My Bucket list by Janyce

1. Be an actress

2. Visit India

3. Go to a Joan Jett concert

4. Spend a week with my friend in Barcelona

5. Have roomates

6. Go to L.A

7. Do an American Road Trip

8. Have kids

9. Play guitar with my Dad

10. Be on the Red Carpet at Cannes Festival

11. Go on the Mekong river

12. Go to the beach

13. Do a manicure

14. Horse riding

15. Eat what i want

16. Be a part of Peace Corps

17. Live in NYC

18. Drink wine

19. Make a huge chocolate cake

20. Spend time with my sister

21. Go to London

22. Be a surgeon

23. Go to Disneyland

24. Do a French Road trip

25. Do a Safari

26. Swim in Bora Bora

27. Do a 70's party

28. Buy a 3000$ guitar to my Dad

29. See a woman president

30. Support Greenpeace

31. Have an all-girl rock band

32. Sleep all day long

33. Do Thanksgiving in France

34. Write a book

35. Do a world tour

36. Love at first sight

37. Play Soccer

38. See dolphins

39. Work for the ASPAC

40. Meet new people

41. Shop with my Mom

42. I want my Grandma to tell the story of her childhood during the World War II.

43. Be back to San Francisco in a few years.

Terrorism by Marco

Terrorism is a big problem in the world .people are afraid of terrorism, because the terrorist will kill you , they don’t care who are you .terrorism is an anti-government organization. they hate the government and want to be revenge on government. they have a goal and they aren’t afraid of dead .they can use their body to be a suicide bomb.they are a group of dangerous people.

Why people disagree with them,because they have different idea with government ,and they solved solution through the use of force.they always killed innocent people .for example, RUSSIA have a accident by terrorist, a lot of people was dead by two suicide bomb.

Censorship

What is the censorship of books and movies? Movies and books and inspection departments are established by the Government, and its purpose is to monitor the country's film and book publishing. When there are some movies or books containing ideas with the current system or conflicting content. The department has the right to ban these films and books.For me, I am strongly opposed to censorship of films and books.Movies and books censorship exists, will only hinder a country's cultural and democratic development. For a number of people dissatisfied with the existing government and opinions can not be expressed. This is for the development of the country is not good.

Reducing Poverty and Hunger

Poverty: lack of necessary money to survey.

I have chosen this topic because I think it’s a big problem in the whole word.

Over a billion people and approximately 35,000 children are dying because of hunger, I am convinced that without money there will not be a solution for this problem, I strongly agree that the Government will need to make a lot of changes to obtain better results, once they make the changes they will see less corruption amount those people that vandalize and robbers other people.

I think that children will be the biggest beneficiaries, with more money the Government will open more schools, have a better education, plus children will enjoy good health and of course the most important at all “A good and nutrition meal”.

When I was in El Salvador, 32 years ago, there was a war between the terrorism and the military service or the Government ,as a result of this war the poverty has grown, schools has been closed and the lack of food and money have make people to vandalize each other and corruption and delinquency is all over the country.

32 years has been passed, until now people it’s suffering the consequence of the war. The Government agrees to have a radical solution, until now we had not seen any results.

This experience had showed my family and me that we are blessed to be in the United States and the main thing a life. We still help some people that live in my country, by sending clothes, toys and some money.

We feel happy to cooperate and we believe that one day our country will be as it was before.

Prohibiting smoking inside has been a big debate all over the US and in many other countries all over the world, such as Germany.

Many people think it should be prohibited to smoke inside and around public facilities like schools and hospitals.

I personally think that smoking inside should be not allowed anymore, because there are so many people, me included, who have major problems if someone smokes around them. And if someone smokes there are others not far...

Mostly you are surrounded by smokers and don't know how you are supposed to breathe.

I would agree with separate places for smokers, if there are far away from smoking free environments. But even more then that I would hope that the once smoking will be strong and give it up, for the environment and most of all for themselves...

Voting Age

A voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain to vote in a public election.
At the present time the voting age across the world is typing 18. When the right to vote was first accorded in democracies the voting age was generally set at 21. Should we raise the age to 21 to vote? I think so. Because most people are still child-minded essentially as a teenager, they are too young to vote at 18. It's easy to be controlled by others if one is not thoughtful. There are several reasons for arguing against allowing 18-years-old to vote, because the human brain does not really mature at 18-years-old. Sometime they are only replicating their parents votes. So they don't have choice to vote what they want or their parents will help tjem to election without asking for their views. I think this is unfair and just an election in name only. Maybe at 21, they will become more mature then they can make their own decisions rather than follow their parents. At the same time, the election will become more democratic.
So, I think the government should raise the voting age to 21, not reduce it to 16.

prohibiting smoking

Smoking is not good for people. Everyone know if you smoke, you will be easy to get lung cancer. A lot of people don't care. They smoke a lot. That's their chose. Some people don't smoke. They are no chose to get second hand smoke . That is no fair for them.

Now prohibiting smoking indoors is a good news for non-smoker. We have a good place to eat at the restaurant and to see a moving at theater . We have a chance to away from second . smoke.

Causes of poverty in Africa by evelyne

Even though owning all the natural wealth resources, Africa is the most poorest continent across world.

Despite charitable aid such as food, clothes, medications, all kind of survival supplies are contributed continuously, African never escape from hunger and poverty.

Although there are thousands of Africa died every day, populations in Africa never have been decreased.

The leading cause of poverty is poor governance, however, no educations, no knowledge, both are leading causes as well.

So, providing educational opportunities to African, let them having ability to reform their government's policies, get knowledge to create bread and butter by utilizing the natural resources in their own possessions, let them realizing that poverty would have not gone if they had relied on people's help at all. For women, educate them birth controlled plans is partly important to wipe out poverty. Only build a progress society, poverty can end to the cord.

I think the world will be much more better without wars .

Everyday wars are happening ,and everyday ,there are people dead from wars ,a lot of children lose their parents and many parents lose their children .what a sad thing.

Some people say wars are necessary because wars can release people from bad condition,that may be true .But in fact ,wars are bigger disaster for them poor people .wars kill a lot of people ,but nothing is more important than lives !

I think ,all problem can be solved in a peace condition ,you can't kill people for any reason .So stop wars ,give the world peace ,and don't broke families again.

Prohibiting Smoking Indoors

Prohibiting smoking indoors is one of the most endless controversial issues around the world.

In my opinion, I strongly support prohibiting smoking indoors, even in any public places. As is known to all, smoking is not only harmful to smoker's health, but also lined with negative outcomes for people who smoke secondhand. I believe that banning smoking indoors is a good and reasonable measure, which has many advantages. First of all, smokers may smoke less cigarette because of this. Besides, people who don't smoke no longer suffer from negative health effects of secondhand smoke. In addition, if people smoke indoors, a number of employees will be exposed to secondhand for long periods of time, as a result, they will get the long term effects of secondhand smoke harm. Last but not least, the environment indoors will be much better of nobody smokes, air won't be smelly any more.

I hope that those people who smoke can consider others because they don't want to be exposed to secondhand smoke and have a bad effect on their health. To sum up, I am fully in favor of prohibiting smoking indoors.

I agree with Prohibiting smoking indoors

Prohibiting smoking indoors is one of the most controversial issues.It means nobody is allowed to smoke indoors such as restaurants,houses and schools.Most people who disagree with it are smokers because they can't smoke wherever they want when they want to smoke.

I am in favor of prohibiting smoking indoors.Take my experience as example,when I was in China,there was a lot of people smoke in restaurants so it makes us uncomfortable and it also dose harm to our health.If nobody smokes at restaurant,the food will taste better and clothes won't be smelly.Smoking indoors is one of the reasons which causes fires and sets up a bad example to the people who don't want to smoke indoors.

Poverty and hunger by Janyce Collombet.

Poverty and hunger have been a problem since the begining of humanity. In the Middle Age, the line for the kitchen soup was feeding thousand of people. In the 21st century the line is still here but bigger...

Indeed, nowadays, we're not talking about thousand of people but millions who could do anything just for a piece of bread. There are severals facts that make the poverty getting bigger. It can be a war in Africa, an epidemic disease, an earthquakes in Haiti. Anyway the country doesn't really matter the only problem that matter is that we have to solve this global issue. Fact: how, in the 21st century, 35 000 children can die everyday because of the lack of food?

According to me, we spend billions of dollars in TV, commercials to feed people what they want to hear. We let them watch TV and eat thousand of chips to get fat without doing anything for the people who actually are on the news everyday. Those people are watching them suffering through the flat screen without doing anything even moving out of their sofa.
We have to understand that poverty leads to hunger. World hunger is a terrible symptom of world poverty. If efforts are only directed at providing food, or improving food production or distribution, then the structural root causes that create hunger, poverty and dependency would still remain. And so while continuous effort, resources and energies are deployed to relieve hunger through these technical measures, the political causes require political solutions as well.

A lot of organisations are here to solve the problem or at least to reduce it so please instead of being proud to spend five hundred dollar on the new Ipad just give some money to help and at this moment you will have something to be proud of.

Picture of one of the french organisation against poverty and hunger. It says "Hunger kill every four seconds".

Dictatorship and Poverty

Dictatorship is ruled by a small group, they do things as they like. People have no rights and no freedom of speech,press,religion,and no right to vote.
Those countries like North Korea,Cuba,Myanmar. Those countries have dictatorships. People that lived in those countries are suffering,they are thirsty to change the government.

About the world's poverty, the United Nations helps them with money and food yearly. I think that was not a good way to resolve the problem, it's only provides a temporary solution to the problems,and does not effect a permanent cure or get at the root. Thorough the poverty we must teach them how to depend on one's own efforts.
For example: teach how to cultivate,farm,technique, etc.
This is the way to resolve the poverty problem from the root.

Immigration Debate

View the video above. You will hear two California governor candidates debating about illegal immigration. They discuss Arizona's new immigration law and the idea of amnesty. Listen and then type your comment below.

The Prisoner of Zenda by Chris

I just finished the book named The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope. The main character was English. He went to a foreign country to see the crowning but found the king looked like him and made friend with him. However, the Duke wanted to take place of the king and he drugged the king. As the main character, Rudolf looked like the king, he was begged by the king’s servants to pretend the king and attend the crowning and save the king who’s been a prisoner in the Duke’s castle later on. That’s how the story begins. I always read the book on bus and it makes me feel the riding is much shorter than before. I think it’s a real cliffhanger because the ending is out of my imagination and I can’t wait to know it. (In fact I read the end when I was reading how Rudolf saved the king.) As I read on the bus, sometimes it made me forget to get off or feel reluctance to get off. So, here I surely, definitely, strongly recommended the book to you all. It’s an adventuring story though, it’s also a romantic story. In the story Rudolf meet the king’s fiancé when he was pretending the king and fell in love with the beautiful woman. And it made him confused about his beloved woman and his honor to save the king and the foreign country. What did he choose?? How did their love grow?? What’s going on in the devil Duke’s castle?? How does the story end up?? You won’t know it till you read it yourself.

Murder by Art by Gladys

I choose this book because I like the title, the Author name ‘s Janet Mcgiffin .

It takes place in New York, it began in a Hospital were two people have been shot, and another one have been poisond. One of the main character is a Doctor and the other one is a policemen. At the same time, there is a Art excibition and the artist if a very famous, and the owner of the place were the art excibition is taking place, is very greety, the people from the excibition had build a musical chairs and everytime the artis played the piano the chairs moved around, this book is a real page turner, while he was playing the piano, someone had cut the rope that hold the chairs and they felt on top of the artist.

The policeman and the Doctor have the opotunity to resolve the mystery , this book kept me up.They took all the time to found out who the murders are, the people that got shot, and the one the got poised, and the artist the gat kill , they all were killed by the same persons, the owner and two of her best friends .

I was satisfaid with the way this book ends, I do recommended, it is a good book and if you read it you will enjoy it.

Two Lives by Tracy

I choose this book Two Lives because I really love to read romance novel.,I think most of the girls like romance,so Two Lives is the best choice.There are 17 chapters in this book. It is fast to read. The book describes Huw and Megan were friends at the beginning and then they fell in love. But Megan's father disagree they get together. At last they spent their times together secretly.Suddenly, Huw's brother Gareth died in coal mine when he was working,Huw and his father were very sad so they decided to leave this village and move to Canada . Huw promised he would come back and Megan said wait he,too.As soon as Huw arrived Canada ,he wrote a letter to Megan but her father hid all the letters that Huw wrote.50years later, Megan found all the letters after her dad died.Megan wrote back to Huw and told him all about this.At the end ,Huw and Megan decided met at the village ,they together again and have a happy ending.The story is a real page - turner and I can't put it down.Because I want to know what will happen in next par, it make me curious.I would strongly recommend this book- it's fast to read and very romantic.

Dracula by Frankie

I chose the book Dracula by Bram Stoker because I like to read the books about vampires. I was interested that why Count Dracula could became a vampire. Dracula is the most famous vampire in books.I like him very much. Have you seen the movie Dracula?There are some details about Dracula in the movie .This book is good for fast read and it is really a page turner! I am highly recommend it to you!

I chose the book is Tom Cruise. It's a biography. I like this kind of book because I like to know the people life who is successful. This is a level one book. It's a real page-turner. I am really into it. It's a true story .

Harry Potter by Judy

I chose the book Harry Potter by J.K.Rowling. My good friend introduce me to read this book. He said "The book is better then the movie."

This is a very long story, and it has a total of seven books. The frist book is called Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's stone. The setting is both number 4 Privet Drive and Hogwarts. Number 4 Privet Drive is the Dursley's home. Hogwarts is a school of wizardry. The
main characters are Harry Potter who lives with the Dursley's ,his friend Ron Weasley's, who was born in a wizarding family, and Hermione Granger, who was born in a muggle family(which means they are none magical).

The story starts when Harry is a baby, he lives with the Dursleys. His aunt Petunia, his uncle Vernon and his consin Dudley. They lie to him , and said his parents died in a car accident, and didn't tell him he's a wizard.
When Harry turns 11 years old , everything began to change. He goes to Hogwarts and learn how to be a wizard . He meets his friends , who joins him in his sdventures. He also meets his nemisis Voldermart, and barely survives his first year at Hogwarts.

The story is a real page-turner and I can't put it down because I want to know what is going to happen. This book is the beginning of the entire series, it still have a long story to tell. I would recommed this book.

Tinker's farm

There were a father and a daughter from England in 1800 to America to get a better life. When they arrived New York port,they wants jobs for living,then the father asked a young man where I can get the jobs,the young man pointed to a man and said,"asked him to get your job, he is a farmer he will give the job" then the father asked for a job to the farmer. The farmer looked at him and his daughter and said "you both can get the job in my farm." Then the father worked in the field and the daughter worked in the kitchen with an Indian girl. They got two Dollars each week. The father told his daughter he don't want this work any more he wants work in his own farm. One day the Indian girl invited his daughter visited her Indian's village,on the way they heard a boy cried for helped in the river,the daughter jumped in to the water and saved him from water.
Then three young people went back to the Indian village and told about the happen to the Chief. The chief felt glad and thank that she saved his son,and asked her what desire did she wanted for saved his son. The daughter remember her father wanted to own a farm. She answer to the chief "I don't want anything, but my father dreams to have a farm." Then the chief gave the farm to her father. They were began their new life in America.
This story told us how hard in those time the new comer came to America.

Nelson Mandela by evelyne

I chose this book because Nelson Mandela was one of the most important leaders in the world.Nelson Mandela was born as a son of a tribal leader in South Africa.When he was a
child,he could't go to a better school like a government's school.He studied in a school which was only for black people.When he was 9-year-old,his father died,so he was sent to another tribal leader's family.Then he had a chance to go to a government's school.In university,Mendela was aware of apartheid.He started struggling with the government in peaceful way for black people having same rights as white people.He was arrested in 1963 and in prison for 27 years since then.He was free in 1992.He became a president of South Africa in 1994, and eventually the apartheid ended at the same time.I
appreciate the way Mandela had done,not using violent.I recomment this book to everyone because it is easy to read and Mandela is a part of South Africa's histories,we should know about him.

"The Lady in White " Monie Zheng

I chose this book because I had heard the approximate content of this story from Coco a few days ago. I am very interested in this thriller, which is exciting, and I want to know what happened in this scared story.

In the story, the main characters are John who was a successful television producer, Jenny who was his assistant , Rachel who was his wife and the lady in white who was a ghostly hitch-hiker.

While John was researching a new programme, came across a story about a ghostly hitch-hiker. Soon he realized that the story of the Lady in White had many similarities to part of his own life. He began to worry about his wife and his young child that almost drove him crazy!

It is really a page-turner and cliffhanger, as a result, I open this book and read it whenever and whatever I am, like taking Muni, waiting in line and so on.

The Mummy by Fiona

I have just read the book The Mummy,it iswritten by David Levithan.It is a romance and exploratory story .It begins with a love story that happened thousands of years ago at ancient Eygpt .the pontiff fell in love with the king's wife and killed the king,so the lovers were made into mummy and buried alive ,and the pontiff was cursed never come back to the world or he would destroy the whole world .but after thousands of years the pontiff was dig out by some people ,he came back to the world and wanted to find the DEATH BOOK to made his lover come back then rule the world .Some people came to stop him ,they fight with him and his dead army,at the end of the book ,people won the mummy,and the world have peace again .

I chose this book because I had seen the movie about this story ,the movie was very interesting ,so I want read the book .After reading it ,I find the book is interesting too,It was pretty easy,but it was a page turner,I couldn't stop reading it .It is a very interesting book ,If you have time ,read it ! you will not be disappointed with it.

The 'secret Garden' Yundong

I chose this book by Anne C0llins, becaus the book took of the film. It was very famous movie in the world. The book writer a girl Mary. She was a Indian and she looked ugly and thin, nobody like her. when she was 9-year-old, her parents all died. So she moved to England live with her uncle. At the time she discovery a Secret Garden, also she found a cry boy that is her cousin Colin, before she didn't know. They are same age, but Colin was a disable boy and her mother had already died when she had expected Colin, she fell down in the garden, Colin was alive. So he father was very sad and angry with the garden. He closed the garden and threw the key away,nobody could into there. Since Mary knew the story, she wonder of the garden. One day she accidental found a key and came in to the garden. The garden was beautiful, but too much woods to cover it. Mary and her friend Dickon spent a few days to clean the garden. The garden came back to before, it was very beautiful. Then they told Colin the secret garden and encourage Colin went out to see it. Then they helped Colin went to the secret garden, Colin was very happy. They played, laughed, planted in the garden. After a few month, Colin could stand up and start to walk, his health had gotten better. His father after a long business trove to back home, he surprised Colin become a strong boy. The story is a very nice, I'm really in to it. I recommend all classmates to try it.

White Fang By Coco Huang

I finished a book called White Fang by Jack London. It's really good for me. The first time I looked at the book. I was so interested in what happened to this animal. It takes place in California. He was different from another wolf, so people gave the name White Fang to him. He is half wolf and half dog. He likes to fight with other dogs. He has met several gods. Finally, a nice man taught him how to live with others.

It's easy for everyone. You won't regret to choose it. It took me two hours to read it. It's a page-turner.Even animals have feelings like humans.

If you like the short stories about animals, you will enjoy it very much. Don't miss White Fang.

Book Clubs

Here we are doing our Scavenger Hunt at the Barnes and Nobles!

Staying Together by Denise

I chose the book Staying Together by Judith Wilson because I liked the picture on the cover -- I was interested why two people were holding hands and who they were and what they were doing. The setting is both England and Africa, and the time is the present, but it also jumps to the characters pasts and futures. There are three main characters are Suki, a young Japanese girl who travels to England to study English, her boyfriend Hiroko, who stays in Japan while she is gone, and Andoku, and young African boy who she meets in England at the English school. The story follows Suki and Andoku as they meet and fall in love in England, but then have conflict with Hiroko (Suki's boyfriend in Japan). The story is a real page-turner and kept me up late at night because I wanted to see who would end up together. It has a surprise ending, but I was satisfied with it overall. I would recommend this book to anyone - it's a fast read and a cliffhanger.

I Believe in " a Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed"

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

Although my interpersonal network is not very large, I will never make a friend just because I need to make friends.

A saying goes, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. I have believed in this saying since I was young. As I grew up, from primary school until now, I met different kinds of people. However, most of them are just passers in my life, only some of them have ultimately become my good friends.

Personally, it is too difficult to have one or two confidants in one’s life, but I think having some sincere friends would be great. I do have some bosom friends, some of them are even my primary school's classmates, as we all know, it not easy to keep a friend for such a long time, but I do! I really treasure these good friends. We get along well with each other. I would like to share my happiness or sadness with them. When I have difficulties, they are always willing to give me advice and help me. I always feel comfortable when I stay with them; we enjoy the time together very much. We never feel embarrassed if we don’t talk about anything, maybe that is true friend!

True friends not only these who play with you, but also the person who gives you a hand when you are in trouble and you can count on them anytime. When everyone doesn’t believe in you, they never suspect you; when everyone says bad back to you, they are never the one; when I make mistakes, they try to help me get out of the problems; when I make a bad decision, they try to talk me out of it. Everything they do maybe is simple, but it means a lot to me! Of course, I also do the same things as they do.

Now, I live far away from them, I try to keep in touch with them. When I feel upset, I like to call and talk to them and every time I feel better after having a chat with them.

I believe that wherever and whenever you are, the best friends will stay with you and give you a hand forever.

This I Believe Knowledge is Treasure by June

Knowledge is definitely Treasure. Everybody owns self knowledge in different ways. Some own experience in their life. Some own knowledge from books. It depends on how to use it.

As everyone knows that there is no free lunch. There was a old idiom, “No money, no talk”. Even though money is not the whole, no money is impossible.

Many people worked hard to earn money .They would like to make their life better. I didn’t have much money when I was 10. I had lunch and dinner at home .It made me to feel enough. I don’t need to have much money. But I changed my mind when I grew up.

I needed money to buy new books and reference books when I studied in Middle School. I got some ways to get money. I took some parts from factory to assemble at home and got a part-time job in weekend. After one year, I felt upset. I thought how could I got a comfortable job in the future. I don’t like to be a worker.

I tried my best to finish Middle School and passed the exam to High School. I was hard-working for two years .I graduated for High School. I continued my commercial study course. I got the diploma of LCCI in Accountants. After that, I started to my first job in the community.

I worked hard and keep this job for a long time. I saved a sum of money and have begun my business.

I believe that knowledge is the definitely treasure, but the practice is the key of it.

I believe everyone will offer to do some right things, Jack

When i was a child,my parents and teachers told me that we should offer to help others to do some right things.I think most of us have such an experience and i think majority will do as what they mother and teacher had told us.For example,when an seniors came into the bus,you always want to let them have a seat first.But if you were in a very crowded bus and see other people don’t let the seniors have a seat first but sit there as without seeing anything.You will come to an idea that why I should let others have a seat though you know that you should leave the seats to the seniors.After a long time, you will form a habit that you will do nothing when the seniors and disabilities come into the bus.Anyone who has taken the Sanfancisco Munis will heard such a sentence that speaks in three languages(English,Spanish,Chinese)-“please reserve the front doors to the seniors and people wiht disabilties".Most of us konw what it means but no every fllow it.But i think it will change sooner or later.

When you saw some gabages in the street,will you pick it up and put it into the gabage cans?i think majority of us will say”YES”.But when there are somebody around you,maybe you won’t do that because it will feel very embrassed because other people you are pretend to do it.

The examples above are only my opinions.Maybe some people don’t agree with me.But one things for sure,we should offer to do some right things no matter what other people think of us.I believe the ithat “Love makes the world go around” Let’s action now!

I belive in love by Janyce Collombet

The Beatles wrote one day that all we need is love. During all my life I’ve been watching my parents living in this nest of love so this is my one and only belief. No God, no magic, no politics. Only love.

You come to the world with the idea that everything is going to be hard but there’s one thing that you don’t know. There’s always going to be people to support you and to love you. I was in front of this empty page, searching and wondering what my religion was, my political statement but nothing came except this old song from 1964. So I decided that love could be a kind of religion. Because like God or Obama, love is everywhere. In the street, on the phone, at the airport . I wish there was a church of love. A place where people can talk about it . Somewhere else than a counselor therapy office where love is obviously a trouble.

On the other hand, love or too much love can turn you into someone weak. My parents love my sister and I so much. We had a perfect childhood, protecting us from the reality of life like war, diseases, poverty and child work. It was perfect until I opened my eyes. When I came to the USA six months ago I was all by myself without this family cocoon, discovering that life can be so hard. So I began to be angry with my parents : ”Why too much love? Now it is so hard to live by myself in a country so different from France! And why keeping me from the reality, life is not supposed to be a Disney movie!”

To put it in a nutshell, I believe that with more love in this world there would be less misery.

I believed my grand-mother is always by my sider. Coco Huang

I know my grand- mother is always by my side.

When I was a child, I like sitting by my grand-mother’s side and hearing her stories. She was a great person. She was the first female leader of our small town. Her family was very poor and had a lot of unexpected things happen in her childhood. Her mother sent out her two younger sisters to another family because her father died overseas. They moved all the time. She had to work for a rich family when she was twelve years old.

“You are lucky. You must cherish what did you had in your life.” She told me. I can’t imagine the difficult time that she had. My father had an elder brother and a younger sister. They all respected my grand-mother. She was teaching them a lot of life reasons—don’t gave up on the difficult things, try to solve it; treated other equally and friendly.

She died when I was 11 years old. “When you face problems be honest and try you best to do it. I will always by your side to support you.” Her words were always with me.

My father told me he couldn’t support me in high school. I locked myself in the bedroom and cried. I want to keep studying. I don’t know why he didn’t approve of me. I remembered my grand-mother. Even though she didn’t have enough education. She still did well. But I didn’t give up. After I earned some money, I took the computer classes in a private school. I keep trying to study. I know my grand-mother by my side every minute.

After I immigrated U.S.A. I had been taken ESL classes to improve my English skill. My first dream was finished college and got the degree. I won’t give up.

Her spirit supported me to go thought all the difficult.