Jack Fruit

(PICTURE: Jack Fruit in the foreground, Huyen and I buy pineapple in the background. Photo courtesy of Veronica.)

One of my favorite fruits in Vietnam is called Jack Fruit. Seemingly on every other corner in Hanoi is a vendor (or sometimes seven in a row) selling the flesh of this enormous fruit. 1 kilogram of Jack Fruit generally goes for between 40,000-50,000 Dong. That's just about $3.

According to Wikipedia, "Jack Fruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world," and, "the fruits can reach 36 kg (80 lbs) in weight and up to 90 cm (36 in) long and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter."

If you do the math, a vendor could potentially sell all of the flesh of a Jack Fruit for nearly $100. How great of a job is that?! You can make a good living while enjoying delicious fruit.

One other thing, Jack Fruit is very high in fiber. Yeah, it makes you fart a lot. A mental note I should have given myself a long time ago: "Don't eat Jack Fruit before teaching."

Huyen's Visa Story Part 4

First off, thanks for your emails and comments. I've received dozens of letters from people about Huyen's visa rejection. The most common reaction in the letters was surprise. Some people were shocked that it was the United States that rejected Huyen and not Vietnam. A lot of people think that Vietnam is like East Germany back in the day and that nobody is allowed out without special permission. The fact is, Vietnam doesn't blink an eye if its citizens want to travel abroad. The whole rejection is on the USA's shoulders.

I've received dozens of suggestions on what step to take next. Many people have suggested that my father, the mayor, should call his congressman. Others have suggested that my sister should make a call to some of her senator contacts. For the record, I have told both my father and sister that I don't want their help. That said, as much as they would love to help me, ethically they wouldn't anyway. I remember when I was a child and my father was on the Board of Education, he never requested that his children get a specific teacher. My dad doesn't believe in abusing power and he's passed down those ethics to his children. I want to treat this frustrating situation like one of the probably 1,000s of average citizens who deals with this all the time.

I've also received lots of emails from people suggesting -- how should I word this -- slightly shady ways to pursue the visa. The thing to keep in mind is that Huyen is just trying to get a visitor's visa. She only wants to come for a quick visit. That said, it is a very real possibility that down the line Huyen and I will want to move to America. As angry as I am at America right now, its still where I want to raise my children. Huyen and I don't want to do anything that isn't completely honest that could prohibit her from getting a permanent visa a few years from now.

My initial reaction to Huyen's rejection was to write letters to newspapers and magazines. I've written a letter for Newsweek's "MY TURN" but haven't submitted it yet. I'm also drafting an op-ed about the ludicruous interview fee in developing countries. i.e. The equivelent of a Vietnamese person paying $131 just for an interview is equal to an American paying $4,800 to possibly get permission to go on vacation.

I haven't sent the letters yet because a few politically savvy friends of mine insisted that I contact my congressman before I did anything else. Last night (Vietnam time) I called my Santa Monica congressman's office. I'm still registered to vote in Santa Monica and plan on moving back there upon returning to the states. The cool thing about being repped in Santa Monica is that we have one of the most influential congressman in the House of Representatives -- Congressman Henry Waxman. If you've watched CSPAN for more than an hour in your life, chances are you've seen his face a few times. But in case you haven't, here's a good picture of him tussling with Bush:



I talked with a friendly staffer at the Congressman's LA office who emailed me a form to fill out and told me to email him Huyen's documents. He said that Congressman Waxman will send a letter the the Hanoi embassy but that a) Huyen would have to apply again b) Yes, applying again means paying another $131 c) A letter from the congressman is no guarantee that Huyen will be granted a visa.

I've literally been angry since last Wednesday. Those who know me know that I'm pretty easy going and rarely get pissed off. I mean when I was robbed by ninjas last year and lost all of my stuff, I just made a joke out of it. However, this past week I've been pissed. I mean really pissed. I haven't had a good night's sleep in five days because I wake up at three AM with ideas for the op-ed. I've literally had angry dreams about applying for the visa.

It seems that Huyen's visa is the only thing I can talk/email about. A lot of expats in Hanoi keep asking me if Huyen got her visa and upon telling them about her being rejected they start to share their own pissed off stories. Jim, the director of studies at my school and one of the most chill people I've ever met, turned red with anger recanting a few visa rejection stories:

A) A former student of his lost a full scholarship to the University of Montana because the embassy thought the kid was going to skip college to work at his uncle's restaurant in California.

B) A charity, in conjunction with a San Diego hospital, was going to fly a little girl to San Diego to get skin graphs for her severly burnt body. The embassy rejected her visa. In the end, after the charity caused an uproar, the embassy reversed its decision. But the fact that they had to think twice about it is sickening.

The fact of the matter is, I've been embarrassed about America since the moment the interviewer told Huyen she, "Is too young and not rich enough to go to America." That's not the America that I boast about to my students and Vietnamese friends when they ask me questions about life in America. That said, it makes me proud that I can still pick up a phone (or skype) and dial my congressman's number and gets someone on the phone who wants to help me. I don't know how much Congressman Waxman can really do but at least he's going to try to do something. Knowing that, last night I slept through the night for the first time since last Thursday.

The Economy

Newsflash: The world's economy ain't doing so good.

I've gotten emails from people asking how the world financial crisis has effected Vietnam, so here's my response:

Originally there were no signs of change here. In fact, oddly enough, the US dollar got stronger for a couple of weeks. However, that's recently changed. The US dollar is about where it was the whole time I was here. However, property values in Hanoi have started to lower. The government also just announced that there will be no income tax for the next five months to try and help stimulate the economy.

On a personal note, the economy has hit my bank account directly. About five months ago I opened an account with ANZ - Australia New Zealand Bank. I was wowed with my new online savings account because it had a very high interest rate of 10%. It was so high that I thought of even transferring some of my money from the states into my Vietnamese account. However, the good times have ended. The other day I went to the bank and found out that the interest rate on my account has dropped to 4%!! That's right, it's dropped 6% in just a few months. So much for transferring my US dollars over here...

Numbers On The Walls

(PHOTO: Telephone numbers written on the exterior of a house. Photo courtesy of Veronica.)

How many times have you had a problem at your house and torn apart your kitchen cabinet looking for your plumbers phone number? Well, in Vietnam they have a simple solution so you don't lose the digits for home repair guys -- they write their numbers on the wall of your house.

All over Vietnam you'll see numbers written on the walls of alleys/homes. According to Huyen, my unofficial Vietnam guide, these are phone numbers for plumbers, electricians, locksmiths, etc. Granted nowadays we have cell phones that store five hundred numbers, but how many of us really keep our electricians information in our mobiles? When you think about it, it makes sense -- if you're locked out of the house and can't get to your phone book, you can just walk around to the side of your house and look up the locksmith.

My Vietnamese Niece

I'm not the only unofficial half Vietnamese August. My niece is now officially half Vietnamese! Check her out in the dress I bought her in Sapa:

Oh, and happy belated six month birthday Lilah!!!!

Huyen's Visa Story Part 3

After two hours of sitting in a cafe, a half a block from the US Embassy, my phone rang. It was Huyen's number. I picked it up and said, "Hello." There was silence on the other end. After a moment I heard through a choked up voice, "I'm done now."

Huyen didn't get her visa.

I'm not sure what to write because I'm full of anger at the moment. Huyen was handed a form sheet with the reason why she was rejected. There were two blanks on the sheet: "Depending on the nonimmigrant visa classification, other requirements could also apply and have also been the basis for refusal of the visa. In your case you have applied for a B1/B2 (enter Visa type here), but have failed to demonstrate your eligibility due to the lack of ties (short description of missing component)."

The two bolded things are what the interviewer scribbled in. He then said to Huyen that she is too young and doesn't have enough money to go to America. I love my country, but this is fucking bullshit.

I could go on a rant about how Huyen has all her ties to Vietnam (her family, her job, her bank accounts, etc. etc.). But I won't. I could go on a rant about how America is a country that favors the rich -- words literally said to Huyen at the embassy. But I won't. I could go on a rant about how in tough economic times, the USA should open their arms to tourism. But I won't. I could go on a rant about the dozens of times Huyen has befriended/given rides/bought ice cream or dinner for American friends of friends who have come tho Hanoi this past year and when it was America's turn to show some kindness they slammed the door in her face. But I won't. I could go on about how America was once a nation of immigrants but now we're the hardest nation in the world to even just visit. But I won't. I could go on about the criminality of charging $131 for a five minute interview in a country where the average yearly income is $832 (according to our state department's website). But I won't. I could go on a rant about lots of things floating around in my head. But I won't.

All I'm going to say is this: After hanging up the phone with Huyen, I quickly jogged over to the embassy. Huyen was standing in front of the building, tears forming in her eyes. As I hugged her she said, "I really wanted to meet your grandmas, and your brother, and your sister-in-law, and your niece and to see your parents and your sister."

As I typed this, for the first time since I hugged my family goodbye at JFK airport last year, I have tears streaming down my face.

Huyen's Visa Story Part 2

(Huyen and her birth certificate...which I think is printed on the brown bags they give at the super market in America.)

(Huyen and her "family book.")

I've received many emails from people asking what the status was on Huyen's visa. It's been a few months since I posted, "Huyen's Visa Story Part 1." Basically since November Huyen has been collecting documents to bring to her visa interview. Here's a list of some of the documents:
1. Her birth certificate.
2. Her college diploma.
3. Her college transcript.
4. Her work contract (Huyen changed jobs recently so we had to wait for her new contract).
5. A letter from her boss saying she can take six weeks off of work.
6. Her family book. What's a family book? Yeah, I didn't know either. Basically it is an official register of everyone in your family and where they are.
7. Printed bank account statements from her bank.
8. Her apartment lease.
9. A sponsor letter from me.
10. Copies of my bank accounts/work contract/lease. I'm trying to show that I have been living in Vietnam.
11-20...various other documents.

From what I hear, the visa interview lasts about 90 seconds...and sometimes they don't even look at your documents. Oh, and did I mention that you have to pay $131 cash just for the interview. Yeah, whether or not you get your visa you're out $131. Oh, and one other thing, after 90 seconds they tell you right away whether or not you'll get your visa. Huyen is so excited about visiting my family that I'd be scared for the officer if he rejects her. After all, this is a girl who got the highest mark possible at her required army training camp. She's a "tough cookie" as my father would say.

I've spoken to a lot of people about getting a visa and basically what it comes down to is this: You have to prove to the immigration officer that you will 100% return to Vietnam and not stay in the USA. To me this seems silly since there is no chance Huyen would stay in the states. All her family members, possessions, prospects are in Vietnam. She's coming for a visit and that's it.

There are three types of visas Huyen could apply for:
A. A work visa. She would need to have a work reason to go to the states. This is the easiest to get if you have a company sponsor you.
B. A Visitor visa (This is what we're applying for).
C. A fiance visa. My friend Alex's cousin is applying for this for his Ecuadorian fiance. This visa requires the most leg work but is probably the easiest way to get a significant other into the USA. There's just one hitch -- you have to get married within 90 days after entering the USA.

A Vietnamese friend of mine who was rejected a long time ago for a visitor visa told me that "Huyen has no chance." Being an optimist, I like to think she's got a pretty good shot. Her interview is TODAY so think good thoughts for her!!!