Around midnight of my last night in Vietnam, I got a random text asking me where I was and how long I would be there. They had been working until the wee hours to surprise me with a DVD for my going away present.
The DVD included a montage of our time together, including a team vacation where one showed us the beautiful culture and nature of his country, Philippines. It also included video clips from each of them with not only their well wishes but also insights to how their lives have been impacted over the years. The beautiful part was seeing their personalities shine in each, including one where the team is practically chasing the camera shy person all around the room.
When I joined, there were two team members in the Ho Chi Minh office. There was a lack of trust between the two as they scrambled to report to the leader in Hanoi, bypassing the local leader who was an expat in Ho Chi Minh. Despite the ongoing pressures to control individuals from the leaders in the North, we were able to build a very close knit team. Some (see stone skipping (part 3)) transferred from other practices after learning about the opportunities that our team had.
We did not just work together but also became close family members who looked out for each other. When I was deciding on whether to extend my stay or not, one of them took me aside and advised me a couple of times not to stay in the country as his in-laws were part of the government, and he was privy to information that may have been dangerous to a VietKieu in the country - pending war with China. I struggled to leave them behind though as I knew that the things they learned would have made it challenging for them to stay in an environment that stifled growth and aimed to control individuals through insecurity.
I have faith and hope though the lessons they learned in the last few years will take them far in fulfilling their hopes and dreams. They were an amazing team and are sponges who were willing to get out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves and bring others with them. Beautiful people with enormous potential. They may think that I have changed their lives, but they have also left a significant mark on mine.
We had said our next trip will be to Bora Bora so one day, we'll have to make that happen.
We had said our next trip will be to Bora Bora so one day, we'll have to make that happen.
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Update January 10, 2017:
During my last visit to Vietnam in July 2015, we were able to gather a number of the team together for a reunion. While not everyone is still with the firm, the others have taken steps to follow their dreams. They still all keep in touch and when someone is in a bind, someone reaches out to others to congregate to assist. I am hoping that each one of them will be an honorable mention in this blog as I continue to track their accomplishments in life.