ESL Students Bring You the World, Vol. 17 Spring 2017 by bfowler

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2 Dear Reader, Although the students in the English as a Second Language program at South Puget Sound Community College come from all over the world, their common experiences and dedication to learning English bring them together. As teachers, we are honored to have students who are so caring and so interested in learning. We hope you draw as much inspiration from reading their stories as we have. About 120 students from 30 countries have shared their stories and essays here. The contributions are organized alphabetically by country of origin. Student biographies are listed in the About the Authors section at the end of the book. Students of the following ESL instructors contributed to this volume: Heather De Munn Caroline Hobbs Andrea Long Jodi Ruback Emilia Snow Heather Williams Julie Williamson Cover design by Emilia Snow Edited by Heather De Munn A special thanks to Services and Activities Fees for sponsoring this publication. Commenting on the diversity of people and beliefs that make up the United States, former U.S. President (1977-81) and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Jimmy Carter said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic.â&#x20AC;?

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS

BANGLADESH................................................................5 BRAZIL...........................................................................5 CAMBODIA....................................................................7 CHINA............................................................................9 COLOMBIA...................................................................12 COSTA RICA..................................................................12 CUBA…………………………………………………….....................13 ECUADOR.....................................................................14 EL SALVADOR...............................................................14 GHANA…......................................................................15 GUINEA-BISSAU...........................................................16 HONDURAS..................................................................17 INDIA............................................................................17 INDONESIA ..................................................................18 IRAQ.............................................................................19 IRAQI KURDISTAN........................................................19 JAPAN..........................................................................19 MEXICO.......................................................................20 NICARAGUA.................................................................32 PAKISTAN……...............................................................33 PANAMA......................................................................34 PERU............................................................................34 PUERTO RICO...............................................................35 RUSSIA.........................................................................36 SAUDI ARABIA.............................................................37 SOUTH KOREA.............................................................37 THAILAND....................................................................40 UKRAINE......................................................................41 VENEZUELA..................................................................42 VIETNAM......................................................................42 ABOUT THE AUTHORS.................................................51

BANGLADESH / BRAZIL

BANGLADESH A SPECIAL HOLIDAY FROM MY COUNTRY By Antara Bhadara My name is Antara Bhadara. I came from Bangladesh in October, 2016. We celebrate different type of cultural program in Bangladesh. Pahela Baishakh is one of the most prominent among them. This is the first day of Bengali New Year. Generally, it is a national holiday celebrated around April14. Pahela Baishakh is celebrated with traditional festivities across the country. We celebrate the day with many different activities. Almost everybody wears traditional dresses in this day. Our traditional dress is sari for women and Panjabi, dhuti for men. The students of fine arts of Dhaka University (FIA) bring out a colorful procession wearing masks, festoons, posters, placards and sing “eso hey baishakh eso eso”. That means enjoy the first day of the year. In the rural areas a different baishakhi fair is held, people attend all classes in the village. We eat different types of traditional food on that day. We eat panta rice, hilsha fish, and some sweets of our country. It’s a big occasion to all Bengali people. BENGALI NEW YEAR By Sabina Yesmin My name is Sabina Yesmin. I’m from Bangladesh. I miss my Bangali New Year. I eat panta, elias, borta this day in the morning. Many people meet Ramna Botomol. All female wear red and white sari and males wear red and white Panjabi this day. There are different kinds of culture programs on this day. Fairs are held in different areas this day. The first was on 1/1/1415. Small children enjoy this day that means they get tattoo drawings on their face. Village to village enjoys Nobanno Utsob. BRAZIL PLACES TO VISIT IN BRAZIL By Anselmo Cabral Brazil has many very beautiful places to visit. If you want to enjoy the city of Rio de Janeiro, you can visit Tijuca Forest. You can see the big monument Christ the Redeemer. When you stand at the monument, you can see all of Rio de Janeiro City, such as Maracana Stadium and different beautiful beaches. Copacabana is the most famous and popular beach that every visitor likes to visit. Then they enjoy the Brazilian wine “Caipirinha” and music. Or they enjoy the Stone of Gavea. You can fly, and gliding is amazing.

6 These are three very beautiful places to visit in Rio de Janeiro City. If you like to swim, we have Copacabana Beach, or for people who like to walk, we have Tijuca Forest where you can see all Rio de Janeiro City. CUSTOMS ABOUT BRAZIL By Leticia Galindo My name is Leticia. I came to the USA from Brazil in December 2016. I'm living a unique experience of my life where I'm learning a new language and a new culture. Since I arrived here, it was a culture shock. Every day I'm learning new things. However, I would like to share some customs about my country. Brazilian people: yes, we are extremely friendly and receptive especially with foreign people. Hospitality: we like to help people; it is usually common when we eat or drink to offer to another person. Greeting: when we greet each other or say goodbye to someone, it's usual to give a kiss on the face or hugs. We are affectionate. Meals: usually our lunch and dinner have rice and beans and something else like meat and salad. Beer: our beer is totally cold, always we pour our friend's glass before ours. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t touch the food: we usually use fork and knife or napkins even when we eat the food like a simple pizza. Winter: Brazilians dream of knowing the snow because it rarely snows there. Music: Samba is a contagious and cheerful musical style and famous in "Carnival party". Party: we love parties with lots of music food and drink; we enjoy friends and family with a barbecue, birthday party. The night club usually ends at 6:00 a.m. Bars: some bars have table on the sidewalk. It's a great place to spend time with friends. Soccer: we really like soccer. We watch games, go to the stadium and celebrate when the team cheers GOAL! Beaches: it's amazing! The water is warm, of course, and it's the places preferred by tourists. There are some aspects of Brazilian customs that I miss very much of my family, my culture and people. Wherever we go, we will always take with us our cultural and family identity which makes the world so small and interesting.

BRAZIL / CAMBODIA

MISSING MY HOMETOWN By Maikon Sobrinho My name is Maikon Sobrinho. I live in Olympia, Washington with my family. I have four children. My family is very important to me. Before coming to the United States, my family and I lived in Goiania, which is the capital of the state of Goias, in center of Brazil. I miss my city a lot not only because of the climate, but also because of friends, the delicious food, and traditions. Goiania is a beautiful city. The climate is very hot, but I like it. The food of Goiania is delicious. I miss eating “pamonha”, “churrasco” (BBQ), and “panelinha” (rice, beans, chicken, steak, corn and cheese, prepared together). In my country, there are many different good foods, but I think that the foods from my city are the best. Goiania also has a great nightlife. In the evening, you can go to a restaurant with your friends, and after dinner, you can go to a nightclub to dance and drink with them. Goiania also has many traditions. The one that I miss most is the traditional party we have in May. It is called “Peccaries” or the Farm Fair. It is a big party. During the day, there is a lot of entertainment for children. Moreover, at night, there are many activities for adults to enjoy. For example, in the evening adults can go to nightclubs and bars. I cannot wait to visit Goiania with my family. I think that I will visit my city in one or two years. However, going to Brazil is not my goal now. My goal right now is to learn English. After that, I will return home to visit. CAMBODIA MY DIFFERENT LIFE IN CAMBODIA AND UNITED STATES Anonymous I came from Cambodia. I grew up in Battombong. I have a big and beautiful family. There are seven people in my family. I have three sisters and one brother. My mom, two sisters and I are living together in Olympia. Before I moved to the United States, I lived with my second sister and brother in Cambodia. In 2007, I helped my sister sell clothes because she had her own store and needed help after she got married and had two daughters. Two years later, my brother got married. And, after that, he opened his own restaurant. Right now, he has two sons. He has a wonderful family. In 2010, I had my own business in Cambodia. But, I needed to move to the United States that year, so I had to rent my store to someone. My mom sponsored me to come here. After a year, I found a job in the United States. It was very difficult

8 for me because I had to learn a different language, and the weather is very different. But, I love it here - even in the winter. ABOUT MY LIFE IN USA AND MY COUNTRY Anonymous Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m from Cambodia. I have a father, mother, sister and brother in Cambodia. My country have Angkor Wat and it is beautiful. People in my country eat rice with food. They drink water and coffee. I love my country. Now, I live in the USA. I have a good job and good friends. My family likes to live in the USA. I like to live in USA and I like the food, but I very miss my family in my country. MY LIFE Anonymous I was born in Cambodia in 1980. I like America because it is a better life. I am married and have two children. My son is 13 years old and my daughter is 2 years old. THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY By Likar My name is Likar. I am 30 years old. I live in Lacey and I am from Cambodia. I miss my country, my family, food, friends, and my house. I will be happy when I see my mom and brother. I wake up early to go to the store, but there is no more food. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like my city, but I miss my family and all my friends. MY STORY By Mary Rovech My name is Mary and I am an ESL Level 3 student. I am originally from Cambodia. I never went to school growing up in Cambodia. I lived in a small town and it was difficult to get to school. The only schooling I had was home schooling. I came to the United States in 1998, and I never had time to go to school because I had three children and worked a lot. Now, that I have more time free time, I am attending school. While I am going to school, I am also working part-time as a caretaker. I am truly happy to be going to school because it will help me get a new job in the future.

CAMBODIA / CHINA

THE REASON I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES By Sopra Set My name is Sopra. I came to the United States 4 years ago. Now I have one child. His name is Samir. He is 3 years old. I wanted to come to the United States because there is freedom and people follow the law. I am happy to live in the United States. FORTUNE TELLERS By Vannara Vuth Cambodia is a small country. Cambodians are very superstitious. They believe in fortune tellers for a lot of things. They believe before people get married, their parents should go to look for a fortune teller. The parents of both sides believe superstitions can affect their children’s future. For example, if you don’t follow the fortune teller’s advice, they might not live together for long or any kind of business is not successful. So they go to find a fortune teller to get help. The fortune teller will tell them when, where, why, and if they can or cannot get married. People in Cambodia believe many kinds of superstitions. CHINA CHENGDU MY HOMETOWN By Yuanyuan Chen I come from a town in China called ChengDu. There are many things that I like and find interesting about my hometown. But, the things I find most interesting are its daily life and pandas. In ChengDu, people like to enjoy life. In their free time, many people will choose go to shopping or to have tea and eat a snack. After a little relaxation, people are very happy. In the evening, ChengDu becomes a foodie’s heaven. Every street has a lot of yummy food to sell. You will always find something you like. No matter how late it is, you will find groups of people drinking beer in a corner shop. ChengDu is also the panda’s hometown. Pandas are very rare in the world today. This is because only SiChuan has their food, bamboo. ChengDu is the largest city in SiChuan. In ChengDu, there is a Panda Base. The Panda Base uses artificial methods to breed baby pandas. Panda babies are very lovely. They are also very greedy and like to play. But, when they grow up, they don’t like to play. They only like eat, so these pandas get very fat.

10 My hometown is not the most prosperous, but is a great place to live. If you ever visit ChengDu, be sure to sample the wonderful food and visit the Panda Base. A SPECIAL HOLIDAY: CHINESE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL By Yan Dai In China, there is a special holiday. It is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Autumn is the harvest season in China. People have finished the harvest of rice, wheat and vegetables. Most Chinese people think the moon of this time is the most full of the year. The day is the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Most Chinese celebrate on this day. On this day, we will have a big family dinner. We traditionally eat duck, edamames, taros and grapes. The most important thing is that we must eat moon cakes after the dinner. Sometimes we share a huge moon cake as big as a pizza. This is a lot of fun for the kids. But, before the dinner, we have a traditional ceremony. In the moonlight, the grandparents will burn incense for the moon god. We hope the moon god will give us good love, peace and joy. Next, the grandparents go out to any street corner to burn incense for the land god. We hope the land god will give us a good harvest next year. These are traditional ceremonies that are unique to this holiday. Finally, we have a lot of activities. We hang lanterns in front of the door. Our grandfathers tell a legend about the goddess of the moon and the white rabbit. Sometimes family members recite old Chinese poems about the moon. Of course a lot of people like to watch the Mid-Autumn Festival show on TV. So, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is a holiday about thankfulness, happiness and love. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a romantic cultural holiday. We love it! MY STORY By Jessica Orwall Hello. My name is Jessica. I was born in Nanning, China. I moved to the United States in 2006. We moved to Seattle that year. This is where I got married to my husband. We moved to Lacey in 2014. We really like it here very much. I like to go shopping and visit gardens. I really like to work in my garden. I enjoy a sunny day. I started going to school to learn English. I began school in 2015. I do not work right now. I would like to volunteer at the library.

CHINA

BUTTERFLY LOVERS By Lily Xu Today, I’ll tell you a famous legend of China. It is a love story. In the Eastern Dynasty, there was a beautiful girl named Zhu Yingtai. She dressed as a boy so that she could be a student. She had a classmate, Liang Shanbo. They became good friends. Later, she fell in love with Liang Shanbo, but Shanbo didn’t know she was actually a girl. After three years, they graduated and left the school. Liang Shanbo saw her off. On the way back, Zhu Yingtai tried to hint to him that she was really a girl, but he didn’t catch her hints. Finally, Zhu Yingtai had to tell him that she had a 9th sister. She invited him to her home to marry her 9th sister. She hoped that Liang would realize she was the 9th sister. Months later, Liang Shangbo went to Zhu’s family. He discovered a beautiful girl when he walked in. He regretted not knowing the truth earlier. He was surprised and happy. Then he asked Zhu Yingtai’s parents for a marriage with Yingtai. In those days, most people preferred a rich person to a poor one. So Zhu Yingtai’s parents refused him. Zhu Yingtai was very sad and left. Soon after that, Yingtai’s parents arranged a marriage for her to Ma WenCai. Yingtai’s heart broke. She was sick in bed for a long time. Liang Shanbo heard of this bad news. He was also seriously sick and died. He was buried on the road near Yingtai's home. Yingtai was very sad, but she had no choice. On the day of her wedding, she was sent to Ma WenCai's home. When she got to Liang Shanbo's grave, she stopped and cried loudly for a long time. Suddenly, the grave broke open, and Yingtai threw herself into the grave. Later, a pair of beautiful butterflies flew away from the grave. This story spread in many places. People talked about the story. They were touched. They said the butterflies must be Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. From then on, these lovers could live together and never be separated again. This love story expresses a wish that lovers may be together forever. I MISS MY COUNTRY’S OLD HOUSE By Ai Yang In April 2017 my parents went to China for our house demolition. The house is four floors. Once three generations (my parents, younger sister, younger brother, my husband, and daughter) lived in it. All of my growing up happened there from the time I was a child to a young adult to when I got married. It was my first child’s birthplace. Her name is Yi Ting which is very symbolic because the old house is located in Ting jian. The pronunciation is the same as my daughter’s name. The Yi in

12 her name means memories. Now my parents moved the furniture, clothes, dishes, bowls, and tables. Everything was cleaned out in just two days. I said goodbye to my old house 16 years ago when I left my country. It is so sad. The perfect old house, I will miss you forever. I hope I can have a new dream house in the U.S. LIANGPI By Rong Zhou I came to the America two years ago. I moved here from Xi’an province in China. Xi’an is an ancient city and it has a long history. One of things Xi’an is known for is its food. One of the most well-known dishes is called Liangpi. It is one of the favorite traditional meals in Xi’an. And, it is one of the things that I miss the most about hometown. When you are tired or in a bad mood, if you eat a bowl of Liangpi, you will immediately feel better. So, sometimes missing a place may just be something that is very small and very unique! COLOMBIA BLACK AND WHITE CARNIVAL Anonymous Black and White Carnival is January 5 and January 6. It is very interesting and fun. It’s a different culture. The 5th is the color black. All people paint their faces and they put on old clothes because it’s clothes to paint. January 6 is a day of white day. All people use white paint and talc. Also on this day there is a lot of food. There are drunk people. There are floats. These days are to enjoy with friends and family. The most important thing is that it unites a region. COSTA RICA TRAVELED By Walter Nieto I bought a ticket to travel to Patagonia. It's a really nice place. Before I arrived in Patagonia, I made plans because I needed to be sure of the place where my dad was going to arrive. I had the itinerary of my whole trip. When everything was ready, I brought all the information with me like mom's address, name of the hotel and name of the manager and phone number. The time came and I arrived in Patagona. My first stops were San Martin de los Andes, Bariloche, El Bolson, but Patagonia has many

CHINA / COLOMBIA / COSTA RICA / CUBA

beautiful places and it also has very cold weather. You can see whales, sea lions, dolphins, penguins around. I enjoyed my stay in Patagonia. That's why I bought a ticket to travel to Argentina. CUBA CUBAN CULTURE AND SOME TRADITIONS By Michael Beaton Cuba is known worldwide as the pearl of the Caribbean. Its culture is diverse, complex, and truly fascinating. Multiple different influences throughout its history from Europe, Africa and Asia have given to the Cuban culture a universal dimension, producing a particular national identity. The Spanish colony brought traditions from different regions including the Canary Islands and Galicia, and with the growing economy came the black slaves from different regions of Africa and some merchants from Asia, especially China and Japan. Cuba is a land of great beauty, and it also has a great people who are warm and hospitable despite the economic difficulties of recent years. The Cuban culture has been rich in artists in all cultural genres: literature, poetry, music and dance. But the culture of Cuba is especially known for its music. Music is an important element of Cuban society, and the traditional styles are still popular and influential. Cuba is a country full of music, poetry, singing, dancing and conversation. People still have time to talk with visitors and welcome them. Cuba has managed to retain its past while continuing to progress. Visiting Cuba is like traveling back in time to the 19th and 20th centuries. The architecture of the buildings, the cities, the streets and the vintage cars make you feel a relaxed atmosphere and a life without haste. Family life is very important for Cubans. We meet and greet often; we communicate very personally, and it is very important to have face-to-face contact very often. In the center of all family meetings is the food, an element that expresses a sense of hospitality in every family. The Cuban culture invites you to discover its roots and live an adventure that will give you an experience amongst tobacco, rum, hospitality and good som music accompanied by such musicians of international reputation as Buena Vista Social Club, or good jazz with Chucho Valdes.

14 ECUADOR BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN ECUADOR By Desiree Preciado Ecuador is a beautiful country to visit because of its variety. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll start talking about the coast, the place where I born. There are beautiful beaches like Salinas, Ballenita, Playas, etc. The typical food there is the sea food. Most of the time the weather is sunny. Guayaquil is 1 or 2 hours from the beaches. On holidays, people visit the beaches and rest all their vacation with their family. The highlands are too far from the coast. Both are two opposite poles. The highlands weather is cold. High in the Andes, Quito, the capital of Ecuador, there are many colonial architecture and it is the largest historic center in South America. The Amazon is another excellent place to visit because of its forest and antique culture. Galapagos Island is a famous island where many tourist around the word want to go. There exist a variety of animals and the beaches are beautiful. Given these points, Ecuador is a good place to go sightseeing because of its amazing places and variety. EL SALVADOR MY MOVE TO THE U.S. Anonymous I came to the U.S. to get a better life and to reunite with my family. My goals are learning English and graduating as a nurse. I love to help people. I would like to practice my nursing skills. It would be a great experience for me as different fields of study are new knowledge. Those are some of the reasons why I moved to the U.S. I would like to see my mother and father proud to see me achieve my goals. I still have a long way to go, but one day I will get it. MY COUNTRY AND FAMILY By Orlando Leonor Hi. My name is Orlando Leonor. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m from El Salvador. In my country the Day of the Dead is November 2. Typical food is pupusas. It is a religious holiday and a superstition in my country. It has many tourist places. My country has many beaches. I have family in my country, my sister, grandmother, cousin and uncles.

ECUADOR / EL SALVADOR / GHANA

THINGS I MISS ABOUT EL SALVADOR By Reyna Membreno Hello! My name is Reyna. I am from El Salvador. I have lived in Lacey for nine years. I really like Lacey. I think this is a nice place to live. I feel happy to be here although sometimes I miss my country. I miss the food and the weather. Where I come from the weather is very warm. El Salvador is a really nice place to visit. I hope very soon to go to visit all those places I really miss. MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY By Sandra Munoz Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a cook at Happy Teriyaki. My family lives in El Salvador. I like to drink coffee. My sister likes to listen music. My daughter lives in El Salvador. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nine years old. Her name is Genesis. I like going to church on Sundays. I also like to watch TV. MY FAMILY By Delmy Trinidad My daughter is a teacher. My husband likes to live in the USA. He works in the military. GHANA WHY I CAME TO THE US By Gladys Brimah The main reason I came to the United States was because of my mother. My mother moved to the US in 1992. It was a difficult time for her, my brothers, and me. Leaving her children behind and having to travel to a new country was emotional. She knew it was for the betterment of her family. She worked hard and did everything she could so that we would be with her. I was the first one that she brought. I was very happy when I was told that I would be coming to her in the US. I was also sad because my brothers were not coming with me. Our mother assured us that she was working to secure visas for all of us to come to the US. Well, it did not work out that way. I was the only one that got it. The day came for me to fly to the US. It felt like I was living in two different worlds. I was nervous and happy at the same time. It was my first time getting into an airplane. When I stepped inside the airplane, I could feel the cool temperature. In fact, I was surprised that meals were served on board. I was relieved to find out that

16 there was a bathroom. I was curious to see the inside of an airplane because I had this idea in my head that the passengers would be hanging in a weird way inside the plane. To my surprise, there were seats for the passengers to sit in comfortably. I was even more surprised to discover that there was a television that we could watch. The trip was about 12 to 13 hours to New York. We arrived at JFK international airport. It was a January morning and it was snowing. I didn't know what it was, but it was too cold for me. I was hoping that when we got out of the airplane I would see my mother, but it was going to take me a while to see her. I started to wonder if I was at the right place, if my mother knew where I was. I was going through all these emotions and at the same time I had to answer some questions from the immigration officer. Finally, I got out and there she was, my mother. She had a jacket for me and she was very happy to see me and I was happy to see her. We hugged and went home. That was how I ended up in the United States. GUINEA-BISSAU DREAM OF UNIVERSITY GRADUATION By Ussumane Nharia My name is Ussumane Nharia, I have been living here in Lacey, Washington for one year. I came to the United States looking for new opportunities. I am originally from Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. And, my dream is to attend a university and graduate with a degree in computer and system administration. This is the story of how I came to the United States. In October of 2006, I left Guinea-Bissau and I emigrated to Cape Verde. I left my home because there were many difficulties in my country. I came from a poor family and my mother did not have the resources to pay for my schooling. I found a job and intended to study at a high school and get my diploma. I started to study, in Cape Verde, but I had to stop because I had leave work one hour early to go to school, and my boss did not like that. I had to drop out of school because I lived far from my work. I lived in Cape Verde for 10 years. Then I decided that I needed to get my education, and chose to move to the United States. I knew that I needed to learn more English to go to school. And, that motivated me to take ESL classes. I want to learn English quickly so that I can continue to study, and earn my degree.

GUINEA-BISSAU / HONDURAS / INDIA

HONDURAS MY LIFE IN THE USA By Exequiel Alvarenga I live in Lacey. I work in construction. I like the parks in Olympia. I like Lacey. I don’t like work. My family lives in the USA. My father and my sister don’t work. My brother and my sister like work. INDIA HISTORICAL PLACES IN MY COUNTRY By Attar Kaur I am from India. India has 29 states, but my state is Punjab. My city name is Pathankot. India has very historical places. Our country has Kashmir Valley, Taj Mahal, the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, Qutub Minar, the India Gate, and Jaipur (the “Pink City”). There is a Golden Temple in Amritsar and we went there every Sunday. I have three children. My family is in the USA. BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN MY HOME COUNTRY By Yudhvir Saini India has a very rich culture and has evolved from thousands of year old civilization. Therefore, there are many historical places to visit. I will tell you the roadmap by which you can visit many places in less time in a sequence from north to south and west to east. In the north, there is Kashmir Valley which is called "heaven on earth". Then you can also visit Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine (the Goddess of Hindus) in Jammu and Kashmir State. In Punjab you can visit Golden Temple and Durgiana Mandir sin Amristar which are the shrines of Sikhs and Hindus as well. In Rajastan, the adjoining the state of Punjub, you can visit Pink City named Jaipar Dargah in Ajmer. Then you can also visit the next state, Uttar Pradesh where Ganga Ghats are very famous in Banaras (Varanasi) City. Also, you can see one of the Seven Wonders of the World which is Taj Mahal at Agra which was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved Mumtaz Begum. In Delhi, the capital of India, you can visit Lal Kila, Qutab Minar and India Gate as well. In Maharastra state, you can see Caves of Ajanta and Ellora which are ten thousand years old. In Bombay, you can visit the Gateway of India and beaches like Marine Drive and the oldest railway station that is Church Gate. Also, in the South, you can visit Nanded Sahib where the last tenth Guru of Sikhs Guru Goind Singh took

18 his last breath. Also, you can see Shirdi Sai Baba Temple. The Great Archeological temple of Tirupati is of great importance. In the South, you can also visit Ramesh warm in Tamil Nadu the great temple of Hindus. In the East, you can visit Kolkata, also called Calcutta, where Howrah Bridge is the great monument of engineering. Also in Calcutta, you can visit Victoria Garden, Eden Garden and trams in Calcutta are unique. Calcutta is also called "City of Joys". Finally, you can see beautiful Tea Gardens and natural beauty in Darjeeling the hill station of the west Bengal States. India is a great country with different seasons, cultures, religions, castes and creeds. INDONESIA MY FIRST FLIGHT By Ningsih Boswell My first flight happened when I was 25 years old. One week before my flight, I was very nervous and worried because I thought, "What can I do inside the airplane for 8 hours until it lands?" The other thought was, "What would happen if my airplane crashed?" I couldn't sleep well for the whole week. The day came for me to say goodbye to my parents, my siblings, and my friends. I arrived at the airport with my siblings. At that time my mom wouldn't go to the airport because she couldn't see me go far away by myself without any experience about taking an airplane before. I didn't know what I had to do first, so I asked the information desk. Then they told me that I had to find my airplane counter first to drop off my luggage and to get my boarding pass. After I got everything, I had to go to customs to check my passport. I was sweating and very annoyed because there was a long line and it was too crowded. When I got it back, I had to find the gate. I really didn't know what was in my mind because I just felt numb and followed whatever they told me at the time. I had never gone to the airport or gotten on an airplane before, so everything was a new to me. In conclusion, because of the experience, now I feel very comfortable when I have to travel and take an airplane by myself.

IRAQ

INDONESIA / IRAQ / IRAQI KURDISTAN / JAPAN

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY By Maha Al-Gburi My name is Maha Al-Gburi. I live in Lacey, WA. I began to yearn for my family and friends. At the same time I longed for my home, my room, and my things. I miss my mother and father and my brothers and sisters. I cannot explain how much I yearn for my little sister. I call my family every day but this connection does not fill my need for communication with them. And how said I am not to attend my childhood friend’s wedding, as I miss her so much. I also long for my country’s food and long for evening and barbecue with my relatives. And finally, I miss my work and my car. IRAQI KURDISTAN WOMEN IN KURDISTAN AND THE U.S. Anonymous I’m from the north of Iraq, the Kurdistan region. I speak Kurdish. I moved to the USA in 2010. The first 3 months I went through a hard time because I was missing my family and my friends and everything was so different, especially for the women because personal decisions are made by your family like marriage, studying or any other things that a person really likes. Every single decision is based on how others will feel and on whether it’s culturally accepted or not. Therefore, most of the time you will not get and do what you like. Basically, you are living for others. In comparison, here in the US, life is simply much better because every decision is based on logic and facts. I wish one day people, especially women, can make their own decisions in their life to freely choose what they like to do and have an extraordinary experience of living. JAPAN THINGS ABOUT AMERICA THAT I LIKE Anonymous I enjoy knowing the differences between Japanese and American culture and lifestyles. And I like openhearted atmosphere of The United States. When I go to the grocery stores I can find the different things easy. There are big sizes, such as drink packages, meats and ice cream. There are a lot of spices, dairy free items, a lot of

20 greeting cards and colorful things. At the cash register they say, “How are you today?”, “Have a good day.” I like these daily greetings very much. I feel good. My daughter got excited after we came here in Olympia, despite not understanding English. She also enjoys these differences. And she likes her friends and teachers who accept her. And she begins to change little by little. I think America boosts our spirit and challenges. America has this atmosphere. BLUE CAVE By Yuriko Syphard Have you ever tried scuba diving or snorkeling in the sea? I recommend you try scuba diving or snorkeling in my home country. My home country is Okinawa, Japan; the ocean surrounds Okinawa Island. Okinawa has beautiful emerald oceans and white sand. My top recommendation when visiting my home country to try is try scuba diving or snorkeling at the “blue cave.” When you hear cave, you might think dark, deep or scary, but it is not true. The cave was made from corrosion of the seawater. We call it blue cave because the sunlight reflects on the bottom of the sea. This view passes through the whole sea, which makes the cave an amazing clear blue. You will get a great experience from nature. Scuba diving is a fun activity. When you dive in the cave you will see thousands of different kinds of tropical fish with clear blue water everywhere. The natural light makes the cave a beautiful and clear blue with ocean water. You feel like a mermaid under the water, or like flying in the sky. You can float in the sea too. For sure, the seawater is cold, but the amazing panoramic view makes you forget about it. You will enjoy the cave in the summer, and you will be surrounded by ocean. Blue cave is a fantastic, magical and mysterious place. You will be healed with awesome beautiful clear water in my hometown. MEXICO LEARNING ENGLISH By Rose A.D. About fifteen years ago I started to study English in a private school while living in Mexico. Everything seemed good at first. Class started out with a good teacher, but then they changed that teacher for another. The newer one arrived late or not at all. He was not responsible at work and did not speak to the students who were women. He did not answer questions. He would only talk to the men about subjects

JAPAN / MEXICO

unrelated to the class. I dropped out halfway through the six months because I wasn’t learning anything. I came to live in the United States ten months ago and enrolled at SPSCC. Everything here is different. It’s well organized. The teachers are friendly, attentive and punctual. I love studying here and enjoy every class. I’ve met people here from different countries and have learned many things. There is gender equality here and I can express myself freely. MEXICO AND USA By Martha Alvarado I’m from Mexico. I speak Spanish. In Mexico, people eat pozole, tacos, tamales, quesadilla, and grilled beef. They drink soda, fruit water, beer and tequila. My family likes shopping. They like to play soccer, go for a walk, to run and to swim. MISSING MY LIFE IN MEXICO By Silvia Arredondo I am Silvia Arredondo. I am Mexican. I arrived in the United States three and a half years ago. What I miss most is my family and Mexican food. I miss the activities of the Christian Church. And my work. I worked as an accountant and administrator at a high school. I hope to return someday, and the first thing I will do is eat a delicious corn with chile and cheese with my sister and my mom. And sit down to live with my nephews and family. Meanwhile I thank God for allowing me to know the North American culture. The state of Washington is very beautiful. And the people are very nice and kind. MY HISTORY By Rafael Arthur-Lopez I’m from Mexico and my favorite food is chiles rellenos. In Michoacan, people eat tamales, pozole and mole de pollo. I am now living in the city of Lacey, Washington. I work for McDonalds. I like to go shopping and travel. I have a cousin in Vancouver, Washington. He has four children and the wife takes care of the children. My cousin works painting houses and offices. Of my family, I only have my brother who lives in the state of Texas.

22 MY EXPERIENCE IN THE US By Alonso Cabrera I must say that my experience by now in the US has been harder than I expected. I came to the US to learn more English and practice my spelling, and also to find a job and get some extra money and experience. I'm living with my aunt and uncle and two little cousins. Luckily for me, I found a job near my house so I can ride my bike to get there. I'm a dishwasher at the Mexican restaurant "Mayan" in Lacey. At first it was hard for me, everything was heavy and I got tired quickly. But now I feel strong and I can handle everything perfectly. Then I tried to join the high shool, but I was way too old. Instead, they recommended me to take the ESL test and start to take classes at the college. I felt really lucky because the classes were in the morning so it didn't interfere with the job. So I wake up every morning and walk 30 minutes to get the bus from Lacey to get to Downtown Olympia and then to SPSCC. And of course I must say that it has ben kind of hard for me to handle the homework because of my job, but I'm doing my best. By now everything sounds just fine like some average life, but last week that my grandather died after a big operation on his back. I felt terrible because I was far away from home while I felt that I needed to be with my family. It was hard for sure. I was working when I got the notice, and I didn't even have time to cry. After talking with my dad we agreed that the best thing for me was to continue with my adventure and support my aunt and cousins. And right now a cousin from Sonora told me that the doctors detected cancer in my other grandfather's stomach and he is really sick. I just feel afraid that the same thing will happen again without me there to help or support my family. BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN MY HOME COUNTRY By Enrique Chaivez Torres My home country Mexico is a big country and has beautiful places to visit. Here are some cities and beaches you need to know if you want to visit Mexico. Five top cities in Mexico are Monterrey and Tijuana in the north, and Mexico City, Guadalajara and Guanajuato in central and south Mexico. They have nice restaurants and places to visit with your family. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food to enjoy and places to go out at night. Here are five top beaches in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan. There you have nice places to go swimming, lay in the sun, have a fun time, skim board and go diving. I have written about places and

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beaches in Mexico, but there are many more things in my home country. The main think you’ll find is the people are nice and you will have a nice time. The REASON I CAME TO THE USA By Daniel Colin Hola! My name is Daniel Colin. I am from a small town in Mexico called Santiago Tianguistenco. My mom and sisters still live in this town. I have three older brothers and they now lived in Alabama. I am the youngest kid in my family and when I was old enough I wanted to come with my brother. When I was 20 years old, I moved to the USA. I lived in Alabama with my brothers and best friend for many years. I was able to work and save money to help my mom and sisters. Now, I live in Olympia, Washington. I have lived here for 5 years. I have a good job, and lots of friends. What I like most about living in the Pacific Northwest is that there is always something interesting to do or learn. I get to see things I wouldn’t have ever thought I could see. One of my favorite hobbies is to explore this state and hike. It is peaceful and the final part of the hike is always beautiful. I enjoy living here because I have built a good life. WHY SHOULD YOU VISIT MY HOME COUNTRY? By Dalia Diaz Hi, my name is Dalia. I from Oaxaca, which is a state of Mexico. This state is beautiful and I want to talk to you about some reasons why you should visit Oaxaca. First, we have delicious food and beautiful places. The most popular foods are Tlayuda, 7 different types of mole, quesadillas, tamales, caldo de piedra, and chapulines. We also have popular drinks too like Tejate, Mezcal and hot chocolate. Oaxaca has 8 regions, but each one has a different culture and language other than Spanish. The most popular places to visit are Hierve el Agua, Monte Alban, Templo de Santo Domingo, el Tule, Huatulco, Puerto Escondido, la cathedral and more. If you visit Oaxaca, believe me, you will not regret it because the people are very friendly. “LA PLANCHADA” OR “THE VISITING NURSE” By Javier Filerio Eulalia was a nurse of the Juarez hospital in México City. She fell in love with a young and handsome doctor. Before they got married, the doctor abandoned her, and she fell into depression and died. After a while a mysterious nurse in very old clothes attended the patients at dawn. Patients and hospital staff say they have seen her in hospital corridors.

24 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “5 DE MAYO” AND SEPTEMBER 16TH IN MEXICO By Seleny Filerio September 16th is Independence Day in Mexico. It is the most important celebration in my country. In the U.S., some people think that “5 de Mayo” is the independence of Mexico, but it is not. 5 de Mayo is a holiday in Mexico. On 5 de Mayo, Mexican people do not work, there is no school, and the main street in the cities just have parades this day, because it was when the Mexican soldiers won against the French soldiers in Puebla city in 1862. This holiday the Mexican people know as “La Batalla de Puebla.” On the other hand, September 16th is the most anticipated holiday in the year for the Mexican people, because there is also no work, no school and the cities of Mexico have parades, fireworks, and parties. It is a very fun day, and a holiday! MISSING MEXICO By Angel Flores My name is Angel Flores and I came from Mexico 8 years ago. I came for better work and to learn new skills and English. I miss my family. I call home often and Facebook with my brothers. It is hard not to hear Spanish every day. I also miss the religious holidays when we do not work. My family in Mexico did not work Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday before Easter Sunday, but I had to work while my family relaxed and ate together. For all that I miss from Mexico, working and learning in the U.S.A for a better future is worth it. OAXACA – LA GUELAGUETZA By Cristel Garcia I am from Oaxaca, a state in southwest Mexico. Oaxaca is a beautiful state that has a lot of tourism and excellent foods. One of the most important celebrations of the state is the Guelaguetza. The Guelaguetza or Lunes del Cerro is a celebration that takes place in Oaxaca de Juárez, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is part of the popular culture of the Virgen del Carmen. In this celebration, folk groups from the eight regions of the state: Costa, Cañada, Tuxtepec, Mixteca, Sierra Sur, Sierra Norte, Valles Centrales and Istmo.come together to celebrate this traditional festival. Each region sends a delegation that presents a sample of their culture through dances, interpreted to the sound of music and songs that are their own. They also showcase their foods, crafts and traditional festivals. The Guelaguetza is celebrated the two Mondays following the sixteenth of July every year. The celebration lasts for about eight days. In this celebration, there is much joy, celebration, dance, music and food. If you ever visit Oaxaca, you should see this festival.

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MUSICIAN By Wilfrido Gaspar Before I came to the U.S., I was a musician for 7 years and I really enjoyed it very much. It was fun to work as a musician. I played clarinet in a band with 17 people. We were all family, cousins and uncles. We played at weddings, parties, christenings, birthdays and funerals. We traveled to a lot of places all the time. I learned new cultures or traditions in the different regions and I met new people. I lived for 20 years in Michoacan, Mexico with my family. MY LIFE IN AMERICA By Irene Gomez The reason I came to America was to give my family a better life. I did not want my children to be hungry and I wanted to give them a better education. It was difficult when I first arrived because I absolutely did not understand English and because of that reason I did not want to come out of my house. I was all alone. At the time there were little to no Spanish-speaking people so I had no one to talk to. But now I am taking ESL and I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be much happier. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN MEXICO By Betty Gonzalez Mexico has a great variety of beautiful beaches with a great diversity of ecosystems, from the jungles of the Rivera Maya to a part like the desert. Cancun is a very famous touristic place, especially for the beautiful beaches. In the day, you can visit several places depending on what you like: museums, lakes, hotels, park, nightclubs and restaurants. But you mostly enjoy the wonderful weather, beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Other beaches that are in the Mexican Caribbean include Rivera Maya, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Playa Mamitas. There are some islands near Cancun: Women Island and Cazumel. Other beaches that are in the Pacific are Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabos and Nuevo Vallarta. DESSERT BIONICOS By Christian Gutierrez I am from Mexico. I have lived in Lacey, Washington for 2 years. One of foods I like to eat is Bionicos. I think they are really good. Bionico is a popular Mexican dessert that originated in the city of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico in the early 1990s. It is essentially a fruit salad consisting of a variety of fruits chopped up into small cubes, drenched with cream and topped off with granola, shredded coconut, raisins and

26 sometimes honey. Any kind of fruit can be used, but it is most commonly made with papaya, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, apples and banana. Bionicos is very easy to make. And, I encourage you to try it. I am sure you will like it as much as I do. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MY HOME COUNTRY AND THE US. By Efrain Hernandez When I arrived in the United States, I began to notice the differences. Like the food that has another taste and the communication with people. In my country there were not problems because we all speak the same language. Being here I have to go to school to learn English to make my communication easier. In my country there is not much work like here in the US. But there are many tourist places to visit. I like it here because you can make money working every day, and I like my country because all my family is there and some of my friends. MY LIFE By Leo I am from Mexico. I lived in the city Zacatecas and worked in the fields working the land. I sowed corn and beans and helped my father feed the animals. That’s why I miss my country. But I had to come to the United States with the dream of working and helping my family. I think it was very good. But I forgot something very important for a very good future – to go to school to learn English – and now that’s why I’m here. MY FAMILY By Angeles Maldonado My name is Angeles I live here in Olympia. I have three children. I was born in Mexico. I have been living here for eleven years. It is a bit sad to live alone here with no family. The rest of my family lives in Mexico. My family is very cheerful, and they like to live together in Mexico. I miss seeing my seven brothers. My family is very close and though sometimes we have different opinions. But, no matter what happens and how much we disagree, we are family. I think my family is the best. I value them very much and don’t like living so far away from them. BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN MY HOME COUNTRY By Marcia Mexico has nice, different, and interesting places to visit where we can see the culture, traditions, and costumes of our ancestors.

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My country also offers diverse ecological areas that we can enjoy, explore, and travel to. Some of these places are Mexico City, Guadalajara, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and many more sites. I think it would be interesting to visit other places in my home country than only these four. I like to visit Mexico City and Guadalajara, the two biggest cities of my country, many times because when I go I like to see their interesting colonial buildings, museums, and cultural sites that preserve Mexican history. I also have visited Puerto Vallarta, a small city nestled among mountains and the ocean, and some of the things that I enjoy in this region are the fun outdoor activities, music, and delicious cuisine. Even though I have never gone to Cancun, a Caribbean and beautiful place to visit, I have read and watched documentaries informing me that this region offers many nice things to enjoy like the nice white beaches, traditional folk costumes, and much more, but the most interesting thing that one can do is to go and explore the dense Mayan jungles and see their great ruins and pyramids. Like every country around the world, my country has nice, pretty, and interesting regions and places to be visited, so one can learn, enjoy, and share with others. MY LABOR HISTORY By Ofelia Mariscal When I was a child, I never thought I would leave my country. But, when I grew up, I could see a few job opportunities. When I finished high school, I wanted to work, but the employers wanted experience. I was very young and I did not have it. So, I found a job with a Naval Captain, and I came with his family to Washington DC for 1 year. I was a nanny at 18 years old. I liked life in United States, but I had to go back to Mexico. When I returned to Mexico, I enrolled in college, but I only studied for only one year. I had to give it up because I did not have resources to pay for my education. I would have liked to be a Psychologist, but I needed to work to help my family. Thankfully, I found a new job in a big company PepsiCo Internacional Mexico. I worked there for 20 years. While working there, I developed my skills and I learned a lot. I started as a cashier and finished as Executive Assistant, but my life was very stressful. After many problems and seeing the insecurity and danger in our country, my husband and I decided give up to work and begin a new life for daughter in the United States. We like living in the United States, and feel we are blessed to life in this country, even if we have to clean, to cook, or work very hard. I want to learn English because I want to progress and find better jobs opportunities. I think that it is never too late for us to achieve our dreams.

28 MY EDUCATION By Antonia Mendez I have been in ESL Classes for seven years. Learning English is very important to me because when I first came to the United States, I needed to learn English to get a job to support my family. English is a big part of my life for many reasons. I am thankful for my teachers who helped me. English is difficult to learn but I look forward to receiving my GED and possibly going to college. LIFE IN MEXICO By Patricia Parra I’m from Mexico. I speak Spanish. In Mexico, people eat carne asada, tamales, menudo, posole and chimichangas. They drink bacanora, tequila and champurrado. My favorite food is sushi. People like to dance, go to the beach, camping and shopping. Now, I live in Lacey. I’m a student and work. I like the weather and the city. I like that people always smile. My family lives in Mexico. TRAVELING TO MEXICO CITY By Anabel Penaloza I'm excited because I'm going to travel to Mexico City in the summer. I have lived for seven years here in the United States and I have not seen my family for all this time. They will meet my son and we will meet the new nephews! That is the main purpose of our future trip to Mexico City. We will also go to the typical places where they sell food from the region. The food is very good and places where they bring me memories of my childhood. I will also meet new people. It will be interesting to return to Mexico. MY EXPERIENCE AS AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER By Edgardo Perez I came to the United States in 1988. I was 18 years old and I did not know any English and I did not understand either. I started to work in a hotel in Los Angeles, California but everyone spoke Spanish and I did not learn any English. I worked there for 20 years. Later I moved to Olympia, WA and started learning English at work. It’s difficult, so that’s why I came to take English classes her in Olympia. More English is spoken here.

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MY LIFE IN WASHINGTON By Cipriano Romo I live in Olympia, Washington. I work in construction. My wife and son live in Olympia. My family live in Mexico. I like Washington very much. I like Mount Rainier. CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION By Irma Romo I am from Mexico. Christmas celebration is very special for Catholic people because we remember when baby Jesus born. In my family we pray the rosary and in the morning we go to church for mass. Jesus is placed in the altar until January 6. I make tamales, pozoles, atole, and buñuels for dinner and fruit punch. Together we pray in this celebration. MY LIFE IN THE USA By Maria T. Ruiz I came to the US many years ago. I came to this country because I got married. I lived in Guadalajara. I was a nurse and I worked in a hospital. When I came here it was like starting over again because they spoke a different language and had a different culture. It was hard away from my family, friends and my work. I missed them. Today I feel happy with my husband and my four daughters. I’m going to ESL class. I learn about grammar and how to speak English. I want to go to college because I would like to do what I like so much – work in the hospital. It is never too late to learn English. I MISS MY COUNTRY By Francisco Santes Garcia My name is Francisco, and I’m from Mexico. I was born in Mexico. The things I miss so much about my country are the food, my hometown, my friends and the traditions. I like the US so much because it is very pretty and comfortable. I also like it because there are laws that are better than in my country. One reason I came to the US was to get a better life. Another reason I came to the US was to get a better job. The difference between my home country and the US is that there are more people here that have money than in Mexico. A BIT OF ME WHEN I COME TO USA By Pedro Solorio I was born in Michoacan, Mexico, where I live with my parents and four siblings. I started my remarkable journey coming to Olympia, Washington in the Unites States.

30 I then began working on a milking farm and after that I got the opportunity to work as a roofer. I came here for a better life and to send money to my family. When I was in Mexico, I had to leave in the middle of school and get a job to survive and bring some food to my family. Now, I want to finish my ESL program at South Puget Sound Community College to have better opportunities in this beautiful country. MY FAMILY By Yesenia Tejeda Hello, my name is Yesenia Tejeda. I am from Mexico. I came to USA eleven years ago. It was hard to take that decision because I left my family behind. When I came here it changed my life because I came to a country I didn’t know and I didn’t know how to speak English. Now I go to school. It’s very difficult for me but I try to learn and I hope to speak and read very soon. I miss my family. I hope to see my mom very soon. I love her and my sisters. I have three kids. I love them and my husband too. I have two boys and one girl. They are happy here. Now I have best life that was my dream. CANCUN By Mayreli Torres I decided to write about Cancun because I think it is a very beautiful place to visit with your friends or family. Cancun is a Mexican city on the Yucatan Peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea. It is known for its beaches. It is a tropical paradise that remains one of the world’s tourist destinations. If you’re looking for a place with great weather, Cancun is where you want to be. There are significant Maya ruins. There is an archeological park offering attractions such as snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, and cave exploration. MY STORY By Erika Urbina Since I was a little girl, my dad always lived in the United States. One day, he came to visit us and told us that he wanted us to come and live with him in the United States. He was doing very well, and was getting ready to start his own business. He said he needed our help. I was very happy because I have never lived with my dad. I was ten years old when we went to live in Los Angeles, California. When we arrived, he had a very nice apartment. He had everything ready for my mom and me. He took us to many beautiful places. The one that I liked the most was Disneyland. He also bought everything I needed for school. He took me to my first day of school. He kissed me and told me to learn a lot. When I entered my class,

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the teacher was speaking a different Spanish that I did not understand. Two years went by and I did not learn anything. I was confused and not doing well in school. Then one day my mom received a call. My grandma was very sick and we had to go back to Mexico. I was happy. I did not like this school or the kids. Everyone in Mexico was happy to see us. I started school with my friends. They were more advanced than I was, but they supported me and I caught up with them fast. Three years later my grandmother died. And, my dad said we had to go back with him. I cried a lot and I asked them to leave me with my aunt, but my mom said we had to return to the United States to be with my dad. When we returned to the United States, I was sixteen years old and I had to start high school. Everything was worse than the first time. Everyone just looked at me, and they started to annoy me in lunch. I locked myself in the bathroom. I cried a lot and I missed my friends. The next year, everything was different. New students from another school came and talked to me. They told me that I had to learn to speak English. They were going to help me and protect me. But, I had to do everything they said. We were never in school; we were always in different place. My friends had boyfriends, so I started to talk to a boy, too. He was one year older than me. After a few months, he asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. Every day that we were together, and my relationship with my parents was bad. I learned to speak English and I hardly spoke Spanish. I forgot Mexico. I was lost. My parents were always working. And, I was always with my boyfriend. I was eighteen and got pregnant. I was scared and, I did not know what to do. My boyfriend told me he was going to talk to my parents. The next day, we went to talk to them. My mom cried and my dad said there would be no more school for me because my future was over. He said I would have to start to work and we would have to get married. Later that year I gave birth to our little girl. Finding work was not difficult for me because I spoke English. My husband and I have three beautiful daughters. We have dedicated our lives to taking care of them. Ten years ago, the company that my husband works for sent him to Olympia, Washington, which meant we had to move. I was so afraid that my story would repeat itself once again. My husband kept telling me not to be afraid because we would not leave our daughters alone. They all graduated from Capital High School, and two of them graduated from South Puget Sound Community College. My youngest then decided to continue her education and graduated from Washington State University. All of my girls have good jobs and have their own apartments, and none of them is married yet.

32 It was after they graduated that I made the decision to go back and finish school to obtain my GED. I was afraid, but my husband and my daughters have given me their support. This is now my second semester and I have learned a lot. I give thanks to all of the staff at SPSCC who have helped me. I have learned that we can all go back to school, it does not matter how old you are. Good luck to everyone! MY PRESENT LIFE By Jaime Valtierra Hello. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m from Mexcio and speak Spanish. I study at SPSCC in Lacey. My favorite foods are enchiladas, tacos and posole. I have my family in the USA. They live in Olympia. REASON I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES By Maria Vidrio The reason that I decided to come to the United States is because my husband lived here. He made the decision of bringing me because the lack of jobs in Mexico and the few that there were, they were not well paid. Also, we didn't have enough food to feed, dress or use shoes. To have a house was very difficult. I lived with his parents but both of us have a lot of siblings and there was not enough space for a couple and it was very expensive. Also, there is no future for our children as Mexico does not have sufficient resources to help their education. And, especially, I came here because there are so many opportunities in the U.S. as well. BEAUTIFUL PLACES By Adriana Zavala My name is Adriana Zavala. I am from Mexico City. The best place to visit in my country is all the beaches. I love beaches. They are beautiful and warm and the people are friendly. The food has variety can be sweet or salty. The places are lovely and the sunset is something magical. All the tourist beaches are incredible, but the most beautiful beach for me is the Rivera Maya. NICARAGUA A LIFE CHANGING TRIP By Marlon Salamanca I lived in Chinandega, Nicaragua. I become a pastor for the Baptist Church. With my job, I got to meet different people from the United State who came to support

MEXICO / NICARAGUA / PAKISTAN

our churches. In 2010, my wife and I visited the United States for the first time in Boston, invited by Dave and Kay Pulzetty. The trip consisted of preaching in different churches in Boston and Washington State with a visit to my friend in Florida. When we got to Shelton, Washington I found out that the Hispanic church had no pastor. The Elders of the church asked me if I could volunteer as pastor for three months. After some time, they offered to give me the job permanently and bring my family to the United States. This trip had a great impact in our lives because now my family has a better future. PAKISTAN MY STORY By Shakila Begum My name is Shakila. I was born in Peshawar, Pakistan. I came to the United States last year. I am an ESL student at SPSCC. My native language is Pashto and my national language is Urdu. I can write and speak them well. I am taking English courses so I can speak and write well in English, too. .It is important for me to communicate in English because learning English will help me become independent. I will able to make more friends and find new job. I currently work at Ostrym Mushroom farm. I like working there and talking to my coworkers. In my spare time, I cook Pakistani foods and sew my own clothes. In the future, I would like to take more courses, get a degree in education and teach in a school or college. ABOUT ME By Shakira Ibrahim My name is Shakira. I am from Pakistan. Pakistan is located in South Asia, The national language is Urdu, but English is also spoken. There are several other languages spoken in Pakistan, but I speak Urdu and Pushto. I am trying to learn English. I am taking ESL classes at SPSCC to learn how to read, write, and speak English. I live with my family in Tumwater. I enjoy cooking and shopping with my friends. Some of my friends are from China, Mexico, and Vietnam. We have something in common, as we are learning English and cannot speak very well. I also have friends who are American. One day, I like to get a degree in Cosmetology and work in a beauty salon. I want to improve my communication skills so I can find job easily and talk to my friends frequently.

34 PANAMA PANAMA - USA By Elsy Munoz Smith My country is Panama. I’m married in the USA. I live in Olympia, WA. I’m a housekeeper. I like the USA because it is a big country and that the right of the people is respected. Also I like the weather, the streets, supermarket and my home. My family doesn’t like the weather, food and language. My favorite food is chicken, rice, soup and tamales. My favorite drinks are tea, wine and champagne. PERU AMERICANO By Luis Lucano After War World II, a new dish called Americano was born in my city Arequipa. And, this meal became a traditional dish in my city. In Arequipa, our restaurants are called picanteria because of the spice used in the meals and the fact that they are cooked with firewood. Americano was created especially for tourists who were mostly North Americans. This dish has small portions of the best traditional dishes in the state combined on one plate. Depending on the day of the week, the dishes found in Americano are different. Usually, this plate is available only from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Fried pork, potato pie, rice with duck, cuy fried, onion salad, cheese salad, and stuffed hot peppers are the most traditional foods found in this dish. Americano is very famous in my city and tourists often go to picanterias and ask for this dish. THING I MISS ABOUT PERU By Alfredo Ramirez World Famous Machu Pichu. One of the Seven Wonders of the World. Lake Titicaca, the highest in the world. The Amazon River, the longest and mighty of the world. The Nazca lines in Ica. The tomb of the Lord of Sipan (Chimu). Ceramic art by the Mochicas. Food. El Ceviche, arroz con pollo, carapulcra, la causa, frijol and more.

PANAMA / PERU / PUERTO RICO

SPECIAL TRADITIONS FROM MY COUNTRY By Sara Segura In Peru there are many celebrations that are customs. The most important ones are: The procession of the Lord of the Miracles that is celebrated in the month of October. The image of the lord of the miracles leaves in procession with his devout faithful every first of October and also 18-28 and 29 of October. Every July 28 is celebrated the day of the independence of Peru. It is celebrated with a parade of the three armed forces. All the pupils of the schools attend. PUERTO RICO CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS OF MY PUERTO RICO By Maria Casiano Hi, I am Maria Casiano. I am from Puerto Rico. I want to tell you a little about our Christmas traditions. To begin Christmas is the best of Puerto Rican culture. It begins very early in November and continues until middle of January. It is known as Octavitas. By the way, our Christmas is the longest. First, family and friends get together for the festivities in a home. Every family often brings something like food, dessert or drinks. Also, each home is decorated in a special and unique way with lights, figures, pesebres and Christmas trees. Second, the food is the best. The main dish is usually roast pork served with arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), plantains and pasteles. Pasteles is a dough made from mashed green bananas filled with meat and wrapped and cooked in banana leaves. For dessert, we have arroz con dulce (rice and raisins cooked in coconut milk) and tembleque (a custard in which consists of coconut, cornstarch, vainilla and cinnamon). Additionally, to drink the people have a variety of traditional drinks as coquito (coconut nog made with rum) and pitorro. Third, music is very popular at Christmas time in Puerto Rico. Families and friends plan parrandas, also called trulla or asalto. This includes typical instruments such as maracas, guiro, guitar and tambourine. Finally, in Puerto Rico, January 6 is also known as Three Kings Day. The night before the children put grass in a small box for the Three Kingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; camels and put it under their beds or Christmas tree waiting for the kings to bring them presents. In conclusion, I think nowhere else celebrates Christmas like the Boricuas.

36 ABOUT MY PROFESSION By Nilda Garcia I am a nurse. I like this profession because I love helping people in need and because of the interesting nature of the field of medicine. Every day you learn something new about different diseases. For ten years, I worked as a nurse in my country, Puerto Rico. I hope someday I'll be able to practice it here in Washington. I miss my profession. I feel gratitude to patients and relatives, an emotion beyond words. CHRISTMAS PARTIES By Magali Lorenzo Puerto Rico has many traditions, but the most celebrated are the Christmas parties. Puerto Rico celebrates Christmas from the month of November until the middle of January. The most celebrated tradition is the "paranda." These are parties with musical instruments such as guitars, the Puerto Rican cuatro, and tambourines. At these parties people always eat "pasteles," which are made from green plantain dough and stuffed with meat. Also people eat rice with pigeon peas and roast pig. The desserts are sweet rice, "tembleque," and the "coquito" drink. The Christmas parties are celebrated in different homes and sometimes the guests arrive as a surprise to the house and can be there until the hours of the dawn. RUSSIA NEW YEAR’S IN RUSSIA By Elena Dergunova In Russia, we celebrate the New Year like the American Christmas. It starts on December 31st. We prepare New Year’s food, decorate the house with Christmas tree, lights and toys. We also invite friends and family. The Russian New Year has two parts. First, we start to celebrate farewell to the old year around 7 or 8 p.m. Then we play games and watch special concert or Christmas movie on TV. For the second part of the celebration, the whole family sits around the table, then we pour the champagne into our glasses and listen to the Russian president’s congratulation speech on TV. When the clock turns 12 o’clock, the Kremlin’s main clock rings. After that we cheer and we make wishes. Then we congratulate each other and give presents to each other. If the temperature is warm, we usually go outside and continue to celebrate with the neighbors. We launch the fireworks and watch them. Also, we go to the neighborhood square where the

PUERTO RICO / RUSSIA / SAUDI ARABIA / SOUTH KOREA

neighborhood group set up the big Christmas tree, Christmas lights, snow statues and attractions. Around 1 or 2 o’clock, we come back home. Russian Christmas and New Year are very different from the American Christmas. But of course, we have things in common such as giving presents, sharing joy, congratulating and celebrating. SAUDI ARABIA WEATHER By Ali Alzhrani I came to Seattle in December, 2014 by plane. It was midday, “noon,“ and the first thing I noticed was cold weather, and I realized then that I had arrived in Seattle. The cold weather here is quite different from the city of Jeddah. In Jeddah it is hot and humid. After that I realized I needed to wear my jacket. Finally, I hope you visit my city Jeddah and discover its weather. SOUTH KOREA TWO SPECIAL KOREAN HOLIDAYS Anonymous I was born and raised in Korea. Now, I live in Lacey, Washington. Even though I am living in the United States, I still celebrate Korean holidays, and I would like to share two special Korean traditional holidays, New Years and ChuSeok, with you. The first holiday is New Years. It is the most important holiday of the year in Korea. On New Years, all the family members will gather to pray for peace, happiness, and good health year after year. The children and grandchildren bow deeply to their grandparents and pray for their good health. The grandparents give children pocket money for good deeds. ChuSeok happens in the fall. ChuSeok, is the Korean Thanksgiving. And, it celebrates the first harvest of year. On ChuSeok, the whole family gathers together at the oldest child’s house. The family cooks a large meal and shares it together. They usually eat in the early afternoon. After their meal, they go to the cemetery, visit the graves of deceased family members, and share memories of them with each other. These are both important holidays in Korea. And, every year all families come together in one place at these two times.

38 LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE By Ginhee Adamson In Korea, you don't have to drive, especially when you live in the city. Korea has many types of public transportation: bus, subway, train and taxis. When I arrived in America, I had to learn to drive. My husband taught me to drive. Luckily, I was able to take the written test in Korean language. I passed the written test easily. But, driving was a different story. I took the driving test four times before I passed. No one knows it took me four times. But, finally I have my driver's license. MOVED TO UNITED STATES By Yong Effinger I'm from South Korea. I have two main reasons that I moved to the United States of America. The first is I married. My husband's name is John. He was in the service of the U.S. Army for over 23 years. The second reason is when I was in school, I learned about America: large and powerful country. When we had a Korean War, there was a lot of help from U.S. like medical, food, and fighting with North Korea for freedom. I also knew about better education and better life. The U.S. government authorizes legal immigration from any country. I like the United States very much because there is a lot of opportunity. It doesn't matter how old I am. After my husband retired from the army, we stayed in Olympia, WA. I had one daughter. Her name is Kayo. She lives in English for work. I worked as a CNA but now I stopped because I'm learning English at SPSCC Lacey campus. I'm very happy to live in the USA with my family. That's why I decided to move to the USA. THE GOOD SAMARITAN By Soon Kim When you are very busy, you find a strange man getting injured on the road. What are you going to do? Are you going to walk away from him? Or are you going to try to help him first? My answer is that you have to help him. There are good Samaritans in the United States. This is what I like in American life. What is a good Samaritan? This is a person who tries to help another person who is injured, ill, or imperiled. These days, most people don't care about others, but some people care. I have heard that some Americans do not pass by strangers who need help. In fact, I watched the news a few days ago when a woman reported to the police that she saw a little boy roaming around the street. The boy was supposed to be in his daycare, but he went wandering around outside. His mom thanked the good Samaritan for saving her son.

SOUTH KOREA

Even though most Samaritans have great results, some do not. Some good Samaritans die or get seriously injured while helping others. These good Samaritans do not care about these things. I think that if they had another chance to help others in a dangerous situation, they would do it again. I learned about good Samaritans and the Good Samaritan Law after I moved to America. It was very interesting to know about these people and the law. I think that our society will be safer and more peaceful if we have more good Samaritans. This is a thing that I like about living in the United States. THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY By Weon Jeen Kim First things that I remember in my country are delicious food. What kind of food? Stir fried giblets, fried mackerel, hot chicken pie, street hokki, street hotdogs, and rice pie. I think about cold noodles in Ojang-dong, Seoul. In Korea, public transportation is the best. Buses are frequent, inter-city buses are cheap, and even if you take the bus all day it is good to have a service that discounts the bus fare every meter. I think that Korea has the best hospital system in the world. It is better than the U.S.A. I do not want to pay for the hospital expenses. I do not think it is cheaper to do medical treatment if the person who comes to immigrate is someone who has a chronic illness like me. I really want to live in Korea. I do not think Korea is an advanced country but I think IT, hospital system, and delicious food are better than many countries. If I get an opportunity, I will get American citizenship, get married, and have children. I love my country. THE KOREAN TRADITION OF GIMJANG By Deog Pak “Gimjang” is when people make kimchi to eat during the winter. It has been a Korean tradition since a long time ago. This is an event when family all get together in Korea and make kimchi. To make this type of kimchi, we will first need to divide the cabbage in half. With each of the halves, we will need to submerge them in salt water. After a couple of days, we will need to rinse the cabbage with tap water. After rinsing the cabbage, we need to let it sit for a while, letting the water drain out of the cabbage. While waiting for the water to drain, we make the sauce. Sauce ingredients are different depending on the region or per family tradition. Basic ingredients are powdered red pepper, garlic, green onion and fish sauce. Since kimchi is made in large quantities, it requires additional family members and neighbors to help out. When we start gimjang, we help each other. We don’t

40 need to tell neighbors that we make gimjang, but they help each other. When we finish gimjang, we share it with each other. Consequently, we know each houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kimchi taste. Nowadays, even in winter we are able to eat fresh vegetables. Nonetheless, gimjang not only provides food but also serves as a gathering event for people to come together and enjoy each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company. CARLSBAD CAVERN NATIONAL PARK By Myong Silcox Two years ago, we visited one of the world's largest underground chamber. The Carlsbad Cavern national park is located in the southeast of New Mexico. It is 270 millions years old. We camped a few days in the state park in April. The temperature was about 80 degrees. But, we went in to the under cave; it was cold 55 degrees. I enjoyed the Carlsbad Caverns National park, appreciated mother nature and New Mexico State. I want to visit every National Park in the United States. THAILAND THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY By Apitchaya Hittepole My name is Apitchaya Hittepole. I am from Thailand. I came to the USA in February of 2016 and being winter it was very cold here. In Thailand the temperature does not go much below 20 degrees Celsius and here during the winter it can get down to below zero degrees Celsius which was a shock to me. I miss the sun and the heat of Thailand and I miss being able to wear shorts and t-shirts outside all year. I miss the beaches and the warm ocean water. I wait for the summer here but I think it will not be as warm as I like it here. I miss the ability to talk to everyone and have them understand me. I also miss being able to go anywhere I want to go knowing that I can read the road signs or if need be I can ask for directions. I have been lonely here because my husband travels a lot for work and I have found it hard to make friends due to my difficulties speaking and understanding English. I am hungry for the food of Thailand. I miss having shops that I can go to have fresh Thai food that is made with authentic spices and herbs. I miss the fruits that do not grow in the USA like rambutan, durian, mangosteen, and others that only get imported here but do not taste as good as they do in Thailand. I miss being able to go to restaurants and ordering what I want because I know what everything is.

SOUTH KOREA / THAILAND / UKRAINE

Most of all I miss my family and friends that are in Thailand now. Family is very important to all Thais and being this far from them is hard for me. Facebook and the internet help with the distance but does not make me miss them any less. I would like to be able to go eat dinner with my family and laugh and tell jokes but I will not be able to for another year. The United States is great but I miss much about Thailand. I miss many things about Thailand but for now my home is here in the USA with my husband. Welcome to Thailand if anyone wants to go visit my country! THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY By Tukki Swain I miss my family in Thailand. I miss Thai food. In my country, Thai food is very good price and very delicious food for example, papaya, spicy salad, and northeast food. Everything is cheap in my country, for example, food and clothes. I miss watching Thai channel too. Finally, I miss everything in my country. UKRAINE BEAUTIFUL LVIV By Liubov Dmytrus Let me introduce one of the most charming cities in all Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lviv. It is situated in the west of Ukraine, and it is my favorite city in my home country. I recommend everybody who visits Ukraine visit Lviv. There are many reasons why you should visit this city. A few of them are the amazing architecture, nice restaurants, and entertainment. First of all, I love this city because it has incredible buildings. There are many old churches, beauteous palaces, different monuments, fountains and beautiful plazas. Lviv has the famous "Lviv Theatre Opera and Ballet," which is a symbol of our city. Next, I recommend visiting Lviv because there are a lot of great restaurants with different cuisines from around the world. You can eat delicious food, enjoy beautiful interiors, and pay not much money. Also Lviv restaurants are known for their fragrant and tasty coffee. The last reason is that Lviv is a cultural center with a lot of entertainment. Many times a year the city organizes different festivals such as the Christmas Festival and Market, Lviv Wedding Festival, National Holiday of Chocolate, Festival Pysanok, Music and Dance Festival and others. Also, Lviv has a popular place among touristsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Lviv

chocolate workshop, a place where you can buy handmade chocolate or have master classes on making chocolate candy. For people who are interested in our history, we have many museums and galleries, too. Finally, you can walk through ancient streets and enjoy listening to street musicians. As soon as the weather gets warmer, Lviv streets start bursting with musicians, live bands and performers. If you want to spend a nice time, welcome to Lviv. After that, you will remember this city for a long time as it has impressive architecture, cozy restaurants and fun. VENEZUELA MY COUNTRY By Luisa Cañizalez Venezuela is a country that is so beautiful. I miss walking on the sand of the beaches of Morrocoy, eating fried fish, taking hot chocolate for the cold of the mountains of El Pico de Aguila accompanied by an arepa of wheat flour with a coffee with milk for breakfast, going up to Medanos de Coro, having breakfast with coffee with family every day. All Venezuelan gastronomy is exquisite: a pabellón a cachapa with cheese, a banana cake, mandocas, tequeños that never miss a party. It’s a unique Christmas decorating the tree with family, Christmas dinner with the hallacas, the chicken salad, the black roasted ham and for dessert the black cake, and at 12 midnight waiting for the arrival of the child Jesus and seeing all the happy children opening their gifts. On December 31 everyone is together and eats a grape for each chime of the bell at 12 midnight, giving a hug and a happy new year. How special is my country, my family, my culture. VIETNAM WAR IN MY COUNTRY Anonymous I am Vietnamese. I am 58 years old, and I have seen war in my country. My country suffered a civil war for twenty years. I was born and raised in this situation. And, because of this, life in my family had to change constantly. There were times when we had to go to a bomb shelter or move to another city that was safe. Our life was very difficult and full of fear. Bombings and deaths could happen at any time. My childhood was tied to war, so I did not have the opportunity to learn much. Finally, I came to the United States and now I have the opportunity to learn. Since I had to live

VENEZUELA / VIETNAM

in that situation, I wish everyone a harmonious and happy life. And, I hope that there will be no more wars like the one I grew up in. ENGLISH REGRETS Anonymous In my life, I regret the time when I graduated from college to before I came to the US because this time was a chance for me to learn and prepare some skills, but I didn't use it effectively. Instead of studying English or computer skills, I wasted a lot of time doing nothing. I spent a lot of time on Youtube, ate junk food, and slept all day. As a result, it is very hard to catch up on my English now. It isn't easy to gain confidence because I think I don't have anything for myself to be proud of. Not knowing English is a tricky problem for me because it makes things such as finding a job, communicating with Americans, and moving to college or university very hard. If I had a wish, I would go back to 2009. With my current mindset, I think I would try more than I did and not waste so much time. Sometimes when I talk to myself, I feel sad and angry with myself. If at that time I had used the time usefully, I maybe I could be better than I am now. But it is not only that. I know that if I want to be successful, I need to defeat my laziness. VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR Anonymous New Years is the most important holiday in Vietnam. Everyone in the family must come back to their parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home. Everyone works to clean the house to ring out the old year and ring in the New Year. The Vietnamese believe that wearing new clothes, getting a new haircut, and having a clean house will bring them luck for one year. On New Years, people prepare many delicious foods, and everyone eats these foods to celebrate the New Year. We then go to visit other family and friends our wearing our new clothes. Another custom is to give people money in the New Year. The children are happiest on New Year, because they can watching fireworks. I enjoy my new life in America though I miss my country and celebrating New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there. FAMILY By Thao Chao My name is Thao. I'm married and I have 3 children. I came to America 13 years ago. I really liked my home country. The weather was very hot. But, here, I like to go hiking with my family. I like Washington State. I think Mt. Rainier is beautiful. My husband supports me to go back to school. I think that is good for me. I

44 hope someday I am confident to speak English with my kids. I like to live in the USA because there is freedom. I think studying English is hard for me but I like it. THE VIETNAMESE STREET FOOD By Nam Do In my country there are many kinds of food which frequently show up on a lot of streets in the city. We call them street food. In fact, when you go outside or take a stroll on the street, you’ll easily find the different booths where the junk foods are. For example, the popular food such as fresh rolls whose recipe includes: fresh vegetables with some prawns and a few pieces of pork with fish sauce on the side. It looks very delicious. Special broken rice dishes with the grilled pork, egg, vegetables like tomato, cucumber. The marinated pork is cooked on a grill outside where there is a good smell that makes you feel hungry. In addition, you can see the booths of noodle soup which has different names in Vietnamese such as: pho, bun bo hue, etc. The soup is contained in the big pots which always keep heat. Moreover, the street markets of Vietnamese have not only cooked food but also fruit. There are many kinds of tropical fruit in Vietnam. For example: guava, mango, banana, lychee, cane, etc. In a special cane made the typical beverages of Vietnam. That is called sugarcane juice. In summary, Vietnamese street food is popular and interesting to most people in my country. It’s also a feature of culture in Vietnam for a long time. It has become well known throughout the world. I’m really proud of this and look forward to a chance to enjoy Vietnamese street food again. LIFE IN VIETNAM By Kim Ho I’m from Vietnam. I speak Vietnamese. In Vietnam, we eat lemongrass chicken, bread soup, fish ball noodles and hamburger. We drink coffee. My favorite food is noodle. On weekends, I usually go to dinner with my family in the afternoon. Now, I live in the United States with my husband. I miss my family in Vietnam. I like to live here. People are very friendly. But I don’t like the cold and rains a lot. ‘

VIETNAM

VIETNAM - MY COUNTRY By Dung Huynh Vietnam is small country, but it is very beautiful. Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia. It is shaped like a letter S and is adjacent to the East Sea. Vietnam is a poor and developing country, but Vietnamese people are very friendly and hard working. In Vietnam, there are many famous places and historic sites to visit such as Huong Temple, Bai Dinh, Phong Nha Cave, and Hue. In addition to these historic sites, Vietnamese food is very delicious. When you visit Vietnam, you can eat dishes like Pho (noodles), Com Tam (broken rice), and Banh Xeo (pancakes). The seafood is also very diverse and fresh. However, the weather in Vietnam is hot and humid in the summer. If you are not familiar with this kind of weather, you will feel a bit uncomfortable. But, the sea of Vietnam is long and beautiful. You can bathe, sunbathe and relax at the beach in the summer. Vietnamese people are gentle and friendly. They are always ready to help you when needed. In a paragraph, I cannot tell you all the beauty of Vietnam. I hope if you have a chance, please come to Vietnam! I love my country and I am proud of myself as a Vietnamese! WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE USA Nga Lam In winter 1992, I came to the USA. That time the weather outside was very cold and snowing. At first, I had culture shock. Every day, I looked through the window. I saw the leaves on the trees had fallen off, which left the branches with no leaves. I felt sad and missed my family, home country and my friends. After that, I went to school and met new friends and then day after day I began to get used to my present life. At first, when I came to the USA, I did not know any English. I still remember one time I went to the grocery store and a lady walked by me. She said “hi” to me, but I didn’t understand what she said. I looked around to find who she was taking to. “This was quite funny, hum.” I was in high school for three months, but I didn’t make it because my English was so bad. My grades were F or G. Finally, I decided to drop out of high school and take ESL at SPSCC. English is very hard for me. I had to drop out of class many times and came back class then dropped out of class again. Because of my future, I cannot give up my education, so I decided to go back to school. Currently, I am taking ESL level 4 at SPSCC. I will take an accounting degree after I finish ESL. I hope my goal is achieved and I will change my job in the future.

46 VIETNAM By My Le I’m from Vietnam and I like to cook. In Vietnam, people eat noodles and egg rolls. I live in Olympia. I don’t like the cold.

TET HOLIDAY Bao Ngo Tet is a cultural tradition of Vietnam. It looks like American New Year. Everybody doesn’t work or go to school at that time. Tet is in spring, and it uses the lunar calendar. Before the day of Tet, everybody goes to buy some things or food to begin Tet. Culturally, when our home has food, it brings luck to our house. Tet was a very happy time for me fifteen years ago. When I was young, I always waited for Tet. I could wear new clothes on Tet day. On the first day of Tet, we must go to grandparent’s house and say something good to them. And we can get “Li xi” from them. “Li xi” is a red envelope. It brings luck to us. So, Tet holiday is a very happy and very hopeful holiday. Every year we have Tet and we still wait for it. LIFE IN VIETNAM By Thi Ngo Ngoc I’m from Vietnam. I speak Vietnamese and a little English. In Vietnam, we eat rice, pho and noodle. We drink coconut, orange juice and soda. In the summer, people go to picnic. They swim, go to camping, eat and relax. Now, I live in the United States with my mom, my husband and my sister. My family like to live in the USA. NEW YEAR By Chi Nguyen Hi, my name is Chi. I’m from Vietnam. I am 41 years old. I like New Year holiday in my country because family come together. We eat dinner. We eat food, chicken, beef and pork. Before each dinner, we watch TV together. We are very happy. MY LIFE By Dao Nguyen My name is Dao Nguyen. I am from Vietnam. I am 62 years old. I have lived in Olympia, Washington for two years, and I have studied ESL at SPSCC in Lacey one year. There are two other people in my family. My husband who is also 62 years old and

VIETNAM

my son who is 26 years old. My son is a network administrator manager, and my husband is a teacher. I no longer work because I am retired. Because I am retired, I have a lot of free time. In my free time, I like to cook food Vietnamese foods like Pho and Bun Bo Hue for my family. I also like to study English because my favorite pastime is traveling. I have been to Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, California, and Oregon. I would like to travel around in the United States more and will once I improve my English. LIVE IN LACEY By Nam Nguyen Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m from Vietnam. I speak Vietnamese. In Vietnam, we eat Vietnamese noodle, rice noodle and ginger chicken. Now, I live in Lacey. I like the summer here. I miss my family in Vietnam. MY STORY By Vy Nguyen My name is Vy and I'm from Vietnam. In my country, they have many things which are interesting and famous with many places very beautiful to travel or discover such as: Ha Long Bay, Son Doong Cave, Phu Quoc Island. I'm really lucky when I was born in a country like that and could live in an interesting city. It's Bien Hoa city. It's smaller than Ho Chi Minh City but for me, it's a beautiful and interesting city. My family has lived in Bien Hoa city for a long time. This is the place I was born and grew up. It has many special memories for me and every day I miss it so much. When I moved here, I met many Vietnamese people. They made me feel I miss our country, my family and friends. In my country, if you want to go out you can use a motorbike. It's very interesting because it's easy to use, fast and small. Many people have cars but sometimes they use motorbike too because we don't have many big roads the same as here so they use a motorbike to go out because it is useful. Moreover, we have many famous food such as "Pho", "Banh chung", "Banh tet". It's really delicious and I love meals cooked by my mother. Besides, we have many beautiful coffee shops. You can enjoy drinking coffee and reading. They always have many books. They have cakes too so you can choose something for yourself and enjoy it. When I'm in Vietnam, I often go out with my family or my friends when I have free time or on weekends, we can go shopping, go to movie theaters or go to somewhere. And, after we finish, we'll go to a coffee shop to relax, enjoy coffee, cakes, something and we talk about many things. There are many things that make me feel I miss my country so much. If I have chance I hope I can come back my country

48 soon and if you don't know anything about Vietnam, you can visit on your vacation, don't worry if you don’t know about your language because now in Vietnam there are many people who study and speak English fluently. The English is second language in my country and the Vietnamese people are very friendly, kind. I think each trip will be an enjoyable experience. I believe you'll find one or more things are interesting in my country if you come there. LUNAR NEW YEAR IN VIET NAM. By Hung Pham In Vietnam, Lunar New Year is an important holiday. Unlike New Year’s Eve, which is celebrated worldwide, Vietnamese celebrate Lunar New Year at a different time. The Vietnamese Lunar New Year is celebrated after New Years. In my country, the celebration of the Lunar New Year means that everything is new. People prepare special foods about seven to ten days before Lunar New Year. Most houses are packing and cooking “Ba’nh Chu’ng” and “ Ba’nh Te’t” which have become a habit of culture in the Lunar New Year celebrations in Vietnam. On the last day of the old year, we go to church or the pagoda at midnight to recite sutras and pray for peace and happiness to for ourselves, our family, and for all people in the world. During the Lunar New Year celebration, we have three special days to visit each other. On the first day, we give lucky money in a red packet to our family. We wish each other good health, happiness and success. On, the second day, we go to teachers and parents-inlaw. In addition, on the third day, we visit friends and relatives, or we travel somewhere. I enjoy this traditional custom and want it preserved for generations to come. MY LIFE By Nu Pham My name is Nu. I’m from Vietnam. I want to learn English because I want speak and listen. I come to the United States to be with my parents, my sister and my brother. I live her a long time. I should be a tourist in California because my best friend lives there. I need more English, but I am busy sometimes working. I like flowers in the United States. It’s very beautiful. MY FAMILY By Huu Nam Phan My family is five people. I am from Vietnam. In my country, family is number one. When I moved to the U.S., I was very homesick. At first I had stress, but then I felt better. I have one brother and one sister. They are great. I will always love them.

VIETNAM

I hope they will succeed in life and I hope my parents are in good health. I will always love them. VIETNAM By Ngoc Phan I’m from Vietnam. I speak Vietnamese and a little English. In Vietnam, we eat noodle pho and rice soup. We drink tea. My favorite food is spring roll. In the summer so hot, most people go to the lake. They swim, eat and relax all day. Now, I live in the United States with my son and daughter. I like to live here, but it rain a lot. It’s better than in my country for anything good. MY STORY By Phuong Su My name is Phuong. I am from Vietnam. I came to United States eleven years ago. Now, I live in Olympia, and work in Tumwater. When I came to live here, I did not have time to go to school because I had children and worked a lot. Now, I have more time go to school because my children are older, and I don’t have to work as much. I am very happy that I am able to go to school now. I like studying English and enjoy my classes. I like to talk to the other students in my classroom, and the teacher helps me a lot. After I finish my classes and learn more English, I would like to travel around the United States and see new things. I would also like to own my own business. VIETNAM By Ngoc Tran I live in Olympia. I don’t like the cold. I like to cook. I am from Vietnam. TRAVELING TO HA LONG BAY By Trieu Tran Ha Long Bay is one of the beautiful places in Vietnam. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ha Long Bay is located in the northeastern corner of Vietnam. The climate is hot and moist in the summer, and dry and cold in the winter. The name “Ha Long” means “descending dragon” because Ha Long Bay has a lot of islands which have special shapes that look like the mother dragon and dragon’s children. In addition, Ha Long Bay has a lot of other islands which have nice shapes and names, such as Voi Island (Elephant), Ga Choi Island (Fighting Island), Khi Island (Monkey), and Mai Nha Island (roof). Ha Long Bay also has a lot of caves such as Sung

50 Sot, Tam Cung, Lau Dai, Thien Cung etc. When you go inside the caves, you might think that you are in paradise. Going around the islands by fishing boat or cruise ship is exciting. We can sightsee and take a lot of nice pictures of the natural landscape of Ha Long Bay. We can swim, relax on the beautiful beach, and watch the sunset. Ha Long Bay is one of the wonders of the world. It is wonderful to travel to Ha Long Bay once in your life. MY PRIDE By Huong Vu I came from Vietnam and I wanted to talk about this story for a long time. I have a daughter. She is 18 years old. I have been a single mom for about 17 years because her father died when she was one year old. While I was very sad, I didn't agree that my sadness cannot be solved. So, I think my daughter is like a cherub and she always makes me happier. She is a good kid and loves me very much. But, I was busy! It was hard to juggle my job studies to become a professional accountant and take care of my kid. I was tired. So, I was happy when I saw her smile and gradually grew up. She went to high school and I helped her every day with her homework. Also, I taught her to be a responsible person. I tried to convince her that she can succeed in life. She encouraged me that I am the hero! Then we left Vietnam in 2015. I married and my husband brought us to America. My daughter goes to South Puget Sound Community College. She is studying chemistry and wants to be a chemical engineer. When she finishes college, she is going to University of Washington. She is a very good student and got a perfect paper in her chemistry final exam. While she is studying, she listens to music. She is interested in playing the guitar and singing songs. She is enthusiastic to do volunteer work. She volunteers to take care of old people at a retirement center. She finds value in helping people and is thinking of taking care of grandfather and grandmother. I'm very proud of my daughter.

51 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

A.D., Rose – Rose lives in Olympia. She studies five days a week. This is her third quarter to study English at SPSCC. Adamson, Ginhee – Ginhee lives in Lacey. She enjoys doing Zumba and walking in nature. Al-Gburi, Maha – Maha lives in Lacey. She loves cooking. She has been studying English at SPSCC for three months and has lived in the U.S. for six months. Alvarado, Martha – Martha is from Mexico. She is a student and works at McDonalds. She likes to walk her dog. Alvarenga, Exequiel – Exequiel lives in Lacey and works in construction. Alzhrani, Ali – Ali lives in Olympia. He hasn’t found work yet. He would like to be a business man. He has been studying English for a few months. He has lived here for two years. Arredondo, Silvia – Silvia lives in Lacey. She has lived in the United States for three years. She works in a hotel in housekeeping. She likes Mount Rainier. She has been studying English for one month. For as long as she lives here, she wants to learn more about this beautiful state of Washington. Arthur-Lopez, Rafael – Rafael is from Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico and is a student at SPSCC. He likes to cook and go for walks in the park. Begum, Shakila – Shakila comes from Pakistan. She lives with her family in Tumwater. She is a seamstress and enjoys making her own clothes. Beaton Oakley, Michael – Michael lives in Olympia, WA. He came to Washington in December 2015. Before coming to the U.S.A., he was a Presbyterian pastor in Cuba. Michael likes to dance salsa, go hiking and swim at the beach. He began to study ESL at SPSCC in September 2016. Michael came to the U.S.A. in July 2015. The first city where he lived was Miami, Florida. Bhadara, Antara – Antara lives in Olympia. She likes to sing and travel. She has been studying English for about one month. She has lived here for six months.

52 Boswell, Ningsih – Ningsih lives in Olympia. She's a homemaker who likes cooking, traveling, and watching movies in English. She has been studying English since 2014 and has lived in the United States for about 5 years. Brimah, Gladys – Gladys lives in Olympia, Washington. She has three children and has been in the US for 6 years. She has been studying English for about a year. She likes spending time with her family and going out. Cabral, Anselmo Samuel – Anselmo has lived in Olympia for almost three years. He works in a Mexican restaurant. He has been a student since 2014. He likes to play soccer in his free time. Cabrera, Alonso – Alonso is from Mexico and has lived here since January. He's a dishwasher at a Mexican restaurant and has been studying English as long as he can remember at bilingual schools. Cañizalez, Luisa – Luisa is from Venezuela. Casiano, Maria – Maria lives in Lacey. She works as a “people greeter” in a department store. She likes sightseeing. She has been studying English for two months. She has lived in the United States for approximately five years. Chaivez Torres, Enrique – Enrique lives in Lacey. He works in shipping at Windfall Lumber. He likes to visit his family and friends. He has been studying English for one year. He has lived here for nine years. Chau, Thao – Thoa has lived in Olympia for 13 years. She is a hair stylist. She enjoys shopping and cooking. Making food is easy for her. She has been studying English since 2005. Chen, Yuan Y. – Yuan (Doris) comes from China. She has lived in Olympia for six months. She enjoys drawing and shopping. She also likes to travel in her free time. Colin, Daniel – Daniel likes to listen to live music in downtown Olympia. He loves American football. His favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys. Hiking is his hobby. Dai, Yan – Yan is from China. She has lived in Tumwater for over a year. She has been studying English for one year. She likes writing, reading and drawing. She enjoys nature, and she loves to go camping. Dergunova, Elena – Elena lives in Tumwater, WA. She likes to travel, draw and read. She has been studying English in ESL class since Fall 2016. She has lived in the U.S. for 11 months.

Diaz, Dalia – Dalia lives in Lacey. She works in a hotel in housekeeping. She likes to listen to music and walk in the park. She has been studying English for three years, and she has been in the United States for almost four years. Dmytrus, Liubov – Liubov moved to the USA seven months ago and lives in Olympia. She likes to travel and study English. She has been studying English for two years. She hopes to realize all her dreams in the USA. Do, Nam – Nam lives in Olympia and works in a nail spa. Her favorite hobbies are cooking and traveling. She’s studied English since 2015, and she likes communicating with everyone in English. She’s lived in the United States for 4 years. Effinger, Yong – Yong lives in Olympia. She was working, but now she is learning English at SPSCC Lacey campus. She likes traveling, hiking, gardening and volunteering. Filerio, Javier – Javier is 28 years old. He has lived in the United States for 8 months and has been studying English for 5 months. Filerio, Seleny – Seleny lives in Lacey, and she’s a waitress at a Mexican restaurant in Olympia. She has studied English since 2016 as an ESL student, but she had studied it in Mexico for two years previously. She has lived in the U.S.A. since 2015. Flores, Angel – Angel lives in Olympia. He works in landscaping. He likes to ride horses. He has been studying English for one year. He has lived here for eight years. Galindo, Leticia – Leticia has lived in Lacey for four months. She is a babysitter. She really likes this job. She likes to explore new places, meet new people and cultures, walk, listen to music, and dance. She has been studying English for one year. Garcia, Cristel – Cristel comes from Mexico. She and her husband moved to Lacey from Atlanta, Georgia, a year ago. She enjoys cooking, listening to music, and watching movies. Garcia, Nilda – Nilda lives in Lacey. She is a housekeeper in the hotel Townplace Suite Marriot. She likes dancing and listening to music. She has been studying English for 3 months. She has lived in the United States for 11 months. Gaspar, Wilfrido – Wilfrido lives in Shelton. He has two children. He loves listening to music and plays clarinet , too. Gomez, Irene – Irene lives in Lacey. She works as a cook at a Mexican restaurant. She likes to fish, cook, and play with her daughters. She has been living here for

54 fourteen years and has been studying English for six months. She thinks the most important thing is to spend time with family and do what you want to make your dreams because dreams are not made by themselves. Gonzalez, Betty – Betty is from the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. Her favorite activity is dancing to salsa music. She enjoys going dancing with friends and family. She also likes to travel to the beach. Gutierrez, Christian – Christian comes from Mexico. She has lived in Lacey for two years. She likes to spend time with her daughter. She also likes to watch movies and go to the gym. Hernandez, Efrain – Efrain lives in Olympia. He’s a roofer. He likes to play guitar and drums. He has been studying English for one year. He has lived here for ten years. Hittepole, Apitchaya – Apitchaya lives in Lacey. She works at Walmart and likes to ride her bicycle and grow flowers. She has been studying English at SPSCC for 17 days. She has lived in the U.S. for 14 months. Ho, Kim – Kim lives in Olympia, Washington. She’s a student at SPSCC and likes to picnic with her husband. Huynh, Dung – Dung comes from Vietnam. He moved to Olympia six months ago. He enjoys reading books, walking, and swimming. Ibrahim, Shakira – Shakira comes from Pakistan. She moved to Tumwater eight months ago. In her free time, she listens to music and spends time with her family and friends. Kaur, Attar – Attar is from India. She joined ESL classes at SPSCC and is learning how to use computers. Kim, Soon – Soon lives in Lacey. She is currently enjoying student life at SPSCC. Kim, Weon Jeen – Weon Jeen lives in Olympia. She likes listening to music. She has been studying English for five years. Lam, Nga – Nga lives in Lacey. Currently, she’s a custodian at the Evergreen State College. She’s also taking care of her six children. Most of the time she stays with her children and enjoys being with them. Le, My – My is from Vietnam. She is a student at SPSCC. She likes shopping. Leo – Leo is from Mexico. He likes to go to mass and tries to fill his mind with positive things. He is very happy in this country.

Leonor, Orlando – Orlando lives in Lacey. He has lived in the United States for one year and six months. Likar – Likar lives in Lacey. She has a cleaning job. She likes to learn English. She has been studying for one and a half quarters. She has lived in the United States for five years. Lorenzo, Magali – Magali lives in Olympia and is studying therapy. She likes to travel, read, and walk. She has studied English for 6 months and has lived in the USA for one year. Lucano, Tecse Luis – Luis comes from Peru. He has lived in Lacey for eight months. In his free time, he likes to watch soccer. He enjoys repairing tools. Maldonado, Angeles M. – Angeles comes from Mexico. She has lived in Washington for eleven years. She enjoys Zumba and cooking. Marcia – Marcia lives in Olympia and has been in the US for some years. She is thinking about enrolling in the Medical Assistant program in the future. Mariscal, Ofelia – Ofelia comes from Mexico. She moved to Washington three years ago. She has three children and three grandchildren, and she likes to spend her free time with them. Membreno, Reyna – Reyna lives in Lacey. She has lived here for nine years. She works in quality food control. She likes to watch movies and spend time with her daughters. She has been studying English for one year. Mendez, Antonia – Antonia has lived in Lacey since 2000. She was working in a restaurant. She likes cooking, swimming, exercising, singing and dancing. She has been studying in English class for seven years off and on. Munoz, Sandra – Sandra lives in Lacey, Washington and works all day. On the weekends, she likes to shop and go to church. Munoz Smith, Elsy – Elsy is from Panama City, Panama. She is an English student and likes to dance, exercise and run. Ngo, Bao – Bao lives in Lacey. He isn’t working right now. He likes to walk and go around downtown. When he feels sad, he wants to go outside and find something to eat. He has been learning English since the sixth grade. He has lived here for around six months. Ngoc, Thi Ngo – Thi is from Vietnam. She is a student and likes to go on picnics, read and listen to music.

56 Nguyen, Chi – Chi lives in Olympia. She works at a restaurant. She likes studying English. She has been studying English for one year. She has lived in the United States for two years. Nguyen, Dao Thi – Dao comes from Vietnam. She has lived in Olympia for two years. She is retired and enjoys watching TV and cooking. Nguyen, Nam – Nam lives in Lacey, Washington. He studies ESL at SPSCC. He likes drinking coffee, reading stories and playing football. Nguyen, Vy – Vy is from Vietnam. She moved here about 1 month ago. She studied English in Vietnam, but she didn't have many opportunities to speak so she has to study more. Her hobbies are reading, listening to music and going out with her friends. Her major was Foreign Trade in Vietnam but now her Pathway is Health and Wellness. Nharia, Ussumane – Ussumane comes from Guinea-Bissau. He moved to Washington eleven months ago in order to pursue better opportunities. Nieto, Walter – Walter is from Costa Rica. He has lived in Olympia for more than ten years. He likes to travel to places like Patagonia and the Galápagos Islands. Orwall, Jessica – Jessica is from China. She has lived in Washington State for ten years. Pak, Deog – Deog has lived in Lacey for 10 years. She has studied English at SPSCC for one year. She is more and more interested in studying English. She likes running early in the morning. Parra, Patricia – Patricia is from Mexico. She is a student and works in a hotel. She likes to go shopping and to the beach. Penaloza, Anabel – Anabel lives in Lacey. She likes dancing. She has lived in the United States for seven years. Perez, Edgardo – Edgardo lives in Lacey. He works at the Olive Garden. He likes to cook. He has been studying English for two quarters. He has lived in the U.S. for 29 years. Pham, Hung – Hung comes from Vietnam. He has lived in Olympia for two years. He enjoys reading novels and history books in his free time. Pham, Nu – Nu lives in Olympia. She works at Modern Nails. She likes her work. She has lived a long time in the United States.

Phan, Huu Nam – Nam is from Vietnam. He has lived in Olympia for three months. He works at Hardel and likes to exercise and study English. Phan, Ngoc – Ngoc lives in Olympia, Washington. She is an ESL student. She likes living here and learning English with her daughter. Preciado, Desiree – Desiree lives in Lacey. She is a nanny, and she likes to travel and learn about new cultures. She’s been in the United States for around three months. Ramirez, Alfredo – Alfredo lives in Olympia. He works in the Lucky Eagle Hotel and Casino. He likes to dance and listen to music. He has been studying English for nine months. He has lived in the United States for five years. Romo, Cipriano – Cipriano lives in Olympia, Washington and likes it very much. He works in construction. Romo, Irma – Irma lives in Olympia. She has lived in the United States for 11 years. She works cleaning houses. She likes Washington State because it is quiet. She has been studying English for one year. Rovech, Mary – Mary comes from Cambodia. She has been living in the United States since 1993. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and reading. She also spends her free time with her daughter. Ruiz, Maria T. – Maria lives in Olympia. She has lived in the United States for nineteen years and has been studying English for two quarters. She likes to do her homework. She is a housewife. Saini, Yudhvir – Yudhvir lives in Olympia. He isn't working. He likes to do bank work. He has been studying English since April, 2017. He has been living in the United States since March 2017. Salamanca, Marlon - Marlon is from Nicaragua. His native language is Spanish. He is married and has three children. He has lived in the city of Shelton, WA, since 2011. He works as a pastor of the Hispanic Ministry at the First Baptist Church in Shelton. He likes to watch soccer and other sports and to cook meat for his family. Santes Garcia, Francisco – Francisco lives in Lacey. He works packing eggs. He likes to play soccer. He has been studying English for around two years. He has lived here for around nine years. Segura, Sara – Sara lives in Olympia. She works cleaning houses. She likes to dance and cook. She has been studying English for nine months. She has lived in the United States for one year and seven months.

58 Set, Sopra – Sopra live in Olympia. She works at SMS Cleaning. She likes to cook food and go shopping. She has been studying English for three quarters and has lived in the United States for almost four years. Silcox, Myong – Myong lives in Olympia. She is now retired. She enjoys gardening. She has been studying English herself for many years. Sobrinho, Maikon – Maikon comes from Brazil. He has been living in the U.S. for almost two years. He enjoys spending time with his wife and taking his children to the park. Solorio, Pedro – Pedro lives in Olympia. He’s a roofer. He likes to play guitar. He has been studying English for one month. He has lived here for over ten years. Su, Phuong – Phuong comes from Vietnam. She has been living in Olympia for twelve years. She likes to shop and read in her free time. Swain, Tukki – Tukki lives in Lacey. She has two children. She has lived in the United States for 3 years, and she moved to Washington State 9 months ago. She has studied English for 7 months. She likes cooking and shopping. She works at Pacific Building Services, Inc. Syphard, Yuriko – Yuriko has been in Olympia since 2014. She takes care of her daughter every day. She likes to play with her daughter and also loves vegetable gardening. She can't wait for them to grow this summer. Tejeda, Yesenia – Yesenia lives in Lacey. She works packing eggs. She likes to cook. She has been a student for one month. She has lived here for 11 years. Torres, Mayreli – Mayreli has lived in Olympia for sixteen years. She likes to cook and enjoys spending time with her family. This is her second quarter studying English. Tran, Ngoc - Ngoc is from Vietnam. She is an ESL student at SPSCC. She likes to go shopping. Tran, Trieu – Trieu (pronounced ‘true’) lives in Olympia. She isn’t working at present. She likes listening to Adele. She has lived in the U.S. for just over a year and has been an English student for 6 months. She has twin daughters who are also students at SPSCC! Trinidad, Delmy – Delmy is from El Salvador and is a cook.

Urbina, Erika – Erika is originally from Mexico. She moved to Olympia from Los Angeles ten years ago. She spends her free time with her daughters and husband. She enjoys shopping and exercising. Valtierra, Jaime – Jaime is from Mexico and lives in Olympia. He goes to ESL classes in Lacey and likes to cook enchiladas. Vidrio, Maria – Maria lives in Tacoma. She has a daughter. She loves to learn new things including English. She works very hard to make a better life for her family. Vu, Huong – Huong lives in Olympia Washington. She likes learning English right now because it is important for her life. Also, she likes creating flower designs. She has been studying English for one year. She has lived in the United States since 2015. Vuth, Vannara – Vannara lives in Olympia. She works at a casino as a card dealer. She likes to learn new things, to grow flowers, and to decorate her house. She has been studying English for four quarters. She has lived in the United States for seven years. Xu, Li – Lily is from China. She has been in the U.S. since 2016. She has been studying English for almost 3 quarters. She lives in Olympia. She likes reading, traveling, cooking and listening to music. Yang, Ai – Ai came to the United States sixteen years ago. She sometimes works at a restaurant as a cashier and waitress. This is her first quarter at SPSCC. She likes learning English with her classmates and hopes in the near future she will speak English very well. Yesmin, Sabina – Yesmin lives in Tumwater. She does not work. She likes cooking and watching movies. She has been studying English for one year. She has lived in the United States for six plus months. Zavala, Adriana – Adriana lives in Lacey. She is an employee of McDonald’s. She likes to listen to music and watch movies. She has been studying English for four months. She has been in the United States for approximately one year and ten months. Zhou, Rong – Rong (JoJo) comes from China. She has lived in Olympia for two years. She enjoys cooking and watching movies in her free time.