PHUONG BAUM
Phuong joined us in sophomore year. Where she came from is a mystery to me. She has the distinction of beings someone who has her named spelled multiple ways, depending on the yearbook. As a sophomore and junior she was Phoung. As a senior, she was Phuong. I believe the senior yearbook got it right.
I don't have a whole lot of firsthand accounts of Phuong. She and I didn't cross paths too often. But in the little time that we did communicate, it was pleasent. I think a lot of people sort of viewed her as catty. But with me, she was cool.
In our senior year, I had Phuong in Mr. Kakuk's sociology class. On Fridays, we would have sort of a free day. Mr. Kakuk would split the class into two groups and read us trivia questions. I kicked ass at this, and would generally lead the class in questions answered. But after awhile, I could no longer play, as Mr. Wegner (a class I had before Mr. Kakuk's) started doing the same thing in his class. And because I knew many of the answers, it wasn't fair. So on occasion, I would try to whisper an answer to a teammate. One day I did just that. And Phuong was convinced that the person I told would never have known the answer. She was convinced I had told - which of course I had. She tried to stare me down, make me laugh, and get me to admit what I had done. She almost got me too. But I was able to keep it in, and not burst out. After a few minutes of Phuong's stink eye, she turned away. Whew!
As a junior, an interesting event happened. Apparently fellow graduate Joe Antonie couldn't stand Phuong. So he drew a rather unflattering picture of her. Joe was a decent artist. And the likeness was incredible. Photocopies were made, and spread around school. From what I heard, Phuong was furious about it. Although she allegedly never knew who was behind the drawing. Sorry Joe. After 18 years, I can't keep it to myself anymore. Your secret is out. Joe gave me the last copy he had. And now, after all these years, let this picture breathe life once again! Click it for the full-size version.
If you view are senior video, you'll see a group scene with several students. Both Joe and Phuong are in it. And Phuong is actually next to Joe, kind of playing with his left ear. Joe is kind of smiling, trying to be polite. But it looks like he is uncomfortable, and gritting his teeth about it. I don't think he liked Phuong at all!
After graduation, I don't think I ever saw Phuong. I believe she may have moved to Milwaukee for awhile in the mid-1990's - perhaps to go to school. Today I'm pretty sure she resides in New York City.
UPDATE - 8/15/06 - Phuong has sent me a recent picture. You can see it below.
posted by TWORIVERSWALRUS @ 8:43 PM
18 Comments:
Well well, in doing some research for a future blog entry, I managed to track down and speak to Joe Antonie. He set the record straight. He actually DID like Phuong. And he was not the person who drew this picture.
Joe's a pretty cool dude. I encouraged him to come in and set the record straight about this. He said he would do so. Look for him.
Two new people. I love it!
Thank you Drew and Joe for setting the record straight. For Greg Pagel is the guilty party!
Look around. And chime in anywhere. These comments are great.
Love the picture. But come on, regardless of her downside, she had one of the Top 3 asses in our class. Man that girl could wear a pair of jeans...
Jen A. here...holy crap I am just remembering all the stuff Jeff and Greg used to draw. So did you guys thank the sci-fi gods, or just get irritated when they did the Hitchhikers Guide flick recently?
The Phuong picture. Yes. I did it.
I think Brad and someone else came to me at lunch and said "Can you draw a picture of Phuong?" I started to draw one, and then Brad said, "No, make her kinda mad with her mouth wide open." So that's what I did.
They made a few dozen copies and then we drew little embellishments on them with captions like "Donkey Phoung" (Phoung with a mule's body) and "Phoungus" (Phoung shaped like a mushroom). After a few days, I think we had a stack of like 20 different versions.
Pretty soon, Phoung either heard about it or saw it and told Mr. Schott, who then called me into his office. He seemed to have called me in only because he had to, because it seemed right away he was going to let me off the hook. I said that I didn't want my initial version to be particularly unflattering, which is pretty much true, and that I didn't add any of the obnoxious details later, which wasn't.
I've sometimes thought about that picture. It was kind of funny, but I mostly feel bad about having participated in that. Actually, I genuinely regret it. I remember Phoung being kind of snarky, but not to me. If she ever reads this, I apologize. It was wrong to ridicule someone that way, and she must have been truly hurt.
Sooo... how y'all been?
Welcome aboard Greg! The truth can fianlly be confirmed! Did you ever think your handiwork would see the light of day again?
Just curious, how did you find this blog?
Come on, Burt. You know all the COOL kids are hanging out at you blog.
Greg is coming. Time permitting, I'll get to him today - along with Joe Antonie and Drew Konop. If someone shows up in my blog to post, the least I can do is write about them.
The LEAST you could do, huh? Gee, you make it sound like a favor.
Okay, turn it loose, Burt. Let's see if I was as dorky in your eyes as I remember being.
Oh, yes, and a far-too-belated howdy to Brad, Jen, Jason, Drew, et al... (Meff can go to hell)
I do regret not keeping in touch with any of you. You guys were all great, and may still be. I'll give you an update after Burt posts his fawning character sketch.
Hey, Burt, tell them about the time I wrote a Tall Tale for American Lit based on my first colonoscopy (which had happened earlier that year). I remember that being kinda funny.
I may be able to provide an update for Phuong. I found not one, but two potential E-mail addresses for her. So I dropped her a line. Thus far, they have not bounced back. So if she checks those E-mail addresses, we might see her. I'll keep you informed.
phoungus? horribly, wickedly funny. we were kinda a-holes back then weren't we? sorry phoung. my memory of her is that all her clothes had the tags on the outside so the lowly ones would know where she bought them. I think i was wearing the same red sweats every day back then. Drew was on to something....
damn i miss those sweats.
hey - Ridge Schott is the COOLEST. he would always sing in the church choir with my rents, so i've seen him a lot over the years. the kinda guy u want in your closest circle of friends. am pretty sure he bought drew's old house when he returned to tr a few yrs ago - then they tore the hs down. i bet he was pissed he had to drive to school.
Not only does it not exist. They've renamed it. It's now simply known as Two Rivers High School.
In regards to Phuong, one of the two E-mails was returned as undeliverable.
For the record, "Kiki" is not Phuong. But it's obviously someone who knows her. I called the number, and talked to Phuong. She confirmed it wasn't her, as she was unaware of this blog. She indicated that she would send an up-to-date photo soon.
Whew. That wasn't so bad.
Good to hear from you, Phuong. Glad you're well. NYC seems like the perfect place for you -- you have exactly the right attitude. I was too slow for the Urban Northeast.
hey phuong! great to hear from you. i would always wonder about you, how you were doing, where you were at,etc. happy to hear you are pursuing such an amazing future. rock on girlfriend. burt has my email if you want to chat.
cheers to you.
What is Big Wally's?
I barely knew Phuong but we almost dated one time shockingly enough. It was all quite interesting, innocent and unexpected totally. Truthfully, Phuong was way out of my class. She was a “preppy girl” a member of the” generic club”. Do you guys remember when the preppy girls would wear black and white on “generic day”? Gosh, we were all such geeks. Even the preps too. I was half jock, half geek and completely nuts and I probably still am. I remember it was after one of the class reunions (which I never go to) that I asked Mark Hendrickson who had showed up and he mentioned seeing Phuong and he told me how amazingly beautiful she was. I really wanted to see for myself. Honestly Phuong from the photo on this site you really are an amazingly beautiful woman. I think you definitely hold the title, in my eyes at least, as the most beautiful woman of the bunch. Mark was right. Just between you and I, I am still completely mystified by what happened in our ultra short “relationship” if one could even call it that. One day you’ll have to explain it all to me for my memoirs. Who knows… Things may have turned out completely differently for both of us if there had only been one window and not two. Lol. I got to tell this story. I believe it was Brenda Dax’s house. It was the only time I had ever gone. I went with Scott Langman and two other guys. Phuong and I ended up “fooling around” (we were playing the lights on and off game in the basement if I recall). There were four couples who were “conversing” and I was partnered with Phuong which completely shocked me at the time because I honestly never thought that Phuong would have agreed to such a thing but of course I went along with it all. All I can remember is that light was coming back on too soon for my liking. But then I think I got a little too serious for Phuong’s liking when I followed her into the bathroom and locked the door behind us. I was a bit of an animal as you all probably know. Of course she rejected my advances at the moment of truth let’s say. Lol. I think I was supposed to turn the light off first but at that kind of time I couldn’t think straight anyway. After being rejected I immediately left her and I was so infuriated that I commanded Scott to take me home instantly which he did. Evidently, some time later Phuong had a change of heart and asked one of the guys (can’t remember whom) to drive her too my house that very same night. I was already asleep. When they arrived Phuong wanted to knock on my window but unfortunately for me there were two windows to choose from. One was mine and the other Dad’s. What a choice! Of course neither Phuong nor the guy who drove her knew which window was actually mine so she gave up and never did knock on that window unfortunately for me. Sorry Phuong but it’s been over 20 years and it is a really funny story at least from my point of view. Take care.
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