A man from the land down under

Michael Hoy, a twenty-five year old diplomat from Australia, has definitely left an impression on the young people of Vietnam with his undeniable charm and his ability to sing in Vietnamese. Hoy is currently holding the second secretary position in the cultural department of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

Michael Hoy (middle) taking a picture with kids during a cleaning campaign in Bac Ninh.

"Australian cowboy" participating in building a home for charity in Hai Duong.

Michael Hoy mingles with Vietnamese university students in the "Youth Melody" programme.

It is because of his strong relationship with the diligent and hard-working young people of Vietnam that he decided to continue reinforcing the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

Before Hoy's first visit to Hanoi, he knew very little about Vietnam, especially about its culture and its people, but he was already acquainted with Vietnamese cuisine. His decision to come and work in Hanoi was based on his many discussions with a number of Australian diplomats who had worked in Vietnam before him.

"All the diplomats who I spoke with were very experienced and everyone had one common interest; their love for Vietnam. This is what encouraged me to come to Hanoi. Besides this, I myself also wanted to experience a culture that is far different from my own, but plays an important role in the cultural development of my country, Australia," Hoy said.

Being the second secretary in charge of cultural matters at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, Hoy's level of work includes many diverse issues which change everyday. His job covers many different fields but all are related to the cultural diplomacy between Vietnam and Australia, things such as organising concerts and managing media relations as well as planning small projects. Because of this very broad characteristic of his work, Hoy's day often lasts from 9 to 10 hours, and sometimes even longer when there is any big cultural event between the two countries or when he has visits from foreign politicians.

Despite the hard work, Hoy feels very fortunate and shared, "I am very lucky to be living and working in Hanoi and my job has taken me to many different places, often in the company of other ambassadors and delegate groups. My most recent trip was to Hoa Binh, Son La and Dien Bien. All of these places were very beautiful and hold their own charm."

Hoy has not stayed in Vietnam for long but has traveled to 22 provinces. Although charmed by natural beauty and the primitiveness of the country, what Hoy has loved most is Vietnam's rich culture and its national pride which is embedded in each Vietnamese person. He hoped that with the little he knew about Vietnam, he would still be able to portray a beautiful picture of the Vietnamese culture to his friends and family. Meanwhile, Hoy would continue his slow but steady steps towards further comprehending and understanding the history, the culture and the music of Vietnam.

Like many other foreigners working and living in Hanoi, Hoy is going to celebrate Tet for the first time and is definitely impressed with the degree of preparation for Tet from Hanoians. With only a few days left until Tet Hoy has already been able to feel the essence and ambience of the holiday in the capital city. Hoy is very excited and looking forward to this special occasion which means so much to the people of Vietnam. One thing Hoy likes to do is to ride his motorbike to the Tet market where he can select his own kumquat and peach blossom for Tet. "There's nothing better than celebrating New Year on Hoan Kiem Lake with people," Hoy said.

The last thing Hoy was asked is about his secret girlfriend but he only gave us a big grin and said, "I'm not going to say too much. I can only say she is an amazing girl and I'm a lucky guy."