Sài Gòn Mùa Đông

Want to share all the song I have just completed recently in Melbourne.

Sài Gòn mùa đông , biết em còn mãi yêu

Gọi mùa xa vắng bước chân lạc lối quen

Để tình ngủ yên lá cây còn xác xơ

Yêu dấu đi rồi, để mai không có mây...

Sài Gòn mùa đông, bước chân tìm lãng quên

Hỏi lòng đang yêu biết ai còn nhớ ai ?

Để mùa thu đi ,lá sao còn tiễn đưa

Bóng nắng không còn để mùa thu ấy xa tầm tay..

Điệp khúc:

Ngày mùa xuân đến có nắng bay đầy sân

Sài gòn đang yệu , áo thắm hương tình nhân

Một mình chiếc lá vẫn mãi bay về đâu

Hỏi lòng bơ vơ ,mong sao tình yêu đến

Để mùa xuân hát , hát mãi hương nồng say

Để mùa đông đi , ướm nắng hoa vàng tươi

Hỏi tình có biêt ấm áp bay về cuối trời ?

Sài Gòn bên em , chút nắng hương gọi tên....

Gap Anh Nhon Chi Hanh o Melbourne

No passenger on the river

Through " No passenger on the river " , readers can have insights about his love, future of hope , and kindly emotions. Many dreams about politics , pride about origins and especially true romance will be revealed in this novel. A novel brings us to long - journey dreams that we can know more about the author's world, Vietnam and Hue . Let's follow his dreams in 1960s but still remember about reality-Like he named the book " No passenger on the river ".
I follow his journey of dreams and hope to uncover mystery of love, hope , sorrow.......Love it!

Millie in France & Germany

Getty ready to have a picnic in the Bois de Vincennes


Cluny La Sorbonne Metro station


Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany

Melborne Spring 2010

With Ruby Rose -an ambassador of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2010

"The Honeymooners"

Nguyen An Bang and Le Thi Kim Cuc, on the Carnival Liberty cruise ship in the Caribbean, August 2010.

Theresa in Provence

In L'Isle sur la Sorgue, France with hostess Catherine, July 2010.

Relatives in Paris, July 2010

Emmanuelle Richeton and Marie Tran Van.

Le Thi Dung and Arthur Tran Van.

Tran Van Ngo and Marie Tran Van.

Melbourne Diary

Walking on Sunday morning in Melbourne was a comfortable feeling to me. The shine was still bright after a windy Saturday. I felt very easy and happy again; this feeling came inside me so many times when I placed my first footsteps in Melbourne Central. The nice road was full of bright sunlight and many modern Melbournians walking. Melbourne central was lazy at weekend, she never woke up soon. After 10h00, many people poured into this place. They were busy with their daily lives, of course, but they were still very fashionable with their coats and boots. Each girl wore different styles and colors, it made Melbourne more beautiful. At the street, one Melbournian girl was very happy if another man looked at her admirably due to her beauty. Combining modern people and antique infrastructure that make Melbourne have a special charm. Such a lovely Sunday I spent!

July 2010 Melbourne

Waving flag and Vietnam

One of my good friends, Phuong Vy , the first Vietnam Idol ( Vietnam Idol models American idol ) , sang Waving flag with Somali-Canadian artist K’Naan under Coca- cola campaign for World cup 2010. She has a strong, emotional voice , I sure that in few years later , she will become a new Vietnamese diva due to her hard working, serious thinking about her career .She has strong music backgrounds, not only she love music, but also her parents, younger sisters , brothers and her siblings love music so much. This is a big music family. I never forgot that at Lunar New year 2009, I came to her house, her family, her friends and I made a really live show. Singing all days, living with music made us very happy.
Waving flag was chosen as one of official songs in FIFA World Cup 2010. I think the reason is that this song contains so much African rhythms which are a good way to spread Africa culture to over the world.
The lyrics are very positive, funny and free. It encourages freedom and engagement in football game of human beings.
When I get older I will be stronger
They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag
So wave your flag, now wave your flag, now wave your flag
Oooohhh, Oooooooooh wooooohh, Oooooooooh wooooohh

To be honest, this song did not really impress me at the first time. However, at that time, when World Cup begins, this song always let me shake my hands, move my body and sings very loudly.

Listen waving flag ( K' Naan ft. Phuong Vy ) in this link
http://mp3.zing.vn/mp3/nghe-bai-hat/Waving-flag-remix-Kanas-ft-Phuong-Vy.IW6AUUOE.html


Let guess with me – Agrentina vs Germany - two opposite powers will fight together. Agrentina will win - go for it Agrentina -Maradona , Messi . Let watch it ! Whoaaa World Cup 2010 is so great !

Toi ru em ngu ( Trinh Cong Son )

A Work of Art

While in DC, I was blessed to sample my first ever soft-shell crab, a seasonal delicacy famous in this area. It is often prepared as shown in the photo, and one eats it in a sandwich. This could very well be the most beautiful image I laid my eyes on while at the nation's capital, but you can be the judge of that. If you are interested in other impressions from my trip, you are welcome to visit http://picasaweb.google.com/tesstran/WashingtonDC#.

East (Coast) Meets West

Last Sunday, I was in Washington, DC and had the lovely opportunity to meet with the children of Tran Thi Nga and their spouses. Chi Ha took me to see "Little Saigon" a.k.a. Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia, and afterwards we had a delicious dinner at Minh's Restaurant. It was delightful to spend the time connecting with family, and I truly hope that this is just a small preview of a larger family reunion to take place some time in the near future.

SONG HUONG –THE RIVER OF MEMORABLE SONGS

I wanted to share with you about my feeling of previous visit to Hue

I remembered that six year ago, when I and my family came to Hue, I did feel peaceful as this is an original family’s homeland which is connected closely with my ancestors’ lives. Sensation of peacefulness is because of slow pace of life, hospital face of my Hue’s cousins and especially poetic nature of Song Huong (Perfume River) or Nui Ngu Binh (Mount Royal Screen).
Here in Huong River, at the fist time, I had a chance to listen songs of Hue from a small sampan of a fishing family. Unlike a big boat with a lot of noise and colorful limelight, in a small and warm environment, we could hear sweet and leisure hò mái nhì‘s beats which combined perfectly with waves flapping against the side of a boat. An unforgettable feelings rose when I was enjoying dedicate words of a beautiful Hue’s singer rising amidst the tranquil night with fresh air and bright moon. Her sweet voice really attracted all listeners when she sang one of Hue’s well - known, lyrical and subtle poetry:

Chiều chiều trước bến Văn Lâu
Ai ngồi ai câu
Ai sầu ai thảm
Ai thương ai cảm
Ai nhớ ai mong
Thuyền ai thấp thoáng bên sông
Buông câu mái nhị chạnh lòng nước non

(Evening, before the King’s pavilion:
People are singing, fishing, sad and grieving, loving,
in love, remembering , waiting, watching,
Whose boat piles the river mists?
-offerings so many rowing songs
that move these mountains and rivers, our Nation.
Translation by John Balaban , in “ Vietnamese Folk Poetry” )

The time seems to pause for a while when the songs began and the love of river and rowing songs appeared to blend with mute love of patriotism of every participant. At that time, through their meditative expression, I knew that my family and cousins was recalling their past childhood memories.
Sadly, Hueans with gentleness and gracefulness in their characteristics have often experienced miserable lives which are greatly affected by unstable weather. Maybe patience and determination could help them to go through many hardships and vicissitudes of lives. On September 2009, Typhoon Ketsana swept through the central region (Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai etc.) causing many fatalities and mental & material damages. Many victims endured starvation, sense of homelessness and losing close relatives. At this time, every Vietnamese, regardless of different regions, religions and social class should follow the spirits of known – by heart folk poetry:

Nhiễu điều phủ lấy giá gương
Người trong một nước phải thương nhau cùng.
(As the piece of red crepe covers the mirror,
So fellow countrymen must love one another)

Hinh gia dinh & anh Ty - Colorado ( 27/03/2010)

Hinh Anh Chi Le & Bao ( 12/05/2010)

A post on behalf of Tran Van Ngo

Here are two family photos, taken in 1995 in San Diego.

This second one is with the founder of  Nguoi Viet  Inc. who ran the NV daily news in Westminster, CA.  Do Ngoc Yen died 3 years  ago. Tran Van Due was Yen's great helper;  that's why all members of NV  News was  in debt to our whole family.

Goi em - Tieng que huong

A song of me about Vietnamese living far away.
This inspiration comes from many visits of my relatives to Vietnam ( A Khoi, chi Ha , a Ti and other many young relatives etc. )

Tieng que huong - Goi em
Music and lyrics : Dang Khoa

Em ,co biet chang ngay quay ve
Làng que yeu dau than thuong suot nam dai
Em , co biet chang nguoi o lai
Xay dap tinh que huong dep vo bo

Goi nang nang dua em ve
Mot thoi tho au , xanh xanh bo luy non tre
Goi em nang tuoi , lua thom nong
Dan co trang, dan co bay rop mua
Goi gio , gio bay theo dong ..
Mot canh dong xanh chan chim mua tuoi nang moi
Goi em tieng ca dao nhan dua ve
Ngay thang cho mong , que huong minh dep biet bao


Tranlate into English...... ^ ^

You can hear A demo of the song is in this link :
http://mp3.zing.vn/mp3/nghe-bai-hat/Goi-em-Dang-Khoa.IW6OZOCW.html

Thirty-five years later

Every year in one strip mall in a part of Little Saigon in San Jose, these flags are resurrected around April 30. It's an impressive sight, the splash of sunlight yellow and royal red waving proudly above the buildings. It's another "anniversary" to remember, but certainly one that calls for a different sort of commemoration, and definitely no cake.

I was only six years old on that day in 1975. Unlike other major events that I would live through such as the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in Santa Cruz and the World Trade Center attacks on 911, I don't know exactly where I was when I learned of this news. To be honest, I probably didn't even know what it all meant anyway at that time.

I think about my impression compared to those of relatives older than me. Has that moment in time been seared into your memory? An earlier version of 911 perhaps? And I wonder about our other blood relatives who still live in Viet Nam, like Khoa and his father, Uncle Thanh and family. How is this day regarded?

Hello,

anyone interested in CDO, CDS, RMBS or Subprimes ? Got plenty !

Family Tree Book

Dear Family Members,

I was informed by several family members about the poor binding quality of the Tran Van Family History Book, causing the pages to fall off.

I notified the printing company about this problem, and they promised to print new copies for replacement.

If you have a copy with this particular problem, please let me know.

Sorry about the inconvenience, and hope to hear from you.

Bich

A lovely photo

Dear relatives,

Some of you have seen this photo already, but I wanted to share it on the blog. This is a photo of Tran Van Huong's family with my father, Tran Van Due.

I love the way it shows connection between families, and I'm glad that we not only continue to maintain that connection, but hopefully we'll take it one step further by communicating with each other on this blog.

I believe you can click the picture for a larger view. I'd love to hear what you think of this photo, and even better, perhaps share a picture from your own collection.

In kinship,
Theresa

Greetings!

Lily here, just wanted to introduce myself.

I'm one of Tran Van Due's daughters. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband Lee and daughter Ava.

I'm very excited about our family blog and look forward to hearing from everyone!

Welcome!

We have developed this web blog for the Tran Van Family to share the latest news, life events, stories...among the family members.

We hope you'll join us and will be actively involved in this family event.

If we miss any family member, kindly let us know.

Looking forward to meeting you on the blog.

Tran Van Ngo

Tran Van Bich