Lost-translation

Jaremi Salgado

ESLINTG 100

September 28, 2024

 

Good Changes

It was September 9, 2022 when I looked out the window of my plane, and I could see the impressive landscape of the United States where I imagined great opportunities in my new home. My move to the United States brought me new challenges in different aspects of my life. Including, how to learning the English language, making new friends, and finding a new school to study and new job. I knew I was facing new challenges, but that is how I found a new version of myself. Although I am still getting used to life in the United States, I still miss my places, routines and customs from my country.

Since I arrived in the United States, my life has completely changed. Chicago is an incredible and great city where I have been discovering different beautiful traditions that have made me feel at home. For example, the parks, stores and celebrations like Thanksgiving have impressed me in the United States. When I had my first Thanksgiving celebration. When my family and I prepared turkey. That day I felt calm and very happy. Although I missed the way Mexico celebrates this festival in a different way. My family and I normally spent most of our time at church, we prayed and finally we had lunch together. Besides adapting to American culture, I am still adapting to school. I feel comfortable and I try to fit in. I like Chicago schools because they have big, beautiful campuses. Besides, it is also very universal because I have the opportunity to meet new people from different countries. I like to hear their languages and learn about their customs is fascinating. I am still discovering new school environments and also meeting interesting people. I have also had the opportunity to attend cultural events at school. They made me learn more about each culture and connect even more with people from around the world.

On the other hand, the universal language in the United States is English. My first language is Spanish, so I am still getting used to the language. Every day I struggle to understand and be able to speak the English language. As a food runner in a Japanese restaurant, I often use both languages, but mostly Spanish, since Spanish is widely used in my restaurant. However, with the managers and bosses, I make an effort to speak English since they are American. My goal is to find a job where English is the main language. I would like to get out of my comfort zone a bit. That way, I can adapt faster and become more fluent in English. In addition to the language, I am still getting used to the regulatory rules of the United States. For example, the signs and symbols for indicating directions, rules for intersections, turns, and speeds are very different. Even though I passed my driving test, I always try to adapt to the rules of the United States and respect them. In Mexico, people sometimes do not respect the rules very much. However, in the United States, the traffic police are stricter in enforcing the regulatory rules of driving.

Honestly, I miss my country, but at the same time I like this new city. Since I have been in the United States, I have learned several things. Including, a new language, new people from other countries and new places. Therefore, I feel like I am undergoing a self improvement. I keep learning new things every day. I know it is difficult, but it is not impossible. I hope one day to adapt and learn the language very well to communicate better with people. Also, I hope to overcome all these new obstacles in my life. As I learn another language, I know I am getting smarter.