By Huyen Vu
The Guide
Hanoi, Vietnam
Hosted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

I stared at the screen and was not able to decide what to write about in the two-page essay. Two pages. What to include? What to leave out? After almost six months immersing myself in American society and journalism, I had lived and learned more than what two pages of text can describe.

From the blank screen, first days of my life as a visiting journalist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cam vividly back to me.

I remembered being driven to pick up the bike by two women. It felt like it had just happened yesterday and they were still there, pulling the bike out of the garage, dusting it off , pumping up the tires and lowering the seat so that it fit me.

The women were Lillian Thomas and Mackenzie Carpenter, who played the biggest part in my whole fellowship. They were there for me, rain or shine, at work or in my personal life, when I was in need of story ideas, when I had trouble with my sources, when I was sick, or when I felt lonely…

Then there was Eleanor Chute, my ‘neighbor' in my host newsroom, who was my live encyclopedia and who would go way beyond what is expected to help young reporters like me.

And I still can't explain why Mike Elek, the web editor, was so kind to me. He would help me with putting a picture on the web, repairing an MP3 player, and backing up my laptop. Almost everyone in my new workplace helped me or could have helped me. In that friendly environment, I really made way. By now, I have learned to speak English non-stop. I have had enough confidence to pick up the phone, set a interview appointment with my sources. I have been able to finish a story within a single day, without struggling too much with the vocabulary, verbs, and idioms.

I had achieved one of my biggest goals.

Perhaps for me democracy was right there, in the newsroom, where editors were not some supernatural power who were entitled to make a mess of my stories and get away with it. It happened more than once when my editors edited me and got me wrong. But there they were, all ears to my complaints and explanations. The result was that together we made more accurate, more readable stories. From my editors I had learned to keep my stories coherent, to try to make every detail relevant, to get every word to mean something. More often than not, the stories were kicked between my editors many times before they finally made it into the paper.

An interesting thing I discovered there was the editors are able to apologize if they make a mistake. And I had learned that almost any problem can be resolved by talking about it. I’ve gotten to really believe in the power of explanation and discussion.

I had been able to live the memorable, enjoyable moments in Pittsburgh despite all the struggle to keep myself afloat in the flood of the culture shock, of the language barrier, of the handicap caused by the lack of essential facilities, typical of a short-term expat’s life.

If the fellowship were just for me, I was done. But there will emerge other obstacles when I get back to home newsroom. The new struggle begins with the question "How to transfer the knowledge?"

After all, I was a fellow to the people at my host newsroom and I will be a fellow to the people in my home newsroom. I am not on any level higher than anyone. I even hate the idea of teaching my colleagues, given that they, those very proud journalists, might not be willing to “learn” from me. After all, I am only in my very early journalistic career with no degree in journalism.

I want to share, and I am supposed to share what I have learned. I like the word “share”, it’s unselfish and modest. Mutual respect and equality are the values I appreciate and want to pursue.

Now share how?

I have no doubt about my supervisors’ willingness to employ my new skills and knowledge. After all, both my deputy editor-in-chief and my managing editor, those I will directly work with, have western education and training. My managing editor even got a Friendly fellowship.

Talking them into having the editors and writers cooperate during the process of editing the story doesn’t sound too difficult. I am confident. I really am.

Returning from a study trip in the Netherlands, my managing editor set up a blog called THE GUIDE. He meant for it to be the place where everyone in the newsroom signed on to learn from one another. For some reason, after two full years, the site remains blank.

In hindsight, I think my managing editor, an idealist, was not consistent.

So I should be. consistent and realistic.

I am going to take over his blog or I am going to create a new one. Whatever, it will be a forum where we will discuss the stories run in our magazine. People like to discuss others' work.

But how to avoid arguments and misunderstandings, and how to spare people from feeling that they are being personally attacked? When there is more than one person invlovled, disagreement can arise (even a singular individual sometimes disagrees with himself).

I believe the issue is resolvable when there is a standard to comply with. American journalism can be the standard.

I remembered the speech I gave to a class of news editing students in Duquesne University lately. As it turned out, I did a good job. I had thrived, both in English and in the skill of giving presentations.

Why don’t I talk to my own folk? A small, friendly gathering sounds completely feasible. I believe my colleagues are curious enough to be interested in my American experience, which most of them don't have any.