https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3 Made with creativity en-us 2020-11-21 22:41:52 UTC 2020-11-23 15:18:21 UTC hello@padlet.com samihaa38 https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948729685 Ten-year-old Ha lives in Vietnam which is in war with her mother and three caring older brothers. She loves her papaya tree. Her father has been missing after leaving on a navy mission. The communists have reached Saigon where they live.]]> 2020-11-21 22:47:27 UTC https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948729685 samihaa38 https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948760395 Ha has to leave her papaya tree and Vietnam because Uncle Son arranges a navy ship to get Ha and her family out of Vietnam. Though he tells them to keep it a secret, thousands of people get to know about it and they also board the ship cramming all decks in order to escape communism.]]> 2020-11-21 23:27:02 UTC https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948760395 samihaa38 https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948783625 At sea for weeks, Ha had to experience insufficient rations of food and water, makeshift bathrooms, and seasickness because there were no rescue ships. ]]> 2020-11-22 00:00:33 UTC https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948783625 samihaa38 https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948786023 Ha gets a little freedom from all struggles when their ship goes toward Thailand making a bigger distance between them and Vietnam. The passengers can go above deck. They get enough food to eat. But Ha misses her papaya tree. ]]> 2020-11-22 00:03:49 UTC https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948786023 samihaa38 https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948791307 After many days with few rations, an American ship rescues them. In Guam, Ha and her family study English in a refugee camp. Brother Quang becomes their translator. Mother decides the family should relocate to America because the boys will have more opportunities.

]]> 2020-11-22 00:11:42 UTC https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948791307 samihaa38 https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948794972 When they land in Florida, they wait for an American to sponsor them. Mother learns that people are getting sponsor  quickly if their applications say they are Christians. She tells the kids all beliefs are pretty much the same, and she changes their religious affiliation on the form. Soon, a cowboy from Alabama agrees to sponsor them.]]> 2020-11-22 00:17:33 UTC https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948794972 samihaa38 https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948799559 Ha and her family lives in the basement of the cowboy’s home because his wife doesn’t want the neighbors to see them. They struggle to learn English and adjust to American food. Hà hates always feeling stupid because she was smart back in Vietnam. Soon, the cowboy helps them get a small house of their own and pays three months' rent in advance for them, but Hà struggles to be grateful for their help because she doesn't like the mismatched dishes and the furnitures. Mother gets a sewing job, and Brother Quang works as a mechanic. The others attend school. Ha's classmates laugh at her and bully her. After being asked by Ha, Brother Vu agrees to teach her defense.]]> 2020-11-22 00:24:49 UTC https://padlet.com/samihaa38/17b56meklui6ciq3/wish/948799559