Friday, July 31, 2009

Saigon, VN - July 2009




Took a bunch of SG pix so my Anh Hai can find his way around when he goes back. :))) Things have changed quite a bit.

Got to see my Di Hai, who was surprised to see me, after a while she remembered I was her niece and my name. :) Spent a lot of time sitting there holding her hand, stroking her hair, kissing her. Was wonderful to be home again!

Visited Ngo Thi Minh's friend chu' Le Cong Danh, another great guitarist, who happened to work with my dad way back when.

I was able to find my Ba` Ngoai's grave. It's been 9 years, my aunt had lost her memory and didn't know where Ba` Ngoai's grave was. We knew she was buried next to Trinh Cong Son so Bro Thanh drove us around and we finally found her. She was buried in a Buddhist's cemetery called Chua` Quang Binh. We cleaned up her grave and burned incense and prayed. I can rest in peace now. ;)

From Chu' Danh, I tracked down Chu' Quy` who used to work with Dad. An older man now and sick, lying on the floor, he didn't want me to take his picture. He could not believe I was my Dad's daughter. A gleam in his eyes however, when we started talking about his team playing soccer. And of course, Chu' Quy` remembers well "tha(`ng Hai & thang So*n"...I was just a little girl.

The other highlight was Chu' Muoi, I finally found him after 34 years!! He worked for Dad, drove me to/from school every day! I would never forget him. He and Chu' Luan (I have not been able to locate chu' Luan.) I was searching for both of them every trip, I was able to trace and found chu' Muoi. He lives in Cai Lay en route to Rach Gia'...I could only see him for 20 minutes or so... We held each other's hand and cried...so many years have gone by, he remembers "Tha(`ng Ha?i, thang Son"...but he had no idea Que^'-Huong (I was only 12) would remember him. He said "I still remember your smile!"

The Saigon trip was very personal and healing for me. Each person I visited told me a story about my childhood, or stories about Dad that I haven't heard or forgotten. How precious is that? :)

QH
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27 comments:

  1. Daniel LeJuly 31, 2009 at 10:03 AM

    Thanks so much c. QH for these wonderful pictures. Didn't know how much I missed Saigon till I saw these pics. Couldn't quite recognize the places but the pics brought back memories of a beloved city :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 3:46 PM

    Wow!

    CLB Bóng Đá Thanh Hoá có đũ khả năng mướn cầu thủ ngoại quốc...

    Impressive!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 3:47 PM

    The house looks decent!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 3:51 PM

    Đây là trường Thiên Phước ngày xưa, phải hông Hương?

    Áo hồng, môi đỏ
    Mắt Thiên Phước lánh đen...

    Ahhhh!

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 3:54 PM

    I remember chú Danh well!

    Sơn and I used to hang out with him at Võ Đường Không Quân. Do you know he was a black-belt Tae Kwon Do, yet he refused to chop bricks with his hands so he could play the guitar?

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  6. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 3:55 PM

    Wow! Don't even recognize it anymore.

    What happened to the railroad track?

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  7. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 3:59 PM

    How is Chú Mười?

    He looks well. He must be in his 60's by now.

    ReplyDelete
  8. MD NguyenJuly 31, 2009 at 4:00 PM

    Đây có phải gần chợ Bến Thành không ?

    ReplyDelete
  9. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 4:01 PM

    Oh my God!

    Nhà bà Tư: what did they do to it?

    I could still recognize the shape of the house next to it, where Thuý Hà Tú used to live.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 4:02 PM

    Dì Hai looks quite well!

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  11. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 4:03 PM

    The last time I saw Lành, she was still a teeny little baby.

    She's probably 11 or so?

    ReplyDelete
  12. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 4:05 PM

    Mấy bà sơ, khỉ thiệt! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  13. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 4:08 PM

    American Bro,

    The house is on Bùi Thị Xuân, just down the street from the old Nguyễn Bá Tòng school. Quite a distance from Chợ Bến Thành.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The Blues Cellar .July 31, 2009 at 4:47 PM

    Actually, before cây khế, there was a cây mận in that same spot.

    The cây mận was my favorite spot, waiting for my Nguyễn Bá Tòng girls...

    Em tan trường về
    Anh đợi Ngọ về
    Leo lên cây mận
    Lấy mận... chọi Ngọ

    [Khit khit!]

    ReplyDelete
  15. minh buiJuly 31, 2009 at 5:26 PM

    Mấy chục năm rồi...không còn nhận ra Sàigon nữa..
    bỗng nhớ tới bài Phố Lạ của anh NMT.

    ReplyDelete
  16. TLe DCJuly 31, 2009 at 6:31 PM

    This is where the Japanese people used to live. Nha Ba Tu* is next picture. It still looks somewhat the same.

    Notice all the electric wires. They ate my kites. That's why I looked forward so much going to Binh Trieu to fly kite. You won't recognize Binh Trieu either, it is soooo crowded! Ca^`u Bi`nh Lo*.i is back to back with vehicles. Remember we used to bike up that bridge and all over?

    ReplyDelete
  17. TLe DCJuly 31, 2009 at 7:41 PM

    She's about 12. :) Very good student.

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  18. TLe DCJuly 31, 2009 at 7:44 PM

    Duyen's in her 20's. Funny and cute. Very thick Nghe-An accent...I love to listen to her talk.

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  19. TLe DCJuly 31, 2009 at 7:53 PM

    Not sure. I remember St. Paul well on Cuo*`ng Dde^? Be^'n Bach Dang (the route Chu' 10 usually took me to school) is sooo different now too. Lots of fancy restaurants and colorful boats. So much has changed in 12 years! Felt totally lost. Yes, it does remind me of Pho^' La. cua anh Ngo Minh Tri'.

    ReplyDelete
  20. MD NguyenJuly 31, 2009 at 8:18 PM

    Ngọ giận bỏ đi
    Anh theo năn nỉ
    (đúng không ?)

    ReplyDelete
  21. TLe DCJuly 31, 2009 at 8:27 PM

    Em khong hieu vi` ly' do gi` ma` ma^'y chi. ho.c Nguyen Ba Tong cu*' hay ddi qua nha` em...Co' le~ vi` nha` co' gia`n hoa Da. Ly' Huong tho*m ngat, hay la` ta.i anh Hai?? hihi` May chi. la'i xe dda.p cu*' bi. ta` ao' da`i hay qua^`n vuong vo^ da^y se^n ma` lai hay ngu*`ng truoc nha minh. Anh (hu`ng) Hai nha` em cu*' phai ra giup.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Dunn TranAugust 1, 2009 at 8:03 AM

    Cám ơn QH đã share những tấm hình này, nhìn hình thấy nao nao trong lòng chợt nhớ đến những kỷ niêm xưa. Có những con đường nghe tên thật quen thuộc nhưng nhìn hình thì không cách nào nhận ra. Không biết bây giờ "con đường Duy Tân cây dài bóng mát" có còn êm ả như những hình ảnh còn đọng lại trong ký ức của mình không?

    ReplyDelete
  23. TLe DCAugust 1, 2009 at 8:45 PM

    Hi Anh D: Anh D co' phuoc co`n biet duong Duy Tan, QH chi? co' the^? tuong tuo*.ng ra qua 1 ba`i nhac thoi.

    Bay gio*` duong SG ket xe qua, troi mu*a ma` di xe o^m thi` vua*` o^m vu*a boi*i, xe bus xa` to*'i ddu.ng luon vai min`h! Khung khiep lam! SG khong co`n net ngay tho* nhu* xua nua. Bay gio*` ti`m may co^ hoc sinh ao' dai` tra('ng lai xe ddap cu~ng khong co'. Ai cu~ng bi.t ma(t ki'n mit'. SG is very polluted. O? chu*`ng 1 tuan la` ma^'t tie^'ng, anh D se~ no'i the^`u tha`o giong...QH. ;)

    Chi? co' ve que^ nhu* Rach Gia', Nghe An...thi`moi*' ddep va nen tho*.

    ReplyDelete
  24. DARICH LEVANAugust 4, 2009 at 7:20 PM

    NGHE AN... MY DAD HOME TOWN
    RACH GIA... I LEFT FOR AMERICA FROM THIS SMALL TOWN...
    32 YEARS IN AMERICA... DUOC GI VA MAT GI?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Stan MarkAugust 5, 2009 at 10:31 PM

    RIP TCS.

    Thank you Theresa.

    Stan

    ReplyDelete
  26. Stan MarkAugust 5, 2009 at 10:35 PM

    Thanks Theresa ^_^

    Stan

    ReplyDelete
  27. CongDanh leFebruary 24, 2010 at 2:31 AM

    Dear Que Huong,
    I am really happy that you found out Chu Muoi. I have not visited Anh Quy, although I talked with him by phone. Can you send me Chu Muoi address. I can go to visit him someday by bike of course.
    Say hello to everybody, pls.
    LcDanh

    ReplyDelete

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