FRIDAY SKY - THE CHRYSLER BUILDING IN NYC

(Here I am a week late and a few dollars short – well, I am more than a few dollars short but that is entirely different story which I will save for future entry.)

I took these photos of the famous Chrysler Building when we visited NYC last November. The Big Apple offers so many great images to be captured. I was asked many times what my impression of America or New York when we first arrived. When we were in Viet Nam, we watched American television shows such as Mission Impossible, Hawaii Five-O and various Variety Shows, plus living in Sai Gon, the capital of South Viet Nam (we lived in Cho Lon (1) to be exact), we were familiar with modern metropolitan living. I personally was not intimated by the hustle and bustle of NYC. However, for some people, NYC could be too hectic and I know a few Americans who find NYC is a bit too much!

The first few years, we had to learn everything quickly from taking the subway (this would be intimidating even for some Americans), learning to speak English, making new friends and knowing whom to trust. We learned how to survive from watching, listening to others around us and pushing ourselves forward while creating our own pathways. We did not have time to be choosy or the luxury to select something else. It was not easy but it was not difficult either. NYC is a fascinating town and there are so much to do, see and enjoy. NYC is a great town for someone who is rich (money definitely comes in handy anywhere), young, thin and beautiful. Too bad I did not have any of these when we arrived on January 10, 1980! (I still don’t – haa haa)

Tuesday, January 11th – I began a 13-week Bible Study for women at our parish. There are about 50 women signed up. We begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9:00 p.m. The gathering includes reading the scriptures, providing support to each other thru prayers and encouragement as we learn to renew, to re-discover the joy and fulfillment God has planned for our marriage.

Wednesday, Jan. 12th – I did not get home until almost 10:00 p.m. from a work-related (dinner meeting) activity.

Half of January has gone by. We had many sunny days and pleasant temperature this week. I promise to write more about a few projects that I am working on. No resolutions but I am actually excited with the changes I have already made.

(1) Cho Lon means Great Market (Cho = market, Lon = great or large) was a Chinatown of Sai Gon. Many of these Chinese who were born in Viet Nam did not attempt to learn Vietnamese nor considered themselves Vietnamese citizens. The Chinese merchants controlled 50% of the imports, textile factories and major trading. After the Fall of Saigon in April 1975, the Communist government nationalized all Chinese-owned businesses in 1978. In the Spring of 1979, we were among the Chinese-Vietnamese who chose the extreme escape route by boat over the South China Sea.