My Father's Daughter
My parents own a small business in Salt Lake City that creates custom lighting and lamp shades. My dad has an amazing eye for design. He is honest and hard working, and he is obsessed with his job. Growing up I distinctly remember that every trip we took included some form of business (then it was interior design too, so carpet factories or window covering suppliers were fair game). After I married, the custom lighting took off, and so did the lamp shades-and my parents took off too, to lighting shows in Vegas and Dallas (they could visit us then, and write it off too!). Even when Dad came to see us in Stockholm we spent the better part of our sight seeing looking for lamp parts and suppliers (IKEA, watch your back). The shop has been our life.

So here we are, half way across the world, and I'm spotting every lighting store and lamp shade design through every shop window we pass. We walked into this store (very cool by the way) and I asked John to take a picture, just to show Dad I was thinking of him. Low and behold, the shopkeeper asks John to put away the camera. "Custom made" she says-"please no photos". Oh? Do you know my dad? Maybe you can work out some import deal with him, sounds like you two are in the same business.

wanna come to Vietnam dad? Betcha you could find some cool lighting here-I'll scout it out for you. Love, your daughter.