CONTINUED FROM>> About Us >>   As Christmas 2011 approached, a change came over Handan. Though she kept up her smile for the world, I could see the happiness draining from her eyes. She seemed agitated and distracted. I would sometimes wake in the night and hear her softly crying beside me. She would do this often…

CONTINUED FROM>> About Us >>   A mysterious, wealthy businesswoman from humble village roots who called herself "Madame." A dream of Disney World. Michael Jackson's father. ***** RECon 2010 (Retail Real Estate Convention), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Tucked away from the throngs of attendees and presenters (including Sarah Palin that year), a lone, middle-aged Vietnamese woman…

CONTINUED FROM>> About Us >>   Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?" -David Attenborough   Handan and I liked to spend our weekend days touring Saigon by scooter. There was so much to…

CONTINUED FROM>> About Us >>   Those first days and weeks in Saigon were filled with wonder and delight. Since everyone got around the city by scooter, I figured that we should too. I searched online, and found an American who rented scooters from his home in District One. I called him up and arranged for…

CONTINUED FROM>> About Us >>   It was 8pm on our first Monday in Vietnam, and Handan and I left our beautiful, empty villa to go buy housewares and food. We knew that there was a store somewhere in District 2 (where we were living) called Metro, and that this store sold everything we would…

CONTINUED FROM>> About Us >>   Handan and I arrived in Vietnam on a humid night in early October, 2011. It was the rainy season, and one of the frequent showers had just passed through the region. The air was close and heavy. The street mirrored the headlights and taillights that skimmed through the sheen of water on…