Cây có gốc, nước có nguồn
Tree
木Mộc
Root
本Bổn
Water
水Thủy
Source
源Nguyên
(Source: Microsoft Office Online Photos)
Our Journey
H O M E
回家summer’06
我的 My Story 故事
Born in Saigon, Viet Nam. I grew up in an old two stories house, number 31 on Nguyen Cong Tru street, with my maternal grandparent, parent and five orphaned cousins whom I affectionately called brothers and sisters.
My parent started out as small scale sellers on the streets of Sai Gon peddling goods including fresh fruits, expensive liquors, second-hand navigational instruments and any wares or merchandise that would generate profits for them to make a living. As peddlers, they met, fell in love and got married. Together, they built a family that I was blessed to be born into.
Struggled from job to job, employed then unemployed, my father managed to do bookkeeping for a privately owned tire manufacturer, tutor English for local co-op employees and work as an English translator for various import and export companies.
Though having a steadier secretarial employment at a privately owned door manufacturer, my mother had to pedaling her bicycle miles from home to get to her workplace. Despite the hardship of life, they worked hard to feed the family.
Growing up, I spent the great amount of my time focusing on school with the hope for a better life; or, at least that was what the elders had to advise. At the time, the future was full of uncertainties. Yet, I took up the opportunity to do well in school. To me, it was a blessing to be schooled and fed in comparison to the less fortunate ones.
As much as I enjoyed studying, I loved tagging along with my brothers, whether it was to cheer them on in a street soccer game or to participate with them in a game of throwing plastic figurines or shooting marbles.
Together with my sisters, I learned the arts, although I have to admit that I was neither good at them nor as skilled as my sisters were.
Perhaps, the most memorable after school activity was to accompany my grandma in collecting the discarded coconut husks at the
Cho Cu Market. Those coconut husks were later dried under the sun. Once dried, they were used in place of woods and charcoals for cooking.
Living in lacking of material things, I was not missed out the passing of my grandparent's heritage, wisdom and guidance. That was not to mention the loving care of my parent and the brotherly friendship from my brothers and sisters. There were the experiences of hardships, but they had never been a burden.
Looking back, those were the happy time of my life and I did enjoy every moment of it.
*Sai Gon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn) is well-known by Vietnamese for Ho Chi Minh City.
**Old Market (Vietnamese: Chợ Củ) is a popular Vietnamese open street market located off Ham Nghi Street in District 1, Sai Gon, Viet Nam.
Summer Rain
七月的雨
Tháng 7 Trời Mưa
"See the rain.
See the rain fall down.
Life is full of memories.
We won’t let them wash away."
- Chorus lyrics from Jacky Cheung's Release Myself album
To keep up with the fast-paced of my ever so busy American life, I often forget to stop and breathe in order to get in touch with my inner self and to recognize the present of the beautiful surrounding nature and the loved ones.
In the summer of 2006, I went on a trip to get reacquaint with my roots after 14 years, 6 months and 7 days of leaving my motherland. I had returned to the familiar places to see the familiar faces of those whom I grew up with for early half of my life.
夢想 Dream Comes True 成真
“Our Journey HOME” photo story is a product resulting from my long love affair with stage, film and music.
Ever since I was young, stage plays and musicals are a part of my life. Public television and radio were the only two sources at the time. My family was so poor then. We could not afford tickets for live performances playing nightly at various local theaters in the city.
Not until my family and I immigrated to the States in the winter of 1992, I had given the opportunity to get acquainted and experience different culture. Through the new journey, I learned to appreciate and embrace Broadway stage plays and musicals, classic and contemporary Hollywood movies and the American music.
At the same time, I did not forget to get in touch with my Asian roots. I found my way back by learning the languages and studying the culture diversity among Asian countries.
Being a Vietnamese of Chinese heritage living in the States gives me the best of both worlds, East and West. I’m proud of who I am.
I do believe that everyone is given the chance to make any dreams come true.
oOo
Going Back Home
回家
“leaving is for coming back”
- A song's title from Chet Lam's travelogue 1 album
For years, I yearned to wake up in the morning upon hearing the rhythmic broom sweeping on the pavement and the cracking sound of burning coals. Ah, that was how the street side café and breakfast shopkeepers started the day in preparation for a busy selling day, or so they hope.
Although the scenery had now changed and the people got older, it is still the same place, the same skies and pretty much the same life.
My childhood home is now a representative office for an Australian company. Despite getting a major facelift, the house is undeniable for its original structure. Hidden in every inch are the crying, the laughter and the running footsteps of my cousins and me.
Off to the front of the house, the sidewalk breakfast and coffee shops still stand. Near by office workers continue to enjoy meals and beverages served by the same families who had been running the shops for years.
I had left, and then came back.
After nearly 15 years, life goes on.
全心 Wholeheartedly Thank You 多謝
First and forth most, I give thanks for being blessed with a wonderful family.
With all respects, I thank my parent for their unconditional love, continuous support and indispensable guidance keeping me staying on the right track.
Through out the development of this project, thank you for being there, listening to all of my ramblings and enduring each and every video segment reviewing sessions. Yet, you offered valuable advises to better my work. With your approval, I don’t think that I’m crazy after all. Or, do I still?
To my very best cousins, "Cò Chiên" and "Vân Chỉ", thank you for your humor, love and care. Thanks for three memorable weeks. I had a lot of fun driving motorbike with you in those rainy days. That memory and much more will always be cherished. I miss you both.
To my good friend, Thúy Vinh, thank you for being there in the time of need. You went out of your way to find two of the most important people in my life back one-by-one. I’m forever grateful to you.
Last, but not least, to my extended family, this is the gift of love from me to you. Thank you for being a part of my life. I love you all. And I believe that if we all be able to give and forgive, we will find the utmost happiness in life.
oOo
Conceived & Produced By Mei Nguyen
6B Production
The Way Home
