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EN
Tang Quang is a student who returned to Vietnam from the UK and is currently spending the final days of his quarantine at the Military Region 7 training school (Ward 12, Ho Chi Minh City). Besides regularly updating his social media about the situation at the quarantine facility, he recently completed a series of sketches depicting his life there.
The drawings immediately attracted widespread attention from the online community, not only because of their cute artwork but also because of the optimistic, positive, and relatable messages they conveyed.
"In the quarantine facility, there are about 1,000 people returning from European countries at the epicenter of the outbreak: England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland…"
"I think the support the government is providing for centralized quarantine is very good, and it exceeded my expectations," Tang Quang shared on his personal Facebook page.
"Upon check-in, each student also receives a bag of essentials, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, face towel, shampoo… Everything is free. Each floor has staff members who go to each room every morning to ask if anyone needs anything extra, and if so, they will help purchase it. Even weak Wi-Fi is noted by the staff so they can report it to their superiors and upgrade the service."
"Every morning, the soldiers have to carry drinking water, food, and necessities up five floors and into each room... Just watching them, you can see how hard it is, but everyone is always cheerful, enthusiastic, very thoughtful, and always smiling."
"At lunchtime, they had to carry another batch of supplies, then deliver them to each room, patiently waiting for everyone to choose. They noted down anyone's dietary needs (vegetarian) or allergies and took meticulous care of them. On days when there wasn't enough food, they even sacrificed their own meals to give to others in the quarantine area, worried that those without food would lack the strength to fight off illness."
"After distributing food to each room, they diligently cleaned up. The work was hard, the weather in Saigon was hot and humid, but no one ever heard them complain. They even gave each room their personal phone numbers to call if they needed help."
"I feel grateful and appreciative of what I'm receiving. Especially in the context of over 50,000 people in quarantine nationwide, the amount of money needed is considerable."
Each person in the quarantine area has different ways to express their gratitude to the soldiers. Half of this album is a series of drawings I made as gifts for them."
"A drawing of one of the unsung heroes... As the farewell day approached, the students went from room to room handing out gifts and expressing their gratitude."
"This area is full of greenery, with a refreshing breeze, clean air, and peace. There are basketball, badminton, and volleyball courts for everyone to play, of course with masks. There's also a swimming pool, a soccer field, and a gym, but they can't be used because they're outside the quarantine zone."
We were given complete freedom, as long as we followed the safety regulations explained by the doctors and nurses – from jogging and playing sports to singing, dancing, playing cards, Uno, Werewolf, and other games, or even sitting down to write reports and meet deadlines."
"Early morning cleanup. Two five-story buildings had accumulated a mountain of trash after a day; it was shocking to see, but the soldiers cleaned it up in no time."
"Food was delivered to each room on time, and a doctor came to check on our health. Everyone was very friendly, gentle, and caring."
And some drawings depicting scenes of daily life:
"A close look at the daily life of a male student in a quarantine camp"
"Perhaps the quarantine experience varies from place to place, so my opinion is only a local one. I feel fortunate to be at the Military Region 7 school, where the doctors and soldiers have taken such good care of me, from my health and meals to my personal needs."
Thank you for teaching me so much during these two weeks of quarantine, not only from how everyone worked together to overcome the difficulties, but also from the people around me and the simple things in everyday life."
"The baby is in quarantine. Every morning, she drags her suitcase out and sits by the window sill, basking in the sun while watching cartoons."
