I lived on Pulau Bidong 1978
January 9, 2007
This morning some one told me that Malaysia isn’t an Island.
Then I did a Google search on Pula Bidong which turns up Binh Danh’s project. I didn’t even spell it correctly but Google was smart to suggest the correct spelling. I’m excited. It triggered some memories. I remember lying on the island during Christmas time. The PA system broadcast Christmas music. We got better treats from the Uni-chief organization. I can remember eating chicken in a can. Yeah, there were parts of chicken complete with bones stuffed into a can. I remember missing family, other normal Christmas where I got to play with my neighbor’s train track toys.
I remember the same god damn PA system announcing the names of people who would be selected to go and I would be jealous because my name wasn’t called. I can’t recall the elation of the moment when they called my name though. I drop everything whenever the PA spoke, and I listen attentively to every word echoing through the hills.
I learned to swim on the island. My mouth takes in liquid salt, the sea water. The pajama pants I swim in is thread bare.
The refugee’s boats beached and then the weather would eat it away until only a small hull is left where color fishes swim among feces. Once the Boat is beached, the inhabitants would tear away at the planks and salvage every bit of wood for fire or shelter.
To pass the time, the men usually gather around the bunks and deal out hands of cards. They wager in Crackers or biscuits, each shape with it’s own unique currency. In dire times, the residents of Pulau Bidong consult the oracles that are on the faces of the playing cards. They were sure there were ghosts to communicate with. They ask when they would leave the island. They ask the spirits to carry messages back to love ones at home in Vietnam.
The Wells-I remember waiting in long lines to fetch water from the wells. The people who came before me dug the wells for fresh water. The sandy soil is sometimes red like the color of cinder or lava. The refugees would build a square or round wall often three or four feet high. We used whatever vessels we could find to carry the water. Some of the water containers were made from empty tins biscuits.
The Falls - Sometimes we would fetch water from the water falls, but those were too far up the hill. People would wash their laundries and their bodies. The dirty run offs travel to the lower falls. If you want to bath, you would have to find the highest fall in order to avoid the dirty run offs. As a boy, I witnessed the strange rituals of a public bath. Beautiful women nonchalantly bath themselves in clothes. It was a strange sight. The cloths were second skins, wrinkled and shedding. When the threads are submerged in water, they become transparent to reveal the skin beneath. From the mixture of textile and skin a pattern emerged, a new creature emerging.
The Bakery - Early in the morning, my sister and I would go to the bakery. The man load our cardboard boxes with warm loaves of bread, covers the top with a cloth to keep the heat. The steam rises in the glow of the sand ovens. Men stoke the fire, others knead the dough. We take them to the street and squat down to sell the bread on Vendor row. Sometimes we would have left overs. So my sister and I would open up a can of sardine, put it over a low flame. She slices the bread in half and I stuff the fish to make a delicious sandwich.
The Swimmers would gather at the rocks to journey out on a make shift raft to the merchant boats beyond. They would float back tins of biscuits, green apples wrapped in tissues, Coca Cola bottles. My Uncle bought a few of these merchandise and made my sister and me to sell it on the streets.
The Diarist-Every time I walk past his bunk, he would be writing some thing in a book or a letter. I wonder where he got the paper and pen? I suppose that image has stuck with me ever since and my affinity to write in journals or diaries. I had no scholarly obligations. What I experience I try to keep it all in my head. I didn’t have the luxury of pen and paper. The Diarist must have the fore sight to bring some along. If I did have a journal would I remember the details more clearly? Because each day it seems to have faded away.
The Bed-Sometimes, we wake up with tree saps in our hairs. During sleep, the barks of trees secret their chemical juice, sticks to our clothes, pajamas, and skin. The men, usually, went into the forest with machetes to fall limbs and carry them to the place of sleep. They fasten the knotty limbs together into a platform, build posts and sink them into soft sandy grounds to support the bed.
The Skiff - In the evening, the metal skiffs mark the horizon. The twilight shimmering and reflected in the waves, marks the end of the day. The patrol boat crosses back and forth in the horizon.
The Cafe - At night, the scent of ground coffee beans brewing in the oceanic breeze. Lovers stroll hand in hand, their feet touching waves, sand creep between the toes. I will forever have an image of lovers siting down, facing the ocean, an arm around a shoulder. The lanterns hanging from rafters, light the shop.
Bean Sprout - We cultivate mung beans into beansprouts. We sow the mung beans into sandy soils, put up railings to protect the bed. Then cover the seeds to preserve the moisture. Slowly the beans sprout forth, like magic, like fables.
Some Related links:
2007/12/08/la-toan-vinhs-sketches-of-bidong
http://timecapsule.yahoo.com/capsule.php - I decided to post this particular post in the time capsule under the category of memories with tags Palau Bidong. Years from now I’ll look back at it.
Images of Pulau Bidong found on the web.
ducly.wordpress.com/tag/vietnam
bustamann.blogspot.com/2005/08/islands-in-sun.html
http://www.experteer.org/HTML/pulaubidong/RefugeePeople.htm
tags: Pulau Bidong, refugees, Vietnam, Island
October 17, 2006 at 11:15 pm
[...] http://ducly.wordpress.com/2006/10/02/143 Published in: [...]
April 3, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Thank you for writing this entry. I was foster-parent to a boy, Hung Lam, who spent 2 years (1977-1979) in Pulau Bidong before coming to Philadelphia to live with us. I remember him telling me that he spent his days getting water and having nothing else to do, no school, no structure. He had a hard time adjusting in the USA.
April 5, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Hi Harrison, Thanks for the comment. Wow 2 years is a very long time on that island.
April 10, 2007 at 9:20 pm
My brother and his wife are taking a trip to Southeast Asia recently. He said he is going to visit Pulau Bidong. I didn’t know Pulau Bidong would allow tourst. It has been so long. I almost forgot how to spell Pulau Bidong correctly. Just out of curiosity, I typed in Pulau Bidong in 1978, and I choose to click on your website. It is a mix feeling to see website posting history of us the boat people during that era. I also lived in Pulau Bidong in 1978. I remember my boat was #27. I spend one year on this island. I remember slept on those bed made with tree branches, fetch water at the well, swimming by the shore at noon, and seing that big French hospital boat far away. I remember listened to announcement from the PA systems for news on new arrive boat people. I would then rushed out to see if my parents and family would be among the new arrival. It was always a big disappointment. My family end up in a different island. I remember the church, the temple, the clinic, and those little shred that was wrapped around with plastic sheet and rice bag. At least the one I lived with my uncle and aunt was like that. Your article brought back memories of my childhood on this island. It is good to know that history of refugee camp on this island exist. Thank you for having this link. I can share these memories with my children.
Cindy in California
April 10, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Hi Cindy, I’m glad to hear your stories. I’m sure you have many more to share. I’ve forgotten alot. I don’t remember our boat number. I was around ten years old at the time. I don’t remember the French hospital boat. I just remember seening the patrol man’s skif patrolling the coast in the evenings. -Duc
April 29, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Hai and hello everyone….
Im from Malaysia and living in Terengganu. For your Information Pulau Bidong (pulau= island)is no longer accomodate people except there is a Research Centre For Malaysia Terengganu University (www.umt.edu.my)and focusing mainly on marine life. I always go there for a SCUBA diving to collect marine sample and sometimes go to the vietnamese remaining. Like you mention the church, temple, Clinic, school is still there.And in front of the Island there are a number of shipwreck to be seen. I have a collection of photo of them and if you would like to see it i can email it to you.
Regards
Ismadi, Terengganu Malaysia
April 30, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Hi Ismadi,
I would like to see some of those images. I don’t see your email on the comment section.
-Duc
May 20, 2007 at 2:46 am
Duc, thanks for the memories and established a forum where thousands like us had journeyed through. I really wish internet and email were part of our daily communication medium. I would still have contact with many of my beloved friends.
I also landed on this island on 11/19/1978, boat #156. At the time, I was around 15 years old and still can vividly remember the stormy night our captain ran the boat ashore. The boat was 19m long with 278 people and took us 5 days and 4 nights to reach Malaysia from a southern tip city in VN. I recalled our boat stalled during the 3rd night in a severe stormy weather. We thought we were fortunate to spot a passing fishing Thai boat whom turned out to be thugs and demanding items of values before they agreed to pull our boat….our boat almost sunk during the ordeal and had to cut lose the towing ropes….. heard many other less unfortunate boats passed through the Thailand gulf were robbed and raped starting in 1979. Many women were taken away and boats were sank if there were any attempts to resist…[bring some very sad memories...there were no justice done to these pirates].
Anyhow, I just like many of you listening to the PA speakers waiting for our names to be called…it took my family (partial) 18 months to hear our names. The daily life at the refugee camp island taught me a lifelong lesson of appreciation for freedom and true friendship. From time to time, I would try to instill my hardship during this 18 months at the camp with my kids and hoping they would appreciate what they have.
Duc, you’re a great writer and recounting the daily experience poetically.
If anyone recognize this name - Ngo, Hung Can, please email me.
from Alhambra, California.
05/19/2007 (wow, almost 30 years ago..i too recall all this from my memories).
May 21, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Hi Jim, Thanks for your compliments and encouragements. I’m glad you told us your stories. That’s the point of starting this little forum. I’ll try to post more of what I know. We must have run across each other on Pulau Bidong and not even know it!
-Duc
June 1, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Hi Duc, my family arrived in the UK in 1980 from Pulau Bidong. I don’t have any memories for our time on island especially as I was only 18 months old. But listening to my grandparents and parents recounting the memories sends a shiver down my spine, all refugees are brave and courageous, it’s a shame to not re-tell the stories so that generations don’t forget.
Whilst on the island my life was saved by a Chinese doctor who was also a refugee from Vietnam, I’ve spent the last 28 years trying to find him with no success.
The only information I have is his name is Tan Nguyen (or Nguyen Tan) and he possibly now lives in Canada and around 60 years old. Unfortunatley its a common name and trying to find him is impossible, I put an ad into a Canadian Vietnamese magazine but had no replies, it looks like I’ll never be able to look into my saviour’s eyes and thank him.
Anyway, thanks for your writing its a great forum for people to re-tell stories and bring back memories buried in the past.
Dan, London UK.
June 1, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Dan, Your story is incredible. It is a miracle that you survived. I’m glad you are trying to look up the doctor. Much luck to you. I wish more people would come forth with their incredible stories. I’m glad to give you all a forum on the subject.-Duc
June 12, 2007 at 5:06 am
Buoi sang Mr.Duc please visit my Association web site,
http://www.pulaubidongexworkers.com.
Cam on nhieu.
June 12, 2007 at 4:15 pm
The link is not working
June 14, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Try copy and paste this:
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:sKEuuJwRwboJ:www.pulaubidongexworkers.com/+www.pulaubidongexworkers.com&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a
July 20, 2007 at 3:15 am
I was very curious about Pulau Bidong as my parents never really told me much about it. My parents arrived in Pulau Bidong around May 1st 1980 - coming from just outside of Long Xuyen. I was Born on May 10, 1980 in Pulau Bidong.
I was always curious about it because not a lot of people would talk about it. From time to time I would hear stories from my parents friends about people’s boat being attacked by pirates and them taking the women and children with them. I have also found out that my parents boat was also attacked by these pirates and they spared my mom because she was 8 and a half months pregnant.
I think it is a testimate to the Vietnamese community that so many people have gone through such hard times like this and become successful citizens in other countries, such as where we ended up - Canada.
July 20, 2007 at 5:39 am
thank you for your story Minh.
July 22, 2007 at 10:11 am
Hi everybody,
I was on Pulau Bidong from Dec. 1983 to April 1985. I was the French advisor of Zone B School. I’ve got lots of photographs (even though it was forbidden by the Task Force that ruled the camp)and I’ve also got several tapes I registered while I was there, some with French songs and others with Vietnamese ones.
I’ve kept everything I could, birthday cards, invitation cards, words from my friends departing to resettle in the USA, Australia, Canada and of course France. I wonder where they all are and what they do nowadays … Luyen, Hoang, Trung, Hanh, Tri, Phuong, Dung … I still miss you all so much !
From Pulau Bidong they say you are going
I shall miss your sweet face and your smile
But remember this Malaysian island
And the friends that will stay here a while
Come and sit by my side that I tell you
All the words that I’m longing to say
Just remember this Malaysian island
And let’s hope that we’ll meet again some day
July 22, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Thank you Consolaction! I would be happy to host your photographs here on this blog. I would like to get in touch with you. my email is lexly87{at}msn{dot}com
July 24, 2007 at 12:34 am
I stay on the island for 6 months. I would love to see what is look like now. There is a front and back side of the beach. I remember the back beach has really nice white sandy beach, and I swam with my cousin from the back side to the front side which was avery scary experience. But we actually did it ! Lets hope Consolaction show us some pictures of the place we have live once.
July 25, 2007 at 4:44 pm
WOW Nice story mate.
I was born in 1982 on Palau, and my parents arrived there in 1979, i dunno the boat number, but the boat my parents left were from Vung-tau and he was the captain. They stayed on the island for 4 years and it was a pain for them not understanding english and waiting for their names to be called out over the PA. They were sent back and forth to various camps for documentary reasons for migration but wasnt successful, untill they were granted in 1983/84.
Ive heard countless stories from them and the experiences on the island. The time they spent there seeing people who they build great relationships with leave and it was daunting for them when will it be there turn.
Even though parents have lost contact with them peaple, I would like to get in touch with them.
My vietnamese name is Dong, and parents name is Cong and Phuong…on the island they operated a small business, buying and selling stuff from smokes, eggs, noodles, vegetables just to get by…There house had another another family living with them, and the neighboors were ex-patriots who all got accepted into USA/canada. If any of you guys stumble across this and the name sounds familiar, please email me.
July 26, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Thanks Tuan Nguyen
@Top of the Hill, I remember seeing the swimmers. The waves were really rough and crashed onto the rock, quit dangerous!
@everybody, I’m thinking of a project to connect us all together. Maybe a Facebook were it’s private and we can give each other emails for communicating. Just a thought.
July 27, 2007 at 6:28 am
Hi,
Wow, found your blog by accident. My dad, my sister, and I lived in PB for 6 mo. from ‘80-81. I was 8 years old at the time. My job was to fetch drinking water and waiting in line for rations (quarter of a chicken, a cabbage, can of peas). I spent the days hanging out with the boys (I was a tom-boy) climbing the hillside from one side to half the other side of the beach in search of tadpoles and crabs. I spent the night hanging out at the postal office begging people for stamps to add to my collection. We were so dirt poor. My only recollection of the bakery was that I enjoyed the smell of the fried Chinese dough but never had the luxury of trying them. Occasionally, I was given some aroma apple and that was about it. Strange that I still have very vivid memory of what the camp even looked like, including the hospital clinic, the tomb where the guy was killed by a falling coconut, the post office right across from the printing press, the radio announcement, dancehall, and my favorite was the outdoor movie theater on the beach. I hated when it rained, since we lived near the creek very close to the sea, it always flooded. My worst nightmare was waking up in the middle of the night running from flood water full of sewage and stinky ginormous cockroaches.
July 27, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Hi Vi, Your comment trigger some memories from me. I do remember the outdoor theater too but I think mine was at the Kula Lumpur transitioning center. There was much development after I left in 1979 I assume. Oh I remember eating peas and chicken from a can. I play with tadpoles and crabs too. I don’t remember there was a post office. There was a big building with guard around the documentation office. I still can see the make shift structures and the bright blue tarps we used as shelter. The corners of the vinyl sheets were grommeted with a large hole to allow for strings to loop through and be fasten. There was not much privacy. I could hear all of the depressing arguments between husbands and wives.
Thank you for you comments.
July 29, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Yeh the huts every family was send to didnt have a front door, and not a seperate room for showers, so it was just a piece of blanket or material put up across to make a shower room….funny how my dad was tellin me stories how some huts had single girls living next to single guys and the guys would just set up there own shower where the girls are and poke through the wall to make a hole and peek roflmao.
did you guys hear about how the canteen was always raided? or neighboring houses with plumb trees, or vegetable gardens getting raided by bandits running out of the camp searching for stuff to bring back for exchange…funny.
my parents even told how some chinese/malay lady wanted to adopt me….
July 29, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Tuan, you must have been a cute child…lol
I remember the ’shower’. Basically, the top has a make shift container that would use gravity to dispel the water through a large can with holes poked through the bottom that was the faucet. some one had to pull water on demand above. One stood over a pit lined with cross beams. The walls of the stall was some sort of plastic…hopefully opaque. I’m sure there were looks of peeping toms!
July 30, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Hey Duc, are you on facebook? are you going to make a group for this to connect all those people who had stayed on palau??
July 30, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Yes Tuan, I’m on face book. My account name is Duc Ly. Are you? I would like to make up a group for the Pulau Bidong Alumi. What do you think about this. Would you join?
July 30, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Hi,
I arrived in P.Bidong in 1983, boat #273. One thing that is still vivid in my mind is the rats. We have them biting on our toes at night too.
I still remember that Cao Uy has a rat elimination program that trades certain number of rats for condensed milk. Anyone in that era??
If you have Pulau Bidong Alumni, I would join….
July 30, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Linh, I just invited you and many others who have made a comment on this post to join Facebook. Then we can create a group for PB Alumni if there’s enough interest. I would like to post a picture of my id from Pulau Bidong, if I can find it.
August 1, 2007 at 6:14 pm
I’ve created a group for us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4218065665&pwstdfy=d89a1685f450519a3a4729f6348f85be
I’ve up loaded pictures. I arrived on 07-11-1978, Boat Number is PK4037
August 13, 2007 at 9:21 am
Dear Duc Ly,
Thank you for setting up this web site. My parents and family escaped from Vietnam in May 1978. We landed on ‘Pulau Besar’…A few months later, my dad went over to Pulau Bidong to help to set up the island. I want to find out more details about the set up of this island….I do not have much details about the island itself, but knowing that my (late) dad was one of the people that were originally involved in setting up this island - I would love to know more about it . The island that we were on (Pulau Besar) - is now a holiday resort (I believe)…What about Pulau Bidong - Has it also become a holiday resort too?
August 13, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Hi Linda, I believe there are very limited visits to Pulau Bidong. There are not allowing too many people into the place. In and around the corral reef, there are divers. It’s not a resort yet. There are organized trip on to the island. Not all of the dug wells have been filled, just covered up so it is the potential danger of falling in to the wells. The island is about 1 mile in diameter, it’s almost a perfect circular shape of land. I don’t know much about the set up. Although this is something I’m also interested in. I try to look up maps in the University departments but I can find out much. I’ve had more luck with Google.
August 14, 2007 at 2:39 am
Dear linda,Duc.
from 1975 to 1978 all Vietnamese refugess landing around Malaysia land was places at Pulau Besar. End of 1978 Pulau Bidong Camp was open until 1991.
Now nearly P. Besar become priority jetty to P. Bidong.
From P.Besar we can see P. Bidong clearly.
There are limited visiting because we need build some basis necessary like toilet, also Terengganu Government plan to build again some building like before for heritage tourism.Beside that around P. Bidong sea now we have UnderWater Museum.Please come n visit P.Bidong, Terengganu especially next year was Terengganu Visit Year.
Thanks.
Rosli Mohamad
August 14, 2007 at 4:10 am
Linda n Duc,
About set up Pulau Bidong become a camp, that true.P. Besar so nearly with mainland ( so many Village around )
so dangerous to refugess because people can swimming to the island,safety no manage nicely,so crowded . We must close P.Besar temporary camp. Terengganu Government choose P. Bidong become new Camp.
By that time we need many voluntary worker to set up P. Bidong,clear n cleaning up.We taken so many Vietnamese worker.At beginning P. Bidong Camp , so many thing are manage by Vietaneseme refugees.Not much local worker.Old local worker inform me, that time we used vietnamese pilot to drive a boat from mainland to P.Bidong (carry food,clothes,medicine,etc )
After that MRCS (Malaysia Red Cross Society )taken over the camp.More n more local worker working. I joint with MRCS at 1987.
Rosli Mohamad
August 27, 2007 at 9:38 am
Dear Duc & Rosli,
Thank you for your responses. I am in the process of having a ‘personal’ memoir written up about this. My family and I escaped Viet Nam nearly 30 years ago.I was 9 years old. I have since married,have one child and another on the way. ‘Til this day, the journey that my family have been through is still burning in my mind - I haven’t been able to tell the entire story to my husband (He’s Australian)….Everytime I tried - It’s just too painful and emotional to tell - But I want to tell it - And so the best way to do so is through ‘writing’…I’d love for my children to learn about it too….. Thank you for setting up this web-site Duc.
December 14, 2007 at 7:22 pm
I once took refuge in Pulau Bidong too, and was among the lucky lasts to arrive before the cut-off date (14 March 1989) when they started the screening process. Our boat arrived in January 1989, boat #MC229.
March 20, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I was born on 18 July, 1980 on Pulau Bidong. Many of my friends know me as Bi.
April 7, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Although I never set foot in Pulau Bidong, I was very appreciative of all the messages posted on your blog. Some of the scenery and daily lives at the camp were very similar to Pulau Tanga that I took refuge for almost a year. I remembered vividly, the small fishing boat I was on along with 127 other people on board; departed from Travinh October 30, 1978 and arrived to Pulau Tanga on November 8, 1978 after 8 days at sea. Our boat number was ML123.
I would like to join your Facebook if don’t mind.
Thanks
Derek
April 8, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Hi Duc,
Thanks for the forum and share your story, My twin brother Son Ngo was was residence of Pulau Bidong in 1982 at the time we were only 8 years old and all by ourself. it was a perilous journey to the island and it was tought getting by on our own on the island. Thank again for sharing.
Thuy
April 9, 2008 at 12:10 am
Hi Derek,
We would love to have you join the group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4218065665
Hi Thuy,
Thanks for your comment!
May 2, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Hi Duc, thanks for starting the sharing memoir.
I was in this island 6/83-1/84, I cried when reading note from Consolacion (do you remember Dr. Thang Nguyen who spoke both French and English? and worked at Sickbay)
I clearly remember the song:
From Pulau Bidong they say you are going
I shall miss your sweet face and your smile
But remember this Malaysian island
And the friends that will stay here a while
Come and sit by my side that I tell you
All the words that I’m longing to say
Just remember this Malaysian island
And let’s hope that we’ll meet again some day
May I have photos from Consolacion or Duc?
May 4, 2008 at 12:09 am
Hi Lien,
Thank you for your comment and the nice song. Sure you may have the photos. Let me know which ones.
-Duc
May 5, 2008 at 2:44 am
Hi Duc, where should I check or choose the photos.
Thanks
ntbl08@uahho.com
May 7, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Hi Duc,
I was on ML123 and landed on Pulau Tanga, not Bidong. Could there be two boats with the same number?
Anyone here remember Tanga and ML123, departed from Tra Vinh?
Cheers,
Ken (Kha’nh)
May 12, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Hi Lien,
Try this link http://bidong.blogspot.com
Hi Kha’nh,
Thanks for posting your comment. I hope you get your answers
-Duc
May 13, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Hi Ken,
My boat ML123 departed from Travinh on October 30, 1978. The owner of the boat was My Lai. You & I may be on the same boat.
Derek (Vu)
May 27, 2008 at 8:36 am
Hi Duc,
Great website.
I was there 1980 and my boat number BB743.
I am planning to visit the island with my wife before we are having baby. I plan to take ground transportation from Singapore to Terengganu and stay at local hotel, which I am still looking for, and take a private boat drive to the island. If anybody been there and have any recommandation???
Thanks in advances.
Phong & Lyanne
June 2, 2008 at 8:43 am
Dear Phong&Lyanne,
Just to contact me at lie3827@yahoo.com and i will
arrange everything.
Best Regards
Rosli Mohamad
( Pulau Bidong Ex-Workers Association )
July 3, 2008 at 7:07 am
Hello Everyone
My name is Danny Nguyen from WA, my Vietnamese name is Dung Nguyen. I came to Pulau Bidong in 1988 just before the camp closed, boat number MB936. Thanks Mr. Duc for sharing the memories with us.