(Ngưu Vương Tây Du Ký)
Toward the end of September, Canadian grass turned brown color. Searching for greener pasture, this Holly Cao ventured in a voyage to the West. But due to the stories about Mad Cow Disease, and especially the intensive milking of cows for diary products in Europe, the voyage was too short to my liking and too fast on the Autobahn .Indeed, we just came back from 3 week working & playing tour in Europe.We started in England, went to Holland, Germany, Belgium, France.
In ENGLAND:
I was here before when working with Shell, and my in-law relatives are living here. This time we met with Parliamentarian Association at the UK Parliament and meeting with the Low Pay Commission of the UK Government on minimum wage labor issues.
The BBC World Services Vietnamese program got hold of me for an interview in Vietnamese to broadcast to Vietnam. Besides my personal life story, I also told them about the democratic Canadian/Alberta politics, campaign and election process.. I told the interviewer that to get to the open sea sailing, you need to maintain your course inn the main stream. I won because I received support from the majority and good friends - only 2% of people living in my constituency have Asian heritage.
I also told the interviewer that, because of my Vietnamese root, I had some weird experience. I tasted the normal inevitable flavor of jealousy and the bitterness of petty ethnic politics from a few local self-important Vietnamese individuals and self-appointed factions/groups. Most of them I did not even know or associate with, and living outside my constituency. I was glad that I did not asked for and received the so-called support from those people. I accepted the phenomenon as Vietnamese characteristics and moved on. Opposition, objection and obstacles are part of true democratic political process. If one has or demands 90%-100% support, it is fake democracy and true dictatorship.
Since I was told that my interview would be broadcast to 70 million Vietnamese, I added a few key points about the Western advanced politics that I am practicing: the democracy principles/belief, the democratic representation, the democratic process, the need for opposition,...even quoted Mencius "Dân Vi Quí, Quân Vi Khinh" and the upside-down pyramid of modern Management Leadership concepts and principles.
UK is still a great tourist attraction, many things to see and buy. They are building a large theme park for year-2000 celebration in the Greenwich area, where the World Standard Time clock starts the new Millenium before every where else. It's better to go outside urban areas and visit country side and small towns and villages. Remember to bring a lot of $$$ and to use our Central Vietnam accent in speaking English.
In HOLLAND:
I was here few times in the past when working with Shell. This time we visited International Court and the Parliament of the Netherlands in Den Haage, City hall in Rotterdam. We went to pay tributes at WWII Battle fields in Arnhem, (the Bridge Too Far & Neijmegen Bridge), World War II Memorials, British & Canadian soldiers resting in peace. At the Netherlands Parliament, I mentioned to a reporter and an MP about the Clinton Affairs affecting Europe. They told me that in the Netherlands, those extra activities are well known among their public figures and it is not a national concern. The population is 15 millions, but they raise 16 millions pigs. So pork is very popular. The Dutch people live under water level, ride bicycles and do business all over the world! There is a large Asian population, mostly of Indonesian root. I also heard Vietnamese language and saw Chả-Giò (Spring rolls) selling in food stalls. In history, the Dutch came to Vietnam in 15th century or so, during Le/Trinh dynasty.
People talk a lot about Red Light District in Amsterdam, but Amsterdam is the center of diamond and flower trading in the world. Holland has beautiful country side, and people are industrious and multi-lingual (a train conductor told me he spoke 7 languages).
In GERMANY:
We visited Hanover, the site for World Expo-2000. Met with Burgermeister - Mayor - at Hanover City Hall. They call it RATHAUS. I wonder why they call it RAT ? Politician = RAT ?. Fortunately, RAT means Councilor in German language . The General Election was going on so I tried to contact a few German MP's we had hosted them when they visited Alberta.
We went to Bonn, Koln and Berlin, visited East Berlin and bought a piece of Berlin Wall. I saw in the flea market, people selling every types of the communist military gears: uniforms, medals, insignia, awards,.. as souvenirs for tourists... I feel the irony and cynics of bad politics and bad governments of the past. Perhaps, millions, hundreds of thousands, people killed others, died, got killed for those make-believe causes.. Now it is of no value. They were also selling Soviet's official and military stuff. A soldier's cap still cost less than an officer's cap ! I thought of buying the full General's gears to show off... But it's not worth my $$$. I asked people and officials about what happened to the officers and officials from the old regime when West Germany took over the East. No one gave me a straight answer, but the indication is that the Police, Bureaucrats and Military was integrated... Except for a few notorious commies who were prosecuted for inhumanity and brutality, the rest either stayed on the West structure or went to private enterprises.
German is the vivid case of grand politics of true Democracy influencing over dictatorship, of the leaders and the individuals of Germany focus on building and not on destruction. The Parliament of Germany will be moved to Berlin, into a newly renovated Parliament Building. All of this German reunification makes me feel very sad for Vietnam messy situation. By the way, I managed to use the German language that I had learned at German Consulate's Goethe Institute when I was a high school student in Vietnam ! And also, speeding on the Autobahn is an exhilarating experience. The car I rented is a compact type. With foot to the metal, I could only cruise at 170/180 km/hr, still bigger cars passing me like the wind...doing 200/220 km/hr. Germany is well-known for patriotism, technology and industrious population. But its country side and agriculture scenery are magnificent as well. Germany law still do not grant citizenship to immigrants, even immigrant's children born in Germany. It was brought up during the election campaign, something like 2 million Turkish, even 2nd generation immigrants, were denied citizenship. On the way to Hanover, I turned on the car radio, scanning for English language station. I suddenly heard Vietnamese language. It
was quite an feeling, hearing Vietnamese on radio in the middle of Germany countryside... It was from the station called ựài Hy VẪng, talking about a Vietnamese immigrant/refugee case being deported back to Vietnam.I wished I could be a politician in Germany to intervene as I am doing in a similar deportation case for a Vietnamese here in Canada. They told me that there are hundreds of thousands people from Vietnam living in Germany and Eastern Europe.
In BELGIUM:
The plan was to visit European Union Parliament, but the timing was not good, so we went to visit Hotel de Ville, City Hall, and Brusselle Convention Center where Brazil was showing and promoting investment opportunities in South America. The City Hall is quite a site to see. We met a group from China. Sea food restaurants are plenty and expensive.
At a well known seafood restaurant, we met an Asian lady, by sitting herself. We joined her in the next table and she turned out to be a Japanese free lance reporter in economic development. She told us that she still kept a residence in Vietnam and had a Vietnamese boy friend in Saigon. She is quite nice and I almost thought of asking her if she wanted a boy friend in Canada, but my Mrs. was so close by and nicer!
Belgium is well known for its chocolate, so we bought some. When we were there, a bad incident took place where an African girl was choked and killed by police trying to deport her ! The government scrambled to defend itself against the public outcry.
In FRANCE:
My French language came back into use. I was here before, but limited to quick business trips for Shell. This time we visited the Pantheon where France honors their Great Persons in their tombs. We paid tribute to Voltaire, Rousseau,.. my heroes in learning French history, the founders Modern Democracy principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. We also paid tribute to the Curie's for their scientific works.
Riding the high speed train - TGV Train de Grande Vitesse 300 km/hr - is the way to travel in France. Using Europass, to our surprise, we still had to pay for the reservation fees, so we made it in 1st Class. Besides visiting relatives and friends, we connected with Mr. Tran Chau Minh and Hanh. They are doing very and very well. Hanh is a very dedicated mother and home maker. Minh is the Chief-Financial-Officer of a Group Company,with offices in Paris and London. His photo is in the company's Annual Report to shareholders, second after the Chairman. His company operates in 7 European countries with about 10,000 retail dealerships and growing. They talked tens, hundreds of millions $$ in business ! Even with my ego weakness of jealousy, I have to tip my hat to our friend Minh & Hanh for their hard work and great success. Minh & Hanh, their very good children, gave us a great welcome, a great host in their villa in Paris suburb and their luxurious apartment in Paris downtown. I am impressed with Minh's self-made success and talent in business big picture. Riding in Minh's Mercedes with all hi-tech communication and GPS gears, we wish we can treat them in such a manner when they visit us. I did not have time to visit LeDung, another NZ Alumni in Paris, whom I heard about but never met. Even with very busy schedule, we managed to satisfy out Vietnamese taste buds with Bun Bo Hue, Banh Bot Loc, Banh Xeo, etc.. at well-known Vietnamese restaurants such as Quan Cay Tre, Quan Hue,...In China town Massinat, we can find all sort of tropical fruits from Asia, Africa.. Of course, we bought a lot of Camembert cheese and Nougat candies to take home. Before I left Paris, Minh told me that THChinh from Saigon would arrive the following day.
Perhaps, my Holly Cao chronicle is too dry for some. But that's the way I produce. Here are some extra notes:
On the issue of Gay/Lesbian, I was asked by a reporter: "What is your position in Sexual Orientation ?". My reply:" How dare you pry into my private life. Which position it is, that's entirely between me and wife
When I visited the Parliament in the UK, Winston Churchill seems to be the dominant figure, in statues, portrait paintings,... Suddenly I realized that we share the initials WC - since I am known as Wayne C.N.Cao or just Wayne Cao in Canada. To my excitement, Winston Churchill and this Wayne Cao also have a lot of very important rooms named after us, WC, in Europe & around the world.
Also this Wayne Cao shares initial with William Clinton - and I have to be very careful here...My Mrs. is not like Hilary. I need to be intact in order to use Viagra when I grow old or it won't work
Until next time
Wayne Cao aka Holly Cao or Hairy Cao
Alberta Legislature - Canada
October 1998
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