Page 23 - BB_Textbook

What’s Your Name
Since names bear a lot of meaning—depicting family, relations, status, events in history, literature, beliefs,
and traditions—get to know your classmates better. Examine and understand their names, and discern what is important to them, to you, and to Vietnamese culture. Interview your classmates. Listen well. Take notes. Then provide complete answers to these questions.
1. What is your name? ____________________________
2. What does your name mean? ____________________
3. What place are you in your family? ________________
■ The youngest? ■ A middle child? ■ The oldest? 4. Does your name say something about your origin? _____
______________________________________________________ 5. Is there one thing that is surprising or interesting about your name? __________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
3. How many relatives are likely looking on? And what is their role in the raising of this child?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. Explain what will happen if the infant girl selects more than one object.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
5. What is the difference between a job, a profession, and a calling (or vocation)?
a. Job _______________________________________________
b. Profession ________________________________________
c. Calling (or vocation)________________________________
6. Review the opening profile of Ngoc Mi from Ca Mau. How typical is her story? Does a Vietnamese young person usually follow her parents direction in selecting a job, profession, calling, or vocation? Or can a high school student, as she matures, choose her own path of work?
7. In North America, a graduating high school student
is expected to engage on average eight different types
of work by age 30. This does not mean teaching at one language center (job 1), and then another (job 2), and then another (job 3). These all count as a single type of work. Is it the same in Vietnam? Are you likely to take on eight different lines of work in the next dozen years? If so, what might they be?
a. __________________________________________________ b. __________________________________________________ c. __________________________________________________ d. __________________________________________________ e. __________________________________________________ f. __________________________________________________ g. __________________________________________________ h. __________________________________________________
The 100th Day
In Vietnamese society, many families celebrate the 100th Day of an infant. Besides naming their child, this is another way that parents identify their child? Examine the picture below. Parents have placed items before a baby girl.
1. Identify and describe seven of these items
a. ______________
b. ______________
c. ______________
d. ______________
e. ______________ f. ______________ g. ______________
2. If the child picks up the paper currency, what is she expected to become? And will her parents coax her into following that expectation? ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
BENDING BAMBOO
IDENTITY | CHAPTER 1 23