Spring 2013 TEMPO - Tampa Preparatory School

4on the terrapin trailtempo spring 2013olive pham:declamationFive months ago I was on a flight to America full ofexcitement and confidence that finally I could studyabroad, come closer to my dream college and I wouldcertainly make it. My host family is a friendly just-marriedcouple who have helped me a lot in adapting tomy new life. My first day at school was the best dayever. Everyone came to me asking about my name andinvited me to sit with them at lunch. The first weekseemed so awesome to me that I was not worried andafraid of nothing. I thought that living far away frommy family was easy, no more strict rules and momcomplaining with me everyday. However, that was thefirst week only. Everything began getting worse andworse, and totally different from what I expected.At first I felt extremely happy that I would havenew family, new friends, everything new seemed soexciting to me, but you know, because it is new, it isunfamiliar. I was too confident and I didn’t preparemyself to deal with those new problems. Language isdifferent, culture is different, lessons are different,living with a white family is different, and Americanfriends are more than different. When things becametoo difficult, I told myself I disliked this place, I justwanted my family and my friends.I really thought that I was a troublemaker.Something wrong always happens to me. I becamesensitive; I felt left behind; and I missed mom. Just amisunderstanding in my grades made me cry thewhole day. I did have some serious conversationswith the school and my host family about wrongthings that I did.I needed someone to talk to but none of my newfriends were close enough, and I didn’t want anyoneat home to worry about me. I isolated myself in myown room as much as I could to try to figure out whatwas wrong with me. I used to be a popular girl; I usedto be good at everything and every subject, so why doI have problems with communication here.My host parents told me to write down my list,what I like and what I dislike here, then show them sothat they can help me solve my problems. I thought Iknew well exactly what I do not like, but I spent daysthinking about my favorite things in America.Maybe I was too negative with everything and thatI just wanted to go home. After that when I thoughtabout some of my good moments in the first semester,I realized that I had such a great time. I love whena stranger smiles and says Hi to me on the street. Ilove the unpredictable weather that’s cold in themorning but warmer at night. I remember I smiled alot in the 3# Project night because everyone told me Idid an amazing job, and the most thrilling thing everwas that my friends and my teachers said that theywere proud of me. I loved to see my classmates’ faceswhen I showed them a paper dress that I made myselffor the economics presentation. And I would neverforget the feeling when I performed on stage with myfriends in my first successful play. I have been spendingfun time with friends from around the world,hanging out together, telling each other our problems,and found out that I am not the only one havinga hard time here.For my six-word memoir [required by Head ofSchool Kevin Plummer for seniors to write during theopening of the new Student Center], I wrote “I fall inlove with Americans.” I really do. When I felt the worstand just wanted to give up, there was always someonebeside me to tell me that don’t worry, everything’sall right. When I don’t understand Americanslang, there are people who explain to me until I gotit. I had hard time understanding what “swag” or“yolo” means.Now, sometimes I still feel tired, sometimes crywhen I miss my mom, sometimes I don’t want to go toschool, sometimes I have troubles with my host familyand friends, but I’m happy with what I have so far.I learned that just be optimistic, live happily at themoment so that I don’t have to regret in the future. Iwant to say thank you for giving me a chance to experienceeverything, and to grow up.When Olive finished giving her Declamation, theapplause and cheers from her classmates could beheard in the halls.