Friday, September 26, 2014

Thanh Ha

My Friendship with Thanh Ha

Thanh Ha is perhaps the most successful Amerasian singer out there.  I remember the first time I met this beautiful girl was in 1994.  At the time she was singing at a club called the Can Club in Garden Grove.  I was really surprised to see this blonde girl sing in Vietnamese.  To me, she looked like Michelle Pfeiffer.  The funny thing was neither one of us knew we were Vietnamese upon meeting one another.  I remember the song she sang that night was "Autumn Leaves".  I came up and did a French song called, "Adieu, Sois Hereuse".  We talked for a bit and didn't really become close friends until years later.  I guess you can say that right then and there I knew she was going to make it big. 

It wasn't until 2008, when we ran into each other again at a restaurant in Newport Beach, Kitayama.  I was working as a bartender there at the time.  She walked in with a group of friends and we instantly recognized each other.  I was about fifty pounds overweight then.  She looked at me and said, "Thien Phu?"  I said, "Yes, I know I got fat."  She said, "No, you look great."  We exchanged phone numbers and for a while, we were rather close friends.  Everywhere we went together, people would think we were brother and sister.  Thanh Ha is actually three years older than myself.  She's part-German.  I'm part-Swedish.  For some reason, people would often ask if I was her older brother.  Well, maybe that has to do with the fact that she looked younger than I did when I was experiencing the weight gain.  But things have changed since then.  Although she still looks great, I think since I've lost the weight, I don't look as old anymore. 

During the course of our friendship, I must say something about Thanh Ha.  And that is, she's definitely a professional.  She's pretty much a no-nonsense kind of girl.  She says it like it is.  Whenever she hear me sing on stage, she'd tell me what were my faults and if I did well, she'd say so.  Never is she the type that would sugar coat anything.  I like that about her.  Thanh Ha is also very family-oriented.  One thing she has always told me, whenever I've gone through bad times is, "Think about your mom first, before you decide anything." 

Unfortunately, we don't keep in contact that much these days.  After we had some misunderstanding after a show she had invited me to in San Jose, our friendship sort of drifted.  Since then, we've only seen each other again once.  We've talked on the telephone, of course.  And I still consider her as a close friend.  She will always be like a sister to me, regardless.  One thing I must appreciate about our friendship is that regardless of whatever happened, I have never heard her say one bad thing about me and the same vice-versa.  Afterall, we are adults. That's really all I can say about Thanh Ha.  I love her very much and I'm glad to see that she's still very active in the singing business.  I do know that someday we'll be friends again.

Thanh Ha Link(s):

Thanh Ha on Facebook





Sunday, September 14, 2014

Looking All-American and Singing for All-Vietnamese

Jenny Trang and Thien Phu
Thien Phu - Vietnamese Singer of French Love Songs: Looking All-American and Singing for All-Vietnames...: Anyone who is either old enough to have lived through the Vietnam War or is from Vietnam would be familiar with the term, Amerasian.  Of course..... (continued)

Saturday, September 13, 2014

ClubLai.BlogSpot.com Intro

Call us Vietnam War babies, Amerasians, Con Lai, whatever!  We're here to stay!  We can sing, dance, act, look beautiful, etc.  This blog is to celebrate Amerasians and Eurasians of either Vietnamese ancestry and/or are from Vietnam.

Dai Trang:  Eurasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer

Danny Graves:  Amerasian Professional Baseball Player
Phuong Thao:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer


Jenny Trang:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Ngoc Anh:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Phi Nhung:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Thuy Hang:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Lilian:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Van Anh:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Thanh Ha:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Diva of Pop Music
  
Lance Krall:  Amerasian Comedian

Betty Nguyen:  Amerasian Television Anchorwoman

Randy:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Thien Phu:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Tuan Kiet:  Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer
Hoang Dung - Amerasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer

Luu HongEurasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer


Julie Quang:  Eurasian Overseas Vietnamese
Singer of Vietnamese and French-Indian Descent







Jeannie Mai (1957-1990)
Overseas Vietnamese Pop Singer of French and Vietnamese Descent

Pauline Ngoc:
Vietnamese-French singer



Quoc Anh:  Overseas Vietnamese Singer of
African-French and Vietnamese Descent
Marie LouiseEurasian Overseas Vietnamese Singer




Mary Xinh Nguyen:  Winner of Revlon's
 Most Unforgettable Woman Award 1989, Model
and Attorney at Law