Le Ngoc (real name Le Yen Thuy Ngoc), born in 1990 in Ho Chi Minh City. After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Hotel and Restaurant Services) from the University of Wales (Singapore), Ngoc returned to Vietnam to work at the Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel and On The 6 Restaurant before becoming the owner of Yen Cafe.
Together with her husband, Le Ngoc has carried out many projects on tourism and cuisine to introduce to domestic audiences.
This petite girl's life took a new turn when she decided to marry Anh (often affectionately called "old" Anh by Le Ngoc) after only 10 days of dating. Giving up their regular jobs, the two decided to become a freelance couple with her writing talent and his passion for photography. That marriage has now gone through more than 9 years with all kinds of emotions.
Together with her husband, Le Ngoc has carried out many projects on tourism and cuisine to introduce to domestic audiences. Currently, she is the author of 3 books of essays and poems that are loved by many readers such as "House with two people", "It is true that storms are very common, just dream and keep loving, my dear", "Tan" and is the co-author of several book projects on tourism, culture and life.
The blog “House with two people” continues to be a diary recording the daily life of the couple, inspiring love, marriage, and lifestyle for couples pursuing a modern, liberal lifestyle, appreciating spiritual values instead of chasing after material things.
Reporter (PV): From a quick 10-day date to a 10-year relationship, how did you two start and maintain this marriage together?
Le Ngoc: He and I grew up in two separate worlds on the border between the North and the South, in rural and urban settings, in the early 8X and early 9X generations, in difficult and prosperous living conditions, and with opposing personalities. Yet, at the moment we accidentally met, in the space filled with music and romance of a live music cafe, an invisible connection seemed to be born. My cafe is tiny. The distance from the bar to the stage is about 15 steps. He turned his eyes to the petite girl who was working hard at the counter. I looked up to see who was performing on stage with a warm and powerful voice. We both didn't think that "touch" could lead to a happy ending. But the connection had begun to blossom.
But our personalities are very different, completely different. I am a quiet person, while Anh is like a "friendly beauty queen". In almost all conversations, he is the one who speaks, while I sit and listen. Later, on many issues in life, we may argue fiercely, but we always find a common ground in our souls, to move forward together.
Growing up in two separate worlds, two opposing personalities always find a common point of soul, to move forward together.
PV: How important a role have trips played in your marriage?
Le Ngoc: Traveling is a part of the daily life of a couple, contributing to nurturing creative inspiration and renewing the relationship. When arriving at a place, in addition to enjoying the scenery and atmosphere, you can also meet many interesting people, from which the worldview of both becomes more colorful, your soul opens up to all the good and bad things, so that when you return, you will know how to appreciate and be more tolerant of life and the people around you.
I remember the months of disconnection from the rest of the world as perhaps the happiest time in our 8-year marriage. We also shared our wish to go somewhere deep and secluded to build a new life, just the two of us. Don’t we all harbor such a somewhat unrealistic idea when we are deeply in love? But I believe that it won’t be unrealistic if we both live fully in every moment of reality – where we have to struggle every day with food, clothing, food, and money to keep our dreams.
Many years ago, we had an 8 square meter balcony to grow plants; today, we have a garden many times larger, growing all kinds of plants. Every day, we are getting closer to that beautiful vision with all our desires and efforts.
Traveling is a part of a couple's daily life, helping to foster creativity and renew relationships.
PV: After deciding to travel together, have you ever taken trips without each other? What do you feel is the difference between traveling together and traveling alone?
Le Ngoc: Occasionally, there are times when we have a long-distance relationship. Usually, he goes back to his hometown to take care of family matters; I spend time traveling with my mother or close friends. Those trips without the other person help us realize how compatible we are, and perhaps no one will be able to replace our "best friend" position.
But the interesting thing is that the geographical distance is filled with longing. In one person's heart there is always the other, so there is no emptiness but the love is even more full. Moreover, we believe that even though we share a common life, each person's own world needs to be nurtured, so we both feel that these private outings are precious.
Le Ngoc believes that even though they share a common life, each person's own world needs to be nurtured. That's why both he and she cherish the moments of long-distance love even more.
PV: You two are two free souls who met each other, but have you or he ever thought about or encountered the difficulties that love and travel brings?
Le Ngoc: People often think that to get married, you have to settle down, but we think a little differently. The word "peace" here means peace of mind. And the word "freedom" is the same. What is the value of our life? If we are still worried about renting a house, not having a nice car; or worried when neighbors ask "how much is your monthly salary", "have you bought a house yet", "why don't you have children"; or have to show off your class with a bunch of branded goods; etc., then it will be difficult to choose the lifestyle we want because then we have deprived ourselves of our own freedom.
Once the mind is truly "at peace", life will be fine in any way. In the end, freedom to move or staying in one place is just a choice, depending on what you want.
Faced with the concept that starting a family requires settling down, families with two people choose the lifestyle that best suits them.
PV: Since Valentine's Day is on the 2nd day this year, do you have any ideas for spending this holiday together? Can you suggest some travel ideas for Valentine's Day or the weekend for Travellive readers?
Le Ngoc: Every day is Valentine's Day for us. We just returned from a long trip so we don't have any special plans. Perhaps resting in our beloved house would be a great idea and in the evening we could cook a sumptuous meal at home with some wine to add to the romance because the house is inherently taken care of to become the most comfortable place to be together.
For Travellive readers, we will not give specific suggestions, just wish everyone to fill their memories with a memorable memory in the atmosphere of love spreading everywhere. And how that memory is created will depend on each couple's preferences. It is not necessary to go to a place where everyone goes. It is not necessary to have gifts like couples often do. The care for the loved one will show the way to create a special private moment, just the two people knowing each other is enough.
During anniversaries, Le Ngoc and her husband believe that caring for their loved one will guide them to create special, private moments, just knowing that the two of them are together is enough.
PV: You have always had a special love for Da Lat, but Da Lat is often prejudiced that couples who go to Da Lat together will break up in the future. Can you share an interesting thought or memory about this opinion?
Le Ngoc: We have no prejudice against any place. If the relationship is unstable, no matter where we take each other, there will come a time when that instability will struggle. In the past, I used to open a small coffee shop. In the shop, there was a notebook for people to write diaries. In it, many love stories were recorded. When they were in love, they took each other to the small, pretty shop, marking their love there. When they broke up, one of the two returned to the shop, marking their sadness there. For those who witnessed unfinished love stories, I saw them as films, although very sad, but very beautiful.
Every time we stumble in love, we become more mature, appreciate love, and know how to nurture relationships. So just love, don't care about prejudice!
In the love of the House there are two people without prejudice.
