Dear Julian and Paddie,

Don't you know there was a change
The welcoming board with your names was given to me at the end
And you appeared with so big and fresh smile
To start a wonderful day
I did what I had to say
You have beautiful smiles, Paddie
That reflex the bright mind and soft heart
The day was just short
But a lot of memories
And love for peace
Thank you, Julian, for your love, your pictures and your pen
Bringing more and more precious friends
To my country Vietnam
Thank you for your poem for Lan
I like it so much
Thank you for your kindness
To help improve
My use of English I love
I will send you
Pieces of my thoughts
Wishing all the best
To Julian and Paddie
And your dearest family...

Dear Julian and Paddie,

I put my writing on my blog and rearranging it, when you have time, can you read and help me improve by giving some comment or correcting mistakes. Thanks.
Paddie, I hope you like our Vietnam's Ban Me Thuot Coffee.

Lan
http://lantourguide.blogspot.com/


--- On Tue, 4/10/12, Mediahelp - From Julian and Paddie.

Dear Lan,

Here, below, is one of my poems. It is about first love. It is about how when one has one's first love, it is uncomplicated, not sexual, but still with passion. But it must end and it will end, even though, when young lovers separate they may write to each other, the love will slowly drift away.
Some of the words and the way we write poetry may be hard for you because words have many meanings, but I hope you like it.
It was lovely to meet you and I have, at the end of this letter, written a very short poem just for you about our meeting. If I have the time to do it, I will try to help with your English writing, so do send some to us.
Lots of love,
Julian and Paddie. (Please see the two poems below: )

FIRST LOVE.

One summer, days of meaningless hours interrupting moments of precious moment,
No future sought, nothing given; no promise sought, no needs expressed,
Dark those eyes, cold those fragile hands, tall those slender forms hidden beneath the coarser cloth a fledgling wears,
No silks detract, no powder, grease nor scents,
In it's simplicity no barrier breaks the norms , no wrapping hides the cares or masks the looks or spoils the touch,

Letters bridge the distance of separation but dwindle for no reason
Words so tense and longing, yet quickly extinguished by time,
Knowing that the end is a certainty, not in a desire to end,
But in the inevitability that is an end when youth knows not of futures.
No goodbyes, no plaintive duty expressed, no last line, no last word.
Like accidental death it ends; No, like aged death it drifts away.
Where are you now? Must time have sullied that innocent beauty.?

FOR LAN ( Our new friend)

Like mist in the morning, you come to our lives, then fade away when the sun is high,
Gentle mist that washes away harsh thoughts, with song and poetry;
Gentle mist that brings calm and learning from millennia of meditation and lessons hidden from our culture;
Gentle mist that bridges two worlds, welcomes us and showers us with understanding.
Your world has suffered, but like the gentle petals of an early Spring now emerges into summer; flowering hope, a promise that all can renew itself.
And you, the gentle Mist, bathe those petals of hope with soft water nourishment,
We shall return and share our lives again.

Julian

SMILE

Smile, and breathe in

Smile, and breathe out

Smile, in

Smile, out

Dance around

Smile with love

For the sky above

For the earth

And for the world

Smiles inside

Beautiful and bright

Happy, happy, happy life

MY NAMES

I have two names: Lan and Lân. This is why:
 My father wanted to name me Lan, which means Orchid, but an officer, by mistake, put a hat on my name in my birth certificate and it turned out to be Lân, that means Unicorn.
 Instead of blaming the officer for the mistake, my father was very happy to accept and thank the officer for the new name. Unicorn is a symbol good luck, happiness and nobility. Unlike the Western Unicorn, the Vietnamese one has two small inner horns and never use them for fighting. Therefore, unicorn is also a symbol of peace and humanity.
 My father expects me to keep all good charisteristics of a Vietnamese unicorm:)
 Daddy, I will, as you teach me, forever!

NUN DIEU HOA

Nun Dieu Hoa’s mother is my mother's sister. To me, Nun Dieu Hoa is a good example sascrifice, forgiveness and generosity.

When Dieu Hoa was a little child, she had an accident that changed her life.

 Once Dieu Hoa joined other poor children pick leftover coffee lying here and there on the ground after the harvest. She was caught and put in an old tank. When the famer owner walked away, other children came back and stood around the old tank, talking to her and tried to comfort her. While Dieu Hoa was peeping through a hole of the old tank, a little boy who was curious and playful put a stick into the hole, right in the eye of Dieu Hoa. Dieu Hoa became blind in one eye and poor sighted with the other.

Instead of blaming the boy or the farmer owner, Dieu Hoa and her family thought that it was Dieu Hoa’s bad luck. She and her family tried to do best to change their life.  They were very generous and always ready to help other, though they themselves were very poor.

 When Dieu Hoa became a teenager, she decided to devote her life to Buddhism and charitable cause. With support from her family, she left home and went to different pagodas, first as a novice then a nun, more than 20 years  learning and following Buddha’s way, practice Buddha’s philosophy and do a lot of charitable activities to help the needy.

I am very happy to support Nun Dieu Hoa’s charitable activities and always give her some donation when I meet her. Lately I am very lucky with my job as a tour guide, I asked Nun Dieu Hoa to open a bank account so I can contribute to her charitable activities more often.

I am happy that Nun Dieu Hoa finally listened to me. Today when the tour nearly finished, I received a phone text mesage from Nun Dieu Hoa. I quickly read:

- Lân đầy uy vũ sức bền lâu, phúc lộc an khang tiếp mạnh giàu. Số tài khoản của em: Nguyen Thi Thu Hien 0081001157097. Vietcombank. Em cảm ơn chị.

Meanings: Lan (me, my name means Unicorn) has long-lasting inner strength, enjoying good luck, peace, properity and riches. My bank account:Nguyen Thi Thu Hien 0081001157097. Vietcombank. Thank you.

 I called Nun Dieu Hoa:

- It is too late now. Tomorrow I am sending you 100 USD. This is donation from a tourist client today, and 50 USD of mine for charitable activities. I am lucky today, very good tip! I would like to contribute for your charity to help the needy.

Nun Dieu Hoa replied:

- A Di Da Phat! I am going to Phong Dien Commune, Phong Dien District, Hue  soon and saving to bring gifts to needy people there. A Di Da Phat, good blessings to you and your client. Thank you.

I pray good luck and health for Dieu Hoa so she can greatly achieve her goal for Buddhism and charity, she can bring the wonderful peace and harmony to others as her name means.

By Nguyen Thi Lan, tour guide

*** The donor is in one big SOUTO PARTY of OCEANIA CRUISES  I guided from Chan May Harbor to Danang and Hoian today ( 6th April 2012). We were in a hurry to be in time for the ship departure and I forgot to ask the donor’s name. I am so sorry for this. Early tomorrow I will forward to Nun Dieu Hoa and I am sure she will make good use of your generous donation for charity cause.