Heavy Steel, Simple Meals—Day 3 of Building My New Home on a Cargo Ship

Hello dear friends, welcome back to another day of my cargo ship upgrade. Early on the morning of Day 3, everything around the shipyard was peaceful and quiet. But after the workers returned from a good night’s rest, the familiar sounds of metalwork slowly filled the air again — welding, cutting, hammering, and steel being fitted into place. The workers continued building my new living area. Today, they started fabricating a kitchen counter and frame with space for a larger gas stove and the sink that I had already ordered. While they were working, I also started preparing something very simple for my lunch. I had some salted white radish, but because it was quite salty, I needed to slice it thinly and soak and rinse it several times in water. I started preparing it in the morning so that by lunchtime I could stir-fry it with eggs. My lunch today was simple: white rice, salted radish stir-fried with eggs, a light mustard-green soup without meat, along with some watermelon and ripe mango. Nothing expensive or fancy, but I enjoyed it very much. I have put a significant part of the money I saved into this Upgrade #3, so for now I’m happy to keep my everyday meals simple. A simple meal can still taste wonderful when you know you are slowly working toward something you have dreamed about for a long time. In the afternoon, the aluminum-and-glass door maker delivered two doors that I had ordered the previous day. They will be used for the bathroom and kitchen areas. Meanwhile, the workers helped one another lift and carry the large, heavy steel sheets onto the top of the new living area. Seeing those sheets go up was a special moment for me. Only a short time ago, almost the entire old living area had been removed. Now, piece by piece, the little home where my husband and I will cook, eat, rest, and sleep during our cargo journeys is beginning to have a roof again. Because the steel sheets are so large and heavy, the workers only had enough time today to tack-weld them securely into position. Tomorrow, they will continue welding the seams to make them watertight, trimming the steel, and finishing everything to the proper dimensions for a cleaner appearance. When evening came and everyone had gone home, the shipyard became quiet once again. My husband and I stayed behind, as usual, cleaning and organizing our unfinished living area so we would have a cleaner and more comfortable place to spend the night. And that was the end of another long day of work. The shipyard owner told me that if everything continues smoothly, my ship may need only about two more days before the work is completed and we can finally leave the shipyard. There is still work ahead, but each day I can see a little more of the home I imagined taking shape. Heavy steel above us, simple meals on the table, and a dream being built one piece at a time. I’ll end today’s video here, dear friends. Tomorrow, another day of work will begin, and I hope you’ll come back to continue this journey with me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience, your encouragement, and for spending your time following my life and work on the rivers of Vietnam.