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Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
* I'm Vietnamese, born and brought up in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. * After 18 years and 9 months, I took the longest flight ever to Minneapolis, MN, US. * Currently I am an Auggie. I double major in Accounting and Finance, and maybe minor in MIS. * Check out my blog to know more about me and my adventure. No single entry or short text can describe me completely, but in 3 words I can generalize how I am: NEVER GIVE UP :) * Making connections is the mainstream of my river of life. I believe we all need others, in one way or another, to live and to be alive. And communicating is a way of making connections.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

When you look at your family from outside

It is the first day of Lunar New Year in Vietnam. I am now at the library after moving around trying to find a place to study. Finally I got here, a nice and quiet place of my own. Turning on my computer, I noticed the windows photo viewer on the taskbar. My niece's picture was right there in front of my eyes; hitting slideshow button, I looked at each picture my sister sent me last night. A feeling of sorrow welled up inside me...

In one of the pictures, my mom was reading newspaper as she always does every morning. My youngest niece was playing with the sun beams that penetrated into the room through the windows; "I'm taking sunlight for grandma", she said when my sister asked what she was doing. Next to my mom was sitting my other niece; she was having her hair tied up. That picture captured a very normal day of my family. However, for me, it is something so important and valuable. I'm looking at my family from outside...

Looking from outside means that you are just an observer, a sightseer. I'm looking at my family through photos, and listening to the stories to know how my mom is, how much my nieces are growing up, how my sisters are doing back home. I am not involved in any story being told.

But I know I will be back, with my family, with my beloved people. Hence, I wiped away the tears and calmed myself down. Family has always been very important to me, but since I left for US, family means something greater than importance. For me, family means where you belong and where your heart is. Family means a group of your beloved people among whom you find yourself protected and loved. Family means everybody going through a lot of things together, and it is a bless for anyone who has a kid in the family to witness his or her growing up everyday. Family means Father And Mother I Love You; from 7 thousands miles away, I am praying everyday for my parents to have good health and happiness. It is such a shame when my parents are down with sickness and I am not at home to take care of them. Family means no matter what happens, you are still happy that you are a part of that family.

This is the first time I do not spend Lunar New Year with my big family. 3 more hours and I will be talking to my grandpa, my uncles and aunts through skype. Although all I can do now is looking at my family from outside, I know my position in my family will always be the same and when I come back, I am still my mom's youngest daughter whom she loves and cares about with every inches of her heart.

This opportunity to go such a long distance to get here studying and experiencing new things gives me this significant view about family and how my family means to me. I promise myself I will make the best out of every second I am here as those seconds would have been spent with my family.

Happy Lunar New Year and Happy Valentine everyone!

P/S: this whole weekend is dedicated to homework and homework. I have 2 tests and 2 papers and 1 research due next Monday and Tuesday :D

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