1. Mr. Thang, a former army officer, tells a story of great hardship that he went through the labor camp after 1975. He managed to escape the camp and the country by boat. His family was rescued by an Italian ship and he lived in Italy for three years before coming to the US. He bitterly blames the US government’s policies and their ways of betraying their allies for their own interests. Looking back, he still feels painful and bitter for what he’s been through. The big problem now is: His wife seems not to understand or share his pain and always brushes away whenever he needs to share his pain.

 

In discussion, a question was raised: Does his wife ignore his pain, or is she also in pain and simply cannot deal with more pain?