Vietnamese Annual Christmas Concert

Each year the Vietnamese Catholic Church hosts a Christmas concert that opens to the public free of charge. It’s a great place to meet up new friends or to reconnect with old ones. For the past few years, its own music band could not get the people to stick around past nine. This year Thu Hoai and The Magic Night band brought back the vibe.

From the opening “Feliz Navidad,” she turned some of the most annoying songs danceable. I even dragged my ass out on the dance floor and made a fool out of myself. “I Will Survive” was off the hook. When it came to Ngo Thuy Mien’s “Niem Khuc Cuoi,” a special preview for me, she gave a passable performance. The notes were a bit too high and the lyrics are more suitable from a male perspective. Besides, the tune is best experienced in an intimate setting, not a huge dance hall. Still, thanks for the dedication.

This year I didn’t get to see too many familiar faces. Saw an old pal who is also getting married next year, yet he hasn’t stayed in touch with anyone else either. Another one was a girl who had recently moved back to Lancaster from Virginia after her baby’s father left her and her kid for another chick in Viet Nam. Her eighteen-month baby was adorable and full of energy. She was the reason I had loosen up and jammed on the dance floor. Kids have to be one of my biggest motivations for marriage, and I’ll make sure that they won’t have to deal with their parents’ issues.