Here Lai’s Our Truth: DNA Gateway
DNA. It seems simple, doesn’t it? Just A’s with T’s and C’s with G’s, right? Wrong. DNA is a complex combination of base pairs that gave me green eyes and gave you your hair (or lack of hair), but would you believe me if I told you it gives people an opportunity to improve their […]
Here Lai’s Our Truth: Mai
“I have been wandering … never truly having a place to stay.” I am Mai. I am Mỹ Lai and I live in Vietnam. I’m glad that I have the opportunity to tell everyone my life story. I am one of the [many] Mỹ Lai children who was abandoned when I was born. My biological […]
Here Lai’s Our Truth: Tiến
“We were the kids of the enemy, so they always treated us really badly… Like we weren’t human.” I grew up in Việt Nam. My grandma raised me because my mom left me when I was two months old. I lived with her, but after the war, the economy was really bad so they [the […]
Here Lai’s Our Truth: Legacies of War
What are the first things you think of when you hear “Vietnam War?” Maybe you’re thinking about communism or a fresh bánh mì. I don’t blame you, the public school system tends to leave out important history. We are taught about how the Americans tried their hardest to take down the Việt Công and stop […]
Red & Gold: End
Winter of 649 C.E Li Jingyu Everything has been meticulously planned. We are going to leave through the Blue Lotus Garden during the night of the Winter Solstice. Qianhua and I have packed the minimal amount of necessities. clothing, food, money and water, so that if we are sighted we can run faster. But getting […]
Red & Gold: Freedom
Summer of 648 C.E., Li Jingyu Fate is unpredictable. There was this legend Jiang Li once told me, that those who you are fated to encounter will share an invisible red knot around your ankles, but what type of knot do I share with those I have parted with? Those who I have forgotten? Those […]
Red & Gold: Departures
Winter of 645 C.E., Li Jingyu Snow in the capital was beautiful. Every snowflake slowly fell elegantly as if dancing slowly towards the ground, where they met with the others. I loved the sensation of each snowflake falling on my skin, but my mother restricted me from staying in the snow for too long, saying […]
Red & Gold: Introduction
We all see the world a certain way. We’re shaped a particular way based on the people we meet and the experiences we encounter. Sometimes, we are molded due to the situation we are born into. Red & Gold, a new column by me, Michelle Xu, is set in the Tang Dynasty of Ancient China, […]
Postcards From the Bay: Saturday Mornings at OMCA
Now that October and November have finally arrived, the school year is officially in high gear, and as a result, schoolwork has gotten more intense for me—balancing AP classes and The Wave with other community service opportunities. Nonetheless, I’ve been chugging along, and looking for any chance to bust out my phone and document my […]