First Time with Minnie

My sister, Minnie, had been working in Edmonton, Canada for nearly five years.

By 2005, when we were returning home from Vietnam, my youngest sister was packing her bags to explore work and life in Canada.

This was going to be her third foreign trip. She visited us in Vietnam around the summer of 2005 and even got to meet up with Patrick Velez, our cousins based in the East Coast. We had also travelled to HK that year with mom. It was our first trip together as a family.

Last month, my sister had come home and for the first time, she would meet Rafael! Am sure Rafael felt the love and affection when Minnie first hugged him. I, too, was all smiles to see the immediate connection between my son and my sister.

And for the first time, we would all go duty-free shopping. You could see the smile and excitement in Rafael as he kept Miguel busy running after him at the lobby, while Minnie was filling up her registration form.



Maybe, Rafael was saying, “What are you guys getting for me. I have been sitting here in this push-cart for so long and haven’t really gotten anything for myself.” Baby Crocs?



But I guess, Rafael was amazed just the sight of the bright packaging of candies and chocolates around him. Plus, seeing the M and M mascot. And the Disney-inspired merchandising items, from bags to pillows.

He would point endlessly at these items, probably wondering, what’s for him? Well, that would be all the love and affection that our family can share!