Tuesday 25 March 2014
Today’s Ted
Talk Tuesday is about the immigration story of Tan Le. Tan Le’s talk grabbed my
attention because of her puzzle pieces analogy. She compared each of her family
members and her immigration adventures to a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Her
story, she said, is not yet finished; it is a one big puzzle that is still
being put together.
What
captivated me the most from her story was how her mother worked two jobs whilst
getting a college degree. I can personally relate to this. Ever since I moved
here to Canada with my family, my mother has always protected and nurtured us. During
my first few days here, it was like being a child again; I had to rely heavily
on my parents. Looking back, I actually think it was a good thing for it strengthened my bond with my parents.
Going back
to Tan Le’s story, she shared their journey to Australia where they had to hide
in a concealed boat to escape her mother’s cruel
life. Her mother brought poison with her, which they were ready to drink
in case their boat got caught. I cannot
possibly imagine myself having the same courage that she had—the courage of
walking in a thin thread, to be ready to jump off a cliff when the situation
begs it.
Tan Le ended
her story by revealing the last piece of her puzzle. As she stabled her life and finished her law
degree, she realized that she could not get a career in law. She thought that
there had to be another piece. Soon enough, she found it. And that is, the realization that is okay to be
an outsider, a recent arrival, new on the scene. She says that it's even “something to be thankful for” because “being an insider can so
easily mean collapsing the horizons, can so easily mean accepting the
presumptions of your province”. Sometimes, it is better when we are in a strange
place. It gives us the chance to grow, be braver and be smarter.
Favourite quote from the talk: “I have stepped outside my comfort zone enough now to know that, yes,
the world does fall apart, but not in the way that you fear.”
