Sunday, September 26, 2010

Farmer's Daughter!


(PICTURE: I should have picked up one of these translators ages ago.)

In order to submit the I-130 package to the United States Immigration office, I have needed to get many documents translated. It's been really interesting to read the translated version of some of Huyen's and my documents. My favorite thing so far has been Huyen's birth certificate which lists her parents' occupations as "Farmers." You know what that means: I married the farmer's daughter!

The day after getting our marriage license, I went to the translation office to have it translated since the license was the final document we needed to begin immigration. I showed up at the office before it was open and had to wait a few minutes for some of the staff. Finally someone showed up and took me into the office where it didn't take me long to realize that NOBODY SPOKE ENGLISH! Sure, the translator was not one of the people I talked to but you would have thought that the people working in that office would have picked up a couple of words of English here and there. That said, you would have thought I'd have picked up a lot more Vietnamese than I have. Touche, Ben. Touche.

6 comments:

mom said...

Do you remember what the standardized tests said you would be best at for an occupation - you were a little kid then - we laughed and said you took after grandpa since he loved to work in his garden.

Benjamin said...

Of course I remember! The test said I should have been a farmer. I remember some of the questions were like: Would you rather work inside or outside? Would you rather work with your hands or a computer?

Of course I wanted to work outside and with my hands! I was a 13 year old kid. That said, I often still wish I was a farmer!

Anonymous said...

lol don't her parents run a ceramics shop

Benjamin said...

Yes, they sell ceramics. I guess back in the day they were farmers. Hence my surprise at the translation.

marcus said...

Ben, the occupation on the birth certificate was THAT one when Huyen was born. Got it men?

Huyen said...

You are right, Marcus! Ben just understands it by American way.