World According to -tvu: Improvements...

It's officially been over a week I've been in Vietnam and only a little under a week left before I head back to work, to studies, to B-school applications, to family.

Within this week's time, I've notices improvements;

- Language; Learning (in my case, relearning) the Vietnamese is always better, if the teacher is cute. The better looking the teacher, the more attentive the student is. The more interactive the student becomes with the teacher. hehe...

- A smile and a wink; Easily translates across the majority of humanity's languages.

- Crossing a Vietnamese Street; It was a tentative first few steps, but with more crossings, the more normal the event becomes. Advice, the larger the automobile, the more right a way it has. No sudden movements, nor sudden dash.

- Cuisine; Yes, there is a difference between the Vietnamese food from the homeland and the Vietnamese food in the States. Slightly different, but noticeable. Not a problem, I plan on sampling as much as possible.

- Etiquette/Manners; Having tons of money does not equate to having manners. These two concepts are separate.
My last trip (was my first time ever) back to Vietnam was with my father. I've lost my father to cancer since that trip, but the lessons learned and time spent with him was an experience that vibrated to my soul. That experience taught me the value of culture, heritage, and family.

This trip is filled with different experiences that only another Viet Kieu could understand. Sorry...only another person returning back to the country of their heritage. My travel buddy, Mr. M, this is his first time out of the States and first time back to Vietnam since we fled as boat people back in 1975. We were on the same boat. He is learning a lot. I can see it. I'm excited and happy for him.

Note; Viet Kieu is term for Vietnamese person that fled the communist government and living abroad. Now it has become slang for any expat Vietnamese going back to Vietnam.