Fateful Day in Ha Long Bay | Fishing Boat in Ha Long Bay |
My life changed forever in Ha Long Bay. I was originally supposed to go with my best friend, but after a late night in Hanoi, he ended up sleeping off a hangover and I went alone. During the tour I met My, the woman I would later end up marrying. There was a light rain when we arrived at Cat Ba Island, so the beach would have to wait. Instead, I joined a nature hike around the hills of Cat Ba, where I first met My. I remember she stood out because she was so unlike the typical Vietnamese woman. She was outgoing, confident and travelling on her own. I thought she had to be Viet Kieu- overseas Vietnamese. Later that day, the sun finally came out so I quickly grabbed my towel and headed to the beach. Not long after, My came and sat down. She was sitting alone reading "The Quiet American," but I couldn't muster the courage to approach her. When the sunlight started to fade, she grabbed her things and headed back to the hotel. Needless to say, I thought it was a good time for me to head back as well. As we walked along the beach toward the hotels, she recognized me from the hike. I figured this was as good a time as any to introduce myself. It turned out that she wasn't Viet Kieu after all. She was from Saigon and she was in Hanoi on business. She had decided to take a holiday detour, and booked the same tour I had. We hit it off immediately and continued talking into the evening. It was one of those first meetings where you're never at a loss of words. To my disappointment, she had to get back to work the next day, but she gave me her card and told me to call her when I made it down to Saigon. Well I did and we ended up getting married a year later! We've been married for 4 years now and have two beautiful daughters. |
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