I came across on a boat a few years ago
now, dressed as a fisherman. But after a short period of time spent in a
refugee centre in Thailand, I was able to move on from my past life in Vietnam,
and start anew in Australia.
Having nothing more than a small bag and
the clothes on my back, I moved into the well-known, Vietnamese area of
Cabramatta in Sydney. The neighborhood was full of modest stores and simple restaurants,
some starting out, just as I was, and others that had clearly become thriving
businesses. Diminutive, old women eagerly served any customer that entered
their restaurant, shouting orders to the small kitchen in the back of their
buildings. Children would run and play in the street with tattered balls and
skipping ropes, while wizened men with graying hair would treat the children in
the stores to sweets of all kinds. Everybody worked hard in Cabramatta and many
of the shops stayed open all year-round, only closing in February to celebrate
the Lunar New Year.
I knew no one in my neighborhood, but as
soon as I arrived in Cabramatta, it was clear that if I was to set up a life
for myself, I had to be determined, and prepared to work hard - all day, every
day. But despite their strong work ethic,
all my neighbors were welcoming. People in the street smiled with a knowing look
in their eyes. Everyone understood what
I had encountered in order to start again, as they had, once arriving in
Australia. The building I lived in was very tired and everything inside my
apartment seemed to break at my touch. But the openhearted and hospitable
nature of the people I was surrounded by made the stuffy, dilapidated apartment
building feel like a home.
Representation:
Meg is intending too really illustrate the
Vietnamese community in Australia (multiculturalism). She draws out a positive
from a negative experience. Finds that the neighborhood is welcoming and full
of good people, therefore portraying the neighborhood in a positive light.
0 comments:
Post a Comment