Miriam and Martha’s Lunch Van
I stopped to pick up some Pupusas for my lunch this afternoon at a store owned by former students of mine. Miriam and Martha are from El Salvador and were my students last fall and winter. They are hardworking women who are making a life and future for their families through their hard work. Martha persevered through her son’s battle with leukemia and improved her English while also working. They are both remarkable women who have made new lives for themselves and their families. They recently started their lunch van which is in the parking lot of Miriam’s store Variedades El Quetzal at the corner of 13th and E streets in Lincoln.
Pupusas are similar to eating a round tortilla that is stuffed with chicken, beans, or pork and cheese. It is eaten with shredded cabbage and salsa topping it. It is a food I heard about quite often when I went to school in Minneapolis. A friend of mine, Beatriz Rodriguez from El Salvador, talked about pupusas all the time. I had my first pupusas several years ago found out they are delicious, so when I heard Miriam and Martha had begun to serve them from their lunch van I had to go there on Cinco de Mayo.
Miriam in her lunch van
Martha in her lunch van
Miriam and Martha also sell tacos, burritos and nachos and they are all are priced great. You can sit there at their picnic tables or take them to go. Their lunch van is open 11am to 10pm. If you want to have some authentic food priced better than fast food, stop by and enjoy some pupusas or the tacos, nachos and burritos.
The Karen People – High School Students Thriving in America
On Monday May 7th I had the privilege of attending the Seniors Recognition Ceremony at Lincoln High School in Lincoln Nebraska. I went to see three of my weekend students from Vietnam be recognized for receiving scholarships. While I was enjoying watching my three young friends walk across the stage to be honored, I had a unexpected wonderful surprise. I noticed that some of my young friends from The Karen People received scholarships for college.
Poe Dee with one of his scholarship certificates
Poe Dee was one of the young Karen people who received scholarships for college. In fact he was awarded four different scholarships. While that is admirable for any young person graduating from high school, it is further magnified by the fact that he has not been in America for very long. The first Karen people came to Lincoln in the summer and fall of 2007. More came in 2008 and more continue to come. I spent a lot of time with the Karen in Lincoln in 2008 and again in the summer of 2009. It is remarkable that for a people group so new to Lincoln, five young people were awarded scholarships for college. It is a testimony to the great teachers at Lincoln High and to the hard work and dedication of the five students of which Poe Dee is an excellent example.
It is fascinating for me to think about how these young people only a few short years ago were living in refugee camps in Thailand with limited resources, then came to a new country in need of learning a new language, and now they will graduate from high school this month. Not only will they graduate, they will also have their college paid for through the scholarships they have earned.
It is also a great example for all of us that just because someone looks different, perhaps very different than anyone we have met before, we need to be careful not to judge based on appearance. Personally I love the colorful traditional clothes the Karen wear. They have given me a robe, a few book bags, and a scarf. I am sure there were times my young friends wore their traditional clothing to school. They may sound different with a different accent. Their culture differs from ours as well. However, their parents have the same desires for them that American parents have which is for them to have a better future than the parents had. For their parents to know that their children will go to college is so meaningful.
I had the opportunity to speak with the mother of one of the young people with the help of my friend He Wah. I was able to share the thought with her, on Mother’s Day, that her daughter has been able to do something many young American people have not, which is to earn a scholarship to college. I can’t help but wonder what thoughts she has after all of her years living in a refugee camp, to now know that her youngest daughter will go to college in America.
Mother’s Day with my Karen Friends
This is a picture of me with my friend Star Ee a loving Karen grandmother. I first met Star Ee in 2008 when I spent a lot of time with a new refugee group in Lincoln called the Karen who are from Burma. I first met a few in some ESL classes that I teach in the early Spring of 2008. I had a few women in my class who talked about their Karen meetings on Sundays. They invited me to come, so I joined them one Sunday afternoon and saw how new the Karen were to America. It was my privilege to spend my Sunday afternoons and many other times with them for several months in 2008. Their Sunday afternoon meetings were held in apartments since they were not yet fully connected with the church they have become a part of now which is First Baptist Church in Lincoln. During my months with them I heard their stories of the hardships they had overcome. Star Ee was one who caught my attention as I heard about how she looked after the children in the refugee camps. In many ways she is a mother and grandmother to many of the Karen people in Lincoln.
In this picture is Pa Saw whose family was one of the first ones to arrive in Lincoln. She was one of the first Karen people that I had the pleasure of meeting. I had three Karen women in my class. They asked me one day if I had children and I told them that I did not. The Friday before Father’s Day in 2008 they came to class and after class finished and the other students left, they each came up to me and placed a lei around my neck. They told me that I was a father for them because I helped them. It was a moment I will never forget.
The Karen people have a special place in my heart, so I wanted to spend my Mother’s Day afternoon watching their Mother’s Day program at First Baptist Church. It was a poignant afternoon as they blessed the grandmothers and three American women who have given of their time and hearts to the Karen people. There were several songs shared and readings shared. It was wonderful to watch as young people escorted the grandmothers to the stage to be seated for their blessings. They were escorted in while a young girl sang in Karen.
Towards the end of a song in Karen by two young men, children came in with leis to place around the necks of the grandmothers.
The grandmothers also received flowers and more leis from youth
I can’t even begin to imagine what these wonderful women have experienced and endured in their lives having fled their country to seek refuge in the camps in Thailand. It was a rich moment to see them be blessed by the young people in the church. Then their family members gave them flowers and gift bags. The other mothers seated in the church were also given flowers for Mother’s Day. I appreciate how they honor their elders. I look forward to going to their Father’s Day celebration in June.
Malaysia Night 2012 – Delicious Food and Teh Tarik
One aspect of experiencing other cultures that I enjoy is tasting their food. One afternoon during one of my trips to Romania my group wanted to go to McDonald’s for lunch, which I did not want to do because I can always have junk food anytime. When I spend time with another culture, I want to experience their food. It helps me to learn about their culture and allows me to experience new taste sensations. The food at Malaysia night was tasty, but not as spicy as I thought it might be. They may have toned it down for the Americans 
My friend Tu from Vietnam volunteered in the buffet line
For our dinner we had a buffet line and could choose from colored rice, fried chicken, stir fry, and other delicious items. The only thing I did not try was the roasted coconut. I sat at a table with people I had not met before, but had the chance to meet two young men from China who are working on their Master’s Degrees in Actuarial Science. I did sneak back for seconds, but there was only some sweet and sour chicken left, which of course is Americanized Chinese food
At the end of the evening they served all of the guests Teh Tarik which is a tea made with tea, sweeten condensed milk, and a little salt. It was a night of good food, a humorous musical, good music, and information about Malaysia. If I have a chance in the future, I will visit Malaysia. I will for sure go back to Malaysia Night next year.
Malaysia Night at UNL- A Talented Singer and Musicians
During our enjoyable evening at Malaysia Night there was a poignant moment when a music trio performed for us. It was music in simplistic beauty. Two young women played acoustic guitars and another young woman sang beautifully for us. I feel bad that the program did not list their names, so I can give due credit to them, nevertheless, I want to share with you about that moment.
The first song was one dedicated to her mom. I am certain if her mother is able to see the recording, she will be touched deeply. The song was sung in Malay with English translation on the screen. Personally, I enjoy listening to music sung in other languages. It adds to the beauty of the moment for me. The singer has a wonderful voice and it was a joy to listen to her.
The second song they performed was a contemporary Chinese song. The young people from China that I was sitting with recognized the song right away. I thought about how impressive it is that a young woman could sing in Malay and Chinese and can study at UNL in English. She is obviously a talented young woman.
What impressed me about their performance is the fact that they are not professionals, but they performed so well. It was a special moment in the midst of a fun-filled evening. I wonder if they will be famous musicians in Malaysia someday
Malaysia Night at UNL 2012- Teh Tarik A Magical Musical
I went to a festive event at UNL last night. I always enjoy going to Malaysia Night at UNL. This one was special and stood out to me as far as the entertainment was concerned. They had a humorous musical with a story about the Queen of Magika being frozen to a door which was the entrance to Reality Land. The two main characters set out on an amusing journey to collect the ingredients needed to make their special tea, Teh Tarik. Once they had the Teh Tarik they were able to give it to the Queen and she was freed.
Woven into the musical were introductions to Malaysia and the three cultures that combine to make Malaysia the special country that it is. Malaysia has three distinct groups that live together as one country. The groups are of Malay, Chinese and India descent. I especially enjoyed the dance number which displayed all three distinct cultures.
One number that was also fun was when the duo went to Borneo to obtain the magic teabag. The ruler of Borneo asked them to get the feather off a bird in exchange for the tea. The bird dance was lively and watching the duo try to get a feather was amusing.
In the end the duo was able to get all of the ingredients and save the Queen of Magika. The musical was entertaining and I appreciated the fact that it was performed by students at UNL. It was not a professional theater group, which made it much more fun for me. It was hilarious how they worked various aspects of student life into the musical such a an iKnow device which was a spoof of an iPhone.
I had a great time and look forward to future Malaysia Nights. One of these years I will have to go visit Malaysia and see some of the culture there for myself, but for now I will enjoy Malaysia Night each year
Humor in Teaching- Being a Bad Artist Led to Learning
One of my first students was a man from Iraq who was shy about speaking English. Mohammed and I met on Friday afternoons to study for about one year in 2000 to 2001. During our first meetings he spoke very little and it was apparent to me that he was shy about making mistakes. During one lesson I was trying to explain some animal words for him because he was going to take his family to the zoo. I drew a picture of an elephant and one of a giraffe much to his enjoyment. He smiled but didn’t say anything.
The following weeks his favorite question for me was, “Can you make a picture?” My terrible drawings were humorous for him and I quickly realized that if I would incorporate a few into each lesson he would smile, laugh and feel relaxed about learning English with me.
Mohammed and I laughed a lot during our lesson times. He invited me to come to his house for dinner. It was the first of many times that I enjoyed a delicious meal with Mohammed and Zenaib and their children. Zenaib also found our times amusing when I would try to speak some Arabic words. Sometimes she would laugh and drop what she had in her hands when I would try to say an Arabic word Mohammed taught me. One time Mohammed taught me how to say- “I am so hungry I could die” and Zenaib nearly fell to the floor laughing. My favorite memory of our times was when Mohammed taught me how to say Happy Birthday in Arabic, so I could tell Zenaib Happy Birthday. She laughed but also smiled broadly because their American friend learned Happy Birthday in Arabic.
Mohammed transformed from being shy to speak in public and relying on his wife to speak all of the time with employees of the places they went to like HyVee food store. Zenaib commented about it to me. She told me that Mohammed used to be shy, but now he does all of the talking. As a teacher I have learned to watch for signs of what unlocks the doors of learning for my students. Even my funny looking drawings can open the doors of learning.
12 Years of Teaching ESL and Helping Internationals in Lincoln
This morning it hit me was I was talking with a colleague and related that, “I have been working with the various people groups in Lincoln for twelve years.” As I walked away I began to reminisce about my early days of teaching ESL in Lincoln and the people I have met over the years. A few humorous moments early on:
One morning I was meeting with Vladimir from Belarus at a coffee shop in downtown Lincoln when Vladimir’s eyes got real big as he pointed out the window. A police officer was arresting someone right in front of us. I realized it must have been quite the sight for a man who grew up under the communist government of the old USSR, so I changed our lesson for that day to be the justice system in America.
Carlos from Peru asked me to teach him how to use email, so he could email with his son in Peru. I told him we could do it the next lesson to give myself time to go to the library and teach myself how to use email first.
One April morning in my Saturday conversation group I taught about tornado safety and going to a safe place when there is a tornado warning. During the week between groups there was a tornado in a town 200 miles away. A young couple from China came back the following Saturday and told me they went to their basement and waited for two hours but there was no tornado. I realized that I needed to tell my students it has to be a tornado warning for the City of Lincoln.
There have been so many people from several countries that I have met over the years. They have made my life richer and fuller. I think this will be a weekend of taking time to pray for people I have not thought about for awhile. I appreciate them and God for bringing them into my life.
Chuc Mung Nam Moi Party at Andre Dung Lac Church
This afternoon a Vietnamese Catholic Church here in Lincoln had their Vietnamese New Year party. It was my privilege to be able to join them for their special celebration. It started with the Lion Dance to welcome the New Year. The Lion was decorated in bright colors of red and gold. We stood in the hallway together to watch the Lion Dance.
After the Lion Dance we went into the party. There was plenty of delicious food to sample and some fun entertainment. The lunch began with presentation of the flag of the U.S. and a Vietnamese flag with the National Anthem of the U.S. playing.
The entertainment included some singing and also some dance routines to music. It was great to see one of my former students in a dance portraying Vietnamese farmers. There were a few dance routines of children. The entertainment started with some men dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing making what seemed to be some proclamations. One of them seemed to be humorous based on the response of the audience. I only know a few greetings in Vietnamese, so I am not sure what they were saying, but it was a lot of fun anyway.
Performers of Vietnamese Dance about Farmers
cute kids
more cute kids
The entertainment was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but the highlight for me is always being able to see my friends and students and in a small way bless them in their lives here. I try to remember when I go to special functions that it is not about me at all. It is about my friends and students and being a blessing to them. It is about trying to reflect the love of God to them and others gathered for the occasion. One thing my father instilled in me was “be nice to the older women and help them”. It was meaningful to me to be able to greet some of the senior citizens with Chuc Mung Nam Moi, Happy New Year, Chuc May Man, Good Luck, and Chuc Vui Ve, Be Happy. It was meaningful to me to do so since I am very aware of the fact that they have lived through the horrors of war and lived through the refugee experience. If my simple greetings can bring a smile to their face, it makes my time worthwhile.
When I see my former and current students with their families, I like to share my simple greetings in their language to show my respect and admiration for them. I also try to take a little time to express to their families how proud I am of my students. It is a blessing for me just to be able to see them have fun, laugh and smile. With all of the stress they have in their lives, I am glad for them when I can see them experience a special occasion with their families.
Today is the last day of Tet, Vietnamese New Year, and I am blessed to have been able to spend time with my friends and their families. I would like to say CHUC MUNG NAM MOI to them and all my readers
Vietnamese New Year Party with my Saturday Group- Chuc Mung Nam Moi
our group today
This morning in my Saturday group we celebrated Tet, Vietnamese New Year, for our class. My Saturday friends all come from Vietnam. I appreciate them so much that I wanted to try to bless them a little for their biggest holiday of the year. They are diligent with their studies and in building their new lives in America, so I try to find ways to create some fun for them and give them a bit of a break from life.
We had pizza, tiramisu, and ice cream cake. Chuong one of our newest members brought the gift basket of snacks. It was a blessing to watch my friends laugh and have some fun. I know how hard they work in school and to learn English. That was why I wanted to surprise them with a cake. I went to the bakery in the HyVee store and asked them to write Chuc Mung Nam Moi in red and yellow on the cake. Chuc Mung Nam Moi is Happy New Year. The colors red and yellow are for Luck and Money, so I asked them to use red and yellow, closest to gold, for the cake.
I also bought some special envelopes at the Vietnamese Market to give them Lucky Money. The idea is to put some money inside and expressing wishes and blessings when giving the envelope to the person. I put a $2 bill inside each envelope and one by one walked around the table to say to them Chúc Mừng Năm Mới -Happy New Year, Chuc Vui Ve – Be Happy, and Chúc May Mắn- Good Luck. I also shared with them what I pray for when I pray for them and wishes for them to grow with God.
some of my friends with their Lucky Money
Being a blessing to my Vietnamese friends at Tet is something I look forward to each year. I was glad to share Tet with my friends a little this morning. It actually begins on Monday January 23rd this year, so if you have any Vietnamese, Chinese or Korean friends wish them a Happy New Year. I would like to say to all of my Vietnamese friends Chúc Mừng Năm Mới
About
I teach English Second Language and have a ministry for internationals at my home church First Evangelical Free church in Lincoln Nebraska. I have had the pleasure of traveling in Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania and Switzerland. My hobby is to learn words and phrases from other languages. I have learned how to greet people in 30 languages.
My blog is about my experiences with international friends, my travels, and people I meet along the way. My international friends’ stories are fascinating to me. Experiencing other cultures makes life rich for me.
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