My parents got married in Vietnam before they immigrated to America. This summer, I have turn eighteen and so my parents decided that we will have a family trip to Vietnam. I’m not very excited for the trip since the memories of my first trip to Vietnam wasn’t very memorable. In fact, I hated everything there; the hot weather, mosquito bites, and how people litter in public and so much more that it’s uncountable.

“Nhi! Are you done with packing up?” My mother yelled from across the room, as she put on her lipstick.

“Yes, I’m all done!” I replied.

Our family got in the car with our luggage heading to SeaTac airport. It was stunning to me how my mother dress, she wear a beautiful flowy aqua dress with a 5 inch heels on, and yet my father have his Asian sandal with a very old T-shirt that looks more Asian than ever.

After a long twenty-four hour flight, the plane landed “Tan Son Nhat” in Ho Chi Minh City. My parent’s family were welcoming us with tears, and happiness, but I can’t see the happiness from them as much as my parents would receiving love from them.

My anger reaches climax as the weather is getting extremely hot. I’m sweating all over my shirt and face.

Hence, I complaints to my parents, “Mom! I really want to leave this stupid place.”

“Nhi, you need to learn how to be respectful and love your country.” My mom said as she gave me a death glare, so had my face down, too afraid to look at my mother.

The next morning, my cousins pick me up, taking me out to eat and go shopping. I couldn’t speak Vietnamese very well so I did not talked at all for that whole day. Although I could see how much effort my cousins are putting, getting me to communicate with them. They took me to the one of the random street for breakfast where there’s a tiny stand with a lady owner cooking food, I honestly hated the place.

The seat where I had sat on was full of meat bones and trash on the ground. I took a piece of napkins on the table and cleaned the spoon and chopsticks, waiting for the lady that did not wear any gloves to serve Vietnamese noodle called “Hu Tieu”. I was speechless, as I gulp on my noodles slowly.

During night time, my cousin took me to the night carnival to go skating, and sand coloring.
I must admit that It was a fun time and I actually feel a bit closer to my cousins.
When they all went to grab for a drink, one of my cousins asked “Do you like it here?” I stuttered, even though I don’t want to be rude but at the same time, I don’t like saying lies to others, so I answered with a nod and smile.

“Then how’s your life in America?” they ask excitingly.

“It’s good” I said.

So I ask one my cousin, Cam “Do you ever want to go to United States?”

Everyone started laughing at me, “Are you kidding me?”, “Ofcourse I would love too! But it’s harder to come to America than seeing a shooting star!” Cam reply with her serious disappointed face.

Furthermore to the conversations, they told me the reason why they wanted to go to America for the reason of freedom, and educated that they did not achieve in Vietnam, and being an unsuccessful person in life.

After my cousin took me back to my grandparent’s house, my mother ask me,
“How’s your night going?”

“Not bad as I thought it would be.” I said.

That replied made my mother very happy because I started to accept my country, and my mother always believed that one day, I will love this country as much as she would be, and I’m starting to get a bit and pieces of what she meant.

In an early morning, my grandmother woke me up, to go to the temple. I’m not really a religious person and don’t know anything about Buddhism. Therefore, I don’t want to go or bother to know more about Buddhism.

My grandmother tried to wake me up, thus, I was very angry, started kicking the bed, and whine.

“Let me sleep for five more minutes.” I told my grandmother.

“No, you must wake up now!” As my grandmother bug me for the entire time, which took thirty minutes for me to wake up, and another hour of getting all dress up. As a result that my grandmother was a bit angry.

When we arrived in a very small road, I became very frightening as my grandmother and I walked down the road. I became to questioning myself, feeling horrible inside as my eyes turning super red.

We got inside the temple, I could not forget the images of people lying on the ground begging for food, especially young children running around begging people for money, and the old people laying around with diseases waiting for the money to save their starvation on the daily life.

My grandmother gave me few sticks of incense, teaching me the steps to pay respect to god.

“Take an incense, bow down and pray, god will listen to you, after you pray, you must bow down three times.” She said

“Yes, grandmother.” I begin to bow down with both knees holding the incense, and closing my eyes, with honesty and make a wish.

Nothing pop on my mind, it was so empty, except for hoping there would be less homeless, and less people suffering.

When I walked back to my grandparent’s house, I felt very guilty and sadden as I locked myself inside the room, and started reflecting on myself, pondering about the people that are laying on the ground, starving and stuck with diseases while  I complaint how dirty the food was, or judging those people that are uneducated.

But the one who is uneducated is myself, for not realizing that these people don’t have a choice whether they could be rich or poor, and having enough money to go to school or not.

My grandfather knocked on the door and asked “What’s wrong?” So I told him what happened.

My grandfather then told me so many stories of how many kids that has dropped out of school, but he doesn’t want them to so he distribute the kids bicycles for them to go to school because of how far they have to walked to school each day.

Suddenly, I felt very happy, and grateful to have grandfather like him.

As times goes by, days in Vietnam became shorter as we only have a week left in Vietnam. My family took me out to eat, but the more time is spent with them.

I became very sad, because I’m not ready to willingly leave this beautiful country that I thought it wasn’t so great before.

I don’t ever want leave my lovely grandmother that teaches me our Vietnamese culture, and so is my cousins whom took me out almost every night to the arcades, carnivals, and tea bar, and lastly my grandpa who had told her many life stories that she could learned.
 
The last night that I will be spending with my grandma, I could not sleep, and kept on turning back and forth on the bed, as much as I tried to close my eyes, I think about the least favorite place that I must go tomorrow, besides the reason of my grandmother’s snorting which is another reason that kept me awake.
The days that I hated the most was finally arrived, as we packed our luggage and box including lots of Vietnamese souvenir sculpture and traditional food because I can’t wait to go back and share those presents, that is part of my culture to my friends.

When we reached the airport for the goodbye, I kissed everyone in my family for a goodbye. In the action of how thankful to have such a great country, and family, and how much she learned from this tripped.

My grandmother stand up facing towards me, and say “See you again.” With a very tight hug.

I nodded, I couldn’t say a word, all I know is I can’t wait to be back in Vietnam again.

Before getting on the airplane, I turned my head and look at the greatest people in the world that I care so much for the last time, and looking at how beautiful the sun is, as I waved to my family for a big smile.

All these times, I thought I knew what the love of learning, family and caring other people really is what was happening to this tripped, it made my eyes open wide, seeing the bigger picture.
My mother was sitting next to me on the plane, I gazed at her quickly give her a big hug, as I apologize to my mother as much as I don’t want to.

“I’m very sorry for looking down on our country, and being a disrespectful child.” As I stutter when those words came out of my mouth, with my heart pumping so loud as if the world is going to explodes.

My mother reply “There will be things in this world that you still haven’t learn yet, keep in mind that you should always try to see the big picture first before judging someone.”

“I understand mother.” I reply, and as our plane conversations goes on, and on happily with excitement.