Noble Page #3

Hello again.

Can I buy you a refill?

Sure, why not.

There's a place

called Can Tho,

which is like a sort of Venice

in Mekong Delta.

It's quite a site.

You should go there.

To Venice?

No, to Can Tho.

It's only about a day's

drive. Don't worry, I'm going.

I'm going to see

all of Vietnam.

Well, do it before the place

gets developed to death.

It was once the Americans

with their trade embargo,

whoosh, same, same

as everywhere else.

Is that what you're here for,

David, whoosh?

I'm a businessman,

Christina.

We all have to take

what we can get.

Do we?

I think we do.

Stand back now, kids.

Very, very hot, hot.

Vietnamese fish and chips.

Do you want salt and vinegar

on those?

Whoa.

Okay, let's go.

Oh, it's perfect.

Let's get places.

You are a tourist,

Tina?

No, not a tourist.

What do you do?

I'm just a mother,

mama.

Mama Tina?

Yes, Mama Tina.

Mama Tina, Lam.

Hello, Lam,

it's good to meet you.

Where is your family?

Don't know.

Where are yours?

Well, my children

are in London.

They are grown up now.

They don't need

Mama Tina anymore?

No, only

when they get into trouble.

Do you have

brothers and sisters?

Two brothers,

are bui doi also,

but I don't know

where they are.

What does it mean

this bui doi?

It means

"dust of life. "

The dust

beneath your soles.

Ah, I was bui doi also

when I was young.

No.

Yes.

Oh, my God!

What the hell do you think

you are doing?

They are not allowed

in my shop!

Those children are with me,

they are my guests.

But your guests

will ruin my business.

Tell me, Mrs. Noble,

do you know of any city

in the world

where people

want to see the streets

ruled by vagrant children?

No, inspector.

So what makes you,

a woman

newly arrived from Europe,

think that we should

give up our city

to this bui doi?

I don't.

But when I was young

I was also homeless,

without the protection

of parents.

An Irish gutter is the same

as a Vietnamese gutter.

I know how hard it is.

Really?

You must have been

a good beggar.

I've never begged for anything

in my life, inspector.

I always worked

when I was bui doi.

But at least I was allowed

to spend my money in a chipper

or an ice cream shop

without being thrown out.

Mrs. Noble, you are here

on a tourist visa.

And you behave

as if you have a work permit.

If I find

that you have violated

the terms of your visa

once more

you could be deported

and barred from Vietnam.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,

yeah, yeah, yeah

Hey, little devil

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,

yeah, yeah, yeah

Hey, little devil

Hey, little devil,

you're always running around

Hey, little devil

It's time that someone

started taming you down

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