During the 2022 Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, Roberto Valdes Pedroso, 32, from Havana, Cuba came to HCM City to search for a new job and new challenges. He could not imagine that he would find more things than he wanted.

Roberto said he was previously a general practitioner in Cuba. However, he always wanted to seek new challenges in various countries. He came to Vietnam to learn more about a country with a warm climate and friendly people.

In HCM City, Roberto lived with a close friend in District 12. From the very first days in his new home, Roberto could feel the warmth and friendliness of the locals around him. 

Despite the differences in language or skin color, he faced no discrimination or alienation. When neighbors realized that he was from Cuba, they greeted him with smiles and handshakes, and even invited him to sit with them.

The friendliness gave Roberto the courage and confidence to explore HCM City and found that it was a food paradise.

One day, while wandering the streets, Roberto met Thanh Huyen, 34, from District 12. Roberto asked for directions and was taken aback by Huyen's warmth and friendliness.

Huyen was also impressed by the handsome and gallant Cuban man. They talked and shared a lot of common things and habits.

"The more we talked, the more we understood each other. I found Roberto to be a straightforward person who values truth and friendship,” Huyen recalled.

As a doctor, Roberto leads a healthy life. He doesn’t smoke and or use drinks with stimulants. 

“If I meet someone leaving an impression on me, I will open my heart to explore. After getting to know each other, we realized that we genuinely have feelings for and love each other," she said.

Happiness

Huyen said she will never forget the day her heart was ‘conquered’ by the Cuban man. It was the time when Huyen had to be hospitalized for a long surgery.

The surgery kept the Cuban man on tenterhooks. He felt worried when waiting seven hours outside the operation room.

"Being a doctor, he knew how long the surgery would take,” she said. “But after the operation, I slept for many hours.”

“When he saw me wake up, he smiled with the joy of a child. At that moment, I was incredibly happy, and I realized that I had chosen the right man for my life," Huyen confided.

As a restaurant manager, Huyen helped Roberto find a job in Thao Dien Ward of Thu Duc City. She taught Roberto how to serve, walk, carry food, smile, and chat with diners.

Though the job is entirely different from his medical expertise, Roberto learned with patience and became proficient after a few days under his girlfriend's guidance. At work, he was loved by friends and customers, often receiving hugs and friendly handshakes.

In early October, the couple decided to open a small pavement banh mi (bread) stall in Go Vap District. Every morning, Huyen prepares sandwich fillings and a special sauce with her recipe.

They set up their banh mi stall at a crossroads to serve students who go to school in the morning and workers in offices who don’t have much time for breakfast. When customers come, Roberto fills banh my with stuffing and vegetables and then grills banh my again to make the crust crispy.

The unique flavor of their banh mi, plus the Cuban seller with smile on his face, attracts many customers. After three hours of sales, they return home to rest before heading to Thu Duc City to work in a restaurant.

Having found a job and love in the "beautiful and safe country," Roberto plans to settle down in Vietnam. 

He has introduced Thanh Huyen to his parents in Cuba. In Vietnam, he usually spends time with his girlfriend’s family.

Recently, Roberto and Huyen have registered their marriage. They plan to hold a wedding ceremony at the end of this year.

Ha Nguyen