ANH PHAM

I am a proud Vietnamese: I was born and raised in Hanoi, while my hometown is Ha Tinh, which is about 340 km South from Hanoi, where my father was born. I have never really grasped how Vietnamese culture has influenced who I am today, but as I recall my charity trip to Cao Bang 3 years ago and consider how I behave in my everyday life, I could figure out the answer to the question: ‘How has Vietnam shaped me?’. Firstly, I have the ability to adapt well in an unfamiliar environment. In January 2013, I joined my fellow volunteers of Heart Connection Club on a 2-day-1-night trip to Cao Bang Province, a highland area in the Northeast of Vietnam. It was during Tet holiday and we went to a small village to donate winter clothes, buffaloes, supplies, etc. to the local people in order for them to have a warm Tet with their family without worrying about the quality of living in such a cold place. For your knowledge, Vietnam is home to fifty four official ethnic groups and the majority of minor ethnic groups reside in Cao Bang and other Northeast provinces. At one part of the trip, my job was to present the villagers with donated winter clothes. I had difficulties communicating with the local people due to my disability and the fact that I could not understand their languages. Just like how Vietnam always welcomes such differences, I accepted our differences and acknowledged the difficult situation that I was in. However, I had finally succeeded in overcoming this obstacle by having tried my best to express what I wanted to say to the villagers by speaking more loudly and even using body language. Secondly, Vietnam’s etiquette, especially that of Hanoi, has also affected my personality. Polite and respectful behavior is highly valued in Vietnamese culture. Therefore, I always say ‘Thank you’ after getting help from other people, invite the older people to begin eating before I do in meals and ask for permission when I need to go to somewhere. On all special events, I manage to make the cards, buy flowers and presents to congratulate people. My mother also told me to treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Besides, growing up in Hanoi allows me to adopt its modern and sophisticated style of living, since the city has indeed evolved from a bleak and foreboding war-torn place into a metropolis that offers a high standard of living, high-end restaurants and a vast range of modern sports facilities. I also have more opportunities to be fully aware of national and global issues because in Hanoi, all sources of information vary greatly from printed newspapers to social media on smart phones. Thirdly, I am a strong and ambitious girl who would love to persevere in everything she does throughout her current 17 years of life. My hometown Ha Tinh is famous for the people’s love of learning and incredible fortitude. Since this province is usually flooded badly every year during the summer, the people there foster in themselves an inner strength and patience to overcome any hardships. My father, the youngest child in a poor family, had gotten through every difficulty in life to study hard himself, and eventually received a scholarship to Russia for higher education and moved to Hanoi after graduation. Since I respect my father in particular and Ha Tinh people in general a lot, I have always followed their steps by constantly trying to not let my disability stop me from doing what I love to do or achieving goals which are supposedly considered difficult for the deaf. In conclusion, my Vietnamese background specifically Hanoi and Ha Tinh ones has contributed greatly to the person I am today, who is willing to take on responsibilities, learn from my mistakes, refuse to give up and be at peace with who she is.