On my last visit to Vietnam with my brother Quang, our friend John, son Eric and his fiancé Hong, we took the 6-hour bus ride north from Saigon to the popular tourist destination, Da Lat. We spent three days with our friends Nhung, Kieu Loan, Vu and Thanh. During the day, we toured the tranquil city and enjoyed its parks, lakes, and cool air. At night, we explored the city center sidewalk cafes and the vibrant colorful and popular “Night Market”. It was there at the Night Market, where I met a skilled practitioner of the world’s “second” oldest profession: telling a story in pictures, “cowboy” Artist, Phong Van…

Ever since the French Colonial days, Da Lat has been an escape for Vietnamese and foreign visitors alike from the warm and humid south. In December, the weather is especially pleasant, cool enough for sweaters or jackets in the evening. Da Lat has many beautiful parks, and the city is known as the “City of Eternal Spring” (in honor of its climate in the cool mountainous Central Highlands) as well as the “City of Thousands of Pine Trees” (a reference to the beautiful pine forests that line the twisting roads), and a garden-like park, called the “Valley of Love” located only 4 miles from the Da Lat city center. My favorite was “The Valley of Love”, known as the “Niagara Falls of Vietnam”, a favorite retreat for lovers of all ages. Da Lat is hours from the sea, but it reminds me of San Francisco because of its forever misty mountain tops and valleys that surround the city, or even Paris, with its street artists and sidewalk cafes.

As our group took in the sights of Da Lat’s Night Market, I noticed a tall young, slim artist dressed like a Texas cowboy. His paintbrush stroked gently on a canvas while his eyes focused back and forth between his work and his subjects. There were young couples and families with children in line patiently waiting for their turn. As he created one beautiful memory after another, our eyes met with an instant connection when I stood in front of him. We stared and giggled at each other. What a coincidence, the artist and I were similarly dressed, both wearing cowboy hats and boots. He smiled, raised his fingers and pointed at my hat and his own iconic American headgear, “Would you like a wood burning or a canvas portrait? If you don’t like what I draw, you don’t have to pay…” Needless to say, he convinced me with his offer so I decided to take my turn for a wood-burning portrait. While he worked, we talked like old friends. He has a wife and an infant. People called him Phong Van (Wind -Clouds) and I’m “Bich Van”, Jade Cloud; looks like we have something in common…

After he completed my portrait, I told him about my book, and now I wanted to bring alive some of the events I had recounted and remembered as a child. I asked him if he would like a commission! He was thrilled, and we met the next morning in the home of Vu and Thanh with whom we were staying. He began to roughly outline what I wanted to portray, to make my memories real for my family and friends back home in America.  The very next day he returned with a series of sketches that reflected poignantly what my child’s eyes saw decades ago. These are his sketches that are displayed here on my website. Again, thank you Phong Van, for this work, and our new friendship!