~Some of the experiences that I had encountered in Vietnam 2010~
Vietnam .... a place of beauty and a place where I would call my second home country. From the beautiful preserved forest to the mountainous hills in Ninh Binh, Vietnam is truly a breath-taking country. Vietnam is also the birth place of my parents and my older sister. As for me, it is a place where I would call my second home. Going back to Vietnam at the end of this year, making it my fourth trip in five years, it is truly a country that I would never forget.
Why you may ask? By going back to Vietnam I can understand my heritage and also the Vietnamese culture / customs that I would not experience here, living in Perth all my life.
My Vietnamese friend, over here in Perth, asks me "Why do you love going back there all the time. It’s so dirty and the people are so poor. Why?" ... and my answer was "It is because if my parents and my older sister did not immigrate to Perth about 20 years ago then I too, would be living in poverty and be working my heart out and trying to get a decent education." This is what most Vietnamese people are doing so that their children(s) could have a better future.
Spending most of my holidaying in small village in the province of Nam Dinh I discovered the essence of a typical Vietnamese person’s life. The struggle and hardship that these the Vietnamese people experience every day, allowed me to understand why I am so lucky to live here in Perth and some of the things I would take for granted. From the clothing that they wear to the typical daily routines that they do, I sometimes have sympathy towards these people. Hearing some of their stories and dreams, I cannot help but to feel a sad burden of what these people had experienced throughout their life. Some of their dreams included: trying to find enough money so that their family could survive, giving their children(s) the basic education requirements and improving their lifestyle. Some of these dreams are the kinds of dreams that I would not have to think about much, but to some Vietnamese people here, that dream may not come true.
One reason why I keep coming back is because of the friends that I've made over there. Comparing their lives and mines, I had realised that we both live in similar lives but in different worlds. Catching up with some of them and sharing each other stories were always great because I got to learn a bit more about the Vietnamese culture through my friends experiences.
Another reason is that all of my family members and relatives are all in Vietnam. There are so many family members whom I've never got the chance to meet before and I wish that one day I could finally met them all. Being able to meet some of my family members over in Vietnam, I got to experience the warmth and happiness that I've never got the chance to experience over here in Perth.
One moment that I was grateful to have was my 19th birthday party. I had my early 19th in Vietnam because I knew that I would not get an opportunity like this to share a special day with the people who I know and love. It was from that moment; when everyone was singing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to me that I had realised that my past birthday wishes had come true. It is because, in the past I've always wanted a party with family and friends being all together to share one special night with me. To me, presents and birthday gifts don't matter much, but to have them there and sharing this special occasion is the best and only gift that I really ever wanted in my life. Hence, this is one of the reasons for me coming back.
A place which I fell in love with was Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh. This national park is a preserved park that grows some of the most beautiful flora and fauna within the forest. While visiting this forest, I discovered that this park is truly one of the beauties of Vietnam. It was like going to a secret re-treat and trying to re-connect with nature. The view and the landscape are really magnificent. After exploring the terrain, I knew that I have to re-visit this beautiful national park once more.
Saying goodbye is one of the most terrible moments that I had to experience throughout my trips. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone before my departure that I wished I didn’t have to. Growing up in Perth, I never really had to say goodbye to anyone before, but, saying those words at the airport was truly hard. It was like saying farewell and I might not see you again.
This is one reason why I sometimes consider not coming back to Vietnam. Even though, I love visiting the country. Saying goodbye to the people who I met and love is really hard because I grew so close to them in a short number of weeks.
Vietnam .... a place of beauty and a place where I would call my second home country. From the beautiful preserved forest to the mountainous hills in Ninh Binh, Vietnam is truly a breath-taking country. Vietnam is also the birth place of my parents and my older sister. As for me, it is a place where I would call my second home. Going back to Vietnam at the end of this year, making it my fourth trip in five years, it is truly a country that I would never forget.
Why you may ask? By going back to Vietnam I can understand my heritage and also the Vietnamese culture / customs that I would not experience here, living in Perth all my life.
My Vietnamese friend, over here in Perth, asks me "Why do you love going back there all the time. It’s so dirty and the people are so poor. Why?" ... and my answer was "It is because if my parents and my older sister did not immigrate to Perth about 20 years ago then I too, would be living in poverty and be working my heart out and trying to get a decent education." This is what most Vietnamese people are doing so that their children(s) could have a better future.
Spending most of my holidaying in small village in the province of Nam Dinh I discovered the essence of a typical Vietnamese person’s life. The struggle and hardship that these the Vietnamese people experience every day, allowed me to understand why I am so lucky to live here in Perth and some of the things I would take for granted. From the clothing that they wear to the typical daily routines that they do, I sometimes have sympathy towards these people. Hearing some of their stories and dreams, I cannot help but to feel a sad burden of what these people had experienced throughout their life. Some of their dreams included: trying to find enough money so that their family could survive, giving their children(s) the basic education requirements and improving their lifestyle. Some of these dreams are the kinds of dreams that I would not have to think about much, but to some Vietnamese people here, that dream may not come true.
One reason why I keep coming back is because of the friends that I've made over there. Comparing their lives and mines, I had realised that we both live in similar lives but in different worlds. Catching up with some of them and sharing each other stories were always great because I got to learn a bit more about the Vietnamese culture through my friends experiences.
Another reason is that all of my family members and relatives are all in Vietnam. There are so many family members whom I've never got the chance to meet before and I wish that one day I could finally met them all. Being able to meet some of my family members over in Vietnam, I got to experience the warmth and happiness that I've never got the chance to experience over here in Perth.
One moment that I was grateful to have was my 19th birthday party. I had my early 19th in Vietnam because I knew that I would not get an opportunity like this to share a special day with the people who I know and love. It was from that moment; when everyone was singing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to me that I had realised that my past birthday wishes had come true. It is because, in the past I've always wanted a party with family and friends being all together to share one special night with me. To me, presents and birthday gifts don't matter much, but to have them there and sharing this special occasion is the best and only gift that I really ever wanted in my life. Hence, this is one of the reasons for me coming back.
A place which I fell in love with was Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh. This national park is a preserved park that grows some of the most beautiful flora and fauna within the forest. While visiting this forest, I discovered that this park is truly one of the beauties of Vietnam. It was like going to a secret re-treat and trying to re-connect with nature. The view and the landscape are really magnificent. After exploring the terrain, I knew that I have to re-visit this beautiful national park once more.
Saying goodbye is one of the most terrible moments that I had to experience throughout my trips. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone before my departure that I wished I didn’t have to. Growing up in Perth, I never really had to say goodbye to anyone before, but, saying those words at the airport was truly hard. It was like saying farewell and I might not see you again.
This is one reason why I sometimes consider not coming back to Vietnam. Even though, I love visiting the country. Saying goodbye to the people who I met and love is really hard because I grew so close to them in a short number of weeks.
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