In 2015 I was given the ultimatum …

In 2014, my older sister said to move the entire family back to Vietnam and live and work. English teaching seemed to be the solution.

My father and older sister were solid in thinking that life as teachers in Vietnam was good and we were perfect candidates to teach as university graduates and good workers in Canada. My father was so forward that we had the necessary stuff to teach and provide for Vietnam.

I went around the city and towns looking for work as a teacher and realized it was more bigger and wider than I imagined.

I thought my 32 years of life in Canada was enough to plop right in Vietnam to work and live.

No …

There were teachers at the schools pursuing PhD’s here and overseas

There were teachers at university studying for decades maths and more maths since babies to secure a future life in Vietnam. I got kick in the ass for not trying 120% to secure a life for myself by a …

There were Vietnamese who finished school 5 years earlier willing to retool and reskill studying physics to work in other East Asian countries to make bank and return.

…

Therefore, I did what I did. I learned from everyone and then did what I enjoyed which was utility program building as a Western activity. The idea is THE WESTERN ACTIVITY you liked, understood and loved growing up.

Beyond money, beyond outside normal behaviour of society, beyond your country origin and similar countries, what Western thing is that you hold as an activity you will do as a 2nd Generation Vietnamese born in Canada?

…

What I am saying is that, going out and living and working is great. It is a part of life and growing life and is what is expected for everybody.

But if you are 2nd generation Vietnamese born in the West … what is the essence of life and to do in the West?