Hi,

My existence started on a little island called Phu Quy in the province of Binh Thuan off the southeast coast of Vietnam in the fall of the early 70's. I had a hard childhood since I was always sick. My lungs never function like it was suppose to. I was always tired and exhausted. Due to the superstition
and beliefs of our culture, the monks told my parents to give me away so the spirits would
leave me alone. Well, I guess my parents love me too much because they didn't give me
away..hihi.. I did get a little better as I grew up.

My family owned a fishing business on the island so we had our own boat. In the fall of 1979,
we all boarded the boat and head for Malaysia.The crew also included my uncle's family and
two of my dad's friends. It took us 3 days at sea to reach Kuching, Malaysia. The border
patrol would not let us dock. They gave us fuel and towed us out to sea. They gave directions
to Philiphine. My dad did not think that we would survive the trip to Philiphine. If we were going
to die, then we might as well die here. He head back to Kuching. This time, the border patrol
allowed us to dock but still refuse to let us set foot on land. We were confined to the boat until
they can make a decision.

I guess we were lucky, because they allow us to enter the refugee camp after a week on the boat.
They confiscated our boat for thier usage. It was a brand new boat. My dad had just built it a couple
months before the journey. We did not live well in the camps but was glad to have a chance for a
better future. Life at the refugee camp for me was fun since I did know any better. I was about 8
years old at the time so I was full of energy. I did not have the worries that my parents did. In order
to leave the camp, someone in the USA have to sponsor you. It was like playing the lottery. Every
day you listen for your name as it comes over the intercom. After the announcement, you can see
tears of joy and sadness. My parents had their tears of joy 3 months after we landed in the camp.
Everyone was so surprise that we were chosen to come to America. Most people have been there
for years. The preparations was so hectic. Just because your name was called doesn't mean that
it was an automatic shipment to the USA. We were screened for all kinds of disease. My dad was
very sick at the time and we did not know what their criteria was for a passing score. They couldn't
even draw blood from his arms. He had been working hard in the camp to get extra cash for food.
The portion that was given to us on a daily basis was barely enough for one person, much less for a
family of five. My dad and my uncle worked during the night to trap alligators. They would sell the
alligator to the people from the nearby towns for a little money. With this money, we could purchase
food and clothing. We left our homes with nothing but the clothing on our backs.

America... so big and so scary... Where would we live? How will we work and survive? Those were
the questions that enter my parent's mind as they were driven to a motel in San Antonio, Texas. I
was having a blast!!! Swimming pool, carpets, television... wow... I was in heaven!!!

Chapter 2?