We are now on our mini vacation from our mega vacation and back home in Vancouver, Canada to be a part of two weddings.
It is wonderful to be back in a familiar setting with wonderful family and friends.
Our mini vacation lasts for four weeks until we head back to Munich, Germany on Aug 13th to fly straight to Paris, France to continue our travels throughout Europe. We are fortunate to share our first two weeks back on the road with a very good and "special" friend of ours.
We are happy to be back home and look forward to not only being able to watch four of our close friends make a life long commitment to one another but also look forward to spending quality time with everyone who is dear to us.
Until then, we are on VACATION and will NOT but posting any posts. Hard to believe, we know and we are aware many of you will be devastated..but no worries, we'll be up and running again in mid August.
Until then...enjoy life to its fullest!!
Monday, July 17, 2006
WORLD CUP FEVER!!
The fever was definitely high in Munich, Germany where we were able to experience and be a part of the amazing atmosphere revolving around the World Cup!!
The Germans are definitely hooked on their "football" and their BEER!! :)
Enjoy.....
The Germans are definitely hooked on their "football" and their BEER!! :)
Enjoy.....
Semifinals - Germany vs Portugal!! 
Someone's a little excited..... 
Nothing like beers to bring two cousins closer together... 
A sea of faithful "football" fanatics 
At the finals...Italy vs France!! 
GO ITALY GO!!
We had a wonderful time in Munich and look forward to coming back next time to explore the entire country....
Monday, July 10, 2006
Another family reunion..this time MUNICH, GERMANY!!
So we made our way from Budapest to Munich, Germany - home of the 2006 World Cup, but more importantly it is where Chu Vinh, my uncle resides with his family. I have not seen him or his family for 27 years, and it was a reunion that I had been looking forward to since departing Vietnam in late February. I thought communication may be a problem as our command of the German language consisted of “Dangka-Schene” (thank you) and Hefivisin? Needless to say there was a lot of catching up to do. With no need for guide books or preparation for Munich or the rest of Germany, we were a little lost at the massive Munich International Airport upon arrival but were unworried as we knew we had family that awaited our arrival. Unlike most international airports that we have visited so far where all arrivals enter at a single gate, here in Munich there are 6 points of entry in two separate terminals. So we spent about an hour tracking down the family. My cousin Hai, the third eldest of five was waiting at terminal 2 (the last one that I checked). With a sign in his hand and picture in his pocket, he greeted me with a smile and a “Hello, are you my cousin from Canada”? As I stood there staring at this 6 foot stranger, one thought ran through my mind – he is much too tall to be a Chung. We greeted each other in our native tongue and to my surprise and astonishment he spoke perfect English.
An hour and two trains later, we made our way back to my uncle’s house. He was at work, but his new wife welcomed us with cake. We finally met my uncle that afternoon when he came home for an hour or so like he does every afternoon to check up on Duc, my 9 year old cousin and the baby of the family. He woke us from our slumber and with eyes half open, I swore I saw my own father when I looked at him. His mannerisms, the way he speaks and laughs, and physical demeanor are exactly those of my dad. We did not get a chance to talk for long, as he had to return to work an hour away by train.
An hour and two trains later, we made our way back to my uncle’s house. He was at work, but his new wife welcomed us with cake. We finally met my uncle that afternoon when he came home for an hour or so like he does every afternoon to check up on Duc, my 9 year old cousin and the baby of the family. He woke us from our slumber and with eyes half open, I swore I saw my own father when I looked at him. His mannerisms, the way he speaks and laughs, and physical demeanor are exactly those of my dad. We did not get a chance to talk for long, as he had to return to work an hour away by train.
That night my cousin Hai, Rav and I decided to attend the festivities of the World Cup of soccer to watch Germany play at the Olympic Park which they have converted into a fan zone with huge screen TVs. It was crazy!!!! The number of boisterous fans and the flow of beer was quite the site. Although the game was not that exciting, the pandemonium was a great experience and we were just at one of the many large screen TVs set up throughout the city.
The next day we met all of the other cousins as they lived out on their own. We had a family day in the park with a picnic, beer, and a little soccer. It was a great way to meet them as we talked and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. We found out that Hong, the eldest daughter will be moving in with her boyfriend, Thomas in September with her 5 year old son Allan and getting married next year. The eldest son, Sepie has been attending university for the last 5 years and is studying economics, Mandarin and Japanese. Hai had just moved out a month before our arrival and is working at the Casino. Ling the second daughter loves to bake and is quite good at it. Last but not least there is Duc, the youngest member of the family who is in the second grade. My aunt and her boyfriend and his son Julian also attended the BBQ.
We have not had too much time to do any significant amount of site seeing in Munich, as we have just been acquainting ourselves with my cousins and uncle here in Munich. At Thomas’ generous offer, we went to visit the Linderhoff castle about 2 hours outside of Munich. This castle was quite amazing as it was designed for the last king of Bavaria in the later stages of the 18th century. We spent the entire afternoon with Thomas, Hong and Allan on the castle grounds and drove through some really picturesque scenery. There were some really small towns surrounded by natural landscapes with rolling hills. It was a great way to spend an afternoon. That night we had our first taste of Bavaria cuisine as our gracious host delighted our palates with white sausages, pretzels and beer.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Grandma
While Rav and I were in Germany uniting with my uncle (my father’s little brother), we had received news from the family in Vietnam that our beloved grandmother had taken a turn for the worst. She had been steadily losing the battle with diabetes for quite some time now, and her inevitable departure from all of us was only a matter of time. The continued progression of this degenerative disease led to many complications in the last few years of her life. Despite the physical limitations, she retained her wit and mental health during the course of her battle with the disease. Every member of the family in Vietnam made both grandparents’ health the first priority and contributed in which ever way they could. Their attentiveness and meticulous thoughtfulness have helped prolong the life of both grandparents. All the love and yearning that this family has could not keep my grandmother from leaving all of us though.
My grandmother was on a sojourn of her own - a reunification with that of Heaven and Earth. Even though her physical condition was no longer functional, her spirit held on knowing that her daughter was on her way home to pay her last respects. On her bed she peacefully laid, motionless waiting with barely a pulse or breath, for my mother’s return. She waited while my mother’s flight back to Vietnam was being arranged, while the Vietnam visa was being processed and the physical distance traveled. She waited for four days. On June 19th, my mom came home to a house of tears, silence broken only by the sobbing of siblings and loved ones surrounding the foot of the bed. My mother paid her respects to my grandmother thanking her for all that she had done for the family. As my mother concluded her last words to my grandmother, my grandmother opened her eyes twice, took her last breath and left us. The family here says that, my grandmother waited making sure that all of her children were home safe and sound before leaving. They also say that she opened her eyes to let my mother know that she knew and heard everything that my mom had said.
As for us, we were in mid flight when my grandmother left this world. We came home the following night in time for the funeral the next day. We awoke early that morning as friends and family came by to pay their respects. Throughout the day, sadness overcame me periodically and the sense of loss was overwhelming, but as quickly as it came it would subside to a feeling of peacefulness. I noticed that was not only happening with me but with all of the loved ones as well. I think that my grandmother’s spirit was touching each one of us individually at different times that day. The family here dealt with this loss extremely well; perhaps it is the knowledge and acceptance that this day is unavoidable, and their previous preparations for this day has helped us accept this loss.
It has been well over a week now since the funeral, and the daily prayers here at the house will continue for another 6 weeks until the 49th day after her passing as tradition goes. Life here in Vietnam at the Bui house hold seems to slowly be getting back to normal with each passing day. Stories of my grandmother are still being told the old fashion way when we all gather in the evenings. We have been really fortunate to be able to be here with the family to share in this loss and to reacquaint ourselves with those that we had connected with during our visit in January. Our time here is running out as we will be leaving Vietnam for Germany in 4 days time.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)