Winter Flowers

Montclaire's Garden

November

November

The retired falling leaves leave their silent- tree- partners to boogie in the whirly wind. They collect all their last energy to dance frantically into many directions. The patient naked trees silently watch their dearest spouses exultingly perform the Waltz and metamorphose into vibrant red, light yellow, purple, saffron, brown, and or mustard before they rest in peace on the dry ground. In the early dawn, the tiny sparkling diamond dews decorate Mother Nature’s foliaged coat to signal the world the autumn is in the air.

Shopping centers and malls reorganize their stores with shinning garnish and illuminating ornamentation to catch shoppers’ eyes within the Holidays Season. Colorful produces, glamorous merchandises, and fashion cloths are displayed on the counters, and behind the transparent glasses to seduce consumers. Parking lots happily welcome more cars to the shopping plaza. From the parking lots, pedestrians hear the delightful sounds and charming melodies from the stereo about the May Flower Ship, the Native American tribes, and the American ancestors who fought against hardships at their first steps to the New World.

Every morning on the way to work, I observe dynamical people start their new days in the busy streets with cars and cars. Some women wear makeup while they drive; other men with the coffee mugs try to drink or eat their breakfast when the cars stop at the traffic lights or move slowly. They drop their children at schools in a hurry and leave immediately after trading instant kisses with their children. All at once, from the bottom of my heart, uttering words explore, “Good morning November! Good morning students! Thank you for giving me a chance to share my knowledge with you and to guide you to become good citizens. Thank the Alum Rock’s leaders and the Child Development Company’s employers who give me a job in this great recession! Thank you for your trust in my potential skills to serve the American youth.”

Happy Thanksgiving of the year 2011!
Anhthao Bui

The Fourth of July

By Anhthao Bui


When I first came to the United States, I was jealous of the United States because I thought God was unfair: God took away the other countries’ blessings and poured them into the United States. Therefore, the United States possessed prominent characteristics: prosperity, wealth, abundance, peace, benefits, and top-notch qualities. God was known as the sovereign of justice, but was not fair to the other countries. How can we expect human beings to be fair in the earthly world? However, the longer I have lived in the United States, the more I have learned about the United States, and the more I understand that the American people have sacrificed a lot and have fought against evils day and night to become a fabulous country and bring people around the world together: “One Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."

Two hundred thirty-five years ago, the American people fought against the British Kingdom for freedom, so the United States was born. The Founding Fathers’ goal of liberty was exchanged for blood and invaluable losses: nothing was as valuable as freedom and independence. Liberty was not only the desire of the American people, but it was also the wish of human beings around the world. Thus, the Founding Fathers declared their Independence and guaranteed “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to all the people who live in the United States.

The United States has opened her arms and heart to welcome all the people who seek freedom and protection. The United States is a magnet country that hypnotizes people around the world to settle there for many reasons. The United States is the universal land where human values and talents are accepted and rewarded. In return, the newcomers contribute and devote their potentials and capacities to the United States in order to pay tribute to the ideals represented by the Statue of Liberty. The United States has speedily expanded, grown, and improved, the way a young tree feeds in a fertile land.

The United States builds and creates a liberal environment, a democratic atmosphere and an independent community to guarantee all her citizens the equal rights to express themselves and to practice their cultures and religions in harmony and respect for one another. In 1791 the Constitution enacted the First Amendment to guarantee freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion in the United States. The First Amendment provides citizens the authority to freely express themselves and practice their ideals in safe environment without harm to others. Unfortunately, some people misunderstand the Constitution; they noisily and excessively proclaim their thoughts and opinions, causing insult and damage to America, and comfort to contradictory individuals and controversial federations.

The battle between good and bad never ends. Human history proves that justice and injustice will fight against each other from Alpha to Omega. Other countries are jealous of the United States’ virtues and sovereignty; they cunningly undermine the United States’ ideal systems. They spit verbal venom to confuse and brainwash innocent citizens. The United States encounters human disasters, from the Nine Eleven tragedy to the current recession, and challenges untrustworthy countries. Moreover, the United States is like a fresh salad bowl with a huge variety of ethnicities and peoples. The government hardly satisfies their multicultural demands. The United States stands strong: strict castigation is a must.

Although the United States is confronting rocky tempests, many peoples continue to come to the New World, guided by the radiance of the Statue of Liberty over the horizon. Holding each other’s hands, together they sing aloud to reinstate their faith and trust:

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
God bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Los Angeles, July 4, 2011

Haiku 101

Condoleezza Rice—the Captivating Connoisseur

By Anhthao Bui with editing by Daniel Lambert


I wish to sit in front of a grant piano and let my fingers freely dance on the keyboard. I wish to earn a PhD degree, and make book tours around the world to glorify my incredible father. Condoleezza Rice’s fruition reflexes my mind trip, which hooks me to trace her steps since I have known her on Facebook. I know that I, a working new immigrant, am not able to compare myself to Ms. Rice, a widespread noble lady, and we were raised in different cultures. However, reading her story, I have learned that we share some correspondent values, such as an educational backbone, a childhood surrounded by love, and an orientation toward family.

Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 was an unsafe place because of the hatred of African Americans. The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing by Ku Klux Klan members was not the only conspiracy that abused African American emotions, but it was a chronic event. Ms. Rice experienced Birmingham’s turmoil, so she ironically changed “Birmingham” into “Bombingham.” The fearsome events in Birmingham shocked me and challenged my knowledge. Growing up in Vietnam, a war-torn country, I was jealous of the peaceful United States. I thought that after the U.S. Civil War, the United States was the most secure place in the world. Thus, currents of people around the world poured into the United States to seek protection. However, my understanding about the United States was encapsulated. In the United States, few places were untrustworthy to live in. The explosive event at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was not the first or the last attack, but it has happened like that until today, with the September Eleven terrorist attack. While Ms. Rice encountered her local violence as a child, my immaturity confronted the national disturbance of the Fall of Saigon in April of 1975.

As an only child, Ms. Rice received her parents’ full benefits of love. Her parents wrapped her in a cozy cocoon of affection to protect her from danger. As well-educated and sociable people who occupied themselves with community services, Ms. Rice’s parents still kept their eyes on their only daughter with serious guidance and high expectations. Ms. Rice's father accepted the community’s critics regarding his indifferent African American political norms and movements because he did not want to end up in jail: he needed to protect his own family. Ms. Rice communicated well with her parents. She trusted her parents and always shared her true feelings and emotions with them. While Ms. Rice directly won her parents’ abundant attachment and care, I shared my parents’ love with my siblings. My father did not have time to talk to his youngest child when he was alive. Like many Vietnamese women, my mother stayed home to take care of us, but she almost ignored me because the older siblings needed more attention than I did. Until now, our communication was limited. However, I indirectly tasted my parents' inestimable love and incredible sacrifice.

Ms. Rice’s parents realized that education was the only way to escape from discrimination and prejudice. They invested their daughter's knowledge and nurtured her mind with the best education: religion, music, sports, politics, and books. Ms. Rice possessed an outstanding Intelligence Quota and extreme determination. She learned how to play the piano at age three; she practiced a difficult piece of music for eight hours in order to get her own piano from her parents; she graduated from high school at age fifteen; she was one of a few female African Americans to receive a PhD degree. Like Ms. Rice’s parents, our parents honored education. They fed us with books, arts, and diverse philosophies. We all learned how to play musical instruments and had our own library. Our parents also prepared us female spirituality with “công, dung, ngôn, hạnh,” (“public services, appearance, communication, and virtue") and “cầm, kỳ, thi, họa,” (“singing, undertaking, writing, and drawing.”) However, my intelligence was below the standard. During my youth, I suffered my family and friends’ mockery about my stupid and silly acts. Ms. Rice reveals that her parents are extraordinary people. To me, my parents are the greatest creatures in the world and more powerful than God.

A few years ago, when I first got to know Ms. Rice, I admired her with a lack of reason. However, since I have followed her book tour, I have learned more about her and noticed that she obtained the same dreams that I sought. I chose her as my role model to motivate me to work harder to achieve my goals. Ms. Rice’s superiority is derived from prominent elements of the fertile earth—her environment; devoted agronomists—her parents; and the exclusive seed—Ms. Rice.

Meeting with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: Proposition AB 32 versus Proposition 23

By Anhthao Bui with editing by Dan Lambert

I am not Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fan nor am I interested in the global warming subject, but I wanted to attend the governor's speech about proposition AB 32 at the Santa Clara Convention Center because of my curiosity. I wanted to see the Governor in person. Perhaps meeting outstanding politicians is one of my weaknesses to satisfy my vulnerable self-esteem. However, I persuaded myself that I wanted to learn new things; like the Vietnamese proverb says, “Đi một ngày đàng, học một sàng khôn,” ("Travelling broadens one's horizons.”) I agree!

I came to the Convention Center early; I did not need to pass through the security checkpoint. The security officers only checked the audience’s belongings: bags and purses. I entered the theatre and noticed that not many people attended the event. On the stage, the Bear Flag and the American Flag comforted me and made me feel secure; a small coffee table with two mugs on it sat between the two overstuffed chairs. I wondered if the Governor with speak with the audience standing near that table, like President Lincoln does at Disneyland's Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. I have never seen a speaker deliver a speech near a coffee table like that.

Students with their green uniforms came in and filled up the reserved seats on the right side. I remembered chaperoning Bachdrot students to the San Jose Convention Center to see President Bill Clinton in 2000. I had to be held outside the Center more than one hour for security checks. I stood during the event and waited too long for President Clinton’s appearance. Growing up in an Asian country where male makeup was not accepted, President Clinton’s makeup gave me an initial negative impression of him. Moreover, at that time, my English skill was limited; I could not understand President Clinton and Congressman Mike Honda’s words. I only knew that they came to San Jose to support Al Gore’s presidential campaign.

A lady in a white dress approached the podium to the left of the stage; she talked about the upcoming event and introduced the event’s agenda. We clapped our hands to welcome the speaker, Governor Schwarzenegger. The Governor appeared; there was no music or standing to greet the leader of California; this brought a friendly, cozy atmosphere to the proceedings, and created a close connection between the attendees and the speaker. The heart of the event was green energy and dangers to the environment, as the Governor educated the audience about the danger of climate change, and encouraged us to support the environmental group called Climate One.

The Governor said, “Two thirds of Californians approve our state's landmark law to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. Do you know who the two most prominent opponents of the law are? Valero and Tesoro, also two of the state’s top polluters. They are behind an initiative on the November ballot called Proposition 23, which would suspend our law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But in reality, because of the fine print, when it comes to unemployment, they really don’t want to suspend it. They want to kill the initiative. They want to kill our laws. And when they are not creating a shell company, they are creating a shell argument that it is about saving jobs….It is about their ability to pollute and thus protect their profits. Those who seek to overturn the carbon reduction law say that the green-tech future is too costly.”

I have learned the reasoning behind Propositions AB 32 and 23. AB 32, the Global Warming Act of 2006, required reducing greenhouse emissions in California; by contrast, Proposition 23 is against the reduction of greenhouse gasses because it is too expensive. However, in response to the Governor’s points, the cost of diseases and infections from pollution, as well as the cost of rising oil prices because of exports from other countries, are much higher than the budget for saving energy. He proved that if more consumers would use solar energy for transportation, heating, and other necessities, the cost would be reduced (like the reductions in the cost of internet service and cell phones). Governor Schwarzenegger stated that clean energy creates more jobs for Californians.

Global warming and clean energy projects are Governor Schwarzenegger’s passion. He is determined to protect AB 32 and fight against Proposition 23 during his term in office, and he will continue to fight when he leaves office, because of his love for California. He calls on all California voters to vote "No" on Proposition 23. Good luck, Governor!

Santa Clara Convention Center: September 28, 2010

October 2, 2010