I mentioned in yesterday's post that learning about your child’s province is a great way to pass the time while waiting to travel. Another activity that I would recommend would be choosing a travel guide book and learning all you can about Viet Nam and the city or cities in which you will be staying while you are there to adopt your child. The more you know beforehand, the more relaxed your visit... more

Learning about your child’s province in Viet Nam is one way that you can pass the time between receiving your referral and waiting to travel. One thing that I regret is that the only time we spent in Ella’s province was at her baby center and the Giving and Receiving ceremony. I wish we had thought to take a day or two to travel back to Bac Giang and do some exploring. Researching your child’s province now, before you go to Viet Nam, can give you some ideas about the area and possible sites you would... more

Thanks to my wonderful readers’ comments I did some digging about the Little Pearls adoption agency. They are stuck deep in controversy and I want to let you all know the information that I found.

Little Pearls is an adoption agency owned by Richard (Ric) Feinberg, and they currently hold a license to process adoptions in Viet Nam. Most of the controversy surrounding Little Pearls comes from the fact that Mai-Ly Latrace was involved with them in the past. I cannot confirm that she is or is not still involved with the agency, but past relationships need to be researched just as deeply as current ones. Latrace, who has been criticized by adoptive parents, adoption agencies and the adoption... more

Ella’s Re-Adoption Day was yesterday! It was relatively quick and easy, which surprised us. We decided against hiring an adoption attorney and I did all the paperwork myself; I figured that after compiling a dossier I could do anything! It was a wise decision because our documents were flawless and the meeting with the judge went smoothly; we certainly did not need a lawyer there to represent us.

I didn’t know what to expect going in, so I was pleasantly surprised at how it all was handled. My county must set aside... more

Jacquelyn Tran has recently had two entrepreneurial honors bestowed upon her: the Enst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and Inc Magazine named her one of the ‘Hottest Entrepreneurs Under 30.” These accolades are in addition to being named one of 2006’s most successful businesspeople under 30 by Inc and OC Metro magazines.

30 year old Tran is the president of Perfume Bay, which is an extremely successful internet based perfume business. She grew up in a family involved... more

I hope there are some readers in the Philly area because this new exhibit about Viet Nam looks very interesting! The Please Touch Museum is opening a new exhibit titled “Dragons and Fairies: Exploring Viet Nam Through Folktales” on June 23rd. It’s a traveling exhibit that will be at the museum until September 9th.

There are a few parts of the exhibit that could possibly cause your adopted child to feel uncomfortable (building a family alter and making a family tree),... more

I had a heart swelling moment yesterday while thinking about this past Father’s Day. It had something to do with a certain little girl and crayons and paper and stickers and glitter and a truly from the heart Father’s Day card. Love is imagining the future relationship that your daughter is going to have with her daddy. She adores him now, but just wait till she can tell him! Imagine all the hand made cards and notes and gifts from her little heart. If daddy wasn’t already wrapped around her little finger, I have no doubt... more

Many people feel compelled to help those less fortunate. Even more people feel compelled to help children. When those philanthropic people have actually been to a third world country and saw first hand what the living conditions are like, there can be an even stronger desire to help.

Here are some charities that benefit the less fortunate in Viet Nam.

Asian Children Viet Nam Humanitarian Services Corp.: ACS is our... more

While doing research for a reader a few months ago, I was unable to find strong information dealing with the current effects of Agent Orange on Vietnamese children. Most of what I read seemed to say that as generations pass, the dioxin levels will decrease and children being born now will be at a lower risk of suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. However, this recent article I came across focuses... more

Vietnamese water puppets are coming to Washington DC! On Wednesday June 20, 2007, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center near the White House will be home to an impressive collection of water puppet, including over 700 from the collection of puppeteer Chu Luong.

“I hope the American visitors will understand the story that we (the participants in the exhibition) want to tell through such installations. It’s... more