Fannee Doolee

An Returns!

An Returns!, originally uploaded by Fannee Doolee.

Yes, in a climax resolving one of last season's biggest cliffhangers, yesterday we learned that the character of An (played, of course, by An) returns for another season of mad-capped mayhem on Fannee Doolee.  We spent all summer biting our nails, waiting for paperwork to clear, crossing our fingers while An sat through her interview with the U.S. Consulate, and praying for safe travels during her 30-hour, 4-airplane trip from Vietnam to Columbus.   She arrived safe and sound yesterday morning, bearing gifts.  Seen above are Logan and Keelin modeling their new áo dài, the traditional Vietnamese dress. 

An's featured role will continue her storyline from last season of a gifted, culturally unique teenage girl struggling to find her identity between vastly different Western and Eastern worlds amidst the chaos of a slightly atypical American family, coping with their own issues of middle-class economics, child-rearing and PPD.  Questions to be answered as the season unfolds include:  Will she nail the SAT?  Who will be her date for the Prom?  Where will she head off for college?  How will she keep her awesome sparkly manicure and pedicure in tip-top shape?  Will she change diapers?

Fannee Doolee knows that, no matter what the answer to these questions, An is surely a part of the Doolee family and back home where she belongs! 

Learn Vietnamese!

An recently received a package that her parents sent back with her aunt (the Eighth) and uncle who live in California and who recently visited Vietnam.  The package contained all sorts of treats for Tet Holiday - candies, special coffee, a lovely framed print of Vietnamese phrases about parents and children for us to hang in our home, several cookbooks and a Vietnamese/English phrase book. 

I was very excited to receive the phrase book, which purports to be "An essential list of basic Vietnamese words and phrases prepared especially for foreigners."  The book contains the English phrase, the Vietnamese translation, then an approximate phonetic translation.  However, I quickly learned that a slight mispronunciation can greatly change the meaning of a phrase. 

For example, "Please give me some large bills" is pronounced "Seen ohng chaw toy zay lohn."  However, when I tried to say this phrase, I failed to pronounce the final word correctly (it's more like "luhn" than "lone") and instead sounded the Vietnamese equivalent of the word for "not a very nice name for a certain part of the female anatomy." 

Other helpful phrases:

Are you a black marketeer?  - Ohng kaw moo'ah bahng cha den 'khong?

Please notify my consul.  - Seen b'ow chaw lahn'h suh koo'ah toy bee'yet.

I want a lawyer.  -  Toy moo'won kaw too'wat suh.

I am innocent.  - Toy vo toy.

You are making a mistake.  - Ohn lahm zoy.

I demand to be released at once.  -  Toy doy fye doo'wok cha too zaw n'gay.

Now, those phrases are obviously more along the lines of essentials for emergency situations and I assume they are no way indicative of the typical Vietnamese vacation.  I'm sure most tourists will get far more use from the phrases in the final chapter, "Conversation with Girls":

What is your name?  - Em ten la zee?

You are very pretty.  - Em dep lahm.

I like your dress.  - Toy tik ow Koo'ah err.

Would you like to go out with me?  - Toy kaw tik dee choy voy toy 'khong?