Refugees

Brook the Refugee

Brook's online English class is learning about refugees.  He wrote about what he would bring if he were forced to leave home on short notice.  He is also reading a book about three Vietnamese children that immigrated to New York.  They were forced to leave Vietnam because they were Chinese decedents.  This assignment and his reading coincided with us meeting Leetza, an Australian woman, on our food tour.  Leetza helps political and religious asylum seekers make their way through the Australian immigration process.  From Leetza, we learned that when immigrants get to a new country they are hopeful; but, when they are not approved for a long time, they lose hope; and, by the time they are finally approved, they are sad and depressed.

Brook's Refugee Writing Assignment
My parents and I are four and a half months into our trip around the world.  I am living out of a backpack while we are traveling.  Leaving “home” with a few hours notice wouldn’t be that hard for me.  We change “homes” regularly.

When we first packed for our trip, it was over the course of about a month.  Our shopping list was very specific.  We had to have appropriate, quick drying clothing and gear for everywhere we were going and not carry too much weight.  If I only had a few hours notice to leave home, I wouldn’t focus on getting new clothes and gear.  I would use the things that I already own.

Since my backpack would work a lot better than a grocery bag, I would carry my things in it.  In my pack, I am carrying clothes, an extra pair of shoes, two sleeping pads, a stuff sack with three sleeping bag liners and blow up pillows, a baseball cap, sunglasses, a waterproof pack cover and a harmonica.  I would take out one of the two sleeping pads I am now carrying, my harmonica, my extra pair of shoes and two of the three silk sleeping bag liners and pillows.  This would make space for the things that I would add if I were leaving without my parents.

If I were leaving on my own, I would add the first aid kit, my toothbrush and toothpaste, my headlamp, the iPod touch, my parents' ATM card and pin, my passport and passport photos.  I would bring the iPod for communicating with friends and family.  The ATM card is important because accessing money is necessary for taking care of all kinds of needs that may come up.  My passport would be critical for getting into other countries and extra passport photos for getting visas for those countries.

Tomorrow we leave our “home” on Cat Ba Island in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam and go back to a hotel we know that we like in Hanoi.  It will take 1 bus ride, 1 boat ride, 2 more bus rides, and a taxi to get to our new home.  It is not as bad as it sounds.
- Brook