|
My parents had fled the
Vietnamese communist during the year of 1982 and like many
other Vietnamese refugees they experienced the hardships of
the journey.
Traveling in a so-called promised luxury sea vessel which
had turned out to be an overcrowded second-hand fishing
boat. Their crew under the instructions of the captain, who
was a fisherman had roamed the seas bordering the
territories of Thailand and Cambodia for an excess of 3
days, confusion and frustrations had risen to it’s proximity
only to sight the approach of
another sea vessel, a
slight misunderstanding had uplifted their spirits to
believe that it was help from heart-warming generous
westerners and only to realize that they were to be
hi-jacked by the barbaric, senseless, in-human sea pirates.
They had lived through the many nightmares of seeing the
young women raped, the brutal, ruthless deaths caused by the
uncivilized pirates. They had survived the long nights and
days in a refugee camp in Thailand without the daily
essentials of adequate food, water and shelter. My mother
who was pregnant was considered as extremely fortunate to be
able to drink the residue rice water, which is formed when
rice has been cooked. They have witnessed the primitive,
savage extremities that people go through in-order to
survive, seeing fellow boarded crew members drinking each
other’s urine in-order to quench their thirst.
But the one thing which had enlightened their spirits and
kept many determined to continue the journey and to remain
hopeful, calm, rationally thinking and mentally stable was a
dream.
My parents had dreamed of a bright future, a life in a
foreign westernized land with freedom, bringing up children
and living a happy family life. They had dreamed
of seeing
their children and themselves growing up in a land with
opportunities, living life happily, luxurious living
conditions, speaking English, being proud of their children
but most of all, to see their children living life better
than they have.
To be one of four children, first generation Australian and
a sixteen year old girl there are many expectations to live
up to, not only through living family life but also through
educational studies, society, cultural traditions, local
community and social life. Life has still yet a long time to
live and to mention the word dream and define it, it would
only lead to a pondering of further thoughts and questions
which may not even be able to answer. “DREAM”…? “What is
a dream?”, “Why do we dream such dreams?”,
“What are my dreams?”
To be able to lye down at night and feel the soft subtle
feeling of the cotton pillow case against your cheek and
slowly the sensation of your head slowly sinking into the
side of the pillow and through the serene peaceful silence
of the night wearily close your eyes and drift off into the
magical land of the night and become embraced through the
power of dreaming…
To dream of such a dream when your hair is blowing in the
cool breeze with your hands firmly gripped onto a black
leather steering wheel, the sun shining down onto you,
giving a warm rays onto your hair and body, looking into the
rear mirror and hesitating with the sunlight’s glare even
though you’re wearing a pair of stylish expensive
sunglasses. The glare is due to the extensive amount of
gold, silver and diamond jewellery and adornments you are
wearing and you look down at them in admiration and delight.
Looking up again to watch the road. You turn the corner
smoothly and look out toward the sea side view and observe
the sleek radiant shine of the car’s paint as it glares your
vision once again and you notice how it affects the way the
water glitters along with the emitted beams from the
sunlight as you drive across the crystal clear waters…
Suddenly you’re awaken from the pleasurable atmosphere and
are back into the clutching hands of reality only to say “it’s
just a dream…”
“Why do we dream such dreams?”
The concise vision throughout the dream is to be driving
the latest car, wearing numerous expensive pieces of
jewellery and being rich money wise.
The reason why we have this type of speculation is due to
the development of our society. The emphasis and constraint
which society places on materialistic goods and advanced
commodities is overly valued. As a result many feel
obligated and adverse by this sense to be on top of or just
to keep up with the social status and feel that this can
only be achieved by exposing and making it obvious that you
are possessive of these elements. Therefore you are to live
up to the expectations of society.
The dream of being able to have freedom and not be overly
protected by parents or constrained to the environment of
either the home or the school yard. Meaning that your
parents not needing to worry and become distressed about
where you are, at 3:20 pm, five minutes after the school
bell had rung and you’re not out to the car yet. To be able
to do things at your own will and not be restricted due to
certain time limits or moral and stereo-typical ideas. Such
as being permitted on a day out with a couple of friends and
traveling by train in return, required to be home by 6pm.
During the days adventure backing out on getting your belly
button pierced because you waited to think of hypothetical
consequences which may result and become detrimental to your
reputation and lead to the loss of your dignity. The ability
and free will to go and dress how you like without having to
think whether the dress style is appropriate and whether or
not your friends will be impressed. Further more meaning to
be competent to wear a low-cut backless top accompanied with
graffiti home-designed jeans which you purchased at a
second-hand clothing store. To have the confidence to attend
church or go out into public with wild, vivid coloured dyed
hair without being looked down at and become a victim
experiencing prejudice judgments. Therefore to be able to
dye your hair consistently in shades of purple and to add to
the excitement, complementarily electric blue streaks…
Abruptly you awake from the disobedient fantasy only to
apprehend in disappointment the truth and validity once
again and murmur the thoughts “Just another dream…”
“Why do we dream such dreams?”
The general inclusive idea and meaning behind this
imaginative illusion is the afflicted desire to be let loose
therefore resulting with rebellious characteristics.
The unnecessary over protective decisions of parents, the
prejudice and stereo-typical judgments implied towards
teenagers, especially from elderly members of the Vietnamese
society, the pressure and demands from peers and education
departments has developed teenagers to see their lives
extremely confined and enclosed, having to adapt to these
groups in our society. Mental and physical aspects of
living, senses the emotions of being deprived unfairly as
well as the loss of self esteem due to the fear of
judgmental consequences which may become of a result from a
minute decision or action that may have been taken.
Therefore a rebellious attitude is exposed. Life is then
evident that it lives up to the expectations of family life,
peer pressure, cultural traditions and the local community.
The dream of successfully achieving 99.99 for the H.S.C and
additionally being ranked top ten for the state in 4 unit
mathematics, biology, physics and chemistry. The acceptance
of Sydney University to study a bachelor of medicine,
therefore to fulfill the image of becoming a doctor and
become an accepted and respected member of the community.
Toward the long run to be able to take graduation photos and
have them hung above the mantel piece in the living room, at
the same time exposing it to all the family guests coming
in-and-out. The final result is the initiation of your own
medical center with displays of tertiary education
achievements framed and exhibited on the walls. Most of all,
the ability to make your family, especially your parents,
content and jubilant and immensely proud of you. To walk
down in Cabramatta and hear all the mothers and fathers
insisting their children to look up to you, become inspired
by you…
Awakening from this intuition you wearily rub your eyes to
find yourself waking up to another day, reflecting on what
you’d dreamt and saying “Yet another dream…”
“Why do we dream such dreams?”
The main chain of thought throughout the dream is to achieve
successive educationally studied results in-order to satisfy
family members and to be able to ensure a respected future
career.
In particular, it is the Vietnamese society which places
emphasis on the importance of tertiary studies and how this
alone can only assist in the achievement of a beneficial
future career. Therefore implying that the only recommended
careers are to become a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist or
teacher. The insistent, demanding pressure from parents and
Vietnamese members to strive, achieve, succeed and excel is
excessively overly compulsive. Consequently students who can
no longer resist and tolerate the constraining pressure
often resort to quitting school at an early age, leaving
home and drug abuse. Throughout the dream it reveals that
life lives up to the expectation of family life, society,
cultural tradition and the community.
“What are my dreams?”
Overall are dreams which are being dreamt mine?, are they
really the perception and vision one should be working
toward or are they just the vision of others implanted at a
young age in-order to fulfill the expectation of others?
“What is a dream?”
I believe a dream should allow you to be able to
perceive life for what it is not, to always experience
optimism and to work towards your future.
Therefore
to dream is to be able to see life through your rose
tinted glasses. |
