Miss FPT 2014: ‘Living in the US, but I still want my kids to experience fully the Vietnamese Tet’

6 years in the US, I have changed to best adapt. My wife and children are also emotional about being away from home every spring. Tet comes and we do make Chung cake, Tet cake while all the memories also rush back giving us homesickness.

In the summer of 2019, I returned to Vietnam and that was the last time. The Covid-19 epidemic made all plans to visit the homeland a luxury. In July 2021, my wife’s father passed away, we sadly sent him off from afar because of difficulties in buying plane tickets or prolonged quarantine regulations.

This year, another Tet holiday away from home, the feeling of homesickness, missing the loved ones, friends, and the rush to prepare for Tet keep coming back. In the US, my colleagues and I do not have a Tet holiday. Our children still go to school as usual, but we still prepare things like when we were in Vietnam. In the days leading up to Tet, we are making Chung cake, spring rolls, and special dishes for Tet days. I want the children to understand and feel Vietnamese culture through these occasions.

For me, Tet is an occasion to reflect on the old year and prepare for the new year with better plans. This is also the time to spend time with family and friends. Moreover, we have the opportunity to introduce Vietnamese culture to foreign colleagues. Some Vietnamese dishes are brought to the company and other Vietnamese colleagues take advantage of the opportunity to introduce the traditional Tet holiday to foreign colleagues.

Missing home, we video call family weekly, tell each other about life in foreign countries, share joys and sorrows and each other’s plans. We have not returned home for 2 years due to the influence of the Covid-19 epidemic.

15 years with FPT is 15 years I am happy with my job. The software development team in Vietnam (offshore) provides continuous support. The income is relatively good compared to the average income of the IT industry in the US with flexible time to do many things. In particular, FPT has cohesion and understanding that few foreign companies have. The Covid-19 epidemic caused many companies to cut staff, but in FPT America, no one had to leave, even if it was a foreign colleague.

Living in the US for 6 years, everything gradually stabilized and we also started to have big plans for the future. In 2022, I cherish important plans from work to family. Large clients with new projects open up opportunities for us so that the offshore team in Vietnam has the opportunity to grow even more.

A year of sadness because of the pandemic, Vietnam and everyone temporarily leave that behind to welcome the new year in peace. In 2022, I hope life will return to normal soon and travel become easy soon for those who are far away from home to reunite with their families. Please always stay healthy and optimistic to lead a happy, balanced life!

Source Chungta