Last May I came back from France after having spent eight months abroad. It was a wonderful eight months full of food, drink, laughter, children, and love. I had gotten engaged, visited three new countries, and set up our first home as a family with Nicole. I was sad to leave Lyon and I knew I would miss it, but I was even more excited to come back to California, my chosen homeland.
In June I started my journey with Teach for America (TFA). We spent a week in Hawaii for “Induction,” a sort of pre-training introduction to TFA, Hawaii, and its culture. It was definitely more like a mini-vacation than the Inductions in the Mississippi Delta and elsewhere.
After Induction we flew to Texas where we would spend the next five, intensive weeks learning how to be a teacher. They call it Institute. We call it Teacher Boot Camp. And man is it hard! The first week of teaching was especially rough, with up to four lesson plans due in one day. I usually get less than five hours of sleep Monday through Thursday as I am up all night planning for future classes.
Although the weekdays are rough, the weekends are a lot of fun. The Hawaii Corps is one big Ohana, which means family in Hawaiian. There is definitely a sense of Aloha, which means welcomingness. Although rough, I know this will really prepare me to hit the ground running in Hawaii. Sometimes I struggle, but it’s all worth it for the keiki (children) of Houston, Hawaii, and everywhere else I will have a chance to touch as a teacher.
The future excites me.
Posted 1 year, 2 months ago at 2:58 pm. Add a comment
1. I’m allergic to the cold. It’s called Cold Urticaria. Sometimes when my skin comes into contact with something cold like a can of soda or the ocean water, I have an allergic reaction. Initially, my skin will start to itch. Eventually, it will turn pink and hives will form. I first noticed this when I was in Vietnam at the age of 16. I would get really itchy after riding in the rain or swimming in the sea. Now I always keep a Claritin with me in case I start to itch.
2. I hate chocolate. Usually. I enjoy certain forms, such as: Ferrer Rocher, Almond Roca, Reese’s Pieces, and Whoppers. I just think things that can be flavored with something different, such as cakes, ice cream, muffins, cookies, and cereal, become drastically worse with the addition of chocolate and not worth my time. I can generally eat a chocolate bar if the ratio of nuts to chocolate is high enough.
3. I have lived in 16 different homes. I count a home as somewhere where I have lived for three or more months with everything I need for day-to-day living. I have lived in: Hong Kong, the Philippines, Memphis, Modesto, Modesto #2, Garden Grove, Westminster, Westminster #2, Orange, Garden Grove #2, Irvine (Cuesta), Irvine (Sierra), Lyon, Irvine (VDC), Chile, and Lyon #2. This makes it complicated to say where my “hometown” is. I usually just say Orange County, even though it’s not actually a city.
4. I immigrated to the United States at the age of 18 months. My parents and brothers had taken a boat to Hong Kong, where I was born. We then lived in the Philippines awaiting entrance into the United States. We first arrived in Memphis, Tennessee. I think we were sponsored by a church because I have a vague memory of going to a church once in Memphis. We eventually took a Greyhound across the country to Modesto, in the San Joaquin Valley. That’s how I ended up in California.
5. I speak four languages with varying levels of comfort. English is obviously my best language. I can probably speak, read, and write in English better than most native-born Americans. French comes in second since I have been living in France for the past four months. I have no problem communicating my needs, but I still have difficulty understanding radio, TV, movies, and French people speaking among themselves. Spanish comes in third. I used to be very comfortable with it when I lived in Chile. However, I have not spoken Spanish regularly for over a year, and I am forgetting it fast. Vietnamese comes in last place, mostly because I cannot read or write in it. It is mostly used with my parents and at Vietnamese restaurants. I actually spoke Vietnamese on two separate occasions while visiting Prague.
6. I am moving to Hawaii in July. I will be teaching secondary English with Teach for America on the island of Oahu (where Honolulu is located). “Secondary” can mean anything from 6th grade to 12th grade. I will probably be in Hawaii from 2009 until 2011, plenty of time for everyone reading this note to visit.
7. I participate in a website called Couch Surfing. Basically, you use the website to find people whom you can stay with for free while traveling. I have stayed with 12 different hosts in four different countries. Some people are uncomfortable with the idea, but there is a system of references in place to help ensure safety.
8. I met my fiancée on OK Cupid. Both of her sisters met their husbands online as well. Nicole and I initially spoke exclusively in French for the first few weeks. We have been dating for three years and plan to marry in the summer of 2010.
9. I really enjoy gardening. I spent countless hours landscaping, designing, and planting the garden at my mom’s house in Garden Grove. I love seeing the fruits (or flowers) of my labor. I especially enjoy it when butterflies and bees come to visit. I planted to columns of pink jasmine outside of my bedroom so I could smell their scent whenever I opened my window.
10. I love receiving letters and postcards in the mail. I am often too lazy to initiate any letters, but I try to respond if I ever receive a one. My three longest correspondences have been with Stephanie Pounder in 8th through 11th grade, Dan Phan in 10th through 12th grade, and Nicole Berger while we lived in separate countries.
11. I am really into aquarium-keeping. I spend hours doing research and try to make my tank look as aesthetically-pleasing as possible. I used to invite people into my dorm room to look at my fish tank. I asked my friends to take care of my tank while I studied abroad in France for four months in 2005. Every single fish in the tank died by the time I got home.
12. One of the best decisions I ever made was choosing to go to UC Irvine instead of UCLA. It has opened so many doors and opportunities. I did so many fun things and participated in so many great organizations. I really miss UCI and keep fondly the memories I have of it. One day I will write a list on why UCI is such a great place to study.
13. The highlight of my performing arts career was at the age of 11. I played the traveling salesman and the wizard in the Wizard of Oz. I also sang in the school choir. We were called the Sycamore Singers. Finally, I was one of five kids who led the class in the school talent show as we performed a song in American Sign Language.
14. I wrote a lot of poetry from 8th to 11th grade. I used to go to these teen poetry coffeehouse events held by the Westminster Public Library. I mostly participated for the cookies, coffee, and prizes, not out of any love for poetry. I eventually performed a compilation of poems at the high school talent show, winning the title of “Westminster Idol” my senior year of high school.
15. I changed my major from Psychology and Social Behavior to Literary Journalism because of National Geographic. The summer after my 1st year of college, I read an article in the magazine. Within three sentences, I said to myself, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” I wanted to write for National Geographic. After four years of forced journalism assignments and stressful deadlines, I have decided that I would rather be a photographer than a writer. I honed in my digital SLR skills shooting for the New University. Now I’d be content just shooting for weddings every summer.
16. I am really organized. I am constantly making lists, rosters, spreadsheets, and charts. One reason for this is that I am easily frustrated when I cannot find something or cannot organize a piece of information efficiently. Another reason for my anal organization is my almost inexistent short-term memory. I am always losing my keys, wallet, jackets, and umbrellas. I have gotten locked out of my apartment at least three times in four months. I always have to keep lists and write things down on my desktop calendar or else I will never remember them.
17. I wore school uniforms from 6th to 8th grade. I wore them for one year in elementary school and two year in middle school. I am probably in favor of uniforms for elementary and middle schools. However, we should provide financial assistance for the families that cannot afford them.
18. I love soups and stews. All kinds of soups and stews. Ramen soup, pho soup, chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, beef stew, clam chowder. I prefer chunky soups where you can bite into pieces of vegetables, meat, or potatoes rather than blended soups, which are more common in France.
19. I used to play the drums. I was in band in 7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th grades. In high school I played the bass drum in marching band and drumline. Our drumline regularly came in first place during marching band season and last place during drumline season.
20. I took some awesome classes at UCI. My favorites were: rock-climbing, surfing, horticultural science, nutritional biology, AIDS fundamentals, desert ecosystems, OC bird habitats, and OC natural history.
21. Everyone in my family is left-handed except for me. I am the soul righty in a family of five lefties. My sister’s left-hander’s calendar had a page that said “Even if both parents are left-handed, their child is still twice as likely to be right-handed.”
22. I have been to 19 countries. I have been to: the US, France, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Monaco, the Vatican, Hungary, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
23. I have had many lucid dreams. Lucid dreams are when you are aware that you are dreaming. Sometimes you are then able to interact within the dream and maybe even control it. My first lucid dream occurred in high school. After waking up from a dream, I closed my eyes and imagined myself walking. Eventually I started falling asleep while retaining consciousness. When I go from an awaken state into a dream state while retaining consciousness, there is a warm, uncomfortable tingle in my brain, similar to the way a hot shower feels on the scalp on a cold day, but a lot worse. Recently, I did some research into lucid dreaming and managed to achieve at least four lucid dreams within a month. Unfortunately, I always woke up before being able to fly.
24. It’s really hard for me to finish books. I lack the patience and motivation to regularly finish books. I manage to read only read a novel a year because of this impairment. Recently, I’ve begun listening to audiobooks on my ipod. In the past two years, I’ve listened to: The Audacity of Hope; two-thirds of Lolita; Frankenstein; The Invisible Man; The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century; The Freedom Writers; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; and On the Road. I am currently listening to Dreams from my Father.
25. I’ve been cooking almost everyday since I moved into this apartment. I’ve never cooked so much before in my life. Now, I am able to cook most of the foods that I like to eat. I want to figure out how to host a barbeque in Lyon because I really miss barbecued food. Barbecuing is my favorite type of cooking. Deep-frying probably comes in second. I really miss cheap Californian ethnic food. In Lyon I’ve eaten at a few good Vietnamese restaurants, but they’re always double the price of a typical Vietnamese restaurant in Orange County.
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago at 3:01 pm. Add a comment
I have some good news. I just got accepted into the 2009 corps of Teach for America in Hawaii! I will be teaching secondary English on the island of Oahu from July 2009 to June 2011.
“Secondary” English means anything from sixth graders to high school seniors. My preference is more toward the high school seniors side. English can be anything from reading to language arts to British literature. I think my favorite subsets are World Literature or poetry.
Teach for America is a national non-profit that places college graduates in low-performing schools around the country. The sites are usually urban like Los Angeles and New York or rural like New Mexico and South Dakota. The Hawaii site is considered rural, as most of the schools are in the less-dense Leeward Coast of the island, usually not in the densely-populated Honolulu.
I am excited that my post-college plans are actually working out. My ideal plan was to get into the France English program, get into Teach for America, defer for one year, then get placed in Hawaii for the 2009 corps. Hopefully I can also pay off my student loans the same year I receive my teaching credentials and Master’s degree.
Maybe next year I can even do some wedding photography in Hawaii!
Teach for America, Hawaii
A view of Honolulu from Diamond Head
Hanauma Bay
Waimea Bay
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago at 11:51 am. Add a comment
My name is Brad Nguyen. The two main projects in my life right now are photography and education.
I am currently an English Assistant working in Lyon, France. I work with elementary teachers who have to do an English training program through the Departement of Rhône.
I am also an avid photographer. I love to take pictures, especially while traveling. While in college, I worked as a staff photographer for my school newspaper. I own a Nikon D40 with a 18-55mm lens and also a 55-200mm VR lens. I am continually learning every day.
I graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a degree in International Studies and one in Literary Journalism. I am proficient in French and Spanish. I also have a conversational knowledge of Vietnamese.
I also enjoy board games, gardening, and cooking.
Posted 2 years ago at 10:05 am. Add a comment
