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The countryside has its own magical charm. It presents scenes, sights, and delightful sounds. The sounds of birds whistling in the trees and rousing the whole animal kingdom is a sign of another new day. The dense groves of the trees and the sweet sounds of the chirping birds render melodious music. The most beautiful picture of the countryside would be the lush green field, the vast landscape with farmers ploughing their fields, and women working at the wells. All of these are so enchanting that we can envy the peace of the countryside. Every afternoon, a patchwork of fields over flat ground is ideal for kids to kite flying. When night falls, lying down on a meadow or on rolling hills with strips of woodland for stargazing is the most memorable thing that a man treasures. Unlike modern cities full of dust and smoke, the countryside gives us the cool and fresh air that we could hardly find nowadays. It is rightly said that “God made the country and man-made the town” since we can find nature in its various moods and thoughts. Sometimes, people want to escape from the hustle and bustle of skyscrapers, immersing their souls deep into the serene atmosphere.

FIRST GRADE

I recall it vividly the first day I officially stepped foot, passing the school’s gate of my first class day ever. I was excited days before that Monday because I thought it would be a trip on vacation. However, when my dad released his hand and started to fade away, leaving me with my first ever teacher and friends I had never seen before, I began to panic and burst into tears, demanding my father. However, after having a hard time, my teacher successfully calmed me down by handing me a teddy bear.

 SECOND GRADE

As an active person since a young age and as the head of the class, I participated in every class and school activity. At the annual school dance, with no hesitation, I raised my hand when my teacher asked who would like to be in the class dance group with the reward of candy for participating. I remembered we didn’t achieve any prizes, but it seemed like I didn’t care much at that moment.

THIRD GRADE 

I stood at the center of the stage as the spotlight shined at my face. I was nervous, hearing the heart beating that seemed to make me zone out. Reminisced back to kindergarten, my memories sprang to my mind vividly once I stated in front of people, “ I would sing “ Ca Nha Thuong Nhau”- a Vietnamese singer. I closed my eyes, pouring my soul out into the lyrics in the hope of receiving audience applause. When I sang the last notes, my parents surprisingly went to the stage to give me a huge flower, showing satisfaction clearly in their face’s expressions. “ We are proud of you, my son.” 

FOURTH GRADE

Besides dancing and singing, I considered myself an athlete at that time with my great passion for soccer. We would go out to the hard cement play yard and have a full of swear matches with a plastic soccer ball at noon during recess. We were competitive kids as the team who lost had to do whatever the other team members commanded in one day. As a result, I broke my leg after dribbling the ball and getting a full two legs tackle from the fattiest boy during a match.

FIFTH GRADE

As I made my way down the long airport corridor, it was like I had jumped 20 years into

the future; standing before me was a novel piece of equipment I had never seen before. I stood in

awe as I watched the robotic metal box devouring its customer’s 200 Japanese Yen bill before

regurgitating the crisp, ice-cold Coca-Cola. When I arrived in Tokyo that day for the international math competition, it was my first time seeing what I now know is called “a vending machine.” It was my first time being in a foreign country, participating in an international competition.

SIXTH GRADE 

On my first day, I felt like being a self-centered person for the first time who drew attention from many curious eyes of the old students in my class. They started to look me up and down and gossip behind my back. The fierce glint was such an inconvenient experience that I hadn’t undergone before in my old school. At that moment, I was just aware that life wasn’t just a bowl of cherries as I expected. I felt like I drowned in the oceans with ferocious sharks surrounding me, and I also didn’t even know how to seek help. I am different.

SEVENTH GRADE

After a series of days of loneliness, “When we are no longer able to change the situation, we are challenged to change ourselves”- Victor’s Frank was the lesson I truly understood. Admittedly, adapting to the new environment is inevitable. Instead of running away from reality, I must embrace and flow it. ​​Soon I started to feel more valued at school, as people began coming to me for fashion advice rather than to make a snide comment. But as my social circle expanded, my grades took a toll. The countless days spent on YouTube watching fashion shows decreased the time I should have been spending on solving math problems. The day I received my semester grade report, I could not believe that someone who always put her grades first now barely passed his classes. I had changed for the worse.

EIGHTH GRADE

The third time back to the Internation Math Competition, I was no less furious than my first Japan trip. This time, it was held in the U.S, the land of the dreamers. This trip contributed a lot to my future education path as I was in love with the beautiful and highly developed country. I have immersed myself in breathtaking landscapes. 

NINTH GRADE: 

I participated in The Connected We, which runs anti-bullying and anti-school violence programs. I began studying mental health problems through that club, particularly in people who do not know how to deal with their issues and confront their fears. Since then, I have wanted to work on enhancing people’s well-being. Mental health plays a vital role in people’s healthy growth, which is a severe issue in Vietnam. The Vietnamese public is not sophisticated about how to overcome mental health problems.

TENTH GRADE: 

 I was brooding and taciturn. Though I was not an outstanding student with straight A scores in transcripts like my peers, I was obsessed with academic achievement. Which meant I always felt overwhelmed and exhausted and burdened with homework. The purpose of studying for me back in those days was to boost my confidence and ego; I did not want to be left behind academically by my friends at school. This mindset was causing me nightmares and filling me with jealousy, a bit like a villain straight out of fairytales. I would never have escaped these toxic thoughts if my brother, Simon, had not come into my life.

ELEVENTH GRADE: 

To learn is to grow and the best lesson one can ever get is failure. In my junior year, I became the captain of my school’s soccer team. We made it to the state championship game a strong group like we are. The expectations were high, and our pressure was expected to perform our best. However, we lost the final match 2-1 to everyone’s disappointment. I was furious, for I knew we were capable of much more. I held one of my teammate’s jerseys, accusing him of making us lose the game. The tension was intense among my teammates, vying for who to blame. I failed as a leader, and I failed as a member as I started a conflict between my teammates and failed to realize that we shared victories and failures as a team.

TWELFTH GRADE: 

In Vietnam, there is a diversity of landscapes and other artwork missing in the news media and social media platforms. I genuinely believe in the power of art to change the world and make a significant difference in our lives. I, therefore, decided to create a website with other young Vietnamese people who share this same passion for art. I called it: The Chamoline. Working together on the website, we, as a team, learned and grew. Being part of this small and fun team, I nearly forgot the world outside was struggling with a pandemic. We built a strong work community through collaborative skills around a virtual medium. There were, of course, frustrating moments with zoom, but with patience and humor, we marched on. Sometimes, clashes of viewpoints erupted, yet in the spirit of inclusive and open-minded teamwork, we could iron out differences. Since a tree does not make a forest, I piloted my club by insisting we stick together like broomsticks. Thanks to many ups and downs, I grew more independent and mature, reaching my best version of myself each day passed. 

 

Vietnam is famous for its several dishes that appear in holidays and festivals, especially the Tet holiday. This holiday takes place from the very first day of the lunar calendar until at least the third day. Although occurring in a short period, it is believed to be the most important and popular holiday in Vietnam. Because it was the beginning of spring, which was a perfect time for a brand new start, even colorful flowers were blooming, birds were singing on tall branches of trees and said hello to the new beginning of the year. It is a time when all family members who are working from different regions of Vietnam go back home and spend time together. Food is also the main factor that makes Tet become a memorable holiday, and a dish that is seen as a necessary part of this holiday is Banh Chung.  The dish, delicious and faithful,  made the Tet holiday more colorful.

 To prepare for the new year, I usually helped my parents with the housework and cooked dishes that they must have. I removed all the dust that covered the furniture and bookshelves, changed the bedsheets, and decorated the house. My hands holding the brush, slowly I wiped all the spider webs on the top of the closet that had been staying there during the year. Tiny dusty gentle fly into the air and disappear and start to stick on my black t-shirt. The night before the first day of the year, all the members would sit around and talk under the shining sky full of stars about what we did, what we regretted, missed, and had achieved. 

One of the dishes that I must mention is Banh Chung. It is a Savory sticky rice cake that was invented in the 18th century of Vietnam 4000 years ago. Banh Chung has a square shape representing the ground that wishes for rich harvests. Up to now, this has become the most famous and irreplaceable traditional Vietnamese food in Tet Holiday. The main ingredients of it are fresh pork with green beans covered by glutinous rice that shone like pearls and makes the cake more stunning. Wrapped in green banana leaves, the whole Banh Chung had the green color and the better favor. Rice cake is wrapped in a nice square shape, and the wrapping power must be neither tight nor loose which helps all the textures stick together. After that, the cake would be steamed in a huge pot and cooked overnight by wood. On the cool night, humid smoke from the pot sky brings all the love of our family to keep flying up to the high. The smell of Banh Chung made the Tet’s atmosphere more cozy and warm. 

On the first day of the year, my mom would cut the cake and share it with the family members. Slowly, every single layer of banana leaves was removed and under it, a hot and gorgeous green Banh Chung appeared. The cover, which is made of glutinous rice, is shiny and sticks to the leaves. The first cut revealed the juicy pork and green beans inside. Taking the first bite, I could feel the heat of the cake that just took out from the pot. The sticky rice, greasy from the pork, and the buttery taste from the green beans mixed made a tasty favor that I could not forget. The taste was a huge fill of love that our family spent together made it even more delicious. Because the cake was big so I was full with only one slide of it. 

This Tet holiday was full of Banh Chung’s flavors and enthusiasm for me because that was the last Tet I spent with my parents before I went to study abroad. The Tet holiday made people closer together and Tet would not be fulfilled if there was no Banh Chung

 

Barbara Costikyan used to say: “In the childhood memories of every good cook, there is a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot, and a mom.” People often say that food has a special connection to our memories. My most favorite Vietnamese food,”Pho Bo,” always reminds me of my mother. My mother is a beautiful, capable, and resourceful woman. She has beautiful long black hair which is significant of Vietnamese women. She is also a mixture of modern and traditional Vietnamese women. She always spends time cooking many delicious traditional Vietnamese foods, although she is often busy with the office work on weekdays. My mother is very good at cooking, especially Vietnamese food. However, my most favorite food is “Pho Bo.”

   “Pho Ga” is a famous Vietnamese soup containing noodles and beef. Moreover, “Pho Bo” originated in Hanoi, so people often call this dish with a familiar name “Pho Bo Hanoi”.  The taste of this dish is tasty and slightly spicy, with deep layers of flavor. The main ingredients of “Pho Bo” are tender slices with meet ball, beef shank, pig’s knuckles, and fresh herbs.

​One afternoon, glowing and bright, in the summer. The sun was shining brilliantly outside, its light spreading through the window while my mom was preparing lunch. At first, my mother slowly put the lemongrass into the abundant hot water pot. Then, she started adding to the pot each piece of fresh beef, beef shank, and pig’s knuckles that were already marinated with spices. The gracious smell of lemongrass with fresh beef together like the air of a meadow on a warm day at the beginning of spring . That smell always makes me relaxed. Next to that, she gradually poured the pot into another one and started adding more flavorings so that she could make a sweeter taste for the soup and specific color of the dish, which is between orange and red. When my mother was boiling the soup, the savory smell covered all over the kitchen.  Chopping the scallion, I tried to help my mother cook the meal for our family. After a while, my mother finished boiling the soup. For the last step, she took a part of the noodle into a medium bowl. Then, she poured the soup with some slices of beef and a pig’s knuckle into the bowl. After that, I put on top of the dish some scallion, onion plus green herbs, which my mom asked me to take from our tree on the balcony.

​When the clock pointed to noon, my family gathered together for lunch. I began to eat the first slice of beef, and its delicious flavor flowed over my mouth. Every time I chewed, the softness of the ripe beef and noodle always made me satisfied. Next, I took a small spoon of soup and tasted it. The sweet smell of beef and pork, the rich smell of the lemongrass together create a fantastic combination. Up until now, I’ve never forgotten the picture of my family eating lunch together every Saturday. As an overseas student, I sometimes miss the cozy atmosphere that can only be created by family. I can not forget the taste and the smell of ”Pho Bo”.  It is such a unique taste and smell that can bring me back to those good old days with my family. Above all, ”Pho Bo” is an exceptional dish that reminds me of my mom- an inspiring woman who has raised my sister and me up with her unconditional love that she put into every amazing traditional Vietnamese dishes. One day, I wish I can learn all the recipes of Vietnamese cuisine from my mother so that I can recall myself back to those good memories that I had with my beloved in Vietnam people no matter where I am. Finally, “Pho Bo” made by mom will always be my all-time greatest dish, which evokes myself about the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine and the illustration of the woman I love in the whole full world

Bánh xèo is a traditionalVietnamese dish that gets its name from the sizzling sound the batter makes whenever it hits the pan. Traditionally, these Vietnamese crepes are filled with shrimp, pork, mung bean, and bean sprouts. The finished crepe is cut into small pieces, wrapped in lettuce with fragrant herbs, and in an addictive dipping sauce called nuoc cham that is tangy and spicy. 

INGREDIENT  

Rice flour: make sure you use rice flour and not glutinous flour for this recipe. It is a low-cost staple found on the shelves of Asian grocery stores.  

Cornstarch: With the addition of cornstarch, the Vietnamese crepe will have a crispier texture.  

Turmeric provides the crepe with its brilliant yellow hue. Too much will impart a bitter flavor when cooked.  

Before steaming yellow split mung beans, they must be soaked overnight or for six hours to soften them. 

The addition of coconut cream enhances the texture of the batter.  

Shoulder, butt, or belly are all acceptable pork cuts. They only need to be sliced thinly. Some people prefer to use ground pork, which also works.  

Size 26/30 prawns are my preference, which means there are 26 to 30 prawns per pound. Cut them in half when using giant shrimp, so they cook more quickly. Additionally, smaller shrimp makes it easier to fold the crepe. 

Ensure that you use rice flour and not glutinous flour in this recipe. This inexpensive staple can be found in Asian grocery stores.  

The crepe’s brilliant yellow color derives from turmeric. A little bit goes a long way. In cooking, too much will impart a bitter flavor. 

To soften yellow split mung beans before steaming them, they must be soaked overnight or for six hours. The addition of coconut cream improves the batter’s texture. Shoulder, flank, and belly are all good cuts of pork. They only require thin slicing. Some individuals prefer ground pork, which also works. 

My preference is for size 26/30 shrimp, which means there are 26 to 30 shrimp per pound. Cut them in half when cooking with giant shrimp to speed up the cooking process. Additionally, smaller shrimp makes folding the crepe easier.  

The banh xeo eating experience is enjoyable. I advise serving the food immediately after frying, so it is still crisp and hot. Typically, we do it with lettuce, fresh herbs (such as cilantro and mint), and fish sauce for dipping (nuoc cham). Some prefer to make fresh spring rolls with this crepe using rice paper wrappers.  

  Whether or not they are wrapped in rice paper, Vietnamese crepes are delicious and satisfying. This dish delights the senses with its beautiful color and shape (sight), the crunch of crispy crepes (sound), the delightful flavors of the filling and dipping sauce (taste), and the flavorful crispness of herbs (smell).