The Year Was 1970

Autumn Leaves

2007-10-20T12:09:00.003-07:00

The falling leaves drift by my window
The falling leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sunburned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall
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Late Night Dinner, Bolsa Avenue

2007-10-10T19:08:00.001-07:00

Do you remember going to Ngã Sáu or đường Nguyễn Tri Phương late night for the bowls of mì hoành thánh or hủ tiếu, bánh mì or bánh cuốn, bún thịt nướng or phở, and topping it all off with chè or sâm bổ lượng?
Folks in larger OC do not have the many late-night options we used to have in Saigon and Chợ Lớn, since most restaurants close at 9 or 9:30 PM. However, in the heart of Little Saigon, there are popular spots for night owls on Bolsa Avenue.

* Thành Mỹ, 9553 Bolsa Ave. (between Brookhurst and Magnolia, north side of street), Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays, until 3 a.m. on weekends.

The Orange County Register (Feb. 2, 2006) noted: The ambience: This is the place everyone in Little Saigon goes to for a late-night Vietnamese food fix. Don't be surprised to find a line outside the door on a weekend night. The waiters may be gruff, but the food is worth it...
The crowd: Even at midnight, you'll find a lot of families, in addition to the college students and after-club crowd of mostly Vietnamese.
The food: Bò Lúc Lắc (tender chunks of stir-fried beef served over rice), Cháo Cá (catfish rice porridge) and the Phở Áp Chảo (sautéed shrimp, calamari and veggies served over crispy fried noodles).

* Phở Thành, 9625 Bolsa Ave. (between Brookhurst and Magnolia, north side of street as well) opens 24 hours. All the phở options, plus the usual cơm dĩa.

Life Is Beautiful

2007-10-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

Cung Đàn Xưa do Ánh Tuyết hát

2007-10-05T22:34:00.007-07:00

LA BELLE ALICE

2007-09-30T14:17:00.001-07:00

Vous souvenez-vous de la belle Alice ? Quelqu'un a de ses nouvelles ?

Une ancienne photo fait resurgir une vieille amitié, une copine de classe de nous toutes.

2007-09-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

En cherchant dans mes vieilles affaires, j'ai trouvé ce témoignage d'amitié.
Quels Emotion, souvenirs et signification que peut susciter cette petite photo ...!

Ces bourrelets mignons

2007-09-23T10:20:00.001-07:00

Des bonnes addresses pour Evelyne:

http://elmomonster.blogspot.com/2005/06/banh-mi-che-cali-westminster.html
Banh Mi & Che Cali, the restaurant on Brookhurst, has consistently performed well with its Hủ Tiếu Dai Mỹ Tho, khô and its Cơm Phần Gia Đình, both at a very competitive price that you would not find elsewhere. Of course, you will go to the sandwich shop next door as described in the blog above, for the other goodies to go. I was also impressed with bánh cuốn at the sandwich shop when it is rolled on the spot as you watch if you happen to be there in the morning. The food at stores in San Gabriel Valley and in Toronto is not exactly the same as in Westminster/OC.

http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/02/vien-dong-restaurant-garden-grove.html
This is where I had the Northern dishes that made my readers salivating. Excellent cooking at a fair price.

Welcome to the world of food blogs. And do not forget Quyên's meticulous description of the consequences of your food adventures: ces bourrelets mignons.

Very Authentic Vietnamese Cooking

2007-09-16T09:35:00.002-07:00

Among the dishes we had last week in Orange County:
Canh mướp đắng,

Bánh đúc chấm tương,

Canh cá thì là,

Mực rán muối tiêu,

Rau muống xào tỏi,

Sườn kho,

Cá rán chấm nước mắm gừng,

Cà pháo và dưa cải chấm mắm tôm.

New Camp in SGV

2007-09-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

As we head back to the Los Angeles basin from the high rolling playground of Las Vegas, our fearless facilitator is wondering what our group will do in LA. "Đi bụi đời" is her idea of the last two days of fun in sunny So Cal. I suggest that our group đi bụi đời in SGV, the land of the original famous Hậu Giang baked catfish. The local "thổ địa" (Annette, Suzanne, Bội Trân and Co.) will certainly guide us to Phong Dinh for dinner where we will taste the famous cá lụi and consider the other more exotic dishes, to Nem Nướng Ninh Hòa for their famous nem nướng or bún bò Huế at lunch, and to the Beard Papa store on W. Valley Blvd. for treats.
Fourty Eight Hours in San Gabriel Valley will be the last episode of our November adventures, until next year's reunion.

A Note from Thái Vi

2007-09-06T20:00:00.001-07:00

J'ai recu de Thanh Lương ce poème de Lamartine et sa version traduite. Leur beauté est frappante, et je voudrais vous en faire part avec permission de Lương. La version vietnamienne était rédigée par le père de Thanh Lương, Dr. Nguyễn Đình Cát, qui était de la même promotion que mon papa. A part leur souche vietnamienne, nos parents avaient une profonde appréciation de la langue francaise, et ceci se manifestait dans des poèmes personnels et inédits. C'est pour moi une grande découverte que j'aimerais partager avec vous. A votre tour de partager avec nous vos impressions.

VERS SUR UN ALBUM

Le livre de la vie est le livre supreme
Qu'on ne peut ni fermer, ni rouvrir à son choix;
Le passage attachant ne s'y lit pas deux fois,
Mais le feuillet fatal se tourne de lui-meme;
On voudrait revenir à la page où l'on aime
Et la page où l'on meurt est déjà sous vos doigts.

Lamartine

THƠ ĐỀ TẬP ẢNH

Sách đời là sách tối cao
Mở ra xếp lại có đâu dễ dàng!
Cái chương lưu luyến ân cần,
Ai mà đọc được hai lần hỡi ơi!
Cái tờ định mệnh lần quay,
Dễ ai có thể một hồi giở lui.
Trang yêu dù muốn đoái hoài
Thì trang vĩnh biệt đã cài dưới tay.

Cát Minh (Bác Sĩ Nguyễn Đình Cát) dịch

The Fun Never Ends

2007-08-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

After the farewell brunch on Sunday November 4, 2007, a group of us will head to Las Vegas, escaping the daily routine the way some of us did after we passed the Baccalaureat in 1970. Thai Vi has made room reservation. We have not decided on transportation since we do not know how many will join us on this sidetrip.

Will you please let Thai Vi know if you plan to join?

November is Almost Here

2007-08-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

For those flying into Southern California, we recommend:
First choice: John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana (symbol SNA)
Second choice: Los Angeles International Airport (symbol LAX)

The recommended hotel is:
Courtyard by Marriott South Coast Metro Orange County

http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/snasa-courtyard-costa-mesa-south-coast-metro/
3002 S. Harbor Blvd
Santa Ana, CA
1-877-477-5814 (toll free in the US)
1-714-545-1001

This hotel is about 5 miles from Huntington Beach. Shuttle service is available to this hotel from the airport at 21.00/person from SNA, or 100.00/person from LAX. It has suites that can accommodate 4-5 people, or regular rooms with doubles or queen beds for four people.
I checked their rates two days ago, and made a reservation for a suite at 149.00/day. If we have enough people for 5 rooms for two days or 10 rooms for 1 day, we get the group rate (89.00 - 109.00) which applies to regular rooms and not suites. The more expensive rooms have queen beds. In order to qualify for the group rate, you need to call one of the phone numbers provided above, and let them know you're in the same group as Thaivi Tonnu. I apologize to those who may object, but I gave them my name because it was easier than spelling out Regina Mundi or Couvent des Oiseaux to a bunch of people who don't have any idea what that means.

Once you're in town, transportation can be by shuttle from the airport, Vietnamese taxi service (Hoang Anh and Ha have more details on this service later) , or Thai Vi's Minivan Taxi Service(gratis). Other friends in the area will also volunteer to drive.

For those of you who come from far away and who plan to spend more than three days in the area, let us know how long your vacation will be, whether you want it to be the week before or the week after the reunion, and we'll put our heads together and see what we can come up with.

Get ready for a good ol' time, and hope to see all of you there. If you know of other friends in our class whose email address I don't have, please invite them, and/or let one of us know. Direct any questions you may have to one of us.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Hà, Hoàng Anh, Thái Vi.

Đường Xưa Lối Cũ (Thái Thanh)

2007-08-19T20:28:00.012-07:00

http://www.esnips.com/doc/9461c29f-4519-4976-b6f0-9fedceb48ea2/Ha-Trang---Khanh-Ly-64

My Return to Nha Trang on Quốc Lộ 1

2007-08-14T17:28:00.002-07:00

The Sinh Café Open Tour bus departed from Hội An at 7:30 in the morning sharp. I got out of the hotel and promptly took my usual window seat on the bus. The ride from Hội An to Quảng Ngãi was beautiful as our bus hugged the coast, providing views of sandy beaches, fishing boats, and people moving their boat in shallow water with long pole. We passed a large school in Quảng Ngãi where boys in white shirt and blue pants lined up next to rows of bicycles, getting ready to chào cờ. A lunch stop at Tuy Hòa offered this lean set of canh chua cá, full of country flavors.
When we reached the picturesque fishing village of Đại Lãnh, the bus came to a sudden stop due to a flat tire. It was a bonus for many of us to wander off Quốc Lộ 1 and get closer to the sandy beach until our lơ xe called us back as the bus got ready to head to Nha Trang.
I found Nha Trang to have retained the quaintness of a small town, without the opulent excesses of Saigon or the youthful enthusiasms of Hanoi. At five o’clock in the morning, the beach is full of people joining together in their morning exercise rituals.

When will we take another bus together and relive the times of yore?

A Trip to Nha Trang

2007-08-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

Quyên wrote that she returned from her vacation in the Indian Ocean with a sunburn similar to the one she got when we went to Nha Trang in the spring of 1969. She reminded me of how we went to Nha Trang from our boarding school. The mères had decided to reduce two Premières into a single Terminale. We sensed that our blessed time together will be heading to an end. Then, the idea of eloping to Nha Trang for a trip together.

- “Tu te rappelles quand on était à Nha Trang avec Hoàng Yến, Nguyệt Anh et Hạc, car Mère Cécile nous avait acheté un billet d'avion en croyant que nos parents nous ont permis d'aller à Nha Trang? Ah, le bon vieux temps, je me rappelle que toi et moi, on était tellement bronzées et rondes comme un hột mít.”

After landing at the airport in Nha Trang, I was picked up by chú Son, a relative of my aunt, to come and stay at his house, while Hạc and Quyên went with their adopted brother Diệm. I remember sleeping in chú Son’s living room, while Hạc and Quyên stayed in Diệm’s medical office, next to the fruit and poultry that his patients bartended for his services.

The most memorable day was the one when we went to Nguyễn Trung Hiếu’s house. Her sister’s boyfriend, a Navy officer, took us out in a boat to an island a few miles from the shore. We spent the day roaming the island, swimming in the clear turquoise water, playing in the sand, running like wild horses. We never noticed the torrid afternoon sun tanning our skin as we stood on the boat, catching the ocean breeze, watching the spray of water as the boat sped. In the evening, we felt the painful sunburn. The fun of being together concealed the growing discomfort. Upon our return to school, shedded skin was found scattered on sheets, on chairs, in rooms of those who had eloped to the shore from the highlands.

P.S. Just heard from Thái Vi that Eliane Thiếu Quy and Mộng Quỳ are now in the loop. Welcome to our blog. Wish to see you again soon.
See the comments of this post in February http://theyearwas1970.blogspot.com/2007/02/who-were-here-standing-in-last-row.html
Thanks, Thái Vi.

The Last Days of Summer

2007-08-10T15:40:00.001-07:00

The days are getting shorter. The kids have packed for school, but it's not time to leave yet. I have spent my summer days by this lake, a short ten-minute drive from home. Shady spots abound on the shore of the lake, and large rocks can serve as places to recline to read a good book or just to stare at the blue sky behind tall trees.
Where have you been this summer?

Music to Soothe a Tired Warrior

2007-07-27T15:16:00.003-07:00

A Dream Destination for the Summer

2007-07-17T06:34:00.001-07:00

Hoang Anh just got back from China. Evelyne is planning a trip to China as well. Why China when paradise is here? In fact, Quyen is currently sunbathing on the shores of Waikiki, or snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, a stone throw from where she stays. If you look carefully through the window, you may even spot her in her two-piece swimsuit. We should hear from her soon. Or maybe from Evelyne on weekends in London.

Suddenly, a familiar sight...

2007-07-11T20:53:00.001-07:00

At the Nara Deer Park, as I was getting ready to go in to visit Todaiji Temple, the largest wooden structure in the world, I spotted pairs of shoes just like what Quyên wore when we were in Dalat. Looking up at the young girls, I saw what appeared like couventines going on a school outing. Maybe it was the dry sake that I tasted on the way to Nara ....

Mount Fuji at 5:00 AM

2007-07-09T20:32:00.002-07:00

A Moment of Sweetness

2007-07-03T22:06:00.003-07:00

Kimono in Wedding

2007-07-02T21:00:00.002-07:00

While visiting Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto on a Saturday, we found ourselves among guests of three traditional Japanese weddings. The people and the scenes are those taken directly from movies about old and new Japan that I have seen. Women in their best kimono and men in long tail black tuxedo mingled beneath brightly painted structures with flying roofs.

The Real Kimono

2007-07-01T09:43:00.001-07:00

Dear friends, I have returned from a visit to a beautiful country, where women wear real kimono, not the cotton robe that I wore at the hotel. This is the kimono that Quyên would like me to wear on the streets of Kyoto. Wishing everyone a good summer and a good trip wherever you are going. It would be nice if you can bring a few pictures back and post on this blog so we enjoy together as if we come with you.

From Lake Kawaguchi at the Foot of Mt. Fuji

2007-06-28T22:47:00.001-07:00

Don't ask me why I always want to be near a lake. Trying to be a Japanese lady in the land of cherry blossom and volcanic peaks while Thai Vi takes care of business at home. Thanks, Thai Vi, our new blog maestra.

My California Dreamin'

2007-06-24T08:33:00.003-07:00

Recently I was in Northern California to look for land. Little did I know the few pennies I have were just enough to buy the dust on my shoes and little else. I had a wonderful trip nonetheless, and meeting with friends turned out to be the highlights of a weeklong road trip from Big Sur through San Francisco to Sonoma County and Lake Tahoe. If you have time, Big Sur is a must! The pictures hardly do justice to the poetry of the area. I could go on and on, but will let the pictures stand in for my thousand words. Greetings, and looking forward to seeing you soon. Thai Vi.

Baltimore Blitzkrieg

2007-06-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends, Ha's last blog entry is several weeks old. While she's away on a trip somewhere, I have some news for you. Hope you're doing well, and still making plans to get together in November.

Soeur Eliane d'Aligny, the real name of M. Sainte Anne who taught us history in our last year at Regina Mundi, has accepted our invitation to come to our reunion. She's expressed great enthusiasm, and is looking forward to seeing all of us.

My next task is to write to Soeur Helene Marty, or Mere Helene, our French and homeroom teacher in classe Terminale, to inquire about her availability again. She had been invited, but has not given a definite answer. It's also time to invite Mlle Tue Thu and Mme Bang. The former taught us history in middle school, and the latter Vietnamese Literature in classe Premiere. I imagine most of you can remember back this much. I will keep you informed of their replies.

In the same vein, and in the spirit of keeping old friendships alive, Bich Thach, Caroline Thien Huong and I spent some time this weekend with another dear friend, Germaine Tran Cam Nhung, also known as U, or "Maine"(pronounced "Mon" in authentic Southern Vietnamese accent). She's alive and well in Baltimore, MD. It was a great pleasure to see her again and to hear her delighted laughter. We were going to take her to a restaurant, but she sneaked around our backs and slaved the whole morning over the stove to give us a wonderful treat of banh cuon. She had made enough to feed the whole class, and believe me, I ate enough for at least three or four of you. I would have had more had my waistband allowed me. We talked far into the night, and looked at old pictures that Bich Thach had thoughtfully brought along. Things and feelings among us are still fun and comfortable, and it felt like we were all wrapped up in the soft folds of an old quilt redolent of the familiar fragrances of our youth. For a moment, we were again girls in white shirt and blue skirt, either running behind each other, or sitting at the same desk and eating treats on the sly, laughing at how silly we had been. The main difference now is that we also exchange news about our children and their progress in life, and we measure the passage of time by the colors in our hair and the pounds we need to shed(sigh).

This mini reunion of ours performed the magic trick of making us feel young and cheerful all over again better than any procedures or products advertised out there. I look forward to more of the same when we see one another again. Greetings, hugs and kisses to all of you. Thai Vi.

Romance by the Lake

2007-06-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

When you visited Dalat and walked along bờ hồ, did you see young couples strolling and whispering to each other? As youngsters living in a boarding school a few miles away, we have watched these happy lovers and dreamed of lovely evening walks along the lake with a prince charming. In literature classes, the monotonous voice of our teacher reading Le Lac of Lamartine brought us to the lovers' paths at hồ Xuân Hương.

Reading the dreams of rather wild teenagers living in the close quarters of a “convent”, our Mères had boldly prepared us for life ahead. They allowed the Dalat Military Academy (Trường Võ Bị) cadets to invite us to visit their institution on a weekend. I remember the sight of military buses parked in the front lot, and a group of handsome cadets dressed in crisp white uniform walking to the front office. The bell rang. We all lined up to get on the buses. Once on the ground of Trường Võ Bị, many other cadets joined and took us to tour the facilities. A reception followed where the couventines mingled with the cadets and officers. Late in the afternoon, we boarded the buses to return to school. Friendship and romances began following the field trip. Those of us who took Spanish called Hoàng Yến tambien, referring to a cadet whom she met during the trip and whom she ran into again in one of her sorties at Place Hòa Bình. Our Mères were known for their strict discipline running the boarding school, but not for the foresight of connecting us with the real world in this dream city where lakeside romances abound….

Bãi Biển Vũng Tầu

2007-06-06T22:52:00.007-07:00

Click on link below to hear music.

Click Back on browser to return to blog.

Bánh Khoai Mì for Annette

2007-06-05T13:41:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends, S.O.S... Equippe Jean Mermoz from Notre Dame Du Langbian, Dalat, calling for rescue. Need recipe for bánh Khoai Mì, if you have it. Thanks in advance. Chào, Annette

Searching the pages of my hand-written recipe notebook that I brought with me from Vietnam, I found this simple recipe of bánh khoai mì. I assembled grated khoai mì (16 oz), sugar (6 oz), condensed milk (2 tbsp), coconut milk (2 cups), egg (1) and vanilla (about 1/4 tsp). After beating the egg well, and mixing all the ingredients together, I poured the mixture into a round, previously greased pan and baked it at 350 degree F for an hour. The cake was cut into slices similar to what is sold at the bakeries in Little Saigon.
Annette - This slice is for you, just like Evelyne "gave" Quyên her delicious chou de Paris.

Paris 2 juin 2007

2007-06-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

La gentilisssima, la giocondissima e la Maria

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

2007-05-30T17:50:00.001-07:00

Bonjour les amies,
J'ai recemment relu Terre des Hommes et Vol de Nuit de St Exupery que j'ai finalement su apprecier a leurs justes valeurs. Et dire que je leur preferais n'importe quel livre non scolaire! Il y en a plusieurs reflexions profondes, certaines memes constituaient nos sujets de dissertation. Je regrette n'avoir pas sauvegarde mes devoirs, j'aurais aime revoir ce que j'y avais redige.
Voici quelques extraits de ces retrouvailles que j'aimerais partager avec mes amies du secondaire:

Il n'est qu'un luxe veritable, et c'est celui des relations humaines.

Il sait qu'une fois pris dans l'evenement, les hommes ne s'en effraient plus. Seul l'inconnu epouvante les hommes.

Etre homme, c'est precisement etre responsable.
C'est connaitre la honte en face d'une misere qui ne semblait pas dependre de soi.
C'est etre fier d'une victoire que les camarades ont remportee.
C'est sentir, en posant sa pierre, que l'on contribue a batir le monde.

Le règlement est semblable aux rites d’une religion, qui semblent absurdes, mais qui façonnent les hommes.

Nous sommes riches aussi de nos misères.

Il y a dans toute foule des hommes que l'on ne se distingue pas et qui sont de prodigieux messagers. Et sans le savoir eux-mêmes.

Aussi, j'ai trouve recemment dans un journal Francais cette matiere a reflexion:

Des lors qu'il y a souffrances, il y a respectable.

C'est beau n'est ce pas?
Amities,
Pauline

To Quyên and Thái Vi, With Best Wishes

2007-05-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

The View from Below

2007-05-28T07:42:00.002-07:00

My good friends, Thank you for your kindness. While you think that your blog administrator is laboring, crafting those html codes, she is having the greatest fun of her life with only some typing, some uploading and some cutting and pasting. Rekindled friendship and a steady dose of humor have brought many of us to the front of the monitor to view this blog many times in a day (and this applies to your maestra as well). I am very happy that la gioconda is now officially crowned; I have always secretly admired her when we shared the bunk bed together and always wished to be her chouchoute.

De la part d'une admiratrice et fan

2007-05-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

La Castafiore, la cantante e la serissima, la dottoressa !

From Thai Vi: La Gioconda et al.

2007-05-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

1. La gioconda e la giocondissima.

2. La gentile e la gentilissima.

3. La giocondissima e la serenissima.

Quelques photos de gentilles, belles dames avec qui j'ai passe des moments precieux.
A suivre. Bisous, Thai Vi.

Retrouvailles: Amitié et Souvenirs d'antan

2007-05-21T14:52:00.001-07:00

The Way We Were

Lựa Chọn Chủ Đề và Nhạc Đệm cho Buổi Họp Mặt

2007-05-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Gabcast! Hà's Message

1970 Acalanthis Memoria

2007-05-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

Days Gone By

A Theme for Our Reunion

2007-05-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Although we have so much fun tasting and discussing the delicious-looking virtual pastries, I am being reminded by the project leader cum diplomat Thai Vi that we need to come up with some theme music (for our reunion and) for our post reunion production. Seeing the depth and breath of the many witty comments on the blog, I know that I can rely on the talented contributors and readers to name a theme that will band us together this November.

What theme would you suggest for our reunion this year?

Some of us here may suggest “Gathering for Good Food” or “Summit of Best Gardeners”, but I guess that friends who are vigilant on a diet or non-gardeners will object. Once the suggestions are in, selection will be made based on popular support, and of course, the theme’s author will be rewarded sumptuously at the reunion.

From Evelyne to Quyên: Chou de Paris

2007-05-14T05:25:00.001-07:00

Chère Quyên,

Je t'envoie un chou de Paris, tu peux le manger autant de fois que tu veux, je t'assure tu ne grossiras pas d'un gramme.

Evelyne

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

A bouquet of roses to wish you a happy Mother's Day.

Thể Theo Lời Yêu Cầu của Thái Vi

2007-05-12T23:35:00.005-07:00

27 Tra Lai Em Yeu....