transition - AsiaLIFE Magazine

THE TWO OF USWade Brackenbury and Youdon Chazotsang knew each other as youngadults in Salt Lake City, Utah and recently reconnected in Saigon. They telltheir story to Beth Young. Photo by Fred Wissink.WadeYoudonI met Youdon through herparents, who were born in Tibet.I’d just moved to Utah in ‘95after travelling through Tibetand her mother befriended meand invited me to their home fordinner. I’d just kind of uprooted,so they had me over a lot.Youdon’s family is relatedto the Dalai Lama; she’s hisgrand niece. One of my mostprominent memories is whenthey invited his physician, thelate Dr Tenzin Chodak, to theUS. He was in his late 70s. I’djust opened a small chiropracticpractice so he used my clinic totreat patients. I’ll never forgetthe impact he had.He wanted to meet someNative Americans, so Youdon’smother called her friend at theHope Nation and organisedfor us to visit a reservation.We drove Youdon’s brand newcar—a little Rodeo—and oncewe arrived I was amazed tosee the similarities between theTibetans and the Indians. I wasso excited I accidentally lockedthe keys in her car!I left Salt Lake City in ’97. Itravelled around the US pushingthe book I’d written about Tibet,and then moved all aroundAsia before finally landing inVietnam. When I was ready tosettle down, I took my girlfriendback to meet Youdon’s parents.I overheard Youdon’s mumtell her friend, “That’s the girlWade will marry”. Today, she’smy wife. I didn’t see Youdon,though, until we recently connectedat a photography exhibitionin Saigon. It was amazing tosee her and I imagine we’ll nowbe closer friends than ever.Wade had just come to a newcity and since he’d travelledto Tibet my parents felt he understoodour culture and theyautomatically took him undertheir wing. Wade was reallyclose to my parents. I wouldn’tsay we were close friends; hewas more like a big brother. Ialways knew he was around,but we didn’t really hang out.My first memory of Wadewas on my parent’s livingroom floor cracking our necks.We’d lie there and he’d give ustreatments. It was great havinga chiropractor as a familyfriend.It’s strange, the cycle of life.We both went off in our owndirections and took such differentpaths. He travelled allaround Southeast Asia whileI stayed in America and of allplaces, we met back in Saigon.I didn’t know he was here atall. Before I arrived my brotherin-law’sbrother Tsering—wholives here—met Wade in the AnPhu Supermarket. Wade said tohim, “You look Tibetan”. Theystarted talking and discoveredthey both knew my family.When Tsering told me thatWade was in HCM City, I keptsaying to myself I must contacthim, but I didn’t get aroundto it. Then I bumped into himat the exhibition. Oh my God,it was amazing! When Wadestarted talking about his life asa young man in Salt Lake City,and how my parents cared forhim, I started to get teary eyed.Now he’s so successful and hasa wife and a child. We’ve bothgrown up, and we’ve come fullcircle, really and truly.- BRISBANE -Photo by Nam QuanThe last three months inBrisbane, Australia have beenthe longest of my life. This isthe first time I've ever beenthis far from home and for thislong. I’m discovering the worldand trying to absorb as muchas possible at a photographyschool here.For a kid like me, born inVietnam and brought up in atraditional family, to end uppursuing something artistic likephotography is a dream cometrue.Brisbane is awesome, thoughit's a small town compared toSaigon with not much going on.It's great to meet new people; Ihave more Western friends herethan Vietnamese. It's strange,but that's one of the reasons Icame here, I guess—to meetnew people and learn fromthem.I'm enjoying Brisbane, butI still miss Saigon. I miss themessy and colourful life backhome. I miss the traffic jamsand the noise created by hundredsof motorbikes movingslowly one after another. I missthose quans along the pavementwhere I used to sit all nightlong drinking and chatting withfriends about anything andeverything.Whenever I meet up with myVietnamese friends here andhave a few beers all we talkabout is how awesome life wasback in Saigon, and how muchwe're looking forward to finishingour studies and returning. Itseems like everyone's countingdown until they’re back home. Ido, too: 11 more months.I miss Saigon the mostwhen I step into a Vietnameserestaurant. I look at the menuand don’t know what to orderbecause I miss everything. Toguys who cannot cook muchlike me, eating Vietnamese foodhas become really valuable. Ispend hours thinking of whatto order before hitting therestaurant.Eleven months shouldn'tbe too long, I hope. I shouldspend time learning as muchas possible instead of countingdown the days. But really,I just can't wait to be embracedby Saigon again. It's a terriblefeeling when you dream of lifein Saigon, and then wake up, tofind yourself 4000 miles away.104 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 105