Spending Tet at home in the bosom of the family is the Vietnamese tradition but this year, like every other, there will be some who cannot afford the luxury and have to be on duty to ensure their compatriots enjoy Lunar New Year.
Among them are sanitation workers who silently clean Ho Chi Minh City’s roads to welcome Tet.
Nguyen Viet Tien, 54, a sanitation worker for the last 10 years, said every year he has been on the streets during New Year’s Eve.
“Many times I craved a reunion with my family on the Eve but how can I do it since I am a sanitation worker – a cleaner?” he confided to us.
“But it is not just me -- many others, like policemen, doctors, and security guards, do not have the chance to enjoy New Year’s Eve,” he said.
Mr. Tien said this Tet would be no different since he has been assigned to sweep Tran Hung Dao Street and 23/9 Park where a flower market is being held.
SGGP correspondents also spoke to traffic policemen who were on duty. Many said they usually spend Tet on the street or at check points instead of at home with their families.
They feared the situation would be the same this year, with many saying they would have to work round the clock during Tet.
At hospitals, many doctors, nurses, and other personnel will also work during Tet.
Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, deputy director of People 115 Hospital, said: “We will be on assignment.”
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy of Children Hospital II said anyone wishing to enjoy Tet at home have to negotiate with their colleagues to swap shifts.
Many hospitals like Cho Ray, Trung Vuong, and Binh Dan have posted additional personnel to their emergency departments for Tet.
