She visited the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) under the Foreign Ministry last week to donate US$1,000 and 700 euros to support victims of storm No.2 and children affected by Agent Orange/Dioxin. The donation is part of her cash prize in Miss Vietnam contest.

Huong Giang and her family had left for the Czech Republic when she was eight. She is now a junior student of the faculty of Law at the International university in Prague. A VOVNews reporter has had a talk with Huong Giang.

Reporter: How did you feel when you returned to the homeland?

Huong Giang: This is the third time I have come back to Vietnam. Despite my vague impressions of Vietnam during my childhood, I feel as comfortable as at home each time I return to Vietnam. My parents often tell my sister and me about the homeland, particularly the Hung King land where I was born. They also tell us about Vietnamese culture and customs. What I remember most is the sentence “Wherever you come, remember to return to the homeland on the tenth of the third lunar month.”

Huong Giang: We were taught to keep the roots of the Vietnamese people, particularly the mother tongue. At school, I speak the Czech language and English, but my family speaks Vietnamese at home. My parents also encourage us to learn and improve vocational skills so that we can return to Vietnam to find jobs easily.

At home, my mother teaches us “cong, dung, ngon, hanh” (industry, appearance, speech, behaviour – four attributes of an ideal woman). She often tell us that wherever we are, we have to speak and behave like a Vietnamese woman. Most Vietnamese women in the Czech Republic still preserve Vietnamese women’s characteristics.

My mother also teaches us how to cook Vietnamese dishes. I like to help her do the cooking during Vietnamese traditional festivals such as national day and lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Reporter: Your parents encourage you to work in Vietnam. What do you want to do?

Huong Giang: As a senior secondary school student I intended to study subjects with which I can work in Vietnam. Currently, I am studying international law. I wish to graduate soon so that I can come back and work in Vietnam.

Reporter: Do you often talk with your friends at the university about Vietnam?

Huong Giang: I am studying at the international university with many students from different countries. We often share with each other information about our homeland and people.

I also take part in outdoor activities launched by the youth union such as talks or fashion shows. In such events, I often wear ao dai (women’s traditional long dress) to introduce Vietnamese costumes as well as the beauty of Vietnamese women.

Reporter: How do you feel about your responsibility after you became the runner-up in the Miss Vietnam contest in the Czech Republic?

Huong Giang: As a runner-up, I have responsibility for promoting the beauty of Vietnamese women, both in appearance and knowledge, in front of international friends. I think that I should study harder and join more outdoor activities. Another important task of mine at this moment is to mobilize Vietnamese students and the community in the Czech Republic to support flood victims and children affected by Agent Orange/Dioxin in Vietnam. This also explains why I came to the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs to donate part of my cash prize.

Reporter: You have been in Vietnam to take part in the Miss Vietnam Global Contest. What is your opinion?

Huong Giang: The contest is a good idea as it provides a chance for Vietnamese girls from all over the world to exchange views and learn from each other. I hope that I can learn a lot from the experiences of other overseas Vietnamese girls and gain more confidence.

Reporter: How do you prepare for the contest?

Huong Giang: I have brought here swimsuits and evening dresses from the Czech Republic, but I will have my ao dai made in Vietnam as I think that ao dai made in Vietnam would be more beautiful.

I think knowledge is more important. When I was small, my parents already taught me Vietnamese culture and tradition. Later when I was grown up, I continued studying for myself. Living far from the homeland for many years, I am afraid that I will not be able to speak fluent Vietnamese, particularly in front of a crowd.

Reporter: Do you know that the final night will be held on the occasion of National Day?

Huong Giang: I guess that it is the idea of the organizing board to celebrate Vietnam’s National Day and to help all contestants remember about the date of September 2. I will spend more time studying about Vietnam’s traditional days after the contest.

Reporter:  Thank you and wish you good luck at the contest.