| In Vietnam, the family meal is very important. It | | | | meal is not simply understood as lunch or dinner, it |
| is one part of a happy family especially when | | | | can be understood as feeling and sympathy, |
| people become more busy with their business. In | | | | sharing and care. In many Vietnam families, the |
| some big cities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh, | | | | wives know which are their husbands' or children' |
| parents are always busy, they have to get up | | | | favorite dishes, they try to make those dishes as |
| early in the morning to take their children to | | | | frequently as they can or at least on special |
| school before going to work. In the past, a wife | | | | occasions. At a moth test, a young pupil writes on |
| often prepared breakfast for the whole family | | | | a topic: What is success? She writes: "Success is |
| but this tradition or habit has been ignored | | | | simple, more simple than you often think, success |
| somehow due to limited time. | | | | comes when dad and son try to cook a favorite |
| Children study and lunch at schools, parents work | | | | dish for mother on Mother's day or International |
| and lunch at offices or restaurants or somewhere | | | | women's day even if it is not as delicious as |
| else which is convenient to them. Dinner is an | | | | others do. How significant a dinner is when |
| opportunity for them to share a meal and talk | | | | members of family have not met each other for |
| together after a hard day. Some dads or moms | | | | a long time. |
| do not meet their children for days because when | | | | Vietnam is on the move, changes happen daily, |
| they come back home from offices, their children | | | | life becomes faster so family meals are nothing if |
| have gone to bed and when they get up in the | | | | everyone ignores its traditional values. Some men |
| morning, their children have gone to school. This | | | | do not want to come back home after work, the |
| situation has become more popular and often | | | | dinners and atmosphere of the dinner prevent |
| happens at some families with busy parents who | | | | them doing so. Preparing a daily meal may be |
| often come home very late or are always on a | | | | simple but its result is great. Unfortunately, many |
| business trip. Restaurants have still been strange | | | | young women forget this faction and try to find |
| to many people and families in Vietnam. The | | | | happiness somewhere else. They think that |
| reason is simple, eating at restaurants is more | | | | success in business brings them everything but if |
| expensive than at home. However, there are | | | | they have a happy family, they will be more |
| some changes, young families (young wife and | | | | successful. |
| husband) prefer eating at restaurants for both of | | | | Some foreigners want to explore Vietnamese |
| them do not want to involve cooking. | | | | culture, they often come to families, go to local |
| In general, the value of family meals has been still | | | | markets and buy things for a meal. Is this the |
| highly appreciated. For many people, the family | | | | way to learn how to cook? The answer is "Yes" |
| meal is one way to keep their family happy. The | | | | but the result is more than that. |
