Saigon, Vietnam

My brother Victor manages a small manufacturing company in Ho Chi Minh City. He began in 2004 and, much to his credit, now speaks fluent Vietnamese. Saigon, the capital city of the French Colony from 1862 to 1948 and renamed Ho Chi Minh in 1976, boasts 9 million inhabitants. This is a bustling city. Ho Chi Minh City is the most important economic center in Vietnam. It was hot and humid (90 degrees F) when we arrived.....

Victor, far right with his office staff - Vietnamese is mostly spoken here with some English.

Gasoline-powered mopeds are everywhere - they rule the roads - it is overwhelmingly chaotic but soon one gets used to it.


Surprisingly, there are few accidents - motorists and passengers seem to pretty much self negotiate and navigate the wild streets of Ho Chi Minh City.


Gerda and Hannah reading World Magazine on the busy street of Ho Chi Minh - notice the Vietnamese characters on the poster - don't ask me what they were saying - it is 'Greek' to me.....

War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. While it was educational, it was hard for Gerda to witness history documented in pictures and artifacts, and stories told only from the Vietnamese side. War is a terrible thing...so many lives lost.

Photo of Senator John Kerry (one-time US Presidential candidate) meeting with Vietnamese officials.

A poignant display...in light of two concurrent US-led wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.


I wonder what the Iraqi and Afghan people are thinking the same as the poster. May God grant our leaders wisdom and integrity as they deal with difficult world situations.


Weapons of war......


A grounded F-5 Northrup Tiger - as a result, a US fighter pilot was probably either captured or killed.


More captured weapons of war....

Reunification Palace - this was the residence of the President of South Vietnam before it fell to the communist regime. It was quite opulent in a 1960s sort of way - equipped with a heli pad, a dance hall with a wooden floor, a movie theater, and a basement chuck full of military- grade equipment serving as a command post to conduct the war....

Manicured lawn with working fountain.


One of many rooms to receive guests and dignitaries - red symbolizes prosperity and good luck for the Chinese/Asians.


High ceilings and wide hallways.....


I don't think you can get this carpet at your local Walmart - again red is the 'in' color with the twin dragons symbolizing power and longevity. The diameter is probably about 20 feet....


If walls could talk... I have no doubt important issues were discussed in this huge meeting room. The color - green in this case - has a soothing/calming effect. No doubt tempers flared during negotiations and discussions between the North and South Vietnamese.


The President's private family dining room


The President's private movie theater - bring your own pop-corn and favorite beverage


Netflix anyone?


The President's private helicopter - not exactly Marine One!
(This part of the roof was bombed and later on restored)

This was housed in the basement.


Can I Wi-Fi from the basement?


From long before Gerda had her Kitchen-Aid mixer. She said she has seen one of these on board the USS Yorktown (see earlier post).


Stir-fry anyone?


The President's most prized possession - I mean the Mercedes!

Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica. While the majority of people (80%) in Ho Chi Minh City practice eastern religions (Buddhism/Taoism - there are numerous temples), a small percentage (Roman Catholic - 11%, Protestant - 2%) worship in churches - most notable is the somewhat smaller, twin version of the original Notre-Dame in Paris.

Statue of Mary outside Notre-Dame.

While it was not as grand as the one I visited in Paris back in 2000, it was still a beautiful church - certainly a sanctuary amid a hustling city.


The church was completed on Easter Day, April 11 1880.


Beautifully maintained stained windows.

Downtown Post Office. We visited this famous landmark where one can actually still send snail mail.

While the Post Office wasn't air-conditioned, there were several phone booths that were - a welcome respite from the sweltering heat.

These high arched ceilings allow hot air to rise, bringing some relief to both workers and customers.


Looking for Christmas stuffing stockers?

Vietnamese Pho. One must savor this local favorite delight - rice noodles served in rich beef stock with beef, plenty of greens, touch of lime and chili peppers!!!

7up is bottled here - no cans. Seeing this brought back many childhood memories. In those days, our family drank soft drinks only once a year, during Chinese New Year, and we had to split one bottle between two -three siblings with LOTS of ice. How things have changed!

Dam Sen Water Park. Like fish to water, we needed relief from the sweltering heat. Both Hannah and David relaxing and enjoying the tidal pool

As you can tell from the background, many locals had the same idea. The water park was lined with coconut trees which provided much shade and relief as well.

Arrived in Singapore

Singapore was familiar territory for Gerda, Hannah and David - their last trip was in 2006, arriving at Terminal 1 at Changi Airport. One of these days we will arrive at Terminal 3 - we understand that United Airlines and certainly Singapore Airlines operate out of this fabulous terminal.

So how can I describe Singapore? For me it is the 3Fs - Family, Friends and Food (not necessarily in this order - just kidding).

Here's a picture of David with his "Kong Kong" - as he is affectionately called - my Dad of course!

Together again. The last time they met was in 2006, but then in the older apartment on Havelock Road ; this time in Jalan Membina.

My second sister, Cindy, was so kind and gracious to put us up at her place. She and her husband Tim, together with their family, reside in a nice house near Changi - away from the hustle and bussel of Singapore.

Picture of David at Cindy's house with her granddaughter Claire - Hannah and David playing and goofing around with their niece......that makes me a granduncle!

The To Clan - from left to right -Jeff, John, Tim, Cindy with little Claire, David, Janet (Tim's sister at her house), Hannah and Gerda.

Janet treated us to a scrumptious seafood dinner at Jumbo's - one of the most established and famous seafood restaurants in Singapore. Enjoy the pictures......

The Emperor's Delight. We were greeted with this awesome appetizer dish - boy, when was the last time you had appetizers like this - notice the statue carved out of a papaya, symbolizing a dragon. Notice the 'fencing' made out of cucumber and tomato painstakingly arranged and so well presented. We were floored!

Close up of the craved Dragon.

Singapore National Dish - Chili Crab.

Monster Claw - prized Sri Lankan Crab.

It was good to meet up with my siblings and their families again. Here's a picture near Changi Beach with my brother, Yong Soon, and sister-in-law Shirley.
,

Shirley, Yong Soon, David, Gerda and Hannah at Changi Beach.

Shirley with Gerda.

At one of my favorite restaurants - Pow Sing (Chomp Chomp) at Serangoon Garden It was my sister Elaine's treat - with my Mom and Dad. The restaurant serves the ever delicious Hainanese Chicken Rice and Nonya Dishes - Gerda's all-time favorite.

With Elaine and Mom and Dad at Pow Sing.

Hannah and David with Elaine's girls - Jasmine and Jamie at the Pow Sing Restaurant.

Nonya Fish Head Curry at Pow Sing.

Hainanese Chicken Rice at Pow Sing.

Extended Mother's Day Celebration - we celebrated Mother's day with Esther's (my sister, seated in blue) family.

Her husband Lee, far left with their children, Leon, Stacey and Shawn.


Lee's Mom (far left) and his brother, Ang Kee and his wife Suzanne with their children.


Suzanne with Gerda.

At home with Alice, my sister in law, and her son. Her husband, my eldest brother, Victor, is away working in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We plan to visit him the following week.

Ashley, my niece, Chloe, my grandniece, Rose, my eldest sister, and Caleb my grandnephew.

Narita - Singapore

After a somewhat tiring trip ( 2 movies shown on awful projection screens in the Boeing 747 ; one which was certainly not appropriate for Hannah and David), we arrived safely in Narita. As some of you might be aware, airport security is tight in Narita. They make you go through all the hoops.

This time it was even more stringent. We had to remain in the plane for an hour and wait while airport personnel dressed in medical garb ( sort of scary) used special infra-red, heat sensitive cameras to scan all passengers for elevated body temperatures ; precautions taken because of the swine flu outbreak.


But all was well and we were able to catch the connecting flight - barely - this was the first time we did not have to wait in the terminal but proceeded straight after alighting the Boeing 747 to the awaiting Airbus A320.

As you can tell, the newer Airbus A 320 was better equipped - see the individual LCD entertainment screens - 7 hours of entertainment bliss!!!

Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport

We arrived in Atlanta, Georgia after a short, noisy 50 minute ride from Asheville. While the aging but still reliable and beautiful Boeing 747 is certainly better than the 'puddle hopper', we were disappointed it wasn't equipped with individual LCD entertainment screens as some Northwest Trans-Pacific coach flights were (Portland - Narita). Earlier, our hopes were lifted when we were told by the aircrew that this plane to Narita, Tokyo which would take 12-13 hours - was equipped with individual LCD entertainment screens - bummer! Later, we were told that after the 'official' Northwest/Delta merger, these planes will be upgraded - we shall see if this happens.....

So what else can you do on a 12-13 hour flight? Eat, sleep and well - take pictures - this was shot by David at the rear of the Boeing 747 as we flew over Alaska!

Before the Big Trip - Asheville Regional Airport

We are all packed! - waiting patiently at Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina for our short ride to Atlanta.

Hannah is glad since she brought her passport this time - old family joke - in 2006, we forgot her passport at home!

This is the 'puddle hopper' that gets us to Atlanta where we will catch the big one - a Boeing 747 to Narita, Tokyo.

Guess What Come In The Mail?

I receive lots of textbooks from various publishers to review for the courses I teach and so when I opened a package today, I thought it was another one for consideration. To my surprise, it was the textbook I wrote a chapter on titled "Trusted Computing: Evolution and Direction" - it is gratifying to see the fruit of my labor from last summer in print and for that I am grateful.


The following is an abstract of my chapter "To effectively combat cyber threats, our network defenses must be equipped to thwart dangerous attacks. However, our software-dominated defenses are woefully inadequate. The Trusted Computing Group has embarked on a mission to use an open standards-based interoperability framework utilizing both hardware and software implementations to defend against computer attacks. Specifically, this group uses trusted hardware called the trusted platform module (TPM) in conjunction with TPM-enhanced software to provide better protection against such attacks. This chapter will detail a brief history of trusted computing, the goals of the Trusted Computing Group and the workings of trusted platforms".

Here We Come - Xiamen, Fujian Province - China!

We were originally scheduled for Manila but God sees fit that we spend this summer in Xiamen. Through a series of events - recommendation of Dr. Su Guaning, President of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, generosity of Dr. Zhu Chongshi of Xiamen University, and sponsorship and approval of Rotary International and others, doors were opened expediently to allow us this wonderful opportunity.

Map of China - Fujian Province shown here in red

While I will be teaching in English in the School of Information Science and Technology at Xiamen Univeristy, my proficiencies in Mandarin (I need to brush that up a bit), Hokkien, and Teochew will serve me well as I perform local service community projects in Xiamen. Xiamen is location in Fujian Province. As you can see from the map, Taiwan is located east of Xiamen.

Historically, Xiamen is consider the Birthplace of Chinese Protestanism where Taiwanese missionaries began their work from 1626-1662. Now Xiamen is a modern coastal city, where during its recent modernization, was designated a Special Economic Zone. Xiamen, with its five million plus inhabitants, is considered to be the second most livable city in China.


My mom grew up in the neighboring province of Guangdong in the city of Shantou 汕头, or Swatow in Min Chinese, a city of 784,000 in coastal eastern, China. As such, we look forward to the opportunity to meet up with ancestral relatives - how cool is that!

Criss of Credit

Here's a well-done clip by Jonathan Jarvis - this presentation is effective and helps us understand the current credit crisis we are in.



The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

What is this?

Thanks to Tracie Bulkeley, a good friend and a homeschooling mom, below is an interesting video clip. To my CS 102 and CS 204, classes, view my email for this bonus point assignment. Enjoy!

Making Some 'Cents' Out Of This Recession

As the economic turmoil unfolds here in the US and elsewhere globally, it is easy to get caught up with it - fear for our jobs, providing for our family as well as for others - and the gloom that can unsettle us. But remember that God is Sovereign and Supreme over All things. He is Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent - the market is certainly not. Keep the faith and run to Him.

John Piper is one of my favorites - for this post, I like to highlight his latest writing and preaching during these uncertain times. He reminds us why God allows recessions. Here are his five reasons:

1. To Expose Sin and Bring Repentance
2. To Awaken Us to World Poverty
3. To Relocate the Roots of Our Joy in His Grace, Rather Than in Our Goods
4. To Guard His Glory by Advancing His Saving Mission in the World Precisely When Human Resources Are Low
5. To Bring His Church to Care for Her Hurting Members and Grow in Love

I am especially thankful for #3 - it is counter intuitive to me but by His grace, I am reminded to refocus on Him rather than on what I have. So I take comfort in the following verses found in Jeremiah 17: 5-8:

5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

USS Yorktown

While I was away in Singapore, David and Gerda (as you can tell from the photo, there were more dads as this was a father and son outing) participated in an weekend trip to the coast of South Carolina.

The local cub scout troop totaling 56 chartered a bus, traveling about 5 hours each way, to visit a decommissioned aircraft carrier the USS Yorktown. I was told they all had a wonderful trip, with beautiful weather as well as blessings of safe travels.

Family and Friends

Mom and Dad's New Flat

I have gotten over the jet-lag - wasn't really all that bad this time though I find myself awaking early around 4 in the morning which gave me time to get caught up with emails as well as teaching/preparing for my spring semester at Montreat College upon my return.

I have four sisters - Rose (left) and Esther (right)

The Singapore Mass Transit System is EXCELLENT! My parents' apartment/flat shown here -theirs is on the 17th floor - is only a short 6 minutes walk to the Tiong Bahru MRT Station so getting around is a breeze. Besides work-related obligations, my "R&R" time is mostly spent visiting family, friends as well as connecting with colleagues and administrators in four of the main government- sponsored universities - National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University and Singapore Institute of Management.

There are a plethora of educational offerings - a deliberate and targeted investment emphasis of the Singapore Government to promote excellence in education from pre-school to higher education.

Mom and Dad

Proud Parents - Teresa and JK. Claire - she is a cutie is the latest addition to the Teo/Tay/To/Lee/Tan Clan!

First Post of 2009 from Singapore

An auspicious start to the new year - I am writing this post from sunny Singapore - I am blessed to be able to attend a technology conference.

My last trip to this part of world was during the summer of 2006. Singapore is certainly a unique place - a vibrant city with its blend of culture, heritage, and food - Singaporeans are passionate about eating!

I look forward to a blessed time of fellowship - of meeting new friends and renewing old ones. I am especially thankful to spend more time with my aging parents. More photos and videos to come.