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.
Babylon Restaurant with my friend George from China
After my morning ESL reading group at my church today, I enjoyed lunch at Babylon Restaurant with my new friend from China. George has been in Lincoln for a few months to study English in the Intensive English Program at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Last week we had some Mexican food and while we were eating, George told me that he wished he could travel around the world and try the foods in each place. I enjoy trying foods from other cultures as well, so I told George we would eat some food from the Middle East.
Babylon Restaurant is in a strip mall on S. 48th street close to 48th and Highway 2 in Lincoln. Our waiter was Ali and I must say the service was excellent. When you first come to Babylon Restaurant it does not look like much on the outside due to it being in a strip mall, but when you go inside you and see the decor, you get a glimpse of Middle Eastern Culture. I particularly appreciated an mural on the wall that had a scene of a prayer tower contrasted with a moon smiley face.
Good service is essential for a restaurant and decor is a nice extra, but when dining out it is all about the food. I found the food to be delicious and authentic at Babylon. It is definitely a place I will go back to and is a place I highly recommend.
George had the Kofta Kebab which is made from ground beef. I love Kofta Kebab myself as well. It was served with rice and choice of soup. The only negative comment I heard from George was that he was full and it was too much, but it was too much of a good thing 
I had the chicken kebab which is my favorite kebab. It was cooked just right and was tender and juicy the way chicken should be.
We started it off with some hummus and bread. I love hummus!! Fortunately for me hummus is healthy it is made of beans pureed with olive oil and garlic. Other ingredients can be added as well.
I loved the food, and the service was excellent. I will certainly visit Babylon again!!
My Favorite Easter Memory- Romania April 2005
In April 2005 I had the privilege of spending Easter week with my friends in Constanta Romania. Their pastor was in South Africa going to seminary there, so I went to help my friends with their Easter service. It has been my best Easter week experience so far. It did not begin well when my carry on bag was stolen off the plane, but I was able to replace the items I needed. The rest of the trip more than made up for that.
My hosts for the week were young couple Cristi and Alexandra. They had an a nice apartment in a building that had a store on the ground floor like many apartment buildings in Romania do. It seemed like we laughed constantly. We certainly had a lot of fun. Each morning I would have coffee with them and each morning they would ask me if I wanted milk and sugar. I would say no and that I liked to drink my coffee black. One morning they expressed their concern for me about not having milk and sugar in my coffee and that it could be bad for my health. I got a chuckle out of that.
This picture is actually from my trip there at Christmas time in 2005, but it gives an idea of how small the church building was that they met in. This is the actual worship area for the church. I share this photo because it reminds me of the beauty of simplicity. In America we get so caught up with having the latest program, the newest technology etc for our worship experience. We met in a simple building and used an overhead projector to display the worship songs. There was nothing fancy at all but there was genuine community and fellowship as we gathered together.
I was able to learn some more expressions in Romania such as:
Isus a Inviat- Jesus is risen
Adeverat a Inviat- He is risen indeed
At the end of our Easter worship we walked around with decorated eggs and tapped each others egg. The one whose egg was still intact won. My first try I destroyed both my egg and my friend’s egg. He was disappointed. I was also able to spend some time with a college group at the University of Constanta. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and worship together.
I will always remember that Easter with great fondness because it helped bring me back to the essence of Easter which is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with friends and not let the meaning get lost in Easter candy, and other trappings we can get lost in here in America. I will also remember my time with my friends there. It was an awesome Easter experience for me.
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
Kim Bop- Lunar New Year Gift of Korean Food from Vietnamese Students :)
One of my friends from Vietnam in my Saturday group has some Korean friends. Linh and I have shared about out mutual appreciation for Korean food. She has been able to enjoy some Korean food with her Korean friends. For three years I helped with a Korean church on Sunday afternoons. I would teach the children bible in English while their parents worshiped in Korean. Afterward we would sit down together to dine on various Korean dishes. On Saturday after our study group Linh told me she had made some Kim Bop for me.
my three chefs
Linh told me the Kim Bop was from her and our friends Thao and Tram. The simple gifts made by hand many times have the most meaning. It was a blessing to receive Kim Bop because I love it, but even more so because my friends took the time to make it for me.
Kim Bop is made of of rice and vegetables rolled in seaweed and cut into small round pieces. Some people will put fish, meat or egg inside. I tried to make some once myself when I was at a Korean friend’s house, but it fell apart. My Kim Bop chef days lasted all of 10 minutes as my friends and I laughed at my inept chef skills. I was proud of my friends Linh, Thao and Tram for being to make Kim Bop.
Kim Bop
Thanks for the Kim Bop Linh, Thao and Tram. Happy New Year to all of my friends from China, Korea and Vietnam. Or as they say in Vietnam- Chuc Mung Nam Moi, in Korea- 새해 복 많이 받으세요, in China- 新年快乐.
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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