Change, by Qianwen Chen

Do you know what the “ABC” means? It means “American born Chinese”. My name is Qianwen. Now I living in America, but I was born in China, on November 05, 1988. When I was one year old, my parents broken a marriage. My elder brother and I were brought up by my father. But my father was very busy. He has to work from Monday to Saturday. So we were taken care of my grandma. My grandma was very kind. She used to cook many delicious food for us .When we were ill, she took us to see the doctor. Said on us, she liked a mom.

My childhood was funny. When I was a child, I looked like a boy. Because I wore my brother’s old clothes and I cut short hair. I used to play whit my brother, go together. So we were close. Sometimes we played with the neighbor children, we went fishing at the pool, caught beetle in the tree run on the playground and played tennis. I remember that I rode bicycle at the first time, my brother and my cousin taught me. I had a fall and my knee was bleed. I felt very hurt. At last, I can ride bicycle and did it better.

The times we were left. When I was growing up .I went to school and made many friends with my classmates. We liked sister, because we used to go school, go shopping, eat and play together. But sometimes, we had a row. But it wasn’t broken down our friendship. On September 11, it was the day I left and moved to other country. We were unhappy, we were crying. But I had to go, I had to leave, see you my friends.

How about my new life? Now, I live in San Francisco with my brother and my mother. I want to go to university. But I can do that, because I have to stay in California about one year. If I go right now, I have to pay too much money. Unfortunate, when it’s time to have school, the school will be opened. So I have to wait about one and half years and have university after that. But I am not free; I’m busy now, because I have classes in North Beach School to study English. This school is free, everybody can learn here. It makes us to improve our English and adjust to the American life. I love here, because the teachers are nice and I can spend my free time to study English. I have moved here only 17 days. I don’t know the way to do and travel, and I can’t speak English well. So I don’t have friends here, and my mother always goes to work. I feel lonely all the time. I miss my friends and my grandmother. I want to get back. But I know I can’t do that. That is impossible. So I have to study harder, that it is the most important to me in this time.

My mother is different from me. I like playing the computer to surf the internet. And I like to look for some information and watch movie with my computer. Sometimes I play game and talk to my friends in the internet. But my mother doesn’t like it. She thinks it makes me not interested in English and study lazier. But I don’t think so. I think I can’t study all the time. I should have a rest and have fun in other way.

Which way can I go? When I was younger, I wanted to be a tour guide and I had a class in high school. That was worse than I expected. So I don’t want to do it again. I don’t know what do I want to be and how can I choose the subject in university. Maybe I will choose business or language. I love Asian culture. I want to learn other Asian languages, for example, Japanese or Korean. But I am worried, because I can’t study English well. I’m afraid of I can’t do it well for the thirst language.
I wish my future will be wonderful and happy. My short-term goal is improving my English in this year. I will go to university in the one and half years. I hope to find a good job as an editor in the magazine company in my future, and can enjoy my life by myself. I will be married and have my own family. I hope I will have twins, one is daughter, and one is a son. If have children, I will take out my job and have a shop, because I think that will be easier to take care of my family. And then I will be older, I will travel all around the world with my husband. Maybe my plan will be change, because the life at any time all in the change. You don’t think so?

A Risk Taker, by Kako Kanno

Do you take risks in your life? I was born in Shanghai China. I have one brother but I always played with my friends. I had a lot of friends and we helped each other. When I was 9 years old, I played violin. It was very difficult, but I like it. I practiced the violin at 3:00 every day. I was very fun, but my friends were unhappy. One day, I explained to them, “I’m sorry. I can’t play a long time with you every day,” but I can’t forget it. If I have time I will play with them. One day, I took a time with my friend to go to the park. We were playing hide-and seek when my friend felled down into a river. A strange man saw and put out his hands to catch my friend quickly. After a minute my friend standed a lawn near the river. She was scared and cried. We were upset and cried too. We stopped the play to sit a chair. I took off my jacket in a hurry to give her. She put on my jacket and said:”Thank you, very much.” She was smile, we were smile too. This was the most dangerous thing in my childhood.

I worked at a computer company when I graduated from Shanghai College. I also had a lot of friend in a company. When I left Shanghai China, my parents gave me a letter. They wrote to tell me, how is it to live in another country and how to study a new language . . . I read again and again and remembered that until now. We worked and helped each other. After a few years I went to Japan to learn Japanese. I started my new life and I met a lot of friendly, Japanese people. I was luck. I studied and worked there. I got a lot help from the Japanese people. I was very happy to spend about 15 years in Japan. I appreciate it.

I have been living in Sun Francisco since 2oo7. I want to learn English to come to U.S. I flew a plane to San Francisco from Japan. I viewed S.F. what a beautiful is! I was excited. I was fired up about going to Chinatown. Next day, my friend and I went to Chinatown. I saw many stores and a lot of people in the town. It was very noisy. We bought some flower. Then we took Chinese’s food for lunch. It was delicious. We were happy. Now I am a student at City College. I study English every day. In my free time, I’d like to relax at park. I’d like to read books too. Sometime my friends and I went camping. Campgrounds let us spend the night outdoors without spending a lot of money. I love it and we are going to visit Chain on out next vacation.

I have goals. Goals help me do the thing I want to do. I’m going to do my own business that long-term goals are my big goals. For this goal, I need to learn more English. My first short-term goal is: learn ten new words, read books, listen to the news, and speak with people in English every day. My plan is to learn more and take office classes. They are stops to my long-term goal. After ten years, I think I can start my own business.

My Life, by Qiyun Man

I was born in Guangdong China in 1958. I lived in Taishan city for a long time. I have a big family. My parents, my brother and three sisters. I am third oldest in my family. In 1976, I graduated from high school. After two months. I left my home and moved to a small town. When I got a job. I have work in the town for about two years. It was happy and fun. When I returned 20 years old I received notice from the Medical College. In 1977, I went to college in Fu Shan city. My major was Medical Experiments. I graduated college in 1980, and then I returned to Taishan city. After a month, I worked in Taishan hospital in the laboratory. I have worked there for 21 years. In 1982, I got married. I met my husband at my friends’ home. His name is Ming. In 1983, my daughter was born. Her name is Meimei. In 1987, we bought a new condo. On August 14, 2001. I, my husband and my daughter immigrated to New York City, United States. After we had just arrived, in New York City about three weeks, there was big trouble, the terrorists on September 11, 2001. We were very upset. After a week, I got my first job in America. I worked at a doctors’ office. I lived in New York City for about one year. In 2002, I moved in San Francisco, and then I found a new job quickly. I have been working at Wangson Biotechnology Group Inc. since 2002. In 2006, I became a citizen of America. In 2009, my daughter graduated from University.

My childhood was happy. I grew up in a big family. My parents have five children. My father was a photographer. My mother was a housewife. Our family did not have much money. We lived in a small town though I finished high school because my father worked there. My brother and sisters were always together. Our friends are from school and neighbors. Also our friends keep longer. When I was six years thought nine. We spent a lot of the time to play the cat catch the rat. I like to play ping pang and swimming when I was younger. After school, I usually went with my friends go to play ping pang. Sometimes we went swimming. Also I have kept many friends until right now.

Now I have an interesting life. I live in San Francisco, with my husband and my daughter. I like San Francisco. It is a beautiful city and the weather is very nice. But I don’t like that San Francisco is too foggy. I have a job. I work every day. Also I go to school, too. I want to learn English. Usually after school I go to work. I work at Wangson Biotechnology Group Inc. since 2002. I am a salesperson. TI sell on the phone. I like my job. I have come here, my friends almost changed. People that live here are always busy. I don’t have time to do something I like that. Actually I like to sing songs and play ping pong, but now, I have never played again.

I try to think about my future. I am taking a vacation in November. I’m going to go to China. I want to attend my nephew’s wedding. And then I will visit my friends. If I have time, I will go to Shanghai. I will buy something for me. In the future, I hope my daughter will have a good job and will have a good future. I hope to be healthy, and for all people to find happiness. Someday I hope I can speak English very well. That’s my wish. 10 years or 20 years is too far, I don’t know what I will do. Maybe I continue to work. maybe I will go back to China.

What is The Life? by Tian Ming Chen

Everyone has his home. Home is the most comfortable place of everyone. I was born in China in 1989. My family lived here for 20 years. When I was 7 years old, I came to the school near my home. In 2001, I went to middle school. Here I learn many things about life. When I graduated from here, I was only 15 years old. Then I went into the high school and my hard life was coming. In China, the 3 years of high school are the hardest time in one’s school life. After high school’s time, I succeeded to go to a college in 2007. But after only two years, I had to leave my college because my family took me to the USA. Then a new life was waiting for me

I had a comfortable childhood. When I was a child, my family was rich. My father was a worker in the biggest company in my hometown. And my mother also worked in the office of the same company. We lived in an old house which my grandpa bought for my family. We lived there about 15 years. And then we moved to a new house. We spent a lot of time there. At the same time, my grandpa and grandma went to American to find new life. Soon my family went to America, too.

The new life begins. Now I live in San Francisco with my family. Many of my relatives are living here now. Though I am new here, I have many friends. They are very kind and help me a lot. I study at City College of San Francisco and want to find a job here. On the weekends, I often go to the park with my sisters and also play tennis here. I like the city because it’s beautiful. Three sides of the city are seas. The air here is very clear and people are friendly.

My dream is to be a soldier. So I must improve my English in City College. I want to graduate from here in one year. And then I will go to take the test to be a soldier. If I can go through the test, my dream will come true. For the test, I am going to learn many things in the school, but the language is the first. Because I am new to American, my English is not good. Writing and reading is worse. And I am also going to learn other subject like math. I believe I can do the best. In the future, I will work in San Francisco. I will get married here. I will have a new live here.

A New Beginning, by Mark Mai

I felt happiness when I had my grandmother. I was born in China, in 1985. I moved to San Francisco when my Grandmother died at that time I was very sad, because my grandmother loved me a lot. When I turned 5 years old, I just said: “I want a toy train” and my grandmother bought it for me right away. I was very happy to have this grandmother. I had my first salary in 2008. I didn’t work in China, but when I moved to San Francisco, I decided to work because when I go to work I can learn more English and have to get more experience, and I didn’t have to ask my mother when I needed money .

The most important thing I learned as a child was never give up. My family was not rich, so my father and my mother had to work. My brother and I were left at home all the time. I was old, so I had to take care of my brother, but I was just 7 years old. I liked to eat chocolate and play with my toys, but my family was poor, so there was not too much money to buy things. My family and I lived in China. My hobbies were painting and playing basketball. I had many friends. I knew them in school, but Jian Huang was different. He was my best friend. We played together from when we were small. We lived in the same place, so our feelings were the best. I still remember one time. I learned how to ride a bicycle. I fell down all the time and hurt my body. I wanted to give up, but Jian Huang told me: “you wanted to do something, but you just failed two times or three times. If you say: “I want to give up”, you will never do these things. In the end I learned to ride a bicycle and I never forget I have this friend.

My life in San Francisco has begun. Now I live in San Francisco. I have been here for 4 years. My family includes my father, mother, brother and me for four people. We live together. If we have difficulties, we can help each other. I have many friends. They usually call me to play basketball or go ice skating, but sometimes they are very busy, so there isn’t any time to play with me. I have a part-time job in a restaurant. I’m a waiter. My job is taking orders and serving guests. I have to go to school every day because my English is not too good, so I have to learn more English or get a better job for me. My hobbies are playing basketball, listening to music and using the computer, so I usually play basketball and use the computer online with my friends. I like to eat good food and watch NBA basketball, but I don’t know how to cook. I don’t like to do housework because it is so hard for me.

What things will I do? I am very happy I came to the USA because here people all speak English, and there are many good English teachers to teach, but the best is it still free. My short-term goals are to take my driver’s license and citizenship test this year. My main goals are to learn English well and get a good job. My wishes are family health and happiness. I hope I will be a basketball player and buy a house. I will be getting practice basketball player and earn more money. I will get married in 5 years. I will go on a honeymoon to Japan. It is very beautiful. I will be educated well for my children at home in 10 years. I will build a house in my hometown in 20~30 years because I love my hometown. If my wife and I retire, I can go back my hometown. My dream is to travel around the world. Now I am earning more money, so my dream will come true.