ESL Voices 2021

Voices ESL

2021

Writings, Poems and Essays

by Students of English as a Second Language

Voices ESL

2021

Writings, Poems and Essays

by Students of English as a Second Language

Cuyahoga Community College

Editors:

Sara Clark, West Lisa Friel, Westshore

Judging Committee:

Danielle Belisle, Westshore Jennie Kaffen, Metro Nicholas Prokup, East Monica Tofan, West

Art Direction:

Seong-Ae Mun, West

Cover Art:

Tetiana Antoshchuk, West

Design and Layout:

Tetiana Antoshchuk, West

Contributing Faculty:

Rebecca Aronhalt Yokum, East Susan Bartch, West Sara Clark, West Patricia Coyne, West Danielle Belisle, Westshore Lisa Friel, Westshore Roberta Hendrick, Metro Jillian LaManna, Westshore Susan Lohwater, West Elizabeth McMurray, Westshore Tammie Southall-Kaiser, West

ESLVoices

Background and Mission

This year, we celebrate the 20th year anniversary of ESL Voices.

In 1991, Mara Hegedeos, Assistant Professor of English/English as a Second Language, collected ESL student essays college-wide and put them under one cover. Thus, ESL Voices was born. Since that time, the mantle has been taken up by faculty from the different campuses, with heroic efforts to secure funding in the earlier years.

We appreciate the efforts of all those editorial teams, and we especially appreciate the current administration’s support – both moral and financial – of the publication of this edition of ESL Voices during a challenging year for our college, nation, and world.

ESL Voices showcases the writing of our international, immigrant, and citizen English-language students and recognizes two important facts: the ability to write well is hard work and the ability to write well in a second language is twice that. Through ESL Voices, Cuyahoga Community College acknowledges the achievements of its ESL students, celebrates their diversity, and motivates continued writing improvement.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the following people whose support and encouragement helped make this year’s ESL Voices a reality: Dwayne Keeney, Associate Dean, Liberal Arts, Eastern Campus; Abigail Dohanos, Associate Dean, Liberal Arts, Metro Campus; Radiah Blanton, Associate Dean, Liberal Arts, Western Campus; and Claire McMahon, Associate Dean, Liberal Arts & Business, Westshore Campus.

We would also like to give a special thanks to Seong-Ae Mun for her help and guidance in this cross-curriculum collaboration between ESL and Graphic Arts, and to Tetiana Antoshchuk, a Visual Communication and Graphic Design student, for her creative cover art and layout design for this edition of ESL Voices.

Editors’ Note

We have grouped this year’s entries under four headings: Changes, Challenges, Lessons, and Treasures. Our goal is to highlight the complex nature of the sentiments behind these reflections. The work in this volume was written by students at Cuyahoga Community College during a year of great challenges, heartbreak, and change when the coronavirus pandemic forced us to move our classes online. This change posed monumental challenges for students, many of whom had already undergone the formidable task of leaving their homes to resettle in the U.S. The student work represented here was written for class assignments in synchronous online courses. For some, the added difficulty of attending class online was burdensome. However, the student work in this collection illustrates the powerful hope that can emerge in a learning environment.

In Changes, you read about how students changed their languages, careers, cities, and countries. For some, as in Anastasya Aklich’s “Future Plans,” language is the key to achieving goals and fulfilling dreams. In “2016 Changed My Life,” Kairallah Al Refae expresses the joy he felt after moving to Cleveland when in “October, trees began to decorate with very beautiful colors as if they were a work of art made by God.” In Challenges, students share their toughest moments from embarrassment to heartbreaking death. Ai Thai in “A Mother is the Best Friend Anyone Could Ever Ask For,” captures the complexity of a mother/daughter relationship when she writes, “From the day you first learn to ride your bike and your first day of school to your high school graduation and the day you get married, every kid says six words that they don’t mean, “You can let go now mom.’” In Treasures, students tenderly describe the people, places, animals and artifacts they treasure. In “My Explorer,” for example, Krishna Patel writes of her mother who refuted people’s complaint that “girls are tensions” by telling them “my daughter is not a tension, but she is equal to ten sons.”

These pieces were written for class assignments meant to help students develop their writing muscle in an additional language. Take a closer look, and you realize that in these writings, the authors are also teaching their readers. In Lessons, students use the English they have learned to teach readers about their worlds, their insights, and their perspectives.

They share a wealth of relevant and varied life lessons. Meeting these writers in our classrooms is a gift. In this volume, we share the fruits of that gift with you.

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Contents CHANGES My Heart................................................................................ 1

By Mohammad Wasim Safi My Future Plans...................................................................... 1

By Anastasiya Akulich 2016 Changed My Life.............................................................. 2

By Kairallah Al Refae Become a Mother..................................................................... 2

By Dounia Oggad Memory of Him...................................................................... 3

By Yun Hee Park My Important Year.................................................................. 4

By Mariam Alhamd Major Decisions in My Life....................................................... 4

By Nataliia Mazur What My First Job Taught Me.................................................... 6

By Zihao Liu My Hopes and Goals................................................................ 7

By Mariam Alhamd

CHALLENGES My Embarrassing Moment....................................................... 9

By Iryna Martyniuk An Embarrassing Day.............................................................. 9

By Ramnik Kour An Embarrassing Day.............................................................. 9

By Iulia Coclenci

Contents

A Sad Year............................................................................... 10

By Omaima Asaad

Living in New York Vs. Living in Ohio......................................... 20

By Liubava Semeniuk

My Sister’s Death.................................................................... 11

By Ana M. Diaz Laboy

The Causes of Discrimination................................................... 22

By Kateryna Vdovychenko

2019 Was a Challenge............................................................... 11

By Adel Muslem Barashed

Makeup Is Art Too................................................................... 24

By Claudia Bordelois

2015....................................................................................... 12

By Banan Shikh ✿ 2rd Prizewinner

Difference Between USA and India............................................. 26

By Fnu Rekha Rani

A Mother is the Best Friend Anyone Could Ever Ask For ............... 12

By Ai Thai

The Dark and Light of Adoption: The Positive Effects .................................................................. 28

By Banan Shikh

LESSONS

My Bright Dream..................................................................... 29

By Walaa Sammour

My Unforgettable Experience ................................................... 14

By Hanna Yendrys

TREASURES

If I Were a Starfish................................................................... 14

By Phi Tran

My Vase with Tulips................................................................. 30

By Valentina Dinu

My Life as a Book.................................................................... 15

By Oleksandr Moskalyk ✿ 3rd Prizewinner

My Special and Lovely Place...................................................... 30

By Walaa Sammour ✿ 1st Prizewinner

Person Who Influenced Me........................................................ 16

By Inna Liakhovetska

My Explorer............................................................................ 31

By Krishna Patel

Who Influenced Me.................................................................. 16

By Hanna Yendrys

My Special Toy........................................................................ 32

By Yuliia Sahan

The Influence of My Mother in My Life...................................... 17

By Yiraidy Tavarez

My First Baby.......................................................................... 32

By Nataliia Tsiupyk

The Person Who Influenced Me................................................. 17

By Viktoriia Muminova

My Daughters......................................................................... 33

By Ana M. Diaz Laboy

How to Prepare for School Tests................................................ 18

By Hanan El Nour

Moments of Motherhood.......................................................... 33

By Elvana Babameta Begolli

An Unforgettable Impression in London..................................... 18

By Yuliia Sahan

The Forest Near My House........................................................ 34

By Milian Prifti

If You Decide to Move to the USA .............................................. 19

By Nina Mikhailiuk

The Day When I Met My Dog Blacky.......................................... 35

By Elena Simona Winze Meet My Pets.......................................................................... 36

By Rachel Levine

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Contents

My Favorite Thing is the Piano.................................................. 36

By Inna Liakhovetska Spending Time with Family on Christmas Day............................ 37

By Yadira Gonzalez

CHANGES

My Bedroom in My Family House ............................................. 38

By Shrouq Alrwashdeh My Hometown......................................................................... 38

By Anastasiya Akulich My Favorite Place.................................................................... 39

By Tetiana Kalugina Paradise................................................................................. 40

By Khouloud Eltaief Trip to a Marvelous Restaurant ................................................ 40

By Hanan El Nour

My Heart

By Mohammad Wasim Safi Afghanistan, Level 2

Today is the end of acting in the guilt Liquid as snow around salt My heart is crying like a cloud It’s deep it’s quiet not aloud It talks with the day with the night It talks with the dark with the light My heart is aware of the wave of the sea My heart has two eyes just to see My heart as quiet as a rock in the sky My heart is alone as a pigeon out to fly My heart is a fire it boils my blood It’s not like a piece of meat it’s broad My heart is connected with the eyes with the lips My heart says truth steady or collapse

My Future Plans

By Anastasiya Akulich Belarus, Level 1

The most important preparation for the future I have now is to learn English.

Besides studying in college, I watch programs and movies in English every day, I try to talk in the store, with random passers-by in the park, I even changed the language on my phone. I know that this is only the beginning of my formation in America, but language is the basis. Knowing the language, I may be studying to be an accountant and continue my career here, or maybe I will radically change my profession, I have always dreamed of becoming an interior designer or maybe a florist. Yes, as you can see, I have not yet decided on the main goal, but for all my plans, knowledge of the language is necessary, and of course, in order to get to know better the country in which you live, the people who live nearby, their culture, traditions, I also need to know the language. I made my choice two

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years ago, when I moved to US and in small steps with positive thoughts I move towards my goals.

2016 Changed My Life

By Kairallah Al Refae Syria, Level 1

2016 was one of the best years of my life. My years were full of important events. But they were painful, so I love the year that I came to America. I left Syria in April 2013 as a refugee because of the war conditions there. l lived in Jordan with my family for three years. I had no work and was unable to pay my house bills or rent and any other necessities. In that difficult time in February 2016, I received a call from the immigration organization to travel with my family to the United States of America. On July 27th, I ended my travel procedures and left Jordan to Ohio. On the last day of July 2016, I arrived with my family in Cleveland at the start of the wonderful summer. In August, my children went to school. I took a driving license and bought a car in September. In October, trees began to decorate with very beautiful colors as if they were a work of art made by God, it is the distinctive autumn in Cleveland.

In December, the winter was completely different and very cold and snowy most days of winter. I got all my documents from the government and found a good job in the last month of this year. 2016 was a turning point in my life, from a refugee who has no identity to a resident in the greatest country and enjoyed citizenship rights. Also, from a poor person to a well off person enough for his family what they needed. I was sure my life would change for the better in a year.

2016 was a great and important year for me. .

Become a Mother

By Dounia Oggad l Morocco, Level 2

Really before marriage and being a mother, I didn’t feel anything about motherhood. I wondered how my mother focuses on us as her kids, that she can’t feel asleep at all if one of us is sick. After I got married and moved to my home, and started building my new family, my husband went to his work each day; I feel the right term of loneliness. When my friends visit me with their kids, I start to feel an unprecedented feeling about kids and how they taste life. I can’t forget the day that the doctor told me that I am pregnant and will soon be a mother; a unique feeling started coming up. It was building day by day during my pregnancy period. I start thinking about how I entirely take care of my baby and look like, and I will not be alone anymore. The dream came true, and I became a mother, and I see my first baby. I cried from the new warm feelings, which is the motherhood feeling, now I will never feel lonely. There is something meaningful in my life, and I start to care so much about the baby I can’t eat

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before feeding her. I can’t feel well if she doesn’t feel well. My daughter became everything in my life. Finally, each of us has a very worthy memorable event always engraved in his mind, and mine is being a mother.

Memory of Him

By Yun Hee Park Korea, Level 2

About 20 years ago, I was 16. I was the girl who wore an old school uniform with a countrified bob hairstyle. But the old style didn’t hurt my feelings because all the girls in the school had to have the same hairstyle and wore tattered uniforms. Luckily, our school was only for girls, so we didn’t have to show our beggar fashion style to any boys. Therefore, these young girls were always longing for boys. In our school, we had three popular male teachers.

One teacher taught science. He had a sense of humor and was optimistic. Of course, he was never impatient with students. Another teacher taught Chinese.

He was good looking but he held a grudge. The third popular male teacher was a math teacher. He was a very skinny man. Sometimes his black frame glasses hid his face. My man was the science teacher. I liked him because he had wide shoulders. Sometimes I had daydreams about how I would feel if I leaned on his shoulders. I liked the way he burst into laughter in the classroom. Whenever his laughing sound filled the classroom, it made any stress I was feeling go away.

One summer day, it was really hot. The girls at school thought maybe a god was boiling the earth. Two old electric fans worked hard to blow air in the classroom, but because of the weather, the fans kept blowing hot wind. When the school bell rang loudly, it almost ate the school. At that time, a girl jumped into the classroom and shouted at us like wild animals, “He is coming!” That meant my man was coming. He always came into the class with a silly smile on his face. I hoped he could see me easily, because I sat down in the front row. From there I could see his face and could smell him. He had an amazing smell. The smell is like the breeze on the ocean; it was also a smell of freedom. I craved to be 20. If I became 20, I wanted to walk in freedom with him. My eyes followed his every step. Whenever my freedom filled in the classroom, the bell rang and he had to leave. I tried to collect his smell in my memory as much as possible. He left the classroom just like my daydream. These 20 years later, I still remember him.

When I lay on the beach, a small breeze strokes my face and my memory finds his scent from beyond somewhere. Sometimes I can see a little bit of myself in these memories. I was young and little but my life was fierce, just like a soldier in the war. Through my teacher, I found hope and dreamed of my freedom. He was my youth in middle school.

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My Important Year

By Mariam Alhamd Syria, Level 1

The most memorable year of my life 2014. It was very difficult and harsh at times in January 2014. It was difficult in my country Syria during the war. At the beginning of the year 2014, I was still living in my country Syria with my beautiful family before we traveled to another country because of the war. I traveled with my husband and young children to Jordan neighboring my country Syria in February 2014. I was thinking very much about my new life. I left my country and moved to Jordan. I was a little scared when I moved to Jordan on the fifth day of the month of February because it was my first visit to this country. I did not know what was hidden for me in the coming days of my life in the country of Jordan. I was afraid for my children when we traveled to the country of Jordan in the month of February, due to the difficult circumstances that we lived in Syria during the war. With all this fear, I was ready for any changes in my life or anything new to happen with me in 2014. I have always been optimistic about a beautiful and happy life full of joy and hope. In March, I lived with my family in Jordan in a small house full of warmth and safety.

The people in Jordan were kind and helpful with us. Some people helped us arrange the house and gave gifts and toys to my children. In April, I got to know good neighbors and friends. We used to exchange visits with each other. In the beautiful May, we used to go with my neighbors to the beautiful parks and places in Jordan. I was very happy whenever I saw my children happy and smiling. At the beginning of June, the birth of my little child Muhammed. My family and I were happy with my new baby. I love children very much and I love working, so I looked for a job. In August, I found work at a childcare center near my house.

I was very happy with my new job and caring for the children. I love children so much because of their innocence, smile, strange movements, and beautiful laughs. In October of 2014, my brother traveled to America to complete his studies. I love my brother and I was sad because he was far from me. I was hoping to go to America to see him. This year was the most important year for me and I had many memories in it.

Major Decisions in My Life

By Nataliia Mazur Ukraine, Level 3

People make a tremendous amount of decisions in their lives every day.

The decision itself is a choice or resolution a person makes after a process of consideration by questioning or doubting an issue. Some decisions are less important and routine, and they appear all the time. In this case, people chose unconsciously or without long-term reflections on the issue. Serious or lifechanging choices emerge not so often, but they make a significant impact on

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people’s lives. They are the points in lifetime which define the future of people.

I have made several major decisions that determined my future such as getting married, moving to the USA, and choosing the major.

One of the most important decisions I have made in my life was to get married. Marriage indicates a readiness to go through a lifetime with one person and to be responsible for that person until death. I met the right person who provides me with considerable support and makes me feel loved. My husband is my best friend, the wisest advisor, the strongest safeguard, and the most reliable person I have in my life. He is the one who I want to share my life with and the man with whom I want to face my retirement. My husband is the person who will be an awesome teacher and a wonderful friend for our future children.

Marriage is a tremendous work full of compromises and sacrifices, and my husband is the only one man for whom I am ready to sacrifice. Consequently, marriage was the most substantial and fortunate decision I had ever made.

Moving from Ukraine to the USA was the next major decision in my life, and it was the hardest one as well. It turned my world upside down and brought immense changes in my being. The US offers new opportunities to me and allows me to improve my life condition. Living in the new country enabled me to start a new life, to extend my knowledge, and to grow as a personality. It helps me to meet new people, to see a totally different way of life, and to value more all the dear people I left in Ukraine. Moving to the USA enhanced my life with motivation, encouraged me to set new goals, and to move towards their achievement. Therefore, changing the country of living was one of the major decisions in my life.

The third significant decision I made in my life was choosing my major. When I thought about my future occupation in childhood, I was always imagining myself at the office. What businessmen do in their offices was always interesting for me, as well as how do companies work. That is why I decided to choose business studies when the time came, and I went into supply chain management.

It is a very practical and common field as the flow goods and trade have always existed, and they will continue to exist. A supply chain manager is a universal profession because it is possible to work in different domains of logistics, for example purchasing, transportation, warehousing or delivery. I have already obtained experience in supply chain management in Ukraine, and I am sure that it was a right choice to get this major.

In conclusion, getting married, moving to the USA, and choosing my major were the most remarkable decisions I have ever made in my life. It was hard and frightening to make these choices in the past, but now I understand that they were made at the right moment, and the outcomes changed my life for the better.

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What My First Job Taught Me

By Zihao Liu China, Level 3

My first job is a very important lesson in my life. Everyone’s first job is special for two reasons: the work experience will be deeply remembered, which provides you with the practice you need for other jobs in the future; the first job will also let you understand the value of your money. Of course, when we were children, we would also do some housework at home, such as washing dishes, vacuuming, and washing clothes. Working for others to earn money for ourselves has a very different feeling.

When I was 17 years old, I really wanted to buy an Xbox, but I didn’t have the money. My parents were not the kind of people who doted on me and gave me a lot of pocket money, so I had to find a job to buy an Xbox, and I started looking around for places to work. I live in a small city, but with a large population. It is not difficult to find such a job. I found a restaurant for waiters.

With the approval of the restaurant manager, I got the job successfully. When I was ready to work, I always thought about all kinds of things that may happen in my work. Finally, my first day at work arrived. I went to work on time that day.

I was nervous because I had to introduce myself to guests and start learning all of the hospitality skills. The first thing I learned on my first day was that when customers enter the restaurant, you have to say welcome. At first, it was hard for me to say it in front of people because I was embarrassed. My predecessors suggested that I could practice in front of the mirror. When I stood in front of the mirror and forced myself to practice many times, I could finally greet the guests easily and fluently. After a few weeks, I became familiar with the job.

However, there was an accident during this period. Once, when I was delivering food, due to the height difference of the steps, I lost my balance, and I accidentally poured part of the fried rice on the table, which scared the guests.

I was embarrassed. I blamed myself for my carelessness. Fortunately, the guest was not too angry, but the manager warned me of my carelessness. After that, I paid more attention to my work. After that, although sometimes there will be emergencies, I could handle them very well. Sometimes, with the help of colleagues, when I did a good job, I got good encouragement, I made friends with colleagues. In retrospect, I still miss working there.

My first job gave me enough money to buy an Xbox, which made me very excited. But the day before I wanted to buy an Xbox, I reconsidered. I asked myself, “Is this really what you want? Months of hard work just to buy an Xbox?

Why not do something more meaningful with this money? “ I calmed down and decided to think about it. I thought all night and finally decided to save money.

This is the first time that I have earned money through my own labor, which is very meaningful to me. If I had bought an Xbox with this money, I would have spent a lot of time playing games. I was still a student. I do not have much time to play games.

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Finally, I applied for a bank card to save the money as my first personal deposit. Later, the money became part of the purchase of my telescope, and I eventually used it to cultivate interest. After coming to the United States, my previous working experience in a hotel also helped me find a job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant here. My previous experience helped me a lot so that I didn’t adapt to this job from the beginning until I left that place because I changed University.

All in all, for me, my first job was a very valuable experience. It not only trained me and made me adapt to other work faster in the future, but also made me understand the correct concept of financial management. Since then, I have almost never been impulsive again. When you feel that your greed is not commensurate with your efforts, you will naturally understand the absurdity of your desire. My first job had a great influence on the formation of my values.

I still miss my first job very much and thank it for the valuable experience it brought me.

My Hopes and Goals

By Mariam Alhamd Syria, Level 1

I have a lot of goals and hopes in my life for the coming months and in the long term. These days I will be very busy in my studies for the first level in the English language because this semester is almost over. I am planning to prepare for the final exam for this semester. I hope to finish this level successfully. I hope to move to the second level for the next semester in the fall. In May, we will be in the days of Ramadan. I will make different kinds of delicious food, drinks, sweets, and everything my children love. In the middle of May I will be busy going shopping. I will buy gifts, toys, and new clothes for my children. On May 24, I plan to travel to North Carolina with my family to visit my mother and father. I would like to spend the best times with my father and mother in North Carolina. We all will go to the sea and enjoy the beautiful weather and warm water. I will swim with the kids and play with them on the beach. On June 5, I look forward to celebrating my brother’s graduation from Telecom Engineering College. It will be nice and fun for us and my family to be with my brother in this party. After I return from travel, I will need to spend some time preparing for the new semester. Also, I would like to find a good job when I finish my English studies. After that, I hope to get American citizenship because I live in America.

I plan to buy a large house for my family with many bedrooms, a large kitchen, and a beautiful garden. I plan to teach children of the Arabic language and the Quran book in addition to the English language. In addition, I look forward to seeing my children get their college degrees. Also, I hope my children find good and loyal friends. I hope my children stay happy and healthy in their lives. There is a wish that makes my soul stable. I hope to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj. Another thing I hope to return to my homeland, Syria. My biggest goal CHANGES |

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is the satisfaction and love of God, which leads my way to paradise. I am sure all of my goals are fulfilled with patience and hard work.

CHALLENGES My Embarrassing Moment

By Iryna Martyniuk Ukraine, Level 1

Everyone experiences some embarrassing moments one day. There are have been several embarrassing moments in my life. One of them was very embarrassing for me. When I was a little girl, I loved looking at my mother’s cosmetics and perfumes. Once, my dad bought to my mom expensive French perfume for her birthday. I decided to open them right away. But opening them turned out wasn’t easy. I tried my best and finally opened them, but at the same time the bottle slipped out of my hands. First fell on the sofa and then rolled on the carpet. Then, there wasn’t almost nothing left in the bottle. I was very embarrassed. Mom was very upset then, and for a long time, the house smelled of wonderful perfume. In conclusion, for myself, I learned the lesson that you didn’t take things without asking.

An Embarrassing Day

By Ramnik Kour India, Level 1

My daughter Gunni had an embarrassing day two weeks ago. That happened in the house when she was getting ready. She accidentally put her t-shirt and pants wrong side up. She went to school without realizing. All her classmates looked strange at her cloths, but no one told her either her friends. The teacher saw her and made an announcement that next day will be Upside- down day. When she came home I finally told her about her mistake. She felt so embarrassed. The next day at school everyone was wearing their t-shirt and pants the wrong side up, it was an upside-down day. Then Gunni didn’t feel embarrassed anymore.

An Embarrassing Day

By Iulia Coclenci Moldova, Level 1

A day that I will remember for my whole life was when I heard the first time that I was pregnant. That was a tough day with tough feelings and emotions.

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That day happened 9 years ago. But why was it embarrassing? Because I was just nineteen years old and I just started a University, and I wasn’t married.

So, on an autumn morning, my actual husband, at that time he was just boyfriend, predicted that it could be a baby, and we went to the doctor for an ultrasound. The first embarrassing thing was when I stood in the waiting room, and I was the youngest woman. Next, when I wrote my maiden name and the nurse understood that I’m not married. Next, I drank something very bitter that makes me remember everything I ate in the morning. That’s was embarrassing.

After I saw my tiny babies on the monitor and the nurse told us that they are two -twins. Wow!!! That was strong.

In the evening we drove to my parent’s house...We bought a cake. I can’t write how I felt that night, and It took a couple of minutes until I spoke an announcement. My mother was shocked she broke a cup accidentally. I didn’t know how to look into her eyes, so all the dinner caught her face; I want to understand what she thought about. I felt like I betrayed them, like I betrayed all their dreams about me. That was the most embarrassing day of my life. But the time drained like the sand in the hourglass, and that day becomes a happier one.

A Sad Year

By Omaima Asaad Syria, Level 1

2004 was my great sadness. In this year I lost my father. It was the worst year of my life. My father’s illness started a year before. The illness and fatigue continued into 2004. In January the pain increased and his health was getting worse and the days were getting bad. All things changed in our lives.I was not happy with anything beautiful that could happen. We took him to the hospital every month for treatment and sometimes he remained for days.

During February and March he began to show more and more sickness. Later all doctors could not do anything but give him pain medication. The greatest and very difficult sadness in this year was the knowledge of my children about grandfather’s illness. My children were young, they felt sad in all our eyes, and their laughter became sad, despite their smallness and innocence. They knew the sadness of their grandfather’s illness, who used to play them, laughed at them, and gave them everything they loved. After that they see him asleep in his bed unable to move. In April it was the worst event. Then my father died. The days started to be more sad. It was a heavy month that slowly passed through its days. Sadness filled the house and our souls. We no longer felt the passage of days, it became all difficult and sad. The summer came and the matter was getting worse. The memories became our partner after that. In September all the invitations and joys were canceled due to the sadness that filled the hearts.

It was difficult for me because their questions were all about him. They did not know what death was or what it meant to lose him and they did not see him again. The death of their grandmother was difficult for my children. Especially

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in November my daughter’s birthday was beginning to feel his absence. It was a special day for my daughter with her grandfather. It was one of the sad and difficult reasons that was stored with my sad memories. December 2004 was the end of the sad year for me, but the sadness lasted and remained in the heart.

2004 was the hardest year for me.

My Sister’s Death

By Ana M. Diaz Laboy Puerto Rico, Level 1

On the morning of July 31, 2019, I received various text from my stepmother, she told me the hospital called us because something was happening with Xannette. In this moment, my life changes completely because I understood my sister was complicated. I did not work more that day, I went to my daughter’s house. I talked with she and went to my home because I had too much stress.

My daughters arrived in my house in that moment my father called me and only told, she goes with God. My daughters hugged me, I cried, screamed and questioned, but nothing helped me. Remembered memories with her, your last call that Sunday, my nephews and my father. When she died my life completely change because I understood the life is short. Today we have life, but tomorrow is uncertain. I learned to value my family

2019 Was a Challenge

By Adel Muslem Barashed Yemen, Level 1

In 2019, I started a new chapter in my life. I was working in a large construction company in Saudi Arabia. In May, I received my initial letter to immigrate to the United States. I felt confused. How will I leave what I had here to go to another place with my family? This decision was hard. Then, I talked with my wife. She agreed and supported me about this idea. After that, I prepared all my documents to do the interview in the US embassy in July.

One week after the interview, I received my family’s passports and had final approval to travel to America as a migrant. Then, I told my family my mom was sad and cried, also my friends. My dad pushed me to travel to do my dream. I prepared to travel to the U.S. In August, I sold all my furniture and I quit from the company. I was sad because I spent more than eleven years in this company.

It was a hard stage to end this long life in the country that I was born and lived in. On October 14, 2019, I moved to the United States with my family. That was hard for my kids. They missed their relatives, their friends, their room, and toys. In November, I chose a good city in Ohio and a good school for my son.

In December, I started to do my dream to complete my education. I felt this decision was right. This year I had a new beginning to make my dream come true.

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2015

By Banan Shikh Syria, Level 1 ✿ 2 nd Prizewinner

One year of my life changed many things for me. In February 2015, I came back from Sweden to Saudi Arabia with my husband and my son. We were immigrants in Sweden. I made this decision to come back because I learned of my dad’s illness. He had cancer. I could not stay in Sweden far away from him.

I wanted to be near him in his hard days. I was four months pregnant. After we arrived to Saudi Arabia, we started to search for an apartment. During those three months, we lived in both of our families’ houses. In April, we moved to a new house and bought new furniture. Then, we prepared for our new baby girl. In July, my girl was born. I named her Lama. My happiness mixed with sad feeling. I saw my dad in pain and his case was becoming worse and worse every day. The illness spread in all his body. It was hard to see him in pain, and we could not do anything for him. I remember his last days in September. I remember his eyes said goodbye to us. These days were so difficult for me I had my little son and new baby and I went to my family house every day to see him and take care of him. I lost my dad in September. My kids lost their kind loving grandfather. How can someone not be there anymore? I could not accept this idea for long time. Dad’s loss made me fear to lose any important person in my life especially my kids or they lose me. In the months after my dad passed away, I was depressed. I felt challenged to be a good mom like that mom who I was before. I could not spend time to play or have fun with my kids. I lost a lot of time and memories with them especially my daughter in her first year. My soul was extinguished. After time passed, I got past this stage and life went on. This year made my life different.

A Mother is the Best Friend Anyone Could Ever Ask For

There’s a point it every kid life when sitting next to mom in public is the most embarrassing thing possible or kissing mom in front of your friends is pretty much social suicide, but that doesn’t take away from how much we truly love them. From the day you first learn to ride your bike and your first day of school to your high school graduation and the day you get married, every kid says six words that they don’t mean, “You can let go now mom”. Even though we say it, deep down we still want them to hold on. It’s all still a little bit scary and we’re not ready to do it on our own.

Although sometimes it may seem like your mother hates you, and all she ever does is yell at you, recently I discovered she only does this because she loves you.

Mothers love their kids as much if not more than you love them and they only want the best for you. She has been through all these things before and she wants to save you from making the same mistakes. She is looking out for you because she hates to see you hurt.

One thing a lot of kids forget to do is tell their mothers how thankful they are for everything they do and how much they love them. On May 13th everyone in the world sets aside one day to do what we should do every single day, tell our moms that we love them and that will never change. Even though sometimes we yell at our moms and say “you’re the worst mom in the world”, deep down we know it’s quite the opposite. That’s what Mother’s Day is for, to let your mom know that you never meant the harsh words and that you never will.

In conclusion, everyone has a best friend and everyone has the friends that they call their best friend forever, but the only girl in my life that I’m positive will be my best friend forever is my mom. She has been there from my first breath to my first broken heart and I know that no matter what I do she will always be there full of forgiveness and will provide the shoulder I can cry on. Not only is she my best friend but I am her best friend too. She was there for my first breath and I will be there for her last, and we will be together for everything in between, because a mother is the best friend anyone could ever ask for. .

By Ai Thai Vietnam, Level 3

A mother is the best friend anyone could ever ask for. When everyone else turns away, she is the one turning towards you, when you fall, she’s the one that helps you up and when your heart is filled with despair, she’s the one that gives you a glimpse of hope. The day a child is born, so is a mother. The woman was always there but it wasn’t until the second their little baby was born that a mother was born. A mother and her child have a special bond that only they can understand. You can fool most of your friends most of the time, but you can’t fool mom. She sees right through you and always knows what’s wrong. Once she gives you that special hug everything seems okay and even though you never want her to let go, the feeling lasts forever.

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and I would communicate by touch. So that is the reason why I would be a starfish, if I could be an animal.

My Life as a Book

By Oleksandr Moskalyk Ukraine, Level 2 ✿ 3rd Prizewinner

My Unforgettable Experience

By Hanna Yendrys Ukraine, Level 2

Knowing English in the US is a very important thing that you should know if you plan to visit here. I stood French in school when I was a child. So, when I came to the USA I knew only a few words in English. I had an unforgettable experience with it. One of the days, I drove to school, to pick up my children.

While I was driving here, my car needed gas. I drove to a gas station and refueled it. The woman went out of the building and said “You need to pay”. I didn’t understand why because I used my card. Then, she came to me and said the word “gas”. When I heard this word, I started to cry. In my language, it is a different word for “gas”, and in Ukrainian, it is meant for the oven. She began to calm me. I had thousands of things in my mind. “What will do I do?” “How can I pick up my kids?” “What do I say my husband?” I had a panic attack at that moment. Next, the woman took a phone and translated her words. I saw “gas” was it what I needed. Then, she explained to me the terminal didn’t work. I went to the office and paid for gas. After that, I calmed down and drove to school. In the end, I picked up my children from their school. I felt sad after it happened to me. It was a bad day in my life. But, I understood I need to study English as soon as possible. Finally, I went to college and started to study English. Now I can say if you are going to go to the United States language is very important.

If I Were a Starfish

By Phi Tran Vietnam, Level 3

If I could be an animal, I would be a starfish. I would swim all day in the Pacific Ocean. I would see the pretty sea. I would understand all the starfish talking. I would eat mollusks, clams, oyster’s sand dollars, and mussels. If I were a starfish, I would be very beautiful with five arms. I would have spiny skin. I would stick to everything. I would crawl on the bottom of the ocean and in tide pools.

If I were a starfish, I would move slowly over the seabed by my tiny tube feet.

I would sleep all day in the ocean. I would be birth by asexual or sexual, and I would have many eggs. If I were a starfish, I would be related with echinoderms

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I stood in the store for a long time, my pages were clean and not yet dirty. visitors came to the store, but no one looked at me, some books sold quickly, some stood as long as me. And one day, when the sun was almost setting. A bell rang, and a young boy with blue like sea eyes came to the store. He looked strong. His hands were too big for the boy, “he is working hard,” I thought. He had a smile on his face, and he looked as if it was his birthday. In his left hand, he held very old papers, and after he talked to the cashier, he gave them to him.

The cashier came to me, took me off the shelf, and handed me to the boy. He ran out of the store when he was running, I saw many things that were unfamiliar to me. The boy turned to the large red door with an iron handle. Opened the door, and climbed the stairs he sat on a сreaking bed. Then he opened me, took a pen and started writing some numbers “from 6:00 to 8:00,” then he put the pen down. When he left me in his bed, I began to look around.photos on the wall. A large window that gave a lot of light into the room was facing the backyard. And there was a big fat cat, he made strange noises and slept a lot. Day by day, the face of the boy I knew changed, but he still wrote these numbers on my pages.

And I always waited for him and looked at the door. I tried to watch his restless cat who often scratched the front door. The room was much smaller than in my store. The pictures on the whal were old and incomprehensible. I supported him in his interesting ideas. In short, we were friends. It seemed to me that I was a very important thing in his life. It lasted for many years. A lot changed. One day his old fat cat was missing and I haven’t seen him since that day. Some people came for a short period of time and they walked as they came. Only me was always in this lonely and quiet room. I’ve always wondered what those numbers on my pages might mean. And one day my old man took me and some more papers and carried me to the building with a lot of glass doors. There were a lot of people standing in a long queue, almost all were as old as my owner. One at a time they passed their books to a not very friendly young person. “You’re free to go,” she said, and we were next. With his trembling hands, the old man handed me to the woman. She carefully turned my pages, then she took a note, took some photos and handed him some old, rectangular papers. In my opinion, she handed the same paper as I remember many, many years ago that he handed the same papers to the cashier. There was a smile on his face, he picked me up and we left the building. When we returned home, I was happy too because” I did something important” I thought. Suddenly he stopped at a very dirty garbage can and threw me there. The horror on my pages almost burned me, with one LESSONS |

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last glance. I tried to say, don’t do that, we are friends, but a selfish human did not pay attention. Then I realized that what was important to him was not me but those incomprehensible numbers on my pages..

Person Who Influenced Me

By Inna Liakhovetska Ukraine, Level 2

The person who influenced me during school age was my music teacher. First of all, my teacher replaced my mother. When my mother was in another country for a few years, my teacher was with me. Also, my teacher spent a lot of free time with me. Helped me with my homework and talked to me a lot about everything in the world. Secondly, my teacher taught me to play the piano. When I didn’t have a musical instrument at home, the teacher allowed me to play the piano in class. In addition, when I took part in music competitions, my teacher was with me and supported me. Finally, my teacher gave me a lot of good advice for life.

She taught me to be happy and find myself in life. Also, she believed in me and it gave me the strength to succeed. I’m happy that fate has given me a change to meet this good woman. I thank my teacher for the good influence on me, for the advice, for the support, and for a good time together.

Who Influenced Me

By Hanna Yendrys Ukraine, Level 2

The person who influenced me and who comes up to my mind is my grandmother. She was a nice woman and lived in a small village in Ukraine.

She gave me a lot of examples of how to be well in housekeeping. She was very talented with flowers in a garden. She gave me a lot of knowledge about how to grow vegetables and fruit. I grow my garden like her and teach my kids of her learning. Also, she was good at cooking and baking. My grandmother thought me how to make bread in an old stone kiln. The bread was tasty. I use her recipe for my own family but, I make a loaf of bread in a bread machine. When I was a child my grandma thought me how to pray and have faith. Now, I teach my kids how to do it because their grandmothers live in Ukraine and do not see them enough. I can say that everything I know about housekeeping was given to me by my grandmother. She left a good mark in my life and my memory of her.

The Influence of My Mother in My Life

By Yiraidy Tavarez The Dominican Republic, Level 2

My mother has been and will be the greatest influence, and inspiration in my life. She taught me not to give up. When I felt that I could not do something

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she was there motivating me to continue. My mom supports me in each of my decisions. When I wanted to change schools or have a new hairstyle, she always supported me. She taught me that I have the strength to do what I want. When people stopped me saying that I couldn’t do something because I was a girl, or that I was never going to do it, she taught me that I was the only one who could put limits on my life. I will always thank my mother for her advice that is fun in her own way, but very important for what I am now, and what I hope to become in the future.

The Person Who Influenced Me

By Viktoriia Muminova Ukraine, Level 2

I am very happy and lucky person, because there are many people in my life who teach, help and support me. I would like to tell you about each of them. But today, I want to talk about my mother and father. My parents are people who inspire and support me all my life. They are my angels, who guard and guide me every day. In my life, I can say for sure, that I listen to them the most. Of course, they taught me a lot of good things, but I want to write about the three most important in my opinion. First of all, they taught me to respect people.

For example, always give place to old people, to apologize when I hit someone in the store, to help somebody if they ask about help, or advice. Next, they taught me to never give up. Sometimes it was hard to take the first step, or get out of my comfort zone, but I’ve always done and still do, and it really works.

For example, before I got an American visa, I had denied 4 times, each time I was very upset, because it was dream. As well as every trip to the embassy, and interviews cost money. Sometimes I had to save or borrow some money. But I did not give up and got a visa for the fifth time. Also, one of the main ones, they taught me to respect myself. Don’t waste time on unnecessary people or actions.

To love myself as I am. There is no one perfect in the world. Always do and think of the good. Honestly, it is not always possible to follow all the instructions, but I try. They always said, that I was the only one in the world and unique.

Disadvantages not always bad lessons. A lot of famous people have physical and psychological problems, that can help overcome or make their highlight. My parents played a big role in my character, for which I am grateful. I hope I can be an even better example for my children, and teach them to be good people.

How to Prepare for School Tests

By Hanan El Nour Lebanon, Level 2

School tests are a couple questions that you should answer to show your knowledge and understanding. To pass this test you have to follow these steps.

First of all, start with your health the day before your test. Try to eat fruits, food rich with proteins, drink a lot of water, and get enough sleep because some LESSONS |

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scientists say that this will improve your brain concentration. Second, choose a quiet place to sit in your room far from your family. Also keep your phone away because it will waste your time. If somebody sends you a text message during studying, he will interrupt you and waste your time. After that, arrange your time for how long each test will need to study it. While you decide which one you will begin studying, look at the content of the test. It’s easy to mark the chapters or pages that are required. Make sure to review all your notes. Then, start practicing, make a google search to do extra exercises, try to find different problems that will help you to have confidence in your background studying.

Finally, on test day wake up early, try to form a quick review and summarize all the notes that you should be alert to. After that, take a deep breath and go early to your class. All in all, when the teacher says there is a test, your heartbeat starts to beat so fast, but if you follow all these steps, you will pass the test easily.

An Unforgettable Impression in London

By Yuliia Sahan Ukraine, Level 2

I have an unforgettable impression when I visited London for the first time.

When I came there the first impression wasn’t pleasant. London seemed gray and cold. The weather was terrible because there is a very strong wind all the time. Later, I changed my mind, and I was delighted with what I saw. London has the oldest underground in the world, so I enjoyed the trip on those trains.

Then, I took a tourist trip on the double-decker bus. It was incomparable.

From the second floor of the bus, I saw beautiful places. We went despite huge historical buildings and Tower Bridge, Big Ben. I visited the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace. I felt like I traveled back in a historical time. Also, London has modern architectural buildings, and they look amazing. Finally, the British people surprised me. They were opened and very nice to me. No wonder Great Britain is called the country of gentlemen. I’ll never forget this experience, and necessarily I’ll fly again to London to see places I didn’t see last time.

If You Decide to Move to the USA

By Nina Mikhailiuk Russia, Level 3

Russians have one well-known expression that says “one move is worse than three fires”. This means that moving to another house or another city is very difficult. Moving to another country is a very important event in life. With a new country, everything else also becomes new, for example, language, home, friends, work, study, etc. When I moved to the U.S., it was like moving to Mars for me different people, different lives and even different climates! Now, I can give some advice to you. I hope it will help you make your move easier and adapt faster in a new location.

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The first tip is to learn the language now. Yes, starting now, when you are still in your country. As soon as you step on new land, you have to understand and explain everything in English. It is better to be prepared for this in advance.

I studied English at school, but very little attention was paid to this subject. I studied English from very old books, one of my textbooks was from 1967. It was a book with yellow pages and no pictures. These books were very boring and uninteresting for children. It seemed that even our teacher was not interested in the book. There are many interesting English textbooks now, but the most important thing is that now there is Internet where there is a lot of information on learning English. There are lessons on YouTube, blogs of English-speaking people, and many programs for cell-phones that teach English. You should learn English now because when you move to the US, you will have less time for it.

You will need to look for a new home to buy or rent. You need to buy a lot of new things for the house. It will be necessary to look for a new job and a school for the children. All this takes a lot of time and there may be no time to learn English at first.

The second tip for you is about your moving. Explore well the place to which you are going to move. When my husband won the green card, we could not decide for a long time where to go to live in America. We looked at different city ratings, read articles on the Internet, but we still could not decide. In the end, we just pointed our finger at the map... My husband and I have a degree in journalism. We understood very well that we would not be able to work as journalists in the US because our English is not perfect. We began to think about getting a new profession already in the US. It is better to decide on a new profession before making the journey. Then you can find out in advance about colleges and universities where you can go to study.

The third tip is to learn to drive in your country. In addition to other important things that you must immediately do in the U.S. is to get a driver’s license. This is a very important document that is needed wherever personal identification is required. Driving is very important in America. Shops, libraries and other places can be very far from your home. You will most likely have to drive a lot every day. Here people often drive to other cities, and even states, for work and shopping, which can be many miles away. There is very little public transport. In addition, it takes much longer to travel by bus to work or university than by car. I’m used to the fact that now I spend a lot of time in the car.

At the end of my letter, I want to give the most important and simple advice to those of you who decided to move to the U.S. Do not be afraid of anything.

This seems simple, but it is very difficult. We are always afraid of change, afraid of the unknown and the new. Moving to another country is not easy. There must be a very strong desire to immigrate, so strong that difficulties in the new country are negligible. I was doing well back home, so I didn’t have a great desire to movie. Now, I perceive it as an interesting stage in my life. I wish you a new interesting stage in your life. I wish you an easy move and success in the U.S. I LESSONS |

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hope my advice will help you prepare well for the move and your new life in the U.S will be happy and easy. Good luck!

Living in New York Vs. Living in Ohio

By Liubava Semeniuk Ukraine, Level 3

I moved to New York from Europe, to live with my boyfriend. Before moving, I only heard talk about this majestic tourist city, which attracts people from all over the world. And so it was, I fell in love with it too and it lasted for almost four months.

After that, routine life did not seem very comfortable to me. When my boyfriend made me a proposal, I was so happy and of course, I agreed. But the feeling of not being at the right place was bothering me so much that I could not wait any longer. I did not want to make my fiancé sad, because I knew he does everything to make me happy and I also knew how comfortable that place was for him. But I decided to be honest and shared with my fiancé how I felt and if we could consider moving somewhere else, explaining how happy it would make me feel. As I expected, he said that he had never had such thoughts, because he had lived on Long Island for the last 10 years, and he liked everything there.

“Especially the traffic jams”, - he joked. I discussed again with my husband about the pros and cons of moving away and we finally decided to do it.

My husband had traveled to many states and while discussing our new place to move to, he said that he really liked Chicago (suburbs) and Cleveland. I searched a lot of information about these places and also places nearby and we have decided to move to Ohio.

We took with us only stuff that we could fit in our car, everything else we offered to our friends. It is hard to describe how happy I was. Peace, quiet, polite people on the roads, rent is 2 times cheaper…When I was given the task to compare something, I decided that comparing those two places where I lived before and where I live now – is the best choice.

People in New York are always in a hurry. I felt like I was always running somewhere. Waking up, it seemed to me that if I enjoyed my coffee for more than 5 minutes, I would miss something. There is a crazy rhythm. People are studying in the subways or trains, watching movies or anything similar so they don’t waste any free minute. Those who drove their cars - are watching the news, listening to the news or, even worse - texting messages, solving seemingly super important things. This place did not suit me. But many of my friends find it very cool, modern and they are not ready for anything else, they just simply enjoy this crazy rhythm. Not only in New York but also in Ohio, people are very busy. Everyone is working, mothers are spending time on playgrounds with their children, people are going to the supermarkets... Everything is almost the same as anywhere else. But in a slower rhythm, in my opinion. I really enjoy these

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weekends in the parks, these cool sports grounds in every area and these wide spacious and comfortable roads.

In comparison, the prices were higher in New York. Especially the rental price. I couldn’t afford to own a house in New York, partly because of high property taxes. We rented an apartment in the garage. Yes, we literally lived in a garage that was converted into a studio apartment. A very small apartment costs $ 1,000 and it’s a very good price for New York. The owner of the house pays $ 14,000 of property tax annually. In the country where I am from this does not exist at all, so the property tax was really something new to me. Here in Cleveland, I pay 7 times less property tax, I have as much space as the owner of the house in New York does, and the school that my child will attend has 10 points. I could not ask for more.

NY is the third most traffic-congested city in the world. I spent 3 hours in traffic daily. This time seemed like a torment. I had a feeling I was wasting my life and because of these traffic jams. I had migraines very often as well. Now, working on the Eastside of Cleveland, my worst experience of a traffic jam took a maximum of 2 hours, and it was really very bad weather that day. It was once, or maybe I was just lucky.

There are many differences. But after moving here from a place where I had been living my whole life and where I felt very comfortable with everything, I decided to not deal with worse conditions. It is important for me to be in a harmony with myself, healthy, and to feel safe. I believe we made the right choice. Over the past year 4 families that we are friends with, have moved from New York to Cleveland. I’m not campaigning, but for some reason, people really like to be in Ohio.

The Causes of Discrimination

By Kateryna Vdovychenko Ukraine, Level 3

Humanity has gone through a series of horrific events in its history. Some of them were started by people, such as wars, murders, and genocide; others were created by nature, such as tsunami, earthquakes, or droughts. War is an example of human conflict based on hatred, prejudice, and the desire to impose someone’s thought. Nowadays wars are not as common as they were in the past, but, unfortunately, they still exist. One of the reasons which causes wars is a blind belief in someone or something. All people have their own beliefs and opinions about different aspects in their lives. Defending one’s preferences is a normal phenomenon of human behavior. A problem is when people try to impose their opinions or beliefs because it can lead to many negative consequences. Discrimination is one of these consequences and it is one of the biggest problems in society today. Although people have many similarities, they have many differences, too. We all look differently, we speak differently, and we think differently. For most of the people it is not a problem, but for some of them LESSONS |

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it can be a reason for prejudiced behavior; moreover, these people try to impose their beliefs to others. Prejudice is a negative attitude toward a person who is different, and it is a foundation of discrimination. Discrimination has several causes: prejudice against ethnic groups, physical characteristics, and social status of people.

The first cause of discrimination is prejudice against ethnic groups. Racism is a prejudice against a particular group of people. Race, religion, and national origin are the most common reasons of this. People have treated unequal each other from the beginning of times. One example of this is African Americans, who were used as slaves by white people. People with white skin thought that they were in a higher class of society, and they believed that it gave them a right to use African Americans in their own purposes without paying for this.

This situation changed a little bit after Abraham Lincoln signed the document about canceling slavery, but inequality still existed, and in some places, it exists even today. Racism is a very serious issue, and a lot of people suffer because of their race or religion every day. These people can be victims of violence and cruel behavior. In some cases, they even can be killed. This belongs for not only African Americans, but for other races too, such as Asians, Mexicans, and even white people. Religion and national origin are other purposes of racism. One of the reasons of this, is a stereotype. It means that people make their decisions about each other before they know each other. They follow a common view on one or another aspect which is wrong. For example, I have a friend from Islamic culture, and he is a nice and polite person, but because of the stereotypes, he has faced unfair behavior in society. People perceive him as a terrorist only because of his religion and appearance, and in my opinion, this is wild. We cannot make our decisions about other people based on their cultures. In conclusion, prejudice against ethnic groups is a serious issue in society today.

The second cause of discrimination is prejudice against physical characteristics of people. Age and gender can also be reasons of discrimination.

It is not a secret that men earn more than women, and that not all job opportunities are the same for men and women. People are prejudiced about this. They believe that some jobs cannot be done by women. This is a stereotype, and it has existed from the foundation of society. In the beginning, people were considered that women are created for cooking and childcare. In those days, women could not go to college or work. Only men could do that. This situation is better today, but some inequalities still exist. The law about age discrimination was passed not so far away which means that inequalities because of age also exist. The law protects people who are older than forty years old from firing because of their age, but it does not oblige employers to hire them. Some people believe in the stereotype that the young can do the same job more effective than the elderly. That is why in most cases employers prefer to hire the young.

People with disabilities are also faced prejudiced behavior by others. It can be a problem for them to find a job or just go shopping. In my country, for example, only few kinds of public transportation have special mechanisms for people on

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wheelchairs. Getting an education is also a problem for people with disabilities because not all schools and colleges have adjustments for them. In conclusion, physical characteristics are one of the causes of discrimination.

Another cause of discrimination is prejudice against social status of people.

All of us has different financial status and it is another reason of discrimination.

From the beginning, humanity was divided to the rich and the poor. These two categories have never understood each other. However, society consider that this problem is not as common as it was before, the line that divide the rich from the poor still exist. Avia companies, for example, have two or three classes of passengers, and although they assure that their services are equal for every class, some travelers can face unfair behavior only because they are in lower class.

Some schools only accept children from rich families, and this is an example of inequality in education, or some stores and restaurants can refuse in service because of financial status of person. In some countries, the rich even can avoid justice if they did some illegal actions. Family status is another example of social discrimination. Some people have relatives in prison or psychiatric hospital, and it can be a reason of cruel and unfair behavior to them. For adults, it can manifest in a problem of job finding; and for children it can be persecution and ridicules among peers. In conclusion, social status can cause discrimination and unfair behavior to people.

In conclusion, prejudice against ethnic groups, physical characteristics, and social status of people cause discrimination and unsociable attitude to people.

This is a very serious issue in society today. More and more people suffer from discrimination every day. We have to take some actions to overcome this.

For example, it can be lectures or lessons about causes and negative effects of discrimination provided by psychologists.

Makeup Is Art Too

By Claudia Bordelois Cuba, Level 3

Although makeup has been around for a long time, it is a fact that the beauty industry has gotten bigger in the past decade. In the history of makeup, beauty standards have gone through a lot of different phases until getting to its current form. Makeup has evolved into an artistic way of expression. The combination of colors and the techniques in order to aim for a certain look, it is all an art that not everyone is capable of doing. Despite its complexity, there are still many people that think is as simple as putting some paint on the face. Makeup is an art that not everyone is able, or willing, to understand. Due to the ignorance, disgracefully prevalent in today’s society, many believe that makeup is solely used to cover imperfections on women’s faces and other stereotypical or judgmental myths; on the contrary, makeup is much more than that.

When someone does not have knowledge about a certain topic, they tend to make assumptions about it, which are not always correct or positive. Historically, LESSONS |

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makeup was created for women to cover certain imperfections and to fit in more accurately to the beauty standards of the era. Nowadays it is not taken that way, at least for the majority. There are still some that believe that the people who use makeup just are insecure with their looks and pretend to cover it with some paint. For these people, less makeup means a more natural woman; too much makeup looks “fake”. Women constantly face comments like these by society.

We live in a society where women have value according to how much makeup they are wearing. On the contrary, using makeup does not diminish someone’s quality as a person, nor does it mean insecurities or a disguise to hide the truth.

Everyone has a different way to feel confident and express themselves. Some take fashion as their core of confidence, and some others in makeup. The way someone expresses themselves should not be diminished just because it does not fit in general society’s standards. Makeup is one of many ways of art and self-expression, and not necessarily every person that uses it is insecure with themselves, but society is not ready for this conversation.

It is a fact that, for society, people that are different or stand out in any aspect are strongly discriminated against. At the beginning of the beauty industry, makeup was created for women’s use only. As a result, the use of makeup, has been assigned to only women, creating several stereotypes. The usage of makeup by women, in some cases, is already judged; however, the situation is extremely different when it comes to someone other than a woman. Because of the sense of “masculinity” imposed by society, a man using makeup is considered almost a taboo. “I mean to me, makeup doesn’t make you prettier. It just, well, it’s just like any other form of art,” says Ashley Dimond after being released from a male prison because the Justice Department backed her case, denning transgenderrelated medical care and protection from sexual assault, according to the interview made by the New York Times Company on the year 2015 (The New York Times Company). Self-expression not only applies to female; it applies to every type of person, no matter gender or self-identification. “It’s far from over.

You know, that’s the funny thing. People think the victories over, you’re out. And you’re not... You know, because I’m still locked up. I’m still that same scared, locked up person. Who’s still locked up. Just locked up in the free world,” (The New York Times Company) Ashley tells from her parole, expressing how despite being free, she still feels locked in a world where people who express themselves differently are discriminated. Her words perfectly depict the situation of the current world. At the end of the day, we are all equal. We are all human beings that have the right to exist and the right to choose however we want to live our lives. A person must not be looked at as a circus attraction while walking down the streets, no one deserves to be talked down to because of their way to show themselves, and no one should live afraid or ashamed of who they are because of what people say. It is time for society to accept the existence of non-female makeup users as normal human beings. With ignorance and lack of will to understand comes discrimination, stereotypes and judgement. But all it really is,

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is the fear to the unknown, fear from all that is different from what is established as “normal.”

We live in a world where if someone does not have a math or a science degree, or is not a doctor or a lawyer, they are basically no one. Money is the main priority for most of the population, to the point that people would rather have a career which they are unhappy with but is well paid. In general art struggles with being recognized by people as a real profession.

People think about artists as fools that are just wasting their time and will never become someone in life. What they do not realize is that being wealthy is not the only prize having a job gives, happiness is also a precious gift that not everyone is able to enjoy. Just like the rest of artists, makeup artists are not recognized as they should be. People do not think of makeup as a form of art, yet they think it is just a hobby and an unnecessary expense. In general, the acceptance of makeup as an artistic profession is still a problem and a controversial topic. In our daily life, we like to enjoy a play at the theater or a dance performance. Without a makeup artist, the lighting would wash out all the performers facial expressions, taking away the magic and spark of the acting, making it a less enjoyable experience. Theatrical makeup is a job that just a handful of people with extensive training can do. These makeup artists are also performers, but they are “behind the scenes performers.” Before the lights are on and the crowd is sitting, they do their art behind the curtains and when the moment comes, they send their piece of artwork to perform on the face of the performer. The fact that the work of these artists is not recognized enough is disappointing and needs to change.

In conclusion, makeup is an industry that is gaining force little by little in the modern world; however, it is not taken seriously by many to date. There are still a lot of problems that we, as a society, need to work on. It is everyone’s job to eradicate discrimination, judgement and stereotypes against people’s way of expressing themselves.

Source Citation: (MLA 8th Edition) “Out of Jail, Still Not Free.” NYTimes.com Video Collection, 24 Sept. 2015.

Difference Between USA and India

By Fnu Rekha Rani India, Level 3

I was born and raised in India. I moved to the United States of America after my marriage in November 2015. I was very excited when I moved here because the USA is a very famous country all over the world and I got a chance to live here. After living here for some time, I learned how the society and circumstances of one country are different from another country. There are many differences between the USA and India including family relationships, education system, and government system.

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One of the major differences that can be seen between the USA and India is in family relationships. India is a very family-oriented country and Indian people believe that family is a vital part of life. Indian people believe in a joint family system in which many generations live in the same house. The oldest person in the family is the head of the family and makes every decision for the family members. Each person in the house respects the decision of the head of the family. Indian children depend on the family for direction rather than to think independently. For instance, when a child becomes an adult, the whole family sits down with the child and together they decide the child’s career, whom he/ she is going to marry, and other life goals. Elders have a great influence on the decision. Also, families in India are extremely united. The majority of the young people especially the boys in the families live with their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and other members in the family home. Girls have to move to their in-laws’ family home after marriage. Boys serve their aging parents and never leave them alone. They do not send their parents to senior homes or nursing homes. For example, my grandmother was the head of our family.

She made every decision for us. She provided us everything we needed and took responsibility for our education and marriage. All the family members in the house respected her. All my family members lived with my grandmother, followed her rules made for the family, and served her until her death. On the other hand, I have noticed that the USA is an individual-oriented country.

Majority of the people I have met in the USA believe in individuality and independent status. In the USA, individual values are more important. Every individual has the freedom to make his/her own decisions. In the USA when children reach adulthood, they leave their homes and start to live independently.

They find a path for themselves to achieve their preferred careers, life partners, and life goals. I have also noticed that most of the children do not serve their parents. They do not take responsibility for their aging parents and send them to senior homes. In the USA, parents and adult children live separately. I was very shocked to see such a big difference in family relationships between the USA and India.

Second, the education system is very different in the USA and India. The main difference between the USA and India’s education system is quizzes and exams. In India, even in elementary school, students have to take difficult exams.

The exam period is very stressful for students as well as parents. During exam seasons, the student’s focus is only on schoolwork. In most cases, the children who have a good memory and can memorize the study material are able to score high marks in their exams. The ability of creativity does not matter in India.

Moreover, the grading system is different in India than in the USA. In India, midterm and final exams decide the grades of a student. Assignments, quizzes, and daily homework or classwork are not graded in India. Grades are not converted in grade point average (GPA). Only the 12th-grade final board exams are taken into consideration for admissions into colleges. So, there is no need to worry about maintaining a good GPA before 12th grade. After 12th grade, one

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can directly join any professional course of his/her choice. In contrast, in the USA, quizzes, exams, and participation in class/homework are usually a normal part of teaching in elementary grades. Assignments, quizzes, tests, homework or classwork, midterm, and final exams are equally important for students in the USA. Also, the grades are converted into GPA. When a child finishes high school, he/she can enroll in associate/bachelor courses of choice in college and advance their career. The education system of both countries has its own strength and weakness.

Third, the government system is different between the USA and India. India is the largest democracy in the world, whereas the United States is the oldest democracy. Although both countries are democratic republics, there are some differences in the way both governments work. There are several parties in India like BJP, INC, CPI, BSP, NCP, and so on. BJP and INC are two major national parties in India (M.Jagranjosh.com). Furthermore, the election system is different. In India, electronic voting machines are used on the day of polling.

In India, the head of the government is the prime minister. The prime minister holds office for five years. On the contrary, there are Republican and Democratic two major political parties in the USA. The election system is flexible in the USA. You can give your vote by multiple methods. For example, a voter can go up to a polling booth and cast his/her vote. Absentee voting through the mail and early voting are also available in the USA (Britannica.com). The head of the government in the USA is the president. The president holds office for a fouryear term. Therefore, there are some major differences between the USA and Indian governments.

I think every country has their own features. Some features are the same and some features are different from each other. So, the USA and India also have their own different features. I like both the USA and India. I learned many things when I lived in India and Now, I am learning several new things in the USA. These countries play an important role in my life.

The Dark and Light of Adoption: The Positive Effects

By Banan Shikh Syria, Level 3

The family is the pillar of society and is essential in the formation of the personality of the individual. Family is safety and love, and everyone needs a family that makes him or her feel cared and loved. There are many children who enjoy a family to take care of them, in return there are children without a family.

So, there is one of several ways to provide assistance and change the lives of these children through their adoption. Adoption is the legal process of adopting a child to take care and take full responsibility for him. Adoption is a decision that greatly affects the child, family, and society, as is the difference between dark and light.

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There are many children without a family because of war, poverty, a decision by parents not to bear responsibility, or children resulting from extramarital affairs. Children without care result in four basic problems: homelessness, harassment, health, and education. Some of these children are in foster homes, others are on the roads without shelter. Some countries do not care or are unable to cover the needs of these children in orphanages. In addition, some children are treated poorly, and they are vulnerable to harassment and exploitation in the absence of anyone to protect them. For example, in some cases, there are those who make them work in begging, stealing, or working without pay, and they may also be subjected to persecution and sexual harassment. Also, the acquisition of negative behaviors is as a result of their presence in a bad environment. So that may make them a danger to society. In addition, due to lack of adequate care, they have not received a good education that helps them cope and succeed in life. Consequently, these children are growing up with a lot of psychological, health, and social problems.

There are positive effects of adoption on the adopted children and adoptive families. Adoption is a noble solution to transforming these children’s lives, which gives these children hope and a chance to lead a better life. It is the guarantee of the best interest and protection of the children. Additionally, it gives them a family atmosphere that will make them feel safe, loved, and warm. Moreover, the children will receive guidance, health, social, and psychological care, and receive appropriate education, as this will give them a right physical and psychological development and the opportunity to create a better future. Also, adoption is a method for couples who are unable to conceive and for families who are socially and financially able to provide care for children without a family. Therefore, it makes the adopter feel the feelings of motherhood and fatherhood. The adopter provides a sublime message to society and a role model for other families.

In addition to the positive effects of adoption on the individual and the adoptive family, there are also positive effects for adoption on a community. As children are the wealth and future of the nation, raising children, caring for them, protecting their rights, providing a good education, providing a decent life, enjoying their childhood, and growing in a good environment should be the top priority of society. Providing these basics creates qualified and successful children for society, and children who are eligible to build the future of their country.

Children feel they belong to the community, and feel that they matter. As a result, they become good, active individuals in society and eligible for work and productivity. They are able to serve the country in different business areas. They are able to prove themselves and to rely on themselves under the law.

To sum up everything that has been stated so far, there are many children in need of care all over the world. Adoption changes a child’s life and every child without family waits for a family to give him attention. How nice and inspiring it is to help these children who are unable to defend themselves or change anything about their lives without our help. A change in a person’s life results in a part of that community being changed.

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My Bright Dream

By Walaa Sammour Palestine, Level 2

I can see my dream through the sky like a bright star.

It always shiny and nice.

My dream like a flower in the spring.

I can’t find this flower in this winter.

I have one chance to achieve it.

If I lost this chance to reach my dream, I can’t see it again in good time and I may spend a lot of time trying to achieve my dream.

My dream like a little baby.

I need to feed him to grow up a little by little.

I need to work harder than anyone else.

I need to do alternative things and never listen to the people who make me disappointed.

I can reach my bright dream with be persistent and never give up.

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Treasures My Vase with Tulips

By Valentina Dinu Romania, Level 2

My tulips today are red, orange, and fully open. With a bow of gentle eyes. I can see in the distance the room, the vase full. Its tulips look like a full magnolia tree, kneeling in front of the morning spring. The vase stays on my small cherry wood table. The vase is pinky clear glass with geometric shapes. The color of petals today looks like lipstick worn by a tango dancer. Tulips leaves are like the arms of a ballerina. Each tulips petals opens up to represent another chapter of life. They look old, crying and very weak. Inside the petals, we see the pistil, black as coal. Some are bent over the vase like a bow, like an acrobat bowing.

I cannot smell their delicate perfume any more, but I do feel the velvet touch, very fragile. I’m still happy when I see my tulips vase because I can see the lovely spring, Easter. The stem is like a thin leg of support for the magnificent flower. Looking at a vase is like looking at the world through hazy eyes. They are very deep green. Finally and most importantly, tulips for me are the happiest.

We can’t stand next to a tulip and not notice the love which seduces our smile.

Indeed we have to live with spring inside us all year, similar to tulips all spring.

Tulips are like a light in the dark today. “ WE are what we LOVE” - Nechita Stanescu

My Special and Lovely Place

By Walaa Sammour Palestine, Level 2 ✿ 1st Prizewinner

My special and lovely place is my mom’s kitchen in Palestine. Palestine is my homeland country where I grew up and spent all of my nice childhood. My mom’s kitchen is really big and actually has room for ten people to spend their time there. My mom’s kitchen is also very neat because we are used to cleaning the kitchen very often. We almost always sweep, do the dusting and mop the floor. My mum’s kitchen is sunny and warm because it contains three windows and a door, so the sun comes across them, and makes my mom’s kitchen warm.

The weather is warm and nice almost every year, that is why we almost always keep the windows and the door open. The door is between the kitchen and the

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balcony. I used to open the door every morning when I came to the kitchen.

My mom’s kitchen has many cupboards and drawers. We have carpet in front of the oven. This carpet is very special to me because my grandmother sewed it. And the sink is next to the window, so I can see the sunrise and sunset. My mom’s kitchen has lights above the island. We do not use the lights very often in the morning, but we need them at night. My mom’s kitchen also contains lots of things like a stove, a microwave and fridge. I used to help my mum with cooking. My mum used to stand in front of the counter and I always stand next to her and we put our elbows on the counter to chop the vegetables and make tasty food. We used to wear aprons when we cooked and washed the dishes. I occasionally wash the dishes with my mum because my mum usually works out after lunch, so usually I do it alone. We were making so tasty food like shawarma and mulukhiyah for dinner in the kitchen. We used to prepare hummus and falafel for breakfast in my special place. The kitchen is my mum’s favorite area of the house and also for me because both of us like to cook. I used to tell my mum funny stories while we were cooking like what happened with me in school or with my friend. She sometimes laughed about my stories. And frequently gives me some advice. I used to hear the voices of birds and the sound of food when it was on the stove. I really enjoyed spending my time talking to my mum and helping her and also learned how to make delicious food. My mum’s kitchen helped me to be a good cook when I looked at her while she was cooking and saved the recipe in my mind. It is a very special and lovely place to me because I felt warm, comfortable, and happy when I helped my mum in the kitchen. I also felt hungry when I smelled the tasty food like onion or coriander and also when I heard the sound of the food. Now my mum’s kitchen is the place that I missed a lot in Palestine. My mum’s kitchen reminds me of my mum and the nicest time in the world. In short, my mum’s kitchen makes me feel happy and peaceful. I really admire my mum’s kitchen and I hope I can visit it very soon. Now, I feel sad that I am far away from my unique place.

My Explorer

By Krishna Patel India, Level 1

I am feeling proud to say, that my explorer is also an influencer, and an inspiration. It is hard to believe all qualities in one person, right? But since I grew up, all these qualities I have seen in my mother. Usually, moms give birth to children and help them living their lives, but my mom is the person who stands behind me on all my success, and in front of me in all my problems. She is the person who matters for me the most in my life. I have never seen a person who works selflessly for someone. Every decision I took, every sacrifice I made, every problem I have faced, my mom was equally part of that. Behind my success, I would like to give credit to only one person, which is my mom. Her day starts with my day, and her day ends with me. She always teaches me one thing, which Treasures |

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is never let anyone tell you, who you are, you tell them who you are. When people were saying daughters are tensions, my mom believed on me and she told everyone my daughter is not tension, but she is equal to 10 sons. She gave me birth with faith and dignity. No matter how much she sacrifices for me, she never pretends. There are many differences between all mothers in the world, they work for kids without any expectations. Behind the word mother, there is a brief meaning of every word in this spelling. Mother stands for magical, outstanding, teacher, helpful, reliable, and rich with love.

My Special Toy

By Yuliia Sahan Ukraine, Level 1

When I was a child, my father gave me a little bear, and I was the happiest child in the world. This was a cheap small toy, but it was and is now special for me because it was only one present from my father throughout my life. I still have this little old bear and sometimes my daughter plays with it. It is a very cute and fluffy toy. The bear is very soft and pleasant to the touch. The eyes embroidered with threads and they are black-white. It has a white body, and green ears and paws. When the bear was new when I pressed on his fluffy belly it made a noisy sound. Now it is too old and nobody can’t fix it. This bear smells like my childhood and when I touch and smell it I always back in my memories.

This is amazingly to have something special that can remind and bring you back to your childhood.

My First Baby

By Nataliia Tsiupyk Ukraine, Level 2

When I remembered something unforgettable, the first things that comes to my mind is the day I gave birth to my oldest daughter. All my family has been looking forward to this day. We were preparing for this day, and we were thinking about which name to choose. My daughter was born on August 16, 2003, and I named her Anna after my mother. I remembered this beautiful summer day, and that moment when I first took her in my arms. She was so small and so sweet, and I was so happy! These feelings are hard to describe. I still remember the first time when I fed her, her first words and her first steps. I really liked to sing lullabies for her and read children`s books for my lovely daughter. All these things were new for me. However, it gave a lot of joy and happiness. In my opinion, the birth of my first child is the most wonderful event, and most unforgettable experience for me.

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My Daughters

By Ana M. Diaz Laboy Puerto Rico, Level 1

I have three daughters with different feelings and personalities. The oldest is Glenerick, has white skinned, straight hair, and is more passive, calm and respectful. She is like a good weather and good day at the park. The second is Alayla, she is a brunette, curly hair, more aggressive, with a strong temper and without patience, but extremely affectionate and friendly. She is like a tornado with a hurricane at the same time, but with little time and after is sunny day. The third is Gabriela, she is my color, she is very thin, with hair neither too straight nor curly, reserved, lonely and a bit antisocial. She is a cloudy and humid day but does not raining. I do not ever know her feelings because they change constantly.

I love that three girls because I was taught the real love and always I learn new things with them.

Moments of Motherhood

By Elvana Babameta Begolli Albania, Level 2

In the past when I was in my fortieth week of my pregnancy. I had a doctor visit and she told me Saturday we will have to induce you to deliver the baby. I had experienced delivery pain before but it was a false alarm, although it was quite painful. Prior to the due date, on Friday I decided to go out with some friends and enjoy my time out. I ate some delicious food, lasagna and salad, and tried to enjoy my last time before the delivery.

At dinner before bed time, I wasn’t feeling good. I don’t know if it was the emotions of giving birth and finally meeting this amazing human that I couldn’t wait to hold in my arms or maybe it was something I ate.

I was up all night with pain in my stomach, especially my lower belly, but this time I thought maybe it was a false alarm as it had happened to me before. So I took my time. First of all, I took a shower, then packed my delivery bag while my husband was sleeping. Meanwhile I was trying not to make noise even though I was in pain. A trick that I found to be helpful was screaming into my pillow, so I got one from the top of my shelf. My dog kept looking at me and feeling sorry.

He was concerned and couldn’t do anything to help so he kept by my side all night. He felt I was in pain. Soon he put his head on my lap and didn’t leave all night. In the morning my husband woke up and asked me if I was doing okay.

I said, “No, I think it is time to go to the hospital”. Saturday around 8 a.m., we went to the hospital. To begin with. the first moment to continue to walk like I did when I was at home, For one thing, I had heard it helps with the delivery.

The staff was great, a nurse placed me into this waiting room. It was a gray color and cold. Also, the nurses’ uniform was blue. This made me feel anxious. She checked me and said it was not time for delivery yet, my body was not ready. I Treasures |

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couldn’t wait! Meanwhile I was so warm and emotional, and this time I let go of my pillow and that moment my husband just took my hand and said, “I got you baby and I am here for you, everything is going to be okay”. As soon as he said this I felt more at peace. While I was laying down, I kept looking around until another nurse would come by to check on me again. Furthermore, the pain was getting worse. Meanwhile I got the epidural and after that moment I started to be more relaxed and every one of the staff said nice words to me to be brave and that everything would be okay and everything was going great, it would be just a little longer. Most important of all, I was not scared to meet Bradley. Suddenly I heard a weird noise coming from the monitor, my baby’s heartbeat changed and I got moved into the surgical room right away. It was to the right of the hall.

That room was terrifying, it was cold and so bright but all I cared was to have my baby out safe. Thank God his heartbeat went back to normal and I was back to the waiting room. By that time hours had passed by. My epidural started to wear off and my pain was back. It was like someone was stabbing me. It was around 9.pm, and I was too tired.

I remember the doctors and nurses on top of my view and they were all trying to relax me and help me push, most importantly my husband kept telling me to be strong and preparing me for the final push. I was so hungry, thirsty, in pain and tired but I did it! I did the final push and I heard the most beautiful voice of my baby crying and the nurses telling me he was so beautiful and perfect with a head full of hair. The seconds after he was born felt like forever till I got to hold him in my arms. They placed him on my chest and he stopped crying like he knew this was the safest place in the entire world! What a great feeling. He smelled like flowers and his hands were so soft. “I never wanted that moment to end “.

Finally, after I had him all the pain was forgotten. His existence is my oxygen and the reason why I always keep going no matter what. Now he is 17 months, his favorite spot is still to sleep on the top of my chest.

The Forest Near My House

By Milian Prifti Albania, Level 2

The forest near my parents’ house has been my special place for a long time.

When I was child, I would go into the forest and just look around. I loved the clean air and the smell of all of the flowers and trees. The forest is half a mile away from my childhood home in Albania. It is huge and has tall trees. All around the forest is a river that makes this place very unique and so beautiful.

It is a deep river with clean water that runs slowly. It is the perfect river to go swimming in on a hot summer day. That river helps the animals in the forest to have a place to drink. That is the reason why there are a lot of animals such as foxes, rabbits, deer, snakes, birds, insects. Also, there are many different kinds of trees, for example, Oak, Dollenja, Poplar, Fanqerja, and Laurel. This place

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is just amazing like Amazon forest. The long trees, clean air and deep water made me very curious since I was very young. I remembered the first day when I was inside the forest I was six years old and heard a beautiful voice of birds.

I remember a bird we called Bilbil. It sings loudly and beautifully. It made me so happy. I never stopped going there. When I was a little bigger like ten years old I went there and rode my bike. I also like to bring my dog with me. I had a smart beautiful dog called Jesi. He was very fast. He would follow me into the forest and we would play. I would throw a stick and he would catch it and bring it back. We had a lot of fun that way. I remember the feeling of the grass under my feet. I like to walk barefoot because it tickles my toes. The grass was soft but I needed to look out for other sharp weeds. Sometimes I get splinters and have to get them out by myself before getting home because my mom hated taking out those. As I got older, around the ages of twelve to fourteen I would use the forest as my hide-away spot. I would go to the forest after a long day of school.

If school was taught with friends or something at home was not okay, I would go there and clean my head. I would also go there and meditate if I needed a moment to clean my mind. The forest was used as my medicine. The forest has many creatures that also can run under the leaves so I was careful not to step on them. I was really scared of snakes so that I would look more than others. My favorite thing to do was stand at the beginning of the forest and take a huge deep breath with a clean smell of flowers. When I was around the ages fourteen to seventeen it was used as a hangout spot with my friends. We would ride bikes, have parties, climb the trees and sometimes would sneak alcohol and smoke a cigarette without our parents knowing. These times were some of the best times in my life. After seventeen I was not living in the village anymore. I really still miss that place. The forest has the biggest memories that I have in my life.

The Day When I Met My Dog Blacky

By Elena Simona Winze Romania, Level 2

The beginning of this story was on Saturday night, in October 2010. On that night, I was at home and I was preparing for my date out. Suddenly, my parents entered in the apartment. I saw my mother with a little puppy in her arms. They just found this little dog in front of the apartment’s door. From the moment that I saw this dog, I knew that he will be mine.

First of all, let me tell you that I had a very serious discussion with my mom. I said that because my mother didn’t want to hear the idea of a dog in our house.

She said a dog is a big responsibility, and she had already a lot of things to care about. Meanwhile, I tried hard to make my mom understand that I really want to keep the dog. After a couple minutes, I knew that I convinced my mother to keep the dog. Then we chose the name for dog, and we called him Blacky, because he was all black. After that, I gave Blacky a shower, and I gave him some Treasures |

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food, then he slept. I told my mother that from that moment, Blacky will be my responsibility and my best friend forever.

In conclusion, I will never forgot that night, and I will always be thankful for Blacky. I think that God sent him to me, and he had to be my dog. Blacky now is 11 years old, and he is in Romania. I really miss my dog, and I can’t wait to see him, when I go home, in this summer. My dog is my soulmate.

Meet My Pets

By Rachel Levine Mexico, Level 3

Today I will introduce you to my pets who keep me busy in my everyday life.

First, I will introduce you to Jesse. She is our first baby whom my husband and I adopted a few months after getting married. Jesse is a golden doodle that loves cuddles and pets and everyone who meets her falls in love with her. She is well trained and walks great on a leash. She also knows how to sit, lay and give paw.

Then, we have Ella. We never were able to tell exactly what breed of dog she is, we think she is a Dachshund mix. Ella is what I call a foster failure, my husband and I agreed to foster her for a rescue that is based in Houston, TX but as soon as we saw her, we fell in love, so when it was time to give her back so she could be transported out of state we couldn’t give her up and she immediately became part of our family. Ella who is now 4 years old is stubborn and only sits and gives paw when it’s convenient for her. For example, when there is a treat involved.

And lastly, we have Lulu. She is a moody bearded dragon who loves to eat crickets and throws tantrums when she doesn’t get her way. You may be wondering what a bearded dragon tantrum looks like so I will tell you. A tantrum is her going in the darkest part of her tank, which is usually her cave, and digging until she gets tired, then she just stays hidden until either I take her out of her cave which just gets her mad all over again, or I take her out of her tank altogether and place her by the open window by my home desk which is usually what she wants in the first place. We got Lulu at the beginning of COVID, and she kept me company alongside my dogs during the long quarantine.

I’m an animal lover so if I didn’t have a husband that talks me into reason every time I want to get another animal, I would probably have a zoo by now!

My Favorite Thing is the Piano

By Inna Liakhovetska Ukraine, Level 1

My favorite thing is the piano, I enjoy it when I play music. First, for me the piano is the most beautiful instrument in the art of music. Playing on it I seem to be talking to him. We are good friends with him I know him from early childhood. Second, when my fingers touch the black and white keys and I feel how tender they are. I love these feelings. Also, when I play the piano, the

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instrument helps to convey the emotions of the composition such as sorrow, anticipation of a miracle, love, joy. Finally, the piano will always be in my heart and life. In my opinion he is very interesting. I love this instrument and enjoy it.

Spending Time with Family on Christmas Day

By Yadira Gonzalez Puerto Rico, Level 2

Spending a good time with the family is one of the things that I really enjoy.

But there are some particular days that I really count the number in the calendar waiting for the moment when the day comes. One of these days is Christmas day. My parents made a party every year for this particular celebration, and all the family visited my house to spend time together. My sisters and I start the decorations with the carport of our house because it is the biggest area in the house. It is spacious and with good ventilation and lighting. Normally we use five tables, a good spot for photos with a Christmas tree and balloons. All the tables have tablecloths with poinsettia pictures, reindeer, Santa Claus and the typical colors red, white and green. Each table has balloons in the middle of it, all of them with the same Christmas colors. Our Christmas tree is not too big but always matches with sparkling gold, angels and Santa’s face ornaments, some artificial poinsettia flowers, clear lights, and a big star with glitter sticks on the top, and lots of gifts underneath. The decorations finish some hours before receiving the guests.

Around 6:00pm. They began to arrive, and my parents received them. They are always greeted with hugs and kisses. As the guests arrive, they leave the gifts under the tree. While all the adults talk about different topics, all the cousins are taking photos and selfies. The little ones run around the carport playing with their toys. Everyone’s voices can be heard speaking loudly and laughing.

However, at 7:30, all of them find a seat and chair with their individual family in order to enjoy the dinner. Me, my sisters, my mom and some aunties deliver a plate of food to each guest with our typical Puerto Rican dinner that includes roast pork, rice and beans, potato salad, marinated salad with green bananas, and pasteles. Every Christmas my father cooks one of the most important foods, pork. He uses special ingredients and the pork is juicy and soft. Pasteles are the other most important Puerto Rican foods. They are made with a soft banana dough with a delicious salty flavor and stuffed with meat. It has a soft texture on the palate and with each bite you enjoy the mixture of meat and dough. The “pasteles” exude a particular stew smell that can be smelled from a distance and is enjoyed by everyone in the family.

Finally, we finished the party by giving gifts. Our family makes a lottery of gifts so that the economic expense is less in each family. We all get in circles and a family member breaks the ice by giving the first gift. Then the person who receives it continues the chain until we all end up with a gift with no one left.

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Laughter is heard again. The laughter of my sister and my cousin can be heard from a distance. All of us start to back to kissing and hugging. In each hug I can smell the odor of their perfume. But the smell of my mother is a smell like flowers that I never forget when I am away from her, and the hug of my dad I can feel a force that makes me feel protected. Each family member is wrapped in hugs and we congratulate each other and wish each other the best Christmas.

My Bedroom in My Family House

By Shrouq Alrwashdeh Jordan, Level 2

My bedroom is my favorite and special place. Every room in my family house in Jordan means a lot to me, especially my bedroom. In my bedroom I grow up with beautiful things such as my bed, my toys, the smell of my perfume and the view of green nature in spring. In my bedroom there are two windows. From one window I can see school children and the mosque behind my bedroom, and another one overlooks the house garden. I put my bed next to the window which looks out on the garden because I love the view in spring and winter, and the sun enters my bedroom all day long. The only problem was my bedroom was cold throughout the winter because there is no heating in it. On the wall across from my bed I put my favorite pictures for me, my family and my best friend and the TV and wall clock. on the other wall there is a big closet for my clothes. I had a small desk in my bedroom for studying under the window overlooking the school, and I kept my laptop on the desk. My bedroom is at the end of the house on the right, next to the kitchen. I like the location of my bedroom because it is next to the kitchen. I used to enjoy the smells of my mother’s cooking and hearing her voice as I sat in my room. In this room I have a lot of beautiful memories. One of these and the most important of them was when my mom and I drink coffee in the morning and play with my younger brother. And I have memories with my only sister and my aunt’s daughters when they were sleeping in my room every summer and we spent time together. Every year I used to change the color of the walls of the room in order to feel comfortable. I liked change and to make the room more lively. Last year before I came to the United States I changed the color from light blue to pink and white and painted some roses on the ceiling.

The decoration, colors, the view, rose scents from the garden, sounds of children at school, birds, laughter, family talk were making me happy and in love with my bedroom. To conclude, I miss my family house and I miss my bedroom and their details.

My Hometown

you see there? First of all, you should definitely visit the Grodno castle, built in 1580, now there is a museum there. Then walk along the old narrow streets, with numerous cafes and shops. The main pedestrian street is called Sovetskaya (the country’s past in Soviet Union), but it looks like a European street. On this street is my favorite restaurant of Belarusian cuisine “Belastok.by”. Oh! How beautiful and tasty there is, you should definitely try the main dish of Belarusians “Draniki” - potato pancakes with a crispy golden crust. When you are already full, you need to go to the hotel. I advise you stay at “The Kronon Park Hotel”, which is located near the city center and at the same time in the forest. Waking up there in the morning you can hear birds singing and see trees around, wondering that the downtown is just 10 minutes away. Cultural rules in my hometown are no different from American ones, be polite and smile. Of course, don’t forget to take your camera with you, because so many beautiful photos will have to be taken.

My Favorite Place

By Tetiana Kalugina Ukraine, Level 2

First, I want to confess, the most favorite place for me is the place next to my children and grandchildren. When my both daughters left our house, I felt just empty in it and my life lost sense. When my daughters moved to live in the USA, I began to visit them from time to time. But at last my visit I decided to stay here forever. I visited few towns in the USA. For example: Oregon, New York City, Cleveland. But my favorite place in the USA is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I was there with my elder daughter’s family twice. This place has impressed me at first sight: unusually warm Atlantic Ocean, gold sand on the shore, beautiful cottages with palm trees and pools, many rides as well. That is all close and dear to my heart because I was born and grew up in the Crimea, which surrounded by the Black Sea. I never loved to swim in unsalted water. So, seawater and ocean water alike, they are both have saltwater. That is why Myrtle Beach is like my dear town.This town quiet and calm like my town Saki of the Crimea in my country.I would love to go to Myrtle Beach again! I would love to spend a whole amazing day with my daughters and grandkids.We would be riding many attractions, we would sunbathe and swim all day, we would build sandcastles with kids and breathe fresh ocean air.Later, in the evening, after a delicious lunch, we will be eating fruit ice cream with nuts and chocolate. After that, we will go to sleep happy. When we will return home, we will be memorizing this wonderful town and amazing day a long time yet.

By Anastasiya Akulich Belarus, Level 1

My hometown Grodno is located in western Belarus, on the border with Poland. This is a very beautiful old city, it is almost 900 years old. What can

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Paradise

By Khouloud Eltaief Tunisia, Level 3

The place I want to talk about is called Put in Bay which is located in south Bass Island in Lake Erie. It is a small village with over 100 hotels, 25 bars and a countless number of restaurants.

The town of Put in Bay is small and transportation is available in almost every part of the island. Tourists and locals tend to rent small golf carts to move around while some others would just walk and enjoy the nice weather and beautiful sights. A variety of activities are available for every person and personality. If you’re into being outdoors enjoying the cool breeze and the sun, golfing or fishing might be for you. If you’re an indoor type of person, Put in Bay has tons of hotels, bars, and clubs to spend your time at. Athletic people can also have their own space on the island. They can go swim, or join the local fitness club to stay fit.

Foodies, like myself, appreciate the international cuisine offered on the island and the local food that is also sold in booths downtown. Culture-seeking people have a lot to discover on the island. Some hidden gems lay in there, and one of them is an old estate dating from the 18th century. The estate is called the “Stonehenge Historic Estate”, and as the name suggests, it used to be the property of a rich family that lived on the island. The house is well preserved and guides are available to help tourists and give them a glimpse of how life was back then. Besides that, the island has around four historical museums.

For nature lovers, the island has a lot of parks. The most famous one is called the Oak Point State Park. The park has a great view over the lake with some designated picnic areas. Also, the island has a butterfly house, which I think is the second hidden gem of the island. It contains exotic plants and over 50 species of butterflies from around the world.

Although the island is small, it would take weeks to get through all the activities and explore all of the island. Put in Bay or as I like to call it “Paradise” is a must-go-to destination that I highly recommend for ALL the foreign students. I personally found the small island interesting and fun.

goldish brown color. In the back of the giraffe, there are tables and chairs. We chose to sit under the flowering trees. Beside us, there is a breezy river with clear water like a mirror and, white ducks like brides moving in the river. Also in the middle of it, there was a cute boat with people wearing orange life jackets. They were enjoying a tour. It was an amazing view. After a couple minutes, we ordered our food and when it was served, I can’t tell you how the food smells. It was so delicious, tasty and yummy. The chicken tender was so crispy and the barbecue was well done and about the salad, it was made with natural fresh vegetables.

In addition, the server was so gentle and respectful. While we were eating our lunch, we were listening to music and in front of us, there was a group of people dancing. Beyond the dancing circle, there were a lot of entertainment activities for kids. For example, there was a black trampoline and a huge rainbow-colored bounce climber where kids had fun going up and down with giggling sounds.

At the top of the mountain, they made a fun game for adults which moves you from mountain edge to other edge through a string. On that day, when I tried this game, I felt my heart fall on the ground. It was too horrific. After we finished that game, we felt so thirsty we bought a mango slushy and drank it. We spent most of our time under the flowering tree taking a deep breath and enjoying the pleasant view. Indeed, I won’t forget this marvelous restaurant and all the moments with my lovely family. Everything is saved in my mind. It was the most enjoyable memory during my journey to Lebanon. I wish to visit this restaurant again.

Trip to a Marvelous Restaurant

By Hanan El Nour Lebanon, Level 2

Two years ago, I visited Lebanon. During that time we went to a wonderful restaurant. You can’t imagine what this restaurant would look like. It looks like a paradise. It was surrounded with amazing mountains with different shapes, some seemed like a pyramid, others appeared as a green slide. On the left side of the restaurant, there is an old pretty horse cart. Near it, there is a gorgeous fountain with ice water. Next to it, there is a giant giraffe they painted with

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