Lotus Harvest in Hoi An

“Every­body tells me that I should retire! As long as I can move, I have to work. I am just 70 years old! Most­ly I work on my own because my hus­band passed away a long time ago. Young gen­er­a­tions here (Hoi An) work for hotels and restau­rants, they don’t work in the fields.”

In the pale glow of pre-dawn, Ba har­vests lotus flow­ers to sell in Hoi An. At 70 years old and still works every day. Talk­ing to her, it’s clear­ly by choice.

“I can­not retire now! My legs don’t allow me to do that. I can­not just stay in bed at home. Tir­ing! Stay­ing at home, it makes my legs hurt! No pain when I work!”

When we ask for her phone num­ber to give her a print­ed pho­to she laughs and says “I have a phone but I do not know how to use it. You can find the dude with the buf­fa­lo over there. He is my broth­er, he will help.”

Ba, 70 years old
Hoi An, Vietnam