An Open Letter to Michael (Happy Birthday, from Duong)

Dear Mike,

I have never been a good writer, meaning it is so hard for me to express my feelings on paper (talking is better somehow J), but just doing the talking is not enough - I want it to be written down, so I can share with others about how thankful I am for the relationship that we have shared during these years. 

Time flies so fast.  It has already been almost 10 years since the first time we met - at "Vinapura" :). My first feeling about you was that you were a very tender, soft guy with a smile always on the face. You kept inviting everybody to come for food, drinks, games, chitchat and nobody needed to pay for anything. I used to  wonder,  “What's wrong with this guy?” "He has nothing to do?"  "Is he too lonely or does he just have too much free time”? But at the same time, I saw the respect that people gave to you. Later on, as we got closer, I figured out why people want to stay around you, willing to talk and share things with you.  It was because the feeling you bring to us:   “Peace”.

I had a question that I kept asking both you and Presley for many years, and yet, I wasn't really satisfied with both of your answers until 3 years ago, when I found out myself the reason that you are here - the reason for what you are trying so hard to do.  That's why I ask no more and decide to go beside, witness,  and support what you are doing and going to do.

Just yesterday, when you mentioned about the trip to Ha Long, all the memories just came flooding back to me, about what we have talked about, shared, and what I've learnt from you… I am still trying to be as good as you, trying to learn from you about how we live our life, how we treat our wife, how we treat others but to be honest, I can't react like you, hehe, different nationality...

My big brother, I just want you to know how thankful and happy I am to know you, to be your friend and brother. On behalf of Vietnamese people, I thank you for what you, your friends, and family are doing for us. Don’t worry, because we will be right there to support and encourage you. Just please never give up your dream to build Tea Talk, CoRE to where it is supposed to be.

And please kindly remember to let my story take some pages in the novel that you're going to

write, I might get famous from then. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR BROTHER!

Wish you and your family a happy new year, and I wish Tea Talk can stay on its own from now going forward…

Duong Trinh