Emotional Facebook Reunion

HTC-PFAC FAN DANCERS' REUNION

ANDREW:  Kim Xuan, you won't believe this.  I found your friend Van, the fan dancer who used to perform with you.

VAN:  Oh my god!  It is you, Xuan?   I was trying to figure out if you were the person that I knew of in the camp. You were always the tallest person in the fan dance group!  Wow!  This is amazing.   How could you and Mr. Andrew Aaron Taylor still be in touch after 30 years? I just came back from my vacation and was just in Australia. I didn't know your whereabouts in Australia.  We could have reunited.  Not sure if you still remember Binh aka Bonnie Ly?  I visited her in Melbourne. Hope to chat with you soon, Kim Xuan. 

ANDREW:  Hello, Van.  It's been a long time.

VAN:  Mr. Andrew Aaron Taylor, yes it's been over twenty years since we saw each other in Toronto.  Glad Facebook is around.

ANDREW:  You're absolutely right, Van.  Please catch Kim Xuan's interview on our PFAC Palawan Blog.

VAN:  Yes, I'll definitely check it out. Thank you.

ANDREW:  There are so many things to see on our blog.  Here's the link.  http://pfacasylum.blogspot.com/2015_10_01_archive.html

VAN:  Wow. That's amazing! I didn't even know that the PFAC was on Facebook until last week, my sister Deb or known as Diep brought it to my attention.

KIM XUAN:  Wow Andy. That's amazing.  How do I get in touch with Van?

VAN:  I'm right here, Kim Xuan.

KIM XUAN:  Hi, Van.  What a shame you've just left Aussie.   Yes, I was indeed the tallest and Lydie Kim Loan Huynh hasn't caught up to my height.  I can't remember Binh at all, nor your weird name now.  Do you mind if you could refresh a bit ?

VAN:  It's Van Ngoc Nguyen. Just a month ago, I was looking through our pix from the camp and you were in that pix too.  I will look for it later on and will show you.  Lydie Kim Loan Nguyen?  Looking at her profile pix I think I know her too. Was also looking at the pix from the camp before I went for my vacation to meet up with Binh Ly in Melbourne.

KIM XUAN:  OMG ... so you're actually Van, like Andy just said ?

VAN:  Yes, Kim Xuan.  Do you still remember me?

KIM XUAN:  Yes, I can tell it's you now.  You have beautiful eyes.  Lydie Kim Loan Huynh is Kim Loan the trio in the ballet pix.   I still have that picture too.

VAN:  Yes.  Oh my god.  I can't believe you both haven't changed much at all. I'm glad to have found you.

KIM XUAN:  Indeed I remember now.  Your sister is called Diep.
OMG.  We just missed each other.  Lydie Kim Loan Huynh visited me in Australia two years ago..

VAN:  This is Binh Ly. Do you remember her?

VAN:  This is her now.  Still looks the same 30 years after. Was last month when I met up with her in Melbourne.  I just came back from my vacation last night so kind-a jet lagged and been up since yesterday morning.  Wow, that is amazing that you both still keep in touch.  We should definitely have a reunion.  Binh and I Are thinking in 5 years.

BENNY ONG:  Van, Kim and Andy... you made me cry, just reading all the messages.  It brought back a lot of good memories of PFAC.  I love these three girls a lot.  Kim Xuan, Kim Loan and Van were the star dancers of HTC-PFAC before and they were a bunch of beautiful girls who met the dignitaries visiting the camp and entertained them.  Sister Tomasa will be very happy to know that you all are reunited again.  Keep the fire burning in your friendship.  I'm so emotional! 

VAN:  Oh my god.  Me too.  I've been going through the box to search for more pix.  I've been telling the stories to my hubby and my two kids all day.  Lol.  I'm so happy right now.   Best day!

Lydie Kim Loan Huynh:  Me too.  I'm so happy.  Phan and I were talking about this on the phone more than two hours. Thanks to Mr. Andrew Aaron Taylor for this FB reunion.  Yes Mr Boy, so emotional. We will keep this friendship burning more and more...

ANDREW:  When I found Van, I thought of Kim Xuan and Boy right away. But most especially Boy. I truly believed in my heart that Boy would be very thrilled and emotional to be reunited with Van. Kim Xuan and Van are Boy's babies. Part of Boy's success in the camp was the dedication of these Vietnamese Fan Dancers and usherettes. God bless you all.

BENNY ONG:   You said it right, Andy.  And I thank you so much for always being an angel... for reconnecting me to all the VN who are special and dear to me.  It is just ethereal that all of these are happening now.  Seeing my dearest fan dancers who were my angels before and until now, and seeing them so successful and still pretty and gorgeous brought me to a higher level of fulfillment and pride.

ANDREW:  Well said, Boy. Absolutely said well.

KIM XUAN:  Great childhood keeping us young and pretty.  The three of us have one thing in common. We came to the camp with our mothers only, and each of us had a sibling.

Lydie Kim Loan Huynh:  Van also has a brother- Anh Lộc.

VAN:  Wow.  You both impressed me with your memories.  Yes, you're correct.  I have an older brother named Anh Loc.

KIM XUAN:  Hi Van and Loan.  look at these pix.  That's how cute we were. Thanks to the HTC for making us look this great.  Considering it was 30 years ago, but the teachers were able to pull up great costumes and training (choreography).

 

KIM XUAN:  I am so happy to have found another long lost friends of mine after 30 years. Thanks to Andrew Aaron Taylor youthful pix that I and my friend jumped in to comment and that's how we connect with each other. Ngoc Van and Kim Loan and I were the 3 children of HTC who were much loved and cared for by all the HTC teachers and performed together at most of the functions. This was how Van and I look like in Palawan.

BENNY ONG:  OMG, our three lovable and beautiful muses and dancers are finally reunited on FB.  This is so amazing.... best regards Kim Xuan, Kim Loan and Van.  So happy for you!

Lydie Kim Loan Huynh:  Yes Mr Boy oi, very happy

VAN:  I'm glad to get in touch with you too, Mr. Benny Ong.

BENNY ONG:  OMG, Van oi.   I am so emotional right now. Kim Xuan and I were talking about you when I was in Australia, and she really hoped that the three of you would finally keep in touch.  This is just so emotional.

VAN:  And I was just there a week ago.  I reunited with Bonnie Ly known as Binh Ly.  I was talking about her and the rest of the gang dancers. Too bad I didn't see her when I was in Melbourne it's OK though.  There's another chance again !
Lydie Kim Loan:  Yes, Van.  I'm looking forward to your visit. I recognized Binh.  She and Hai Duong are Phan's friend.

VAN:  Yes, you're right.  It's just too bad that I never had the chance to be in touch with Phan.

BENNY ONG:  Really? Kim Xuan will be very upset to hear that you were there, but you were not able to meet. She was a great host when I went there.  I had so much fun and great time with her family.

Lydie Kim Loan Huynh:   Phan's FB account is Hoang Lam Vo.

VAN:  Omg.  Thanks,  Lydie Kim Loan Huynh.  I'm a happy person today having been reconnected with all of you.  Thanks to Mr. Andrew Aaron Taylor!

KIM XUAN:  I am amazed at how there are so many activities and friends developed during those time consider how tiny PFAC/VRC is when I was there a few months ago. The place wasn't that big but could house a lot of us.

VAN:  Great memories that's for sure.

KIM XUAN:  I feel so blessed having reunited with all my childhood friends.

ANDREW:  And I'm delighted to be a part of it. Thanks to Diep too and my FB connection to Dung.

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Looking for Old PFAC Friends

MY LONG LOST FRIENDS

Please help Teacher Sammy reconnect with his Vietnamese friends in the pictures if you know these people. They were PA Numbers holders and left the VRC or PFAC in the mid to late 80s. They were Sammy's assistant teachers/interpreters.

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A SINCERE CHAT WITH DO MINH DAI

PFAC Palawan was My Foundation

ANDREW:  I'm sitting here with my former PFAC student Do Minh Dai.  We have just been reunited after 26 years. Dai, when did you arrive in the camp and when did you resettle in the United States?

DAI:  I arrived in PFAC in 1988 and left for the USA in 1990.

ANDREW:  What was your best memory of the refugee camp?

DAI:  I think my best memory was the movie night every Friday and Saturday nights.  I  enjoyed watching movies in front of the ocean.  I thought it was absolutely beautiful.  Also I met a lot of good friends there. Lots of unforgettable memories.  I kind-a-love everything about the camp.

ANDREW:  Name three international volunteers in the camp that you believe have made an enormous difference in your life.

DAI:  Obviously, you are one of them. Well, I'm not gonna name two other people because everyone of them, especially the teaching staff; all of those people have helped made a positive difference in my life.  I wouldn't be who I am today in America if I didn't have them as my foundation.  A lot of volunteers in the camp have all contributed in making my life much better. 

ANDREW:  When you were in the camp what was your normal routine?

DAI:   Woke up and hang out with friends, had a lot of fun, went to school five days a week, did some homework, and watched movies on Friday and Saturday nights.  Those were pretty much my routine.

ANDREW:  When you were in the camp did you make a lot of friends?  How did they treat you?

DAI:  I definitely made a lot of good friends.  Unfortunately, I am no longer in touch with a lot of them.  We were all there without our families, kind-a unique 'cause we had a lot of freedom for kids my age.  Well, I think, friends made the refugee camp more special.

ANDREW:  You said that before you were promoted to my class you were with Sammy Taylor.  Do you have any message to Teacher Sammy?

DAI:  Sure.  Teacher Sammy, thank you.  Thank you very much. I enjoyed every moment in the school.  I learned so much from you.  You have an excellent teaching technique.  Once again, thank you and a round of applause to you and the rest of the HTC--PFAC teachers.

ANDREW:  Do you have any message to your teacher Andrew Taylor and to your former classmates?

DAI:  Well, you know I'm grateful to you, sir.  You're the best.  Thank you for your dedication.  It's hard to describe it, but your way of teaching, your interactions with the students... I mean, we saw everything.  You were very passionate with what you were doing. Nowadays, it's really rare to find someone who truly enjoys their job the way you did serving the Vietnamese refugees and we are truly grateful.  So thank you, really.  And to my classmates.  I'm not sure if anyone of you still remembers me but if you do, please connect me up and I'd like to chat with you guys.

ANDREW:  Do you have any message to the Philippine government that gave the Vietnamese refugees a safe haven for more than two decades?

DAI:  Well, again.  Thank you very much.  I feel so fortunate to have a chance to associate with the Filipinos when I was in the camp.  I just love the Filipino people not just because they were helping the Vietnamese refugees.  I love the Filipino culture in general.  The people were very friendly... very simple. So again, thank you.  If I may repeat.  I think I'm really so fortunate to get to know the Philippines and so many Filipino people.

ANDREW:  You're a very successful person in my opinion.  If the camp were still in existence today, do you think you would return to the camp and work as a volunteer?  Why and why not?

DAI:  I would really love to, but to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be able to because of the nature of the job I'm in right now.  However, I know for a fact that I would be able to lend a hand in a different way if the camp were still there.

ANDREW:  You've touched about this a little bit earlier but would you say that PFAC has given you foundation in order to be a better person in the United States?

DAI:  No question about it.  First, I learned English in the camp, which you know, facilitated my integration into the US.  PFAC definitely gave me a strong foundation not just academically but more importantly, I learned to be a better person.  I learned love, respect, sharing, friendship, camaraderie and hope.  I learned to look forward with so much courage and great optimism.  And because of all of these, I'm extremely grateful to the Philippines, the Filipinos and the international volunteers, especially the HTC-PFAC teachers.

ANDREW:  Well said, Dai.  Thank you for doing this interview.  You are the epitome of what is possible for immigrants when they believe in themselves and work very hard.   You're a PFAC Palawan son and we're extremely proud of you.  Any final thoughts?

DAI:  Thank you to all the teaching staff and to everyone that helped many, many thousands of Vietnamese refugees.  You've all contributed in making our integration into the United States and all over the world way much easier. Without your dedicated service, we wouldn't be doing what we are doing today.  To other former refugees, if you have a chance to help other people who need assistance, please do so. There's nothing more joyful than helping the less fortunate.

     Do Minh Dai

     Group 127 Mary Ship

     PFAC Palawan