He was born in Hanoi. He has been living in Slovakia for 44 years and has been working in steelworks since 1985. On Friday, September 12, he also received the highest ministerial award – the honorary badge of the Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic for Loyal Service – at a ceremony in Banská Štiavnica.

"Our colleague Khoat Nguyen Dinh is being honored for his Loyal Service, but that's not the only thing that makes him special. He is a very good expert in assembling complex steel structures. Most recently, he managed the production of the central section of the Continuous Caster rotating stand. He is also an outstanding expert in the field of welding various special materials, from non-ferrous metals and stainless materials to various grades of steel. He passes on his knowledge and experience to younger colleagues and guides them towards responsibility at work. "We will miss our "Peto", as we call him familiarly, very much when he retires, because there are fewer and fewer such experts in our plant," says Rastislav Dura, head of the Metallurgy operation at DP Mechanics.

From Hanoi to Košice

"I studied at the high school in Hanoi and after graduating I came to the former Czechoslovakia as part of the CMEA program. First to Prague and then to Košice. I had a choice; I could have chosen the former USSR or the GDR. I chose Czechoslovakia because I knew several people who lived there and were very happy," says Dinh Nguyen Khoat.

After arriving to Košice, he trained as a mechanic for machines and equipment at the Metallurgical Vocational School, and his next steps were understandably directed to the then “East-Slovak Ironworks”, where he joined the DP Mechanics as a skilled millwright. Since 2006, he has been working as a foreman - an operational millwright.

"I really like my job. It is not monotonous, every day brings something different, you need to think a lot and something new always surprises us. We also deal with various malfunctions, which is sometimes very difficult," says "Peto".

He wants to share the honor with his colleagues

He is very happy about the award. He wants to share this honor with his colleagues: "With the people who work with me, we stick together through thick and thin, we are a good team. I want to thank them for their cooperation. Also, to the management, for nominating me for this award and having trust in me. My boss tells me not to retire before him. But I can't stop time.  I have three years left until retirement and I hope my health will allow me to continue working. My family is also happy. They see it as an appreciation for my work, the time I have dedicated to it, even outside of working hours. They are proud of me.”

"Peto" can also cook our Slovak national dish - Dumplings with sheep cheese

"Peto's" favorite relaxation is fishing, where he can "turn off" his mind. He especially likes catching carps. He likes eating fish because it is healthy food, but you also need to know how to prepare it well. "They say I am a very good cook. I cook Vietnamese and Slovak cuisine. I like to cook goulash, baked potatoes, and I can also make dumplings with sheep cheese.

  He prefers to prepare Vietnamese dishes himself. Although there are already quite a few Vietnamese restaurants in Slovakia, most of them do not offer authentic Vietnamese cuisine, according to him. The ingredients are available, but not all restaurants follow the exact recipes.

He feels like a Slovak

We were also interested in whether Dinh Nguyen Khoat feels more Vietnamese or Slovak: "The last time I was in Vietnam was in 2013. I felt like a stranger there. I told my mom that I would be going home to Slovakia in a few days. Mom was surprised that Slovakia felt like home, she told me that Vietnam is my home. But my home is here, I feel like a Slovak. I have lived here much longer than I lived in Vietnam. I have three children, many good friends and colleagues. I fit in.  This is my family and home.”

Photo: Ján Kisucký