"A two-lesson chief."

One time, in Central Vietnam, I worked for a provincial civil engineering company and was assigned to lead a group of 15 engineers and technicians. We went to rural areas to do civil survey work. Despite a young man, I managed a team of many different types of people. Some men were the former South Vietnamese soldiers, but some guys just graduated from high schools. It was a hard time for me to monitor such a group of people. Some folks trusted me, but not all of them did so. There was a youngest member in my team. He had fled the country by boat, but he failed. In order to avoid troubles with local authorities, he applied for a job in my company and was sent to my team and worked as a lay man. I found that he was the man who I trusted most. One day, he told me, "Chief, can you go with me to Phu Lam Town to meet my girl friend family?" Phu Lam is a small town near Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen province. There is a big and the longest bridge in Central Vietnam, the Da Rang Bridge and this town is in the South of the bridge. Knowing the importance of his invitation, I accepted it and we took a bus to go to his girl friend's house. It took us a half day to run just only 40 Km on a charcoal heated bus. At that time, due to the embargo of American government, there was not enough gas to run automobiles in Vietnam. Bus companies must use charcoals to burn and get heats for their vehicle machines. Of course, the speeds of automobiles were very slowly. It took one day to run a distance of about one hundred Km from Tuy Hoa to Nha Trang city! We arrived Phu Lam town and stayed at his girl friend's house. It was a small house built next to the bank of Da Rang River. The owner was an old and short man. But he was so strong compared to people who were at his ages. As many Vietnamese living in this area, he could do both farming and fishing. I recalled, he went fishing in the afternoon and that evening dinner we had a wonderful meal with fresh fish and garden chicken. He treated me like a king! He called me, "Ông Đội", meaning Mr. Chief. I know there was another reason that made it special for me, I was witnessing the relationships between his daughter and my colleague! After having some glasses of local wine made from rice, I went to bed early. Next morning, I was waken up because of some strange sounds behind the wall of my bedroom. I decided to explore it and saw the old man and his daughter there. They were practicing martial arts! Suddenly, he wrapped up my shirt and drew me into the center of the room. He said, "Come and see, sir! Do you know any martial arts?" I told him I did not know anything about it. He said, "Don't worry! Let's take some lessons!" The first lesson came unexpectedly. I fell down on the ground. The second lesson was even gone faster. He asked me to repeat the lessons using his own body as the enemy. "These two lessons can protect you when you have someone who wants to attack you, but you must act, then run away quickly!" He said. It was one year later in Cam Ranh district of Khanh Hoa province. We had an engineering geological survey project to find the reasons why and how Suoi Hanh Reservoir collapsed easily after a normal flooding. As a group of workers who spent most of time living in the rural area, we used to have some drinks at night as entertainments. One night, I found an irritated story from a woman who owned a small restaurant (actually, it was rather a hut): Another group of workers who came to drink at her restaurant everyday but they did not pay any pennies. They considered themselves as the safeguards for the owner. I was so angry (after having some drinks) and challenged a member of this gang who was drinking near my table. Using two lessons that I learned one year ago, I could make that man fell down on the floor easily. Interesting, it was him, not me, tried to stand up and ran away! I came back my tent and fell asleep in a hammock. But, I was waken up after a short nap because the gang circled around our camp with weapons and burning torches in hands. The chief of the gang shouted and requested me to have a fight with him! They gave many bad and provocative words. You may know that I have only two lessons of martial arts! How can I fight with this guy? Fortunately, there was a courage man in my team, Mr. Cuong, who grew up in Hai Phong. He step out the tent and shouted, “Fuck you! My boss was so drunk and he was out. Come back to see him tomorrow or you can have a fight with me". “Get away now or you will be shot!” Knowing that we had guns, the gang disappeared. (In Vietnam, Hai Phong gets its reputation because of its people – men are courageous and stubborn! Women are beautiful! Mr. Cuong was the man like that. His voice was very powerful.) Next morning, we all came to the restaurant for a coffee. Look at my team! We were so united and strong! The gang was there but did not do anything at all. We took the opportunity, invited them coffee and cigarettes. Both sides made peaceful agreements finally. Thanks to this incident, I got a new name, "Two-lesson chief." In Vietnamese, it says, "Ông Đội Hai Chiêu." It is funny, isn't it.

Small but beautiful!

A friend in Da Nang City read my book review, “Never eat a lone” posted in Saigon Economics Time and told me he was thinking much about the author, the world’s number one networking builder, Keith Ferrazzi. But, I told him actually, there were many men like Keith in life. I knew a story, "Small but beautiful" many years ago when I was in Nha Trang City (at that time Vietnam was still under the planned economy.) “A man was in a line waiting before a food store to buy rice. He suddenly saw a tiny notebook lying near his foot. He picked up and put in his pocket. When his turn was about to come, the store keeper said, "Sorry, our inventory was ran out, please come back tomorrow!" Coming home, he fell on his bed despairingly. After a short rest he changed his cloths and found the notebook again. Opened the notebook, he found many addresses of most high ranking people in town. Curiously, he decided to keep it. One day, his friend visited and told him his bad luck. The friend wanted to meet with one of a men, whose name was in his notebook! “Okay, let's me try to call him and give him an explanation,”he said. It was wonderful! The gentleman ,who received his call, agreed to meet his friend. The deal between two men was made finally. His friend trusted him so much and the rumor started spreading. Many people came to ask him for the same helps. He did and got even greater success. His life changed since then.” My friend told that I also had the talent that he had seen since we were students. However, in my opinion, if we read and carefully apply what a book would like to tell us, we will also get success. Let me tell you my story. Last year I came to see a government cadre at Housing Management Office of Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. When I came in, his gate keeper told me he was in a meeting. My face turned red and I got angry. Do you know why? I had been waiting several weeks to see him and he had made this appointment! "Please tell him, I will sit here to wait until the end of his meeting.” I opened my cell phone and called a friend and talk loudly so that the gate keeper could hear my conversations. I told my friend, who arranged this appointment, “OK, let me talk to a higher ranking level of this district about the issue.” Needed to say, before coming this office, I dressed as if I were a journalist (in Vietnam journalists gain certain powers in the society because their reports regarding social issues may do harm somebody else .) After the talk, I saw the gate keeper came in, then he came back. A young man appeared on the first floor of the building. He asked me to go up. After reading the appointment note, he called a talked with a woman. In just few minutes, she gave me the needed document.