I don’t remember much about Vietnam, but there is one thing that is clear in my mind. It was an early lunar new year morning. I remember my dad waking up before the sun came up and went outside to our big cement yard to light firecrackers. I can’t remember the scenery because it was just dark, however I remember vividly the sound of exploding firecrackers. I also remember the sound of firecracker from all the houses around us. It was an exciting moment, a fun moment, a time that is so far away…
I can’t tell you for sure if I just dreamed that up, but its an image I’ve had in my mind for as long as I can remember. I think my parents once told me that during Tet you get up early and light firecrackers to welcome to the new year, it was part of the Vietnamese tradition.
I am sad that with every passing year, a little bit more of my culture is lost.