Arriving late in the evening, Mr. Eccles preferred a quiet time to catch up with things. We had a light dinner at the hotel. The hotel accommodation was superior. My room was very beautiful. Every morning, around 4am, after a light exercise, I stuffed myself with the available fresh fruits and mineral water. When I went to breakfast, sometimes with Tony Eccles, I didn't eat much. Most mornings I sat at the same table facing the garden.
Wednesday morning. I met with Mr. Bui Manh Hai, former Deputy Minister of Science and Industry. We talked about the continued harassment by the police in Hau Giang and the difficulty in dealing with the officials there. He offered me very good advice, saying that he would give me full support, and, as president of the Overseas Vietnamese Association, he would endorse the VVCF. He thought I might apply for a Decision with the Ministry of Interior and he offered to introduce me to them. After the meeting we were invited to lunch with Dr. Thao, president of Invenco law firm, and his staff, at a very nice restaurant.
I was told President Nguyen Minh Triet's office had sent another request to the Deputy Minister of Interior, asking him to contact the Secretary of the Communist Party in Hau Giang. They wanted to arrange a visit for Dr. Thao, me, and a senior member of Mr. Pham Quoc Anh's administration to Hau Giang. Mr. Anh, as president of Viet Nam's Lawyers Association, had already sent two letters to Hau Giang in October (one to the Chairman of Hau Giang and one to the Lawyers Association of Hau Giang). The purpose of this trip was to sort out the charity's new registration. I had been told the Decision granted by the District of Long My last May was not valid -- because of the presence of foreigners in the charity.
Thursday afternoon. Mr. Pham Quoc Anh was attending the National Assembly meeting but had agreed to give me an appointment at 3:00 pm. When I arrived at the conference building with Dr. Thao and Mr. Tony Eccles, Mr. Anh greeted me, "I wish I could receive you at a more hospitable setting." Dr. Thao began the meeting by telling Mr. Anh that my father had been given a revolutionary award by Prime Minister Do Muoi. I talked briefly about my father's intelligent activities in the Mekong Delta during the French War and the American War. Then we discussed the problems concerning the VVCF. We had some photos taken before Mr. Anh returned to the National Assembly meeting. It was an honor to be photographed with my three dedicated legal advisors.
Friday morning. While shopping at the silk market, I received a phone call to come to Invenco for a meeting with Mr. Dang Quoc Toan (from Mr. Anh's office). We had a long discussion and Dung, a young lawyer of Invenco, finalized the arrangement for our trip to Hau Giang. He confirmed our air tickets, transportation, and hotel reservation. Dung had prepared the agenda for Hau Giang. Our top priority was to push through a request to Hau Giang, for Dale Watkins and Jenni Cochran to start teaching English ASAP.
Before leaving for lunch, Dr. Thao telephoned Hau Giang for a final confirmation of the visit. He was surprised to learn that the officials in Hau Giang wouldn't receive us. The reason: they were busy planning a big conference to celebrate the Communist Party. We were all annoyed.
Meanwhile, I received a request from Long My's Office of the Ministry of Education. They would like the VVCF to hand the kindergarten over to them, which was a fair request. I agreed and asked them to send their request in writing. I also told them we could arrange a simple handover ceremony while I was still in the country. The next day I learned that it would be impossible to give the kindergarten to the Ministry of Education as that would require a signature from the Chairman of Hau Giang, who had taken side with the district's police and he was against the charity.
At Invenco, we talked about various possibilities. We thought of registering the VVCF with the Ministry of Interior. Mr. Bui Manh Hai, my supporter, knew this Ministry well. However, we learned on the same day that I wouldn't be allowed to run a charity with registration in Viet Nam without having a Vietnamese citizenship.
I spent Saturday with Dung. As I admired West Lake, we went there and sat at a bench to admire its beauty. It was cool and the lake's view was misty. We had lunch at a restaurant facing Truc Bach Lake. There, we had a table at the edge of the lake and we sat for some hours. One of the places we visited in the afternoon was the ancient Imperial City of Thang Long, being destroyed by the French at the beginning of their invasion. I felt a sense of profound resentment towards the French colonists. Next year the Vietnamese will mark Thang Long's one thousand years of history.
I moved into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' guest house Sunday morning. This was an office building with some rooms for guests, at a low rate. Despite being simple, I fell in love with the place. The food was authentic, simple, and good. My table always had a fresh rose, where I also held meetings and interviews with the press. They gave me a glass of fresh passion fruit drink for every meal. The color wasn't red or brown but yellow and it was most delicious. Of all the places I had stayed, including five-star hotels, this was where I received the warmest welcome and consistent hospitality.
Monday morning I met with Professor Tran Thai Binh, a prominent historian and writer. Prof. Binh had written a biography of General Vo Nguyen Giap and he signed a copy for me. I gave him a copy of Late Blossom. He said he enjoyed reading it very much.
I had a few days on my own and went shopping and visited a tailor. I was told to move into the Thang Loi hotel one day before the conference. It was a nice place with charming lake views where Catherine Deneuve had stay during the filming of "Indochine". I shared the room with Kim Nguyet, a Vietnamese from Canada. Our room's wide window was overlooking the beautiful and tranquil lake.
Mr. Bui Manh Hai had recommended a position for me within the government. This has to do with policy making concerning future investment and other projects submitted to Viet Nam by overseas Vietnamese. This recommendation must be approved by senior people in the Ministries. If this goes smoothly, a Vietnamese citizenship for me may follow.
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