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I'm Khánh, eighteen. I made a big decision in my life:
to leave Hanoi, where I was born and grown up.
I planned to move to Saigon for university a few years back.
Although my family and friends supported me, they also warned me
of many difficulties I might and will face living alone in such a big city like Saigon.
Their warnings did give me second thoughts though, but because of passion and the desire
to be independent, I stood my ground.
But it'’s true that things are difficult before they can be easy.
My first day at Saigon, as soon as I arrived, I had a lesson for life….
Yes, Saigon did greet me with such a bittersweet moment.
School began, I adapted with the university life quite well. But
I had no friends. Cultural differences, lifestyle and the shocking incident
from the first day made me wary of new relationships. I went straight home
after classes, went online, played games, read books, call it a day.
The only outlet for the negative emotions I have… is to dance.
I miss Hanoi so much.
Everything changed one day.
I was wandering around the campus when I discovered
the university dance club. I stood there and just watched,
wondering whether to join or not. Luckily, one of the
members saw me and he just dragged me in. Us dancers recognize each other immediately.
I gave my best…
…and somehow I felt familiar with these strangers.
“You are good! Why were you hesitating earlier?”
“Yup. And I saw you were even about to leave.”
I shared with them my story, what my closed ones warned,
and the incident at the airport.
“How unfortunate! You met the wrong type of people.
How about us showing you the beauty of Saigon?”
Adventures discovering Saigon through day and night began. My view started
to change. The people isn’t as inapproachable and scary as I thought. Everything became
more comfortable, I had the courage to make new friends
and enjoyed my university life in this lively city.