Foreign NGOs in 2024: Partners in Vietnam's Sustainable Future
	Overseas Vietnamese: Outstanding achievements in 2024

Lattanaphone (right) likes going out for coffee and chatting with friends.

Lattanaphone Phetphilanon (24 years old, Laotian, PhD student at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam): Passionate about Hanoi coffee shops

I came to Hanoi to study in 2019. One of the memorable cultural experiences in Hanoi is the habit to "go coffee". In Hanoi, "go coffee" is not simply getting a cup of coffee, but also enjoying many types of drinks like milk tea, smoothies, or fruit juices...

My Vietnamese friends and I often go to coffee shops on weekend mornings or after school. Hanoi has many cafes with diverse styles, each offering its own peaceful and relaxing space.

I love egg coffee. This Hanoi specialty has smooth, fragrant, and sweet egg cream that makes me feel warm in cold weather. There are both pleasant and rich feelings that combine in egg coffee.

What impressed me the most is that Vietnamese people consider coffee shops as a part of life, not only a place to enjoy coffee. It is also a space to chat, relax, take check-in photos, even to study and work.

For me, "going to coffee" has become a must-do in Hanoi. This is a part of the culture, which helps me understand more about the people and lives of Vietnamese people.

Jean Sébastien-Grill at a calligraphy writing at the event of the General Association of Vietnam in the Kingdom of Belgium (February 2024). (Photo: General Association of Vietnamese in the Kingdom of Belgium)

Jean Sébastien-Grill: A Frenchman's Love for Vietnamese Calligraphy

Fascinated by the language and the calligraphy form in Vietnam since 2016, Frenchman Jean Sébastien-Grill gained recognition among the community of calligraphy lovers and the Viet community in France as an artist who is always meticulously writing on the red paper while dressed in traditional clothes and head piece. “Truong Giang” is his Vietnamese name. “Truong Giang is a Vietnamese name given by a friend. Giang has a similar reading to Jean. Truong Giang also has the meaning of healthy, long life,” he said.

In 2015, Jean, his wife and two children started living in Vietnam. It was also around this time that he first studied this subject and began his calligraphy journey. In mid-2021, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, Jean and his wife and children returned home, but his love for calligraphy and Vietnamese culture did not stop. In France, Jean opened a calligraphy class for the locals. He regularly submits his works to participate in the calligraphy community in Vietnam. He also joins calligraphy activities at festivals and meetings of the overseas Vietnamese community in European countries.

"Near my house in France there is a temple of the overseas Vietnamese community. On holidays and Tet, I often come here to write. Many Vietnamese in France have shared with me how they feel emotional and happy when receiving the red paper with Vietnamese calligraphy. It makes me even more motivated to learn about Vietnamese culture. I learned that calligraphers not only write letters but also send spiritual values that bring good wishes in his work. Thanks to calligraphy, my spiritual life has been enriched. I understand more about beauty and the feeling of peace and relaxation in my heart,” said Jean.

Foreign NGOs in 2024: Partners in Vietnam's Sustainable Future According to the report from the People's Aid Coordinating Committee (under the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations), in 2024, foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continued ...

Overseas Vietnamese: Outstanding achievements in 2024 In 2024, with 2 major breakthroughs and 7 key tasks, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) has achieved results beyond expectations. ...