In the Cape and Learning how to “Relax”

I just found this on my laptop and this was actually written in August when I was home on vacation and I must have wrote it when I had a little bit of time on my hands (there is no cable or internet on the premises, nor many friends who still live in Sydney, and the ones that do were working - but I was very excited that Danielle took a vacation day to hang out!).

So I’m home after not being here in Cape Breton in about a year and a half and not seeing my mom since my time in Vietnam. I am officially on vacation, which means I am actually getting paid for this week I am off from the office.

I flew into Halifax on a Friday and Carrie (friend from junior high school, meaning we have been friends for over 14 years!) picked me up from the airport and the drive into the city was very scenic – it dawned on me that I haven’t been in Nova Scotia during the summer in years because the only time I come home is during Christmas, so seeing the ocean flying in and all the fields in full bloom was quite picturesque.

We dropped off the car and went straight for lunch and drinks to the patio of Your (or maybe it’s My … I always get it confused) Father’s Moustache, an old lunchtime hangout during my undergrad days. I met up with Adele, my neighbour from residence in first year for coffee and dinner. We went for a walk down along the waterfront and reminisced about our younger days and catching up about our current career paths. I was staying at Amanda’s (old roommate from Dal) apartment and was waiting for her arrival from PEI where she came back for the weekend to see me and some other friends who were in town. The plan was to go out that evening because Kersten happened to be down from the ’knife for her sister’s wedding except I didn’t really know the places to go anymore since Halifax has seemed to gone through a transition from old fashion Irish pubs to swanky martini bars. We started at the Bitter End for some drinks and transferred to the Tribecca which is a cool little place with character and atmosphere. Tried ending the evening at Reflections, which is a gay bar which is rumored to have great dancing and a place I always wanted to go but just never have made it to. But … just as we were about to enter, the dance floor was a bit empty and techno music was blaring, which goes against the two factors I need to dance, a full dance floor and music I know. However the evening ended like most of my nights when we use to go out … at pizza corner and we did see a local celebrity home on holidays as well, Sidney Crosby.

Next morning Amanda and I went to the farmer’s market which was one of my favorite things to do when I lived in Halifax. I got my usual smoothie and Indian combo for breakfast. There are some very progressive plans in the works to relocate the market to the waterfront. Amanda was able to see a little bit of what I actually do because I am sure urban planning sounds kind of confusing in itself. The plans are for a LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) platinum level certified green building where the heating and cooling system will be regulated by the local environment using the harbour waters, solar panels, green roofs, and a wind turbine.

Drove back to Sydney that afternoon and everything looked much the same except I must say I did see lots of new stores (albeit big box) and the mainstreet and harbourfront looked good with the new improvements that have been implemented. I was really impressed with the running/walking pathways and park that was put behind Sherwood Park Junior High School.

Sarah’s bachelorette was that evening where I can proudly say we closed the infamous Smooth Herman’s.

Canadiana

It has been about 2 months since I been back in Ottawa and it was been a jam packed spring and more to come in the summer. I thought it would be nice to share some pictures of what I actually do in Ottawa and what people in general do in the country known for its public health care system, for being nice, and Pamela Anderson (a Vietnamese person actually associated Canada with her ...).

The ING Marathon race draws thousands of runners from around the world.

Ottawa is a very active city, if you are near the river or the famous Canal you'll likely be passed by runners and cyclists. I was in much better shape before and after I was in Vietnam - I actually ran a half marathon last year and can't imagine being able to run one right now! I know I was a bit 'unexcited' when I came back to Ottawa but being back for the last while I realize what I really missed about the city. Running along the river with Parliament in the background, inhaling fresh air into my lungs and being surrounded by green space can't be beat. Grass was a novelty in Hanoi and you aren't even allowed to walk on it in Beijing parks.

Camping in Algonquin Provincial Park

I went portaging for the first time last year. Kate is like my camp counsellor - she gives me instruction, encourages me to be adventurous, but doesn't make me do anything, plus we like to hang out with each other. For all my non-camping friends out there - portaging is when you go camping but get from spot to spot with canoes and therefore must carry the canoe over your head when moving by land. I am sure my Vietnamese friends would find this slighty a wild idea especially when they thought I was a bit crazy for hiking Mt. Fanxipan ... I still think I am crazy for doing that and I have my battle scars to remind me! We are heading back to the same camp site next weekened plus adding another night to go to a natural rock water slide, which I am very excited to conquest.

So we tried to make a turkey ...

Well I didn't really help at all, but I did eat a lot of the 20 pound plus bird. We had a huge New Year's Day dinner one year and told people to bring tupperware because we didn't want to be eating turkey non stop for a month. I had a hard time describing what a turkey was when I was explaining what Canadians eat for Christmas. I normally don't even eat turkey when I go home for the holidays. In my family we usually have lobster and roasted duck (hence my addiction to bbq duck when I was in Vietnam). I never realized how much work and equipment you actually need to make a turkey - a huge pan, a baser (I don't even know how to spell it), chains to lift the bird out of the pan, a thermometer (so you can make sure it's cooked all the way through), and lots of other gadget things that I don't know the name for.

My relatives who came to Canada in 1980 who now live in Toronto and the new wave of Nguyen's. For some reason I never make it into the family photos!

I was in Toronto last weekend and got to meet up with my cousin Tung. His dad came to Canada first and Tung moved to Halifax when he was in about grade 2. He is only a few months younger than me but pulls rank over me since his dad is older than my dad (which I always thought was unfair when I was a kid). I was really excited to talk to him about my time in Vietnam because he still remembers it, it has not left his memory. I was able to show him photos of our relatives and maybe the sad part was, he could see that they have aged (he was back in 2000). But to me I will always see them as when I first met them. It's hard to even think of them as being young parents as most are over 60 and grandparents now.

So I am feeling quite normal again. I work Monday to Friday (I get Friday's off in the summer ... woohoo!) from 8:30 to 5:00, have my extra-curricular activities in the evening (ultimate, swimming, Ottawa sport and social club), and relax and hang out during the weekends. I had some visitors in the last couple of weeks and been enjoying catching up with old friends. Kersten was down visiting from Yellowknife and I am hoping to visit her in the 'knife next year in the spring, definitely not during the winter. The weather is getting warmer and warmer but I keep thinking winter is around the corner since I relate a year, a cycle, with experiencing all the 4 seasons - so 2006 has not ended in my head until I see snow!

My mom has never actually read my blog because she refuses to learn how to use a computer!

I was ready to come home because I needed to calm myself down. I was doing so many things, lived in the expat bubble, felt I was becoming a little pompous and knew it was time to get grounded which ironicially meant coming back to the place that I call home in Canada. Don't get me wrong, living in Vietnam was a wonderful experience, but it didn't feel like I could genuinely appreciate it until I left. It is not the end, I am already trying to figure out when I will be back next. My next stop though, is my birth home, heading to Sydney in August (couldn't go back earlier since I can't take time off during my probation period at work) to see my mom - it will be almost year since I seen her and can't wait to give her a big hug. I see her in new eyes, I feel like I got to know her so much better although not through conversations but being able to see the different periods of her life, where she grew up as a child, her thriving during the prime of her life, and the heart ache she had to endure when making the decision to leave her family and country in a small raft with her husband and baby wearing only her humble possessions.

We're not in Kansas (ie. Hanoi) anymore

It's been awhile since I posted, especially since I always diligently tried to post once or twice a week when I was in Vietnam and made it part of my work activities. Now I am back at an office job, where I really can't spend time 'blogging' as part of my related responsibilities!

Caroline and I coming from paddling and eating at West Lake.

It's been about a month since I been back. And I look back now and can see I was definitely in reverse culture shock even in a bit of a downer mood. You think everything is the same and everybody is going to be exactly how they were before you left, but I think people forget that they are always changing even though it doesn't feel like it. I felt quite out of place and not in tuned into how Ottawa society is supposed to be lived. The streets felt empty, everyone seemed huge (compared to all the 100lb Vietnamese locals I was accustomed to seeing), and it felt like all the life was sucked out of the city that I remembered being so outgoing and bustling. I couldn't help but compare everything to Hanoi and almost felt guilty for going back to my comfortable lifestyle. I told myself I would be more frugal, not buy useless things, and be more conscience of my decisions and really think about how it effects 'sustainable' development.

Dan and his manly minsk, I miss xe om's!

How long did that last? Not very, I'll tell ya. That lasted for about 7 days, being generous. How I went from one extreme to the other extreme in such a short period of time still surprises me. Ottawa began to come back to life for me, I was finding the common ground with my friends again, and I was back to my spending ways (eating out and rationalizing purchases because I needed them). I got completely settled back into my old life that Vietnam felt like a distant memory that I had to remind myself that I was just there a few short weeks ago. But then something small or random would happen and it would trigger my memory and I could find my Vietnam space again.

Mai always the drunk at every party ...

Well, I can't say I completely have not kept up some of my Vietnam lifestyle - I have only really cooked one nice meal since being back, the rest of it has been a lot of sandwiches, pre-cooked whole bbq chicken from Loblaws, and steamed vegetables. I do miss being able to eat out all the time (for cheap and the fresh fruit)!

Tu (Vietnamese God author) and I at a friend's house party

I am back to my routine, I joined an ultimate team (go Rational Agents!), a sport and social club, and a swim class. Been running along the Ottawa River and really appreciate the true sky blue skies. My friend Lily now has a big round belly and I am glad I will be around when she has her baby boy.

So that's enough for my ramblings tonight. I just got back from pub food and drinks after our hard fought ultimate game. Not sure if anyone is reading anymore, but thanks to everyone who said they really enjoyed reading it. I didn't know I had quite the faithful fan base :) I will be writing from time to time, it helps me reflect about Vietnam and I don't want, probably my most influential trip and personal growth experience, to become a distant memory.

Where Am I?

I have returned to Ottawa and am sitting at my sister's computer thinking about the last 7 months. Things seem normal here that is almost feels like I didn't leave at all; however at the same time, I feel like a foreigner and the Ottawa I remember seems strangely unfamiliar. Everything pretty much looks the same but feels quite different. I had a friend warn me that when I returned I will realize how much I changed and that has hold true. I feel like Ottawa has been evacuated or something because the streets are eerily quiet. I guess I am showimg symptoms of reverse culture shock, but I really can't believe the sound of soundlessness. I know I complained about the noise and buzz of the Hanoi streets, but here the feeling is so impersonal when you walk by a passerby. I am used to talking to the street vendors, people encouraging me to buy something, and saying hello to my regular xe om drivers. However, I have missed the excuse me's, please's, and may I's, and understand why Canadians have a reputation for being polite.


My farewell in Hanoi is the best farewell I ever had. Chi came over to say goodbye, all the roommates woke up early and took a piece of luggage each and walked me to my cab (since the taxi can't pick me up at my door because of our long, narrow windy alley). I hugged my housekeeper good-bye and shook hands with Lora's xe om / our house handyman.

Just wanted to post that I plan to put an extensive reflection eventually once I get settled. I just returned to Elm Street and started my first day of work and have the lovely task of unpacking all week. So stay tuned!

Last days in Hanoi

My last few days in Vietnam and I am taking it easy. I made a list of things I want to do before I go: visit Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and talk a walk in Lenin Park, which is suppose to the nicest and largest park in Hanoi. The biggest challenge is going to be packing and deciding what I actually want to bring back and leave behind. I got lots of presents from relatives and friends and love to shop so that means I will have to sweet talk the check-in’s people.

My Aunt 6 (sitting in the middle and who has a scary strong ressemblance to my mom) and I did a day tour of the Mekong Delta

My housekeeper has volunteered to take my leftover stuff and if she can’t use it has promised to find someone that will. That is one observation I have noted – nothing gets wasted, things that I take for granted as garbage gets used in some way or form. Our housekeeper will sort through our garbage bags and take out anything that can be recycled for money or used again. Even the garbage collectors sift through the garbage bags and take out anything that can be reused. When our neighbours take out their garbage they only have one small bag while we usually have at least 2 huge bags.

My grandfather's old house in Binh Thuan province and where my 12 aunts and uncles used to live.

Today was my last ultimate day and HUC (Hanoi Ulimate Club) will be one of my favorite memories. I have met really interesting people through the game and met even more when I went to Saigon and Bangkok. It was such a good way to meet expats and locals and our weekly tradition of going for sugarcane juice is something that will be greatly missed. I knew when I came to Vietnam I should join activities and put myself out there and ultimate was something I started in my first week. I am already on a team when I get back to Ottawa and I think we start the week I get back ...

I just called my mom and was telling her about my trip to Saigon. I was able to tell her that I saw where her and my dad used to live, where my uncle took my sister when she was a baby for ice cream, the market she shopped at, and where my cousin Hien swam across the lake. My Uncle Chien and I really got along well and perhaps I even take after him. Even though my Vietnamese isn’t great we were still able to talk about politics, life in Vietnam, and our family history. He took the day off work and since he owns a car (with a driver) took me to my grandfather’s old home where Aunt 5 lives in Binh Thuan province, which is about 3 and a half hours away. So we left at 4:30am and he wouldn’t even let me sleep in the car because he thought it was important I see the path to the family home. Aunt 5 works in the market and has a stall selling mats. I met her briefly on New Year’s day and she had no idea we were coming to visit. I pretended to be a customer while my other relatives hid and I wanted to see if she remembered me or not. She was a little confused and looked at me strangely and then realized it was me. I was a bit inappropriately dressed for the trip because I didn’t really know where we were going. I was wearing a bright skirt and heals so kind of stuck out in the town since I was notably taller than everyone and not afraid to get a tan by wearing a tank top (everyone covers up with a big conical hat and long sleeved shirts to keep their skin light). Visiting Aunt 5 and seeing how strong she is and her pride of where she is from made me really proud to be part of her family. Being with Aunt 5 made me really see the contrast of my life to what my life in Vietnam could have been. I think my uncle knows these things are important for me to experience and helped me get see it.

Aunt 4 and I on the rooftop picking mangos - my grandfather planted the tree sometime in the 70s.

When I was visiting my mom’s side, I got to see where my grandfather used to live and where Aunt 4 lived before she immigrated to Seattle and it made me start to understand why they decided to leave. I always wondered why my relatives left Vietnam, when life seemed comfortable, and our family seemed so tight knit, but the wealth and social securities in North America is just not attainable for them if they stayed in Saigon. My family who lives abroad regularly sends money to help my relatives in Vietnam. I had no money to give (although they would never accept it anyway) but came up with the idea of printing photos (the magic of digital) of my last visit and of photos of family in Canada like of my sister’s wedding. I promised myself and them I am coming back within 2 years either for work or to visit and hopefully with my sister and mom. I feel if I am going to do development work, it will most definitely be in Vietnam.

Hanoi Ulimate Club at our new grassy field. Thank you UNIS (the UN International School)!

Sweet sugarcane juice - I am still amazed how much juice there is in the canes I always assumed they added water ...

I am heading back to Canada in 3 days and can’t believe it has been nearly 7 months. This has been a good experience for me and I really have to thank Kate and Diem for encouraging me to do this and making it easier for me to go. I did have some reservations in going, but now have no regrets – I would have regretted not going.

The Golden Turtle Himself

I saw the Hoan Kiem Turtle ... I been either blessed or cursed

Easter is not a widely celebrated holiday in Hanoi and I actually almost forgot about it. Not a chocolate bunny in sight! I been waiting for some emails from Canada and was wondering what was taking so long and finally realized that everything is closed for the long weekend. Happy Easter to everyone.

Yesterday one of our Canadian delegates arrived and it's Felix's first time in Vietnam. I like seeing people's initial reactions to the city and it reminds me of when I first came. Except Felix just came from Delhi so he actually found Hanoi quite tame after his full on cultural immersion in India. We walked around Hoan Kiem Lake and it is a famous Vietnamese landmark, for lodging a very old turtle according to legend (read below, I am too lazy to paraphrase).

In 1418, a farmer whose name was Le Loi (future Le Thai To) grouped an insurrection army in Lam Son District in Thanh Hoa Province. He proclaimed himself as Binh Dinh Vuong (King of Pacification) and led the resistance against the aggressors for 10 years and regained national independence. The name of this lake is derived from a legend that a fisherman named Le Than caught a sword blade when drawing in his fishnet. Than decided to offer it to his commanding general Le Loi. Afterwards, King Le Loi found a hilt that fit the blade very well. This sword was kept at his side during the 10 years of resistance against Ming aggressors. After winning over the foreign aggression, King Le Thai To returned to Thang Long Citadel. One day, aboard a royal boat, he took a cruise on Luc Thuy Lake when a giant turtle emerged and came towards him. The king withdrew his sword, and pointed the sword in the direction of the coming turtle for his soldiers' attention. Suddenly, the turtle caught the sword in its teeth and submerged. The king thought that during the resistance against Ming aggressors, the genius had offered him this sword to help him defeat the enemy. At that time, peace was returning, and the genius appeared to take back the sword. Consequently, King Le Thai To decided to name the lake ‘Hoan Kiem’ (Lake of Restored Sword). In the middle of the lake is Thap Rua (Turtle Tower).

I hosted an ultimate vietnamese dinner and here some of the willing helpers rolling springrolls. I wanted to learn how to make a vietnamese meal from scratch and we even went to the market and bought all the ingredients. But, I mostly ended up being an observer and taste-tester.

I have never really tried to look for the turtle and was skeptical when Melissa said she saw the turtle one morning. We noticed a gathering around the lake and I knew it could only mean one thing, the turtle had surfaced! I will have proof once I get the photos from Felix, but the excitment in the air was almost more interesting for me to watch. Vietnamese people tend to be a bit superstitous and when there is a turtle sighting it means something big is going to happen either good fortune or bad luck. I been going about my day to see if anything will happen. So far I can blame the turtle for getting caught in the rain on my way to work and sitting in wet clothes in the office.

Tu and Son in the front yard doing the veggies. Note our fish pond! Lora says there is a little turtle in there somewhere but it has never surfaced for me.

I went to Cuc Phuong last week which is the first national park in Vietnam. I been meaning to go for a while, but just didn't really have any time. Mai and I went to an industry night for Buffalo Tours and Mai ended up winning the grand prize which was an overnight trip for two in the surrounding area. Mai works for a tour agency and had done all the tours many times that she graciously gave the trip to me! So I decided to go to Cuc Phuong and just needed someone to come with me. Dan, fellow Canadian whose (embarrassingly) vietnamese is way better than mine, came with. We had a private car, our own guide, and beautiful weather. It was nice to get out of the city and do some trekking.

Foreigners tend to get asked to have their picture taken, and fair-skinned Dan was asked to pose several times ... I think I was only asked because I was Dan's friend. This is taken in the Cave of Prehistoric Man, bones from 12,000 years ago were found here.

My favorite was visiting the primate rescue centre and seeing all the different type of monkeys swinging around, where some have been rescued from poachers. We even got to see a 3-day old monkey. Many are endangered species and continually sold on the black market. Why would someone want to eat monkey brain? Why does ancient medicine believe that eating parts of monkey will make men more viril? The biggest problem, our guide told us, is that monkeys and other endangered animals are usually taken to China and sold to make Chinese medicines.

The 1000-year old tree, we were skeptical of its true age ...

Auditions for Vietnam Idol have just began and coming to Hanoi on the 15th. I will unfortunately be in Saigon and won't be able to put my karaoke experience into use. I am visiting my relatives one more time before I head back. I think I am going to fast for a few days before I go because I know they are going to spoil me with so much homemade cooking! I am making a list of things I need to do before I go. I actually haven't done a lot of the touristy stuff because I just thought I have my whole internship to do it and oh course, I never did. Next week I am going to go to Ho Chi Minh's mausaleum. I have seen Chairman Mao's and then I will have to go visit Lenin's and Castro's, when the time comes, to complete my communist leaders tour.

Not my house, but the houses across the alley from me. I really enjoy our neighbourhood except for all the reconstruction they do at 6 in the morning. Houses tend to be built narrow and tall because houses are taxed based on ground floor area and not by land property size.

No Longer an Intern

My last responsibility as an intern (plus if I wanted to get my last check) was that I write an article for CIDA. Here is a sneak preview ...

Motorbikes’ zipping in every direction, surrounded by almost four million people, and noodle shops on every corner was what I did not expect upon my arrival to the humble capital of Vietnam. My WorldLINK CIP six-month internship was in Hanoi where I worked with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Association of Cities of Vietnam (ACVN) as a planning intern and the Vietnam Liaison Officer.

My aunt's cafe and home in Saigon where I enjoyed many fresh fruit shakes.

FCM’s Municipal Partnership Program (MPP) has been carried out in Vietnam since 1997 and promotes sustainable development and local governance in developing countries through partnerships between Canadian and oversea municipalities. The projects are two to three years long and my main role was to provide support to the following three Canadian-Vietnamese MPPs:

• City of Fredericton & Lang Son City – Tourism Planning and Development through Public Participation in Lang Son City
• Ville de Saguenay & Nam Dinh City – Capacity Building of Local Administration for Land Management and Taxation in Nam Dinh City
• Strathcona County & Vung Tau City – Data Collection and Municipal Communications Strategy for the Management of Improved Service Delivery for Migrants in Vung Tau City

Learning to make my aunt's special Tet cookies.

I spent the first month in Ottawa working in the FCM office where I was provided training and background work on the FCM-ACVN projects. I traveled to Hanoi at the end of September and worked in the ACVN office for the duration of the internship. The five months in Vietnam were busy with activity, I had the opportunity to travel across the country, participate in technical missions, do field research, and work directly with the Vietnamese and Canadian partners.

In terms of professional development, I’ve had valuable experiences and a variety of learning opportunities. My career aspirations are in municipal governance, economic development, and international work and this placement was appropriately suited to my professional and also, personal interests. My heritage is Vietnamese and this internship gave the opportunity to visit Vietnam and family for my first time.

Working with the ACVN was a positive and constructive experience as I was able to be apart of a Vietnamese NGO and observe the daily activities of the office, learn how they worked with international partners like FCM, and see how they delivered capacity-building workshops to their members. The staff welcomed me and I was treated as part of the team.

The FCM-ACVN work I carried out involved project management and support. I attended technical missions in Lang Son and Nam Dinh as an observer where I was able to see the Canadian delegates ‘in action’ and collaborate with their Vietnamese partners. In Vung Tau I had an active role in the initial phases of the project where I led a 2-day workshop reviewing the MPP proposal, prepared and carried out a 6-day workplan for field research in Vung Tau, and wrote a research report that will used as the baseline assessment for the next phase of the project. In addition to the MPP work, I assisted with FCM’s support to the development of ACVN’s association services and project management capacity, including the project implementation of Communities in Bloom, which targets increasing women’s participation in local government.

The wide tree-lined boulevards are remnants of French colonialism when Saigon was the capital of Indochina.

My internship objectives were to: gain relevant professional experience in development projects dealing with Vietnamese urban planning issues; build a strong network with local and international organizations, specifically Canadian and local NGOs; and to find planning-related employment after the internship. I was able to achieve these objectives as well as develop a deeper understanding of development issues that face the Vietnamese people. Local friends have been candid about how their way of life has changed between generations, for both better and worse. This experience has reaffirmed why I became a planner - to help improve the quality of people’s lives.

Look at all the crazy power lines! Very typical in the cities.

The role and significance of planning is increasingly growing in Vietnam, compounded by its burgeoning populous and opening economy. I feel the optimism in the air of good things to come, but foresight, management, and planning will be necessary to ensure sustainable long term growth. I appreciate the work I was able to contribute as it has allowed me to be apart of development in a country where my family laid its roots. Six months have come and gone, but my time in Vietnam will sure not end.

The Attack of the MOLD!

The flags were out in my neighbourhood to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

I am thinking of what memorable moments stick out for me in the last couple of week and I have to say it is finding MOLD on my good clothes. Yes, yes it may seem like I dwell on the Hanoi weather, but from the winter season to the spring the moisture in the air I am sure has reached 99%. Our house was literally sweating on the inside – our marble staircase, walls, fridge were drenched and dripping of perspiration because of the yucky humidity. I was warned that I will find mold on my clothes and anything leather and I was quite skeptical of this warning. When I came back from Thailand shirt by shirt, pants and jacket had nice old fuzzy mold on it. And the worst part is even though I put everything in the wash, we do not have a dryer and nothing can dry in this humidity. I feel like I live in a rain forest, which may sound cool but please be assured it is not!

So I am almost over this mold issue but I am not liking the beginning of the rainy season. It has rained everyday and been grey for the last few weeks and it is just depressing. I was fortunate to get a break from it when I was in Thailand, but it is definitely just crappy out. I know I sound pretty sore right now but I am really enjoying my last month in Hanoi. I am trying to think of something positive to say about this weather … hmmm, I don’t need to wear chapstick since my lips are staying nice and moist …

Karaoke, oh course!

I have discovered Skype which in pretty much like having a phone over the internet. Vinny introduced it to me a few years ago but no one else had it back then so I never really got into it. But Sharon, reintroduced me and it is great! It is so inexpensive to call long distance you just need a microphone and make sure you know your time zones. I was able to call my mom (although I think I woke her up) and talked to Sharon in Brisbane. How did people travel before with no internet, email, or messenger?!

Town of Phuket from my Thai trip.

I been meeting up with a lot of visitors this week. Jonathan’s dad (Caper who I ran into in Laos) was in town and last night I had dinner with a Dutch couple who I also met in Laos. I went on a hike with the Hanoi Hashers last week and got to help set the trail for the walkers. I also been to karaoke a couple more times (I wonder if Ottawa has any good karaoke bars?) and went to trivia night at Finnigan’s with my roommate Lora and I was definitely not the ringer on the team…. would you know what anteaters prefer to eat (and it is not ants) or the author of Angela’s Ashes?


It’s been almost 6 months since I been here. I am no longer an intern and working a short-term contract with FCM right now. I keep thinking how strange everything is going to seem when I get back to Canada. I am going to think everything is ridiculously expensive and will keep converting prices into dongs. I haven’t really cooked or cleaned since being here and been spoiled with having a housekeeper. Poor Kate, thinks I am really going to make coffee for her in the mornings!

Bangkok Taxi Drivers

I am sitting at a smoothie bar at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. I am in Thailand for work and now on my way back to Hanoi. My first stop was in Phuket, which is in southern Thailand and a tourist spot that was hit by the tsunami. Walking along the beaches, you would never think a tsunami hit there or thousands of people died. Phuket quickly rebounded, businesses rebuilt, and the people came back. I had a wonderful time there and wished I could been there a little longer.

My next stop was in Bangkok and my journey to and from the city was not good, hence the name of this posting. Vietnam has the reputation for haggling but I was ripped off much more than I ever been, here in Bangkok. I am not sure if I had a sign on my head that said sucker, but all my taxis either tried to overcharge me, wouldn't put on their meters and with one I was trying to decide whether he was drunk or senile. I usually can stay pretty calm and be patient, but I for the first time here, was on my last nerve and made a small scene when I arrived at my hotel when the taxi driver charged me 300 THB instead of the 185 THB that was clearly on the meter and then conviently didn't have any money to give me change. I probably shouldn't have yelled, shouldn't have made a big deal, but I guess it's the principle of it all. I suppose I was just tired, tired of always having to put up a front to make sure people aren't going to take advantage of me. I am over it now and pleasent again. It is so true when they say it is usually the little things that take you over the edge ...

Wherever I visit in Asia, I am usually first thought of as a local. In China, I looked like a Chinese ethnic minority; in Lao, I was Laotian; in Thailand, I am Thai; and in Vietnam I just confuse people because I don't sound Vietnamese. Locals will usually speak to me in their native tongue and then when I reply I have to admit that I only speak English. Sure there is a Japanese look or Korean look and general appearances for different cultures, but my perception is people in southeast asia kind of all look the same ... perhaps my features are just cameleon-like?

It has been a while since I have posted. It has been busy here. I celebrated my 26th and stretched it to a weekend long event. Went to a nice italian buffet and a wine tasting one night and then the next night treated friends to dinner and drinks (in Vietnam it is custom for the bday person to treat everyone else). Ended the evening with good old Vietnamese tradition and went to a karaoke bar. My new favorite song to sing is 'Country Roads', I have retired 'I Will Survive'.

I really want to improve my Vietnamese as much as possible before I leave so I enrolled into Bach Khoi University and am taking a Vietnamese class three mornings a week plus meeting with my tutor once a week. If I don't learn now, I never will!

Time to go through security. Jessica was in Halifax and got to see the Brads and Amanda. I do miss my Halifax gang :) To everyone who was nagging me to post, hope you enjoy this one!

'Peace, Independence, Democracy, Unity and Prosperity'

This title is Laos' motto and I only learned recently that Laos is a communist country, which made it the 4th communist country I visited. I guess that explains why I am such a socialist at heart!

To summarize, I loved Laos. I decided to go there after hearing very positive feedback from friends who just back from visiting. It was the most calming, peaceful, and tranquille country I have ever been to. The streets were so quiet, there was no haggling at the markets, and the scenery was spectacular. The population of Laos is only about 6 million which is less than the population of Saigon alone. The biggest city, the captial of Vientiane, has only about 220,000 people. I think what struck me the most about Laos was the absense of capitalism (for now, there are definite signs of change to come), it is very much: earn enough to make a living and then relax. I did not encounter any uptight or stressed people along the way.

Pha That Luang in Vientiane, the national symbol of Laos

I took the 13-hour overnight train from Bangkok to the border crossing and then a tuk-tuk to the immigration office to get my visa. For some strange reason Canadians have to pay the most, which I am still trying to figure out why ... In my tuk-tuk were 2 Americans, who are teaching English in Shanghai and we got along really well and were basically on the same itinerary that we ended up travelling together for the rest of the trip. I wasn't really worried to travel along to Laos (don't tell my mom) but it was a nice to have people to share the adventure with.

Sand bar in the Mekong delta. It's dry season so the sand bar is quite wide right now.

One highlight of the trip was throwing the frisbee around on the Mekong Delta and even introducing the game to some locals. We threw the disk around for a while then went to the river to watch the sunset. In terms of infrastructure, it is minimal - there is no railway system, bumpy roads, and only a few land and air connections to the surrounding countries. I travelled by bus to the other towns, not so horrible since I am small (one plus) and any time I began to feel squished I just thought about the 6 feet tall guys sitting in a fetal position around me ...

Travelling buddies, Dan and Ashley from the US and Yot from Thailand - we just arrived to Vang Vieng and heading to our cabin.

I got to do lots of outdoor activity - we went biking, caving, hiking, tubing (except my butt kept getting scraped by rocks because my tube was deflating) and swimming. Laos still has much of its natural environment intact since there is not a heavy demand for development and a booming population. If anything is going to deplete the land, it will be the growing tourism sector. I think Laos use to be a traveller's secret, but I don't think for much longer. I already saw lots of hotels and resorts being constructed.


So people are always making fun of me because I always seem to run into someone I know no matter where I am. Fate has struck again. Setting: I am sitting alone down a side-street alley for dinner. There is a middle-aged man next to me who is engaged in a conversation with someone across from him. I eavesdrop and hear this man is from Canada and I chirp in and say so am I. I assume he is from BC, he has the beachy look but he doesn't agree or disagree. He asks where I am from, I say Cape Breton and he eyes bug out and he says so is he. I say I am from Sydney and he then asks for my name and his eyes get even bigger, and I am thinking that he probably just recognizes me since there aren't exactly a lot of Vietnamese people in Cape Breton. He asks if I know Jonathan and I am still not putting the two together. And then he gives me Jonathan's full name and I still don't know who he is until he has to spell it out for me and says he's Jonathan's father! Jonathan is a good friend of mine from Queen's and we were neighbours in residence. His dad use to work at my stepfather's lodge in Cape North and now his family lives in Ottawa.

To really understand the significance of how overwhelmingly shocking it was to meet Keith, aka Jonathan's father, is that I am related to him through my stepdad, met 2 of his daughthers, almost met him in Kingston and Ottawa, and to finally meet him and sitting next to him nevertheless... in a small alley in Luang Prabang on our vacations is I think more than just a coincidence. Plus he is coming to Hanoi next month. It truly is a small world around us and as Keith put it the world is round.


Holiday is over and it's now back to work. I decided to finalize my return date even though things to tend to change last minute and I am coming back to Canada on April 25th. I thought it was time for me to somewhat plan my life and really think about what I want to do in the future. I been away 5 months today.

Bangkok Ultimate Hat Tournament 2007

Ultimate is almost cult-like here in Asia. It is quite popular with expats and growing in popularity with locals. I went to Bangkok a couple of weekends ago where it was hot, hot, hot and participated in the 2007 HAT (teams are balanced by skill levels, so you do not have to be a pro-star to play). There were players from all around the globe, Miranda came in from Abu Dabi, Dave was living in Australia and stopped through BKK before returning to the UK, plus there was a few from the States backpacking, and people who live in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Malaysia there as well. There were about 180 people in all and it is a great social venue, especially if you are travelling around Asia and want to hang out with some locals or need a place to crash.

Team Vietnam had a good showing. There was a few of us who came from Hanoi, a bunch from Saigon, one from Hue, and the rest have a Vietnamese connection who live outside of Vietnam.

I was on the pink team (aka Pink Ladies, Pink Panthers, and Keep it Pink) and during the round robin we had 4 games on the first day. We had to win at least 2 games in order to get the by and most importantly not have to play at 8 am the next morning. We lost our first two games, which were hard to lose since we lost by one or two points, but then hit a winning streak and ended up winning the finals. It was pretty exciting for me since I never actually been on a sport's team that has won a championship or finals that I was beginning to think it was me ...

The venue of the tournament was at the Thai military base ... it was slightly strange having the militia do their drills (with their guns) around the fields - luckily, the sergeant was on our team. Where else would the military let civilians play on their land?!

There was a 007 James Bond theme and us folks from Vietnam decided to show up in style and wear our ao dai's for a Vietnamese Casino Royale.

My first three days in Bangkok, I didn't really get to see the city since I decided instead to torture myself and run all day long in the scorching heat (BKK was about 20 degrees warmer than Hanoi). I did some sightseeing with friends for a couple of days before I headed to Laos (to be posted). I even hung out with a cousin who is studying in Bangkok whose parents I met in Saigon.

Jeigh as a dancing buddha

How to describe Bangkok. I can say is the most modern Asian city I have visited. You can buy anything you can't buy in Vietnam, public transit is great - I loved riding the skytrain and the subway, you can find any type of food you desire, and the shopping is addictive. On the surface you think 'wow this is a great place'. Thailand is also interesting because it has never been invaded or colonized, so it has developed independently (so to speak) than its neighbours.

For a country that thrives on being on the international stage, I just don't understand how there can be a growing sex trade industry, which is so very in your face. There were so many old, overweight, unattractive white men latching the arms of young pretty Thai women. The redlight district was filled with bare-chested women walking the streets. How can a country considered to be modern be so unprogressive when it comes to half of its population?

That was my first impressive of Thailand, albeit I was only in Bangkok and did not visit any other places. I am going to be back in March for work, so perhaps my perceptions will change.

One of the best temples I've seen, known as the Temple of Dawn and a national Thai symbol.

The Dao Dynasty

Coincidently we went to the Ngoc Suong (my mom's name) Restaurant for our family dinner

I am back from Saigon and finally met my mom's family. I was really interested in meeting them, since I find I have my mom's mannerisms and personality (don't you remember as a kid thinking you weren't like your parents at all and then when you got older you did things that reminded you of your parents that you swore you wouldn't do? or maybe it's just me ...). My uncle and aunt came to pick me up at the airport and my aunt from Sydney sent them the link to my blog and they thought I was a lot bigger (I guess the camera really does add 10lbs)! They had a sign with my name but decided not to use it and tried to guess who I was. My uncle has a strong ressemblance to my uncle in Sydney, so as soon as I saw him, I knew it was him. As we were in the taxi going back to my uncle's home I noticed a lady on her motorbike outside my window and as soon as we saw each other, we knew we were related. Her face is a spitting image of my mom - she was at the airport but my flight was a little late coming in.

We had a huge family dinner and I met everyone, and I mean everyone, speading across 3 generations. My mom is the oldest of her siblings, so I technically pull rank on all of my cousins (which I am not use to because my dad is one of the younger siblings so I am low on the totem pole on that side). My mom's mom died when she was 12 and my grandfather later remarried, so I have only seen one photo of my grandmother that my mom has at home. I saw that the same photo at my aunt's alter and met my grandmother's sisters and brothers. I met my mom's brother, two sisters, and their children, so within one weekend I probably met over 20 new relatives.

My mom is her early 20s

I was quite pampered over the weekend. One aunt owns a salon, so I had my hair washed everyday and another owns a cafe so we would go there after every meal for fresh juice and dessert. My relatives were very generous to me and I wish I could have given more back. I only had a few Canada momentos to offer, but I hope sometime in the future I can help pay for them to visit our family in Canada. My aunt in Sydney has been able to treat a couple of my relatives to come to Nova Scotia, but when they were down I was away in Ontario.

One of my aunts was supposed to go with her husband to Canada last year, but her application was denied because the Government of Canada considered her a flight risk, someone who would try to stay in the country even though she has 2 daughters who are still in school and also owns property in Saigon. I am not going to dwell on this, but it has always made me quite frustrated to hear people assume it is so easy for immigrants to come to Canada - it really isn't, it took my aunt in Sydney almost 10 years to become a Canadian citizen.

My cousins and I at my aunt's salon and home

I figured I would never shoot a gun anywhere else and if I ever was forced to shoot a gun least I would know how. I also thought of my father who was in the Vietnamese Army for the south.

I went to the Cu Chi Tunnels which were the underground tunnels that ran over 50 km to the Cambodian border built by the Viet Cong. It was pretty crazy, I have no idea how someone could live down there for months. They have reconstructed 90m of the tunnels for tourists and I was only able to crawl through the first 30m before paranoia and clastrophobia set in - they are credited with winning the war against the Americans. It is interesting how in Canada we call it the Vietnam War and here they call it the American War.

Chuc Mung Sinh Nhat Chi Diem!

First off I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my big sis, Diem! I won't say how old she is turning because she might not want it broadcasted over the world wide web, but I will say it is a milestone birthday :) It was actually yesterday but I was on very slow internet in Vung Tau City and could not put up a posting.

All I have to say is wireless internet is great. I am at the Ho Chi Minh City airport, drinking a fresh coconut shake, surfing the 'net on my laptop (well FCM's laptop). I had a very nice trip, which I will go into more detail in another post - I met my mom's family, had a good work mission, visited the Cu Chi tunnels, and partied it up in Saigon with the Saigon utimate players. Speaking of ultimate ... I am heading there this weekend for another tournament!

Time to board ...

'Language is the Dress of Thought' - Cowley

I am heading to Saigon tomorrow to visit more new relatives except this time on my mom’s side. Uncle 7 (technically should be calling him by his first name, but have not actually learned it yet) is picking me up at the airport and I am not sure how we are to recognize each other - maybe he will be holding a sign with my name or perhaps somehow we will just know as we are scanning the crowds for each other or maybe I will call him on my mobile to make sure I am not climbing into some complete stranger’s car!

Local market in Saigon that my relatives go to daily.

Overall my experience has been quite positive here, but sometimes there are frustrating days (where the simpliest things seem to take a lot of energy) and times you are feeling a little bummed out. My internship will be ending at the end of February and I need to figure out what I am going to do afterwards and look for a job again. Being a contract worker has some perks but I feel like I am always constantly applying for jobs. It’s a full time job just looking for a job. Since I will be away for work and then away for Tet holidays, I am not going to worry about job prospects until the end of February. My visa goes until April so I think I will stay in Vietnam at least then, so if anyone is considering to visit ...

Near Hoa's village in a northwestern province

So I just found out I am heavier than a 7-month pregnant woman. That’s always a nice feeling. Linh is 53 kg and when I figured out what that is in pounds (about 117 lbs) I was shocked how light a pregnant woman could be. I feel very large boned-ed over here (even though I am at my normal weight), but at least I don’t feel short like I usually do in Canada. I am usually about the same height or a little taller than local women my age, but that is with me wearing flats and them wearing heals. That’s one thing that still makes me laugh: seeing vietnamese women wearing high heels while driving their motorbikes.

I will be heading to Vung Tau soon for a research mission. I am a little nervous – I will be leading an 8-day workplan with the senior municipal staff by myself. This is the base work of one of our municipal partnership projects where we will be creating a new census survey to capture the migrant population and using the results to develop better municipal service delivery like education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. I do a bit of independent work over here and I am not complaining (it was written in the job description), but when you don't have experience in leadership roles, especially in a different and typically traditional culture, it feels a bit daunting. It reminds me when I and the other Ottawa SURPers all just started our new jobs after graduating from Queen's and we all felt the same ... we were way over our heads! But I know it will be good experience and it will only make me stronger ... right?!

It's just cold

One of my friends' says there really is no such thing as cold, you just have to wear the appropriate clothing ... I disagree. Today in Hanoi it is about 14 degrees, and it is a cool 14 degrees. Although it would seem like it should be warm, it is the humidity that makes the cold chilling. I thought the humidity in warm weather was bad, but this is ridiculous. I am sitting in my office in my sweater, jacket, wearing my mitts when I am not typing, and winter boots (which I had to go find), plus drinking tea and I am still freezing. I am not sure how else to warm up?!

Even everyone on the street has on big puffy winter jackets and toques. I admit I was skeptical when I was warned about Hanoi's winter, boasting that I was from Canada and I could handle it no problem. I feel like a wimp. My colleague, Linh, who sits next to me is 7 months pregnant. She is cold too but has not complained - so I am not letting myself complain out loud and thought I would just vent on my blog instead.

Linh and I were born in the same year (quick aside - when you ask people their age they normally tell you what year they were born because in Vietnam you are 1 when you are born and 2 on your first birthday, so really I am turning 27 in March ...) she has been married about a year and is expecting her first child. It has been very cool watching her belly get bigger and asking her questions about healthcare for pregnant Vietnamese women. I found out when you go to the doctor's for the ultrasound, they will tell you if you are having a boy but don't tell you if you are going to have a girl. I am not really sure if that dissuades abortions, but I have heard abortions are a growing problem in Vietnam. I might still be here when Linh delivers and can't wait to see her baby boy.

Physical Inactivities

It may seem like I should be really fit by now but my exercising only seems to happen in short bursts, in particular when I am travelling. In Hanoi it is actually quite hard to just go for a walk, let alone a run, because the traffic is not only on the street but on the sidewalks as well. Plus, everyone stares at you like you are crazy ...

Don't get me wrong, there are lots of nice parks (much more than I expected) with lakes to run around however it just seems contradictory to have to hop on a xe om (motorbike taxi), breath in smog, and weave through heavy traffic (and pray that you aren't going to get into an accident) to get some healthy exercise in. I suppose I have been spoiled by Elm Street where I was able to go to the Plant Bath around the corner for a swim or go down the street to go biking and running on the NCC pathways. But I have been feeling a bit groggy and out of shape and have been eating a little too liberally that enough was enough, it was time for me to get some physical activity into my routine! Or perhaps this drive for exercise is because when I was getting some clothes made I had to step on a scale - not sure why that matters for a skirt and a pair of pants - but I was quite unpleasently surprised, moreover because all the seamstresses around me were probably all under a 100 lbs ...

Hoan Kiem Lake, near the Old Quarter

So in the last week, I tried a series of activities to see what would be fun:

Wednesday - Sarah and I decide to go for a run in the Botanical Gardens and we happen to get there at the beginning of an aerobics class. We say 'hey, why not?'. We caused quite the stir that people who were there walking would stop to watch us and the more experienced participants, who wore brightly coloured bodysuits with leggings, went in the row in front of us so we could follow their lead. It was a lot of flapping our arms in the air and pelvic thrusts or pelvic circling (and we were in a public park) to techno english music we never heard before. Result: good arm workout, but didn't really break a sweat that we still went for a run afterwards.

Friday 6am - I decided to check out Steve's gym, which is a local gym. We get there nice and early and there is a step class going on which I get really excited for. I enter the gym and get ready to join until a lady comes over to me asks if I have a membership. I tell her no and ask if I can just pay for the day to see if I like it but she insists I have to buy either a 1-month or 3-month membership. I try again to explain that it is my first time here and just want to check it out before committing. She does not let me participate in the class, even though it is 6 in the morning, I am more than willing to pay for a day pass, and there are only 3 people in the class in this huge gym (so it is not like I would be taking someone's spot away). I call it aerobics snobbery and it was really probably because I did not have my own bodysuit ...

So I head to the workout gym instead in a bit of a huff, and decide I will just run it off on the treadmill. I go onto the treadmill and see it is not on. I look for the electrical cord to plug it in to find out that there is not cord - it is a manual treadmill! I tried it for about 10 seconds and it was way too much effort. Oh yes, I should add I am the only female in the room so I am trying not to stick out. The equipment was all really old and some I did not even recognize so I ended up just doing crunches in a corner of the room for the rest of the hour.

China dragon - this dragon is a statue completely made of china plates in a park in Saigon

Sunday - I decide to try rugby and luckily it is touch rugby. I never played rugby before, so I did not know the rules. But, I had a very patient team and even scored a try. I really liked playing, so I finally found a physical activity that I am going to stick with except ... it is changing practice times next week and will fall on the same time as ultimate ...agh! Even worse the rugby and ultimate fields are next to each other, so I don't know how I am going to choose one without insulting the other. Worry about it when I have to, I suppose.

New Year, New Family

I wasn't sure what to expect when meeting my relatives. I didn't know their names, what they did, or what they knew about me. I heard their names in conversations, but when you are a kid, hearing names of people who you don't know, doesn't really make them seem very real. I just knew I had family who lived in Vietnam and that I wanted to meet them and maybe wanted them to meet me. My family that lives in Canada were boat people and they were sponsored by three churches in Sydney in 1980 (this is how my Cape Breton roots developed). I was born the following year, making me the first Canadian born - my age represents the number of years my family has been in Canada and how long (or rather quickly) it took for them to get to where they are today.

But getting back to my relatives in Vietnam, I was scheduled to meet them on New Year's Day at my uncle's farm, which is about an hour drive outside of Saigon, for 10am. They hired a car to come pick me up at my hotel and also invited Sarah to come to the family gathering. When the car rolled down the driveway, there were people waiting outside with cameras and camcorders. My first chao (hello) was caught on film and my aunt from Toronto (who is down visiting) took me by the hand and started to introduce me to all these smiling people.

My dad comes from a family of 12 children and he is the 8th oldest. You address your aunts and uncles by their number or seniority in the sibling chain if they are older than your parent, however if they are younger you would refer to them by their first name. So in this photo, is Aunt 6 (from TO), Aunt 7, Aunt 3, Aunt 5, and Aunt 2.

I was bit nervous in the coming days of meeting my relatives (poor kate and sarah had to deal with my slightly tense moments ...). But as soon as I met everyone, I was completely at ease and now that I think about it, I wasn't really sure why I was so stressed about meeting them in the first place. I did worry that they might be disappointed that I did not speak Vietnamese fluently or maybe they might have thought I was a spoiled foreigner. Even though our oral communication skills were limited, we were still able to laugh, find common ground, and be family.

Sarah and I in our matching ao dai's (traditional Vietnamese dresses)

There is an alter to my grandparents and my aunts were getting dressed in their ao dai's for the ceremony and one asked if I wanted to wear one. I think she assumed that I wouldn't want to, so when I said sure my two aunties got really excited, grabbed me by the arms, and rushed me in the house to change. Remember it has only been about 20 minutes at this point ... one pulled off my top while the other buttoned the dress on me - all I could do was laugh, so much for modesty with the relatives.

I spent the day out at the farm and ate lots of pork (my uncle runs a hog farm) and enjoyed the company of my new relatives. I think the strangest part is knowing you are related to someone because they look like other family members. When I met my aunts, they looked like my Toronto aunt, when I met my uncles they looked like my uncles from Halifax and Montreal, when I met a cousin, he looked like an uncle from Toronto and when they saw me they could tell I was my father and mother's daughter.

My aunt has been going to this dance class in the park for years and is trying to teach me the rhomba.

I returned to my hotel at end of the day, but I was going to see them again in a few days after I came back from my work trip. On my return, I stayed at Uncle Chien's house (who could be my father's twin) in Saigon and got to explore the neighbourhood where my relatives have been living for decades. So on my first morning, I was woken up at 5am and was taken to the park to go exercising. They asked me the night before, but I really thought they were joking when they said we would be going at 5 since it is pitch black at that time. No, no they were serious, and I couldn't even put in my contacts. I was a little cranky to be moving at the early in the morning, but when we got there it was a very interesting sight to see.

Picture hundreds of people congregating at the park (you have to pay $2000 dong to enter, so about 1/7th of a cdn dollar) and either participating in an aerobics class, dance lesson, playing badminton, walking laps around the lake, or just getting some good old exercise in. Couple of my aunts go everyday, except Sunday because that's rest day (so lucky for me I did not have to go again the next morning), and go to aerobics from 5 to 6 then dance class from 6 to 7. Now I understand why vietnamese people take naps at noon!

Other fun things that happened: my 70-year old aunt and I hopping on to a moving bus, my other aunt taking me to get my hair washed at the salon, having slight miscommunication with my uncle when he thought I said I was at the airport but I was really at the ferry terminal when he was coming to pick me up, and (I believe gluttony is a sin) one aunt dropping me off at another aunt's house when they were done feeding me so I could go for another round.

I saw this photo in my aunt's cabinet and it is of some of my Toronto cousins from over 30 years ago

So something I always wanted to do has been done. It still feels strange that I just met new relatives as I feel like I have known them for a long time. I get to see them again in a few weeks and am now much more motivated to learn more vietnamese so I can ask lots of questions and tell them more about my life in Canada.

My uncle took me to visit my grandparents' graves. I remember hearing when they passed away when I was younger. It is vietnamese custom for the family to gather on the anniversary of the death of a family member to celebrate their life, which was a tradition we held up in Canada when my grandfather died.