Tuyển tập ao nhà - 11; English version

Story of the “River Me”
Nguyen Dinh Lien Chi – 2003


While thinking about my life and my relationships with different places, I see myself as a river, which I call “River Me” and the related places as the places that the river flows through. The image of a river appeals to me because my life, or any other person’s life, is like a flow of a river. We both have a starting place, which is an original point. During my lifetime, there are some places at specific times that have important impacts on me, just like some important ports that a river passes by. Each place builds the basement and helps to prepare myself to continue the next steps.

The first and also the most important place to me is Saigon, Vietnam. It is important because like the starting point of the river, it offers the fundamental elements of life and partly determines the person I am now. I was born in Saigon and spent the first 18 years of my life there. This place is extremely special because that is where I have received so much love from a big loving family since the moment I was born. It is my homeland with so many unforgettable memories. Being away from home, I always miss the warm atmosphere of my family, as well as the busy life of the city. It has become such an important part of my life that it often leaves emptiness inside whenever I am far way.

The second place that also holds a special place in my memory is Ban Me Thuot. It is a small and nice city in the central highland of Vietnam. Even though it is not our real fatherland, my dad spent most of his childhood there. Some of my relatives are still living in this city. Later, it became a place where all of my family wanted to go back to relax and escape from the busy life of the big city. This special city has brought to me real scents of nature, which can not be found in Saigon, and some wonderful friends that I could not have imagined having. It is really hard to forget the beautiful sights of the blooming coffee fields and the silent lake beside it. I love this little city where everybody seems to know each other. It is the friendly and kind people here that make this place even more special. Ban Me Thuot to me will always be a place of friendship and affection.

Just like any river, there must be a place where it makes a turn and takes a new direction. For the “River Me” that place was Webster University in Cha-am, Thailand. My life really made a big change there because it was the first time I had to live so far away from my family. It was scary at first but when I could actually control my new life, I was glad that I made the decision to come to Webster in Thailand. It was here that I had great opportunities to discover the new world of knowledge that I did not think that I could know at home. It taught me new ways of looking at life, at the world and many other things. I could believe in myself because I knew that I was grown up and more mature now. In short, Webster University Thailand has given me confidence and hope.

Even though it is hard to predict what will happen next, the future destination of the “River Me” will probably be Webster University in St. Louis. That is where I want to finish my studies and graduate. The river will make another turn here, and my life will change once again. I am anxious to know what it will be like but it will surely play an important part in my life, as much as the previous places.

As the “River Me” continues to flow in the future, no matter which direction it takes, there would be other important places that now I am not aware of. They would somehow have in impact on me and influence my life. However, for the time being, I am truly grateful for where I have been through since all of them have given me many precious things and helped to determine who I am now. In return, I hope that during my time in those places, I have done something good or left some good impressions to those places and the people there to express my appreciation for what they have given me, just like the river leaves alluvium wherever it goes to help enrich the land and soil there.