It is quiet lengthy and I'm trying to trim it down a bit. In the mean time, I would LOVE any help/suggestions from everyone. Will have a look at your essays and help in anyways I can!!
I was Americanized at a very early age.
I knew how to count from 1 to 100 in both Vietnamese and English at the age of 4. I took my first ESL lesson at the age of 9. I grew up listening to Britney Spears. For a long time, being Americanized was my pride as a girl whose childhood dream was to study in the US. I was confident of my language ability, and my understanding of the Western culture. There was one thing, however, that I was slacking off on. It was the American concept of time.
"Mikie!!! Where ARE you?? You were supposed to be here 30 minutes ago!" said a frustrated Belinda over the phone.
"Alright. I'll be right over," I said, rather flippantly, not quite sure why she sounded upset.
Where I was supposed to be was the final dress rehearsal for Monty Python Does Saigon. It was the revised version of the famous Monty Python, in which certain Vietnamese cultural twist was added to a selection of popular sketches. The group that was organizing this production is Saigon Players. Besides the fact that it is the only non-profit theater club in my city, what fascinating about Saigon Players are its members. Coming from all around the world, this merry gang is quite a diverse bunch. Monty Python was my first involvement with the group, and I was as pumped as could be.
I got to the rehearsal 20 minutes later. It was in the middle of rehearsal and everyone seemed focused. I said a loud "Hello" as I walked in, only to get "shushed" at and received several annoyed looks. Belinda, my director, coolly told me to get ready. As I walked on stage to rehearse my part, I could not help but feeling upset and confused. Trying to figure out what I did wrong, I became distracted and started to mix up my lines. After a several failed attempts, I got so frustrated and told Belinda I needed a quick time-out. I walked out to the hallway, feeling sick to my stomach. Being the social butterfly that I am, I never like having people mad at me. Regardless, I had a much more pressing problem right then, and it was to not jeopardize my amazing experience being part of Saigon Players. Determined not to let all the hard work go down the drain, I went over the lines in my head and came back inside. Whatever problems they had with me would just have to wait. We did a couple final run-throughs and everyone looked relieved that I stopped making mistakes. As we finished our rehearsal, everyone cheered on one another with group hugs. It was as if I did nothing wrong.
"Hey Bee! You sounded mad earlier. Was it because I came late?"-I asked as I ran after Belinda when she was leaving.
"I wasn't mad at you Mikie, but yes, I would appreciate it if you had been on time. We would have to cancel our show tomorrow if you didn't get your part down tonight. I'm glad you did. If you had been on time, it would have saved us a little headache though. Anyways, I understand that Vietnamese are quite relaxed about being on time," said Belinda.
She was right. We are laidback about time. It is even mentioned in several tour guides that the appropriate time to show up to a meeting with a Vietnamese is 20 minutes after the agreed time. This little incident, however, taught me the hard lesson of how time-oriented Americans are. Being on time for me now means being professional and respectful, and it a beneficial thing to learn. Being time-oriented also means being productive. As a science student with heavy work loads, I understand how crucial it is to be time-oriented. It is not just the matter of getting enough sleep, but also the matter of giving myself the time to do the best I can rather than turning in something I hastily put together the night before. In short, learning how to be time-oriented prepares me for a demanding education and professional career later in life.
Interestingly enough, now living in the US, I take pride in the Vietnamese in me. I truly appreciate just how that 4000 year of traditions, cultures and cuisines deeply defined the person that I am, no matter how Americanized I can be. I can be individualistic while caring for the people around me; I can be time-oriented yet knowing how to loosen up and have fun. I can pack my whole life into three suitcases and go anywhere I want to but still knowing where I was coming from. I believe I have found my balance between the two cultures, and I am ready to take in a few dozens more on the diverse campus of Macalester.
I was Americanized at a very early age.
I knew how to count from 1 to 100 in both Vietnamese and English at the age of 4. I took my first ESL lesson at the age of 9. I grew up listening to Britney Spears. For a long time, being Americanized was my pride as a girl whose childhood dream was to study in the US. I was confident of my language ability, and my understanding of the Western culture. There was one thing, however, that I was slacking off on. It was the American concept of time.
"Mikie!!! Where ARE you?? You were supposed to be here 30 minutes ago!" said a frustrated Belinda over the phone.
"Alright. I'll be right over," I said, rather flippantly, not quite sure why she sounded upset.
Where I was supposed to be was the final dress rehearsal for Monty Python Does Saigon. It was the revised version of the famous Monty Python, in which certain Vietnamese cultural twist was added to a selection of popular sketches. The group that was organizing this production is Saigon Players. Besides the fact that it is the only non-profit theater club in my city, what fascinating about Saigon Players are its members. Coming from all around the world, this merry gang is quite a diverse bunch. Monty Python was my first involvement with the group, and I was as pumped as could be.
I got to the rehearsal 20 minutes later. It was in the middle of rehearsal and everyone seemed focused. I said a loud "Hello" as I walked in, only to get "shushed" at and received several annoyed looks. Belinda, my director, coolly told me to get ready. As I walked on stage to rehearse my part, I could not help but feeling upset and confused. Trying to figure out what I did wrong, I became distracted and started to mix up my lines. After a several failed attempts, I got so frustrated and told Belinda I needed a quick time-out. I walked out to the hallway, feeling sick to my stomach. Being the social butterfly that I am, I never like having people mad at me. Regardless, I had a much more pressing problem right then, and it was to not jeopardize my amazing experience being part of Saigon Players. Determined not to let all the hard work go down the drain, I went over the lines in my head and came back inside. Whatever problems they had with me would just have to wait. We did a couple final run-throughs and everyone looked relieved that I stopped making mistakes. As we finished our rehearsal, everyone cheered on one another with group hugs. It was as if I did nothing wrong.
"Hey Bee! You sounded mad earlier. Was it because I came late?"-I asked as I ran after Belinda when she was leaving.
"I wasn't mad at you Mikie, but yes, I would appreciate it if you had been on time. We would have to cancel our show tomorrow if you didn't get your part down tonight. I'm glad you did. If you had been on time, it would have saved us a little headache though. Anyways, I understand that Vietnamese are quite relaxed about being on time," said Belinda.
She was right. We are laidback about time. It is even mentioned in several tour guides that the appropriate time to show up to a meeting with a Vietnamese is 20 minutes after the agreed time. This little incident, however, taught me the hard lesson of how time-oriented Americans are. Being on time for me now means being professional and respectful, and it a beneficial thing to learn. Being time-oriented also means being productive. As a science student with heavy work loads, I understand how crucial it is to be time-oriented. It is not just the matter of getting enough sleep, but also the matter of giving myself the time to do the best I can rather than turning in something I hastily put together the night before. In short, learning how to be time-oriented prepares me for a demanding education and professional career later in life.
Interestingly enough, now living in the US, I take pride in the Vietnamese in me. I truly appreciate just how that 4000 year of traditions, cultures and cuisines deeply defined the person that I am, no matter how Americanized I can be. I can be individualistic while caring for the people around me; I can be time-oriented yet knowing how to loosen up and have fun. I can pack my whole life into three suitcases and go anywhere I want to but still knowing where I was coming from. I believe I have found my balance between the two cultures, and I am ready to take in a few dozens more on the diverse campus of Macalester.
