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    Com Lam Common App

    Uploaded by

    Nguyễn Khánh Linh

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Com Lam Common App

    Uploaded by

    Nguyễn Khánh Linh
    11 views1 page

    Original Title

    3.-Com-Lam-common-app (1)

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    Copyright:

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    11 views1 page

    Com Lam Common App

    Uploaded by

    Nguyễn Khánh Linh

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    COM LAM

    Each evening, the aroma of glutinous rice, crushed ginger, coconut water, and roasted peanuts would
    lure me into the kitchen. There, I’d find Grandma sitting on a stool, carefully stuffing bamboo tubes
    with those ingredients, wrapping them up with banana leaves, and baking them over the crackling fire.
    As Grandma fed each branch into the flames, the shadow of her haggard figure played on the earthen
    wall, her bony back and wrinkled forehead damp with sweat. Sitting beside her, I’d cool her off with a
    handheld fan.

    “How was your day at the market selling Com Lam?” I would ask.

    Grandma beamed with delight as she recounted the fascinating events she encountered that day. I
    listened and ecstatically shared with her about a 10 in my English test, while helping her slice off the
    hot charcoal outside the cooked bamboo tubes, revealing the enticing white filling within. That’s how
    Com Lam—or bamboo-tube rice, a traditional dish of my Tày ethnic minority group in Northern
    Vietnam—was made.

    It was our simple yet deeply rewarding way of life. Unfortunately, when I was 12, Grandma was
    diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had to stay at the nearest hospital, 300 kilometers away. Suddenly,
    our evening kitchen routine stopped. On the dinner table, fast-food substitutes painfully highlighted
    Grandma’s absence and the end of a tradition. I desperately missed those fragrances wafting in the
    kitchen air each night, and those early mornings when Grandma took me on her bike along the rugged
    road to deliver Com Lam. I longed to hear her stories and lessons as we sat by the fire or roamed
    bamboo forests for ingredients. Grandma was an artist who painted my world with strokes of Com
    Lam colors.

    Eventually, Grandma recovered and returned home. Wanting to surprise her, I decided to make Com
    Lam by myself for the first time. Rolling up my sleeves, I set out for the forest to fetch bamboo tubes,
    banana leaves, and other ingredients. For the first time in months, curtains of wood smoke spiraled
    into the air and familiar aromas rose from our small kitchen, permeating the house like a warm
    welcome for Grandma.

    While my Com Lam wasn’t perfect, the dish had never tasted better to us. The bamboo tubes were
    clumsily sliced and the rice was a bit dry. Still, I was filled with excitement and happiness when
    Grandma tenderly patted me on the back and said, “Nice job, darling!”

    Soon, though she still suffered from chronic pain, Grandma resumed making Com Lam. At the age of
    67, she had never been able to finish secondary school, yet knowing the immense value of education,
    she spent much of what little savings she had from selling Com Lam to buy me the books that I like.
    Whenever I’m engrossed in the fascinating knowledge of those books, I cherish all the sweat and tears
    Grandma shed to give me the opportunity to learn.

    Observing Grandma’s selfless dedication and perseverance has motivated me to become a successful
    student, a voice for marginalized groups, and a culture carrier. Witnessing discrimination against my
    Tày ethnic minority, I launched Cao Bang Discovery and Vietnamese Ethnic Tales to raise cultural
    awareness of Tày people and other minority groups in Vietnam, hoping to dispell the prejudices and
    stigmas against them. Additionally, experiencing the lack of educational opportunities in my
    community, I worked hard to promote educational equality for disadvantaged students by
    participating in various projects and organizations like Volunteer for Education, The Wings Projects,
    and Cao Bang Center for Disabled Children.

    As an ethnic minority girl, I know when venturing beyond my village’s bamboo forests, there will be
    times I may be challenged by the world’s complexity and grandeur. However, the qualities learned
    from Grandma and making Com Lam will be my constant companions, empowering me to thrive in
    any condition, while helping others to do the same along the way.

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