Grace & Vince's Newsletter

SEPTEMBER: MALAYSIA & VIETNAM

A Win-Win Situation

On a tributary of the Mekong River, My Tho, Vietnam

In order to avoid long-term separation stress, my boss Joe always advises me before embarking on any long-term international travel to “talk with Grace and see what she thinks.” I took Joe's advice, and in August approached Grace with a three-week September travel itinerary for Malaysia and Vietnam. We initially thought this meant three weeks away from each other, but began thinking, why not travel together to Asia? Better yet, why not have Grace spend some time back home with Mom, family, and friends in Penang? This was the perfect win-win situation: I would travel to work with my public health colleagues, while Grace could join me to see the sights and spend time at home.

Sept 1, Atlanta: Our first destination: Kuala Lumpur, almost equidistant from Atlanta flying east or west. Because of cost considerations, we couldn't travel together. Grace headed eastbound (Atlanta-Newark-Dubai-KL), while I flew westbound (Atlanta-Tokyo-Singapore-KL). Our departing flights left within two hours of each other, and arrival in KL was also within two hours. Not bad considering we traveled in the opposite direction to meet each other!

Sept 2-15, Kuala Lumpur: KL is a fast- paced city. It seems that the city is constantly building; it is the home of the Petronas Towers--tallest buildings in the world. We checked into the Renaissance KL and got a room with a view of the towers (photo, right). Later that week we met with some of Grace’s schoolmates, some of whom she had not seen since she was 12 years old (photo, below). For the weekend we flew to Penang where Grace was reunited with Mom and relatives. Grace stayed at home while I went back to KL to finish my project. While I didn't do much sightseeing, I did plenty of eating. The local cuisine, with its mixture of Chinese, Malay, and Indian influences, is fantastic. Weightwise, I left Malaysia with more than we came in with.

Sept 15-23, Ho Chi Minh City: On Sunday I left Malaysia to continue a study in HCMC, Vietnam. When I first visited the country in May, I was terrified with city traffic. This time I knew what to expect, though probably not any less frightened. It's a remarkable that not more accidents occur, espcially in a city where traffic lights are scarce and the ones that exist are considered merely suggestions.

Grace flew from Penang to HCMC the same afternoon I arrived. The next day I met up with my research colleagues and friends, Drs. Tu, Nguon, and Long. And while I spent a lot of time working with the doctors on the research study, Grace and I spent one day visiting the Mekong Delta (photo, top). We also did our share of tourist shopping. Among our souvenirs: a custom-made Au Dai (traditional Vietnamese long dress) for Grace (she looks very good in it, too).

Sept 24, Narita: Grace was on her way back to Atlanta, we were again going in opposite directions. I had a seven-hour layover in Tokyo, but managed to take a short excursion to the city of Narita and see some of the sights, including this temple (photo).

Sept 25, Home: Tired and jetlagged, but happy. A win-win situation when one can travel with the spouse. I highly recommend it.