Memphis International

Abused Wives, Guilty Victims

2010-02-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

Jane is crying when the police arrives. She still holds the weapon. The gun is pointed down. She claims that she loves him. "I just need him to stop hitting me. I am sorry," she says. Drowned in a puddle of blood, the body in front of her is immobile. This is a common situation that ends the theatre of abusing relationships. Why does she had to wait until the death of her partner? Psychologists and sociologists urge us to go beyond the common sense perception to encounter the self and the society as inherent part of the abused women's weakness. Abused wives are guilty victims. I probably make a shocking statement at this time. I am a woman myself, not maried yet though. I do not found my opinion from an own experience. However, I help abused women from my continent.

Abused women nowadays are offering many "viable alternatives"(Henslin). There is not a reason to undergo an abusing marriage. Women are offered protection. Moreover, once the abuse is legally known, the abusing husband can end up in jail. Therefore, Jane (in the opening vignette) should have taken one of the plethora opportunities in front of her. Jane is from the United States. She lives there. She is ultimately protected by the law. On the contrary, I worked with women who do not even speak English. They completely depend on their husband. Some do not even know how to sign their names. All there external factors can help to understand why they are scared to leave their husbands. Jane on the other side is privileged. She can easily go on with her life. Instead she chooses to be a victim to the community's eyes.

Jane is educated. She works as a bank representative. She is a respected member of the local church, she has alot of friends. She worked hard to reach of theses statuses. There is no way, she can give them up. There are apparently to her no clean way out of this abusing realtionship. She puts herself first. "I am not going to live the shame of being divorce. I can hide the reason I am divorcing, but I still will face the failure of not being able to stay in a relationship. People have always repected me. If I cannot make this man love me, respect me, and stop hitting me, I therefore will play the victim. Everyone around me will understand and support me. I will restore my position in the society because they will look at me as a victim."

The next step is to chose the right moment. A time when everyone can hardly doubt of the necessity to kill the abuser. The lawyer will bring up the precedent. "He was a violent and abusive husband. Therefore this women was defending herself." I wonder if she could not live him. She was not "trapped" (Henslin). This is just an easy way out. I found one of the women saying, "why people want me to leave him? Who will make love to me then? Who will marry me? At this age, can I find another man in my life? I rather take it than sleeping by myself." After then, I do not feel anymore compassion for abused women. They are just manipulative women with a hidden thrist of sex. May be it even arouse them to be beaten. I once knew a community where even women believed, that being abused was a way of showing love.

Women in a modern society should take advantage of a society that protects them. Even if the abused woman gets away with the murder of the abuser husband, there is a God out there watching over us. So get out the first time that he hits you. Do not explain to us why you had to kill him.
((((((((((((((((Sorry to all the women who will be hurt by my opinion. My goal is not to hurt your feelings, but I call for less crimes. I was hurt by women who always find excuses to their abusing husbands. All the work I did for them fail because they all went back. Few are dead now, and their husbands can remarry without any worry. Many are still struggling.)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Blessings

2009-04-26T17:15:00.001-07:00

Blessings,
waking up today
feeling the breeze
taking a walk at the park
being able to see

Blessings,
getting a job in the middle of the crisis
living in a country that have peace
having a roof over my head
learning a new language

Blessings,
having a wonderful wife
talking to my family by skype
receiving a hug from a good friend
having a faith and a hope.

It is a blessing to see you smile even life is not perfect.

LIFE IS HARD SOMETIMES!!!

2009-04-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Ludmilla,I just want to say something about your blog.

I feel litle sad becouse you may have to change the state or go back to Brazil. I enjoy when we share time in class, but in this time life is hard, but it can be good for you may if you switch the state meet more nice people lake me, or if you go back to Brazil when you came back you can bring me a good-looking boy it can be wonderful for me. Well I just try to make your selft feels better. I hope the best in life and I know that you can do anything you want, becouse you are so smart and beautiful. The last thing I want to mention is that you can count with me like your friend and be positive ok.

I don't want say 'goodbye memphis'...

2009-04-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

All my friends are writing here about how they are missing their countries. But today i will tell about Memphis. Because it's what i will miss in the next weeks. Will be not easy leave this city. All the time i was thinking how wonderfull could be live in NYC or Chicago, Florida or California, but now i need to leave and this makes me think how much i like being here. The weather those two last weeks it's just PERFECT, i'm loving it. Also i will miss my friends, going out with them, the parties at Carlos and Vaca's home, the au pairs and my host family too. Here i learned that the distance depends how excited you are to do something and driving alone singing can be funny. I have learn so many things, know so many people, had so many fun, and this 'little' things i will never forget!!! I'm sure i will return here some day again, yes i will!!!!

Next summer

2009-04-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming.
That's give me nice feelings; sun, friends, relax, and vacation; and what? No more vacation.
This is one of the big cultural differences between USA and the other countries that I have lived in.
In the European countries you have at least two weeks vacation guarantied already from the first year you work. There are also a lot of different holidays, probably at least 10 other day during the year.
USA have only 4 July, Christmas and New Year.
People here go from home to work and from work to home.
I'm missing the small talking with friends and the extra days off with excursion to the beach by car or by train.
This summer will be different; I will spend my time in my office box working at the computer, thinking of the "Bella Italia".

I miss Guadalajara, Mexico.

2009-04-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

The most I miss from my home town, is when I west my time with friends and family.
I miss the nice places that I was visited with them. I also miss the food, because there taste delicious. Well I miss to went I was in high school, because I was have fun with my friends and theachers. I almost forget the other important things like nature, and weather.
There in Mexico we can walke if we want to get something from the stors and restaurants also we can walke all the way to the school. But I do not miss politics, or vandalism.

I just miss my country....

Rome

2009-04-13T11:02:00.001-07:00

Rome is one of the must city visited in Europe. There you can visit very interesting and historical places like the Coliseum, the Vatican and the catacombs, and many fountains.
There is also god food you can eat, specially pizza and ice-cream. You can meet people from all around the world that want to visit this place that everyone known as “citta’ eterna”. If you have a chance to visit Italy don’t miss Rome.

Paragraph!

2009-04-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

I chose an exchange program to USA because has so many positive points. At first is a good choice because it's cheaper than travel by vacation alone, and you can work and pay your own things. You can learn the american way of life and the best thing, learn the language. You can also meet a lot of people from the whole world, have fun, travel and make friends. You have the chance to experience a new life, havinf fun, and making unforgettable memories. Comparing to the anothers countries US has many cultures, and many cities than looks really intresting. So if you are looking for an good year, choose USA and the many positive points that comes with this choice!!

2nd OF NOVEMBER (DIA DE LOS MUERTOS)DAY OF THE DEAD!

2009-04-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

The catolic church began whit this tradition many years ago. Consist on two days preparation and one more day celebration, on the first phase, people prepare altars at home, which contain prefer food, pictures, candel, coloring papers and flowers for their love ones.Alsothe people clean tightly packed graves of the dead people. At Octuber 31 tourist walk for all the open houses how has altars, on November 1st and 2nd the stret cover full of flower because families make ornaments for the graves.

November 2nd at the afternoon people went to the cementery, they pray to God for their love ones also sing and spend all day there, but wen the dark comes canle glow all around the place and looks wantherfull because they use incense and flowers whit beautifull odors.

But in the schools the studets write a calaberas is like funny poem with reference of death and they buy or bake delicius bread decorated with sugar bones.

There in Mexico sell sugar skeletons that you can buy them and eat.

Well I think the people from Mexico sow the dead on difrent way at this day, tri to recognizing the cycle of life and death thar is human existence.

Is the end the end?

2009-04-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

Last Christmas I went to Uruguay. One day we visited the art museum in Montevideo.
At the entry I saw a big poster that had writing this phrase:
"Remember that you will die".
A friend of m said "wait, I will put this on my agenda".
Even though this argument some time disturb us, it clear that is something that we have to deal with, an existential point.
In some moment we face death in people that are close to us. Sometime it's happen suddenly other times we have time to be prepare, to reflect on it.

I think that each of us live our life according to how we believe on what's happen when we die and after that.
That's why this is an important issue.

On this multicultural world we meet people that have different understanding about it. The most known answer that people believe in are: when you die the soul go back to God or to hell and you can do something to change your fate; there is nothing after you die not hope, and people that believe on incarnation.
There are other angles on all these points of view.

The first experience with death I had close to my life was when I was three and half years old. I don't have a picture on my mind but I have see how much this experience had had a so big impact on my life. It was the death of my father.

For us that are on live, when a person die we miss that person completely, totally.
If we could have only the live body from that person would not be complete; in fact we call this type of situation a person on a "vegetative state". If we have the soul of the person, but we can not hug him or her, look at the person, see his or here expressions, something is missing.

I have think about it for a long time.
I grow up as Christian and I'm still one; I heard different answer about this argument but the idea of separation between body and soul, that some people arrive first to heaven and that the soul go to God after you die never convince me.

Few questions come to my mind.
Why, if God is love as a basic characteristic will leave the human race suffering here and eventually allow the dead people go happy up to heaven and see us from above whit out the possibility to do nothing for us?
If there is a better life after we die why not "kill your self" and go to a better place faster?
If God give us life putting together body and soul to make the existence (this is what we see when a child is born), why he will separate it at the end of life for an other life?
If this is idea is right,where is God justice?

I looked and study the Bible, what for Christians should be the life guide.

There is a lot to talk about but if we just take the best reference experience, I mean Jesus him self there is something interesting from my point of view. When he meet Maria after the resurrection Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " Jhon 20:7
The text is talking about Jesus him self immediately after he has resurrected and as we notice he had not returned to the Father during the time he was dead (the Father is clearly in heaven); therefor, how could the normal mortal people go immediately to heaven after death if Jesus didn't go?

What Jesus said when he had situations whit people that have died like Lazarus he said; "Our friend has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." We know that when we sleep there is not comprehension about what's around us; so we presume that this is what's going on wile a person is dead, nothing, no existence, no communication.

So, as I understand in a Bible Christian perspective, after you die nothing happen until Jesus will come back and resurrect the people."For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (1 chorinthian 15:22,23)

If Jesus resurrected, if he resurrected Lazarus, if he created the word from nothing, he will for sure have the power to recreated the human from the dust and give him the breath of life again.

I found on this answer comfort and hope for us people that are alive. I have a hope that one day I will met the beloved that have died again, soul and body together, completely.

My first day in USA

2009-03-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hi every one, how are you this monday?
Today I am going to talk about my firs day in USA, it was very hot day, there in Tucson Arizona, I dont remember the grades but it was realy hot becouse I can feel the air coming from the ground direct to my face and my eyes I can not see anything. It was on July is why the weather were so hot, and there are not trees I mean no big and green trees like here in TN, there are just cactus nature so I prefer green and big trees. But when I get in to the apartments, feels good whit the air condition. I saw meny hispanic restaurants, big stors and the shoping centers, like the moll, and also there are montains so you can have a trip whit your family and friends. Well I thing this is my firs impretion in the USA.

NYC at Cristmas' time!

2009-03-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

After one year preparing my trip, i was leaving Sao Paulo and flying to Miami...
was a really difficult flight...and i could not visit Miami...just more hours waitting the next flight...
But when i was going to NYC i could see Miami's beaches...and was awesome!!!
After many hours i arrived at NYC...i was sooo excited to the new life...but i was freezing too...
I spent a week at NJ, but everyday we went to NYC to visit Times Square, 5th avenue, Rockfeller Center and all the things that was going on at Cristmas' time. NYC at this time it's just the really means of cristmas, was beautiful, MAGIC!
Was just the best days of my life!!! NYC is the best place in the world...
i could know a looot of girls from another countries...and i had a great time there...
I had never saw the snow before NYC, and was -6 celsius, it was just reaally fun, i took almost 400 pictures in one week, i went shopping on Zara, Gap, Victoris Secret etc (just the best and fashion shopping ever hahahaha)!!
And after this busy week i came to Atoka-TN... ohh my gosh...so many difference...
But here i had the really first idea about the crazy american life =)
I didn't liked the food, fast food is not my favorite kind of food so i had some problems until find somethings that i like it...
The language...the second problem...at NYC everybody talked to me slowly because they know that we are everybody 'non-americans', so i thought i could talk perfect until i arrive here and try to talk on the phone...never was so hard make a conversation before.
After ends my first day here, i was just thinking about how different will be my year, at first time, you can see how safe is here, specially comparing to Brazil, how easy is the live (have a machine to everything!!!!! lol)
I know that i should say here about my first idea about america, but every month here show me more difference... the weather (i love how you can see the seasons changing), the snow was really fun, the music, the language, the clothes, the university, the parties, the law...ohh soo many things to adapt and to learn ...
But i can say that i'm loving live here, all difference makes the days busy, funny, and unforgettable!!!!

When your life changes ( first day)

2009-03-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

I have had the opportunity to move from a country to another a few times.
The first time I moved was from my own native country and I was 19.
My heart was full of emotion; I knew that this moment was the end of a chapter of my life. The time when I went to high school lightheartedly was over. I was leaving my culture, my language, my society code, my friends and part of my family.
I still remember how much I cried on the airplane.

13 years have passed and I moved again.
This time was different, even though it was still a challenge.
This time I was not alone and this country was my wife's place.
America!!!! USA or Estados Unidos as I first learn to call this country.
In my mind I had a lot of pictures, some of them controversial.
Growing up in Latin America the USA had been discussed often politically around me.
But, are all the people in this country as I heard?
.......
The airplane landed at Orlando Airport. Europe was behind.
All our baggage arrived and my in law's were waiting for us. It was night and we drove for half an hour. I could see the wide streets, the high buildings light up, and a lot of traffic.
We arrived home and after a wile we were tired and went to sleep.

It's interesting when you sleep; there is not place, and there is not time. You just have not concept of what is going on around you, you are like "non exist", and you don't know where you are.
The light of a new day woke me up. Were am I? The last time I remember I was on bed at Florence. Outside the window it was a beautiful garden whit a tree more than 250 years old. The building that I lived in existed before Columbus discovered America.
Now I look outside the windows and see a young palm tree and all the houses look the same from outside.
I think and I understand.
I'm in a new space, I'm in an other "story".
This is a different county, with a different experience.
I breathe deeply and smile...
Anyhow there are common points as every other place in the world; everyone that live here have a need of joy, peace, love, respect and hope, like me.

Classes!

2009-03-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody...
Today will be the second day of classes at the Writting Workshop.
I'm loving go to University of Memphis, it's really cool and i'm loving the classes (im doing the Business classes at saturday too).
I choose this classes because i really need to get better writting, here i learn very much how to talk and some pronunciations, because i allways need to talk to survive lol ...but now im glad im having the opportunity to get better writting too.
My first homework was a little difficult =/ because had so many words that i never listen before the class...but thats ok, i think i got it!!!
Actually, i dont like very much blogs (im not very creative and i allways think that no one will read it...lol)
I hope Caroline don't get mad with me, but thats it today ;)
Bye bye!

first experience

2009-03-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

Hi!
how are you doing today?
This is my first experience writing blog! Cool, could you believe that this time would arrive to me?
You, that may never meet me, now have just a chance to here about how I am, what I do and what I think. I's seems incredible!

I'm taking an English class, here at Memphis, the city of Elvis but also the city of M. Luther King.
This is an interesting place there you can met people with different cultures but also a place with lot of challenges. I think that there is still a big problem of integration and segregation. You can see groups people that are not welcome in others; latinos, black or whites. There is a question of codes that you need to know before you can try to be accept or at least have an opportunity to be close to others different on you.
Even if a lot of discussion and fainting has been taked place here to break the walls between the different race, I see that there are sill a lot of racism and discrimination.
There is a lot to do and there is a responsibility of each one of us to do something; you and me have to do a small part, accepting and loving the persons that are around us not mather how they look like.

This is the first place I live in USA; I enjoy to go downtown Memphis and specially walk beside the Mississippi river, listening to the music of the south; blues, jazz or gospel.

There is a lot I have learned since I arrived; maybe the biggest challenges has been to understand the "southern accent" :), and look for a job in a new country with a new language in the middle of the biggest American crisis.
But I got it!
So, do your best, not give up and think possitive!!!
Have fun!

Hey, am new on this. lol

2009-03-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Ana I am from Mexico, I am 25 years old. I like study, dance, work, and be lazy some times too. I just start at the writing class at the university of Memphis, and I hope learn more and more, well I like learn I feel alive, my family live here on USA . Where am work needs to write, speak, and listen all day spanish and english is why am here on this writing class and also comunocation class.

I am very happy to be here, becouse I been withing for this class many years but never give up. Someday I will be better person, and also I will be have ather job. How about study here at the univerity of Memphis and be profetional.

Let me tell you someting about MY HOMETOWN, there on Mexico we are rich on traditions, culture, and nature too, wather is so nice for all people becouse we have hot beaches but on the other side we have difren tempeture on others states. Let me tell you about the good food that we make, like tamales with chicken and green sauce, corn soup (pozole), staek tacos and more. I am hungry now how about you?
Thanks for reed my note.

Brigadier of chocolate

2009-03-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

The recipe is very simple and yields 30 servings.

One( 1) Condensed milk .

One (1) tablespoon of butter .

Seven ( 7) tablespoon of chocolate .

Place in a pan melt the condensed milk, butter and chocolate on medium fire and stir continuously with a wooden spoon cook until it begins take off of the pot Let cool and then unte hands with butter and make the balls and involving them in chocolate granules .

It is ready to you and your family delight this tasty dessert.

I hope that you enjoy , because I love it .

What do I think of Memphis?

2009-03-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I think that Memphis is a great city to live, there is many opportunities of employment, I like it because, is not to big I can get almost everything and I don't have to spend a lot of time to find what I need. Rent and utilities are not to expensive. Also my family lives here, that is the most important thing. I think that Memphis is like a big Town.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

2009-03-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

New Orleans is a beautiful city with pretty houses and trees.

We want to the parades and we got a lot of bids, and we want to different parties too!!!

Also, we want to the French quarter is a very nice place. We want to the Cafe du monde is a famous cafe in this city, where you can eat delicious beignets and drink cafe au lait. We want to the French Market, where you can find a lot of staff!!!

New Orleans was awesome, I had a great time in this city.

See you later Alligators!

Joelle

What I think about Memphis .

2009-02-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

I like Memphis and I think that the city is really beautiful.

I live in Mississipi and I think that Tennessee is more developed and I prefer go to Memphis to see many different things.

I often go to Memphis in cinemas, university, stores and the shopings.

I believe that have a lot of place to I know yet , and I hope to view all of them during the period that I stay here.

I do not know walking so much in places far from here the that gps that me save me a lot , but any way this apparatus is teaching me a lot.

I have gone to a synagogue in in Memphis and Jewish community are very friendly and cheerful.

In Brazil I go to a jewish synagogue and also thought to try it here and it make so good to me for I have a cycle of friendship and I can develop the learning of English .

Finally I hope that I to know all the interesting places in Memphis and that the city can develop increasingly for that continue atract students of the world.

Why will someone learn English?

2009-02-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

In every society communication is necessary. In the human society there is a diversity of languages. The variety of languages is sometimes a big issue. We need to communicate in nowadays world through many ways because countries interact. We travel, our relatives move. These new cultures we move in involve also new languages.
You can probably live in a country without speaking their language,but why will someone learn English when he or she is in USA? The answer to that question will depend on the purpose of the person who came to USA. Not everyone came here to achieve the american dream.

Some people came to USA just because they were brought to. It is like they were forced to. Not that someone put the gun on their head, but they did not really have the choice to disagree. The choices were very limited. For instance a person lived in a refugee camp. He is told that people who do not want to go back to their home countries will be settled to western countries.What choice did they have? They could not go back to their home countries because they fear for their lives. That is the reason they were refugees in that second country. If they had refused to come to the western countries ,they would have been sent even by force to their home country. The second country could not afford anymore to have them in his territory for security and financial issues.

Most of the people who feel like they did not want to come here, especially the more advanced age people do not intend to learn English. They feel like they can not start over.They will find a friend to translate for them wherever they go. This is made possible in USA by the presence of bilingual staff in most of the offices. The factory work can be done also without known the language. Actually you can have your basic needs satisfied in USA without speaking in English.

Ambitious people will need to learn English in order to succeed in USA. Speaking fluent English plus the fact that you already speak another language is a big advantage. It can open you doors to jobs that you never excepted to have. Every time you apply to a job and to your qualifications you add a foreign language spoken is more valuable.

English is not hard to learn.If it was a place where people interact more that will not be an issue.For example in Africa it can take you more than two years to learn a language in a country that you move to. When you wake up, your neighbor greets you. He will talk to you . During the days people talk to each other. Here capitalism is even preseent in families relationship. It is about money. Work , gain some money, and live the american way of life.

It will not make sense to have to pay the language in some countries in Africa. you can learn it a home .English is easy but the american culture is hard. Back then stress is a strange concept. People used it by language misuse.They do not know what they talk about.You have to come here to learn about stress, to feel how important family , friends or people to talk to are.

Each deed you make has consequences. A good act can have a bad consequence and a bad decision can produce a good thing. You have to weigh and if you get what you want. Then you are fine. You have to focus on the positive thing.

Learning English is the only way to accomplish the american dream. Come from nowhere but be someone. It is not a bad thing to start over. It is good to learn something new. We do not lose anything by learning English. On the contrary we gain more than others.

Sorry that I talk to much. To sum up I am learning English because I intend to achieve my american dream. I will be Somebody someday. I will improve my life and get a better job, not to say that my present job is bad. It just that I think I deserve more. English is just a step. I have alot more languages to learn such as spanish, arabic , swahili and chinese. I know people think I dream too much. My dreams brought me here , without them I am no one. What is a life without dreams?

Why I am Studying English?

2009-02-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I am studying English, because:

I live in the USA, and I would like to communicate better with speakers English.
I need to get a better job.
I need to help my kids doing Home work.
I would like to get a degree in accounting.

Why I am learning English

2009-02-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

The teacher did ask Why I'm Learning English .Well I think this language is very important to me .

In Brazil I am studing international business and this language is everything that I need for the job that I want to act in the future .

When I had decided come to United States I planned one-year of apprenticeship and now I see that isn't possible because the language is very hard .

Ok, I will keep trying for 2 years, I believe with a lot of dedication I can get out of here speaking the language.

2009-02-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

why learn English?

I want to learn English because I believe that is a important language today in day and because is a dream too.

I don't will used English in my day-by-day in my work, but I recognize that is important speak this language. If you speak this language you can travel for many places in the world that you always will found somebody for understand you.

First I began study English because my boyfriend paid a course for me to study with him, but I confess that i don't study and discourage him. I had difficult in learn this language, then I resolved came from here and try learn this language that is beautiful.

I don't hope learn English in one year because I know that is difficult speak fluently, but I hope to communicate same thing form simple.

Juliana Pacheco.

Why I am learning English???

2009-02-19T06:51:00.000-08:00

Good question teacher, but why not!?!

Alright, I tell you guys: I am learning English because is a international language, and I would like to improve more my English, and eventually pass the FCE (First Certificte English) when i come back to my country and find a good job in an international company.

It's very important to speak English in my country (Switzerland) for get a good job.

Also, if you speak English you can go everywhere, and speak English it's fancy for me!!! :)

Joelle

My 1st day in the USA

2009-02-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

I came in the USA in Jun 16 2008, and I stayed tree days in New York.

My firsts impressions:

- New York is like in the movies, exactly the same.

- Big city with big rods, and high way and a lot traffic.

- People are crasy ( I mean in New York, the people are so snub and stress and not very nice.

- People eat a lot.

- Every things are big.

But, when I came to Memphis, I think the people were more nice, more polite, and I was glad because in New York The People were very snub.

Joelle

2009-02-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

My first day in New York!!!

I don't know if I was happy, worry or despair in my first day. Look what happened with me.

I said before that I came for USA without know nothing the English and i believe that because I don't speak this language all happened with me.

My suffering began in Brazil when my agency's girl said me that my airplane will stop in Miami, and my airplane will stop in Washington. I stayed crazy in Airport Sao Paulo in my country, until I discover that my airplane really will stop in Washington.

After my afraid was the immigration. When the airplane stoped my belly freezed, and i think " Oh my good, what i will do now?". Then I entered in the file for pass emigration the EUA, but had many people and I lost my air plane. In fact I arrived 7:15am and my air plane will go departure for New York 8:30 am. I thougth that will give time, but I was mistake.

I stayed in airport about 7 hours because I only will get another air plane 5:oo pm. Then I arrived in NY almost 7:oo pm end ate my dinner end went sleep. I'm happy because arrived well, relief!!!

My first day was terrible, but my second day was perfect because I Know the Times Square and I stayed enchanted, is the place more beautiful that I know until today. Have many places beautiful here, but Times Square caused more impact in me.

Juliana Pacheco

The first time at United States

2009-02-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

I never had gone to before at United States .

The first time that I come to America was Octuber 17th.

When I saw I scared as the people eat a lot .

I been with my friends on Central Park Times Square and major stores.

I realized that the american people expend so much.

There are person in the New York that dress of differently from the others.

On New york I seen people of all origins in the world and I found it so interesting.

I belive that the United States have a lot of place to know yet .

I hope that I can go in the others places here because I think that I have so much to learn .

I hope also be the first of many times that I come here specifically to do a lot of trips .

Hi everybody !!!!

2009-02-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

How are you ? I hope that everybody is fine !

Well today I said that will go talk about my friends that I did here . There are two person , Joelle and Juliana, which also participate on this blog. They are person that I have more contact in recent times, because they are Au Pair and they are my classmates. Joelle helps me a lot because I have great difficulty by the little time that I have here. She and very funny, sometimes we can not stay very close in class because we mixed the class of teacher. The Juliana is funny too, she is live in my coutry also and she has spent some good experiences as I in the United States.

I hope that our friendship independent lasts of the end of the exchange. I would send a kiss to them and that we can have a fun time here.

Dear friends Good Morning !!

2009-02-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

Today I will tell you about as I am a forgotten person .
In my country the forgotten person are called of heads of wind, Sluggish, headstrong and many others more adjectives not very pleasant.
I do not know if here in the United States the people doing it to , on put names in these forgotten person .
I remember since the child I was always very forgotten, my brother called me dove, that I hated this surname. I think that I don't need explain what is the meaning, he said because the doves fly and I also lived as them.
I remember two times that it is happened, I went to school and I only realized that I forgot my backpack on the school when I returned home. My mother spoke to me that it is impossible to happen and she was very confusing as it happened with .
If anywhere, where would I forgot something.
I think that I already repeated that phrase : I forgot , more than one million of times. It was happening in my entire childhood.
I thought it would pass, but it began to happenworse in my adolescence also and I started to forget things in the places that was of most values, earring, bracelets, rings and bags with my belongings.
When I was in the universty before coming to the United States I lost a calculator 12c hp that in Brazil it is considered expensive.
I had finished making a test and went to the bathroom and left it there. The good that I did passed on the test . We have to be optimistic yet !
The fact that I find so funny when I arrived in the United States . I believe that the life wanted teach me something when my bag losted and I was forgot at this time .
I feel so bad when the others person loses the things of us and I gave more value on my stuff.I don't had clothes more and I had to wait to until they found.
I do not like to forget, but have time that my head is worried about the other things I forgot the other.
But now I'm trying to be more attentive exept what was happened in the last week that I had forgotten to take the gift of my friend joele and give her at school, but she knows now that I am so !I hope that she understands me.
On my next post I will talk about my friends that I made here .

Ops ! On my first text I forgot to say about me !!! Sorry

2009-01-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

When I took this picture I forgot to change the date. The correct date is 2008 ok ?
This picture was when I arrived in the United States.The welcoming to the family with me .
In the begin do you realize that I am a bit forgotten.
Do not be scared .On the next post I will talk about the many omissions on the my life . The episodes are very funny.

Dear new friends

My name is Debora and I have 25 years old and I from Brazil and I university student to course of international business, Catholic University.
I speak portuguese and a little french, because I studied a long time the language than more the English the Hebrew because of my parents that are Jews and I'm trying to learn english .
In Brasil the people are so nice .
When I decided to au pair exchange I thought about a great opportunity to learn english while I do something that I like that is care of the children.
My family did'nt gave me much incentive to come to United States, but I thought to grow more.
I have two brothers whose names and ages respectively are Daniel Thiago 28 and 19 years, both are very good friends. My mother is divorced and have a long time that I can not see my dad . Anyway I am happy.
I so glad to coming to United States and I hope that I can leave to here speaking english. I have a dream to learn the language .
I came to the United States to live and to work taking care of 4 kids they are so sweet.
The child that give a lot of job is Katy, she has 2 year and half and had days that I thought come back to my contry . She is so busy !
I had learned to loved she more day by day, she teaches me that I have be patient.I said to her mother that she is my test of au pair if I stay here until to the end I passed as au pair !
The others are David 6 Jonathan 4 years ,and the baby Zoe, 1 year, she is my great love, I can't see my life without she. This baby is very special to me because she is very nice and easy to love.she give love to anyone.
About the parents of children are very good with me, are pleasant and understanding.
Finally, I hope that I explained a little about me, I believe that with time we are more familiar.
Sorry about mistakes !I promise that I will go improve!

Why I am in Memphis!

2009-01-30T06:37:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I am Joelle, I come from Switzerland and I live in Geneva. I have one sister and one brother, thet live there too. My parents come from Portugal but they live in Switzerland. I speak French, Portuguese and English (I mean I try to improve a lot because it isn't perfect).

In this moment of my life, I am in USA for one year because I decided to come here for a new experiance and improve my English. Actually, I am living in Memphis with a american family and I take care the two kids every day of the week.

My realy first reason to be here is to be far of my friends, family and my country for a well. Because sometimes we need to see something else, something new, and not always the same things. It was so difficut fo me to leave because I am very close of my family and my friends. When I took the plan for came to the USA, I was so sceared and I cried a lot of! But when I saw New York for my first time, I smiled and I said it's a new life comming soon.

I think comming to the USA it was my best decision ever. Now I have new friends, fun every week and just a wonderful trip and adventures.

So guys, if you would like to know other country, I said let's go don't think two times. It's just a wonderful experience.

Joelle

2009-01-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

IN SEARCH OF AN ADVENTURE.

Hi!!! friends.

Because of an adventure I am here in this country, my name is Juliana pacheco, I'm 27 years old, I'm lawyer, I'm from Brasil and currently I live in Germantown, TN.

Here i have on life completely different if i to compare with the life the i has in my country. Here i am Au Pair, for how don't know, is a exchange program that combine work and study. Then I take care two children, Camila that have 3 years old ans Michael that have 6 years old and I'm study English in University of Memphis.

Many peoples asked me why i will want change my life for one year, another persons said that I'm crazy, some friends believed that I don't came, has persons that said that I don't will support live here for more than 7 months. Another persons believed and me and think that this program will bring me great personal growth. Who is correct? I don't know. I think that eveybory, but already explain.

I think that everybory opinion the people is correct about my came for here. How thougth that i'm crazy is correct because I abandoned a good job in my coutry and a live comfortable for live a life very, very simple.

The people that thougth that i don't support live here for more than 7 month is probable that we are correct because live here and don't have TV in badroom, don't have car and live with little money is almost impossible. I believe in God and I'm strong, i want believe that i can more than t months.

Now the people that thougth that this program is a good growth in my life also is correct . I think that this program is making I grow with person, because financially is a desaster (srsrsrsr). Today I'm value more my family and I realized how a mother suffer after that have a child. This experience is very important in my life because i discovered that i don't want children. Is probable that in the future i will change my idea, but today never, never, never. I like take care Camila. She is a nice girl, she is very smart and happy. She is my happy in this country, but is much responsabilite and i don't want to put a child in the world, I'm not feel prepared.

I'm stay here has 5 months, and i belived that my english is each day better, but very bad yet, but i think that is importat don't to desist because I believe that determination today leads sucess to tomorrow. And I think that a person for be happy need make whatever is possible, sometimes some people criticize, but i prefer regret because i did. If one person ask me what the name this moment in my life i will say "In search of an adventure".

Now about my futere...if you want know...continue reading my blog srrssrsr.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoox Juliana Pacheco.

I am still without inspiration

2009-01-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hi !
I will go write something in then night. I am still without inspiration
I don't know what happen with me ?
Wait !!!!!!!!!!!

Now it is the night
I will go try now !

Katy the children of 2 years that I take a care is kicking the door wanting to come

in my room.
God is very difficult to write here .

Today I will go say about that happen here on the house , but I think that I can say

about the behavior of human beings that surprises me more , day by day !

And you ask me what ?

I did make an analogy to something happening with the children to the behavior of adults.

Nothing very confusing for today ok?

when Katy ( children ) always go to do something wrong , she tries to hide to me. Or

she hides behind the sofa so I do not see or she stop in one place and thinking a

lot, I imagine planning something out of the situation.

So many adults do it too on the life , they hide behind many things to be omitted.

look that these are called adults.

I believe it is human nature.

I think but I do not know nothing!

Debora Guimaraes

2009-01-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

2009-01-21T10:13:00.001-08:00

What love is about ?

2009-01-21T06:59:00.000-08:00

Love is like life. There are two things ,we have but we do not really have a power on them. We are somehow out of control when it comes to those two. Love happens when you do not even know. The real one happens once in a life. It is not like some people say they meet their real love everytime they have a new lover.

We all know that it is not true. We sometimes want to act that way in order to lie to our lovers or to ourselves. Love when is not the true one is also about lies. Lies make love exciting. We feel more loved when we are with good liars. At least when we do not know yet that we are with a liar. Of course there are some people who will let it go even if they know the truth, just because they are somehow not proud of themselves.

At that time Love is a lie to ourselves. You look at yourself , but you do not like it. You feel you are ugly ,stupid,less important ,or uptight. You feel so bad about yourself that your liar lover used your so low self-esteem to control you. This case is mostly true with violent lover. Because you already do not respect yourself , the violent lover makes you believe that it is you the problem . The wiser one will make you believe that you can change him. You know it is not true ,but you want to believe it.

It is the worst thing that can happen to a human being lie to yourself.When some lover come to your life and lies to you ,it is not okay ,but it is understandable.You have been tricked. But lie to yourself is unacceptable! It is a crime!Yes, you are killing a person:YOU. You let your brain focus on something untrue not on some trivial question but about yourself.The solution is there, in us. We have to teach our children and the next generation to love themselves first in oder to dream about a love story.

Did you ever wonder why you do not have a friend , a girlfriend or a boyfriend? You should! Most of the time it is because you dislike something in you. Without knowing it , that thing affects your life so badly. Unconsciously, you do not smile, laugh or simply enjoy good times. You feel sad, tired or need to be alone. You can become agressive verbally even physically. If you fall in the wrong hands of a very good actor. He or she is going to use you so badly that at the end you will be worthless.

Then you want to be loved. You are there going from agencies to others to find a match to yourself. What if you match yourself together first and may be you can except to be loved .Put yourself together! It is obvious when a person is ready for love. Be sure of it , people will notice that you are ready,hopefully and more likely good people. Not only you want to be loved, but also you can love somebody else. Do not look for love if you do not want to love.

Love is not "take" only. Love is "give" and "take".There is a mistake we often make. People go to agencies and say:"I am looking for a woman or a man to love me. I want him or her to be kind, honest ... with me. He or she should be there for me." That is hilarious. What about the person who comes in your life, what are you going to give him or her, what good habits is he or she going to find in you? Will you be there for him or for her. Do not be selfish.Take and give.

Love is not exactly what was in your dream. It is what you got. It is not what you want but it is what is given to you.Take it. Really take it in a good way with no lies , no selfishness.Take it very hard with all your heart,because it is just like a glass once it broke there is no way to fix it.It is gone and it takes a lot of pills to fix your broken heart.

Love is the best thing in the world that ever happen to a person. It gives you energy, happiness and hope. When you are in love you dream. You do not see anything like an obstacle. You are passionate. You are eager to go forward. You succeed because you believe in your success.

(Thanks for reading. Please leave a (bad or good)comment , will be contributing in my future writer career. I am very open-mind person. Tell me if there are mistakes. )

2008-12-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

the gift of the magi.

One of the hundred of stories written by william sydney porter was the gift of magi. This is a stupendous story that tell us about how love can overstep certain limits that probably a materialistic word couldnt do it. the christmas night Della, one of the main characters, decides to cut off her beautiful and long hair to buy a watch chain for her husband's watch. on the other hand, her husband decides to sell his watch to buy her combs for her wonderful hair. At the end of it there was not present exchanges, just two faces shocked into trance but at the same time, two happy hearts to know they love each other so much.

Is it romantic? funny? silly? idealistic ? honest? Many people could have a different point of view of the story, but definitely, there is one in common: this show us something that we really would love having, a real love. somebody who be able to give us more than expensive details, a relationship full of adventures, honestly and so much love! when i read the story, the first thing that came into my mind was : yes , yes , very romantic but what ? when something like that is going to happen in the real life. It doesn't tell me anything to me because is not my story. Moreover, i ask myself again, what does love mean? does the other person need to give me his entire heart to make me fell happy?

After that i got that love goes beyond a simple promise for the rest of our life. Love is something people build every single day with their actions, their words , and their way to focus their own lives. Love is a relationship base on the respect for the other's opinion likes and decicions. Love doensn't mean to close the eyes and see through the other's eyes. It is to be able to reconize a whole world and be brave to decide a person we want to give, if not our whole life, at least a honest feeling until it be possible.

Many people can think it doesnt exist , but i see it every where. Love not necessarily implies a man or a woman. I see it for example, when ,the kids i take care , hug me and give me a smile every morning as soon as i wake up, or when i walk on the streets and a man helps a hurt dog because a car crashed on its leg, even when the moms, wifes, father, and sons of many kidnap people appear on the tv crying and protesting for their freedom. Those are just few example of love around the world that we see but at the same time we dont feel.

In conclusion, love doesn't have any color race or religion. Everybody is asking for a drop of it but we dont realize there is plenty of this in ourselves, in the other, that one that many times we reject because" is not the same as us". The story is a great excuse to remaind us one of the best human being still own: Love.

What is Jazz?

2008-11-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

For me, jazz is the kind of music that brings a lot of bright emotions, and jazz never makes me bored.

Jazz is never the same; it is full of movement and actions – just like a living organism. Also it is a free style of music. Every improvisation of jazz usually doesn’t commit to paper and their life is too short but very bright, like a little star on the sky, which sparkles brightly and then burns out, making you wonder.
Melody of jazz is full of beautiful and the same time sophisticated harmony that makes you happy.
Syncopated rhythm and a swing of melody start you dancing along with it.
However, if you listening or play blues, you feel sadness or compassion because blues is a song of a lonely soul.

I’ll never get tired of jazz because it gives me energy, motivation, and inspiration.

My Name

2008-11-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

My complete name is Regina Aparecida Bulgarelli. My middle is a name of the Saint in Brazil. My mother wanted a lot to have a girl. She tried 4 times before me. I am the youngest among 4 brothers. Every year she went to the city of the Saint in Sao Paulo State to visit the Saint the she was devoted. Once she decided to make a promise for "Nossa Senhora Aparecida" the Saint, if she had a girl, she will give her name to the baby. The Saint heard her and I'm here.

2008-11-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

What can you say? what can you think? what can you even feel, when you know you just start to share your five senses with somebody you even love yet. A big silence begins to grow up into your belly. The girl is still too little for the word "woman". people talk , walk, ask , look..... but it is just you with your own noises inside your body. it is just you, trying to read the black and white signs that back an forth inside your brain. it is just you, with your head down, looking at your legs, waiting for your turn, guessing how everything is gonna be. Something in the very deep says you "dont do it", but we never learnt to hear those kind of voices, you always hear what you have to do, not what you really want to. There you are girl , with your stripe green sweater and your broken pants, stucked in a puddle of mud, with your eyelashes all wet, with your trembling body, your sweat hands holding your old doll, and your hair around your neck trying to hang up yourself.

-who is next? a voice yell.

You look at his eyes. Yours are scared.

-Everything is going to be as it was before. He says.

- Over here please, the voice says again.

The room is all white .

-Lay down and close your eyes, it is going to be fast "it is not even an operation".

Your hands press the bedsheets in order to asphyxiate the blame, because in the very deep you know nothing is going to be as it was before.

(This is an answer for the short story called: "Hills like with elephants " by Enerst Hemingway. )

Music is international language

2008-10-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

Music is international language because it appeals to people's emotions, sence of identity, and many other feelings, composing sounds into a melody, just like letters make up words.
While listening to music, people can be happy or sad, be romantic or heroic, and they don't need to understand any words.
When musicians from many different countries sit in an orchestra and play wonderful music, they don't think about politic positions of their countries, they just enjoy playing instruments and making music together. We should learn diplomacy from them.
Like all languages, music has an alphabet. It is notes. But if all languages have different amount of letters in their alphabet, there are always only seven notes and they sound alike to musicians all aver the world.
So, in my opinion, music is the language understandable for everyone. It unites people of different interests, nationalities, and generations, making them say, do, and promote the right things.

About my nightmare

2008-09-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

The grammar for me is my nightmare, is hard to learn all the grammar roles and use, that's something that is harder because I'm thinking in Spanish and the grammar rules in Spanish are different and sometimes you can see in my emails, letters or like this kind of messages the confusion between the English grammar and the Spanish grammar

"The enlightened forest" is ma favorite book.

2008-09-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

"La foret illuminee" can maybe be translated as "the enlightened forest". This phrase is the title of the book written by Professor Gervais Mendo Ze. He was a famous writer who was in charge of the Cameroon Radio and Television(CRTV) Office. He wrote many other interesting books ,but this is my favorite one. The reason is the quantity and the quality of the figurative language used by the author.Read this book is somehow discovering the camerounian way of life.

The principal actor is Anani. Anani is a young educated boy who is just starting his work life. He thought that going to school is everything in life.He dressed up in the western suit to impress his employer, he tried to follow the law . He does not know that people do not care about how you dress or how you work. The whole country lives under corruption. Not only that he was frustrated by all those frauds , but also Anani felt destroyed because he noticed that there were some family members who do not do anything to become self-sufficient.They are at home everyday waiting for someone else to do everything for them. Even love is about money; and in order to have money you have to work in that corrupted system. Consequently you have to maintain yourself there by commiting fraudulent deeds . That what it takes to have your wife and all the unfortunate who will of course live forever at your place without even trying to do something to improve their lives. You can reject all that but make sure that you will not be killed magically.There are some people whose work is to end your life if you do not want to cooperate. The less harm they can do is to ruin your life so that you can fit in the society.

Beside these story, the author Professor Gervais MendoZe wants to show that the city is still a forest . We can have electricity, but still we are in the forest . In the front cover of his book there is a picture of the city with big and tall building at night . You can see the lights on in differents rooms all over the city. By that picture ( I apologize that I did not find a sample of it so that I can share with you all) the Professor would like you to compare the city and the forest. For him the buildings in the city resemble trees in the forest. The buildings are just tall and big as the trees . The only difference is the light that people turn on by night time. In the book , cars are similar to animals . If there is a wreck ,it is just like when two animals meet and fight or eat each other . Some people stay in their rooms so that they do not have to interact with others just like some birds in the trees which fly when something else approaches.

Finally Anani took off from the society . He did not want to talk to anybody. He was just like others animals in the forest . He was trying to avoid any wreck with a human being. That did not last for ever . He changed his mind and joined the whole corrupted system . He was involved at the end in politics. As a common quotation he had dirty hands because it is hard to do politics and do not be involved in fraudulent acts. Anani gave up his dream. He did not try to change the wrong thing . He choose to survive and to be able to feed his family. He became a part of the bad system.He forgot his dreams. Did he have the choice ? The answer is hard to find .

I enjoyed reading that book . I read it when I was in middle school and still now I think about it. Life can make us give up our dreams. It is hard to live without dreams, but sometimes it happens. I like the metaphor of the title . I believe that cities are just illuminated forests. The only difference is the electricity. People most of the time act like animals.

All about grammar by David !

2008-09-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

When I think about grammar, I starts shaking. Grammar for me is the most difficult thing when I am writting. I think that not only happens to me. It also happens to everyone; it does not matter in which languge are you writting. Even in my own language, I still having problems with grammar. I think that the most difficult for me is puntuation. Commas are my headache, not even mention some other things that i can not get together. What i am doing to improve my grammar and write better is definitely reading a lot. if you read for instance, news papers, magazines, flyers, etc.. you will not olnly improve your grammar also your vocabulary.

English Grammar

2008-09-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Hello!??? (Letme think about grammar)
It's not easy for me to write in English for me,becouse, is not my first language, olways I think in spanish, also it's the languaje tah must speake during tha day. In may work I make translations from English to Spanish.
I hope one day can write not perfectly but the best that I can. Tha must importantn think it's I do the first steps, be in tha school and try . Thanks.

Grammar is really hard.

2008-09-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

I think grammar in English is really hard because for example, in spanish you can write like you say, the only bad for spanish is you need to conjugate all verbs. But in English you read and talk different like you talk, for that I think is more complicated.

Is to hard when you need to write somenthing and after that you need talk or read because is all different.

So, the English is hard when you conjugate the verbs when is past, present or future, and the english words the sounds is like the same in to many words.

So, one day I want to can write some good.

My favorite author

2008-09-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Fedor Dostoevsky is a famous Russian author, who lived in 19th sentury. He aws born in Moscow November, 11, 1821.
Dostoevsky turned to writing as a profession after a brief military career, puplishing his firt novel POOR FOLK in 1846. In 1849 he was arrested for his participation in a political group and sentenced to proson in Siberia for four years. Later he wrote that here, in prison, he recognized Russian soul. His novels explored the psychology and moral obligations of modern man, and he is famous for creating the "underground hero", a protagonist aliented from society and in seach of redemtion.
Dostoevsky wrote the classic novels CRIME and PUNISHMENT (1866), THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV (1880). I would like to tell about his book IDIOT. the hero of the novel is Prince Myshkin, a kind od modern Christ. He is a good man who attempts to live in a corrupt society, and it is uncertain whether he succeeds or not, since ne leaves the pages of the novel with the world about him worse than when he entered.
I like Fedor Dostoevsky bacause he is creative other and wrote about a soul.

Watt i think about English gram er

2008-09-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

English gram er is hard y ! because it is not the same as Spanish
mostly the way you read it is the way you rite it . and in English it is not you can say it one way and it can rite the other way this is way i want to learn the correct way so i will look professional with my writing and learn new things .

English grammar

2008-09-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

English grammar, like grammar of all languages, is not so easy to learn. The best way to learn it since you are child to all your life.

If you came from a foreign country and have to study it for some years only, in my opinion, you should concentrate for incorrect verbs, phrasal verbs, and idioms. Also in English language are many words which you have to memorize how to read and write them.

Another difference between English grammar and grammar of other countries is how to build sentences. Sometimes you can translate a sentence but cannot understand it. In addition to English grammar I would tell about English grammar of humor. Here it is necessary to read between the lines, to know history, traditions and mentality of country.

And what do you think about English grammar? Is it easy for you?

Nadya

2008-09-16T04:50:00.001-07:00

Hello, my name is Nadya. I came to USA one year and some monthes ago. Everything looks OK, only I need my hobby. I used to sing in a vocal group for many years and I really miss it now. If you know ensemble or chorus in Memphis, I will thank a lot for this information.

Surprising

2008-09-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

I always thought that when you are from United states , you cannot miss a job especially if you are educated . So there a place in this world where being American and educated do not make you first in all your request. I maybe sound funny but the thing is I am still really surprised.
I believe that there is a God. There is a justice and one day I will become what I have dreamt of. The thing is to keep dreaming even if there is no hope. One day I will laugh about all those frustration. I will even feel embarassed to be reminded of that. Because I know that I will be successful, I will not think to much about it.
I complain but I have to thank my parents. If I did not go to school, I will be like some people who do not think about going back some day.

About me

2008-09-08T17:57:00.001-07:00

hello fellas!

My name is david. I have been living in Memphis for the past four years. I am a proudly Mexican. I was born and raisied in small town called Acambaro, and from there, we moved to the city of Leon; this two cities are located in the state of Guanajuato, which it is located in the middle of the country . In May 23, 2008 was the date that I came to he United States.

The first time that I came to the United States, It was not how I expected it . I was thinking that the English that I learn from highschool in Mexico,was going to help me. Then, I realized that I did not learn anything back home. Everything was so different like pronunciation and accents. Finally, I started to take some english classes before enrolling to any college. It was really hard for me when i was learning English; there was too much presure from my father and my friends, like they knew how to speak English very well, they were telling me if you do not learn english within six months something is wrong with you. But they were telling me that just to focus more in my learning. Now that I can communicate myself, i would like to improve my grammar; therefore, I can do better in college.

Well I shold tell you a littel aboute mi

2008-09-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hi well my name is Aaiisha i am from Mexico . I have been living in Memphis for 4 years
my favorite thing to do is play soccer and boxing . I have a daughter she is for her favorite thing to do is soccer well watt i do in the week. is go to work ,pic up my daughter from daycare got to soccer fields , boxing and at the end of the day i am at home doing chores . and that's watt i do for a living

My favorite sport

2008-09-08T17:50:00.001-07:00

I love play ping pong.

This sport have a lot of benefits, it's help you to get concentration, balance in your mind, body synchronization, fast reaction, keep you active and Healthy.

I used to play when I was in the college, but I stop to play for a long time, almost 10 years, I graduated, I got married and continued with my life, so I left the ping pong in the past and never come to my mind play again.

Now after 10 year, I have the opportunity to move to Memphis for business reasons and one day I went to the Germantown sport center to do cardio and 2 persons was playing ping pong and I just watched how they play, one of them invited me to play, after that he invite me to the Memphis Table tennis club.

From that day till now I returned to play my favorite sport and play as much I can, enjoying every time like is the last time I will play.

Hi, I'm Luis

2008-09-08T17:49:00.003-07:00

I'm talk to little about me in the United States.

The first time when I came to the United States really hard, because I come one sunday and to the next day Im go with my father to the school for register me in the school.

Im start the school one tuesday, when I was wait the bus I was nervous.

When I go to the room Im fear because the people talk to me but Im not what they say.

So 3 month after Im missed the nervous, I don't speak english but I haved friends for help me,

when I doed the fisrt year in the high school I learn a little, because in the all class only Im talk in spanish with my friends and don't put attention to the teachers.

The next year Im put a little more attention because I was learn the english.

Now Im understand a little but I need learn to write.

Im dream with go to back to mexico but don't come back, but before to go I need to learn the english. I go to mexico when I Know to can read, write and speak english.

I love to the soccer.

I am Ivonne

2008-09-08T17:49:00.001-07:00

Hi! My name is Ivonne Najera de Arguijo. I'm from Mexico, My home city is Durango. I'm Teacher, I have my degree from Mexico. Righ now I'm working in Memphis City schools, like Professional Asisten with the little childrens. I'm married, I have 3 childrens. I'm in Memphis becouse my husband have an oportunity to work here in this city. We like to estay in this city becouse I like alot things in this city and arround especialy the natural pleces.

Me again

2008-09-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

It is very obvious that I was the only one who really needed this blog. Anyway I want to write and I am going to do so no matter what. Here I am thinking about something. "School is the only way you are going to make yourself become what you want".Those were my parents words every single day.I used to believe that but not anymore.
Look at me I went to school my all life long.Funny part I never did miss school even when I was sick.School was the love of my life.First I thought I wanted to be a teacher . After a while I thought I will become a translator . Finally I had a crash on law and international relations .God only knows how many nights I spent awake trying to memorized my constitution, international treaties ,criminal procedures...
I did all that to avoid doing bad jobs. I mean vulnerable jobs. You do not know when they can fire you. Even if they fire you , you can not find another one so easily.That part of going to school is so crual for me . Just because I can find the right person to send me my trancripts from Africa , does not mean I have to suffer.It is just so frustrating to have to do the right thing but do not benefit from it . I did what I was supposed to do but now I am not feeling secure.
I think states should organize their policies in order to adapt the education to others countries standards. I feel sometimes like nobody ; which is not true , because I sacrified my life to school and I did a good job by having my master degree in public law.
I think sometimes about that I will be done with the first two years of my PhD if I was still in Africa. It is not good to complain to much. May be I would not have enough money to finish . For people like me , Africa only needs money.

How are you all?

2008-08-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

It was a pleasure to meet you all. I miss you ;including the teacher too.I was just wondering if you forgot about our little commitment which consists on keep writing . If you ever remember it , I have in mind a couple of topics we can talk about : what did we learn in writing workshop? or how do you appreciate the teacher? I have some more but I will like more suggestions to make interaction . I am looking forward to heard about you and wish sincerely that you are enjoying your summer.

Living in Taipei or Memphis

2008-07-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Memphis Taipei

I am from Taipei, Taiwan. As I mentioned earlier, Taiwan is a small island country, 35,960 km² big with over 20 million populations living in it. Taipei is the capital, size of 272 km² with 2 million populations. Still can't image how crowd it is? Let me bring some numbers up, you will have a better idea about it. Compared to Memphis, size of land is 763.4 km² and populations are 680,768 which is almost 3 times big of Taipei city, but only has 1/3 of populations living in.
Because of the high population density, people live in sky high buildings which are made of concrete and steel. The whole city is not only full of people but also cars and scooters which cause serious air pollution problem. Thank god! Because the oil price keeps going up, more and more people take subway and bus to work.

Some people saying, Taipei is a restless city, because there are too many stores running 24 hours: you can watch a 2:00am movie and have your breakfast at 4:00am, or drive up to Ya-ming Mountain to have a hot spring bath in the middle of the night. Whatever you want to eat, shop, or be entertained, the options are overwhelming.

In contrast with Taipei, Memphis is a quiet and slow pace city. Most of stores are closed at 9:00pm, and only few cars drive on roads at 11:00pm. People here live in 1 story or 2 story high of houses, have yards with lawn, and flower beds, have a park just around the neighborhood. People are friendly and never in a rush. They greet and smile on pedestrian walkway, at schools and at stores.

Although life in Taipei got all of the conveniences you can image, in Memphis you got healthier and better environment to live with. No matter where I live, I think I enjoy both.

How do I deal with the Memphis heat?

2008-07-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

This may sound weird, but I like the Memphis hot summer with one remark: with an airconditioner at my home and with A/C in my car. From my point of view the heat is better than cold. At least I don’t need to spend a lot of money for buying good warm clothes to survive in a terrible frost. Also I look much prettier in a summer dress then in winter big cloths with a red-blue cold nose and cheeks.
I came here in the beginning of April by my car (by the way, no A/C in it) from NY. The weather was so nice and pleasant, I even did not want to think that soon it is getting hotter and hotter. In the middle of May my brain started to melt on the way to work and back to home. I decided to stop this turture and bought a car with airconditioner. Now I am happy and like the Memphis heat.

My Favorite Dish - Seol Leong Tang

2008-07-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Seol Leong Tang Kim Chi

I forgot what Caroline asked us to write, so I picked one that I was interested in: My Favorite Dish.
Lately I have addicted to Seol Leong Tang, a traditional Korean food, which is made of ox legs and simmered in a big pot of water for hours, in old times, even days.
Because of the long time cooking, the flavor is extracted out of ox bones and the soup turns to snow white color. Usually people use salt and green onion to season, and eat the soup with rice. In the popular Korean drama, My name is Kim Sam Sun, the leading actress even mixes the soup with Kim Chi (Korean fermented vegetables) sauce.

How did I survive summer heat in Wuhan

2008-07-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

My hometown Wuhan has a blistering summer time. When I was a little girl, most families lived in a small room without air conditioning. When the evening came, almost all the people moved their bamboo bed outside onto the pavement of the road. Everybody used a palm leaf fan to expel mosquitoes and cool themselves. They chatted all the night and slept outside to survive the hot summer.
When I was a teenager, the majority of the citizens owned an electric fan in their room. Most of them did not sleep outside, only some people were still enjoying slept outside on their bamboo bed.
Before I came to America, most families in Wuhan used an air-conditioner in their apartment. Nobody slept outside anymore in summer.

My first independance day in USA

2008-07-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

What's special on independance in USA.

On my first independance day in USA was so quiet . Because I didn't know anybody except fireworks.I was in America for about 1month and I didn't know a lot of people except our neighbour family.They had barbecue outside and the invited me and we drank some beer.I watched fireworks at home because I didn't get any transportation way.

But this year was different from last year because I went downtown to watch fireworks and I went to a party.They most supprising thing is before I came to America I heard a lot the American National Anthum,but since I came to America I did never hear it even on the Independance Day.

How do you survive the summer heat?

2008-07-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

The first time I went out in the summer I thought I grilled. It was hot in Africa where I used to live but not like here. It is the hottest place I have ever been in my life. I feel sometimes like I wanted to cry . I am glad that now we have a car so that we do not have to wait and wait for late buses. We learn how to survive the summer heat.

We always have to put on the air conditioning in the house . We notice that it become hard to drink something hot. We always put all the drinks in the refrigerator . Someone is always trying to take a shower to avoid stinking. We have to wash our clothes more frequently too. The opening as the doors and the windows remain close to save on the gas bill. We also have a special habit for outside.

It is necessary to put on suncream , to wear sunglasses. It is better not to stay out for a long time. We also turn on the air conditionning in the car while we are riding. We also have to use deodorants. It is also fun to swim because the water is cold.

To sum up it is a daily lesson to learn how to survive the summer heat . We try to be open-minded to every advice because we are still new . All suggestions are welcome.

The United States' Independence Day

2008-07-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

Independence Day is a very important for most countries which had been colonized. It is a special moment to remember those who fought for freedom and liberty for us, the later generations. Subsequently, the 4th of July in United States of America is an exciting day. You can notice alot of activities going on .

First the stores were closed. You can imagine that people got ready days ago. Many people did not work on that special day. In the morning our neighbors were grilling . Some set up picnics. They ate hot dogs. It is a lovely picture you see because families had a little bit time to be together . If you watched the television, you could learn on certains channels alot about the Independence Day. The very exciting part is the evening.

Then many people were getting ready to go out. Many of them were dressed up. Some went to restaurants.Another part went to the movie theater. However the majority wacthed fireworks. Some families made their own fireworks. The first time you hear it , it can be very scary . It is just fun . They are so beautiful to look at . The circle shape with different colors are so wonderful to see. And there were so many .

Finally we really enjoyed it. It was a pity that we did not have a chance to hear the national anthem . We still were impressed by how the American are so proud of their Independence.

The National Day of China

2008-07-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 1st of 1993, my son was born in Wuhan, China. Actually, my son's birthday should be Sep. 17th, but he did not come out on that day. I was so happy and excited, because Oct. 1st is the National Day of the People's Republic of China.
China has recorded over 5000 year history. Different dynasty chose different date as its National Day. In 1912, The Republic of China overthrew Qing dynasty. Dr. Sun Zhongshan, the first president named Oct. 10th as the National Day. Mao Zhedong, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party declared found of the People's Republic of China on the tower of Tian An Men on Oct. 1st of 1949. Thus Oct. 1st was selected as the National Day of New China.
Every year of Oct. 1st, Chinese people spent whole week celebrating the National Day. Every 5 years anniversary we could watch parade in Tian An Men Square on the TV. When we are in my son’s birthday party, my son always says that whole Chinese people celebrate his birthday. He felt so special on that day.

My First Indenpendence Day in US

2008-07-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

At that time, I stayed at my aunt’s place. She invited her friends to come over to her house to have Bar B Q and sing Karaoke. The house was full of people, food and noise, so I prefered to stay outside to watch my cousins playing in the pool. When I was getting bored from watching kids, one of my new friends that I met in IEI showed up and took me out. She drove me around the town, but not much thing to see - everyone was celebrating July 4th at his/her own place or friends’, even supermarkets closed early. Since there was nothing to have fun with in outside, she could only took me to her apartment and we watched a movie together.

Uknown first impression of Memphis

2008-06-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

May 22nd , 2007 .It's almost 11:00 pm and United Airlines plane landed to Memphis International Airport from Chicago O'Hare.And almost Midnight we are in our new house.But nothing to say about Memphis,it's to dark and we have travelled for more than 20hours in plane and waiting in airports more than 20Hours.So we slep more than a day just to get some rest.

Two day later we start to to get out of the house and trying to discover our new city.And the first impression Memphis is as hot as the city we were coming from.But one of the most important thing is the public transportation.The worst I have never seen before.So it was not easy for us to movewithout our own car,and we didn't have any. But after a while we got transportation so it's to easy to move.Memphis traffic is not to bad but for a guy like me ,there is nothing interresting in Memphis beside The Missippi River,The FedEx Forum and Beale St.Anything else is dead ,day time as night time.

I don't say that Memphis is not a good city to live,but just it's not what I expected and I hope I will find ,maybe some interresting places to visit in Memphis which will change my opinion about memphis

My first impression of Memphis – People lived in a wooden house!

2008-06-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

The first day arriving in Memphis I stayed at my aunt’s house where I felt kind of insecure to sleep in. Why? The house was built in woods. To Americans, it is absolute common to them but to me, from an island country which has twenty to thirty felt-earthquakes a year, wooden house was a totally different and hard to adjust to experience to me. All of housing in Taiwan was in concrete and steel.

I couldn’t help to worry about any fatal accidents which might happen, for example, a drunk driver lost control of his car and dashed into the house or some lunatic carried a gun and swept shooting in the street. I tossed and turned all night long and did not know if it was because I missed my family too much or too worried about the wooden house.

First impression of Memphis

2008-06-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago, when I took my son departed from the Shanghai International Airport on a journey to what the Chinese referred to as "美国(Mei Guo)", translated as "the beautiful country". I was so exciting and a bit worried. Being alone in a completely different country was a pretty difficult for me.
When the plane entered U.S territory, from the air, Memphis looked extraordinarily different from China. The trees looked like brigades of soldiers in battle formation. In China, the trees were scattered and the land looked barren. But in Memphis, the land was a sea of lush green. The sky was baby blue with thin wisps of clouds.
Finally, when my son and I arrived in our first home in Memphis, we did not feel tired. My husband gave us a tour of the UT campus. I was wondering why is the campus was not fenced, because the campus we used to live on in China is fenced. We walked down the street which was so quiet. In China, we lived in the city where everywhere is crowded. We saw a small old building on Union Ave. My husband told us this is the famous Sun Studio. Elvis's first LP was recorded in this building. I was so excited beacause Elvis was famous all over the world. I could not believe the famous Sun Studio is in such a small building.
We were so lucky, in the evening, my husband told us that there was a Christmas party in the church. The church is not far away from our home. There are two free ESL classes sponsored by Memphis city school at the church. My husband had been studying English in advanced class for four months. The Christmas party was for all the students, so my husband took us to the party. The church had prepared a lot of delicious food like fruit and dessert, some toys were prepared for the kids. Also, some students brought their own homemade food for the party. After eating, all students and teachers played games together. If you won the game, you got a toy. My son was so glad that he won the game and got a toy-Arthur. He loves Arthur very much which was a first toy in America.
We had a wonderful first day in Memphis, we love living in Memphis.

My first impression of Memphis

2008-06-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

I had strange feelings when the first time I saw Memphis. After scy-crapers in New York I was totally surprised to see Memphis would-be a city. It looks like the pleasant huge green village for me! After my arrival, I was impressed by several things. One of them was a very kind and humorous policeman. When I got lost in the middle of Memphis and made a wrong turn, he saw my new york car plate and blocked the entire central street with words “Folk, let go Big Brother from the Big City!” It was funny! And later I always meet only friendly understanding people. Besides I was impressed to see a lot of small cars on big wheels. They run very fast on roads and remind me of antelopes. I don’t know why. As regards to roads, here in Memphis, are surprisely empty without any traffic compared to New York even in rush-hours. It makes me happy here. I noticed that Memphis abounds in Catholic and Baptist churches, hospitals and strange it may seem, auto service centers are everywhere. Also I have discovered plenty of lifeless unoccupied buildings in great locations. I hope in the future they will be reconstructed and be attractive for business or people.
Anyhow I live here now and Memphis is my home and I like it.

First impressions of Memphis

2008-06-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to United States of America" said the lady who introduced herself as our case manager at the Memphis Airport on May 22nd 2007. I already thought that it will not be a piece of cake to communicate because her accent was so strong. I realized that was the sentence she had said after a while. I did not know at that time what new things I will see.

At the beginning our house was fine for me . We ate and slept for 3 days. I was so happy and so exciting. I remembered what the cultural orientation teacher told us. According to her it was not good to be too much exciting .She always noticed that people sometimes fall in depression when things do not happen the way they want. We stayed at home for almost 2 weeks. The neighbors were nice and they still are. They are so friendly. Most of them are not from the United States.

Then we went out to start our ESL classes at Catholic Charities. The streets were so big . I found that beautiful . Sometimes in my African mind I thought it was a waste of space . Funny ! Uh! May be it was just unusual for me to see many so big streets. I disliked the idea of buses. I was not use to wait for the transportation for a long time. There is always a taxi waiting where I come from. People were always smiling. I discovered that in United States "How are you?" and "How are you doing?" are just greetings. That means when people say that they do not really want to know how you really are. That is still weird in my mind.

To conclude I was happy to be in Memphis . I think it is a beautiful place. I am still discovering this place and everything hard I handle it by being with my family. There are my strength in this special journey.

Who is me?

2008-06-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Today I am going to introduce myself. It is also a wonderful journey to meet somebody. I am a lucky girl who born in a lovely big African family. However you can be only lucky because life is not fair. I lost my father in a foreign country and become a refugee which changed my life forever . Let me tell you about the special girl.

My parents get married in Rwanda when they were 26 years old. My father was a diplomatisch and my mother a nurse. They have had 7 children : 5 sons and 2 daughters .
By being raised in this family , I received an education which Iam proud of and would like to hand out to my kids if I ever have. We were tought to learn ,learn and learn . Our parents gave us the right key of life which is school. As a matter of fact we never forgot that and we kept going to school to improve our life even if it was hard .

Nevertheless dreaming and keep going meet brake . My chance was stopped by a devil who was so jealous to see an almost perfect family . That evil was death of my father in August 2008.We thought for a whole year that life was over for us . My mother never gave up . She said my children will be somebody someday.She fought for us and we are here, struggling to find our way . I believe that we are in a good way.

To sum up , I think knowing me is easy when you know who are my models . It is obvious that God will still help us even in United States to go back to School.

2008-06-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. This is Ying. I am from Wuhan, Hubei, a big city in mid-south China, where I lived for 31 years. In 1999, my husband got a J1 visa and came to Memphis as a visiting scholar. After 3 months, my son and I arrived in Memphis. I like Memphis for the reason that both Memphis and Wuhan have the same climate and are nearby a big river (Mississippi River and Yangtze River). Before I came to the US, I was an accountant in China and had 11 years working experience. Now I work in a company that imports merchandise from China. Most of my colleagues in the office are Chinese speaking, so we always speak Chinese in the office. I knew of the IEI program 5 months ago. Before writing class, I took the Communication Skills for Internationals class of IEI program in University of Memphis. I learned a lot of English language skills in the class and learned a lot of different cultures from my classmates who came from different countries.

Hello from Unknown

2008-06-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I'm Unknown and I'm coming from one of the smallest counties in the world,located in eastern Africa.I live in Memphis for 1 year and 1 month with all my familly.Four brothers,two sisters and my Mom.

I lived in another country in Africa as a refugee for long time and I got my high school diploma in Mathematics,Chemistry and Physics Sciences ,and a Bachelor degree in Business Managment and accounting.Actually I'm imployed in Hotel in Memphis as an Inventory Control Specialist.

I attend the Intensive English for International to improve my writing ad communication skills to be abe to get a better job,have a promotion or if possible go back to school if i can afford it.

My dream is to succed in America and build a better future for me and my family.

Brief Introduction

2008-06-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hi! Everyone,

This is Anne.

I am from Taiwan. Yes! Taiwan, not Thailand. Although these two words look alike and sound similar, they are two different countries. Thailand is located in southeast Asia, right next to Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, five countries. Taiwan is an island right across to mainland China. For more information about Taiwan, please go to http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/lan/cht/search/index.asp. I also insert a short advertisement of Taiwan in this page.

I knew about this writing program from my co-worker, Ying who was IEI student and now is one of the members of this writing workshop. We both came to here for improving our writing skills and also wanting to know more people from other countries.

about me

2008-06-19T21:33:00.001-07:00

About me.

When I am analyzing and thinking about my life, I realize that the entire period of my conscious life I have always been anxious to move in a warmer place. Every 12-14 years I do a step to change my enviroment.

During the first 14 years I have been lived in Ural. I was born and grew up in a small village in the Ural Mountains in Russia. Ural is the ancient mountains as old as the Appalachian Mountains in North America. Actually they look very similar each to other. I can tell it as a person seen the both of them. When I was traveling two months ago from New York to Memphis my way was exactly parallel with the Appalachians. And I had a strange warm feelings that I am at home in the Ural and going to visit my mother and my relatives. I got these sensations, because the Ural and Appalachee mountains are almost identical, exept for the weather. The winter in Ural is a real winter with a lot of snow and long. The temperature is -40-45ºF sometimes, and a depth of snow could be more than 5 foot. Folks have a great fun rolling in a snow during winter.

After graduation of University I moved in the town, named Borovsk. Next 14 years I have been lived in Borovsk. This town is very old. It is known to have existed since the 13th century therefore it is full of historical events. Borovsk is closed (around 70 milles) to Moscow. Thus, theoretically I moved to northely of Ural, but the weather in Borovsk is much warmer then in Ural. The sound is funny, but it is indeed so. There is a mild weather in Borovsk, average temperature during a summer is about 68-75ºF, and winter is not that long and cold as it is in Ural. After the years freezing in Ural I injoyed a lot having a warm hands and feet in Borovsk.

At the present time I am in Memphis. I again started a new page of my life. Do I need to discribe in details my current status here in burning summer and hear my mother’s complains about snowing in Ural???? Ah?
My guess is my life will be over in some place on the equator.