Sunday, July 31, 2011

Professor Tran Van Dinh

Trần Văn Dĩnh (Huế, 1923 - Washington, D.C. 4 October 2011) was a Vietnamese diplomat, author, professor of international politics and communications at Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvania.[1] In his words, "I am a Vietnamese by birth, an American by choice."

Tran Van Dinh was born and raised in Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. He came from a family of Confucian scholars, Buddhist philosophers, and Taoist poets. In his youth, he participated in the anti-colonial struggle against the French. Later, he became a diplomat and has served in Thailand, Burma (Minister plenipotentiary), the United Nations (observer), Argentina, Mexico (nonresident ambassador) and the United States of America (Minister-Counselor, Chargé d'affaires).
After serving for 10 years in the Vietnamese diplomatic service in Southeast Asia, Tran Van Dinh joined the Embassy of Vietnam in Washington, D.C. in 1961. From their post in Washington, the Van Dinhs took in the events of the growing Civil Rights Movement, in particular, the 300,000 people March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These events would have a profound impact on their relationship with the United States and would foreshadow their own immersion into the ongoing struggle for liberation around the globe.
In 1963, Tran was in charge of the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, D.C. as well as non-resident Ambassador to Argentina.

He resigned at the end of 1963 to pursue full-time his passion for peace and social justice work. This included teaching courses in Asian Humanism at the State University of New York/Old Westbury and the Dag Hammarskjöld College at Columbia, Maryland. From 1971 to 1985, he taught International Politics and Communications and chaired the Department of Pan-African Studies at Temple University.

His publications include hundreds of articles and essays, two major textbooks :Independence Liberation Revolution: An Approach to the Understanding of The Third WorldCommunication and Diplomacy in a Changing World. He also wrote two novels about the Vietnam War: No Passenger on the River (1965) and Blue Dragon White Tiger (1983).
He was a contributor (for Asia) and editorial advisor to The International Encyclopedia of Communications. In recent years, he frequently visited Southeast Asia and Vietnam and has written an article on his native city of Huế in the November 1989 issue of the National Geographic Magazine. He co-authored an Insight Guides book on Vietnam which was translated into several languages (including German and French). He is an overseas member of the Scientific Council of the non-governmentalTrungTam Nghien Cuu Quoc Hoc (Center for National Culture Studies) with offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

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Monday, December 13, 2010

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....

Sunday, October 3, 2010

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!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Millie in France & Germany


Getty ready to have a picnic in the Bois de Vincennes


Cluny La Sorbonne Metro station


Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany

Friday, September 3, 2010

Melborne Spring 2010


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

Sunday, August 29, 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.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

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

Friday, July 2, 2010

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 !

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

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#.

Monday, May 31, 2010

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.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

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)