Nam's Return

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Nam's Return

 Asia » Vietnam » Tuyen Quang By HenryT
July 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

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Photos

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 center with Americans shortly after we came. She said she doesn't know why.

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.

Potty training
Small buckets are used in early toilet training at the center.

Sizing up
One of the center's careproviders says she can't believe how big and strong Nam is.

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.

Feast
We invited the kids and Ms. Xuan back to our hotel for a too-brief dinner celebration.

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 she would return. friend

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 has two biological brothers, neither of whom live in the village and weren't present that day.

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 remembered them, because they sure remembered him. He didn't.

Cousins and Neighbors
A final group shot just before we left the village.

Comments

[Franco]

Great story. Could imagination the emotions that were felt by all involved.

[Rita]

Hey Guys! I've enjoyed all your entries, but this one was beyond words....

[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.