Seoul [South Korea], March 2: Before turning 50, I felt very healthy, but now I do everything more slowly. For me, health is the most important thing now. I'm not as healthy as I used to be, so I choose sports to maintain my health, considering it my top priority and always wanting to exercise. Every day, no matter what, I make time to work out. After waking up, I spend 15 minutes doing basic exercises as a warm-up before going to work. In the afternoon, I play a sport, or if I have more free time, I go to the gym and play pickleball. I think that keeping my body flexible and my mind relaxed is essential for good health.When you immigrated to the US, did the Vietnamese community recognize you as the first Miss Ao Dai Ho Chi Minh City?
Many people know me, of course. When I go out, many of my old fans still recognize me. Back then, I worked at the television station for over 10 years, so some viewers would ask, "Is that Kieu Khanh's voice?" just by hearing it. They still remember my voice. Besides that, I also manage a pho restaurant, so people are familiar with me too.
Does Miss Kieu Khanh still keep in touch with the calendar model contestants from her era?
Yes, I still keep in touch with Mong Van. Every time I go back to Vietnam, I hang out with Van; she's very lovely. Back then, I mainly knew Mong Van, but I didn't meet Ly Thu Thao . After I moved to the US, I didn't have the chance to see Thao again, even though my friends were close to her. Ly Thu Thao came to the US a few times and invited me to Las Vegas, but I was too busy with work then, so we missed the opportunity to meet.
What was your life like at the time you were crowned Miss Ao Dai Ho Chi Minh City 1989?
Actually, I wasn't very involved in the arts. After high school, my mother sent me to the Lu Dong Kinh hair salon (formerly District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) to learn the trade, with the goal of having a profession and income to support myself when I went to America. In early 1992, my mother sponsored me to go to America under the family reunification program. When I was in the beauty pageant, I was as innocent as a child. Some journalists came to the hair salon and encouraged me to compete, so I just went along with it. I remember wearing three outfits: a swimsuit, an evening gown, and an ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress). I especially liked the ao dai. For the final round, my father took me to the Thiet Lap tailor shop to have a yellow ao dai made, and I wore that one when I was crowned.
I was so happy! I never thought I'd win. When my name was called, I burst into tears because I was so happy and lucky. Afterwards, I was interviewed by many newspapers, and that's a memory I'll never forget. Especially when I was brought home by the police car; the neighbors on both sides of the road were waiting in huge numbers because they had watched the live broadcast and were also watching in large numbers at the Phan Dinh Phung Stadium (Ho Chi Minh City).
Regarding the prize money, I remember receiving a pretty decent amount. However, I told the journalists that all the prize money would be donated to the poor. After the coronation night, I went with the runners-up to visit disabled children. I didn't keep any of the prize money for myself.
Did you feel lost or disappointed when you first arrived in America?
I felt disheartened from the moment I was in Thailand waiting to fly to the US. I was living comfortably in Vietnam, but over there I had to sleep on the floor. I wondered why I was suffering so much. In Vietnam I had my own room, but when I came to the US, I shared a room with my sister's family, three of us in one room. At that time, I found life in America incredibly difficult, but I still believed that the future would be better.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
