I remember the time when I was riding my bicycle around the neighborhood and ran into a little girl who came out of nowhere as I turned around the corner. I decided to take the little girl back to her house and told her father that some kids knocked her down and ran away. Since the little girl could not yet speak, my story was completely unchallenged. The father was so grateful that he thanked me and also gave me a bag of sweeten dried fruit for being a Samaritan.
A blog about our road trips on Route 66, Lincoln Highway, St. Louis, New York, Michigan, etc. (we have been to 37 States, 13 more to visit), about my love of hockey (NHL), football (NFL), coming to America, growing up in Viet Nam, humor that ain't funny and still a lot of ramblings!
SUMMER TIME
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
I LOVE LUCY
I remember the time when I was riding my bicycle around the neighborhood and ran into a little girl who came out of nowhere as I turned around the corner. I decided to take the little girl back to her house and told her father that some kids knocked her down and ran away. Since the little girl could not yet speak, my story was completely unchallenged. The father was so grateful that he thanked me and also gave me a bag of sweeten dried fruit for being a Samaritan.
Monday, February 25, 2008
THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things
and then I don't feel so bad!
Borrowing from the song "My Favorite Things", a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music, when Maria sang with the von Trapp children during a thunderstorm, these are a few of my favorite things when I had to stay in door because of the freezing temperature and slippery roads.
There were no girls in white dresses but plenty of snowflakes and freezing temperature when we waited outside Ford Field Stadium in Detroit for Superbowl XL. We were so excited because it was our first Superbowl and for poor people like us, it would be once in a lifetime experience. We still laugh about a man in the seat next to us that he looked like "Tony the Fist" from the Godfather.
Monday, February 18, 2008
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
When we finally came to America, my parents pretended that we never received that letter. I think Uncle realized he shouldn't have written that letter and had tried to make amend.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
FIRST LOVE
I do remember being a bully when I was a little girl growing up in Viet Nam. I would punch and pound the kids in the neighborhood who used to tease me that my eyes were "as big as the bowls" (Mat bu nhu cai to). I specially remembered beating up my cousin, let's call him Harmony who was the 3rd child of my 2nd uncle, a brother of my mother. Harmony was the same age but for some reasons he never fought back. There were two most memorable incidents of how I mistreated Harmony and tried to cover up my crimes.
The first incident was when Harmony cried after I slugged him, I ran to the corner in front of the store. My grandfather (Che Cung) saw me crying and asked what happened. I told Che Cung that my Dad was going on a business trip with his young brother, Uncle Strength who was a gambler and a womanizer. I was terrified that my Dad would follow Uncle Strength and neglected Mother and us kids. "What happened when Dad lost all the money gambling and had to sell the house, we will be hungry and have no place to live", I continued while Che Cung tried to comfort me that such thing would never happen as Dad was a good man. Harmony never had a chance to report my crime and I was off to the market to buy candy with the coins Che Cung just gave me.
The second incident was a favorite story Mother still loves to tell. Che Cung asked me why Harmony was crying as we were playing in the backyard. I told Che Cung that an American helicopter just flew by and threw down some candy specifically just for me. Harmony cried because the Americans did not give him any candy. Che Cung laughed so hard at my unlikely story. That time I did not get away. Later Che Cung told Mother but I don't remember how I was punished for the crime.
Before we separated, Harmony and I promised to write letters to keep in touch. We did. The following summer, I begged my parents to let me spend the summer with Che Pho again, hoping that Harmony would be there. Three long weeks after I arrived in Cai Tau Ha, Harmony came but only for a few days. I wrote in my diary how I wished we could be together everyday and how I could find the way to tell Harmony that I loved him. I dreamed of being told that I was adopted so that I could marry Harmony as we had no relations. I did not get a chance to be with Harmony as Che Pho kept him busy with many tasks. Then Mother found my diary. Mother explained while crying that she could not believe that I have committed such terrible act. I still remembered Mother was shaking so badly that Che Pho had to hold her while also crying. She asked how I could even have such thoughts towards Harmony who was like my own brother. Mother ordered me to stop writing or having any contact with Harmony. I cried, apologized to Che Pho and Mother for dishonoring the family and promised to forget about Harmony.
I often wonder what could have taken place if Mother never found my diary. Would Harmony and I commit the terrible crime of incestuous of marrying a closely-consanguinious blood relative? Or would my infatuation for Harmony go away? It did as at the start of the following year, a nice young man offered me a ride to and from school. We went to a few movies with a group of friends and usually played ping-pong after school. I was told later by my cousin, Rose that she was assigned the task to keep an eye on me to make sure that I would not make any attempt to contact Harmony. Rose told me that she also guarded me in case I tried to commit suicide (to redeem myself for dishonored the family) or run away.
Just like Charlie Brown's love for the little red-headed girl, Harmony never knew about my unrequited, unknown and unreturned love for him.
Looking back I am so glad and thankful that Mother found my diary and put a stop to what could have been a shameful situation for the family.
This entry is about that happy summer and the sad ending of my first love.
Monday, February 11, 2008
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW
The title of this entry is the same title recently posted by my brother, Qaptain Qwerty where QQ wrote about a few new things he learned while playing Yahoo!Games Daily Crosswords. QQ also referenced a book by Robert Fulghum's "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" which is also one of my favorite books.
This entry is about the Peanuts Comic Books and some of my favorite characters. I am sure I am not the only reader who share many traits with the characters in the Peanuts gang. When my family was completing U.S. Citizenship applications, we discussed adding an American first name as well as keeping our Vietnamese first name as middle name. My parents and brother TL decided to keep their given Vietnamese names. My sister CH chose a name of a British queen. I made a sign that read "Welcome to St. Louis, Your Majesty" as I greeted CH at the airport when she visited St. Louis a few years ago.
My brother VL selected an American name from a character in the Peanuts. The name fits VL perfectedly as in real life, VL is smart, reserve, fun-loving with gentle manners and a kind heart yet at times stood up for himself when necessary, just like Linus often defuses his older sister, Lucy's temper with clever logical comments or genuine affections. VL also suggested that I should take the name Lucy as I was also such a crabby and bossy person! No, I did not slug VL for his outrageous suggestion.
Another time was when Mother left VL alone in front of the house with a large tin can full of cookies. A group of older kids came by, started taking the cookies while VL looked on without making a sound or protesting. Talk about sharing spirits in such young age!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
HAPPY NEW YEAR
The embroidery was a gift from my mother and it was a special order from Vietnam. My husband purchased the frame at an estate sale for about $40. My Mom told me it cost her about $175 to get a smaller framing done in New York. In a perfect world, St. Louis would be an hour drive from NYC. Each weekend I would come over to spend time with my nephew while my husband would help my brother with minor repairs. Or my mother would visit us and cook delicious food with plenty of left over for lunch the following week. We would go to estate sale or garage sale so my mother could comment about how people were foolish to spend money on knick-knack instead of saving for rainy days.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
THE IMPERFECT STORY
Since I could not get tickets this time, I thought of posting photos from the 2006 Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan would help ease my pains. How was I able to get the tickets? Knowing the right person, I guess. During a meeting, I mentioned to a business acquaintance that I have family in Detroit and would love to attend the Super Bowl. He told me that his neighbor was a line judge and he would be able to get me tickets at original cost. And he did. My husband and I drove from St. Louis to Detroit, stayed at Brother JP house and attended our first Super Bowl. The Rolling Stone performed at half time. Two weeks earlier, we also saw Mick and the boys in St. Louis.
On the way back on Monday, while driving at 65 mile an hour on I-70 in Illinois, about an hour from St. Louis, we had a flat tire. I was driving and my husband was asleep in the passenger seat. Luckily no other vehicle was next to us and I was able to pull over without problem. Two highway troopers stopped to check on us but we were able to put on the spare tire and went on our way. Also, we were fortunate that it was cold but wasn't snowing and there was still daylight.

There were so many people who did not want the Patriots to win. St. Louisians have not gotten over Adam Vinatieri's 48 yard field goal taking away the championship from the Rams in 2002. The 1972 Miami Dolphins rejoiced over the Patriots' defeat so they would remain the only team with the perfect season and the championship. Fans from other teams wanted revenge and cheering for the Giants was the only way they could get over the humiliations.
The Patriots defense was good enough to keep the Giants from moving the ball and no touch down the first three quarters. Offensively, the Patriots fell apart as there was no protections for Brady. TB kept getting sacked, rushed, causing him to throw too many imcomplete passes. I knew it was over when Eli Manning instead of being sacked, escaped and threw a pass to Tyree, with one handed catch, secured the ball by his helmet and held on to give the Giants much needed 1&10.


