Meeting Mai and my farewell

I met that 11 year old girl in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City. It was my last day. She sold postcards while I was sitting at a Cafe.
I asked her to come over and join me. She was an awesome girl. Smart, cute, cheeky, good hearted and so strong-minded.
I saw so much in her... I wanted to stay in contact. She couldn't write and I knew she felt ashamed about it.
I hired her to show me a few places. I bought her new shoes, since hers were wrecked. She looked kinda dirty and poor and there were lots of places where she was not welcome. I've been fighting with alot of ppl on that day.
At the end we've been eating out, I gave her money for her help and left to head back to Germany.
And since then I can't forget her. And I regret the fact that that was all that I could do. Give her money and leave.
Loads of ppl enter our life and leave again. On the road and even if u stand still. But there are some who just remain...


It's always hard to leave my family. I woke up very early... my grandma made rice and rau muong (veggie)  for me. In Vietnam it's food for the poorest of the poor, but I loved it and I requested it for my last meal in Vietnam. I sat there alone trying to hold back my tears, watching my granny doing her work. Then my sweetheart, my 4 year old lil baby cuz woke up. I brought her to the kindergarten one last time and that was when I couldn't hold it no more... the tears just flooded out of me when I said goodbye to her. Poor little thing she didn't understand anything... She just stared at me like... What the hell is going on?
But I so hate the fact that someone that I love so much grows up without me. So I need to come here more often I suppose.
 When I was back in Germany and talked to her via Internet she asked me:
"Hey why are u not here? Can you come tomorrow? Let's go to the mall. Let's ride a taxi."
She loved the taxi riding cause she never had the chance to be in a car before...
However I answered: "Sry baby, I am in Germany. I can't come tomorrow it's so far away. I need to fly there."
And then she said in her cute voice: "Why don't u take a taxi then?"
That was fun....  lol did I ever mention that I love children? :)

Nothing special happened on my flight back. But they controlled my bag in Amsterdam. I brought a lot of stuff that I was not allowed to.
All orders of my family here. I was able to bring in most of it though.... it seemed they just wanted to chat. Yea I like dutch ppl, they're cool even if they give me a hard time. :)

That was the end of my journey.... My summer 2007.