I was not thinking about one day that I should leave Vietnam and come to American to live. When I was in school, and that has happened to me on the September, 2010. My family had to move to U. S. to live with my grandparents. I have studied and worked in America for more than 4 years. Now, I still remember the first time that I came to U. S. , and I was 18 years old when I came to America. After more than 15 hours travel from Vietnam, my family has arrived to the U. S airport. It was 5. 00 PM in the afternoon. Everyone was tired, but I still wonder and excited with new country.
I look around the airport, I saw too many people speak different language. I saw a man grab a big bread with the meat inside and I thought it’s Vietnamese sandwich but I realize that is not look like the bread I normal eat in Vietnam. Everything is fabulous and wonderful to me, and I was excited how my life in United State. For the first time came to America, people must submit personal document to get in America. A police officer came to my family and asked us about the document that we must submit but I misunderstood, and just say “No” to him.
He understood that we don’t know English, He used his hand pointing us to his office and told us following him. At this point my family was scared because we don’t know what we do wrong and why he told us following him. We arrived to his office , there is a Vietnamese lady who work at this office, told us to show the document. After that, my family can get out the airport. My parents still worry about what was happen and keep asking about that. Next day, I wanted to go out and tried to met my neighbors. I thought it should be like in Vietnam where everybody in every house went out every morning and make fun conversation.
I was shocked because I couldn’t see even a person except me on the street, and I barely saw a car driving around my house area. I look around one turn, It seems like no one live here, it was so quiet , and It’s not like my expected before I come to U. S.. I thought there was more fun and a lot of people walking on the street like I always watched on TV. I was surprised with the life of people around me. After five minutes, I saw my neighbor open his house door and went out. He was an American. He came to me and tried to communicate with me, but I was nervous. I ran too fast going to my house.
My action was surprise him, He got stun like that he don’t understand why I did that to him. He stay for a while and came back to his house. I stayed in home and felt sorry about my action. There are no place that I can go play or I can do something make me fun. People is just staying home even though this is weekend. I couldn’t see a kid hang out with his friend like I did before in Vietnam. For a few day living in U. S, my exciting about new life had disappear. I wished that my family still stayed in Vietnam, where I spent 18 years to live. I missed my old house and bustling scene of people in my country.
I stayed in my room and prayed to God . I hope some miracle will happen to me, so I can go back to Vietnam, but that is impossible right now. For a moment, I began to think why people is always desired to live in America while It did not seem like my expected. The life in U. S. at that time was terrible that such as a boring life. I felt disappointed because from the date we arrived to U. S. , my family not have much time eat dinner together. My parents went work until the night and everyone was very quiet. We didn’t have much time to have conversation like we usually did in Vietnam. Fist day of school was a terrible and disappoint with me.
I didn’t know where is my class locate in school. I kept my schedule paper in hand and didn’t want to show for people in the hallway because I didn’t know how to ask for help and I was shy. After every one came to their class, I still in the hall way to looking for my class. The AP saw me and he took me to the office because he thought I was skipping class, but he saw the schedule on my hand and he understood what happen to me. He took my schedule paper and took me to my class. In fact, I have to change room each class period, but I didn’t expected that. When the bell has rung that mean the end of period.
Everybody in my class took their backpack and leaved the classroom. I didn’t notice that I had to move. I thought everybody went out for break, so they will be back later. I stayed until the bell for next class rang, and I saw there were new student came to my class, I was surprise, so I asked my teacher. My teacher said that I have to go another class in another room, but I misunderstood her, I just shake my head like I understood her. I came back to my table and acted like nothing happen. The class started laughing at me, I felt so stupid and my face turn red. After that, my teacher called a student and took me to my next class.
After everything happen to me, I was notice that language is the big trouble for me to live in the U. S.. I started to take more time to learn English. It took me about a year to learn how to understand English. When I can speak and write English, my life must be easier than before. After 4 years live in U. S.. My English skill is not perfect but It must be enough for me to communicate with people around me. Now I’m still planning to go back to Vietnam, but that just for visit. United State of American is my second home. I fee fabulous with everything around me. I can say that America is for everyone, but they must understand English.
