Out of my country

 

Out of my country

I find that I have become good at pretending since I moved to Chicago six months ago. Every time my grandmother calls me and asks how my life is going in Chicago, I always have a single answer. I tell her that I feel everything is good here and I have adapted to the life here rapidly. I have also lied to her. In fact, I think that it is hard for a person to adapt to and accept everything in a new country in such a short time, especially for a person like me who had lived in one country for more than twenty years and never went abroad. It is difficult for me to put aside my previous customs and accept a new lifestyle in a new country.

This year is my first time that have not celebrated Chinese traditional festival in China, like Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and the most important festival-Chinese New Year. In China, people have different greeting phrases to celebrate each festival. For example, we do not say “Happy Dragon Boat Festival.” Instead, we say “Duan Wu An Kang” because the history behind this festival is not happy. In addition, during Chinese New Year, it is not enough to just say “Happy New Year” to give others a sincere wish. People always say more phrases like “gong xi fa cai” and “wang shi ru yi.” However, because of the language barrier and cultural differences, I don’t know how to explain the meaning of these wishes. Even though I can use a translator to translate these phrases, I think their meanings are similar but not identical. For example, the Chinese phrase “gong xi fa cai” is literately translated into “congratulations and hope people be rich”. In fact, it not only just wishes someone wealth, but it also implies some wishes like good luck and success in all parts of life. I am tired of explaining some cultural things. People cannot deeply understand the history or real meaning of these. The lack of the same feeling as other people makes me lost in translation.

Having a life in Chicago is not as bad as I imagined. Perhaps it is because of a very different history or culture influence, I think the attitude towards life in the United States is different from China. The greeting method of many Americans is passionate and enthusiastic. For many Americans, hugging is a common form of greeting or showing love, especially among friends and family. It is like a warm and friendly gesture. Americans hug to show care, love, or happiness when they meet each other. Because of the cultural difference and social custom, the way of expressing emotions may be more indirect and restrained in China. Chinese people often keep their emotions more private. We sometimes just nod, smile, and shake hands when we meet others. I seldom hug my friends when we meet each other, even if we haven’t seen each other for a long time and miss each other very much. I think getting a hug from friends or family must be a warm thing. What’s more, saying I love you is very easy for Americans. They are very willing to express their love to their family and friends. I never say I love you to my parents, neither do my parents. I am shy to express love to them directly. Maybe my parents also think so. We prefer to convey love through actions rather than words. Nevertheless, I really like the way that Americans can express their love bravely and in a straightforward manner. Sometimes, even if actions make people feel warm, the word I love you can strike people's hearts more directly.

The culture is definitely different between the United States and China. As a Chinese person, it might be a rough time for me to accept the lifestyle here. However, I clearly know that if I want to participate in life here, I have to try to accept some new thing. I cannot change other things. The only one thing I can do is change myself. Most Chinese immigrants tell me that time would help me to adapt everything here. Time is always the best medicine.

 My new life 

On Sundays, many people in Brazil go to local markets to buy fruit and vegetables, and after they finish buying everything, it is time to have coconut water and a kind of a fried empanada, called pastel in Portuguese. My parents always go to the local market, and they used to invite me to go with them. I didn’t like the part of waiting while they were choosing the best fruit, or when they stopped to talk with a friend that I had no idea who the person was, but I needed to pretend I knew. However, the fact I would have the cold coconut water and the best pastel that I have ever had in my life kept me happy as I waited. I don’t have this habit anymore and many others, yet I have new ones. My new life here in Chicago has changed from what I once had. 

One aspect I miss about the Brazilian culture is the night life. Back home, I used to start partying around midnight. My friends and I used to have a big pizza or hamburger at home, get ready and leave to party. We did this almost every Saturday. When the party was over, at 5:30 in the morning on Sunday, we used to walk to the local market to have pastel and coconut water. It was an amazing feeling, watching the sunrise while eating one of my favorite foods. When I came to the United States, people couldn’t understand the feeling that I described about my old night life. The night life in Chicago starts earlier and at 2 am most people tend to go home. It is very hard to find something to eat late at night, besides McDonalds. I think people from another countries will never understand the feeling I have when I explain my night life experiences in Brazil.

On the other hand, I have embraced parts of the new culture in Chicago. Celebrations here in the United States are very different from Brazil. Halloween and Christmas are some of my favorites. Halloween is unique. Kids in the streets trick or treating. It is like a movie for me. I feel like a kid waiting to eat their favorite cake. In Brazil no one celebrates. In addition, Christmas is another celebration that I really like. Unfortunately, this date is very commercial, and it doesn’t matter where people are. Nevertheless, my experience here in Chicago was further than only buying gifts. I really like the fact that many people wear matching pajamas or sweaters, have hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies together. Back home, it is summer in December, so we can’t even think about hot chocolate or wear sweaters. The culture is different. For that reason, I would like to combine celebrations from both countries, having my family here in the US to celebrate one of my favorite dates with me.   

All those experiences made me realize how culture changed some of my habits. I miss some aspects from Brazil, but I have also embraced parts of the culture from the United States. Going to the local market with my parents, or with my friends after partying is something that I really miss. The nostalgia makes me feel happy for the experiences I had. Now I am creating new traditions and habits, like wearing matching sweater on Christmas. I probably will miss that someday when I move to another country. For me, it is how life works. I won’t be fully complete all the time, but if I do good things, go to nice places and appreciate the little moments, I will be happy. 

Lungu Boy

 

Lasgidi is a place of hustle and bustle, a place where there is both the spontaneity, if I am able to get two things done on the same day, then it was a great day. Some will even say it is jungle like, but it’s where I was born, raised and lived my whole life until now. It has made me into a Lungu boy. Lasgidi is a nickname given to Lagos, a state in Nigeria, given by Lungu boys, the youths in Lagos. However, this Lungu boy, me, has been persuaded by his parents to move to greater heights and this so-called greater height is called Chicago.

Since getting to Chicago a couple months ago, even though it feels like years, I have come to understand that there really is more to the world. Places I thought were only on TV like an underground subway or an ice-skating rink, things I thought were fiction are now right in front of me. It is also filled with people from all kinds of cultural backgrounds, but I think it is the American culture itself that has really piqued my interest since I am living in their country now after all. It is very different from my culture in Nigeria. The American culture was more different than I thought. In fact, things that I thought might be general around the world are alien and considered weird. Remember that I am a Lungu boy, and is it lasgidi that taught me everything I know and believe, aside from my parents I mean. Nigeria has this birthday tradition, and I just recently found out that it is only in Nigeria it is done. During high school,whenever it was someone’s birthday, mostly the boys, their friends would spray water on them and beat the celebrant, it wasn’t brutal. The whole prank is using word play on the word birthday and changing it to bath-day, so friends will assist to give the celebrant a bath for the day. While the beating is a Nigerian way to remind the celebrant of another year to their life and their relationship to their friends, it is  quite the prank. Personally I don’t like it or hate it because it’s all fun and games until it was birthday. Now coming to Chicago, it seems one can even get arrested for assault for doing such things.

Even though there are some things I had to let go coming to Chicago from Nigeria, there are also a couple things that I have happily adopted into my lifestyle. One thing I have noticed in the United States is that Americans are big on sports, and there are a lot of opportunities out there for people who have a passion to play. The top sports played in the United States are basketball and football, but there are also many others too. I play soccer and a little bit of basketball but never took either seriously because I only did them for fun. However, in the United States, just the fact that a person is good in a sport can earn them scholarship deals or even be scouted by a professional scouter, depending on the sport, and start a sport career. These things onlyhappen in Nigeria if only a person knows someone that knows someone, so it is hard. Now I am really gettinginto sports to see what they have in store for this Lungu boy. For me to continue this sport path I have decided to follow, I need all the energy I can get. where I get my energy from is food, and Chicago has got plenty. To show how much I love food, my mum has even labelled me a beast that can eat a whole house because my appetite never subsides, and I carry this title with pride. Even though I prefer Nigerian food any day of the week, I would say American food is more

filling than Nigerian food. Majority of what i have tried are foods like hamburgers, pizza

or hot dogs. I have not really had the chance to eat other foods like maybe chicken and waffles or macaroni and cheese, but I guess I can say I have been initiated into the big back community.

To sum it all up, there are a lot of things that are very different in the United States compared to Nigeria, even though I have had to drop some things that I miss dearly. From the food to the culture to the people, Lasigidi will always have a special place in my heart, but I think this change of scenery will be good for me in the long run. I know Chicago…no, the United States has a lot to offer, and I’m ready to see what is for me.it has opened the eyes of this Lungu boy and has made him hungry for more discovery.

Roller Coaster

            I was nineteen years old when I made the decision to make a radical change in my life. It was 2020, and COVID-19 was the only thing I heard in the news. My father lost his job, and my family had gone through a really hard time. They did not have money to pay for my university, and I could not find a job because of the situation Colombia and the world was facing. One day I was watching a YouTube video when I saw an ad about how to be an au pair in the United States. I felt that it was a sign for me. Four months later, I came to Chicago as an au pair to start a new chapter of my life. My host father picked me up at the airport. When we arrived at their house, my host father gave me pepper spray. Then he explained how to use it, but in a really funny way. I did not understand well because my English was really bad, so I was confused and a little scared. In that moment, I realized that my life in Chicago would be like a roller coaster, with a lot of things to learn and complicated moments to confront.

           The first months in Chicago were the most difficult for me. It was difficult for me to understand that the Americans I met were independent people. I am not referring to living alone or paying their own bills. Independent people in the sense that each person is focused on his or her own life. In my country, Colombia, people tend to be more in solidarity with the people around them, even strangers. For example, the first time I took the bus in Chicago, I could not pay because there was a mistake with my Ventra card. The driver did not help me or explain what happened. I asked him but he just said What? I do not understand your accent, wait for the other bus. I told him that it was my first time using the bus, and he told me to read the instructions that were there. Everyone on the bus heard, but no one helped me. If that situation had happened me in my country, someone on the bus would pay the ticket for me or explain to me how to do it. I have had more situations like that one since I moved to Chicago.

            With the passing of the days, I was feeling more comfortable and happier to have the opportunity to experience a new culture. The first time I spent Thanksgiving with my host family, it was really special for me. My host family included me in their family like a daughter, so on Thanksgiving their family saved a chair in the table for me with my name. Then, they took the time to explain what Thanksgiving means and how they celebrate it. I really had a great time, the food was delicious, and I tried new recipes. After dinner, my host mom’s grandmother called me to the kitchen. She showed me that she made arepas for dessert because she wanted to integrate my culture in their holiday. I felt so happy and grateful that she did that for me. 

            Experimenting another culture is not easy, but the cultural differences make every country unique and special. I have had hard moments in Chicago understanding the cultural differences, but now I am enjoying the opportunity to learn about other cultures. One of my favorite things about Chicago is the variety of cultures. Every day I learn about other cultures, I have friends from different countries, and I tried food from other cultures. My life in Chicago still feels like a roller coaster, but now I enjoy and appreciate it.  

 

Culture Shock

Aung Paing Soe Hein

February 17, 2025

ESL 100

Culture Shock

            Living with two lives in a new place is not easy. I have had to face a lot of culture shocks since I arrived in Chicago. As a newcomer, it is easy to see the different cultural or social aspects between Chicago and Yangon, Myanmar, where I came from. I arrived in Chicago one and a half years ago. I have tried to fit in the United States. However, going shopping for food and the weather have given me a hard time because pricing differences and payment methods are really different from Myanmar. To be honest, I don’t exactly know about most holidays in Chicago. Moreover, I realized that some cultural experience from my country, Myanmar, that I can’t participate in Chicago or that would be misunderstood if I did them here. Although I have embraced some parts of the culture in Chicago that I found interesting, I really miss the cultural activities that I participated in Myanmar.

            When I arrived in Chicago, I found out that it would be really hard to celebrate some holidays from Myanmar, like Thingyan Festival which is the Water Festival. I also tried to find out if the Burmese community in Chicago celebrates that holiday. Unfortunately, the Burmese community here is much smaller than other cities in the United States, so these Burmese in Chicago don't celebrate. On the other hand, I have seen some different social aspects between the United States and Myanmar in classroom. In Myanmar, if I want to use restroom or leave the classroom, I have to tell the professor    . Professors in Myanmar consider that as respect. In my first day of school in the United States, I told professor that I want to use restroom, but professor told me not to interrupt the teaching. That was the first culture shock that I have seen.

            On the other hand, there are some parts of the culture that I have embraced since I arrived in Chicago. Some holidays of the United States, like Halloween and Christmas, are not very popular in Myanmar. Even if Christmas is celebrated around the world, Myanmar doesn’t celebrate this holiday that much, but some people do. The reason is a lot of people in Myanmar are Buddhist. After arriving in Chicago, I participated in some Christmas parties with my friends. I love it when people trade Christmas gifts and enjoy the holiday and Christmas songs. “All I want for Christmas is you” by Mariah Carey is a song I love, and it is very common in the Christmas. On Halloween, I did some decorations with pumpkins and even went to my friend’s parties with costumes. I once dressed as a Joker. Sometimes, my friends and I walked through neighborhoods to look at the Halloween decorations of houses. It is so great to be participate in that holidays

            Even if I had a hard time trying to fit in this culture, I found out some interesting for me. Once I realized that the United States is more like a Salad Bowl, and that I don’t need to try hard to fit into any particular culture, I started to enjoy and adapt to different aspects of culture. Even though I went to the bazaar to buy some food or vegetables in Myanmar, I have to go to supermarkets to buy what I want in Chicago. All I think about this new culture is that I am just having new experiences. I love every part of the culture in the United States that I have ever experienced. In the future, I will find more habits and try to enjoy them.

My Name Essay

 Aung Paing Soe Hein

January 29, 2025

ESL 100

Meaning

              Having a meaning for a name is important. Some people might think that it is not a big deal to give someone a name. However, a name is something that is stuck with people for the rest of their lives. I think name giving systems might be very similar all over the world. Most might have first name, last name and some have surname. In my country, Myanmar, the name giving system is a little bit different from other places.

              In Myanmar, most people don’t really care about the first name or last name. Parents just name their children whatever they want. What they consider is the days of the week that their children are born. I am not sure why people name their children by looking at the days of the week, but somehow it relates to religion and fortune. For those born on a Thursday like me, their name might start with P which corresponds to similar sounds in Burmese alphabet, Pa,Pha and Pva. My name, Aung Paing Soe Hein, was given to me by my cousin’s grandfather. My name is similar with my cousin’s name, Zaw Pyae Sone Hein. My cousin and I were born on a Thursday. That is the reason why our real name started P which has similar sound with Burmese alphabet, Pa. Then, he, my cousin’s grandfather, put our father’s name in front of our name. Aung is my father’s name, and Zaw is his father’s name. The meaning of my name in Myanmar is conqueror. When I came to the United States, I found out most people struggle to pronounce my name. Therefore, I named myself Felix which means happy, fortunate, and lucky in Latin.

              In conclusion, I kind of like both of my names because both are meaningful and suit me. My name, Aung Paing Soe Hein, has a tradition of my country and reflects my personality. On the other hand, the name, Felix, makes me feel like I am starting a new chapter of my life.

A Name of Light and Tradition

ESL 100 

Yalda Eslami 

January 26, 2025 

A Name of Light and Tradition 

      In Iran, when I say my name is YALDA, everyone thinks that I was born on Yalda night! In fact, Iranians have a special night which is called Yalda night in Iranian calendar, and it is the longest night during the year. All families gather that night with each other, set a table of celebrations, which is called Korsi with an ornate Sofreh, symbolic items and traditional foods. Common items include warm soup, stew, ajil (nuts and dried fruit), poetry books or the Shahnameh, games, candles, and fresh fruits like watermelon and pomegranates. These fruits provide immunity during the winter.  

    The interesting thing is that I was not born on Yalda night, on December 21, I was born about one month later, but my family honestly loves the meaning of Yalda itself! Yalda means "rebirth" /of the sun/ and refers to the triumph of light over darkness.   

        After I came to the United States and realized that Yalda is not a common name and not even easy to pronounce, I wish I had another name. However, I really love my name and the history behind it. What can be more interesting than to have your own special night in the

year, so everyone in your life can remember me on Yalda night! 😊