 Nam's Return |
AfricaAntarcticaAsiaCentral America CaribbeanEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaOceaniaSouth AmericaOceans and Seas
The translator
Ms. Xuan works at the local bank and served as a translator for me and other Americans when we came in 1996. She is still there, but said the People's Committee stopped placing children from the ... [more]
Nam's Return
Asia » Vietnam » Tuyen Quang By HenryTJuly 27th 2007
Henry DunbarWe just retuned from two days in Tuyen Quang where we visited Nam's orphanage and the village where he lived until he was three. This was surprising in that we weren't sure the orphanage was still running (it is and has expanded to include a resident senior center) or that we'd be able to get any information about his early life. We found out a lot more than we had expected.
I'll let the pictures tell the story here.
Henry
Meeting the Director
Nam sits in a conference room at the Tuyen Quang Children's Center, chatting with the director who says he remembers Nam from 11 years earlier
The door
Nam stood in front of this door in the original photo that was sent to us. We now have one to compare.
Reunion
Nam meets five other teenagers who still live at the center. They remember him and say he used to fight a lot with them. Hard to believe.
Reviewing the file
They pulled Nam's file while we were there and gave us the location of his village. They said they didn't know if his grandmother was still living or not.
Second that emotion
Despite the shades, Deb reflects how many of us were feeling at the reunion with the other teens.
Waiting
The next day, with the help of a village leader, we were able to find Nam's first home. He waits in front while someone fetches a cousin.
Hey, Cousin
A cousin arrives to greet Nam. He tells us that the grandmother is 80, still living in the house, but unfortunately away visiting the family of a friend who had passed away. He didn't know when s... [more]
A crowd gathers
It's a small village and word travels fast. A crowd soon gathered in side the one-room house, which was made of bamboo and mud morter, with a single-layer tile roof. We also confirmed that Nam ha... [more]
Paying respects
As is custom, Nam lights an incense and places it before altar for his birth mother, which his grandmother has maintained since her death shortly after Nam was born.
Bittersweet departure
This neighbor seemed particulary attached to Nam and was sad to see us go. I couldn't determine if she was a relation or not.
Remember Me?
Just as we were leaving, two older ladies came charging up a hill to see Nam. They were quite animated in their stories about him, though little of it was translated for us. They kept asking if Nam re... [more]
4 Comments - Add Public Comment or Send Private Message
July 28th 2007 - Franco:
Great story. Could imagination the emotions that were felt by all involved.
July 28th 2007 - Brenda & Lou: WOW!!!
We have very much enjoyed your many adventures and appreciate the photos & documentation you've taken the time to share with us all. It has to be quite an emotional roller coaster. It's almost as if we're on the trip with you all. Take care and we'll continue to follow the journey. Love, Brenda & Lou
July 31st 2007 - Rita:
Hey Guys! I've enjoyed all your entries, but this one was beyond words....
November 7th 2007 - Michele Bertolone: Small world
Just back from Vietnam. Adopted little girl on the left in the 3rd picture from TQ center. What a small world. I hope we can return with her in 11 years (she's almost 3 now).
Her web site is: http://www.cattivi.com/archived/phuong/ruby.html
Pictures from our adoption trip at http://www.flickr.com/gp/17450377@N04/6Jn3E1
Best to you and your family.
All Comments
Vietnam's Flag
Map of Vietnam
Copyright notice.
The text and photos of this article remain the copyright of the Author (Henry Dunbar). Under no circumstances should the photos or text be used without the express written permission of the Author (Henry Dunbar). If you wish to use or publish photos or text from this article - please
Contact Henry Dunbar.