Nguyen Thi Lan, 72, worked for many years in a school canteen. She now lives with her youngest daughter and still keeps the small metal lunch box she carried to work.
Why did you keep it?
Because it still works. That is the first reason. The second reason is that I used it almost every day. Rice on the bottom, vegetables on top, sometimes egg or fish.
Did you like working in a school?
Most days. Children are noisy, but you get used to the noise. Some students always asked for extra soup. Some were shy and would stand at the edge until I noticed them.
What did you cook at home after cooking all day?
Something easy. People imagine that if you work around food you want to make a big dinner. No. I wanted boiled vegetables and rice and then to sit down.
Do you still cook now?
Yes, but not three meals every day. My daughter cooks. I cut vegetables, wash herbs, complain that she uses too much salt. That is my position in the family now.
What do you put in the lunch box today?
Usually fruit when I go out. Guava or sliced mango. My granddaughter says I should buy a new container because this one looks old. I tell her that is exactly why I like it.
Lan rubbed one thumb across a dent in the lid and laughed when asked how it got there. “I have no idea,” she said. “Not every old thing has a good story. Sometimes it is just old.”
By H. Nguyen
