Words From The Heart ♡ | Hurry Up! | Rough Draft!

           Living with a lot of people is an everyday struggle for my family and I. Waking up in the morning and getting ready to go to school/work is probably worst than the freeway traffic on a friday evening. The morning sounds of water running, feet stomping, knocking, and grumpy voices result to the words "le len".  "Le len" means to "hurry up". "Le len" could be used verbally and physically. For example, you could say the word verbally and you could knock to show it physically. The word "le len" is used in my household 24/7 and 7 days a week. Hearing that word every day taught us how to be fast and quick. Usually if a house has three bathrooms, there would be no traffic at all. But in my house, three bathrooms is not enough. 

             The phrase itself is a common phrase that could be used everywhere, but in my family it means more than that. The phrase is a repetitive phrase that I've heard since I was young. When I lived in Vietnam, I only had about 4 people in my house.  Even then I heard the phrase "le len". Getting to places early and on time is my family's "motto". Going to church at 12:00 when mass starts at 3:00 is normal for me. But with school/work, it's a different story. The weekday mornings at my house are chaotic. If my life was a movie, the mornings would be scenes from rush hour. One time, we woke up our neighbors just by our loud screaming and knocking.

            Le len doesn't just mean fast or hurry up, it also means that you gotta do it fast and right. For example, you can't just guess the answers on your math homework just cause you want to finish it fast. Once it comes to homework, my family wouldn't care about how long it takes you to do it, as long as you do it right. In a typical asian family, you're parents expect you to get good grades. But in my family, you have to do something more than good grades. You would have to play an instrument or a sport. Since there are a lot of people in my house, there is a lot of competition. In comparison of seniors fighting for scholarships to college, the kids in my house fights for praise. Whenever you get praise from an elder, that shows that you are a courteous and smart kid. For a kid like me, I would hear my parents and relatives nagging at me everyday. But for people like my cousins, they rarely get any bad comments since they are so "polite" and "smart".

             The phrase has stuck with me since I was little. Now I am applying it to my daily life. From homework to chores, I try to do everything fast but efficient. Hearing the phrase a lot could get very irritating. But I think that my family is just preparing me for the big and "late world". They are trying to teach me how to do things quick and adequate. Since elementary school, I would always turn in my homework early. Either a day earlier or more. Every time I turn work in early, my teachers would "baby" me and let me off on my small mistakes. Turning in work early is sort of a hassle and it makes me feel rushed, but it's okay because I would get extra credit!

            Being bilingual has it's disadvantages and advantages. Speaking Vietnamese at home is definitely an honor. When I was in elementary and middle school, I hated the fact that I had to use Vietnamese to communicate with my parents. But after writing this essay, I realized that speaking another language is really special. Some people wish that they could speak they're native tongue and they can't. So I should think of this opportunity as a once in a lifetime chance. Even if my family repeats the same phrase (le len) over and over again, I still love it. :)