Dr. and Mrs. Kit and Becky Vongsa

It was good to see Kit and his wife, Becky this past week. This was the first time we have seen them since their wedding on July 14, 2007 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Kit is like a brother. I met him in medical school. He was one of the fews who came from Laos. Along with us were Stephen Vang and Mona. During the first semester at Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica, we didn't spend as much time with Mona. She was two semesters ahead of us. Since Kit and Stephen came from the same state of Wisconsin, they were roomates in motel adjacent to the campus. After Kit, Stephen and other Asian students visited me in my apartment; they convinced me to move into 2 rooms down from them in the motel. Kit and I used to spend a lot of time together in the library or empty classroom studying. He really knew his stuffs, but somehow I found it difficult to understand him or anyone in medical school. I was in my own world. Looking back it was almost impossible to study medicine. My mind was with my wife and two little daughters in East Albany, Vermont. I missed and worried about them very much. I wished they were there with me. Neil Fromm was our next door neighbor in East Albany, I remember writing letter to him. There were nights when Kit and I used to go over a bridge from the motel into the ocean. We would laid down and looked up the billions stars. I remember telling Kit, "Someday when we look back we will remember these beautiful memories." Yes, those stars, tiny glowed fishes, the wavery ocean surface and gentle wind (sometime cool enough to wish for a sweater) were memories that I shall remember for as long as I am capable of remembering.

Dr. Kit Vongsa is a successful board certified physician now in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He is doing urgent care medicine. Dr. Becky Vongsa, his wife, has just completed her PhD in cellular biology. She is also doing very well in her career. They're making a good living financially. I took them to Boston, to get lobster and to give money to my niece, Bouakham, to take to my older sister Boun when she goes to Laos in 2 weeks. I showed them Lowell, Boston, Brockton and Cambridge. It was a good trip. Vicki and the girls were too busy and tired to join us. They would have been very tired. By the time we arrived home on Saturday night, it was 1:20am on Sunday already. Then, they had to catch their flight in Burlington, Vermont at 7:45am. We had to get up at 4:00am in order to be in the airport on time. Everything worked out well despite the fact that the clock in the USA had to spring forward an hour ahead. This means we lost an hour of time.

Seeing Kit inspired me to work harder in my USMLEs although I've been very tired lately. I had to also work in the dorm yesterday. The chair man of the science came to observe my chemistry also yesterday. Not to mention, the informational meeting after school yesterday before going on to dorm duty. I didn't get home until 11:30pm. Today after school I was a science fair judge at Good Shepard where Melanie goes to school. She was one of the contesters, but I didn't have her on my list. When I got home afterward, I was crashed in bed for at least 2 hours. Dear came home. I was too tired to prepare any meal. I just slept until the time to train Melanie in tennis at the Old Mill.

Life is good. I've been living my life clean although I've been eating at least 2 portions for lunch daily. It is tempting to take the first EtOH, but I have had no need for it. Good has been very good to me and my family. I was able to speak to my sister, brother and mother in Oklahoma this weekend. In all, I will buckle down and study starting tomorrow morning.

Good night.

This is my inner voice today. May you always find peace in your life, B John