Introducing Scott Lao

Hello everyone!

It’s such an honour to be here!

For this blog, I’d like to give a brief introduction about myself with the help of words, pictures, and videos!

Name: Scott Lao
Nationality: Canadian
Ethnicity: Chinese-Vietnamese
Career: English teacher for 10+ years
Hobbies: Photography, cycling, and nunchucks
Marital Status: Married with children

Okay, my article is completed. Thank you for reading.

…just kidding!

Here’s the more in-depth version…

I was born and raised in Winnipeg. However, my parents were born and raised in Vietnam and took refuge here during the Sino-Vietnamese war in 1979. Almost a century before that, my great grandparents were born and raised in China and took refuge in Vietnam during the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

We spoke Vietnamese in the family growing up and learned English at school. After I graduated from high school, I decided to move to China and learn about the ancestral roots. That journey lasted from 2008 to 2023. I spent the first year learning Mandarin Chinese, the next four years enrolled in a Bachelor’s program, and the remaining decade building my career as an English teacher.

My wife, son, dog, and I moved back to Canada in the summer of 2023. By name, I’m a ‘returning resident’; but I feel more like a newcomer here. I didn’t know much of Winnipeg aside from my school and friends before I started a new life abroad. Therefore, I get to experience many things for the first time with the fellow Heartlanders (students) when we go on the weekly activities/field trips.

Going back in time to 2005, when I was still in high school, I was nominated the “school’s photographer” and responsible for making the yearbooks. I carry this self-appointed role here at Heartland as well. When I try to think about my time as a student in China, I’d always feel a small pang of guilt that there wasn’t enough effort spent on documenting everything.

Well, it’s never too late, right?

Thanks for tuning in to my life, everone!
I hope to have the chance to know a little bit more about your life as well!

Catch ya later!

Sincerely,
Scott Lao