The Real Value

 

The Real Value

    In Colombia, the country where I am from, most people are elitist, and that includes my family. I grew up believing that a person is important only for what they have to do to live, but not just for be a human being. However, I am a rebel. I loved going against my parents and their beliefs. I assumed that I was different from them. However, all children are like a sponge that retain all information, and I was no exception. In my unconscious, I believed that, too. When I arrived in the United States, because the type of visa I had, I wasn't allowed to work. Only my husband had permission. At that moment, I felt empty, purposeless and worthless. My personal challenge was to give myself the value that corresponds to me, not for what I do, but for who I am.

    Hollywood sold me the idea that in this country, most people don’t judge each other for what they have to do to live. I loved that idea because I thought that I was different from my family. However, when I arrived in this country, I noticed that in my mind, I generated prejudices about some people. Nevertheless, the universe knows how it does things. It put me here, in Chicago, for a divine reason. I have been lucky to meet wonderful people from different cultures, who do all kinds of things for a living. I have been able to learn the real value of human beings.

    Sadly, not everything is rosy. I’m a therapist. My profession is so important for me, not for the value that I assumed it gives me, but because it is something that I love to do. It is a big part of my happiness. However, my degrees don't have value here. Although many professions can be validated in the United States, most healthcare professions are very difficult to validate. The reason for this is because each country has its own health standards. Knowing that shocked me. Just when I thought I had overcome my family's beliefs about the value of human beings, I found a system that didn’t value my education or experience. That was so frustrating.

    Everyone grows up with beliefs that could limit or expand their lives. Belief that people are only important for what they do for a living is a limited view perspective. In the United States, I learned in a deep way that all human beings are important, regardless of what they to do. In Chicago, people could be students, attendants, doctors, homeless or stylists, and all of them are important. At the end, the most important thing is not what people to do to live, only what people are. Fortunately, and thanks to the universe, I learned my lesson, and I found my real value and others.

 

                                                                       Blue Saturn

          Life is a hard challenge. It is not a big deal to feel blue sometimes, but most things work out in the end. This is what my grandmother told me before I left Algeria. My land was my home, my mother, and where I belong to. I never thought of leaving my land before. After some time, I realized that I had to go through this experience. Of course, happiness is hiding somewhere, and I must find it. Due to this, I had to adopt living in the united states and never giving up.

         

 

          The day the challenge started was my first day in Chicago. In the morning, I opened the window as I used to do every morning in Algeria, but everything was empty. I said, " this is not the end ". I went out for a walk. I was not thinking too much, and suddenly I found my first safe place, a beautiful lake. I started going there every morning to refresh my mind. Chicago was like Saturn to me, a big circle and I had to make life better on Saturn. However, I met three young women Sadie, Taylor, and Julia, my gorgeous friends in Indiana. We meet on the church bus every Sunday, and they helped me to feel confident to speak English. They consider me one of them, which means they never make me feel any different. Even though I was not Christian, they respected and accepted me the way I am. In addition, on the Fourth of July, the day of independence, my Mexican neighbors  invited me to celebrate with them, and I enjoyed every second of it. I tried some delicious Mexican food and played with fireworks. All these experiences make me realize that I felt happy and free in Chicago, because I can be myself, and no one gives me odd looks. I am a slave of freedom, feeling is all I really care about, and I found it here in Chicago.

         Moreover, even though I am happy, I had some tough times trying to adapt to the fast life in Chicago, because everything works with technology. In Algeria, I was using pen and paper to study, to do my homework, and for exams. However, in Chicago I had to switch everything to the technology. Now, I do my homework on Brightspace, and submit the majority of my assignments there. As I remember my education in Algeria, I can also reflect on how my traditional food tastes. I will not say food in this city is not delicious, but for me it is new, like the sweet sausage, because in Algeria, Algerian people do not add sugar while cooking, and it is totally different from the food in Chicago. I tried hard to accept it, but i just cannot.

 

             Furthermore, the saddest part of this new life is how my traditions are fading away over time. In Algeria, my family and I used to celebrate traditional and religious rituals like Aid Al-Adha and Aid Al-Fitr. When Muslim people wake up early to pray all together in the Mosque, then sacrifice a lamb to cook with it some traditional plates like couscous. Even when we try to enjoy it now, it does not feel the same. Due to this reason, I miss the old days in my homeland, when people around the country celebrate together, when the sound of children laughing filled the place, their laughter was my favorite song.

 

          Nevertheless, life is starting to be better on Saturn. It will never be the same, but it can be better one day, because I can make it better. I still miss the old days, but remembering them is not hurting me like before. Even if there is still a burden on my heart as I remember how my grandmother used to wash me with love, or how my home had hugged me every time I feel cold, life goes on. I believe that the happy ending is waiting. If I am blue now, it is not the end yet.

 

Small Talk

 Solee Kim

Speech 100

September 18, 2024

Small Talk

                 ​I never considered myself as a shy person when I was in Korea. Ever since I have moved to Chicago, I have felt like I am an introvert person. In Chicago, everyone I have met so far acts like an extrovert in my point of view even if they are not. I didn’t use to smile at or have a small talk with strangers when I was in Korea. This is a very normal behavior for people in Korea. However, moving to Chicago has changed not only myself as a person but also my perspective. After one and a half years of living in Chicago, talking to strangers has become a part of my daily life, and I find myself enjoying it.

              I realized that small talk could make my day, and I have been comfortable with small talk before I knew it. Every morning, I start my day saying “good morning” to my neighbors and people who take the same bus with me. Even when I go for a walk with my dog, my dog and I talk to more than three people on my way and share some information about dogs. I have started to feel something that I never felt in Korea. It’s like a breakfast to start a good day, and it makes me happy. It gives me a feeling that I am part of a group. I hesitated to have a small talk with strangers when I first landed in Chicago. Now it’s awkward for me to start a day without saying “good morning” in Chicago anymore. I feel quite comfortable having a conversation with a strangers now.

              ​On the other hand, I still feel uncomfortable from time to time. People actually just start talking regardless of one’s feelings, even if I’m not ready to talk with them. If someone talks to me when I’m feeling blue, I should pretend to hide my feelings as if I don’t have any problem. One day, I changed my face to smile after crying as soon as people tried to talk to me. In addition, on another day, I had to hear about what surgery the white grandmother’s dog had had in the store, even though I was rushing to get back home after grocery shopping. I thought I was enjoying everything, but I’m still adapting to the small talk of culture in Chicago.

                ​Nevertheless, I have changed my personality since I moved to Chicago. I’m more learning about myself. I have been affected by the culture of Chicago, whether it is positive or negative. Adapting to a new culture in a different country is a good thing for me as an international student. I can use it as an opportunity to learn english. Someday, I will be used to talking with strangers without any uncomfortable feeling. 

 

Lost in translation -- Shanshan Li

New Life, New start 

Everyone has to live seriously and purposefully regardless of where they are. Discovering beauty and savoring happiness in ordinary days is the joy of life. This beauty and happiness can save people from busyness and stress. It is crucial for me to have fun in life. When I moved to Chicago, I had to adapt to an unfamiliar environment and try to find the joy of life again. I am not an adaptable person, so I need a lot of time to adjust. Chicago is charming. It not only has tall and bustling buildings, but also a variety of parks that can get close to nature. This beautiful city adds a touch of color to my life. However, the night in Chicago terrifies me, and I can’t get used to rarely going out at night. Even though I have my own time and a lot of relaxing places I can go, I am still figuring out the night life culture of Chicago.  

I am a person who likes to hang out close to nature, and there are many free places I can relax and enjoy in Chicago. Lake Michigan, Navy Pier, and Lincoln Park are my favorite places. In the United States, I have more time than in China. As a student, there is no mountain of homework for me, and I have more time to arrange my own activities. In my free time, I used to go to Lake Michigan because my hometown, Yiyang, does not have a lake that is like the sea. I spent all afternoon at the lake. I just sat near there, watched the sunset, and did not think about anything in my mind. The beautiful views healed me and kept me away from the noise of life. In addition, Lincoln Park is another suitable place I usually go to. Especially in summer, the world of green is in the park. Trees and flowers like artworks in the art museum wait for people to appreciate them. I like to use my camera to record myself and beauty in the best season. I like to lie under the tree, enjoy the sun, and watch the sunlight shine through the shadows of the leaves. The beauty of Chicago made it less difficult for me to adjust to my new life. 

Nevertheless, even though I enjoy the natural scenery of Chicago, the colorful night life is what I miss so much, and I am still adapting to the night life in Chicago. I am forced to stay at home to spend my most of nighttime because Chicago’s night life is not colorful than China, and it is more dangerous than China. Zijiang River is the liveliest place in Yiyang at night. When I was in Yiyang, I used to go there at night with my family and friends. We walked along the river, enjoyed the evening breeze, and ate street food. Xiufeng Park night market is open every day. There are many vendors in the street. They sell all kinds of cheap and delicious food, clothes and trinkets. In China, people do not have to be concerned about safety at night. I can enjoy the lively atmosphere at night just like during the daytime. However, I cannot think of more activity at night except bars in Chicago. My night life right now is taking a walk before the sky gets dark. I am so excited about my 21st birthday that is around the corner because I can go to a bar and drink legally. 

Life is hard, but the only thing people can do is keep going, working hard, and make life become what they wish. After I left China and came to the United States, I lost my comfort zone and there was a whole new world in front of me. I found some places in this big city where I could fit in, but there were still some parts that I had to work hard to fit in. I didn’t lose my enthusiasm for life just because I came to an unfamiliar country. These experiences are unique, make me grow and make me strong. The search for meaning of life didn’t stop, I am enjoying my new life and moving forward.