Dich Vong

This week our group was assigned the area in Ha Noi referred to as Dich Vong. It was an interesting space. On our way there we actually found places that allowed actual four door cars to park. So coming here I thought that this area would be catered to higher class, but as we got closer, the area didn't look much different then "traditional" Ha Noi until we got to the apartment complexes. The area had a look that catered to the lower or middle class. There was actually graffiti and street art on one of the buildings which is really reminiscent of areas in the United States such as the projects. One of my teammates said that these buildings were actually made for displaced people, which I never got to find out where they were from. Within the actual apartment complex area it seemed like a ghost town. Not many people or cars or traffic or businesses. We had to go out on the main street to find everything. Things seemed a little further apart and there was no street market to buy fresh goods. This area seems as though to be a place that is a consequence of development and is evidence of transition...

Group Project #1

For our group project assignment, Team Cucumber was assigned to map out the surrounding areas of the streets Lương Đinh Của and Hoàng Tích Trí. As usual of Viet Nam, in all this humidity, the people of this country are still doing what they do, living their lives. Although the area we were assigned didn't have the fast pace of the busiest part of the city, the place was still very alive with movement. For the UCHANU class, this area is a familiar scene because it was very near where we went bowling during orientation week :) The feeling of these streets made it feel very community like. For our group we were able to find nearly everything on some level. We weren't able to find the shoe shiners and the knife sharpener because they were jobs that were more on the go and they changed places where they work often around the area. (but they exist on those streets!)

Because everything was in reach and able to find, this part of Ha Noi seemed like a very reasonable place to live because the necessities of life were very near in walking distance. The hospital was even just a kilometer away. Many of the shops that were near by were second hand stores instead of boutiques which were very interesting because it called to the fact on how this area was quite affordable. Something that I found interest in was the elementary school! (I think kids are so cute.) This added a touch of a real community with adults and children, which made it a place for family life to grow. Food, education, and health resources were all readily available and accessible.

Gig: Actress

I found the excerpt about Debra Messing to be really interesting. To me, it was surprising to find a familiar name in this book. I've seen a couple of episode of Will &Grace which is the television show that Debra messing is one of the main characters. Watching this show, I found it very comical and entertaining. I didn't begin to think about the implications that this show had for its audience and how much it actually pushed the envelope on hit television shows. When I think about Hollywood, I come to the same stereotypes, paparazzi and scandals, but after reading this article, I am able to come down and remember that acting is another form of art.

I found it touching in the part where Debra Messing recalls the letter from a fourteen year old who had just come out to his mother. By watching Will&Grace, they were able to bond and have their family, mother/son time. This is where I am able to realize the art can be found in television. It's able to move people, and it positively affects the audience. Many times, I'm caught watching senseless reality tv. Although Will&Grace isn't exactly categorized as "artistic and thought-provoking" the light sensed comedy keeps this show interesting and loved. To do something you enjoy for your career, while having a positive impact on others is really beautiful, and I suppose this is what many people strive to achieve.

It's great that she is able to find her niche to do something she loves and enjoys. She is able to go into work, and make others laugh. (And laughing is always nice (: )

A little piece of me.

In 1990, I was born in beautiful sunny San Diego, California. I grew up learning the meaning of love through my parents hard work and my auntie's amazing cooking. From this, I came to realize that my way of giving back my love for them was to do well in school; for me, and for the people who pushed me so hard to do well. Education was always my top priority. Throughout elementary school I lived the life of a latch-key kid. My parents would work from morning until night, which meant that coming home from school, my sisters and I would take care of ourselves and each other until our parents came home from work right before dinner. Because of this, I spent a great portion of my life, being taken care of by my two older sisters, and my auntie and uncle who also lived with me.

By the age of 10, my family moved to another part of town that can only be described as cookie-cutter houses in the new developed suburbs of San Diego. A little confused, I was never able to fully understand why people in my schools never looked like me. In middle school, a student body that consisted of nearly 2000 student had around five Vietnamese American students. In high school, from around 3000 students, there were still only around five students. During this time, I had many conflicts with my identity and who I was. My only tie to being Vietnamese was with my family. During the last two years of high school, while working hard on my education, and holding down a part-time job, I began my journey towards finding my identity.

After getting into UC Berkeley, I was able to really begin to find who I was. Coming to Cal, I was able to start identifying myself as a strong independent womyn. But now, I'm on a new journey to understand and find my family hystory. So here I am in Viet Nam, trying re-plant myself to find my roots.

My goals for the next four months:

1. Learn Vietnamese :)

2. Education. I want to get good grades and really soak up the material!

3. Make new friends!

4. Visit Family!

5. Learn, laugh, live and have fun too!

btw, this was a very short glimpse into my life... please get to know me personally (: I don't bite!