Bridged by an idiom

Hu Xa Ma (29, native to Muong Bo commune, Lao Cai province) is a member of the Xa Pho ethnic group. She undertook a long, arduous journey to become an online English teacher today.

The language brought Xa Ma many blessings, providing not only employment opportunities and lands to explore, but also a meaningful romance with an IT engineer from Tallinn, Estonia – Kaur, 45.

Xa Ma and Kaur first met at a coffee shop in Sa Pa in February 2025 during his trip to Vietnam. However, that fleeting encounter left no strong impression on either of them.

Later, she unexpectedly received a message from Kaur on a dating app, though she could not remember when she had swiped right on his profile.

What impressed Xa Ma was that instead of standard greetings, the man sent her an idiom.

"I want to keep the content of that idiom to myself, but its purpose was to test the recipient's English proficiency and sense of humor.

I replied based on my understanding, and we continued chatting," Xa Ma recalled.

As it turned out, Kaur had previously sent this idiom to several women, but only Xa Ma understood and answered correctly. The intelligence and wit of the Xa Pho ethnic woman left a strong impression on him.

The couple met and explored their connection through motorbike road trips. Kaur admitted he felt no intense emotions for Xa Ma during their initial meeting. He simply wanted a local companion to navigate Sa Pa's winding mountain roads.

Affection gradually bloomed as they traveled together more, navigating joyful moments and road challenges. Among these, a trip to Ha Giang (formerly Tuyen Quang province) marked a pivotal milestone when Kaur confessed his love.

"Before that, we had a serious conversation about love and marriage.

Kaur shared that he spent his youth working and accumulating savings. He had a few relationships lasting 5 to 6 years that did not work out. He simply desired a humble home where husband and wife spend time raising children together. I shared that perspective, so I accepted his love," Xa Ma recounted.

When accepting his love, the couple had known each other for merely one week. Because everything unfolded so rapidly, both agreed on a small "test."

Following the Ha Giang trip, Kaur flew to Da Nang while Xa Ma returned to Sa Pa. They agreed that if after a week apart they still missed and felt drawn to each other, they would genuinely be together.

A week later, Kaur messaged and bought air tickets for Xa Ma to fly to Da Nang, inaugurating their sweet romantic journey.

Emotional harmony

"After one month of official dating, he proposed visiting my family in Muong Bo.

My parents were astonished when he drove a motorbike smoothly down a dirt trail carrying bags of rice. He was outgoing and enjoyed drinking rice wine with my family. Though he did not know the Xa Pho language, when taught by my relatives, he listened attentively and pronounced words accurately. From that initial meeting, my parents grew fond of him," Xa Ma shared.

Kaur felt Xa Pho culture shared close affinities with his native culture. He expressed gratitude to her parents for raising Xa Ma into an intelligent woman with a warm heart.

Their love remains tied to journeys. Thanks to flexible work arrangements, they maintain no fixed residence, working while traveling across Vietnam, the Philippines, and several Southeast Asian nations. In each location, the couple spends 1 to 2 months immersing themselves in the experience.

"We spent the past three summer months visiting Kaur's homeland in Estonia. It was a fascinating trip," Xa Ma shared.

Nearing two years of love, the couple learned to step into each other's worlds.

Xa Ma noted that what she treasures about Kaur is his responsibility, thoroughness, and subtlety. He works with focus, aiming to shorten work hours to dedicate more time to his girlfriend.

"Kaur is willing to travel to my hometown despite the long distance and spends quality time with my parents and relatives.

He joins everyone going into the forest to gather wild vegetables and dig bamboo shoots, and even agreed to go on a road trip with my parents simply because I wanted to," Xa Ma shared.

Thanh Minh