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Rant & Rave
Tuesday, November 21, 2000
Vietnam is where my mother grew up. She was raised in a small village, Cuchi, right outside of Saigon. As the oldest daughter out of nine children, she was usually the one who had to look after all her younger brothers and sisters. Brush with poor
wakens wish to giveWhen I was 9, I had the opportunity to visit Vietnam with my parents. When we first arrived, all my relatives welcomed me and my dad like they had know us all our lives. I had no idea I had so much family until that trip. I felt so comfortable and at home, even though I didn't even know how to speak Vietnamese, although I could understand a little.
What I realized during my stay was how lucky I am to live in the United States. There are parts of Vietnam where there are beautiful sights, such as waterfalls, mountains, lakes, rivers, temples and other buildings, but there are places in the city where there are beggars everywhere you look.
My heart went out to all those people on the streets. It hurt me to see people living like that. No one deserves to starve or be homeless. A woman with two babies in her arms was asking for money to buy milk for them. There were also a lot of barefoot children trying to sell postcards to tourists.
A woman came up to me holding out her hat and asking for money. I gave her ten dong, worth 10 cents in American money. This little bit of money would help a lot. That's how poor Vietnam is.
Once I gave her money, another woman with a baby came up to me and asked for money. Then I saw other people waiting to come up to me and ask for some more money, but I turned away before they could approach me. They were like the birds at Kuhio Beach. Once you start feeding one, the whole flock comes down to be fed too.
I would have loved to give them all money for food, but I didn't have enough money and my mom told me to stop. That made me feel really bad. I went home wondering what makes me so special. Why can't they have a decent meal like everyone else, or a place to live?
I felt sorry for the children who are so young and innocent. They should be enjoying their childhood, or going to school and learning new things, instead of working to stay alive.
Then I started to get mad. Why wasn't their government doing anything about this? Why doesn't anybody care? I felt like I was the only one. I felt like I was supposed to accept this.
My trip to Vietnam made me grateful about who I am and where I come from. I'm happy that I don't live on the streets and that I have food to eat every day. I'm grateful I have a loving family that cares for me.
I plan to take part in community service that helps the homeless. I will never forget my experience in Vietnam.
Kimberly McDowell is a senior
at Kaiser High School.Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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