JFK is in Vietnam!

One funny thing I keep chuckling about is this: Hoe, my cousin's boss, said something really funny. Some background on this remarkable guy: He is a multi-business owner, self-taught architect, trained engineer from Moscow University with an advanced degree in economics, wonderful father and great host among many, many other things. His English is remarkable as is his Russian, Chinese, and other languages. The other night at dinner he leaned over to me and said, "Have you seen that JFK is here?" "What?" I said, "JFK? Huh?" He said, "Yes, I wonder what you think of that." Still confused by what he was saying (and I knew then that he was, too) we just looked at each other and it dawned on both of us at the same time and we burst out laughing! We realized he meant KFC! So funny! JFK vs. KFC! (By the way, Pizza Hut is here, too.)

As an aside, Hoe's life has been interesting. Not from a wealthy family, he grew up in Saigon. When the war started his family scraped enough together to send him, a child approximately 6 or 7, to the country to live in hopeful safety. He lived away from his family for a time working and attending a sort of school and then moved home when the war was complete in 1975. I'm sure I'll learn more about his story but that's interesting to me. Eventually he was accepted into an Engineering program at Moscow University. He left Saigon for Moscow University but spent a few years first learning the language so he could attend the school. He was selected for the engineering program on his merit. Some are selected for their standing in the community but he was sent for his intelligence/achievements. It was there he met his now-wife, LiLi (pronounced Lily). I'll look forward to learning more about him on our trip to Tibet. What I know of him so far I really like. He's very easy to be around and I enjoy hearing what he has to say.