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May 10, 2011 Dear brother,I am so happy that you are planning to move to California. I know that you are concerned about how to adapt to a new culture while you barely speak the language. You shouldn't worry about it too much. There is a very good educational system in America. For the first few months, you should take ESL classes. I know that you will ask "What is an ESL class?" It is short for English as a Second Language. That could help you to communicate with other people. When you get here, you can find a job if people are able to understand your accent. You can't lose your accent in such a short time. If you able to speak clearly enough for others to understand, you can find a job. In America, there are many study programs that you can elect from community colleges or universities. Because your children are still young, they will able to adapt to American life quickly. Your youngest daughter will attend kindergarten; your oldest daughter will enroll in a high school near where you live. From kindergarten through high school they will learn through direct experience. They will have friends who might have different cultures or languages. Sometimes, a few friends will have multiple cultures and languages as well. They will be taught to use their intelligence and ingenuity as a foundation for controlling their behaviors and things around them. I think it could benefit them to focus on real life problems. That is different from Vietnam. In Vietnam, children don't have much experience interacting with people who have difference cultures or languages. Don't you think? I am convinced that you will see a bright future for your children as long as they focus on study. As you know, America is the destination for many foreign students who choose to study abroad because community colleges and universities are an excellent part of the educational system in the United States. Therefore, you shouldn't worry so much about your children's education. I think they will be fine and I'm sure they will enjoy living in America. I should stop here and write you next week. Alexander  May 3, 2011 Dear Khanh,How are you doing? I have heard from mom and dad that you are planning to move to the United States in a few months. I'm so excited about that. I can't wait to see you and your daughters. Are you planning to live in Sacramento with our brother Tien or Minh? I think they would like to help you out to find a place to live. By the way, both of them are happily married and are in good shape. Although they will be happy to help you for first few months, you should know that they still have their families to take care of. I'm just concerned that you should have a place to live on your own. I have read an article about the experience of two brothers who really respect other. But they stopped talking to each other because they discovered their differences after a few months of sharing the same apartment. The younger brother asked his older brother to move out of the house in just a few weeks. I really don't want this to happen to you. I'm concerned that it could happen to our family. I just want you to know it could happen before it gets really bad. As you know, our family has a house and land in Vietnam, so you are the one who takes care of it. You have a nice place to live in Vietnam. You don't pay rent as we do here in the United States. In addition, you have income from renting our family land, so you able to live comfortably. But you should share the rent as we do when you get to America. Although Tien and Minh own their house, they have bills to pay. They still have to pay a mortgage and interest to the bank. Therefore, you should share the cost of living with them. Living in the United State is not as easy as in Vietnam. We have set a schedule for everything. We work from eight to five on weekdays. We spend time with family on the weekend. In Vietnam, you can work at home and spend time with your family all day long. So you should keep this in mind and be aware of the differences between living in the United State compared to Vietnam. I hope that you find the best solution. You can look farther into the future and I'm so happy that you look forward to living in the United States. I should stop here and I will write you next week. Alexander April 26, 2011 Dear Sam,This week I have read about protecting the American environment in my ESL class. I have learned about how important natural resources are, how endangered species can become extinct, and about the dangers of chemicals used as insecticides. During World War II, airplanes sprayed DDT, which was a type of chemical pesticide, before the military conducted invasions in the Pacific. This makes me think about the Vietnam War. American dropped bombs and sprayed Agent Orange in the forests. Sadly, this totally reminds me of the documentary footage that I saw on the internet of the American military spraying Agent Orange in Vietnam. Nowadays, there are some people who were born with deformed faces as a result of prenatal exposure to Agent Orange. Agent Orange was so dangerous that it could effective later generations. But the American government has denied its consequences, and that upsets me so much. That causes me to think about the future of our homeland, and I miss so much the land where I was born. I want to share this story with you and how I felt after I read the article about Rachel Carson, an American marine biologist and advocate for the environment. She is credited for starting the environmental movement. She raised questions about the direction of technology. Her book led to ban the DDT, first used as an insecticide to wipe out the mosquito larvae. The pesticide was sprayed far and wide to eradicate mosquitoes and agricultural pests but also it entered into the food chain. Americans have found sustenance and wealth in America's resources. Yet sometimes they abuse it. The reason I bring her story up is because I believe that the poisoning of the environment is a consequence of the war in Vietnam that the U.S caused, but they still deny it. I hope that you learned a bit about American culture from this story. They deny things they have done wrong rather than admit their mistake. The lawyers make a fortune, and there are plenty of them in America. Anyway, I should stop here and I will write to you next week. Alexander April 12, 2011 Dear brother,I remember you said: "If you are living in the U.S, you won't miss any world soccer games and you will watch it all day long." You may still think that but you are wrong. In the U.S, I hardly see any soccer games at all. Americans are really interested in football, basketball and baseball especially. You may find it surprising that I barely have time to watch sports. Most of the time, people are at work eight hours a day. Some people work different shifts. It depends upon their job duties. Some people work swing shifts while others choose to work a graveyard shift. Do you know what a graveyard shift is? It's a night shift. It is usually from midnight to early morning. I didn't understand the word "graveyard" the first time I heard it either. Is it strange to you? I felt creepy when I heard that word. I learn a few new English vocabulary words from day to day and I get used to them after hearing them the second or third time. Because of the time zone in Vietnam, I remember we watched soccer games late at night. We checked the schedule and went to bed early and set the alarm to wake us up at midnight for the World Cup soccer games. Surprisingly, the soccer games I watch in the U.S are often on the Spanish channel and the games usually air while I'm either at work or at school. Therefore, I have to record them so I can watch them later after I get off from work or I'm home from school. I don't enjoy watching recorded games compared to when I was in Vietnam. I remember how excited we were when we set the clock to midnight for the soccer games broadcasts. Life in America is different from in Vietnam. We always have a busy schedule. That makes me miss Vietnam very much. Anyway, I should stop here and I will write you next week. Alexander March 21, 2011 Dear Gau,You may find it a surprise that it's barely possible for me to find goods and materials made from America where I live. I am living in America, so I expect all material goods to be made in this country when I go shopping. Last week, I was very disappointed. I went to Sears, but it's hard to find clothes and products that are made in the U.S. While I was shopping in Sears, some sweatshirts attracted my attention. I was curious while I picked up the tag to check the price and felt the product. I was very surprised those sweatshirts were made in Vietnam, where we come from. I thought to myself that probably you, my dear niece, might have this shirt in Vietnam. So I don't think that shirt is fancy gift for you. I know that you want something which people in Vietnam rarely have. Unfortunately, most things, ranging from clothing, home products, and material goods that I find in the U.S are from China, India, and Vietnam. I felt that I should go to another department store. Then I went to Kohl's. I hoped that I wouldn't be as frustrated as I was in Sears. But I walk out of the store with the same dissatisfaction. In comparison, Kohl's not much different from Sears. It carries the same stuff, and it has the same products as Sear does. In fact, all of those stores rely on overseas suppliers. The prices may be lower compared to products which are made in America, but it could be cheaper if you buy them in Vietnam. Therefore, I didn't buy that sweatshirt for you. I remember you were telling me that you wanted leather pants. I don't have time this week to go shopping. It's still in my mind and I must put it on the to-do list when I have time this weekend. I think that I will search in Macy's. And I am afraid I will be disappointed as I was last week. I hope that you will understand and be patient. I promise to get you the best, and it should say "made in U.S.A." I should stop here and I will write you next week. Alexander March 15, 2011 Dear brother,How are you? Living in the U.S, I learn the differences day by day. In America, people value time a lot. When I had car trouble on the freeway, it took them only fifteen minutes to help me with the problem. Last week I had a very bad day. I was driving along the highway on my way to an interview. I was going fifty-five miles per hour, which is the speed limit on that highway, so I was moving at the same speed as the other cars. Suddenly, I heard a loud "BOOM" and saw big black pieces of rubber flying through the air around my car. I was very scared by what had happened, and I knew I had to get off the highway as quickly as possible, so I changed lanes and pulled off the road. When I had pulled over, I tried to get out of my car, but I couldn't. For some reason, the door was stuck shut, so I climbed over to the passenger seat and got out of the car. I should note here that my steering wheel had been shaking for several weeks, so, although I was very scared, I had known about the problem for while, and I wasn't too surprised by what I saw. The cover of my tire had come off and hit my door so hard that it had a big dent in it. After I caught my breath, I called for help and got my tire fixed. The Roadside Assistant came to fix my car in just less than half hour. In contrast, in Vietnam, if you have a car problem, you must delay or cancel everything that day to take care of the car. Luckily, when I got to the interview, my interviewer was very understanding, and I wasn't punished for being late. Because of this terrible experience, I've promised myself that I will take care of little car problems before they become big car problems. Anyway, I should stop here and write next week. Alex March 8, 2011 Dear brother,Life in America is so different from Vietnam where we come from. A road trip is the most popular activity for American families. For Instance, my friend's parents are retiring. They sold their business and bought a big bus and have been touring across America. They have traveled from one state to another. They have stopped from town to town. They were visiting places of interesting to enjoy the sightseeing. They usually drive on the interstate freeways which are high-speed highways that cross the United States such as interstate 101 and route 66, which used to be a popular highway for road trips. In California, they stopped in many renowned places like Sacramento, the capital of California, the Yosemite Valley which is a legendary valley of east-central California along the Merced River, which a famous naturalist, John Muir turned into a national park. He tried to save the wilderness and was opposed to the idea of turning Hetch Hetcy Lake into a reservoir. They continued to travel up North of Sacramento to Reno then they turned up to Lake Tahoe. They went back to Napa Valley which is popular for grapes and wineries. Then they drove to Santa Rosa down to San Francisco to visit my friend. They are very nice and they enjoy their time in San Francisco. They like San Francisco a lot. They are going to continue their trip across the U.S. I hope I have time and money to make a road trip as they have. In contrast to US culture, we hardly ever take a vacation by driving a car. Road trips usually take a couple of weeks. Sometimes, Americans are bored with their job so they take off a few weeks for a road trip. Sometimes, they take a couple of months for their road trip across America. They often drive their own car or they may rent a car for few weeks, and it's very easy to rent a car in America. Some rich people buy a big bus which has a bedroom and kitchen. It's very comfortable on the bus that my friend's parents have. Anyway, I should stop here and I will write you next week. Alex February 22, 2011 Dear brother,Guest what news is this week in the United States? We have a three-day long weekend because of the President's Day holiday. It is a federal holiday to honor George Washington. Do you know who he was? He was the first President of the United States, so that's why we have this holiday dedicated to him. Americans often call him the "Father of this Country." This is the same as we call Ho Chi Minh "Uncle Ho." But I don't recall that we have a holiday for Ho Chi Minh's birthday. In Vietnam, we don't have a day off and get paid on "Uncle Ho's" birthday, but in America, people do have paid time off for George Washington's birthday if they work for federal or state employers. Federal offices, banks, schools, and most business are closed on this day to pay him respect. Do you know why this holiday always falls on the third Monday of the month of February? It isn't exactly his birthday. As you know, a birthday doesn't change .Therefore, every year will fall on a different day of the week. One year it will fall on a Monday but the next year it will fall on a Tuesday, then a Wednesday and so on. But Americans always celebrate it on the 3rd Monday of February. I need to do some research on that. On this holiday, Americans usually take time on the 3-day weekend to travel for pleasure. Some like to hang out with friends. Personally, I take this time to do laundry and clean my house. I'm off on this day because all public schools are closed on this day. I think I want to go to Sacramento to see Minh's family and also Tien's family because I haven't seen them in a long time. Tien's off on this day too because he works for a federal office. Minh's also off on this day because he works for a bank, and most banks aren't open on this holiday. I'm so excited about it. Anyway, I should stop here and will write you next week. Alex February 14, 2011 Dear brother,How are you doing? What is your New Year's resolution? I haven't got any letter from you. I would love to hear about your resolution. In America, there are so many holidays that people in Vietnam don't celebrate. Valentine's Day is coming this week in America and I think you don't know what this day is for. I want to explain this day to you in detail so that you will be able to understand a little bit about American culture. I am sure you will ask, "Is it a very special day?" It is special holiday to show love and affection between intimate companions. For instance, you show your love and affection to your wife by give her a handwritten greeting card. Roses are special flowers for this holiday. You should give her a dozen roses because the rose is symbol of love. I don't think it has to be a dozen roses. Some people give their lovers only one single rose. I think that means the same as a dozen. Even though a rose means "love"in America, for me, I thought I could send my lover any kind of flowers. That means I have show my affection to my lover, whom I care for but it isn't in America. I have to give roses instead of other flowers. And I think you should do it in Vietnam, too. Otherwise, you will feel like you are going to someone's wedding dressed in black. Do you know what I mean? I'm think you can figure it out. Oh! In the greeting card, you should note how much you love your wife, how much you care for her, and you should thank her for all time you've been married, or remind her of the time when you had just met her. In addition, you shouldn't forget to give her a box of chocolates. Anyway, I should stop here and I will write you next week. Alex February 1, 2011 Dear Brother,How are you doing? How's the New Year? The Lunar New Year is coming this week, but it's really quiet here in America. It makes me miss home so much. I miss you and your family, especially your two daughters, Be Gau and Mimi. Are you preparing for the Lunar New Year? Have you bought new dresses for your two daughters? I'm going to send them a few gifts that I bought last weekend. I remember how happy I was to prepare for the lunar New Year while I was in Vietnam. I went shopping with mom. I saw so many people who went shopping as our family did. The happy days are now only in my memory. I'll never forget those days. But now I'm in America, and everything has changed. In America, the Lunar New Year is not considered a national holiday; therefore, we don't get paid days off from work. I remember, in Vietnam, we had more than a month to take a break from work and celebrate the Lunar New Year. Every member of our family wished others the best year to come. We also visited each neighbor to wish the best year for them as well. I collected a lot of lucky money from them and I went to buy toys I really wanted to have. Even then I still had some money left and saved in the pig saving box. In the contrast, this doesn't happen here in America. Those customs are not found here. American culture is different from our culture. In America, they think the New Year is a less important event than Christmas, while we think the opposite from them. Anyway, I should stop here and I will write you next week. I wish you have a happy year to come and good health. Happy New Year to you and your family. Alex |