Stories along the American road

In October 2023, I had my first trip to the US at the invitation of the ASEAN journalists, to two famous cities, Washington DC and New York. I was overwhelmed and a little disappointed that first time.

The author with US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Nathaniel Tek. Photo: NGOC VAN

Regret The first day in America could not have ended more perfectly before starting a busy work week. Nearly 20,000 steps have passed through a very small corner of Washington DC, to famous landmarks around the world . The capital of the United States is located on the banks of the Potomac River on the East Coast, the only city not directly under any state. The United States has Washington state, but it is on the northern West Coast. The name Washington was named in memory of the first President of the United States, and DC is the abbreviation of District of Columbia - the district named after explorer Christopher Columbus, who discovered America. Going from the hotel to the National Square in the autumn weather, the golden sunshine, the clear blue sky with the leaves starting to turn yellow and red, walking around Independence Avenue and Constitution Avenue, to the Washington Monument, which my family often calls the Pencil Tower, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial... The peaceful beauty of the wide roads, the green parks and the modernity of the city with skyscrapers, create an extremely impressive and overwhelming scene. The most famous powerful landmarks in the world such as the US Congress, the Pentagon in Washington DC or the United Nations headquarters in New York... are all open to the public, with the condition of having to make a reservation in advance. The US Congress is located on Capitol Hill, so when talking about the Capitol, we mean the US Congress building - attracting millions of tourists every year. The Capitol tour usually lasts about 45 minutes, visiting areas such as the place where the remains of US presidents are kept; the place where statues representing the 50 states of the US are displayed; where the sessions of the Senate and the House of Representatives take place... I was really overwhelmed by the massive works of art in the Capitol, such as the painting "The Apotheosis of Washington" by Constantino Brumidi, 40 meters long and 16 meters wide. The painting is hung on the ceiling of the Rotunda, the central area of ​​the Capitol, depicting the first President George Washington being deified and taken to heaven... The National Museum of Natural History managed by the Smithsonian Institute is a great place to visit, although to be honest (a bit embarrassed), Vietnamese people do not have the habit of going to museums. I am not saying that to criticize or praise others, but if only our family could build a museum like that, I am sure that history would be loved by many students. For example, in the area introducing human ancestors, there is interactive software, to see what you would look like if you were a person from a certain era, very interesting... The most regrettable thing is missing the opportunity to go to the White House. The group of reporters had a schedule to work with officials inside the White House, but because of a “technical problem”, their names were not included in the security check. So the group went to a nearby cafe to have a meeting. The meeting went smoothly, but all the reporters were regretful for missing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how the White House owner “behaved”. I thought to myself, maybe next time!

Ground Zero and One World Trade Center Tower (tallest building) in New York. Photo: NGOC VAN

Affection for Vietnam The US officials and ordinary people I met during my trip all had good words for Vietnam. US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Nathaniel Tek affirmed that Vietnam is an extremely important partner and a dear friend of the US. Knowing that Mr. Tek - born in the US - has a Korean father, an Ethiopian mother, and a Filipino wife, I joked that he has a "United Nations family". The Deputy Spokesperson excitedly said that he had the opportunity to visit Hanoi , and with his "United Nations" appearance, many people mistook him for a Southeast Asian. He said that Vietnam in particular and Southeast Asia in general have a special place in his heart. And then, leaving that emotion behind, he returned to his position as a deputy spokesman of the US State Department, saying: “If you look at the entire history between the US and Vietnam, it is truly admirable that we have gone from a painful history in the past to reconciliation and friendship. Now, Vietnam is a truly important partner and a dear friend to the US.” Suddenly remembering the time when I visited the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC, my American friend who accompanied me asked me about my feelings. I told him that, what can I say, a painful past for both sides. Two 75m long black granite walls joined together in a V shape - with one wing pointing towards the Washington Monument and the other pointing towards the memorial house of the President who freed black slaves Abraham Lincoln - engraved with the names of more than 58,000 American soldiers who died in Vietnam, still seem to hide the pain for many families. Every day, there are still streams of people quietly walking along the wall, placing fresh flowers, trying to find the names of their deceased relatives... I tell you, fortunately, the war is far away, both sides have put the past behind them, become partners and friends...

The wall is engraved with the names of American soldiers who died in the Vietnam War.

The US Congress headquarters on Capitol Hill.

Night in Times Square, New York, before Halloween.

Souvenir stall on Brooklyn Bridge, New York. Photo: NGOC VAN

The Two Faces of New York

The first impression when the train pulls into Penn Station in New York is “Hey, New York, it’s not very clean.” That’s to be expected, the New York subway system is the busiest in the Western Hemisphere, carrying nearly 1.8 billion passengers in 2022. With such a huge number of passengers, it’s understandable that the subway is a little dirty.

There are even street vendors on the subway. I have seen many women with small children on their backs selling gum, pens, keys and other miscellaneous items on the subway. Many of them are clearly immigrants, and their English is not good. I had to communicate with a street vendor on the Brooklyn Bridge using “body language” and bargain for souvenirs on a computer on my phone because she did not speak English.

Visiting the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island on a rainy day, luckily there were street vendors, I was able to buy a disposable raincoat, a common item in Vietnam, for $5… Then I met homeless people sleeping rough on the streets a few times, witnessed people picking up empty bottles from trash cans in Central Park, and saw another side of this city.

Meanwhile, at the opposite extreme is a bustling, bustling New York, with modern skyscrapers, crowded streets, and vibrant cultural and entertainment activities.

One World Trade Center is the tallest building in New York, standing at 541 meters high, built on the site of the former World Trade Center, where the twin towers collapsed completely in the historic terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people, 400 of whom were police and firefighters. One World Trade Center was inaugurated on November 3, 2014, as a symbol of the revival and unity of New York City and the world.

Traces of the 9/11 terrorist attack are still evident in the tour of the Pentagon in Washington DC. The tour is open to the public for about 1 hour, walking about 3 km. It is interesting that during that time and distance, the tour guide always walks in the opposite direction, face to face with the guests. A rather tragic coincidence is that the Pentagon began construction on September 11, 1941, and then 60 years later, on September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon, killing 59 people on board and 125 people working in the Pentagon.

Coming to America and witnessing the painful traces with my own eyes, I appreciate peace, stability, security and safety even more...

Ngoc Van - Laodong.vn

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