She quickly prepares sweet soup and dipping sauce for delivery to customers by the morning of 3/12. After her business tasks, the woman continues to do laundry and cook rice for her family.

"Now I live by the electricity company's schedule, not the sun's", Nguyen said.

For the past five days, her four-member family has switched to cooking one meal for the entire day. They go to sleep before dark and wake up at midnight to carry out daily activities, when power is restored. Her two young children, aged five and two, toss and turn due to the heat, their disrupted biological rhythm leaving the entire family sleep-deprived.

Nguyen Thao Nguyen stayed up all night on 2/12 to prepare goods for timely delivery to customers. *Photo provided by interviewee*

Nguyen is currently experiencing a situation of sleeping by day and waking by night, similar to many Phu Quoc residents since 29/11. A fault in the 110 kV Ha Tien - Phu Quoc submarine cable caused 30,000 households to lose power. Although some of the power deficit has been supplemented, it is not enough, forcing the electricity sector to implement rotating blackouts, disrupting residents' lives.

In Duong To commune, Hoang Dung, 38, also often begins her "new day" at 2 AM. She and her husband take advantage of the nighttime power to charge fans, power banks, fill water tanks, and wash clothes. "We don't know when the power will be cut again, so the family has to make the most of every minute, whenever electricity is available", she shared.

For families with young children like Thu Thao, 30, in Ganh Dau commune, the incident has made infant care even more difficult. The first power outage on 29/11 lasted over 32 hours, rendering refrigerators unable to preserve food, leading to all perishables spoiling.

However, the most haunting aspect is the nights when temperatures remain high but fans do not turn. The young mother cradled her three-month-old son, fanning him continuously until exhausted. "Seeing piles of clothes, a sink full of unwashed dishes, and my child crying from the heat, I was truly stressed", Thao recounted.

Many residents opt to rent rooms in hotels with private generators to catch up on sleep, or bring clothes to companies or relatives' homes in areas with electricity for laundry.

Residents in Dung's neighborhood went out to their verandas to enjoy the breeze and chat on the evening of 30/11. *Photo provided by interviewee*

In residential area 10, Nguyen Quang Thieu must complete all personal activities before 6 PM to utilize natural light. As a film editor, his work is nearly "frozen" when his computer lacks power to operate. To maintain communication, he drives to other areas to charge his phone or goes to the office from midnight, staying awake until the next morning to take advantage of a few hours of electricity to process files.

The prolonged incident has caused a "fever" in the market for power storage devices on the pearl island. Nguyen Van Thuan, 35, owner of an electrical equipment store, reported a sudden surge in customers inquiring about generators and power banks. On 2/12 alone, he sold nearly 40 generators of various types, equivalent to the sales of several previous months combined.

According to Southern Power Corporation (EVNSPC), this submarine cable incident is quite complex. The unit mobilized 12 generators with a total capacity of 2,3 MW, while also supplying additional power from the Nam Phu Quoc substation. It is estimated to take about one month to fully restore the power grid.

Currently, with a specific power outage schedule now available, residents like Nguyen Thao Nguyen are beginning to adapt. "Knowing when the power will be on, I proactively arrange household chores and orders. Despite the hardships, life must go on", she said.

Ngoc Ngan - Pham Nga