Lost in translation - Alan Castaneda

The Rush

I am living the big city routine in my way. I am from El Grullo Jalisco, a small town located in Mexico, a town where people can’t do that much because there is not a lot of places to explore. Even though my hometown is technically called a city, I consider it a town because it is small, to the point where a lot of people know each other. People who I have talked to from my hometown say that living in a place like that feels like being judged all the time, and they can’t do things or dress in a certain way because people always look at them. Some are afraid of what others will think. When I moved to Chicago two years ago, I was surprised in a good way, because here I could feel like that fear of being judged doesn’t exist. Even though there is a big population, I felt I could be the real me and that I have lost the fear of being judged. Moving from a town to a big city means adapting, changing routines and maybe even the way of dressing. 

Something that I liked when I first arrived was that I could wear anything I wanted. It was as if I was in a movie, where the main character is finally free and starts a new life. I started to do things that would have been seen negatively back in my hometown. I was constantly experimenting with clothes. I remember one time when I thrifted a really big pair of jeans that could fit almost two of me. When I wore them for the first time, no one was looking at me the way some people from my hometown would look at me if I wore something like that there. That was when I realized I could experiment with clothes as if I was a scientist doing an experiment in his laboratory. I even started cropping pieces of clothes to make them look the way I wanted. I started to appreciate the different ways that people style their clothes instead of judging. Growing up in a place where people constantly give weird looks to someone wearing something considered different made me sometimes do that as well. When I moved to Chicago, I really changed my mind about that. If I don’t like something, it doesn’t mean it has to be bad. Now making an outfit to me means expressing my mood of that day, or even my personality. One time I saw a guy wearing a pair of jeans that were tight, but loose at the bottom. It was some kind of a bootcut, but not exactly like that. If I had seen that three or four years ago, I would have thought that it looked weird, but I really like that style now. I have changed. 

Despite the fact that I’m comfortable with the style, not everything has been so easy. Getting used to the education system of the United States has been a little difficult for me. It’s not like something from another world, but when I have a routine, I start to do things automatically. Changing that drastically made me feel like I was lost. I felt like I was the only person that was confused. When I started to meet people, I realized I was not the only person that was confused, or the only one that was trying to adapt. The first friend I met, Jamil, was as confused as me. He had moved from Ecuador, and that made me feel like I was not alone. Socializing in school is another thing I’m getting used to as well. I have met other great people in college but studying and working means being kind of in a hurry, so it has been difficult to have long talks and hang out with friends. Recently, the restaurant where I used to work closed, so now that I don’t have a job, I feel strange not being in a hurry all the time. I guess I’m starting to adapt now, I think feeling free but also being constantly in a rush is part of the big city routine. 

Adapting to this lifestyle is something that I could have never expected when I was in Mexico. I also think that people never finish adapting. Everything around us is constantly changing every day, things like fashion, language, and customs are always evolving. A change in life doesn’t always have to be bad.  

Lost in translation---Yaen Mei

 

Yaen Mei

ESLINTG 100

September 30, 2024

The Things

        My parents and I immigrated to Chicago about two years ago. We chose this city because we had a lot of relatives and my father’s friends live here. My parents thought these relationships could help us adapt to our new life soon. On some portion, it’s true. We found a nice apartment on the first day. My father’s sister brought us everywhere to help us figure out how this city worked. In addition, I was able to study English in a free language school. All of these situations depended on these relationships. As time passed, some of the people would ask me if I had adapted to Chicago life style or not. Every time they ask me this question, I always said yes to avoid awkward small talk. However, only my brain knew that I was pretending. In my deep mind, I still feel that I am a rookie immigrat. I still don’t know how to solve some of problems or adapt them.

        Even though I still have some problems in Chicago life, I have really adapted to some of culture in these two years. Getting a part-time job is the first thing. In Chicago, it’s very usual that teenagers and youths work part-time to earn their own money instead of getting their money from their parents or grandparents. In my opinion, youth in Chicago young persons are very proud of this because it means independence to them. I couldn’t remember when I started working, but one of the motivations was that I’m poor. Since I moved in Chicago, I only get a little pocket money from my parents, so I can’t afford my interests. Therefore, I had to find a part-time job. In fact, it’s not hard to find a job in Chicago. Almost all of the stores were hiring, yet the problem was these stores preferred to hire a full-time worker. Inevitably, I looked for a suitable part-time job for a long time. I fortunately got a part-time job from my friend. I really adapted to it after I gained my first wages. It was about seven hundred a month, but I also very excited. It was my first time earning my own money. I could spend it without any guilt. I finally understand why Chicago teenagers feel positive about it.

        As I said, Chicago life has some problems that I was still not adapting. One of the things is food. It’s difficult to change the taste and adapt to the different eating habits. When I tried the food in Chicago the first time, I felt that food added too much seasoning in it. It tasted very salty and sweet. The second time, I chose a popular restaurant in Chicago. I was so confused and still am now. I was not sure that the chef forgot to put seasoning in it or that meal just requested you tasting the original flavor of the ingredients. Hence, even I tried Chinese food in Chicago, but the food tasted not very authentic as well. For example, the orange chicken was one of these not authentic foods. It actually is not the Chinese food. It’s American-style Chinese food. Immigrants developed the flavor of Chinese food that made it suitable for American taste. These factors pushed me to cook by myself. However, I don’t have any talents for cooking. I always mess up everything, then offered horrible dishes for my family although they never complain them. When I am not trying to cook, I think I will really adapt Chicago food because my cooking skills are worse than every restaurant in Chicago. I think I perhaps have some weird mental lock for cooking.

        I’m trying my best to adapt to everything in Chicago now, but it’s not easy. Every day is different. I always alter my mood between optimistic and sadness as a psycho because something that I can’t adapt. I think I should try to adapt to them at least in a positive attitude if I want to live in Chicago for good. These processes are necessary. They can enrich my life experience, and promote my abilities. I believe I will adapt them in future. All the things will resolve as the time passes.

 

       

Lost in Translation - Yanfang Huang

 

My Magic Power

          Many people have an American dream in my hometown, Taishan City, Guangdong, China. After the discovery of gold in the Western United States, many people from Southern China went to the U.S. to mine the gold. The U.S. has a developed economy with rich educational resources, so many Chinese wanted to immigrate to the U.S. The application of immediate family members is one of the key ways for Chinese people to immigrate. My husband and his family came to Chicago like this. I arrived in Chicago about three years ago. After coming to this country, I found some advantages and disadvantages about this country. One of the advantages is that the ability to study is unlimited for people my age, and one of the disadvantages was that I could not communicate with English speakers because of my poor English.

One interesting part of the educational system is that everyone can apply to college in the U.S. regardless of their age. When I was a student growing up in China, I always wanted to go to college. Nevertheless, my parents could not afford to pay my tuition, so I used to think going to college was an unachievable dream. However, I am so excited that I can achieve my goal in the U.S. now. I will never forget the first day when I went to school because I was so proud. I always remind myself to go to school on time every class day, and I always remind myself to do my homework and review what I have learned since studying at Harold Washington College. I have been able to make friends and learn many new things in school. Before I moved to Chicago, I went to work every day and felt like an auto machine that cycled the same things every day. I was listless in my life. Since I have been going to college, I think I am full of energy every day. This feeling is so good, and it is like a magic power.

Despite these positive changes, I have had a hard time communicating with Americans because of my poor English. I will never forget the day I got lost in downtown Chicago. About a month after I came to Chicago, my husband and I went to Navy Pier, and he parked the car in a parking garage. After waiting for the elevator for a long time, we went out through the fire escape. When we returned to get the car, the fire escape was blocked, and we could not find the elevator. I asked many people for help, but they could not understand me. It was getting late, and we were helpless. I felt that I was floating in the middle of the ocean and trying to hold on to something, but I could not catch anything. Fortunately, my brother-in-law gave me a call, and he translated for us. I thought he was my savior at that moment. Finally, we found the entrance to the garage. When I was in China, I could go anywhere by myself. I did not worry about getting lost because I could ask for help, and language was not a problem.

Everything has its two sides, both pros and cons. As an old Chinese saying goes, a thousand days at home are good, but half a day out is difficult. When people go to a new place, in addition to accepting the benefits it brings, they also accept and overcome the difficulties. As an adult, since I decided to immigrate, I have prepared to face all the difficulties and challenges. I think that strengths and weaknesses are like two ends of a scale, and I have been using my magic power to bring it into balance so that it is not leaning to one side. I believe that the scale will be balanced someday in the future.

 

Pain and Happiness

I am good at adapting to new environments. When I was in my hometown, Shenyang, in China, I always imagined the view of Chicago and my feelings about the local customs. I confidently thought I could adapt to everything as quick as possible. When I landed in Chicago, I found the view of the city was beautiful and modern, which let me to feel comfortable and happy. However, the most terrible situation which I couldn’t adapt is that hot water is so hard to find in restaurants. It is painful to start a new habit to drinking ice water. In other words, both of these both experiences have given me a new perspective on living in this city.

 Initially, the city view of Chicago made me feel deeply amazing, which could give me bravery to live in this city. Compared to Chicago, my hometown seems like a small village hidden in the mountains. On the one hand, my hometown does not have any buildings as tall as the buildings in Chicago, and l feel so impressed when I see the city which is grouped up by so many tall buildings. On the other hand, Chicago has a big lake, which is like a sea, but my hometown just has one river which is not wide or large. I used to take a walk with my friends along the lakeside when the sun was setting, and the view was so beautiful and romantic. The sky was wrapped in a soft pink, and the light of sun was reflected by the water, which let the lake seem like gold. The memory of the view of that evening is like a soft wind which can always blow my soul. Both of the two views in Chicago helped me adapt to the city quickly, and they still give me courage to explore the city. In other words, the beautiful views made me want to live in Chicago longer and adapt to everything even though I feel terrible at times.

 Nevertheless, even though the city view of Chicago is fascinating, I had a bad time adapting to one particular custom -drinking ice water. The most terrible experience is that the simple custom of drinking water has been hard to adjust to. A lot of Chinese people, including myself, prefer to drink hot water instead of ice water. When I was a kid, my mother always let me drink hot water and told me it is good for my health, so l built up the habit. Everything changed when I came to Chicago. Although I could still drink hot water at home, whenever I went out and ate outside with my friends, the server in the restaurant gave me one cup of water filled with ice under my surprising sight. I can definitely say that not one restaurant in my hometown only provides ice water, and many places such as train stations, hospitals and schools provide hot water too. It is a struggle for me to drink only ice water. Fortunately, my stomach has adapted to drinking a lot of ice water, so I tried to adapt to this custom and built up a new habit. I always drink cold milk in the morning and accept the ice water in the restaurant, which is a new experience and start for me. In simpler terms, I am taking my first step to the new world.

Regardless of the gorgeous views or the new life habits, I can deal with them because I have a strong determination to discover the world. At the same time, the new environment and custom can give me a completely new perspective on living in a new world. These new experiences could hurt, but they will ultimately cure me too. Like a storm that uproots trees, the chaos may seem destructive at first, yet it clears the way for new growth. I can feel the world by walking with my feet, but l also can feel them in my heart. The new perspectives have helped me realize the world deeper and wider, so l need to continue my experience regardless of whether the experiences are good or bad.

Debut in Chicago- Soukeyna Niang

 Soukeyna Niang

ESL 100

In class Essay

September 30, 2024

Debut in Chicago

            Adaptation is needed when moving far away from one’s home country to another. This situation can be very challenging for a lot of people due to a new culture and behaviors. It is very difficult to fit in an unknown country at the beginning, but being curious helps a lot. My debut in Chicago helped me understand that good food does not only exist in Senegal like I used to believe, and being bilingual can be very impressive.  I also would like to introduce my family to some of the food that I know how to make now just so they have the same experience as me. Since I have been to the United States, I had to give up a lot of things in order to fit in American culture, especially my favorite cuisine and the language. 

           Chicago has a wide range of cuisines which have inspired me to try new dishes, tastes, and food. I have been out of my home country, Senegal for three years now, but fitting in this country was not easy at first. I am not a difficult person when it comes to food even though I did not have an appetite the first week I got to Chicago. It was mainly because I was used to my Senegalese food, such as the national dish called Thiebou Dieune. It is a dish made with rice, fish and vegetables. Fortunately, I am a curious person, and I started to go to different restaurants including Mexican, Chinese, Moroccan and some buffets. Since then, I am comfortable with any kind of food because I am a food lover, and it is a good experience to taste food from different cultures, other than the ones I used to have back home. The first time that I tried tacos, I went to the store the next day to buy everything I needed and make them at home for lunch because it was so good. I have also attended some food festivals on the North side. However, I only cook Senegalese food now when I really miss it because it is hard to find the same ingredients in Chicago.

            Despite that I am very comfortable with the food in the city, I am still adapting and trying to figure out the language. When I was in Senegal, I never thought about speaking other languages besides my native language Wolof and the official one which is French. To be honest, I used to have English classes, but I did not take them seriously because I was just learning the basics, until I knew that I was coming to the United States. I remember when I got to the airport the first time, I did not know any word that was coming out of the agent’s mouth. It was also a big problem when I had to call Apple by myself to set up my account. I was not used to the American accent and the representative was talking too fast for me. I had the same experience at the DMV as well. I had to ask the guy who was working there to speak slowly so I could understand. It is much better now because I have learned a lot and can have a solid conversation with native speaker without any stutter or hesitation. I sometimes lose some words, which is understandable because English is not my first language, but it does not stop me from saying what I want to say. I even started losing my French because I do not have anybody to talk to. I always use some English words when I speak French with my parents because now it is a habit for me.

            Overall, even though leaving a country for another can be very difficult, I think it is a good experience in life because of trying new food, meeting new people and learning about other cultures. Eating food and learning a language from outside one’s country makes a person fly to that unknown country without really being there. It helps people open their minds and be more aware about what happens in the world. Adapting is the best solution when moving abroad. It can be the debut of everything.

Lost in translation

New Life

I have a different situation from other Chinese friends who live in Chicago. My parents immigrated to United States when I was still studying in junior school and lived with my grandparents in Guangdong’s town. Many years later, I went for an internship, and I received a message about an embassy interview. I didn’t spend a lot of time on government papers. Every immigration’s process went well. I took my luggage on the plane for three days trip to United States. My parents were waiting for me at the airport.  When I arrived at my new home, I slept the whole day. I was curious looking at everything surrounding me. During Covid 19, my parents were extremely nervous about my safety, and they didn’t allow me to go anywhere.  I was pretty bored living in Chicago for half a year. The only one thing that I finished was getting a driver license. My mother felt I should study English in a college or find a work to support my daily. I disagreed with her opinion and argued with her, saying that I wanted to go back to China. I had been studying for many years until I graduated. My friends had been married in the year. You should know, I am not young. However, my mother said, no one required you to do anything. You can stay here for a while. If you still want to come back to China, I won’t prevent your decisions. Even though I have been living in Chicago for three years, I still sometimes feel like a stranger and want to escape this city.

           Chicago has a slow rhythm of life, and this is my favorite part of this city. Growing up in Guangdong Chian made me prefer a slow and comfortable lifestyle rather than the fast-paced rhythms. My family members and friends also like to say, “Don’t worry and take it easy”, when they encounter some issues. I was surprised to discover that United States’ cost of materials is cheap. Even though I work a part time job in a restaurant, I earn enough to cover my daily expenses. Therefore, I don’t need to worry about my finances. My time schedule is relaxing.  Allowing me to drink Cantonese morning tea and play mahjong after work or study. I Just try to keep myself free so I can slowly to pay off my car and house after my father paid them off. I can afford to buy what I want. I would enjoy this slow lifestyle.

Chicago is a beautiful city, but I have encountered some unfriendly people. Crime always is a big problem in this city. I know guns and drugs can be sold like common goods. I have seen people selling and using drugs in the train. Some people were very loud and would ask people for money. When I by train alone, I feel horrible. I would check the citizen app before I went outside. Some dangerous and crowded places that I could avoid. I still don’t like to stay at home, so I would go to many places with my friends. Comparing the first half of the year to the last half year, I have become more outgoing and positive. I mostly explore forests, mountains, and lakes.  During the adventures, I encountered many kind and enthusiastic people. I had been traveling to Stared Rock national park, where other visitors would spend their time introducing me to the location, and they would like to share their food with me. Looking back on my past three years, my mouth curved rise.

In conclusion, I have been living in Chicago for three years. I cannot clearly say how much I love Chicago. Beyond doubt, I have adapted to this beautiful city. I have some friendly friends, and I have a warm and sweet home. I’m drawn to amazing activities, and I truly appreciate the cultural impact around me.