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On Wake Island, our “Ellis Island”, we were given an A-number (A for Alien). Little did we know, it’s a life-time worth of chain documents, both analog and digital authentication and verification. America, land of the free – often times, a mixed bag (from iron to plastic i.e. credit-card shackles to undocumented “alien”. Somehow, from…
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After 12 days and almost 4,000 miles , I have obtained somewhat a longer view, despite “Fines double” signs and bridges that go nowhere. Eisenhower once so impressed with the German autobahn that he overhauled the US highway system ( wide enough to accommodate tanks and artilleries transport). For me, I notice: Two different versions…
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Not good enough! There were a 19 and 17 years gap between my siblings and I. At times, I wanted to scream: ” So you just want me to measure up and end up in the grave with you?” Not a death wish or ill will, but the logic held. I could never “win”. Not…
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Per David Hume Kennerly, TIME White House Photographer, the high-fived high-power Cabinet were heading toward the ” Old Executive Office Building where Kissinger will give a press conference announcing the successful conclusion of the helicopter evacuation of the last Americans from Saigon. Unfortunately he was a bit hasty in his proclamation, because after his press…
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We too should get some. Per Rob Reiner’s mom:” I’ll have what she is having”. As a gentle people, we were “herded” to pre-approved regions, an uprooted version of the Phoenix program. Our carry on: Black/White photos and sobbing tales:” Uncle Ban took 18 bullets for the team, Cousin Khe split his salary for fellow…
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Since 80 % of communication are non-verbal, we are better off “listen” with our eyes (Ailes’ “it’s a visual medium. Turn around”). In films, establishing shots set the context (where), music (when), and close-ups reveal emotions (who) more (when a couple gets intimate over candle-lit dinner – two shot – we know they are going…
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I browsed. Titles: from Fantasy Land, to Why Kennedy Assassination matters etc…then finished up with the Vietnamese (Foreign Language) section of the library. A book suddenly jumped out. Author? Bang Ba Lan, my language teacher in High School. He translated Jesse Stuart’s “The thread that runs so true”, a book about education the hard way…
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It’s my turn at “the year of magical thinking”: managing grief and loss of loved ones. A sudden turn to the left, my recently deceased sister’s TIMEX alarm clock urges me to hurry and live. Another new-arrival item: her photo w/ new-born baby, in Black and White. Her smile could have been for teeth-whitening ad…
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I refuse to use the app that counts how many words this piece runs. Quantity would cheapen what I am about to write. Reason? I have just walked my only and older sister to final resting place. Do I count how many paces from the hearse to the grave? How many police escorts ( checking…
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Summer of 1982, she came with my Mom to my graduation. My father had been without a trace for 7 years. But I was happy as I had ever been. And it was not the first time she filled in a parental role. Fall of 1960, she dropped me off on my first day at…
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Thang Nguyen 555 