Rural life helps balance life
After more than 5 years, I (Actress Kieu Trinh) I think the decision to leave Saigon to return to my hometown to take care of my family was right. The children like life here and I can take care of my father.
Even though I live in the countryside, I still keep my main job in Saigon and often travel between the two places. I leave today, return to my hometown tomorrow, and return to Saigon the day after. Luckily, my hometown is only a 3-hour drive away.
Although life in the countryside is hard, it brings Kieu Trinh joy and peace. Every morning, she wakes up early to go to the garden to take care of the trees and pick vegetables and fruits.
Life in the countryside is very different from Saigon. I wake up early at 4-5am, because I am used to sleeping from 8-9pm. After waking up, I drink tea with my father, who often wakes up early to drink coffee. At around 6am, I wake up and take the children to school, then go to the market to buy food to cook lunch. In the morning, after cooking, I sweep the yard, do laundry and do housework. After cooking, I rest at noon. In the afternoon, from 2pm, I go to the fields to plant crops and do other work. In the countryside, I do more work than in Saigon.
Going back to my hometown helps me have better health, get away from the noise of Saigon and have time to take care of my family. Although the move is tiring, I still think it was the right decision because it balances my life.
Since childhood, I have been familiar with farming and raising animals. At first, I felt bewildered and my health was limited, but gradually I got used to life in the fields and my health also improved.
Daughter quits job, son takes over
Before, when life was difficult, Thanh Tu (Kieu Trinh’s eldest daughter – PV) put her studies on hold to go to work to help her family. After her situation stabilized, my child and I decided to let her continue studying. More than 6 years ago, she put her studies on hold for two years to go to work, but then stopped performing because she respected her boyfriend’s family’s opinion. Tu loves graphic design and currently works in her boyfriend’s company.
Ky Phong (second son – PV) has been familiar with acting since childhood and participated in many film projects such as: Father and Son, Bat Quai Battle, and Haunted Hospital or played the main role in the movie Smart Boy.
Thanh Tu (far right) takes a photo with her mother.
When the family moved back to the countryside, I saw my son filming until midnight, falling asleep in the car, I felt so sorry that I decided not to let him act anymore. During the pandemic, I saw the casting information for the movie Dat rung phuong nam and let Phong audition. Phong’s situation is similar to the character An in the movie because he is also away from his father and lives with his mother in the countryside.
After the movie, I guided Phong to become a professional action actor. Currently, he is learning martial arts from a stunt group and is being praised. He also learns piano and English for comprehensive development.
Kieu Trinh with her father and 2 children.
My youngest child Thanh Thu – the “unplanned” princess – is my precious gift. She is most like me in personality and emotions. Since childhood, she has been passionate about art, singing, dancing and drawing. On her first birthday, the first thing she chose was a microphone, the second was a box of chalk and the third was a pen. Her musical ability is very special, even though she cannot read yet, she can memorize songs after only hearing them a few times.
Although she is only nearly 7 years old, she loves fashion shows and has participated in Ms. Xuan Lan’s show with impressive charisma. I plan for her to learn ancient dance, piano and vocal training this summer in Saigon. Currently, I still prioritize my child’s education, hoping to help her develop comprehensively and professionally.