Memorial Day Service

Children Corner

California State University Los Angeles

          

   Each time I go to Los Angeles, my favorite activity is to visit colleges and meet Dan’s colleagues. California State University Los Angeles (CSULA) is the most beautiful campus in Southern California that I have visited. I have come to the campus several times, but the campus still fascinates me each time I visit it. I used different angles to shoot shots of the gothic buildings. I moved forward and backward to read the golden words of the Confucius Monument. I admired the Eagle statue that is symbolic of the United States’ freedom. The Campus is the harmony between Western and Eastern structure and civilization, including the natural beauty of landscaping that makes the University unique. We have taken almost 500 photos around the campus, but we were still missing the leftover beauty.

            At the English Department, I have had a long conversation with Professor Ruben Quintero, the former Chair of the English Department, and the secretary, Ms. Yolanda Galvan. I was proud of my improving English speaking skill. I did not have any trouble during the conversation. I could not believe that I could naturally talk to an English Professor, a department chair, whom I always respected and caused me to be tongue-tied. I murmured Confucius’s quote, “Among truly educated persons, there is no discrimination.” Eureka! Education lifted me up to equal the Chair of the English Department, who treated me as an equal. I looked up to the sky and talked to my father: “Papa, do you see your little daughter talking to the Chair of the English Department?” I told Dan, “Dan, I like this university very much. The people are friendly and make me feel comfortable when I interact with them. I can talk to your colleagues.” Dan agreed with me.

           

             I was eager to meet the members of the California Faculty Association (CFA). I held Dan’s hand and told him, “Dan, I am shy. I am afraid to talk to your colleagues.”

            Dan reassured me, “It’s okay, Honey. You don’t have to. You can hide behind my back and I will tell them you are shy.”

            John welcomed us in front of the meeting room. He shook Dan’s hand and greeted him, “It is nice to see you again.”

 He gave Dan a boxed lunch with Dan’s name and told Dan to sign in. John looked at me. Dan introduced me to him, “This is my fiancé, Anhthao Bui from San Jose. She came here for her vacation. I already let Jackie know she would attend the meeting.”

John gave me a boxed lunch with my name on it. I was surprised and impressed; I only uttered, “Oh!”

Jackie approached; she shook my hand, smiled at me, and said, “My name is Jackie. It is nice to meet you. Thank you for coming.”

Jackie told me, “You can pick out a t-shirt.”

I looked at the red t-shirt with the white heart; two arms made a heart shape and two hands met each other at the center of the heart. The logo symbolized knowledge to connect students and instructors at the heart—humanity, following Confucius’s words, “Acquire knowledge patiently, teach other unceasingly.” That was the CFA’s philosophy. I joyfully cried, “Oh, a Valentine t-shirt.”

Jackie nodded, “That is right!”

I admired the t-shirt’s designer, who rationally displayed the CFA’s message as well: the Valentine’s Day heart is the center of the Universe; the red and white are the colors of the Flag of the United States of America. The red represents valiance and love; the white is purity. Education provides good citizens to the society to serve the United States. The CFA’s mission is to support and gain benefits for the California State University faculty, with all their courage and unconditional reason.

We entered the meeting room. There were not many people in the room. They greeted us with friendly smiles. Dan talked to his colleagues. I wanted to ask Dan about the woman’s room, but …Jackie read my cue, so she offered to help me.

When I returned to the room, the meeting had already started. Dan told me, “In 2016, the University will transfer from a quarter to a semester system.”

I replied, “Really? Interesting!”

Leslie Bryan, a CFA Bargaining Team Member, asked the audience to introduce themselves and express the problems or desires they wanted to discuss. Ms. Bryan was the bridge between the instructors and the University administrators. However, the Union needed the cooperation and voices of the instructors to win the negotiation and meet the needs of the faculty’s members. Ms. Bryan encouraged the audience to get involved, act, and invite more members to join the CFA.  She highly recommended the audience keep tract of all the records of their professional development activities, meetings, and volunteer service because these were the investment of the instructors’ future benefits. She said that some instructors did not keep any records and proof of their professional development activities. Thus, it was difficult for the CFA to ensure their benefits.

I looked directly at the speaker; my eyes smiled with her to show my appreciation of her recommendations. I realized I should keep records of and report all the meetings I attended and volunteer activities I participated in with Dan for my resume.

Ms. Alejandra Marchevsky, the Faculty Rights Chair, was the second speaker. She talked about how CSULA will transfer from a quarter system to a semester system, the hiring levels of faculty, and benefits. The two speakers liked to learn more about the new faculty members and their concerns, and encouraged them to take action.

I looked at Jackie and gave a thumbs-up sign for the productive and well-organized meeting.

--Anhthao Bui, Los Angeles, February 20, 2014

           

Sunrise from the Window

The Full Circle

The Full Circle

For Dan on Your Birthday

            In the fragrant candlelight, I was listening to the piano music, Nocturne by Chopin that Dan gave me that afternoon. Through the glass window, the round, soft yellow moon slowly danced over the horizon. Dan called me: “Honey!”

            I turned my head back to Dan. Dan carefully opened the red square velvet and took out the ring. Holding the ring, Dan knelt; he asked, “Will you marry me?”

            I was shocked; I stared at Dan. Dan repeated, “Will you marry me?”

            I kept silent; Dan held my left hand and put the gold diamond onto my ring finger. My tears fell down. I embraced Dan. He carried me to the bed. He dried my tears; caressed my face; he murmured, “I love you, Honey! You are the woman whom I have dreamed of for a long time. From now, I obey you as a servant. I am a servant of our immaculate love. This diamond is the token of my pure love, as hard and sparkling as the diamond. When I put it on your ring finger, my love follows the vein to your heart and becomes a unique love.”

            I looked at the ring. Dan continued, “The round shape of the ring is symbolic of our eternal love. The love goes around and never ends. The round shape is a strong shape; it is hard to break. The gold is endurance; it can bend easily. Our love is endured in front of hardship, but it also bends and is flexible.”

            Dan kissed my finger. He kept talking: “Honey, I am not a good man. In the past, I made mistakes. I have many flaws, but I am trying to change my lifestyle to be a good man and bring you peace and happiness.”

            I told Dan, “Dan, you are a mighty American with free, blue eyes that I fell in love with the first time I set foot on this land. A few years ago, at the Citizenship Ceremony, I was engaged to Uncle Sam, my ideological man. I love the United States, not just because of its virtues and wealth, but I also love the United States with its dark sides. You are the United States with its integrity and villain. Now, my engagement is a full circle. I am engaged to the United States in both intellect and physicality; in the abstract and the concrete.”

--Anhthao Bui