From Vietnam, for 30 Years

My family has been here since 1980, straight from Vietnam after the war. My dad grew up here since he was in middle school. My mom did nails in salons all over Flatbush, Crown Heights, & Williamsburg.

I just wanted to share a memory of when I was a little kid growing up in Flatbush in the 90s-- I was probably 4 years old at the time & I'm 21 now. 

There's always been a small community of South East Asians (Cambodian & Vietnamese) & East Asians  in Flatbush that has integrated with the latino/hispanic, african & caribbean community over the years. I mean, where else can you get some bomb jerk chicken lo mein ?

On my block (Woodruff Ave -- Same street as Peppa's!) there was an old Cambodian woman.  In the summer, nearly every day she would be out on the corner of the block with a little grill and a jar of home made pickles. She sold skewers of her Cambodian-style BBQ with sweet pickled radish & carrot on paper plates. 

I remember everybody hanging out on their stoop in the evening with their paper plates, the smell of the charcoal, and the vinegary tang of those pickles. How the paper plates got soggy quick from the meat & pickle juice. I never knew what she marinated those skewers in but I haven't tasted anything like it since.

She was quite a popular lady. I miss her. She has probably passed by now but it was always my favorite part of summer growing up.