Library Allows People to Borrow a Human to Pour Out Their Heart
After learning about the “The Human Library” project in Denmark by chance, Le Hai Yen, a Vietnamese woman born in the 1980s, cherishes her desire to build a similar library format in Vietnam.
The Human Library project in Vietnam, inspired by a similar project in Denmark, brings people together to listen to life stories. Instead of borrowing books, library-goers borrow people. The project has been implemented online for nearly two years to allow anyone to join from anywhere. Le Hai Yen, the founder of the project, believes that everyone is unique and that judging or comparing others is meaningless. The human books in the library are volunteers who have faced various challenges and hardships, such as prejudice, but have overcome them to enjoy life. They share their own scars and life stories, including experiences of sexual abuse, depression, being part of the LGBT community, or losing loved ones. Yen herself is also a human book, sharing her story of learning to love her weaknesses instead of denying herself because of a scar on her face. The Human-borrowing library aims to connect people who have suffered past hurts and losses and encourage them to share their valuable life stories to learn how to love themselves.
The Human-borrowing library operates on Zoom, with two virtual reading sessions lasting 30-35 minutes each from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Participants are encouraged to listen without judgment. The human books turn on their webcams during their session. Many participants have shared stories of changing their careers despite opposition from their family members. The library is a convergent venue for people with similar fates. Through heartfelt conversations with the human books, the audience finds relief and solace. The library has reached audiences around the world, including cancer patients who have borrowed books like “loss” and gained insights into their own experiences. People join the library as both readers and books, and the program has brought pleasure to participants who receive words of encouragement and thank-you’s.
Le Hai Yen, a Vietnamese woman born in the 1980s, discovered the “The Human Library” project in Denmark and decided to establish a similar library format in Vietnam. The library allows people to listen to life stories by borrowing people instead of books. It has been operating online for almost two years, making it accessible to anyone. Yen believes that everyone is unique and that judgment and comparison are meaningless. The library features volunteers who have faced various challenges and hardships, such as prejudice, but have overcome them. They share their own scars and life stories, including experiences of sexual abuse, depression, and loss. Yen herself is a human book, sharing her story of learning to love her weaknesses. The library aims to connect people who have suffered past hurts and losses and help them learn to love themselves. The library operates on the Zoom platform with two virtual reading sessions each lasting 30-35 minutes. The human books turn on their webcams during their sessions. The library has brought people with similar fates together and provided relief and solace through heartfelt conversations. It has also reached international audiences, including cancer patients who have gained insights from the stories they borrowed. The library has been a source of encouragement and gratitude for its participants.
On Tuesday, the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City organized an event to showcase sake, a traditional Japanese rice wine, and its perfect pairing with Vietnamese cuisine.
The director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Do Dinh Hong, announced on Wednesday that the department is currently working on a dossier to propose the recognition of pho-cooking in the Vietnamese capital city as a national intangible cultural heritage.
On Tuesday, the Zhao Shang Yi Dun cruise ship arrived in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, with 721 Chinese passengers on board. These eager tourists were excited to explore the breathtaking Ha Long Bay, a renowned destination known for its natural beauty. Additionally, they were thrilled to visit various other popular tourist sites in the area. Their arrival marked the start of an unforgettable journey filled with exploration and discovery.
