The girl who has a boy’s name Photo

Photographer’s Note

.

Đứa bé gái có tên con trai

- Tên cháu là gì?
- Dạ Việt.
- Việt?
- Dạ
- Đó là tên con trai!
- Không. Mẹ cháu bảo không phải con trai. Đó là tên một nước.

*

Tôi cho cô chèo thuyền bé nhỏ một chút tiền riels rồi bảo cháu dẫn tôi về nhà. Đúng ra đó là một trong những nhà thuyền trong cộng đồng người Việt bồng bềnh ở Chong Kneas nằm tít ở cuối cái đuôi phía tây của biển hồ Tonle Sap.

Tôi gặp bố mẹ cháu Việt. Họ bảo tôi họ sinh cháu thật muộn màng, và Việt là con một. Khi đang mang thai, người mẹ đã quyết định đặt tên "Việt" cho đứa con trông mòn con mắt của mình, hi vọng nữa rồi lớn khôn đứa bé sẽ nhớ cội nguồn của mình. Hiện nay, họ là công dân Cambodia, ăn thức ăn Việt nam, nói hai thứ tiếng, và luôn cho rằng mình là người Việt, mặc dầu chẳng có một tí giấy má gì minh chứng điều đó, và mặc dầu Tòa Đại Sứ hoặc Lãnh Sự Quán Việt Nam chẳng ngó ngàng gì đến họ. Những con người nầy vẫn cứ tồn tại ra đó, cũng như sự hiện hữu trong từ điển của thuật ngữ "những kẻ vong quốc".

===================================

The girl who has a boy’s name

“What’s your name?”
“Viet”
“Viet?”
“Yes!”
“It’s a boy’s name!”
“No. My mom said it’s not. It a country’s name”

*

I gave the young boat-rower some riels, and asked her to take me home. Actually, it is one of the boat-houses, within the Chong Kneas Vietnamese Floating Community at the north end of Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Great Lake.

I met Viet’s parents. They told me they were having her late, and Viet is the only child. During pregnancy, the lady made up her mind to have the name for their long-waiting child as “Viet”, hopefully once grown up, their kid would remember the country where the family has root from. Currently, they are Cambodian citizens, eating the Vietnamese foods, speaking dual languages, and always claiming that they are Vietnamese, even though they don’t have a legal document to prove, and Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate have done nothing for them. These human beings still exist as the term in dictionary exists: the displaced citizens.

.

NgocSon, devimeuxbe, huynt, polter, christina, ChrisJ, sandip, PSYOPS, ninadev, JRushen, dsidwell, sengir, berseph, lu_muratori, MLINES, Iuli, sajith, VictorPhung, Flamboyant has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

NgocSon (282) 2005-07-17 4:18

I am a "the displaced citizen" too. My parents left Vietnam and took my Amerasian adopted brother and me along when I was about this girl's age. Currently, I am US Permanent Resident, eating the Vietnamese foods, speaking dual language, and always claiming that I am a Vietnamese, even though I don’t hold Vietnamese passport nor US passport.

Your little story brought tears to my eyes. I felt sorry for the girl, and for myself as well.

NgocSon

[3] +

chaity (1539) 2005-07-17 4:25

Hai Thanh, your photo brings out the innocent of a kid. It is not easy for me to finish the notes you wrote, sad truth.

devimeuxbe (56598) 2005-07-17 4:41

Xin Chao Thanh
Are you in Cambodia right now ?
So have a good trip. Nice picture from the Tonlé sap life. A very well know place for me !
Beautifull composition for this smiling girl.
Bertrand

christina (2040) 2005-07-17 4:47

Wonderful story accompanied by an equally wonderful image. Nice composition and connection. Thanks for sharing!!!

scalerman (25803) 2005-07-17 5:03

a little soft, but a heart-warming portrait. I don't have time to read your whole note cause internet in Ladakh is EXPensive.

pnphan (3904) 2005-07-17 5:09

cam dong qua chu Tha`nh he
khong biet bao gio nha nuoc vn moi that su biet lo cho dan cua minh ha?

[3]

ChrisJ (71614) 2005-07-17 5:18

Hi Thanh

A superb daily life shot, of this charming young girl, on the sampan. The diagonal axis & tight cropping, enhance the composition. Well done!

sandip (3492) 2005-07-17 5:58

Hi Thanh.. its a really quality picture. i like the way u placed this little girl in the frame.. the boat is kept diagonal and at the same time she is with the boat man's job keeping aside the bowl of food.. i like her look.. nice work.

PSYOPS (0) 2005-07-17 6:11

This time, I tried to analyze the composition of your picture. I managed to crop and balance top and bottom, left and right: none of them comes out better than this. It's neat. Not much color but it is fixed like a nail in the wood.

BTW, I like Ngocson's follow-up after your touched story.

George

ninadev (5225) 2005-07-17 8:45

We have see a lot of such pics of children of Vietnam or other Asian countries but never have I seen one, accompagnied with such a note, that really tells a story, one that touches my hearth... How many innocent children, and she does look innocent, suffer from the adults foolishness of war. NOt only the note is good but the image too, good composition and I love the colorful dress in all this brown around her... Thansk for sharing Thanh...
PS. I don't read vietnamese but I still appreciate that you have written the note in that language, for all the vietnamese people on this site and I see it as an affirmation of who you are.

[2] +

polter (6403) 2005-07-17 10:23

I glanced for an hour on this photo and looked for words appropriate enough. And I didn't foud them. So here I'm wordless but very moved by the picture and the story.
Greetings T.

[2] +

Furachan (0) 2005-07-17 10:26

Beautiful, outsanding portrait with true colors, matched by superb notes - just a great story!
Bravo, Francis

huynt (5077) 2005-07-17 10:42

Hi Mr Thanh
Wow A lovely and meaningful portrait. Thanks for your deeply POV as well as hot heart sharing. I am really very impressvie and bad before this shot and your best story.Well done. Bravo. Take care. Huy

[2]

hoangthenhiem (2531) 2005-07-17 11:34

I don't critique others' works, but your story got me here. Through this posting, after long hours of wordless, I witnessed the camera could perform more than just art-work. Dr. Huy informed me that you are working on a plan to return and spend an overnight floating stay within this community.
I will meet you during your transit in Tan Son Nhat Airport toward Siem Reab. Please cross the finger! Please let me contribute...

Nhiem

[2]

erdna (5360) 2005-07-17 12:39

One very good photo and a very sad note but so true. I have read stories similar to this.

Andre'

JRushen (398) 2005-07-17 13:17

A top class picture all round with an interesting note. This is what TE is all about. Excellent.

CHInCu_TTHP (34) 2005-07-25 14:22 [Comment]

Show Comment +

dsidwell (9745) 2005-07-26 14:37

Very effective composition here, Thanh. The girl is placed in a strong position in the frame, and again, your tones are very nice, giving shape and mood to the image.

PJAMES (122) 2005-07-26 20:39 [Comment]

Show Comment

ccooper (836) 2005-08-14 9:22

Haunting photo and story, here and with your other photos! Well done. Your photos definitely teach us about the world around us. Thanks.

flydragon (0) 2005-09-15 4:48

hello Thanh
i was looking your gallerie ;o)
i found this lovely girl
i like so much her gaze a lot emotion
in her eyes.
This picture remind me a beautifull Chinese
movie i love, " KING OF MASKS "
here a link from the movie You should watch it ,o)

have a nice day
••simon••

nopoint (878) 2005-11-08 20:04

What a great picture and beautiful notes! I am touched...Kiet

lu_muratori (618) 2006-02-28 2:59

Very beautiful image and a very moving story too. TI feel pretty sad for the little girl who has the name of a country she doesn't even have documents from. Thank you for sharing!

sebinho342 (18808) 2006-04-22 8:07

You are really an artist than, i really enjoy surfing on your gallery and find some "pepite d'or" like this pic of this cambodgian girl.
GREAT JOB, it's amazing ! :))

ChristineLe (59) 2006-05-07 21:41

I wish I can cry at your brief story.
Your notes drove your photo up hill and let it stand firm.
I really appreciate this contribution,
Regards,

Sue77584 (0) 2006-06-23 18:59

What a touched story!
Thanks for bringing this little lesson to us.
Regards,

XN

Dianchen (189) 2007-02-14 3:59 [Comment]

Show Comment

VictorPhung (738) 2007-03-27 10:27

what to say!!! my heart jumps faster, my eyes comes wet, words fail me. Thank you for your sharing, this picture will be in my heart.
Victor

Flamboyant (0) 2007-04-08 13:25

This is a wonderful magazine article more than just a regular TrekEarth posting. Your work is so great and I appreciate your gallery and the helpful notes.
Best wishes!

PVy

[2]

Tango7174 (0) 2007-05-18 21:26

Cute subject, nice composition, vivid colours. But on top of all the above, thanks for making me discover the tragic situation of these neither Cambodian nor Vietnamese people...

Thành.

HieuNguyen (0) 2007-05-31 8:51

Anh Thanh,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful picture and story. Please let me know the next time you collect money. I would like to help.

Hieu Nguyen

Photo Information

Copyright: Ngy Thanh (ngythanh) (8504)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-03-04
Categories: Transportation
Camera: Canon EOS 10D, Canon EF 24-70mm L, RAW @ ISO 100
Exposure: f/8, 1/60 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): The Floating Misery, Jeppo's favourites - the first 100! [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-07-17 4:03
Favorites: 10 [view]