a TRiBuTe to my WONDERFUL DADDY !!

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latest update ::20th march 2003:: !

~*~ what do i think ?! ~*~

what is going through my mind? how wonderful my dad is... how smart he is, how genuine, kind, 
and caring he is... how he's a hard worker and not once did i hear him complain... and 
how selfish i am for not even realizing how successful he is until recent. i mean, i knew
he's successful... but not THAT successful. all i knew was my dad was a hard working man...
and that he loved us unconditionally... and i don't think it's all my fault simply cos
he's so modest that it wasn't even a big deal to him.  there's all these different award
ceremonies that he goes to... and he'd just show us his new award and say something like 
"look what i got" with his face beaming.  we knew he was smart and dedicated... but we
didn't know the real reasoning behind his work and we didn't know why he'd work so hard 
sometimes. we also didn't know that many times he left his work because of hardships...

it was a moment that i will forever treasure in my life... going to a NAR award ceremony.
it's funny cos i was like... what ceremony?  oh ok. another award show... what? we get to
go? what? we get a room? ok, let's go!! =)  you know, since my dad is so modest and all,
im going to show off for him.

it all started on a nice sunny day... ok, im no story teller, but just hear me out.  i was
at school and my sis called and said 'hey, we're going to d.c . you coming? you outta school
yet? who's gonna take care of plucky? you stay home. im going to d.c. we're going cos
daddy won some award again... but this time we get to go.'... and i was like 'yeah, i'll go.
that sounds cool... but let me check my summer school stuff.'  well, i decided the hell with
summer school cos im going on vacation with my family. im tired of missing out on these
vacations... so i came home and said 'what award did you win? is it big? is it like a show?
do i have to dress up?' ... my dad was like... 'no, it's just some award.  you don't have
to dress up or anything. it's just for fun and then we're going to go to new york, too. that's
for mommy.' so i was like... ok monkey. sounds fun to me.  you know what was so funny?
my dad wasn't excited about this award thing. in fact, my parents were excited about a train ride
from d.c to new york.  they said that they've always wanted go on a train ride. that was
their dream... here's my sister and i saying "NEW YORK!!!! WHAT SHOULD I WEAR!?" and my parents
beaming knowing they are going on a train ride.  two totally different worlds.

well anyway, since my dad didn't think it was anything huge, we just packed lightly and went on 
this trip.  there was no agenda. just have fun... the guys that got my dad there didn't tell
my dad it was a big thing. he said 'oh, it's just a conference and an awards thing'... 
when we got there, the hotel we stayed at looked like something from hollywood... it 
was so amazing and i knew id never step foot into something like that again. the fact that
they paid for my sister and i to get our own room was even more exciting.  so after
getting a headache from staring at the numerous chandeliers, we all went around looking for
someone who could tell us what's going on.  we could tell that we were out of place. everyone
there were in their finest clothes and here we are walking in with jeans. righttt.  anyway
my dad said that the awards ceremony is sat so he's sure that someone will call him then.  
blah blah blah... we just toured d.c and had a fun time. we went shopping, etc.  
my dad came back to the hotel and saw some areas that are selling realtor's stuff and my dad
wanted to look... but in order for him to go into those areas, he had to get a lil' badge thing
and my dad told those people he's a realtor and just wanted to see. they whipped up a badge
with his name and the wrong city. they said he's from chicago. we all got a good laugh...
and we were jealous cos now everyone has a badge but us.... anyway... while my dad went to 
these 'restricted areas', we had to wait outside. this mean lady wouldnt even let us near my 
dad... i still have a bone to pick with her. lucky my parents were there or my sis and 
i would've started some nice kick butt sessions with her. ok, enough about me. 
so then, we waited and waited... and then this guy saw my dad and told him he was looking
all over for him and wanted to know why my dad was wearing the wrong badge and why he
didn't register. my dad was like, 'woah? im part of this?'... that guy thought my dad
was the funniest man on this earth and took all of us to get these 'specialer' badges.
when i got mine,man, i walked back and forth in front of that lady. sorry, i can't help it
she really pissed me off.  so my dad got his guest of honor thing and we were all happy
wearing it everywhere. yes, we're easy to please.  
anyway. 
fastforwarding to the awards show thing... conference. whatever.  we went to this room and sat
in the very back. it was soooo crowded and people had to stand cos there weren't enough seats.
then the wife of the president of NAR came to say hi... we were like 'woah...'... she was
so pretty and so nice... and she said 'you know, chris is really inspirational' and i was like 
'my daddy? awww...'  then we got moved to the front... and my mom and i we were giggling cos
our outfits were so blah compared to these people ... then the thing started.  it was a meeting
sort thing. we were bored to tell you the truth. and then they turned off the lights and showed
this video montage show thing... we didn't know it was about my dad... it started with the
president of NAR talking about heros and wars... etc.  and then i saw pics of my dad...
(basically the ones you are seeing on this page) and was like, woah, they did all this for daddy?
and he talked about my dad... and my dad's story... and i just started to cry. i couldn't even
hold back tears... i wasn't sad... i was proud. really proud that he was my dad and i was
really stunned that he has never talked about this stuff to us. the reason why? cos he
himself didn't think he was all that... shoot... how could anyone be so modest?! 
so i cried and cried... and my dad got a loooong standing ovation... and was told to come on 
stage to receive the medal of honor... and to do a speech... and my dad started with "im so nervous"
and people thought he was great... but in truth, my dad wasn't prepared... and all
he could really do was speak from the heart... and even then, people in the crowd were crying
and many couldnt hold back tears themselves... fastforwarding again... after that, people came up
to my dad and we were seriously recognized everywhere we went, ate and shopped soon after.  
cos in reality, my dad when he went out, put on his simple clothes again and just had fun.
he kept on looking at his medal and he was finally really proud of his accomplishment.

his story? he's just a man working hard to provide for his family so we could be well off.
other's story? he's a man that's given them hope, dreams, and a home...
our story? he's our daddy and we want to go shopping again. sushi den!! man, we're spoiled.
my mom's story? he's her husband that works really hard and late ... the love of her life.

what would all the realtors say? he's inspirational...
the Vietnamese community? The president of NARS? he's a hero...
and you know what? yes he is. not only is he a hero for creating such a dream for
others... but he's also a hero in our minds, heart, and spirit.  he's completely unselfish,
110% giving, and extremely honorable.  hopefully i inherited a part of his hero-ness in me
but let's just say im far from being my daddy.  he's incredible and that's all there is to it.

after this awards thing, it changed my life... it opened my heart. opened my mind. and my spirit.
finally all the words of wisdom my dad taught me started to make sense.  this page
is playing the song from 'titanic'... the reasoning behind is that this song isn't an easy
song to learn and my dad told me i could sing it. he told me i could do it... and when 
i performed it for the first time, i attracted a crowd like no other... and i was scared...
but through it all, my dad stood behind me and i knew id be ok.  he is always supporting me, 
encouraging me... letting me know that it's ok be scared but it's not ok to let it take over.
and even then, he'll stand behind me no matter what.  and so, this song is now my daddy's song.
cos no matter what, my heart will always go on... cos of my daddy. this is how he's a hero to
me.

you know what still amazes me? he was like "i didn't know it would be this big" and then 
he turned to my mom and talked about how excited he was to get that award... and how
he can't wait for the train ride...

~ finish this great story... ~

family would not accept welfare or food stamps. As the eldest son, Nguyen, 
who had attended seminary in Vietnam and wanted to become a priest, put his
dreams aside and went to work as a kitchen helper at a pizza parlor.

"I don't think I did a very good job because my English was so bad, but I 
had a patient boss," said the modest Nguyen.

Life was "very hard" back then, Nguyen said, in an understatement.  He somehow
found the time to take English classes at night at a community college, and 
after a few years, he worked his way up to a management job at a grocery
store.  Within five years, he had become an American citizen.

Nguyen's family was also adamant that they would buy a home. With the whole
family working multiple jobs, the Nguyens were able to buy a modest three-bedroom
in Littleton.  Nguyen's paretns still live in that home today.

One day in 1985, a friend of Nguyen's mentioned the idea of selling real estate
to him.  Nguyen took his friend's advice obtained his real esate license, 
but he said that was just the beginning of another long hard road.

"I left real estate three times," said Nguyen, who is now a member of RE/MAX's
Hall of Fame, a status reserved for agents who have earned more than $1 million
in commissions over their career.

"I don't think it was my natural calling," he added, recalling that he once received
a letter from one brokerage telling him he was responsible for lowering the 
sales average.

Nguyen's success appears to be due to sheer persistence and his unfailing work ethic.
He said he works 14 hour days, and his friends tell him to slow down, but he seems
unclear about how to do that.

Nguyen considered the week during which he attended the NAR Mid-Year Meetings and
received his award as the first "vacation" he has taken in years, even though
he answered clients' calls on his cell phone and attended educational seminars
while he was there.

His days are long, he said, because many of his clientele are Vietnamese or
Hispanic immigrants.  Not only are most of them confused first-time buyers, but
they're also from cultures that harbor a suspicion about banks and a disdain
for debt.

"A lot of my clients don't know what a bank is, much less a fax," he said.

Although he could easily begin focusing on less high-maintenance prospects,
Nguyen said he'll continue his work with immigrant home buyers.  He lives
his life with an attitude of gratitude--volunteering with youth at his
church, teaching English to immigrants and sending money to charities.

Even though he could well afford a more luxurious lifestyle, he lives in
a modest home with his wife Jacqueline and his daughters Lily, 24, and 
Jennifer, 14.

"My friends always ask me why I don't live in a nicer house," Nguyen said, 
"But that's not really my style."

http://www.inman.com/

~ a peep into his life... his family... all he cares about...~
!!aaawwwww!! she is the love of my daddy's life...our mum

hello... my name is lily and i luv my daddy!! meet jennifer....turning 16 in may... teenager. says it all right?

THE son-in-law...and their lil' pupp chance
wait... there's a new addition to the family... well, due date may...here's a pic of the two before the ultrasound... is it a boy or a girl? it's a GIRL!! that's right, he's gonna have a granddaughter!!

and finally, his boy, lucky... who waits for him everynight to play with him...this stubborn pupp only answers to him...he knows who's the man. ^_^

smile for the camera!!

that's it for now! please come back soon!