Awe With Awale

Happy Vietnamese Women’s Day

Have you ever had a chat with a Hungry Panda delivery person before? I mean beyond taking your food order or seeing them speed through the streets on their bright yellow electric bikes.
Today was a busy day at work, and I finished around 6 p.m. in the CBD.

I was rushing off to a cafe to prepare for my poetry slam competition tomorrow night at the Brunswick Ballroom. All I could think about was which three poems to share tomorrow night.
As I left the building and approached the intersection of William and Collins Streets, I noticed a silver cab parked nearby and a Hungry Panda delivery person sitting on the ground, his leg extended, leaning against the traffic light. It looked like he’d been involved in an accident with the cab driver, who had already left by the time I arrived.

The light turned green, and people began crossing the street. But no one stopped to check on the man. I couldn’t just walk away. Even though he didn’t seem badly hurt, I felt compelled to see if he was okay. I asked, “Are you okay?”.

He didn’t respond right away, he seemed to be in shock. Another woman stopped beside me, and together we asked questions like: “Do you need help? Were you in an accident? Should we call the police or an ambulance?”

He finally said he was diabetic and that his blood sugar was high. He just needed to eat something and rest for a bit. We asked if he had food with him or if we should get him something. He said he had food in the back of his bike, and the woman got him some seaweed snacks.

He refused to go to the hospital, explaining that as an international student, after hours medical care will be too expensive. He said “I’ll go in the morning. I’m just waiting for a friend to come and help me fix my bike.” I learned his name was Nam, and the woman who stopped was Nicole, who happened to live nearby. She was as surprised as I was that no one else had stopped to help.

Nam’s bike was slightly damaged, and he asked if we could find a screwdriver. Nicole went home to look for tools, and I returned to my office, hoping there might be something useful there. Within a minute, I found a full toolbox I’d never even noticed before. It felt like I’d manifested it lol.

I rushed back and managed to fix the bike just before Nicole returned with her own tools. It felt like teamwork, a couple of strangers brought together for one small act of kindness. Like two angels sent to help Nam.

When his girlfriend arrived, we had a lovely chat. Her name was Mai, also from Vietnam. They met in Melbourne and lived in the same building. Mai was working part-time with Hungry Panda too, and she said she’d love to be friends with me and Nicole to practice her English. She took Nam’s bike and promised to ride it home for him.

Nam planned to take the tram home, but I noticed he was limping slightly. I couldn’t let him travel alone, so I decided to go with him. We walked at his pace, chatting along the way. On the tram, he taught me how to say “hello” (xin chào) and “goodbye” (tạm biệt) in Vietnamese.

He told me how lucky he felt to have Mai in his life. “Today is Vietnamese Women’s Day,” he said with a proud smile. “I got her a bouquet of flowers and sushi for lunch”. Nam shared more about himself; he is a 26-year-old from Vietnam who studied cookery in NSW and now studies business in Melbourne while working part-time as a delivery rider to cover the high cost of living. During the pandemic, he even opened a small Vietnamese restaurant in Wagga Wagga, but when it didn’t work out, he moved to Melbourne to start again.

Recently, he and his friends launched a new food store called Freshies Square, offering healthy Vietnamese lunch packs at 200 Queen Street in the CBD. They just opened 2 weeks ago and trying to attract customers with healthy food. When we finally reached his home, we waited for his friends to arrive from their delivery shifts. He gave me some business advice, and we shared more stories about our lives in Australia. His friends arrived after a while and were very grateful that I helped their friend. They invited me to visit their shop anytime for a free lunch as thanks for helping Nam.

Nam struck me as ambitious, optimistic, and deeply passionate about his dreams to become a famous cook sharing his healthy meals with people.

It’s funny just last week, I stopped at that same corner after work and met a man named Peter holding flowers and a sign that said, “Slow down and smell the flowers.” Today, I stopped again but this time, it was to help Nam and connect with two kind strangers, Nicole and Nam.

What a coincidence that it happened on Vietnamese Women’s Day, the day Nam gave flowers to his girlfriend, and the week after I’d been reminded to slow down and notice life’s small details and beautiful moments. Both times, I stopped, I extended my hand to the chance of a human connection and I was privileged to gain a small window into someone else’s world.

Happy Vietnamese Women’s Day and wishing Nam a speedy recovery.

P.S. Vietnamese Women’s Day, celebrated on October 20, commemorates the founding of the Vietnam Women’s Union in 1930, which advocates for women’s rights and equality. It’s a day to honor the strength, value, and contributions of Vietnamese women.

P.P.S: I didn't have time to prepare for my poetry competition tomorrow as originally planned, but I am sure I will do just fine. Helping Nam and connecting with Nam was 100% better use of my time tonight.