than ten million subscribers on her YouTube channel. People are fascinated by her videos which depict her lifestyle and delicious foods. I’m fascinated by one of her answers in an interview. She said ‘When I worked in the city, it was about survival. Now when I work in the countryside, I feel like I’m truly living.'

In Vietnam, we have ‘Bếp Trên Đỉnh Đồi’ (Kitchen on the Hill). The girl behind ‘Bếp Trên Đỉnh Đồi’ is Tâm An. She has been criticized as a replica of Li Ziqi. People in Vietnam, as well as China, believe that this Vlogger imitates what Li Ziqi has done in her videos. However, others praise her work and consider her as ‘Li Ziqi of Vietnam’.

I have come across Li Ziqi (Lý Tử Thất), a Chinese girl, who is a wonderful example of countryside living. She has attracted more than fifty million subscribers on her YouTube account.

People are fascinated by her videos which depict her life and the delicious foods she cooks. I am fascinated by one of the answers she gave in an interview, saying: ‘When I worked in the city, it was about survival. Now when I work in the countryside, I feel like I’m truly living.'

Vietnam has its own version of Li Zigi. It is ‘Bếp Trên Đỉnh Đồi’ (Kitchen on the Hill). The girl behind ‘Bếp Trên Đỉnh Đồi’ is Tâm An. She has been criticized as a replica of Li Ziqi. There are some Vietnamese and Chinese who believe that Tâm An simply imitates what Li Ziqi has done in her videos. However, others praise her work and consider her as the ‘Li Ziqi of Vietnam’. There is a saying in English that the greatest compliment to give someone is to imitate them. Most of us do that much of the time as we imitate people we admire or respect.

(Draft 1 in grey; draft 2 in blue)

References

Li Ziqi's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoC47do520os_4DBMEFGg4A

Li Ziqi, the Uprising Chinese Internet Figure with 58 Million Fans

Vietnamesevlogger suspected of copying Chinese influencer Li Ziqi

‘Bếp Trên Đỉnh Đồi’ (Kitchen on the Hill): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDG75lCXu9WmJq_2uN-44Cg

If you love to discover how normal life in the central of Vietnam is, you should watch ‘Bếp Trên Đỉnh Đồi’ (Kitchen on the Hill).