Miss Ngo My Uyen lives in a gold-plated house and married an Italian professor. How is she now?

Resolving Conflicts and Disagreements Thanks to Covid-19

- You once shared that your husband and wife do not have compatible views. How is that situation now?

Covid-19causing the marital relationship of families to change in 2 directions: either more connected or broken up. If 3 of our friends' families were divorced, Marco and I were more connected.(laugh).Perhaps because we have been staying at home to avoid the pandemic for so long, we have gotten used to the feeling of having each other by our side. When we don't have to go anywhere or do anything, we cherish the peace and don't want to disturb anything further.

- How specific is that connection, ma'am?

Actually, we were not too stressed except for the disagreement about where to live and work. I tried to convince my husband to live in the US or Vietnam, but his family did not agree. His parents said that he already had a social status here, why should he start over in another country? In addition, we sometimes clashed cultures in the way we lived.

We are not insufferable. If anything, I don’t feel as pampered as I did in Vietnam. I have struggled to reconcile our differences, which is not easy. Thanks to Covid-19, we have realized that the arguments we had before are not important anymore. Wherever we live now, as long as we are safe.

The grandparents and the two children also bonded more. Instead of choosing a resort to relax, they stayed with our family, spent more time playing and teaching the two children. On Asia’s birthday, the grandparents participated in making the cake and decorating the party. Those moments were very precious.

- How is your work?

Last April, I returned to the US to film the eighth season of the magic show, which will air this fall. I will soon be filming a show in the Christmas magic tour series, which will be filmed in Rome, where I live. My work is regular because the TV show never stops.

- You only work twice a year, so it can be understood that you work leisurely and get paid high?

I film for 1 month and broadcast for 6 months, so my fixed schedule is to go to the US twice a year. I refuse live shows and world tours because they are time-consuming.

I chose to record a TV show and spend time taking care of my two children. I was only gone for a month, but they missed me so much. If I had to be gone for several months, I would only sign big contracts like the 3-month contract in Las Vegas 2 years ago.

I am lucky to have the right to choose because I have worked at ATI (Associated Television International) for more than 20 years. My boss and his wife consider me as family and always prioritize supporting me in everything.

- How are the two kids studying online?

The children only had to study online for 1 month before the school allowed them to return to school. Each class has only 10 children sitting at separate desks.

Children going to school in Italy is no different from Vietnam. Teachers do not grade papers on a 10-point scale, but only "good", "very good", "excellent" and "perfect". My child Asia is very competitive in her studies. She will be proud if she gets an "excellent" grade, but will be quite upset if she only gets "very good".

Because of the pandemic, we did not send our child to extra classes for dance, music, swimming and English. Every evening at dinner, my whole family has a tradition of reporting to the other members what we did that day.

- What is Vietnam in the two children?

It is the place where my grandparents are, and where my mother was born. My husband often teaches geography to his children at the age of discovery when they have free time, such as when they are traveling by car. He will attach something familiar to help them remember the knowledge easily. For example, if he mentions the Mekong River, he will say: "That is the river that flows through Vietnam - where your mother was born".

Asked about education level when getting married in Italy

-Ngo My Uyen- the sexy and dynamic symbol of Saigon at one time, the single woman who owned the famous gold-plated villa is now a family woman with a simple style. Many audiences say you are too different, what do you think?

I chose to live in Italy. In Vietnamese, I am a daughter-in-law. My husband's family are all professors, doctors, architects, lawyers... They are over 80 years old and still write books regularly. Each person in my husband's family has published several books. They often talk about educational issues while I am more interested in Hollywood movies and fashion.

When I first got married, I was "in conflict" with my husband's family's lifestyle. The dresses I had were all too gorgeous for dinners with the extended family. Romans are not as elegant as Milanese, they usually wear suits and ties properly. I wore shorts out and was questioned by my in-laws. The next day, I went out with a pair of shoes and a bag that was different from my usual style. I considered them two different worlds and had to reconcile.

The beauty queen's parents-in-law are closer to their grandchildren during the epidemic.

The home of Ngo My Uyen and her professor husband.

- Could you explain more clearly what "living the Italian way" means?

My husband's parents used to say:We are not rich in money but very rich in culture.For Italians, money is secondary, culture is the center of their lives. My husband's family is middle class but confident that their culture is at the top.

They always choose their friends. Each person has their own group of friends in the same class as them. Building friendships with people in the same class happens from childhood. My husband has a lawyer friend who has been close to him since he was 5 years old. My child is only in first grade and a family has come to be friends, expressing their desire for their son to be friends with my daughter.

I once witnessed my mother-in-law objecting to her distant niece marrying a restaurant owner. She said:Why marry a restaurant owner with no knowledge?so strangely nonchalant that it startled me. Of course, I don't dare judge their culture, I just find it very difficult to understand.

- Intellectual families are often prejudiced against showbiz. Have you ever had this experience?

I was "interviewed" by my grandparents from the first day I entered this family. They asked me directly about my education level, which made my mother react immediately. I had to show them my university degree in Business Administration and my English certificates, and they accepted.

A friend of my husband married a model without a college degree. She had to spend 5 years studying to get a degree so she could socialize with her group of friends.

- In the past, people rumored you were "the richest Miss Vietnam", what about now?

I work in showbiz and understand that rumors are an obvious part of this machine. Not only in Vietnam but all showbiz industries acknowledge the existence of rumors. Therefore, I do not mind these kinds of rumors.

I am a first generation model who built a house with my own hands. When the land price increased, the house value also increased, and from then on people started calling me "the richest Miss Vietnam". However, this title is not accurate, I have corrected it many times. We cannot measure who is richer than who.