Missing Vietnam

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T23:47:00.003-05:00

It is Independence Day here in the good ol' USA. I feel very priviledge to be allowed the freedom here. I never take my voting priviledge for granted.

We celebrate it with friends and family. Having a cook-out - hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ, coleslaw, lemonade. Hanging out at the pool and going to see fireworks.

God Bless the USA!

Long Time

2008-09-15T22:48:00.002-05:00

Well, it has been a long time since I've posted a blog. I've been busy... with life.

Recently, a cousin of mine came over from Vietnam. About 2 months now. She and her husband and 3 children. Those of us who have been living here in the US for a long time (since early 80's or came over in 1975) wanted to know why she would want to do that. In appearance, she has everything over there - monies that her mother and father and sister send her every month to live on. They do not work. Their kids go to school, the oldest is in her 2nd year in college. They have a maid. The list goes on and on. For her, she think we live a wonderful life over here, big house, big car, big paying job.

So, I found out the truth. Because my cousin has family over here in the US, her mother-in-law constantly badger her for monies and material things. She said it was to the point that my cousin wanted to commit suicide. She said from the time she opens her eyes in the morning until she lay her head down at night. She was glad to get away from her. Her husband is dead weight - never worked a day since they've been married. Now, that they are here, they will have to get a job and pay taxes and car insurance. Oh, yeah, don't forget, if you own a car, you have to maintain it, oil change, tune-up. She is already learning about taxation and how we have to insure everything over here.

Well, there is that saying "The grass is NOT always greener on the other side".

Cultural Differences

2007-11-06T08:32:00.000-06:00

I am just fascinated with cultural differences. Today, I read an article about 'Rest Hotel' from Vietnamese God. He wrote about places in Hanoi renting hourly. I was curious and wanted to know if young, unmarried couples in Vietnam are going there? Are these couples having pre-marital sex? It made me think about what I saw when I was in Hanoi a few years ago. While I was visiting Vietnam, I caught a late flight into Hanoi. It was well after 10:00pm. On the drive from the airport to the hotel by Hoan Kiem late, we passed some undeveloped area. As the taxi headlight passes these roads, I saw many couples, with their parked mopeds, making out in the dark, on the side of the roads.

In America, it is not uncommon for young people to have pre-marital sex. Because most young people leave their home and go away to college, living at college campus, they are often not bound by their parents rules. Even if you are still living at home, most young people have freedom to come and go as they please, dating whoever they want, even if their parents do not approve of their boyfriend/girlfriend. This is their "rite of passage" age where parents consider their 18 year old an adults.

American students attend high school until the 12th grade, most of them graduating from high school when they are 18 year old. Even though these students can not legally buy alcohol or vote, they could still have a lot of freedom at 18. Those that choose to attend college can still live at home and go to college OR go away to college and live on college campus. Most college campus have dormitory, with 2 students sharing a small room and 4 students sharing a bathroom. When I went to college in the early 80's (wow! I'm so old!), co-ed dorms were not common. Nowaday, it is not uncommon for boys and girls to live in the same building. Some college campus will have same-sex (all girls or all boys) dormitory building and some will have girls and boys on every other floors. Even if the high-school graduate may choose not go to college, he or she can move out of the house and live on their own. Without a college eduation, most can barely support themselves by working a full-time job. In America, a full-time job consist of a minimum of 40 hours a week. May be I'll write about working hours here in another blog. OK, sorry, didn't mean to get off the subject, but being out of the house from parents allow you freedom to do mostly whatever you want - stay out late, party with friends, date (actually many students dates in high school), and that will probably follow with sex.

I would love to hear from some Vietnamese students, even anonymously, about what they thought about pre-marital sex in Vietnam. Is it more common than people think? Is it not spoken because it's still unacceptable? Is it still unacceptable? If you are a Vietnamese student, here in the US on a student VISA - what did you think the first time you saw boys and girls living in the same dorm? What is your opinion of the lifestyle here.

Arranged Marriage

2007-10-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

While my brother and I were backpacking through Vietnam, the first thing most people ask is if we are married. When they find out that we are siblings and that my younger brother is single, he gets all kind of marriage proposal. Some even offer money. I couldn't believe it at first, but as he got more offer, I realized they weren't kidding.

But this is not what I wanted to write about. I was actually thinking about my parents' marriage. I considered it an "arranged" marriage. My mother side of the family had money and my father side of the family needed it. Hard to think about, but my father was quite a catch in those days. Actually, he is still quite a catch today... but that's a whole different story. I never thought my parents were compatible. They fought constantly. I remembered them arguing all the time. And we didn't live with my grandmother like most people in Vietnam does. My father and his mother-in-law did not get along. My parents had an apartment not too far from my grandmother (mother's mother). When my father was in town, we stayed at the apartment. Otherwise, we stayed at my grandmother's house.

Later in my life, after we came to America, I found out that my father had another family. He had a mistress. I have never met her. I saw one of her picture and she was very attractive in her younger days. In the picture, the mistress lady had on a bikini. She had a very curvaceous figure and beautiful long eyelashes. Not to take anything away from my mother, but there was no competition. Together, they had a daughter. My mother told me that she did not know about the mistress until later, post-1975, when she got left behind.

How devastating is that! To be separated from your children and then to find out that your husband has another woman and there is a child involved. She didn't even get to confront my father about it. Not that I think she would confront my father about it. They were divided by a continent.

Today, my parents are divorced. My mother had to get a divorce before she was allowed passage to America. After all the red tapes, my mother and I were finally re-united in 1992. I was so glad to see her. We are getting to know each other better, everyday.

Sea Change

2007-05-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's May already. Almost half of the year is over. Where did the time go?

I am having such a tough year. First, a husband of a friend of mine died late last year. My uncle (by marriage) died from lung cancer in February. Now, I just found out one of my close female friend is dying from lung cancer. Prognosis is not good, they are giving her 8 months to live - this is with chemo and radiation treatment. Prolonging life so that she can get her business in order. Her husband is also in his last stage of cancer. He had it for about 2 years now. I have 2 other female friends with breast cancer! Goodness. I feel blessed everyday to be healthy and alive.

On to other business. I've been doing some art business with a lady in Vietnam. She is wonderful. I like her so much, but I tell you, I'm thoroughly frustrated with the process of doing business. For example, I asked how long will it take to complete the business transaction. She said 10 days. After 10 days, it's not done correctly, so I ask her to correct it. Here it is 9 weeks and many phone calls later, it's still not done. I have already sent her a 50% deposit for the work.

I would like to see the small businesses in Vietnam thrive. It's because my business is not urgent that I can wait for this young lady, but if I was a general business here, I wouldn't have returned after this happened the first time. In the US, a business can not survive like that. I see this with many of the small businesses in Vietnam. I hope she can get it together soon.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi

2007-02-18T23:02:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everyone!

It was business as usual for most business in the US. None of the Vietnamese business were closed because of the New Year. Celebration was minimal where I live. However, if you're living in California, they know how to bring in Tet! The state that I live in have a fairly large Vietnamese populations. Yet, there aren't anyone here that knows how to setup a good Vietnamese New Year celebration. It's too bad. I wanted to take my children to see the dragon dance and there wasn't any.

Carte D'Identite - from Indochina

2007-01-29T21:28:00.000-06:00

Wow! I just found my grandmother's old id (dated 1947) from Indochina's days. The Geneva Accord was not signed until 1954. On the left of the paper, it said 'Quoc - Gia Viet - Nam', then 'Phu Thu - Hien Bac - Viet'. On the right, it showed "Carte D'Identite"

When my grandmother (ba ngoai) died, I kept some of her things in a suitcase. I was too sad to look at them. Tonight, as I cleaned out that old suitcase, I found my grandmother's old id. Her picture is no longer on there, but it had her old address - Sadi Carnot is the street name, of Ha Dong. So French!

I am sure that street name no longer exist. I googled the name and found a well known thermodynamics scientist and engineer who later became French president in 1887-1894. If anyone out there from Hanoi/Hai Phong/Ha Dong knows this street name still exist, I'd like to hear from you. I would love to see a little bit of my heritage.

Welcome 2007

2007-01-19T09:29:00.000-06:00

I haven’t had a chance to blog in a while. I’ve had several deaths to deal with recently. One of a close friend and another is a member of the family who was battling cancer. It has been a tough holiday.

Death is inevitable, but I can’t imagine how I’m going to deal with it when it happens to my parents. They are very healthy, so I don’t expect anything to happen to them, but you never know when it’s their time. It could happen to anyone, like my friend. He went in for a triple bypass and never made it out of the hospital alive.

There are some things that have been on my mind that I want to write about, so keep checking back for an update. Over the holidays, I had a chance to watch a special about China. It was a story about how China's boom in manufacturing and the way they dispose of the chemicals that affects their rivers and agriculture. Some of the other topics I would like to explore are about the vietnamese culture: the acceptance of the "second wife", handling of different class - marriage between families with money and families without money, and last but not least, my observation of the Vietnamese's obsession with their look, the nose and eyes and all the plastic surgeries that Vietnamese women in America are having.

OK. I hope that's enough tease to bring you back. I promise to write some of these blogs within the next few days. So check back again soon.

Thanksgiving

2006-11-15T23:56:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Tet Trung Thu, where the Vietnamese celebrate successful harvesting. The Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving next week.

Many years ago, the pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic, came to America and settled in what is now considered Massachusetts. Many people died that first year because of disease and lack of food. The Iroquois Indians showed the pilgrims how to grow the food and hunt and fish. The following year, they had a bountiful harvest and celebrate it by inviting the Indians to a feast. They kept the tradition and celebrated autumn harvest many years after that. Eventually, United States Congress made it an official holiday on the last Thursday in November.

For many of us, it is a day of family affair. This year, we have lots of relatives in from out of town. Our house will be full with grandparents, brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. This is my favorite part of the holidays – getting together with families. Sure they can be a pain at time, but you can’t choose your families.

When I was a kid, about 50 of us would cram into my aunt’s home for Thanksgiving. Everyone would bring a dish to share. We would have both American and Vietnamese dishes. Afteward, about 25 of us cousins would pile into a few cars and go out to see a movie.

As an adult, I celebrate Thanksgiving with both my and my husband’s family. We will spend time cooking, eating a late lunch or early dinner. Afterward, the guys will gather around and watch football games. The girls would watch cheerleading competition. Sometime, we will play some board or card games. The kids will be in the basement, hanging out with their cousins.

I am thankful for my families. Thankful for the plentiful food that we have and a roof over our head, that we are healthy and not in debt. I think of the soldiers that are away from their families, fighting for our rights to freedom of speech. I never take our freedom for granted. I excersice my right to vote every election year. I would like to send those soldiers a prayer and wishing them to return to their family safely.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Amazing Race 10 in Vietnam this past summer

2006-10-17T09:52:00.000-05:00

Last week I had a chance to catch part of Amazing Race 10 in Vietnam - Hanoi, and Ha Long Bay. I just want to catch a little glimpse of the cities that I got to visit 2 years ago. I'm looking forward to another visit soon, may be within the next year or 2.
But in the meantime, I'll just watch this video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6979378667063705340&q=vietnam

Tet Trung Thu

2006-10-15T23:43:00.000-05:00

I think in America, we call it "Mid-Autumn Festival".

As a child, it was a fun holiday. We would get a lantern. The lantern frame is made in a shape of an animal using wooden stick. Popular shapes were fish or boat. The frame would be covered with this clear cellophane type of papers in specific colors, then it would be painted with designs. Inside the middle of the frame, it would have this spring-looking thing that you can put a candle on it.

On the night of Tet Trung Thu, we would light our lantern with the candle and carry it with a stick. Usually, the neighborhood would have a parade and the kids would sing the Tet Trung Thu song and parade our lanterns.

I actually have a lantern up in the attic made like this but the lantern is made out of metal wires instead of wood sticks. I'll have to pull it out tomorrow and take a picture of it and post it. Recently, I've seen many lanterns with battery operated lights on them but I love the old lantern best.

How are the Vietnam lantern of today look like? Please send me a picture and I will post it.

Medical Insurance

2006-09-20T18:28:00.000-05:00

Recently I read a Vietnam post about going to the hospital and this blogger (http://vuth-it.blogspot.com/2006/09/national-dayfull-problem.html) mentioned medical insurance.

My half-sister, who has only been in the States for about 3 years, gave me the impression that most people in Vietnam does not carry medical insurance. It is better to pay for it yourself. This does make sense.

In America, the cost of treating a patience is high because of 'additional' insurance that the doctor has to carry. This is a vicous cycle. Doctors in America needs to carry malpractice medical insurance in case they get sue by a patient (called medical negligence claims). For example, I don't feel good. I go to a doctor. He operates on me but the surgery did not go well or it is not a surgery that I need because he misdiagnose the illness. Now my have some kind of side effect from the surgery. I can hire a lawyer to sue the doctor. May be it's a kind of lawsuit that I can ask for $600,000 and I could win in court. If the doctor has malpractice insurance, the insurance company would pay me the $600,000. If the doctor did not have malpractice insurance and he has a a $300,000 house and $300,000 in the bank, I can take the monies in his bank account and his house if I win the lawsuit. The the doctor would be left with nothing. He might have to close his practice or start all over again. That's why doctors have to have malpractice insurance in America and premiums (the amount you pay on the insurance policy each month) are high. So the doctor pass that cost to the patient.

Night Blooming Cereus

2006-09-04T00:06:00.000-05:00

It's been a HOT summer. Worried that one of my precious plant might burn from the sun, I moved it to a shady spot. It's not close to a water faucet, so I have to water the plant from afar - with a hose. One day, I decided to put some plant food in a watering can and carried it over to water the plant. Lo and behold - it had 2 dead blooms on it! I was so sad - I missed the blooms.
My family loves plants. We have all kind of strange plants. Most of them are too exotic for the climate that I live in. I usually put these tropical plants in containers and move them into my sunroom in the winter time. About 3 years ago, I was over at my cousin, she had some kind of cuttings in water. I asked her what it was, she didn't know but said she got it from her mom. Asked me if I wanted it. Of course, it's a plant, I want it. Took it home, plant it. Didn't know what it was (name or anything) or how to care for it. A year later, a friend of mine, a master gardener, was over for lunch - I asked her about the plant. She told me it was called a 'Passalong' plant, because so many people take cuttings from it. She gave me the technical name for it too. I looked it up on the Internet and was so excited to read about the flower. Cool! Flowers the size of a dinner plate.
Three years later, it bloomed and I missed it.
Well, the gods were kind to me. 3 weeks ago, I went outside to visit my Night Blooming Cereus and saw buds! This week, it awarded me with 4 flowers. The fragrance was unbelievable.

I stayed up late to watch it bloomed. My mother told me that my great grandmother use to have a big ol' tree at her house in Hanoi. They would have about 80 blooms on it. It's a rare occasions for farmers to stay up late, but they did for these 80 blooms.
I think the Vietnamese name for this flower is Hoa Thanh Long. There are certain species with fruits - Dragonfruit. I don't think the one I have will fruit. My cactus leaves are flat.
Stay tune... next month... Plumeria blooms!

Oh what a hazy, crazy, lazy days of summer....

2006-07-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

Well, my children have been out of school since late May, right before Memorial Day and they will be going back to school in less than 2 weeks. I am so sad. I will miss hearing their laughters while they are laying in their beds in the morning.
We had a wonderful summer this year, not too busy, but busy enough so they won't be bored. I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom. So my children are enjoying the summer going swimming at our neighborhood pool, seeing free movies every week, hanging out with friends, going on vacation and staying up late.
Of course my children does not have the same freedom that I did when I was child. The smell of honeysuckles would mark the beginning of the summer. I can just see it - getting off the school bus and going to the neighborhood convenience store to get candies. Not a 7-11 (seven-eleven) convenience store, but an old store with concrete floor and the wood door that pops right back with you let it go. They sell Sunbeam bread and some basic necessities, but best of all, they sold candies. Not the .89 cents chewing gum that you're paying nowaday, but candies that you can buy with your pennies and nickels.
We would watch Captain Kangaroo while having breakfast and then we would leave the house and roamed the neighborhood all day long. Sometime we would come back from lunch and sometime we would stay out all day long. My favorite thing to do is to play kickball in the street and we would use speed bumps for 1st and 3rd base.
Oh, how I missed those days of summer!

Swimmer....ears

2006-07-17T00:25:00.000-05:00

Recently my daughter made the top 100 swimmers for our county. The county event was held at a facility that was the former cite of all swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming competition during the Centennial Olympics Games!!! But only the top 50 swimmers got to swim at the County Meet.
I also found out that our county has the largest number of summer league swimmers IN THE COUNTRY!!! With over 6000+ swimmers! Our team alone consist of 133 swimmers. Sometime we would host a meet with another team that consist of 260+ swimmers. Imagine, all those kids at your pool and parents and sibblings and additional family members. Wow, what would the fire marshall say?

Amazing Race in Vietnam - Again

2006-07-17T00:12:00.000-05:00

I just read an article that Amazing Race 10 was in Vietnam! I can't find any other article about it, but I can't WAIT TO SEE IT! The show will not air until the fall of 2006. I missed the Amazing Race when it was in Vietnam in 2002 - because I wasn't watching the show then.
For those who are not familiar with the show or have not seen it. The show starts out with about 10 or 12 teams (in pairs) of players. Destination unknow. At the beginning of the race, the host will tell each player where they are going, example- they could be in the US in Denver Colorado and their 1st destination will be Brazil. The contestants will race off and try to get the earliest flights out of the country, sometime with restricted plane travel or strict budget. Once they arrive in Brazil, they will get a clue and it will tell them to go to this XXX place. Once they get there, they may have to compete in a series of task, some are physical and some are mental, the team will get to choose which one they will do. Team farthest behind will be eliminated as the race progress and the first team to arrive at the final destination wins one million dollars!!!
If anyone out there heard anything about it, drop me a note.

May is busier than Christmas in December

2006-06-04T00:11:00.000-05:00

Whew! I'm so glad May is over. With the children getting out of school in May, it's been crazy. My son completed 5th grade this year. He will attend a middle school in the fall for the next school year. So the parents of the school makes a big deal about the 5th grader leaving elementary school. They had many activities that was special for the 5th grader. This kept me very busy. Also, the 5th grade teachers are trying to prepare the kids for middle school, so they are working them extra hard, giving them loads of homework (not that I'm complaining) and last minute projects! My son also got to sing the National Athem with his classmates at the Atlanta Braves game! How cool was that!
Also, we are waiting to hear about a job transfer. It is possible that we may be moving to another state or even another country. We will find out about one of the jobs by the end of June. If this job doesn't come through, we will not hear about the overseas job until late August or September. If the overseas job comes through, we will go to Rome, Italy. So lately I've been spending all of my Internet time reading about Rome, Italy. I'm preparing myself so I won't be so culture shock.
Ciao!

Gas Prices

2006-05-19T00:47:00.000-05:00

Everything in America is BIG! We all live in our big house, drives our big car on our big highway. We have big parking lot for our big mall or shopping center to fill up our big closet. What is it costing us to drive our vehicles? On the average, I drive about 200 miles (321 kilometer) a week. It is costing me about $2.89 per gallon (3.78 liters) and it takes about 14 gallons (53 liters) to fill up my minivan, costing me about $40 in gas a week.
Because of our large family, I need the larger car. I can't wait to see a more fuel efficient large vehicle.

Hard Mattresses in Vietnam

2006-05-19T00:37:00.000-05:00

I love my trip to Vietnam, but there was one thing I couldn't wait to get home to... my own bed and pillows. When I travel, I like to bring my own pillows. I sleep better with them. But in Vietnam, the mattress is so hard! So are the pillows. I grew up sleeping on a cot, and we also have one of those wooden bed, but that was the first 10 years of my life. The other 30+ were slept on a soft mattress with springs. I even have friends that stayed in those fancy expensive hotels in Vietnam and they said those beds are also hard. What's the deal? When is Vietnam going to make some soft mattresses?

Do your relatives give you a headache?

2006-05-10T11:32:00.000-05:00

My mom called today to cancel our lunch date on Sunday – which is fine with me – no big deal. I was in the middle of eating lunch when she called. She wanted to know what I was eating, so I told her that I was having a sandwich and some chips. She proceeded to tell me that it doesn’t seem like I’m eating much, but it seems that I am still fat, so why don’t I try to exercise some. What the h---? Is this the Vietnamese way of making a compliment? May be that’s normal for Vietnamese people, but in America it’s considered an insult. It’s an equivalent of telling a Vietnamese person in Vietnam that they have a pretty tan.

Betel and Areca Nuts

2006-04-24T01:14:00.000-05:00

When I was in Hoi An, I saw an older lady with dyed brown teeth. My younger brother asked me about this.

I remembered our grandmother had the dyed brown teeth. It had something to do with stuff that they chewed. It seemed like they were chewing tobacco, but it’s not. They are betel and areca nuts. The women teeth are dyed brown so they wouldn’t get stained. I don’t remember ever seeing my grandmother chewed betel and areca nuts. I read somewhere that in some culture, the teeth stained red or black indicates marriage ability or coming of age.

According to the legends, this custom was popularized during the Hung Vuong Era, and closely follows the famous fairy tale of the "Story of the Betel and Areca Nut". A quid of betel consists of four materials: an areca leaf (sweet taste), a betel bark (hot taste), a chay root (bitter taste), and hydrated lime (pungent taste). The custom of chewing betel nut is unique to Vietnam. Old health books claim that "chewing betel and areca nut makes the mouth fragrant, decreasing bad tempers, and makes digesting food easy". A quid of betel makes people become closer and more openhearted.

A quid of betel makes people become closer and more openhearted. At any wedding ceremony, there must be a dish of betel and areca nut, which people can share as they joy the special occasion. During festival or Tet Holidays, betel and areca nut is used for inviting visitors and making acquaintances. Sharing a quid of betel with an old friend is like expressing the gratitude for the relationship. A quid of betel and areca nut makes people feel warm on cold winters days, and during funerals, it relieves the sadness. Betel and areca nuts are also used in offerings. When Vietnamese people worship their ancestors, betel and areca nut must be present at the altar. Nowadays, the custom of chewing betel remains popular in some Vietnamese village and among the old.

Memories of Thi Nghe

2006-04-20T01:15:00.000-05:00

It’s so strange how a certain scent can trigger a sense of nostalgia. While I was in Hanoi, I stayed at this hotel that served breakfast on top of their roof. I was enjoying the view when a breeze blew by. I could smell the plants next to me. I could not identify the flower, although it reminded me of flowers from a kumquat or a jasmine tree. It was this scent that instantly brought me back memories of my childhood. It made me think of Tet and my mother’s mother (ba ngoai) house.

Back then, before we deflected in 1975, my grandmother lived in Thi Nghe. I vaguely remembered it being down the street from a graveyard. We had a cemented front yard with a koi fish pond in the front. Sometime, my father would bring back some of those water plants from Vung Tau. I was told that there used to be some kind of fruit tree in the yard, but the neighborhood kids would climb it so my grandmother had it cut down and put a covered roof over the front courtyard and a high fence.

In the courtyard of my grandmother's house, we also had a swing that could seat several people. Enter through the front door and you would first see a huge room with black & white tile floor. Close to the front door is where we would park our Vespa. I think the Vespa was a light blue color. There were also bicycles and other types of motorbikes. The front room is where we would receive guests. It was sparsely furnished, but included an armoire type of cabinet. The top of this cabinet is used as an altar for the ancestors. There was also a large dining room table in this room. This is where my brother and I would celebrate our birthdays.

In the next room, we had a bed. Cots could also be setup at night. I remembered having to hook up the four corners of mosquito netting and screw them into the four corners of the cot. Then we would have to take a newspaper into the cot and tuck the mosquito netting under. We would proceed to swat all the mosquitoes that got in the net, so they wouldn’t eat us alive.

Through that room, we have an open area. This was where our maid would kill the live chicken that we had fatten-up for Tet. There was also a large and tall ceramic tub that holds rainwater. There were stairs to take us upstairs, where an additional room was used as a bedroom.

Further behind the open patio area was where our maid lived. There was a kitchen/cooking area, a separate area for showering/bathing and a separate hole-in-the floor type of bathroom.

Memories spent with my grandmother. Memories of when my uncle took me to school on his motorbike. Memories of the trees-lined Duy Tan street – I think there is a song written about this street. I don’t know if Duy Tan street is still has the same name. My father had an architect friend who lived on this street. He had a really nice and fancy house and I use to love to visit it. Memories of going to the big market with my mother and wanting her to buy me one of those clear plastic bracelet with sparkly stuff in it.

I often wondered if my old school is still there. A small Catholic school – Notre Dame des Mission. We had Vietnamese lessons in the morning and French in the afternoon. Even though I was not Catholic, you had to go to Mass every Friday morning in school. There is a public school just a block down the street from my school. If any of you reader out there knows what happened to this Catholic school – I’d love to hear about it.

These are memories that I hold dear...
It is the reason that I still feel such strong ties to Vietnam even though I no longer live there.

Magazine feature

2006-04-05T22:51:00.000-05:00

There is a huge bookstore close to my house - Barnes & Noble. They are a large bookstore chain. I like going there and just have a latte and sit on one of their cushy chair and look at home magazines. I just love reading home decorating magazines. Some of my fav magazines are Southern Accents, Traditional Home, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest and Coastal Living - just to name a few. So I came across this month Traditional Home and there is a beautiful house in there. Immediately, it reminds me of Vietnam. So I skimmed the article and realized that it was a house in Vietnam! This family is from France and they have decided to live in Vietnam. They have a house on the Saigon River, a little bit outside Saigon. The home owner has a store in France and one in Vietnam, specializing in embroider linens. The picture made me missed Vietnam - a little homesick. One of my friend is traveling Vietnam right now as we speak. Wish I was there. May be in a few years... I will visit again.

Adoption from China

2006-03-23T11:19:00.000-06:00

My sweet niece is such a joy. My brother and sister-in-law are blessed to have adopted her from China. Children change your life forever, for the better. They make you see things in a whole different light.

I’ve been thinking about my Chinese niece growing up American and wondering how she’ll feel about her connections to China as she approaches adulthood. In fact, I want my own children to appreciate not only the country they live in now but also their Vietnamese heritage.

Recently, a friend sent me an article about how the first wave of adopted Chinese children in America are now young adults seeking their identities. The article talked about how these children have been raised. Some of their white parents incorporated things relating to their Chinese culture into their lives, such as Chinese dance lessons. The adopted Chinese girls who live in larger cities where they were exposed to many cultures seem to embrace their Chinese identity, while the ones raised in a more "white" community don’t. They have been more likely to just want to fit in with their white counterparts.

I can completely relate to this! When we came to the United States, we moved to a town with a very small Vietnamese community. Other than my cousins, I was not exposed to Vietnamese people on a daily basis. We went to ESL school in the summer in order to learn English. We were told by the instructors that if we wanted to speak excellent English, we needed to use it all the time, so we did. In doing that, we abandoned our mother language. I am embarrassed to say that I can no longer speak Vietnamese fluently. Like many kids, we just wanted to fit in. My brother and I often spoke about this - we thought we were white kids. I don't think we fully appreciated our cultural identity until we went away to college.

As I got older, I came to appreciate my culture more, especially after my recent trip to Vietnam. In light of my experience, I am trying to teach my children about my Vietnamese culture and traditions. I don’t want my children to lose their cultural identity. I want my children to be proud and knowledgeable about their entire identity, to be able to appreciate their heritage as they grow up.

A Game of Tennis

2006-03-15T00:27:00.000-06:00

Recently, I picked up the game of tennis. It is very popular here in the area that we live. Tennis is a game played with rackets by two (called singles) or four players (called doubles). Players strike a hollow rubber ball covered in felt over a net into the opponent's court.
I started out only to get some exercise, to see if I can get my borderline high-blood pressure down. Now I'm addicted to it. I'm not a very athletic person but somehow this sport brings out the competitiveness in me. Granted, I'm only playing with friends, so it's just for fun, but I really like it.

Information about 'tennis' was retrieve from encyclopedia Wikipedia.

Hoa Anh Đào - Cherry Blossom

2006-03-12T00:48:00.000-06:00

I love plants and flowers. I could spend all day at a plant nursery. I should live in Florida or California, where the climates are milder for tropical flowers. Last year, I went to Callaway Garden in Georgia and I spent most of the day at their greenhouse. Some of my favorite flowers are Cherry Blossom (hoa anh dao), Peach Blossom (hoa mai), Plumeria (hoa su) and Bouganvilla (hoa giay).
One of my best childhood memory is visiting my grandmother - bà nội (that's your father's mother) at Tan Son Nhat. We only visited her once a year. My mother would make me dress up in some fancy clothes and we would take a bus out there. I call it a bus because I don't know what else to call it. It looks like an old truck with a covered roof over it. I don't know why we didn't take or moped or car. It seemed like a long trip at the time. Recently, I flew into HCMC and took a cab from the airport Tan Son Nhat to Saigon and it didn't seem that long of a drive - may be because the roads are now paved and it wasn't back then.
My grandmother had this swing out in the front. It was under this HUGE pink bouganville tree (hoa giấy) climbing over the house. She also had banana trees. I spent alot of my time there because my cousins thought I was some fancy city cousin that couldn't get dirty.
Today, I have an arbor in my yard. I planted 2 climbing roses on it. A yellow rose climber on one side and light pink "New Dawn" climber on the other side. It's still fairly young - under 2 years, so I don't get as much flowers yet. I can't wait for it to cover the whole arbor. The pink roses is a hybrid that is supposed to take over the arbor. Someday, I hope to give one of my daughters a dinner reception in the garden. May be nothing as big as the wedding in Steve Martin's "Father of the Bride" movie, but something along that line would be fine.

What about all those Nguyen last name? They're as common as Smith in the US

2006-03-05T01:22:00.000-06:00

In old Vietnamese society, if someone contributed to the court, the emperor allowed that person to adopt the royal last name, a practice much like being knighted.
There are other historical reasons for the prevalence of the Nguyen name. During the Tran Dynasty in the 11th to 13th centuries, many of the families of the prior dynasty courtesans - the Lys - changed their name to Nguyen to avoid persecution.

Chuc Mung Xuan Moi

2006-01-11T22:51:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! Tet is coming. I live in a large city in the south of US. We have a pretty good Vietnamese population, but the celebration here is pretty lame. I can say that because I've seen how people in California do it. Now those Californians know how to bring in the New Year! They set the bar high.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of Tet. I love hoa mai (I think these are called peach blossom?). Of course, the best part is getting those red envelopes with money. My family would buy a live chicken a few weeks before Tet. We would feed it so it would be nice and fat. Then our housekeeper would chase it around the open patio and kill it and then pluck the feathers off (I vaguely remember something to do with hot water).
Neighbors would light a whole strand of firecrackers. We're not talking about those little dinky ones, but long ones tied together. We would also burn paper clothes for our ancestors. I read somewhere that you can buy paper cars now. How cool is that?
We would also make banh que. My favorite cookies and I love them homemade.
Someday, I'm going to go to Vietnam to celebrate Tet. That's on my list of things to do before I die.

This time last year

2005-11-01T23:04:00.000-06:00

I can't believe a year had passed since my trip to Vietnam. This time last year, I was packing my bag and taking a 15 hour flight on Korean Air to Ho Chi Minh city.
Is it possible to be "homesick", when it's really not your home?
I've been talking about visiting Vietnam for years. I wanted to see my aunts and uncles and my nanny, who took care of me when I was growing up. I waited too long - in 2003, my nanny died from cancer. It prompted me to make the trip and I'm so glad I did.

For months, I couldn't sleep, thinking about my trip and all the things I will see and do. Once I was in Vietnam, I felt right at home.

Now I'm just obsess with all things related to Vietnam. I can't wait to make my trip again. Until we meet again...

VN Trip-Day5-Tomb of Tu Duc Emperor

2004-11-11T01:39:00.000-06:00

It was incredibly beautiful!
Emperor Tu Duc (1829-1883) was fourth ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty, independent Vietnam last emperor, reigning from 1848 to 1883. Some would perhaps regard him as the emperor who lost Vietnam to French domination. He is regarded as one of the more decadent cruel Vietnamese Emperors. Although he was a dedicated Confucian, his lifestyle was unusual in all areas. At each meal he would have a choice of fifty dishes that were delivered by fifty servants and prepared by fifty chefs! When Tu Duc drank tea, the water was collected as dew from lotus leaves. He also had one of his own brothers put to death after his involvement in a revolt against him. Tu Duc lived longer than the other Nguyen emperors. During his lifetime he had 104 wives and many more concubines, but he fathered no children. He was often ill, and he was likely sterile due to smallpox early in his life.
His tomb was constructed between 1864 and 1867 by over 3000 soldiers and workers, had about 50 buildings, surrounder by 1500m long brick and stone wall. It is regarded by Tu Duc as a modest complex, enough that he included the word khiem (meaning modest) in the name of every building. The emperor used the grounds to hunt game in the woods and recite poetry with concubines on the lakeside. He even constructed Hoa Khiem Temple on the site to use as a palace during his long retreats to the area. In an attempt to foil grave robbers, his body was not even buried in the tomb, and all those who were involved in the burial were beheaded. His body and treasures are at a destination which to this day is unknown. In keeping with Chinese and Vietnamese traditions, there is a Stele House on the Tu Duc Mausoleum site. Within this pavilion, open on all four sides, ther centerpiece is a huge 20-ton stone tablet containing Tu Duc's 4,000-character eulogy. Written in Chinese characters, it is actually an autobiography of the emperor. There are also a number of temples and other buildings within the tomb grounds, along with a nice lake with an island in the centre. Towards the end of his rule, Tu Duc spent a lot of time on this island and generally within his tomb, accompanied by his entourage. The tomb of Tu Duc is about 7 km out of the centre of Hue city.

VN Trip-Day5-A Road Trip to Khai Dinh Tomb

2004-11-11T01:32:00.000-06:00

Our boat driver told us that we would have to take the motorbike to our next site - Khai Dinh Tomb. We pulled up to the side of Perfume River, to a hut where a bunch of guys with mopeds hung out. After price negotiation and agreement, we headed out, taking dirt roads and small bridges to get to Khai Dinh.
This was actually my favorite part of the trip, riding on the back of 'xe om', taking the back roads, seeing the kids getting out of school, walking the bike while crossing a rickety bridge.
Finally, we get to Khai Dinh Tomb. It was on a hill. You need to climb 66 steps before entering the tomb area.
In the center, there is an octagonal stele monument.
On each side of the courtyard, two rows of stone statues faced the court center with imposing pillars.
Then you need to go up 3 more levels to get to the altar monument.
Dragons guard the doorway to the tomb before entering a room with ornate decorations including bits of broken glass and porcelain embedded in cement.
Khai Dinh, the next to the last emperor, twelfth king of the Nguyen dynasty, father of King Bao Dai. Bao Dai was the last emperor and he abdicated to Ho Chi Minh's government in 1945. Khai Dinh ruled from 1916 to 1925, and his tomb majestically appears from the side of a mountain covered by forest. By the way, the emperors had their tombs built during their lifetimes and used them as vacation spots. Unfortunately, the tomb lacks the harmonious blending with nature that many of the other tombs and Vietnamese architecture tries to achieve. This is due to the fact that the tomb was built earlier this century during the French colonial occupation and under their influence. The combination of Asian and European architecture and decoration marks the king's special interest in European civilization. The weather-stained and blackened concrete walls make the tomb seem older than it actually is. Inside, every inch of walls are covered with three-dimensional murals made out of colorful bits of broken porcelain pottery. The outer chamber depicts scenes of the seasons.

VN Trip-Day5-Heavenly Lady Pagoda

2004-11-11T01:23:00.000-06:00

Our driver drove us to the hotel to drop off our luggage and took us to Perfume River (Song Huong). We arrived by train after 8:00am, we were not able to get a tour guide but got our own boat. We were on our own. It's a good thing we spoke Vietnamese.
I told my brother that Hue people have an unusual accent and it's very hard to understand. I tried to imitate for him but I couldn't. Even my father had trouble understanding them.
A couple took us out to Perfume River on the Dragon Boat. The motor was very noisy. I was thinking how this could cause additional damage to my hearing loss. She asked us if we wanted fish, shrimp or squid. My brother wanted all three. Her husband pulled the boat up to the side of the river and she hopped off (to go to the market). It didn't take long before she came back with our uncooked lunch and fresh fruits.
So we headed up the river. Our first stop was Thien Mu Pagoda, also a monestery. It is right on the edge of the river. In fact, steps lead right from the water up to the pagoda. Built in 1601, the pagoda was built after an old woman appeared on the hill where the pagoda stands today. She told the locals that a lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the country's prosperity. The seven level brick stupa or tower represents Buddha's seven incarnations on earth.
On the way in, we saw a monk using a weedwacker. They also have a beautiful flower garden here. I went in the far back section of the garden and found orchids grafted onto the trees and lots of unusual plants. This area contained living quarters for the monk. It also housed the Austin motorcar that was driven by the pacifist monk, Thich Quang Duc, who lived at this pagoda. He drove this car from Hue to Saigon, where he set himself on fire, in protest of President Ngo Dinh Diem's policies against the practice of Buddhism.
The lady on the boat and I talked about our children. She explained to me that children here go to school from 7:00 to noon. They come home early enough to help their family with their work/business. In Vietnam, most children do not go past the eight grades. The majority of Vietnam lives in rural areas, farming and agriculture is their specialty. Also, schooling must be paid for. It's my understanding that there is no such thing as free public education as there are in America.

VN Trip-Day4-Train trip to Hue

2004-11-10T01:17:00.000-06:00

Because there were no seat left on any of the 6 flights (in 2 days period) on Vietnam Airline, we took an overnight trip with the Unification Express Train from Hanoi to Hue. It was to be a 12 hour overnight trip, traveling at 35mph, with many stops. Even though it was air conditioned, blowing mostly humid air, and sheets, blankets and pillows were provided, it's no Orient Express.
The stations is given a predetermined number of tickets to sell, after which the train is "full". This meant that the entire carriages can be both booked out and empty, and others are crammed with people. Never one to leave a niche unexploited, the conductors run a tidy business selling upgrades for 1 1/2 times the published price, splitting the proceeds among themselves.
For the 3 of us, we bought all 4 soft berth tickets. The train was loud but it was one of the best sleep that I had. I shared a room with my brother and dad and my father snored so loud. He could sleep anywhere. When the train was moving, it droned out my father's snoring, which helped me sleep. The train swayed from side to side while it's moving.
My father did not want to take the train because he had heard stories about people getting robbed on the train. Sometimes, rocks were thrown at the window to break it and they would just yank your luggage from your room. One of his friend told him that it was not so bad anymore. I did notice that the window in our room had only one pane left from the two-panes window.
Out of all the research I had done, no one had prepare me for this surprise. My brother came back from the restroom and told me it was a SQUATTER!!!
Well, I don't want to get too personal here. But here is the deal. There is a low window in the restroom with the bottom portion slightly frosted. You don't want to use the restroom while the train is not moving because there are houses right up to the train track or better yet, people waiting to cross the train tracks. But if you want to use while the train is moving, good luck trying to keep your pants and yourself from falling in while the train is swaying when it's moving! There are bars for you to hold onto while you're swaying and squatting. LOL!
Just when you think you've heard it all. Did I mention already that there is ONLY 1 train track connecting Saigon to Hanoi? But what about the two trains heading from opposite directions, you ask. Here is the real kicker. The train without priority has to give way, by pulling off onto a little side track and waits. As each train goes through a station, it picks up a heavy looped cable with a hand-written note attached to it. The note describe the speed and the distance of the oncoming train. The engineers do some quick calculations, check their ratty old photocopied schedules, and decide which track they have time to pull off onto. Radios, anyone?

VN Trip-Day4-Lonely Planet Hanoi Walking Tour

2004-11-10T00:52:00.000-06:00

As I roamed through these narrow streets of the Old Quarters, I think of my mother. When she was young, my grandmother would send my mother out on errands and she would roams through these back streets. She is familiar with all these trees-lined streets.
My grandfather (mother-father) was postal worker. He had a post at a rubber plantation once. My mother was born in Kampuchia (now Cambodia). Back then it was part of Indochina. My grandfather was working in Saigon when the Geneva Accord was signed and went into affect. After that, my grandparents was not able to return to Hai Phong of North Vietnam.
The Old Quarters is known for their 36 streets, each named for the merchandise sold on that street. The guild streets were named for their products, service or location.
We started out at Ngoc Son Temple in the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake. Headed north on Pho Hang Dau, we were soon surrounded by shoe shops selling every shape, size and style. The only thing that kept me from buying all those shoes was that I only had a single backpack to carry everything.
We crossed over to Pho Cau Go (meaning Wooden Bridge) to Pho Hang Be (bamboo rafts), continue north to the 'T' intersection with Pho Hang Bac (silversmiths). Near here are several shops, where artisians carve intricate gravestones by hand, bearing an image of the deceased. A short detour north on Pho Ma (sold sacred joss/votive papers) lead you to the Memorial House at number 87. We toured this Chinese merchant's home, recently restored and opened as a museum.

Returned to Pho Hang Bac (meaning silver) and head west, then right onto Pho Hang Ngang (Transversal Street), right again onto Pho Hang Buom (sails). We stopped at the Bach Ma Temple, with its red funeral palanquin. Legend has it that Ly King used the pagoda to pray for assistance in building the city walls because they persistently collapsed, no matter how many times he rebuilt them. His prayers were finally answered when a white horse appeared out of the temple and guided him to the site where he could safely build his walls. Evidence of his success is still visible at Cua O Quan Chuong, the quarter's Old East Gate at the eastern end of Pho Hang Chieu (mats), near the intersection with Pho Tran Nhat Duat.

We took a cab over to the striking neo-Gothic St. Joseph Cathedral, noteworthy for its square towers, elaborate altar and colourful stained-glass windows. It was built in 1886. The church was re-opened in 1992 when freedom to practice Catholicism was reinstated. We wandered around the back, where there is a school. My father went there when he was a kid. The school no longer belongs to the church. It is now owned by the government.
Later that day, we also went to the First University.

VN Trip-Day3-Ha Long Bay/Hanoi

2004-11-09T00:50:00.000-06:00

On Day 3, we enjoyed our morning with a boat ride out to a cave, then a bus took us back to Hà Nội. We had the rest of today and tomorrow to explore Hà Nội.

In Hà Nội, we stayed at a mini-hotel, convenient to everything. We were a block from Hoàn Kiếm Lake and just around the corner from the Old Quarters. For $15 a night, it includes breakfast. Right around the corner from our hotel is a little hole in the wall place, with stepping stools for chairs, that serves steamed "bắnh cuốn" (a white crepe filled with a little ground meat). My father said that this is the best way to make bắnh cuốn. It was a little place in the corner. You sat on a plastic step stool. If you were not flexible like all the Vienamese, you might not be able to get back up after sitting so low to the ground. Between the three of us, we each had a heaping plate of this crepe for a total of $1.25. WOW! It was also the best banh coun I have ever had - don't tell my mother I said that.

Then we took a walk through a portion of The Old Quarters. All the shops were open and everything was so inexpensive. I wanted to buy everything. My father reminded me that I was traveling with just a single backpack and I couldn't carry everything. Of course I can buy me another piece of luggage, but I would have to haul it with me the next few days, so I refrained myself. Instead we cross the street to Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

A more peaceful and laid back town, Hà Nội still has quiet shaded streets lined with aged French mansions. Right in the center of the old city is Hoàn Kiếm Lake, with an island and temple. You have to cross the Bridge of the Rising Sun in order to get to Ngọc Sơn temple. This evening, the temple has already close. We walked over to Ba Kiều Temple. Hanoi Fine Arts University was having a painting exhibition. I bought a few small oil paintings and some Vietnamese greeting cards. I figured this was an inexpensive way to frame arts. Whenever I travel, I always buy a piece of art of the place that I traveled to. It reminds me of my trip when I look at the art piece.

Then we went to a French Cafe on Hoàn Kiếm Lake to have late dinner and a glass of ice coffee. Mmmmmm!. My father told us when he was a child he wanted to come to this restaurant on the lake and eat there, but it was too expensive. He never imagined he would be able to afford to eat there 50 years later. Our US dollars go a long way in Viet Nam.

VN Trip-Day2-Ha Long Bay

2004-11-08T00:33:00.000-06:00

In Hanoi, we got up early and had breakfast on the rooftop of our hotel. From the roof, we could see over the city. A plant close by smell of sweet jasmine, bringing back childhood memories of Tết (Lunar New Year). We ordered the scramble eggs. It came with a huge, crusty baguette and a cup of 'cafe au lait', strong and sweet. Ummm! It was the best coffee ever. Drinking coffee in the US will never be the same again.

Our travel agency had arranged for a van to pick us up in front of our hotel at 8:00am. The van will take us to Ha Long Bay (a 3 1/2 hour drive), located on the east coast of northern Vietnam. Our driver got us there a little earlier by weaving thru pedestrians (some of them walking their cows), trucks and buses.

Outside of Hanoi, we hit two lanes highway. Why two lanes I don't know because traffic traveling in opposite directions were determined to make it 4 lanes. You could pass on the right or left of said vehicle(s) in front and this theory applied to the other lane as well. Passing on the left only had one little hindrance though, bicycles and motorbikes hugging the side of the lane. But hey, a van is big and the bigger the vehicle, the more right of way you have. My pulse rate increased every time the driver try to pass another vehicle.

We passed many cemeteries. Historically, family members were buried in the fields where the family grew crops. Today, bodies are placed in concentrated cemeteries. Bodies are first buried in the ground; after 3 years, the bones are dug up and reburied. These "villages of the dead" are found among rice paddies and fields.

I was also shocked to see restaurant signs indicating their specialty - dog meat! We were in a small group, total of 11, plus crew. Everyone was really nice. It was a good mix with a French couple, British couple, 2 LA Cops, a Japanese lady and us.

Tally Ho!
When the junk started sailing, it was kind of misty. I was worried that my trip was spoiled because it was so foggy. Even though I've seen many pictures of Halong Bay, nothing had prepared me to actually seeing it. It looked like something out of the South Pacific movie. It was so breathtakingly beautiful. Imagine the junk sailing, you are standing on the deck, on the edge overlooking the blue-green water. With the wind blowing in your face, the junk sailed in between massive limestone formations. It took my breath away!

We spent the day exploring limestone caves and stayed over night on the boat. There are over 3000 of these rock / limestone formations (called grottos) in Halong Bay, of course we only saw maybe 5% of that. Legend has it that Ha Long was formed when a dragon flew through the region dragging its tail which carved the earth thus forming the grottos. There are even people who live around these rocks on floating houses and cities built into the walls of the mountains. We even saw a pack of wild dogs on one of the small islands without any other inhabitants.

That night we spent the night in the open sea on the junk. That long twilight on the deck as the islands turned grey and then black, stars overhead, and the quiet lapping of water on the wooden hull made it a night to remember.

Vietnam Trip-Day1-Saigon Drivers

2004-11-07T00:46:00.000-06:00

The next day found us distributing the goods that we brought with us to our friend's relatives, though we only have distance relatives left in Vietnam. They always love when we bring US products to Vietnam. This was 6am in the morning and the city is already busy and bustling. The sun comes out at about 5am and sets around 6pm. No daylight savings here.

My first experience with Saigon in daylight found it very energized with more than 1000+ mopeds, motorcycles clogging the streets. I now have come to understand why Asian drivers in the US are soooo horrible. The streets of Saigon seem to have no rules when it comes to driving. ‘cept the red and green lights, but other than that, they seem to drive however they want around here. Really crazy, I can’t even explain the chaos that goes on in the streets when it comes to driving. It takes almost a full day to adjust to the mannerism (or lack there of) that is displayed on the streets. The rules on the streets are: 1)The bigger vehicles have the right of way 2)Turn whenever you want, or you'll be waiting all day long. 3)No need to stop when you're coming out of an alley. 4)The side that has the most traffic gets most of the road. If you're in a taxi, your car is bigger than the mopeds. They will go around you since you have the right of way. In the beginning, you almost cringe and close your eyes when you see the way cars and bikes interact. Bikes (mopeds) out number cars hundreds to one. Just when you thought the moped died out. Nope, I’m sure its alive and well in many 3rd world countries. What’s even more impressive is to see ladies in heels (almost all) maneuvering their way through traffic with very skillful techniques. And through out all of that, I didn’t see a single accident all day nor did I see any road rage or aggression for that matter. Not to say that it doesn’t happen, but you have to have a really, really thick skin to drive around Vietnam. And a horn is very essential, because everyone is always blasting on that thing. I thought the morning was busy and hectic, but as the day progressed, the streets became even busier and even more chaotic.

In downtown Saigon, you see many foreign tourists from France, Australia and Japan. The goods over here are really inexpensive, having been brought in from China where most goods are made. A Northface backpack for $15 when this particular bag probably runs over $100 in the US. The 'dong' (pronounced like don't, but with a 'g') is 15,000 to one US dollar. And the knock offs are even cheaper, and there are a lot of them. Louis Vuitton travel bag is about $40, Channel purses between $5 to $30USD, the list goes on and on. The risk you take when buying knockoffs is that it can be confiscated by US Customs once you re-enter the states.

Everyone has been extremely friendly and they all want to practice their English with you. Most people were very surprised when we spoke their native language. We couldn’t even look like the locals if we wanted to.

Internet cafes and connections are all over here in Vietnam. It will cost you about 1,000 dong for 10 minutes. All the Internet cafes have headsets and videocam, so you can buy calling cards (very cheap, I can’t remember but I think it was about 5usd for 170 minutes) and call home to the US by internet. I spoke to my family. I missed them so much.

As I sat in a park in Saigon today, taking in all with out overload, I just kept thinking about who these people could become with the same opportunity that I’ve been given. I must say that I’m truly blessed. Vietnam is trying to grow and prosper.

That night, we caught a late flight to Hanoi of North Vietnam.

Trip to Vietnam - November 2004

2004-11-06T01:55:00.000-06:00

It's been 29 years since I've returned to Viet Nam. I left with my family in 1975 when South Vietnam fell to the Viet Cong. I was 10 years old and have some memories of the evacuation of Sai Gon; taking a helicopter from the rooftop of American Embassy.

I used to dream of visiting Viet Nam. When I think of Viet Nam, I think of the beginning of Tommy Lee Jones' movie "Heaven & Earth". In the beginning of the movie, you see a helicopter landing in a field. I don't know if it's a rice field or tall grass. Because the propellers are spinning, the wind from it caused the tall green grass to sway. In the background you see palm trees against soaring mountains, cloaked by dense, misty forest.

I also think of the trees lined streets in Saigon. I remembered riding on the back of the moped with my dad visiting one of his friend on Duy Tan Street. I also remembered going to a Catholic school - Notre Dame des Mission. I wondered if that school is still there.

On to my trip... after a flight that took almost a whole day with a connecting flight in Seoul, Korea; we finally touched down in Sai Gon Friday evening. Viet Nam is 12 hours ahead of EST. I was excited but extremely jet lagged. I went straight to bed.