26. Coming Home My parents were old and weak. Half a world away dad was sick and I could not even visit When money sent home, dad would go for radiation treatment. Money was tight so mom sold charcoal by the road to buy hope. In 1994, my father felt weaker. “Son, come home so…
25. Getting Married On April 4, 1987, we got married. Pastor Jim drove to Philly to perform our wedding. Our union was in military style, Simple, quick, cheap, and full of happy smiles. The first time I danced to Cambodian music, “Rum Boun” means dancing around in a circle. She moved in front of me…
24. Getting Married or Not? I was somehow worried about our language differences, Her age, her custom and culture could be a deterrence. I had second thoughts about seeing her again, But the “fairy tale matchmakers” called it a good match. “Hey Mister! Don’t you dare run away,” they said, “You prayed to us to…
23. Planning to Have a Family My job appeared to be on a solid ground, So thinking of a family was a thing I should do. I was almost a forty-year-old man, And if I waited too long my sperms would get weak and old. Looking for a wife is not an easy task. Wanting…
22. Working For The School District of Philadelphia One day, my boss called me over. “You should apply for this job,” she said. School District of Philadelphia Employment Opportunities, They needed a Bilingual Personnel Trainee for refugees. The next day I went to that place, Handed them my application with a straight face. The very…
21. Working as a Caseworker for NSC in Philadelphia The Diep Thai family lived in Philadelphia, Graciously, they let me sleep on their couch. The B.S. in PNG Engineering was just a piece of shit; It was useless for me, as if everyone thought it was a real BS. I went back to the restaurant…
20. Graduating From Penn State University Rice and chicken dipped in soy sauce, The same meal daily until graduation. Tomorrow was the day I had to move out, No gown, no ring, no diploma in hand, and penniless. The landlady stopped by to show students the apartments, Several future tenants were with her. While they…
19. Coming Back to Penn State After Summer Job After finishing my summer job, The Chinese boss lent me four-hundred bucks. I drove back to Penn State that evening; As soon as I got out of the car, I heard a loud voice from afar. “Give me all your money.” “I don’t have any money,…
18. Transferring to Penn State University In the Winter Semester of 1980, I transferred to Penn State As a student in a five-year co-op engineering program. I was allowed to live on campus, So cooking meals was not a problem for me. However, my second year there, All upperclassmen had to live off campus. I…
17. Who Gave Me The Name Lay? Once I had a chance to ask my Dad (July 1994) Why did you give me this funny name? No, we did not give you this name, Your nursing woman gave you the name. We were so busy working day and night, Cang, Ký, Lý, Trí, Toàn, Xuân,…
