Four generations of your family have lived in Vietnam. Could you share with us this ‘predestined’ relationship?

It is an interesting story. It starts with my grandmother, my mother’s mother, my “bà ngoại”. She lived in Saigon for a few years in the 1960s because of her husband’s job. And then around the same time my father was here, during the war. then I was here, and then my son lived with me as well. So I suppose it makes us somewhat unique. It makes me very proud to have this relationship with Vietnam.

It’s a shared, sometimes tragic history, but it’s also a shared happy and constructive history. And it’s a history that I’m glad to be a part of and I want to do my best to keep us on a positive trajectory to move our two countries forward together into the future. 

It is said that sports is your big hobby, did you watch the final matches of the men's and women's football of the 31st SEA Games?

Of course I do, and I’m very happy to congratulate Vietnam on the great victory. And then the victory the night before of the women’s team. It’s fantastic. We’re really happy for our Vietnamese friends and hope that the Vietnamese women will have a successful time at the World Cup later this year.

I’m not sure if they’re going to play the American team or not, but I’m sure it’ll be a tough, tough match. But really, it’s wonderful and we’re very happy for our Vietnamese friends.

Did you feel the heat from Vietnamese fans who flooded the street to cheer the victory of the national football teams?

I could hear it from here. You know, you could hear the crowd over by Hoan Kiem, and it was just really something. I could feel the passion and the energy and just so happy with the results. And I watched on television as well. Of course, not just here, but in HCM City, all the people were rushing out and celebrating. It was really a sight to behold.

Where do you want to visit, and what food do you want to enjoy in Vietnam during your free time?

I have a personal interest in history, so whenever I travel, I always try to visit historic sites. So for example, I was in Hue over the weekend. We visited the Citadel, and in fact we visited a site there that the US government has helped to restore called Trieu To Mieu. And and it’s just fascinating to learn about Vietnamese history. So I always try to to check out those places.

Speaking of history, during Prime Minister Chinh’s visit to the United States, he visited the Jefferson Memorial, which is in honor of President Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, which then Ho Chi Minh quoted from for Vietnam’s own declaration independence. But then we visited the hotel in Boston, that Ho Chi Minh worked at for one year, 1911-1912.

These connections between our two countries are just very fascinating for me. And of course, food. I tried to check out the local specialities wherever I go. And so in Hue, of course, I had to have Bun Bo Hue, which was wonderful. I always like, I always enjoy trying these, these, these local specialities.

In Vietnamese: I’m very happy to have this talk with VietNamNet. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to do this again in the future. Goodbye!

Dieu Thuy