I am more healthier

In Vietnam, the main transportation is motorbike,and people's awareness is still bad, so the traffic is complicated. . Almost people don' t like walking because it is not convenient and they are yay walking. In USA my transportation is my feet because my house is near the college and I dont' own a car. Sometimes I take a bus for go shopping or get around the city. There is one different thing between my city and Seattle. My hometown is located in land while Seattle has many slope streets. That was the first period time in there, I'm tired of walking to school, but now I have accutomed it. This is really a good way to train my health. Moreover, the air in Seattle is pure, so my health is improved. In Vietnam, the rate of pollution is high, so everybody wear a mask when they go out. Beside studying, I also hope I try to ski . I never play this sport before because my country has tropical climate. I think it is very exciting. If you have some experience on it, would you give me some advices.

Mother Day

My country, Viet Nam, is located in Asia, so the Mother Day is not popular. However, in exchanging culture process 15 years ago, the Vietnam culture and society have been affected by Western cuture through movies, good and it is more modern. For example, 10 years ago, only a few people know what valentine day is, but now it is popular. However,there are 2 occasions to express your feeling to the women you love in international day on 3/8 and valentine day for lover, not a specific day for mother, I hope it becomes popular in Vietnam several years later. When I went to USA, I knew about it. I think it is a great opportunity to say how the love to my mother. Beside good education,studying abroad also gives me invaluable experience because it helps me to realize how important my family to me. You only know this if you are away from it. My mother has full charater of vietnamese woman. She devoted her life for her family. She has been working hard to give their children comfortable life, especially for studying in USA because Vietnam is developing country, so the average income of Vietnamese people is about 700 dollar. All money she earns is used to raised me and my brothers. She is 45 kg but the love makes her be more strength. She is concerned me so she calls me daily to know about my studying as well as health. I don't know why but when we are older, we feel shy to tell our mother about your love, and me too. However,this mother day I must to tell her that I love her so much and give her e-card. The life in USA is not easy, especially in first moths with many difficulties, but when I am upset or depressed, I remember in hometown there is a person love and believe me, I had more energy to overcome and try more and more.

my favorite channel

Animal planet is a popular and famous channel in the world. There are some reasons why I like to watch it daily. First of all, it is a good way to practise my listening skill because the talkers speak slowly and clearly. It says about nature, vocabulary is simple and common. Moreover, some programs you can understand throughout images. Secondly, almost programs in this channel are interesting, I could watch it anytime I like or when I have a free time. I don’t need to wait for the program I want like other channels. Besides, the mystery of nature and universe has an attraction to me. With this channel, I may be satisfied my curious mind. I have known much knowledge about nature. I have the chance to discovery the interesting and fantastic life of animal, mammals, birds, insect or fish. In my opinion, human is the most intelligent, but not the most wonderful because there are many wars in the world, for example Iraq war or terrorizes. We also need to learn many things from nature which contains a lot of invaluable lessons. Nature life is real, but it also look like the most interesting movie in all time because I could have had all kinds of feelings in watching it from happy, humor, emotional, romantic to sad, thriller and horrible. I have an opportunity to see beautiful sceneries as well as amazing animals in from mountain to forest, forest to desert, sky to ground where you can’t go. In an addition, watching the channel is a effective way to relax when you feel stressed. It helps me to recognize my responsibility to protect nature. We can’t exist without animals and plants because we need oxygen from plants and food from animals and plants. They have the world more lively and colourful. However, human is destroying nature. All over the world, species are disappearing and about 15600 species face extinction. In India, only 2000 tigers are left. Human is the main reason of global warming and natural disaster which influence vice versa.

differences in education between my country and USA

At the end of last Friday, I had been Seattle for one month. This is a period of time which is not long, but not short. I had many experience, good and bad in Seattle. I don’t know how my English was improved , but I hoped. I had more new friends who are not only VietNamese but also different countries with different cultures such as China, Japan, Korea, Kuwait etc. However, they have same thing which is they are friendly and kind. It is very exciting. I have perfect opportunity to know more about many countries.
After 3 week studying, I realize some big difference in education between my country and USA. Firstly, my instructors are ver friendly, they look likes more my friends than my teachers. In Viet Nam, although teachers are kind, but it exists a distance between student and teacher. They need have respect behaviour with their teacher, for example bowing when they meet their teacher. Secondly, each class owns a private classroom. They don’t need move and wait teacher for next class. In Seattle, both students and teachers have to change classroom between 2 subjects. Next, in highschools and lower levels, students have to wear uniforms and follow strict rules for example dye hair or a boy is not allowed to have a long hair. They study in text books and don’t need find out more information on Internet or TV. However, they need many reference books because program is hard. Almost of them must to take extra class after school. They study for some important subject such as math, chemistry, physics, biology, literature and especially english in a centre or at home of teachers who may be their teacher in school or a good teacher in a famous school. The reason is they afraid of studying worse than their classmates and it’s not easy to take a place in university in my country. Every year, new students are 20% quantity of candidates. They need study at least 2 or 3 hours per day in a centre or with a teacher after school. In Seattle, there is a break during 2weeks between 2 quarters. In contrast, students have to study during 9 months continously and have a summer vacation. In Seattle, I have quiz, test everyweek. In Viet Nam, I also had many quiz and test but not everyweek and some of them are no predict. In university, students have one exam per class at the end of semester. How do you think about studying in my country?

My weekend

In Seattle, I have a new habit which is going to the church behind Seattle Central on Friday. I never went to a church in Viet Nam before. The reason is that there is conversation and free dinner ( I like it!) in the church. This is a good chance for me to practise English with native speakers who are residents and teachers in Seattle Central. They also help me in doing homework for example a survey of speaking class. I could make new friends. Almost of them are student in ESL, but not my classmates, I don’t know why. Yesterday morning, I and my friens went to Student Activity Center to do some exercises, though I think walking is also a good way. In my country, people don’t like to walk, so it’s different from Seattle. I tried doing gym for about 1 hour and this is also a first time. After that, I went to downtown to buy new pair of shoes. Next, I was going to take a bus 7 to go to Safeway because I knew that it is on sale to compete with next supermarket. However, I don’t know where the bus stop 7 and I had to walk by smarting foot which is the result of gym. Fortunenately, I could find it ater 15 minute walking with empty stomach. After going to market, I went back home with three heavy bags. It’s terrible! Finally, I had a lunch at 4:30 pm in exhausted.

Tet holiay in my country

One of period of time international Vietnamese student come back their country is christmas or tet holiday. This is also a time when I miss my family so much, so I want to come home but I also continue studying( I like studying in Seattle Central !), I’m very confused. Although VietNam has New Year day like western, it has no special activity. Tet holiday is really an important festival in VietNam. It originates from China and takes place on the three first days of the first lunar month in not only VietName and China but also several countries in Asia such as Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia. However, it has different customs and activities in each country. At midnight on the last day of the year, there are firework and everybody go out to see, but I go up terrace to see because I am afraid of traffic jam at this time. Ten years ago, I can shoot firecracker but now it ban, so somebody sting balloons to make sound like firecracker. New year congratulation is one of traditional in Tet holiday and I think it also exist in China or Japan. The younger family members congratulate the old people with best wishes and ar given lucky money in red envelope. Children not except I like it so much. Maybe four years later I come back my country, I can’t receive money anymore because I am not children. Moreover, I also give money to my brother or nephew. Vietnamese people use peach flower in North and bright golden mai branch of mai flower to decorate their house. Next year in Tet holiday, I will see golden daisy or tulip to replace mai flower!

flower market in Tet

lion dances

Xuan Huong Lake

some waterfalls in Da Lat

beautiful scenery in Da Lat

King Hung Temple in Vinh Phuc, Viet Nam

something about my country.

Yesterday morning is a nice and sunny weather, so it’s wonderful to see tulipsi, but I didn’t because of some reasons. I regret it so much because tulips bloom once a year and it’s difficult to see tulips in my country’s tropical climate. However, there are several festivals of flower in Viet Nam for example the unnual flower fair in Ho Chi Minh city on Lunar new year and especially in Da Lat which is considered as the city of flower in my country. It’s located in a highland, so it has temperate climate with many waterfalls, lakes and springs. It attracts thousands tourists everyear. It doesn’t wonder why people in my city like visiting there for their holidays which one of them is at the end of April with the three holidays: Commemoration of the founding of Viet Nam, Liberation of Saigon and Labour day. My country is small, though it has a long history. It was found by Emperor Hung Vuong nearly 5000 years ago. The Hung dynasty with 18 kings lastesd for about 3000 years. On the lunar tenth of March thousands VietNamese people come to King Hung National Altar to commemorate the ancestor.

The first impression and feeling in Seattle with living away from home

Firstly, I need to say I never made a blog before, even in mother tongue( Vietnamese language) because I don't like writing. Sometime I write in literature subject or assignments in my highschool. I only think everything from my life's problem to my feeling. With me, the life likes a current, so everything which I meet or have will elapse by itself. I don't like to cling them and I also can't. I feel unnecessary to write down them in diary. More I don't like to express my feeling to everybody. Sometimes, my parents don't understand me and must to say:"Coud you please tell me what you are thinking". Actually I have to confess I made this blog reluctantly because of my teacher' s compulsory task. However, I need to thank my teacher because I know she only want all her students to make a progress in English quickly and I also hope this. It's an interesting change to break the daily routine. Maybe, it makes my life better because the life contains many unexpected thing I can't predict. Next, I will say a little about my thinking and feeling in Seattle for first three weeks. Seattle is a very modern city and has many skyscraper, but it also have beautiful natural scene in South and North. I could see flower everywhere such as golden daisy, tulip, especially full peach bloom tree. It's different from my city. It's diry, polluted and I only see houses and houses. However, Seattle is very cold and rains everyday, so waiting for a bus, especcially when I miss a bus, is terrible. People are friendly, kind ,for example my teachers. Like international students, sometimes I miss my family and determine to study well not only in Seattle Central but also an university to active my dream. Another reason why I decided to study oversea is that I' d like to be more confident, active and have independent life. I think I felt this a bit here.