Boat People - Ngyễn Ngọc Lan Châu

Gia đình của Bác sĩ Nguyễn Thượng Chánh tị nạn Canada

Xin gởi đến các bạn bài viết của con gái chúng tôi là Ngyễn Ngọc Lan Châu viết tại Montréal năm 1989. lúc cháu được 14 tuổi và đang học high school 4 trường trung học Lemoyne d'Iberville, Longueuil., Quebec, Canada.Bài viết ESSAY được nhà trường chọn đăng trong quyển REFLECTION 89. A LITERARY ANTHOLOGY của trường nói trên. Cháu tốt nghiệp ưu hạng (cum laude) ngành vật lý trị liệu.(physiotherapy) tại Univ Of Ottawa. Lan Châu làm việc một năm tại bệnh viện Saint Luc, Montreal và năm sau được nhận vào học Medecine tại Univ de Montreal- Cháu tốt nghiệp y khoa năm 2005.


Ngyễn Ngọc Lan Châu GRADUATION FACULTÉ DE MÉDECINE-UNIV DE MONTRÉAL



We lived in a lovely house in Saigon, made from wood and brick. Tropical plants surrounded it

The war had ended but the misery and pain still lived.

I was only 4 and my brother 2 when we left our native land with my parents and other people on a simple boat. We abandoned everything we constructed, everything we dreamed to build, for freedom and happiness.

On the night of March 20th 1980, the boat left the shore of Viet Nam . Although my parents knew what danger we could face we were the first ones in our family to attempt this trip with no return ticket. Farewell to Viet Nam......

Waves crashed on the boat. My mother held tightly the baby and father 's arms were wrapped around me. There were so many people but not enough food to feed the starving ones. We sat and slept all day long in the boat's hold. It was far from comfortable. Everybody had to do their toilet at their sitting place. The sea sickness entered inside us and occasionally we had to vomit. Soon, the cave was covered with an unpleasant slimy water on which we sat. The captain gave each of the passengers some pills to avoid a sickness that we might catch during the journey. The crew didn't see any line of earth at the horizon for days. Above us....the sky. Under us....the sea.

We were short of food and fresh water. The usual meal we had was some rice , mixed with water. Our faces were pale, our bodies were thin. The boat navigated at the mercy of the sea, trying to cut through the strong waves. We were worried and terrified but hung on tightly to the rope of hope. The mothers caressed their children, saying that it will soon be over.

A few miles ahead , the captain saw a boat's silhouette. As we approached, we recognized that it was a pirate's boat ! Too late to escape.... Thailandian pirates armed with weapons could shoot us at any moment. Our boat was about 7 meters from theirs . Since my father knew how to speakThailandian, he translated what the pirates demanded.: jewelry, money.... We gave whatever we had left, but the bag was barely filled. Some hid their jewelry because it was the only souvenir they had from their family, their country. Finally , after a few minutes of hesitation, they dropped their precious valuables in the bag. Their eyes were wet.

We didn't park our tiny boat next to theirs. The shock would have been so violent that it would probably make a hole in ours. We looked to each other, searching for a brave one who would swim across the green water to the pirates, not knowing how deep the sea was, not knowing if there were any sharks in the neighbourhood . Our impatient opponents were ready to shoot. They cried some words. Suddenly, my father declared, " I'll swim " .

He looked at my mother , my brother and me with tender eyes. He took the bag, attached it around his shoulder and dived into the cold water. Mother didn't let him out of her sight, for she worried that her husband would never return.

Father was pulled violently on board the pirate' boat. Guns and knives were pointed at him. The captain quickly opened the bag and seemed satisfied . Soon, my father was surrounded by people , with a used blanket covering his body. Mother sat next to him. She was relieved.

Land ahead ! Land ahead ! On the last day of April ,the boat approached nearer to the shore of the new land as we were cajoled by the warm sun on the bridge. Other wooden boat boats were lined up; therefore, we knew we weren't the only ones to survive and cross the line to freedom. No words could describe what our spirits felt on that glorious day . When we stepped on the solid ground of Thailand, we were dizzy as we walked to the refugee camp. The black and white film was transforming into a multicoloured fairy tale.

Three months later, a Canadian family sponsored us . On the 22nd of June 1980, the plane flew above the white clouds. I had traveled almost the half of the earth to learn and know what life and freedom meant to us. I had witnessed the pain men could do to their fellow men and the love they could offer. We cannot erase the terrible nightmare we had lived : ; it is printed in the book of our lives. It's time to turn to the next page.....

We relaxed comfortably on the plane seat. I saw an unusual gleam in mother's eyes as if they wanted to say that I could keep on dreaming .....

Lan-Châu Nguyên

Sec. I ( Anglais )

LIHS-1989

A holder of a Doctorate in General Medicine from the University of Montreal, Dr. Lan Chau Nguyen has been a general practitioner since 2005. She is a member of the Collège des Médecins du Québec and of the Medical Council of Canada.

Dr. Nguyen also received specific training in aesthetic medicine in Paris, Orlando and Toronto, and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from the University of Ottawa.

Membre du Collège des médecins du Québec et du Conseil médical du Canada, Dre Lan Chau Nguyen possède un doctorat en médecine générale de l’Université de Montréal et exerce sa profession d’omnipraticienne depuis 2005.

Elle a également suivi plusieurs formations en médecine esthétique à Paris, à Orlando puis à Toronto. Elle détient par ailleurs un baccalauréat en physiothérapie de l’Université d’Ottawa

Bác sĩ Ngyễn Ngọc Lan Châu (con gái của Bác sĩ Nguyễn Thượng Chánh)