For those of us who grew up attending public schools in Vietnam, our school guards, often fatherly and middle-aged, were an indispensable part of our school nostalgia. Sure, they might be the ones chastising us with a stern face when we were naughty, but they were also the ones who helped us fix our bicycles whenever there was a problem, or offering us a glass of trà đá on hot summer days when our parents were late to pick us up.
We might be all grown up now, but the endearing term bác bảo vệ will always evoke a sense of fondness within each of us. This one particular bác bảo vệ, however, will no doubt be remembered by generations of students and parents alike as he stands at the school’s gates each morning with a smile to greet every student with high-fives and fist-bumps.
On 17th June, a Facebook user by the name Lực Nghiêm took to Trường Người Ta, a Facebook forum where Vietnamese netizens post interesting school-related stories, to share a video of an occurrence he spotted on his way to work that morning.
Video credit: Lực Nghiêm
The video shows a middle-aged school guard standing in front of the school gates, greeting each student with high-fives and pats on the back as they enter.
Video credit: Lực Nghiêm
Many of the students can be seen responding wholeheartedly to his high-five offers. Clearly, this is a daily ritual for them.
Video credit: Lực Nghiêm
When the man was occupied, this one girl even waited around for him and only entered after she had received a fist bump.
Lực Nghiêm’s cute story quickly attracted tons of sentiments from Vietnamese netizens. Since the video was posted, it has raked in 26,000 likes and hundreds of comments and shares.
Many netizens commented on the post to say that this bác bảo vệ is so đáng yêu or dễ thương, meaning “cute”.
Image credit: Lực Nghiêm
Facebook user Pon Thuy said that her kid attends this school and revealed that the school guard’s name is Hải. According to her, he is a very humorous man, and remembers many of the kids by name. Every afternoon, he would also stay at the gates to keep an eye out for the students, telling them to go back inside if their parents show up late to pick them up.
Image credit: Beatvn
Others also shared their own touching stories of other school guards that they’ve met. Netizen Hậu Toni, for instance, posted a picture of two Vietnamese students asking a school guard to sign on their uniforms on their last day before graduation, saying that “these kids will never forget him.”
The high-fiving school guard’s action may be small, but it will no doubt be remembered by generations of students for years to come. We have to give props to this smiling uncle-like figure for giving these children another fond memory to look back at later in life.
For more stories, check out:
Cover image adapted from Lực Nghiêm
Enjoying The Smart Local Vietnam? Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for more stories like this.
Now that Tết is over, Saigon is now a bustling hub of activity once again.…
If you're in Hanoi this Tết, here are some activities you can look into to…
Vietnamese Calendars for 2023 - made with love by local craftsmen Now that the new…
Mầm coffee tea beer is a perfect getaway for those who are tired of the…
With a chic decor featuring wooden floors, raw brick walls, and European-style furniture, Ante Cafe…
Saigon features some of the best of what Vietnam has to offer. If you're at…