On February 7th, I had the honor of connecting with our community at the City of Santa Ana’s Tết Lunar New Year Festival at Centennial Park. I was honored to be one of the two featured authors and had the pleasure of joining Jezebel Ramirez-Robles from the Santa Ana Public Library for a brief on-stage interview.
Following the interview, I led a lively skit inspired by My Ông Ngoại’s Garden: Cal’s Guide to Vietnamese Fruits and Culture, with wonderful volunteer actors helping bring my characters to life. Seeing my children's book story being performed on stage was truly special.
We wrapped up the program with a festive Vietnamese fruit-themed song and dance performed by the talented children of Demille My Viet Language Academy. Watching months of preparation come together so beautifully was incredibly rewarding. I am deeply proud of everyone who contributed to the success of this program from the young singers and dancers to the dedicated librarian and city staff.
Among the audience were my dad, my siblings, and most importantly, my two little boys. I hope they felt proud watching their mama share our family’s story on stage. Moments like these remind me why I do this work to help families connect through stories, language, and the Vietnamese culture.
I couldn’t imagine a more meaningful way to welcome the Year of the Horse.
Thank you for following along on my journey. To keep up with my author adventures, you can find me on Instagram @storytimewithcal.
