{Entry for the Humanities Impression Contest - Institute of Journalism and Communication Training} "My Second Home"

My return to the Faculty of Journalism (Hanoi University), now the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training (University of Social Sciences and Humanities), was a stroke of luck, a fortunate opportunity that I will always remember and cherish.

At that time, I was a 22-year-old girl who had just graduated from the Literature department. I was lucky enough to have Professor Ha Minh Duc, the Head of the Journalism Department, as my thesis advisor. He asked, "Would you like to work in the Journalism Department?" I couldn't believe my ears and timidly asked, "Is that true, Professor?" He replied, "The Journalism Department is newly established and lacks office staff. If you'd like to work there, bring your application to me." Seeing my astonished expression, he smiled kindly and said, "But the department is very poor." I almost jumped up and shouted my thanks to him.
 

For several days in a row, I practiced a short introduction to make sure I memorized it, so that when I finally made my debut in front of the teachers, I wouldn't be nervous or stumble.

That morning I arrived at the school very early, going up to the 4th floor of building A, feeling incredibly nervous. The hallway was deserted, every room was locked, no one had arrived yet. I stood leaning against the staircase, anxiously waiting. Suddenly, a warm, deep voice sounded behind me, "Who are you waiting to see?" I turned around. A tall, dark-skinned figure, wearing a fedora hat, had a friendly smile. "Hello, sir. Today, Professor Duc told me to come and wait for the office assignment at the department." The professor said "Ah" and smiled brightly, "So this is the new office staff member of the department. Wait a little longer, it's still early, no one has arrived yet." Then he rummaged through his black briefcase; I guessed he was looking for his room key, but he probably couldn't find it. Just then, a clearing of the throat echoed from afar, and a short, stocky figure appeared with a bright smile and the words, "Hello, Chief, you have a visitor early, don't you?" Then he looked at me, his eyes also sparkling with amusement. The taller man replied, "This is the new office staff member the Chairman called." A genuine smile bloomed on the shorter man's face, accompanied by a witty "Ah." Later, I learned that the taller man was Mr. Do Chinh, and the shorter, stocky man was Mr. Pham Dinh Lan. The two teachers told me to come into the room and wait. I timidly found a seat, my heart pounding. A short while later, the other teachers appeared one after another. Each teacher looked at me with surprise but also with amiable smiles. It was Mr. Do Chinh who introduced me to everyone. The room was filled with laughter, playful banter, and friendly questions, making me feel like the teachers treated each other like family. After a while, I saw Mr. Pham Dinh Lan peek into the room and say, "The old man has arrived." Everyone hurriedly pulled up chairs and sat down. Mr. Ha Minh Duc appeared. He immediately saw me and said, "Oh, this girl, you're here early but you haven't made a pot of tea for the teachers yet." Then he turned to everyone and said cheerfully, "This girl wants to work in the office. She looks alright, but I don't know if she'll last long." Everyone laughed. Looking at me busily making a pot of tea, he said, "You have to rinse the tea leaves with boiling water once before adding more water; that way, the tea will taste better. Okay, let's have a meeting, gentlemen."
 

So, my first public appearance was unexpectedly simple. All the eloquent words I had meticulously prepared were unnecessary; everyone offered me encouragement, support, and friendly, warm smiles. And I officially stepped into my "second home."

In the early days of my job, I was still clumsy and unfamiliar with everything, but the professors in the Faculty taught me even the smallest things. Professor Trinh Ho Khoa guided me on everything from how to classify books and newspapers, arranging them in the document room's shelves, to when to bind newspapers into thick volumes for long-term storage. Professor Pham Dinh Lan showed me how to stamp official documents neatly and correctly. It seemed simple, but it wasn't at all. Many times I stamped upside down, or off-center to the left, right, up, or down haphazardly. Only after much careful observation and trial and error did I learn how to properly stamp official documents. I remember everyone in the faculty loved drinking tea (specifically, authentic Thai Nguyen tea). The professors told me where to buy the best quality tea: Ms. Trang in the finance office (Faculty of Science). At the beginning of each workday, I would brew a pot of tea for the professors to enjoy. Seeing each professor raise their cup, smacking their lips and nodding, I imagined it must be delicious. The tea I bought from her brewed into a rich, golden-yellow liquid, with a slightly bitter taste on the tip of my tongue but a sweet, lingering aftertaste in my throat. Then there was the technique of rinsing the tea leaves and cups so that both the water and the cups were at the right temperature when poured, the tea should be a rich golden color, and emit a subtle aroma. A pot of tea had to be poured evenly for everyone before pouring the second infusion. Then there was the question of how long to let the tea steep, and how long after that I should replace the teapot. Gradually, I became familiar with my work environment.

"Morning. I arrived at the office. Eager."

Turn on the lights - the lights come on. Turn on the fan - the fan spins.

The air conditioner runs quietly all day long…

Those were the opening lines of a poem by Professor Do Chinh. That office space gradually became familiar to me. I quickly adapted to the work. If someone thinks the work of an office worker is boring, it's because they haven't truly loved the job and the people. For me, this is the best working environment I've ever enjoyed. Every day I get to meet and interact with so many people. From the Principal to the teachers in other departments; from visitors to the department for work to the students; from the cleaning lady to the security guard; and the functional departments in the University… everyone is friendly and likeable.

 

Every morning I would go to the office, go home for lunch, and then return in the afternoon. Occasionally, Professor Pham Dinh Lan or Professor Dinh Huong would pass by the room, see me busily arranging and tidying up, and shake their heads, chuckling, "So meticulous, so meticulous." At first, I thought they were criticizing me for being slow and sluggish, but later I realized they wanted me to be more active, cheerful, and sociable with everyone.

Time flies by so quickly, and yet, decades have passed since I've been here, staying with this team. Having held various positions, I've always remembered my teachers' advice: "In your work, never seek praise, but learn to accept criticism." From them, I've learned a keen sense of observation, politeness in communication, diligence, meticulousness in my work, humor, and camaraderie within the team. Under the roof of this school, I've grown and matured in my "second home."