Linh's Vietnamese Cousin Arrives @ WVU!

During the past 4+ months, Linh (with only minor assistance from me) has been assisting Linh's cousin, Thinh (pronounced thun), get admitted to WVU's Intensive English Program (IEP).
Linh's efforts succeeded and we picked up her cousin Thinh (2nd from left in above pic), and her father Nhu (left in above pic) at Pittsburgh, PA airport (PIT) early yesterday morning.
Thinh begins her WVU IEP next Monday, August 18 - Linh begins her first semester MSW program at the same time. Between now and then, Linh and I will be helping Thinh (with her father) find/move into an apartment, get a cell phone, establish bank/debit card accounts, tour WVU campus/Morgantown, adjust to US time/food/temperature changes, etc.
It is going to be a very busy week - and of course - updates to this blog.
Btw - This blog hit new milestones: Visits = 13,000+, Pages Viewed = 35,000+! Thanks to all for your continued interests!
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More 1st's

My neighbors, Jim & Heather, came with me to visit Linh at WVU this weekend. They have known Linh for 5+ years, but have not seen her since last January!
Friday night we and Linh's friends revisited Schmitt's Saloon and Music Hal.
Above pic = Heather, Jim, Linh, Hanh (20 years old) Thinh & me. Hanh is Thinh's sister visiting him from Vietnam - her 1st trip to US and Schmitt's was her 1st US "saloon" and 1st live music venue!
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Schmitt's

Schmitts (http://www.schmittssaloon.com/) had 3 great live bands performing lat night.
Top Pic = Headliner Joshua Scott Jones (http://www.joshuascottjones.com/) who is the male vocalist part of Steel Magnolia duo!
Bottom Pic = Braden Stover (http://www.bradenstovermusic.com/), 1 of 2 lead-in bands
Sorry - no pics of the other lead-in band.
All had a great time - albeit everyone suffered some momentary hearing loss because the music was so loud!
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1st US Birthday!

Linh will be a quarter-century (25) old on July 18th! So, Heather, Jim & I surprised her with a "birthday, New-York-style cheesecake" - replete with US flags to celebrate her 1st birthday in US! Ironic - we sneaked the cheesecake into a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant!
Fyi - Linh doesn't like US sweets - but loves cheesecake!
Top Pic = 4 of us with just top of cake.
Bottom Pic = Cake alone - note US flags!
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Brynn Marie

For some unknown reason, the pic of Brynn Marie "disappeared" from below blog update. So - I decieded to add pic again - see above.
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Return to Schmitts Saloon & Music Hall

I had another contract meeting at WVU in Morgantown this week and visited Linh. So – Linh & I with her friends Mayara (roommate), Daniel, Thinh and Andy/Thu (married couple) hit Schmitt's Saloon again (http://www.schmittssaloon.com/). Brynn Marie (above pic) and her band performed. She is a great country-western female vocalist from Nashville (http://www.brynnmarie.com/). It was a great show and all enjoyed it!
Linh's 1st summer course (Human Diversity) ends next week and she begins her 2nd summer course (Methods 3 - Organizations & Community) the following week. She is enjoying her WVU IEP job and doing well!
Sorry - had problems with my Blackberry and didn't get a pic of our group.
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WVU Updates

Linh and I returned to WVU 3 days ago and have been very busy!
Linh will be taking 2 undergraduate, social-work-related courses this summer - 1 course during each of 2, 6-week summer sessions.
In addition, Linh also got a job! She will start her new job next week as an "Office Assistant" at WVU's Department of World Languages, Literatures & Linguistics, Intensive English Program (IEP). Wage = $8/ hour <-- 11% above WV minimum wage ($7.25/hour). This is a great accomplishment and I am very proud of her!
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Now NYC = Been There, Done That

We left Manhattan this morning and made it safely back to my brother's house in Rehoboth Beach, DE - a 6+-hour "commute".
We will stay at my brother's house 2 nights - then - back to Morgantown, WV to get Linh enrolled in summer classes at WVU and her WV Driving Learner's Permit!
Special thanks to my brother (Kent) and his wife (Honey) for hosting us at their house in Rehoboth Beach (RB) - and - for Honey "chaparoning" us in NYC!
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Statue of Liberty

Top Pic = Linh arrives at NYC's Statue of Liberty.
Bottom Pic = Linh is embraced by Lady Liberty!
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Wall Street

Top Pic = Linh arrives at NYC's Wall Street.
Bottom Pic = Linh with world-famous NYC "Wall Street Bullal.
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