JP: “Mom!
Would you like meeting with Chris – my
friend – while in London?”
Diệp: “Sure; I like that, honey!“
JP: “OK
then; I’ll arrange it … ”
*
On an early October day, about 14 hours on the planes,
crossing 8 time zones brought us from San Diego, California to London, the
capital of the Great Britain.
It was a scatteredly rainy evening in downtown London when five
of us met over dinner in a cosy restaurant.
From left: JP, Chris & his girl-friend, Diệp & Giao
Giao: “So, Chris, you were born in Britain?”
Chris: “Yeah, I’m 100%
British, born, grew up, and have been working here in London.”
Giao: “Well then; Whether
you like it or not, during this dinner, you represent not only the Queen, but
also all your British countrymen: I would like you to know that I’m grateful
to, and admire Britain as a country, and her people!”
Chris: “That sounds pretty serious! How so?”
Giao: “For two reasons:
Firstly, my being trained by the British education system, and the way Britain
has acted as a former world leader. I spent 7 years in New Zealand studying
with full scholarship sponsored by the Commonwealth countries which were headed
by Britain. Secondly, as the former world leader, your country gave up her
colonization of some 180 countries rather orderly and gracefully.”
Chris: “Interesting!
That’s good to know … ”
The
British was completely different from the French when the latter was forced to
terminate its 67 year colonization of Vietnam only after being defeated in a
bloody battle at Điện Biên Phủ in 1954.
