Reunion of Purpose

by Vi Ma

It’s just north of a class reunion for both Barry and me, seeing familiar faces and sharing meals together at the campsites. This year, we get to walk or ride through the local neighborhood for 2 km from the main roads to the 20th school that SM has built (and Chairman Tuan has already started working on the 2025 school during this trip!). Our beloved and comic constructor, Sư Phụ, tipped me off that he deliberately left less work than the previous year so that we, the work campers, could finish it on time. He and his crew have been with SM for seven schools, and every time I asked, they gave me the same answer: ‘mệt mà vui’ (tired but happy). Besides being civil engineers, they also handle the sugarcane on-demand station and the open-air BBQ pit. What a crew!

And the food! Chef Phúc, who always wears the best smiles regardless of the weather, and her crew keep the culinary creativity game on like never before. What surprised me the most is how fast our supporting crew brought in the local communities to help out, even the tweens in the neighborhood. We were taught from a young age to say thank you and sorry frequently and respectfully. So frequently that it sometimes doesn’t sound sincere. Yet, every ‘cảm ơn’ I said on this trip, I truly meant. Thank you, SM, the work camp planning committees, and chị Jane for making it happen. Xin cảm ơn!